25 Years of Witnessing to the Word in Thailand 205 Centre and Mother Mary Home. Vinh Tran is the pastor of St Michael’s which is adjacent to the Centre. He is also the pastor of two other parishes. Ron Fratzke is well known in the local area for teaching English. And in Bangkok, John Hung Le and Anthony Le Duc continue to offer their services to the Vietnamese migrant workers. “John goes to visit refugee camps and find ways to provide essential food and supplies for the different groups,” said Fr Truong. “Anthony also engages in teaching at the Seminary for the Archdiocese of Bangkok. In this community, Chalerm is currently working on his English course in preparation for the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam and will soon apply for his visa to Australia.” Fr Truong said the quarterly recollection ended with afternoon Mass and dinner with the local community. “Each of the SVDs received a bouquet of roses made out of pandanus leaf as a sign of gratitude for serving the community over the years,” he said. “Jesus said, ‘… when you grow old, you will stretch out our hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go’ (Jn 21:18). “We too do not know for sure what God’s plan is for the SVDs in the next 20 years. However, entering the unknown and unpredictable with Jesus by our side, we are sure to receive grace that is unexpected.”
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