Lay missionary Ahn Vu

Ahn Vu says she has been interested in mission work since first reading Maryknoll magazine as an 8th grader. She has served with Maryknoll in Hanoi since January 2007 and will remain there through June 2010.

The non-Catholics she encounters in Vietnam view her with disbelief, she told The Catholic Telegraph. "I am perceived to be ‘crazy’ that I volunteer for such work without pay."

Vu’s current responsibilities include coordinating the "At Risk Youth in Hanoi Project" and the Hands of Compassion Community Center. She teaches teach life skills and English to various youth organizations and men and women religious, and also helps training special education teachers at a center for autism in Hanoi.

CNS PHOTO/JOSEPH LY, REUTERS

A security officer (in brown poncho) removes the cross at the site of the former Vatican embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, late last month. The local authorities have nearly completed a tree park being constructed at the site of the former embassy, despite protests by the Vietnamese Catholic community.

But it would not be incorrect to say that her actions evangelize perhaps better than words could in this nation.

"Seeing the smiles on people, especially children, and their deep appreciation over simple things, such as when given a small candy, a balloon or toy, toothbrush, bar of soap, bowl of rice, etc., keeps me in mission work," she said. She has "come to appreciate and respect most the diligence and patience of the people whom I work and serve."

Vu has observed that there are fewer restrictions on religious freedom in Vietnam than there were in the past.

"Masses are openly celebrated in the cities and provinces. I believe that there is not a limit on number of seminarians or novices that can enter an order," she explained. "However, there are many instances where the government will stop public prayer services, even using pepper spray/violence at times in peaceful protests of the government not giving back church properties."

Last month the former apostolic nunciature in Hanoi was the scene of massive protests as the government moved forward with demolition of the property in order to build a library and park in its place.

Catholics, she says guardedly, are considered to be "bad citizens," and the current bishop is seen as a traitor in the eyes of the government. Her work is affected at times by the political situation, such as when funding is delayed or blocked for unknown/vague reasons.

As a missionary of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Vu, who is 38, says she draws upon the archdiocese for some small financial support "and prayer support, especially in the stressful times. It gives a great sense of hope, faith and gratitude to me knowing that I have the support of the entire Archdiocese of Cincinnati in my mission endeavor."

She is wistful in her desire to have more funding in order to purchase _English books and school supplies and equipment, but knows that a large number of missionaries from Cincinnati are in need of similar funding.

Vu, who graduated from University of Cincinnati, said she would encourage young people to pursue mission work, because while it is hard, "the rewards are well worth it."

Still, she admits that "I miss most my family, eating Skyline, Graeter’s ice cream, watching the Bearcats basketball and autumn in Cincinnati. The United States will always be my home. Viewing the United States from afar has made me realize that I’m lot more American than I thought."

There is an irony in Vu’s work; her family left Vietnam in 1975, and they were not thrilled about her returning there, although the fact that she would be doing mission work ameliorated some of their concerns. She opted to go to Vietnam since she spoke the language and knew that missionaries were needed there. Her spoken command of the language is good, because her family insisted they speak it at home while growing up, but she admits that reading and writing it is difficult.

She does not expect, however, that her family will ever visit her there. — Tricia Hempel