In a recent update from Jon and Andrea Hoglund, we learned about the Lunar New Year (known as Tet) celebrated on February 5th in Vietnam. There are many fun, celebratory elements to this holiday, but also much superstition in the observance of it. 

The Hoglunds continue to enjoy immersing themselves in the Vietnamese culture. Andrea and the kids recently traveled with their homeschool group to a nearby ethnic village where they were able to see a traditional Vietnamese home and learn to cook a rice cake dish. 

Jon participated in a conference hosted by Hanoi Bible College on the cultural influence of Protestantism. This provided an opportunity for Vietnamese church leaders to meet and interact with Vietnamese professors from several universities in Hanoi. Jon presented a brief paper in Vietnamese and this has marked his transition into speaking in Vietnamese for his class lectures and some of the sermons he gives. Praise God for this transition!

Below are some of the ways the Hoglunds ask that we continue to lift them up in prayer. To learn more about their ministry you can follow this link.

Pray for the Hoglunds

We are constantly aware of and thankful for the blessings of living and working in Vietnam. Thank you so much for participating with us. 

Please pray for us in the coming weeks:

1. Hanoi Bible College is preparing to graduate our first class this May. Pray that these graduates will find ministry positions where they can use what they have learned for the church.

2. Pray for Jon as he teaches his first class in Vietnamese this semester. Pray that this step allows us to connect better with the students. Pray that they can understand his accent and that his accent improves with time and practice.

3. Pray for us as we make decisions about our children's education for next year. 

4. Pray for grace to keep our eyes fixed on the Father through all the ups and downs of cross-cultural living. It can sometimes feel we are moving "two steps forward, one step back," and rather than allow this to rock our faith, we pray that our faith stands firm on the Rock.