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"It is not
the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” - Matthew 9:12
They came in droves, young and old. Some were with families, while
others were alone. Some appeared to be the privileged, but
most wore the look of weariness and struggles. Some showed
confidence in saying “Hello” in English. Most could only
smile sheepishly while clinging on to an interpreter. Some
looked forward to being here, while the rest were unsure of
what this new land would bring. The blank stare in their
tiring eyes said it all and well.
Although none of them was sure of their future, all of them would
like to believe that something more must be in store for
them. They knew that a couple of month worth of free rent, a
fridge stocked with foods, some extra grocery money, a
scratch list of important phone numbers, and whatever was
left of their possession packed in their shabby suitcases
could by any mean sustain their lives and family for any
significant length of time.
They would huddled together in run-down neighborhoods on
Stone Avenue, Country Club Road, Fourth Avenue, and along
Grant Road and Speedway Boulevard. The Tucson Vietnamese
Community was changing!
That was then … the early nineties.
There were so many needs. It was seemingly too overwhelming for
any government or existing charitable organizations to
fulfill those needs and ease the pain for these people.
Beside the obvious physical and material needs, there were
emotional and spiritual ones which were of much greater
importance.
In the midst of this crucial period, our church was born. Since
1991, we have held true to the Calling observed throughout
the ages by Christians who viewed the needs of others being
greater than their own.
The
Vietnamese
Agape Baptist Church is by no mean a perfect church. It was
started by a group of ordinary people who seek to build a
place where the hurting, the depressed, the broken-hearted,
and the lost could find love, hope, peace, comfort, and
encouragement. The church was often referred to as a
“Spiritual Hospital” or the “Church for the Broken-hearted.”
We believe that God loves all people, regardless of their past. He
wants each of them to know how precious he or she is in His
sight. He wants them to know that it is alright to come to
Him while they are still hurting and imperfect.
"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”
still holds true to the heart of each member of our church
today. |
