Living for a Higher Purpose

By Peter G Vu

This book is partly a history book and also a personal diary. As these two parts weave together, one will see the divine presence and the secrets of life that have helped Viet survive throughout his life. He had to rely on the protection of his ancestors and the help of the Guardian Angels - the kind and

• Language: English
• Publisher: AEGA Design Publishing Ltd
• Release date: May 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781838428716

Book preview

Peter_G_Vu-Living_for_a_Higher_Purpose-_Front_Cover.jpg

"Viet’s story is a remarkable one, and it will be

impossible for readers not to be gripped by his relentless

perseverance. … a historically fascinating peek into

postwar Vietnam …

A powerful story of overcoming adversity and

finding religion."

- Kirkus Review

Living For Higher Purpose: Story of a City Boy Who

Survived the Vietnam War by Living for Jesus and Others

By Reverend Peter G. Vu

Dog Ear Publishing, LLC, $13.95, 210 pages, Format: eBook

Star Rating: 4 / 5

Living For A Higher Purpose is an account of surviving the Vietnam War and living as a refugee after the war. The story chronicles Viet’s life under the watchful eye of the communist dictatorship in Vietnam, along with his harrowing escape to the US. Like many refugees’ stories, Viet’s story was touching, heart-breaking, and fascinating at the same time. Viet goes into detail about how miserable his life is under the communist government. While all of Vietnam’s citizens suffered at the hands of their own government, the Communist Party and its officials confiscated everyone’s possessions and used their power to control everyone’s beliefs and actions. Throughout his horrible living conditions and near death experiences, Viet felt his ancestors and God were helping him and watching over him. There were numerous times in Viet’s life that he witnessed so much greed, cruelty, and injustice that he almost lost his confidence in humanity and in God. Just when Viet almost gave up his faith, he felt God would send a message, a sign, or an angel his way to help him through the difficult times. One instance was when Viet and his family were starving and were running out of rice. Viet said that God showed him mercy when the next day, the communist government increased the rationing, and they were able to receive rice. Some of the difficult experiences in Viet’s life cemented his belief and faith in God, and he wanted to devote his life to God by attending seminary school to become a priest.

I highly recommend Viet’s story to anyone interested in learning about a refugee’s story of survival and those who enjoy books with religious components. While, at times, the book sounded preachy (the author is a reverend) due to the extensive quotes and references to the Bible, I found the section about the problems and hypocrisy of the Church to be honest and truthful.

- Reviewed by Helen Vernier

(Manhattan Book Review)

Living For Higher Purpose: Story of a City Boy Who

Survived the Vietnam War by Living for Jesus and Others

By Reverend Peter G. Vu

Dog Ear Publishing, LLC, $13.95, 210 pages, Format: eBook

Star Rating: 3 / 5

We might be aware that the Vietnam War was officially fought between North and South Vietnam. We might know that it was a war between Communist and anti-Communist powers and that Vietnam suffered under the rule of an oppressive Communist state. Living For a Higher Purpose, however, teaches us what we do not know.

Reverend Peter G. Vu’s story teaches us the aspects of history that education misses but humanity necessitates. Living For a Higher Purpose: Story of a City Boy Who Survived the Viet Nam War by Living for Jesus and Others is an unusual story of human suffering and the consequential awakening of spiritual empowerment. It has a concise yet unforgettable history lesson told through a tumultuous narrative that follows the life of its author through his protagonist and alias, Viet, who grows up in Vietnam. This true story begins with the Vietnam War, progresses through the affliction of the resulting Communist control over Vietnam, and observes Reverend Vu’s deeply distressing (and not to mention prolonged) escape to a world that offered freedom where his home allowed none.

Although Rev. Vu’s story is notably a religious text, its narrative is simultaneously harrowing, historically factual, and autobiographical in its relation to the author. As a result, it is applicable to any audience, whether their interest be historical, theological, political, humanistic, or ethical. It is the untold torture of the refugee and the subjugated and their immeasurable strength that we are enlightened by in this story.

However, it must be acknowledged that the subject of faith and spiritual awakenings can relate to all questions of human consciousness, and Rev. Vu’s moments of contemplation on faith and the soul raise questions that are asked by all people. His devotion to his faith, which at times presents a struggle in itself based on human malevolence, shows a strength of character and moral compass that is truly inspiring and stands as a message to empower his readers.

Rev. Vu depicts the story’s opening as an apocalyptic setting, a narrative feature that modern film and literature have familiarized us with today, so we feel connected to his story rather than the mass desensitization that we often experience when observing them through public news bulletins. The protagonist expresses himself in the vernacular and style of a young boy with an abundance of emotion, which is a narrative element that keeps the innocence and vulnerability from being overshadowed by unrelatable experience.

