Vietnam 2026
This summer, July 16-27, Greg, Clayton (18), Evangeline (16), Jeremiah (13), and I will be going to Vietnam with the church we used to belong to in Knoxville, Tennessee: Fellowship Church. The organization the church is going with is an excellent organization that provides homes to children who need support, either because they are orphans or because their families don’t have the ability to provide for them. Many of you know that Greg and I used to foster children, so this is in line with our hearts. Greg lived and taught in Vietnam for three years, we led this trip together in 2006, 2007, and he led it in 2008, and I also went last year with Clayton and Evangeline, so we’re excited to go back and continue to deepen the relationships we already formed in the past (contact me if you want to know the organization name).
On this trip, as on the trips before, we will help put on a summer camp for kids who live all over Vietnam. It’s a special time for the kids to be with other kids just like them—kids that are like cousins to them. I love being a part of lavishing on these kids, showing how much God loves them. I love teaching them more about God and encouraging them to share God’s love with their friends. My favorite part, though, as a former foster-care parent, is that this week is a break for the couples who have taken these kids in (up to 10 per home!). They are provided with time to discuss issues they’ve been having with other parents like them, and they are given counseling, encouragement, and relaxation.
A question many people ask is whether these kids speak English. Yes, some of the older ones do because of school or because they’ve learned through tv, but most don’t know English. That’s where the translators come in—kids who have already grown up and transitioned out of their homes and have come back to help with the camp. Last year, I was so excited to see Hien, a sweet girl I met back in 2006 when she was a young camper. Now, she’s a lead translator, confident and in college with a steady job on the side.
This year, Greg and I will teach the teens together (and he’ll do his share of translating on the side since he used to be fluent in Vietnamese), Clayton will lead games like he did last year, and Evangeline and Jeremiah will help with crafts with the younger kids.
We’re so excited to go, but we have to raise the funds first! It’s $4000 a person, higher this year because of the high gas prices driving airline ticket prices up. We currently have a total of around $9000 from fundraising we’ve already done, so we’re around 45% of the way there! If you’d be willing to help with the cost of the trip, we’d be so thankful! Here are our fundraising pages:
Greg: https://fellowshipknox.tpsdb.com/OnlineReg/1518/Giving/2205
Heather: https://fellowshipknox.tpsdb.com/OnlineReg/1518/Giving/2206
Clayton: https://fellowshipknox.tpsdb.com/OnlineReg/1518/Giving/2207
Evangeline: https://fellowshipknox.tpsdb.com/OnlineReg/1518/Giving/2208
Jeremiah: https://fellowshipknox.tpsdb.com/OnlineReg/1518/Giving/2209
If you donate this way, it will be tax-deductible. Don’t be surprised when they ask for your birthday, phone number, and email address. They’re not going to put you on a mailing list. They’re just trying to identify who you are, so it can be tax-deductible for you. I’ve been told that if you don’t write the date in the form with a slash between the numbers, it won’t work. They’ll also ask for a campus, and you can say whatever campus you want–it doesn’t matter. I used to attend Fellowship Church Middlebrook, but it doesn’t matter at all which you choose. If you’d prefer, you could give to my Venmo or with a check, but it won’t be tax-deductible.
Just as important as raising financial support, we need help with prayer support! I hope you’ll be willing to pray for us. For now, we need prayer for raising the money, for our teaching preparations, and for prepared hearts for us and for the kids going to the camp.
Thank you so much for your support!
Love,
Heather Bock