OBV Mission Trip Reflections: I Almost Got into a Fight with a Pimp in Singapore

A scrawny little pimp and I were nose to nose. Another pimp had to step in and forcibly separate us.

My Visit to Agape International Missions (AIM)

During our most recent visit to Cambodia, I went on a tour of Agape International Missions' facilities in Svey Pak. When it comes to fighting sex trafficking and creating a strong program for rehabilitation and reentry into regular society, AIM is absolutely killing it. Here's how this visit and our day unfolded.

Update on Medical Mission Trip to Tacloban, Philippines (Part 3)

We're only a few more days away from the start of our medical mission trip to Tacloban, Philippines.

We're excited for what is shaping up to be a well-organized and coordinated outreach effort to assist those still very much in need of help after Typhoon Haiyan.

Here's an update from Fr. Anthony.

Difficult Changes, Situations Facing the OBV Vietnam Girls

The closer I get to girls of the OBV Vietnam house, the more privy I am to their personal stories, which in turn makes me feel that much more responsible for their safety.

It's a bitter pill to swallow when I find out that a couple of the girls are taken from or decide on their own volition to leave the OBV house, or when I hear that the father of one of the girls who sexually abused her is about to be released from prison in a year.

Here are a few updates on some of the lives of the girls of the OBV Vietnam house. Names withheld for obvious reasons, etc. etc.

Update on Medical Mission Trip to Tacloban, Philippines (Part 2)

Here's an update we received on our upcoming one-week medical mission trip to Tacloban, Philippines.

Prostitution Investigation Recap (HCMC, Dec 30, 2013)

My report to Fr. Martino and OBV leadership about my undercover prostitution investigation in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, conducted on Monday, December 30, 2013.

11 Ways Tet Is Similar to Christmas

If you ask a Vietnamese person how important Tet (the Lunar New Year) is or what transpires during this time, you may often get a response that sounds something like "it's our Christmas."

After hearing this a few times, I put some thought into it and learned that there are, in fact, quite a number of--albeit incidental or coincidental--similarities between the two holidays.

So, if you're new to the Lunar New Year holiday, here's a chart to help you understand what a Vietnamese friend means when they compare the general nuances of Tet to those of Christmas.