Public transportation services in Vietnam are considered well-developed, featuring a comprehensive interprovincial transit network. You can travel to any town across the country, as there are always passenger buses going there. However, the transport system from urban centers to remote mountainous villages is a completely different story. The roads leading to these places are not built for four-wheeled vehicles.
Bac Kan and Thai Nguyen are two mountainous provinces in the northwest that have now been merged into a single province. With a population of nearly 1.8 million, the region is home to various ethnic groups, including the Kinh, San Diu, Tay, Nung, Dao, and Hmong, among others. The Hmong people have the largest number of Christian believers here. In contrast, there are only about 15 churches (house churches/preaching points) belonging to the Kinh and other ethnic minorities. Overall, countless villagers in the northern provinces still need to hear the gospel.
In the scorching 40°C (104°F) summer heat, I waited about 40 minutes outside Ha Noi airport to catch a bus to this remote area. It took six hours to reach the district center, followed by another hour on a motorbike to arrive at the local church. Traveling along winding, mountainous roads, climbing over passes, and crossing rivers, I could truly understand the hardships faced by the pastors and CCI teachers who are serving the Lord in the northern provinces. Read the Full Update
