Vietnam
When Wellspring’s Lead Pastor, Gary Petersen, first began visiting Vietnam in 2000, it was considered a closed mission field. Since the Vietnam War, all missionaries had been expelled from Vietnam, and the few churches that remained were under close government scrutiny. Building relationships with local pastors was difficult because of fear and distrust of westerners, but over the course of multiple visits, Pastor Gary began developing friendships and partnerships in Vietnam.
Seeing that Vietnamese churches were failing to reach the next generation, Pastor Gary developed a plan to build Christian coffee houses that would appeal to young people and provide a safe, productive alternative to hanging out in the streets.
Today, Wellspring mission teams have constructed two coffee houses that serve as safe gathering places for hundreds of Vietnamese youth and helped to establish the first Vietnamese Christian rock band. Currently, we are in the process of developing sports and music education programs for Vietnamese youth, and another mission trip is slated for this Fall.
If you would like more information on becoming a part of our Vietnam mission, contact the church office: wellspringchurch@aol.com.