Ultimately, Living For a Higher Purpose is a historical narrative about human suffering and strength that you will remember more profoundly than any news broadcast or history lesson.

- Reviewed by Maddy Christopher

(San Francisco Book Review)

Living For Higher Purpose: Story of a City Boy Who

Survived the Vietnam War by Living for Jesus and Others

By Reverend Peter G. Vu

Dog Ear Publishing, LLC, $13.95, 210 pages, Format: eBook

Star Rating: 3 / 5

The Vietnam War left devastation in its wake. Not only did it pit Americans against one another but Vietnamese families in Viet Nam as well. Living for a Higher Purpose is the true harrowing journey of Viet. Having lived ten years under the Communist stranglehold, he escapes on his own after several failed attempts to find a better and freer life. During that voyage to freedom, he finds himself thrown into prisons that try to break him. After his release, when liberty is just at his fingertips on board a small boat, he is again faced with terrifying obstacles. Throughout his lifetime, Viet has been forced to make the hardest decisions anyone can make. One of those decisions was to leave part of his family in Viet Nam. His faith in the Lord kept him moving one foot after the other despite losses and setbacks until he reached his final destination of the United States, eventually discovering his life’s purpose. And although the life of a refugee had more downs than ups in the beginning, he prevailed.

Viet’s traumatic crossing into the land of opportunity is full of heart weary events and moments of bliss. However, Reverand Peter G. Vu’s style of narration, because of its at arms-length approach, doesn’t provide a fully connective experience for the reader. For it to become an immersive experience, the voice needs to dig deeper and be less detached so that the reader can be one with Viet and his life.

There were also points throughout the book that lent themselves to a language-barrier issue. In one section, the narrator described a fun memory in regard to a person having a stroke or heart attack. With the language barrier issue aside, Living for a Higher Purpose is a glimpse of one refugee’s life, and it is a perspective that doesn’t get written about often, which makes it a worthwhile read.

- Reviewed by Erin Nicole Cochran

(Seattle Book Review)

Living For Higher Purpose: Story of a City Boy Who

Survived the Vietnam War by Living for Jesus and Others

By Reverend Peter G. Vu

Dog Ear Publishing, LLC, $13.95, 210 pages, Format: eBook

Star Rating: 4 / 5

There are plenty of Vietnam-era memoirs. People started writing them before the war was over in 1975 and continue writing them to this day. Most are written by the service men and women who were stationed there or about the response to the war in the U.S. or other countries involved. But rarely do you find one written by a Vietnamese native beginning after the Fall of Saigon. Living for a Higher Purpose is one of the latter.

Peter Vu lived on the outskirts of Saigon during the war, and his family suffered deprivation and punishments after Northern Vietnam bombed and then occupied Saigon and the South. From starvation to forced labor camps, Vu’s family struggled to get by and get Peter an education as he grew up. As educational opportunities were rare, the family plotted to get him out of the country and to the United States for safety and his future. It took Peter multiple attempts to get out of Vietnam, one of which landed him in prison, but, eventually, he ended up as one of the Boat People making the dangerous journey to anywhere that will take them, as long as it wasn’t but back to Vietnam.

Throughout his story, Vu maintains a persistent optimism, even in the face of extreme hardship and danger. It was his family and personal belief in Jesus and the Bible that kept them going and lead Vu to the Catholic priesthood. His faith is his story, and he tells it in a clear and concise way, making it both an easy-to-read book, but also brings the reader into his world. While this is a book of faith, it is also a memoir of a period of time that many Americans don’t know about, or probably even thought of. The scenes on TV of the last helicopters leaving Saigon may have been the end of the American’s involvement in the war, but there was a second act for those left behind. Read Living for a Higher Purpose for the inspirational story, learn from it the additional human costs after the end of the Vietnam War.

