A Vietnam War refugee who has since devoted his life to missionary work will be the featured speaker at a program later this month at Petsworth Baptist Church.
Dat Trieu will address the audience at the program at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18 at the church, which is located at 2471 Hickory Fork Road in Gloucester.
Following the Vietnam War’s end in 1975, approximately 125,000 refugees sought safety in Thailand and Malaysia. Among them was Trieu, a 17-year-old forced to make three life-altering decisions within mere months. “By God’s grace, he faced each choice with unwavering faith and obedience, defying conventional wisdom,” a release stated.
Three years later, another wave of 800,000 refugees escaped Vietnam, setting sail across the Pacific Ocean. Tragically, between 25 and 50 percent perished due to drowning, dehydration, starvation, or attacks by pirates. This group became known as the “boat people,” a symbol of one of the most significant humanitarian crises of our time. Trieu’...