A tiny band of Vietnamese Adventists in Orange County led by Isaiah Duong accepted a challenge in 1993 from Conference President Lynn Mallery. "Do something big for the Vietnamese," Mallery said.

"We hardly had 20 members. Many were new Adventists coming from Buddhist, Roman Catholic and other Protestant backgrounds. After conducting an evangelistic series among refugees in our area, 13 more accepted Christ. The idea we should 'do something big' was startling!" recalls Duong, the Vietnamese pastor.

The little congregation began praying and working. Four months later—with no experience, very little money and tenacious faith—they began producing a TV program. It ran for 21 months. "Although it was too expensive and too exhausting for us to keep up, we gained a lot of good experience by doing it," Duong says.

By God's blessing they have been doing big things. The congregation has now multiplied to 175 members in two locations (the second in Loma Linda) and developed daily radio broadcasts that are heard in 24 states with large Vietnamese populations. Adventist World Radio (AWR) began beaming programs by short wave into Vietnam. And, as correspondence from listeners flowed in, the pastor and members worked feverishly to produce Bible studies, books, magazines, videos and pamphlets to provide spiritual nourishment by mail.

Peace and Happiness

Realizing that the Vietnamese people had been battered by war and poverty, the congregation named its outreach "Peace and Happiness." Today, supported by an underground network of lay ministers in Vietnam and "radio churches" that worship together each Sabbath, the Peace and Happiness ministry has drawn 45,000 people to Christ. Because of religious persecution, people are usually baptized in secret. Many still await the opportunity.

Another 300,000 in Vietnam are believed to be regular listeners. Vietnamese refugees in other parts of the world are also picking up broadcasts. Contacts reveal receptive hearts in places such as China, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Africa, Australia and Russia. "Our motto since 1995 has been 'Vietnam for Christ,'" says Duong.

Despite the obstacles, the magnitude of God's blessing is stunning. "The Southeastern California Conference has nearly 64,000 members," Mallery adds. "We are pleased that one of our pastors leads a mission outreach that, in a sense, increases 'our' membership by more than 60 percent!"

"For years, political conditions in Vietnam have led SECC and AWR to refrain from reporting this good news," Mallery says. "We didn't want to endanger people's lives. There are still many risks. For example, we know Pastor Duong is a marked man. He would not survive if he returned to his homeland."

Success and Sacrifice

Often the tears and toil of sacrifice have watered the gospel seed. During the 10-year journey, the Vietnamese believers in Southeastern California have struggled to secure adequate funding and acquire technical know-how in media production. As working people with daily jobs, they often put aside personal and family needs in order to provide volunteer labor for the ministry on weekends and evenings.

Difficult physical conditions dogged the production of TV programs and the subsequent radio broadcasts. At first, the "studio" was a tiny, closed room. No air conditioning could be used because the hum would mar recordings. The choir, announcers, presenters, technicians and preacher suffered in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. "We would work in the studio for 30 minutes, then go cool off, then begin again," Duong remembers. Recording a program could take hours.

In the mid-1990s, Duong himself—the dreamer, promoter, organizer and leader of the project—became ill from overwork and was hospitalized. Many prayers and modifications in lifestyle have restored him.

Each new phase of outreach has brought new rewards and new demands. As more listeners tuned in, they asked for more Christian reading material. On top of producing radio programs, Duong and his church members have written material, printed it and organized a system to receive and answer mail and fill orders. They also need much more financial support.

Opponents have done their best to shut down the Peace and Happiness ministry. The Vietnamese government contacted Adventists in Singapore asking that they stop the broadcasts. The leaders explained that they could do nothing because the radio programs originate in the United States. Even in the U.S., other religious groups have tried to stop radio stations from airing the Peace and Happiness broadcast.

"So far, God has kept us on the air," Duong says. Vietnamese Public Radio carries the program in such cities as Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.; Austin, Texas; Atlanta, Ga.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Portland, Ore.; New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La.; and Denver, Colo.

The Peace and Happiness ministry continues to exploit new technology. In 1999 it established a web page. Sermons are webcast. Bible lessons and other material can be downloaded both in English and Vietnamese. (See www.abhpradio.org.) The two SECC congregations also benefit from weekly video-conferencing. Each Sabbath, Duong alternates preaching from Orange County or Loma Linda while the other congregation views the worship service live. The recorded Sabbath sermons are then ready for rebroadcast.

Celebrating Ten Years

On July 5, 2003, the Peace and Happiness ministry celebrated its 10th anniversary. The event attracted SECC leaders as well as special guests from Singapore, Michigan and Washington, D.C. A 90-page program booklet included a thorough history written both in Vietnamese and English.

In summary, Nguyen Si Tuyet Hoa, who helped prepare the written program, commented that "God does not always choose talented people or people with high [educational] degrees to serve Him. God chooses those who are willing to serve, to endure, to sacrifice and to be humble."

Whether Vietnam officially opens its doors to Christianity or not, God has already pierced its borders. The Holy Spirit is using radio waves, a dedicated pastor and two humble but hard-working congregations in the Southeastern California Conference to win hearts to Christ.

By Kit Watts