- Reviewed by Bradley Allen

(Tulsa BookReview)

Living For Higher Purpose: Story of a City Boy Who

Survived the Vietnam War by Living for Jesus and Others

By Reverend Peter G. Vu

Dog Ear Publishing, LLC, $13.95, 210 pages, Format: eBook

Star Rating: 5 / 5

Living for a Higher Purpose: Story of a City Boy Who Survived the Viet Nam War by Living for Jesus and Others by Peter Gia Vu is a painful yet liberating tale of surviving the carnage and horrors of the Viet Nam War. Young Viet moves to the US where, as a refugee, he has to learn English and adapt to a completely new culture and environment. Follow him as he struggles with loneliness, a disturbing sense of despair, and discrimination. But he forges on, searching for his purpose in life. He hears God’s call to the priesthood and enters the Seminary. After studying for ten years, Viet was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In this memoir, the author shares the story of a boy who escapes from a homeland broken by a communist regime, enduring hunger and thirst, facing dangers, and living through life-threatening situations. But the US wasn’t the paradise that many had spoken about. It was a land with its own challenges. But what made Viet endure all these challenges? Where did his strength come from? In this memoir, the author explores the theme of war and shows

readers that in the midst of our suffering, there is the liberating joy of living for others and for something higher than ourselves. For him, it is the priesthood. The story is written in a voice that is ruthlessly honest, capturing scenes that are emotionally intense and heartbreaking. Peter Gia Vu is a wonderful writer and he shares Viet’s story in a voice that is captivating and allows readers to see the world from the eyes of a war-survivor-turned-priest. Living for a Higher Purpose invites readers to look beyond themselves to find joy and meaning in the service of others.

Reviewed By Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite

Amazon’s Reviewers for the Book

Living for a Higher Purpose: Story of a City Boy Who Survived the Viet Nam War by Living for Jesus & Others

An excellent description of growing up in War ridden Vietnam. Not political, not about the war really, just a life event that highlights the courage of one man and his family/friends in a time of horror. I am also prejudiced because he, P. VU, is a real friend that I see often.

- Tom Carew | Star Rating: 5 / 5

This personal account demonstrates the strength of genuine faith and how God’s love for each of us provides guidance for true purpose in life. Discarding selfishness and embracing a life of service to God and others provides unimaginable joy. Most of us live a life of privilege in the United States and Viet’s experiences illuminate this in dramatic fashion. God Bless.

- Chip78 | Star Rating: 5 / 5

Very good book! Can’t wait for a movie to come out of this!

-Roxanne Long | Star Rating: 5 / 5

Great book!

-Adam Johnson | Star Rating: 5 / 5

Riveting story! It captured my attention right away, with a young Vietnam boy named Viet, trying to survive amidst a war and communist rule. He lived in poverty with his family, and they all struggled to live under the strict rules of the war and the communists. Viet did everything he could to find food and help his family, and at the same time he tried to better himself by getting an education. There were numerous stories of how they survived, and shocking events that taught him valuable lessons. Viet was quick to be kind and help and have compassion toward anyone sick and hurting. Because of the communist rule, he couldn’t do higher education, so Viet decided to escape the country and start a new life elsewhere. There were nerve-wracking and dangerous trips in the night to try to escape. He failed several times, and even was put in jail for trying to leave the country. It was an amazing story of survival and divine intervention, as Viet finally was able to escape. It’s quite a journey, and I highly recommend this book, Living For Higher Purpose. It’s an inspiring story as the young man comes to America and fulfills his dream of higher education and becomes a priest to help the unfortunate and the hurting.

-Lee Broom | Star Rating: 5 / 5

The Vietnam War left devastation in its wake. Not only did it pit Americans against one another but Vietnamese families in Viet Nam as well. Living for a Higher Purpose is the true harrowing journey of Viet. Having lived ten years under the Communist stranglehold, he escapes on his own after several failed attempts to find a better and freer life. During that voyage to freedom, he finds himself thrown into prisons that try to break him. After his release, when liberty is just at his fingertips on board a small boat, he is again faced with terrifying obstacles. Throughout his lifetime, Viet has been forced to make the hardest decisions anyone can make. One of those decisions was to leave part of his family in Viet Nam. His faith in the Lord kept him moving one foot after the other despite losses and setbacks until he reached his final destination of the United States, eventually discovering his life’s purpose. And although the life of a refugee had more downs than ups in the beginning, he prevailed. Viet’s traumatic crossing into the land of opportunity is full of heart weary events and moments of bliss. However, Reverand Peter G. Vu’s style of narration, because of its at arms-length approach, doesn’t provide a fully connective experience for the reader. For it to become an immersive experience, the voice needs to dig deeper and be less detached so that the reader can be one with Viet and his life. There were also points throughout the book that lent themselves to a language-barrier issue. In one section, the narrator described a fun memory in regard to a person having a stroke or heart attack. With the language barrier issue aside, Living for a Higher Purpose is a glimpse of one refugee’s life, and it is a perspective that doesn’t get written about often, which makes it a worthwhile read.

- P. Cochran | Star Rating: 3 / 5

Good story and it made me remember some things from when I was there.

