Vietnam

Welcome
Thank you for your interest in traveling to Southeast Asia to serve the needs of the Vietnamese people. It will be a unique experience for all as we try new foods and work in conditions that will be unfamiliar to us. Come with an open mind and heart and see what God has in store for you.

Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia.

Area: slightly larger than New Mexico.

Terrain: low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest.

History
France occupied all of Vietnam by 1884. Independence was declared after World War II, but the French continued to rule until 1954 when they were defeated by communist forces under Ho Chi Minh. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later North Vietnamese forces overran the south. Economic reconstruction of the reunited country has proven difficult.

Weather
Tropical in south; monsoon in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March).

Goverment
Communist state with its capital city being Hanoi.

Economy
Currency: new dong (D)
Industries: food processing, garments, shoes, machine building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper.
Agriculture: products: paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas; poultry, pigs; fish.

Project Sites
Danang: This city is located in Northern Vietnam along the coast of the South China Sea.  We will be working in a local hospital in Danang. You will be staying at a modest, local hotel.  There will be air-conditioning, clean bedding and hot and cold showers.  The electricity is 220 volts, so please bring along a converter if you are packing any electrical devices.

Important Information
The project fee for the mission is $1175.00 USD for the two weeks plus airfare (unless otherwise noted).  This is due to the fact that MMI does not have the permanent facilities in Vietnam as we do in other regions of the world—thus slightly raising the costs of setting up and completing this mission.  If there are any questions about the fees, please contact Julie in the Texas office