I was looking for a place for worship on Sunday so I thought I search the internet. I was surprised to find two churches close to where I live. After looking at both websites I decided I wanted to try the Hanoi International Fellowship (HIF).
I took a taxi on Sunday morning to the Hotel Intercontinental, about 10 minutes away from my apartment. The church rents the Grand Ballroom for their service. The congregation has a nice mix of international worshippers - 50% of the congregation are from Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, etc, and the rest from North America, Europe and Australia. I was surprised to meet quite a few Americans after the service. A couple of them I met are missionaries for other church organizations.
The HIF website said that the worshippers are mostly transient. Some are here for only a week or two, some a few months, and some a few years. The pastor is originally from Holland, who preached in the US for 20 years. He has been in Hanoi for about 10 years, I was told. You see a picture of Pastor Jacob Bloemberg preaching above. Below is a picture of the Worship Team, made up mostly of worshippers in their 20s'. There is also a band to the side, which I was not able to take a picture of.
After the service, I was invited to lunch with a few Australians. Pete, my new Australian friend, really made me feel at home. The big topic of discussion among the Australians was the election the previous day. Apparently, there is no clear winner between the Labor Party and the Conservatives. I'm glad they talk politics after church and not during church.
If you are interested in reading more about the Fellowship, here is their website:
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