The Meek shall inherit the earth.

The following will not be totally clear to readers who have not been involved in Vietnam over the many years since the war in the 60s and 70s.  Nevertheless, a word of orientation. 

Richard Fuller, who writes this short message, has lived in Viet Nam for many years  and was a part of Viet Nam Christian Service in the 1970s and worked in the same project Judy and I worked with in the 60s.  Grace Mishler, about whom this is written, follows in the tradition of the service done by the  Church of the Brethren, one of the historic peace churches.  It is the only Church denomination I have been with in services that make a regular practice of foot washing.

I don't personally know either of them, but have become acquainted through the wonders of email and the internet.  I think Grace epitomizes the model of the spirituality of service and a good example to reflect on this day.  From what I can gather, Grace is blind.. but she has a great vision of service to the poor.  I have slightly shortened Rich Fuller's original message for clarity to readers of this blog..

Saigon, Easter Sunday, 2013

Today, as the question of how much hope the world has these days, I want to share my congratulations to Grace and with all of you, folks of good will.

This quiet, humble unsung heroine is the first "Brethren nun" as she calls herself I have ever met. She has chosen to help design a curriculum for social work students at the National University in Thu Duc to assist the disabled, including the blind, a part of society usually left behind in a nation's quest to develop economically.

We who have a connection with Viet Nam in one way or another can be happy that the spirit of the Quakers (who had a prosthetic center in Quang Ngai), the Mennonites (Earl Martin's attempt to promote reconciliation including the only apology I know ever made at My Lai), and the Brethren Service continues on in her voluntary work. Her board back in Indiana has decided to keep her on to continue her pioneering work on behalf of the disabled in Viet Nam, some of whom are disabled due to the war (agent orange-induced blindness).

Grace has also been a quiet advocate of ecumenism by the quiet witness of her life. Though Brethren herself, she has reached out to the main group that promotes social work in Viet Nam, the Catholic Church. She teaches some priests English and attends mass as well as protestant services to show the link between all people of her Christian faith in the work of the Lord she believes in. Her witness is not on CNN like Pope Francesca's, but she indeed has been washing the feet of the poor and disabled (figuratively of course) by her interviews with them to find out what services are needed and her trips to the U.S. are partly dedicated to finding whatever devices exist that can be brought back to VN.

"The meek shall inherit the earth", it is said that Jesus told his disciples.

So, today being Easter Sunday, I want to write this from the bottom of my heart as I see her struggling to find Vietnamese disciples who will carry on when she must one day leave. Manchester U. is coming to VN in 2014 and Grace will be here to assist them.

She got the university president here in VN to choose her and Co Tuyen's research among many projects to get university support, that of making it possible for blind people to study at university and be given whatever facilities needed to read the material and take the exams, something that is quite difficult now without an individual attendant for each blind student, not a realistic hope in today's society.

Grace, keep truckin' and know that you have a large, silent community rooting for your success. May you bring the hope that Easter is supposed to convey to those whom you serve.

Peace,
Rich