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Volume 25 No. 2 | Winter 2015
An open heart the key to transition in missionary life
By Truong Le, SVD
“In spite of difficult
situations and
unforeseeable
circumstances, God
always manages to walk
with us and open us up
to new possibilities,”
says Fr John Hung Le
SVD, when asked about
his transition to Thailand
after a 10-year term in
Papua New Guinea.
“I’m a person that likes adventures and likes to
experience new things,” says Fr John. “I’ve made many
transitions in my life; some I had no idea what was going
on, but through these events I have come closer to what
God has in plan for me.”
At the age of 15, in a truly life-changing event, Fr John’s
parents entrusted him to his aunt’s family to escape
Vietnam for a new life in the United States.
“I had no idea what was happening other than my parents
wanted me to go with my aunts and their family,” Fr John
says. “I realised that we were going to ‘vuot bien’ (a term
to describe the journey of leaving Vietnam), but what that
entailed I had no idea.”
Fr John left Vietnam in September of 1979 along with two
of his aunts and their family. They drifted on the ocean
for seven days before being rescued and relocated to the
refugee camp in Palawan, Philippines. They experienced
many hardships during the journey, like lack of food and
drinkable water, engine failure, and being lost at sea. After
spending three years in the refugee camp, they settled in
Orange County, California.
Fr John persevered with the life in the US, especially with
his studies. He worked weekends, picking up aluminum
cans and working at the flea market and completed his
high school education. By that time, he was thinking of
a religious vocation, an idea that first came to him when
he was six or seven. After high school, being intrigued by
a TV program on world mission and finding a pamphlet
about the SVD, he entered into formation in Epworth,
Iowa. However, during his formation, he could not
resolve the disparity between his role as the eldest son
in the family and his religious vocation. With difficulty, he
decided to leave the SVD formation in order to work and
support his family in Vietnam.
Being adept with his hands, Fr John made a living by fixing
things (eg sewing machines) and saved enough money for
a trip back to Vietnam – the first in 15 years. The reunion
was not as he expected. He realised that his relationship
with his parents had changed, and he could barely
recognise his younger siblings. More trips back to Vietnam
followed, and he began to realise that providing for the
family financially was not the only mode of showing care.
To his surprise, he learned that his family did not even have
this expectation. The following year, Fr John sponsored his
siblings to the US to explore new opportunities, and thus
they were able to care for their parents in Vietnam. He no
longer felt the contradiction between his role as the eldest
son and following his missionary vocation.
“After 15 years, I finally realised what I had left behind in
leaving Vietnam; I left my family,” Fr John says. “The pain
is real and the loss is apparent and I have to deal with it.
When I reconciled that, I was able to pursue my religious
vocation with the SVD.”
The lessons Fr John had learnt about saying goodbye and
letting go stood him in good stead for his next phase of
transition – his first missionary assignment to Papua New
Guinea.
“Once again I became an infant having to learn another
language and another way of doing things –the social
customs and culture. Not only that, I had to learn how to
walk and climb,” he says.
Based at Dirima in the mountains, Fr John served three
parishes including 12 outstations. He established personal
relationships with the people of different tribes, and learnt
much from them. Over the years, he helped them build
schools, and upon his leaving, they were able to renovate
one of the main churches. Perhaps, at the peak of his
ministerial role, with strong ties with the people and stories
of successes, Fr John decided it was time to say goodbye.
“I felt satisfied and fulfilled, and so it is time for me to let
go,” he says.
Into his 50s, Fr John now accepts his new assignment in
Thailand and is currently residing in Bangkok for language
studies. He says an open heart is the secret to managing
transition in life.
“Be generous with yourself; don’t attach too much and
possess too much,” he says. “Share your time, gifts,
joys, pain and suffering with the people around you and
open up your hearts –that is the key to making a good
transition.”