-Al | Star Rating: 5 / 5

Living

for a

Higher Purpose

Reverend Peter G. Vu

LIVING FOR A HIGHER PURPOSE

Copyright © 2021 Reverend Peter G. Vu

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. e views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily re ect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-8384287-0-9 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-8384287-1-6 (E-book)

Published by:

AEGA PUBLISHING LTD

Kemp House, 160 City Road

London, EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom

www.aegadesign.co.uk

[e-mail]

Living for a Higher Purpose

Story of a City Boy Who Survived the Viet Nam War

by Living for Jesus and Others

Reverend Peter G. Vu

I dedicate this book to the following people:

• My loving and faithful God and God’s son Jesus, who has always been by my side to protect, support, comfort and show me the way.

• My family and ancestors: Great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts who have never wavered in their support for me and have continued to protect and cheer for me beyond this life.

• My friends and benefactors: These kind and generous people are like my guardian angels, whom God has sent me throughout my life to give me a helping hand in times of need.

I am forever grateful to my God and indebted to all of you. May our loving and faithful God repay you abundantly and continue to bless you and your loved ones.

Contents

Introduction

1. Searching for Life and Salvation on the Days of Apocalypse19

2. Searching for Reasons to Live in the Land of the Dead35

3. Searching for God in the

4. Searching for Humanity in the Pile of the Outcast78

5. Searching for Identity and Life Mission in the Wasteland95

6. Searching for Freedom Beyond the Borders113

7. The Great Escape at Sea141

8. The Miraculous Rescue169

9. Camp Freedom in a

10. The Promised Land:

11. Searching for a New Identity and

Life Mission in the New World226

12. Searching for God in the

13. Searching for Discipline and Routines in the Free Land253

14. Searching for Human Care in the Church,

the World, and Daily Life283

15. Finding the Highest Purpose of Living in the

Love of God in Christ Jesus304

Introduction

The Viet Nam War, like other wars in human history, has entered the American consciousness and remained a bewilderment for the present and future generations to discern and wonder. This war divided America, Viet Nam, the public at large, and many families. It brought tears, bloodshed, suffering, hatred, anger, chaos, loss, and destruction to all involved. Many books have been written and movies have been made to reflect various viewpoints and opinions. But, few books have been written from the perspective of a witness and survivor of this war. Viet—the main character of this memoir—witnessed the end of the war and lived through the horrible days under a Communist regime.

During this war, people lined up on both sides to support it and protest it. After the war ended, no one seemed to care about its victims or wanted to speak up for them and come to their aid. Viet wants the world to know what happened to its victims and what was left behind after everyone left the country. He survived the aftermath and escaped by boat to search for freedom and a new life beyond his broken homeland. He spent about a week at sea fighting for his life against hunger, thirst, heat, seasickness, waves, violent storms, sharks, Communists and their allies, pirates, the idea of cannibalism and death. Thankfully, by God’s grace and with the help of some good people from a South Korean ship, Viet was rescued along with his boat mates and dropped off at a refugee camp in Singapore. After several months at this camp, his father sponsored him to come to America.

Viet struggled to learn English and adapt to the new culture in America. He battled loneliness, hopelessness, discrimination, lack of resources, and other issues that a refugee endures in a new land. He also tried to discern the priesthood vocation and decided to follow his Lord’s footsteps and serve His Church. With this, he left behind numerous great opportunities of the Promised Land and entered the seminary. He conquered many challenges of seminary life and acquired new skills and disciplines to help him become an effective priest for God’s people. After ten years of seminary training, Viet was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has been a faithful and loving priest for twenty years and is looking forward to serving Christ’s church for many more years.

Viet has shared a little bit of his life story in his Sunday homilies and other workshops in the last 20 years. His friends and parishioners have urged him to write this book so that they will have a full picture of his amazing life. This book is partly a history book and partly a personal diary. As the two parts of this story weave together, one will see the divine presence and the secrets of life that have helped Viet survive throughout his life. He relied on the protection of his ancestors and the help of Guardian Angels—kind and generous people that God sent him along the way. Most importantly, he has looked up to his loving God and a higher purpose to stay alive and move forward each day.

Hence, Viet’s memoir has taken the title Living for a Higher Purpose. This book will guide readers through many stories of Viet’s life and eventually help them determine what that higher purpose is. It also discusses many popular, current issues such as war and its victims, refugees and their life’s challenges, life under a communist regime, core curriculum, how the world views America, the relationship between Catholicism (Christianity) and Buddhism, and much more.

After reflecting on various issues and discerning life from different viewpoints, Viet will help readers come to the same conclusion about the secret of a fulfilling and joyful life. That is, a person should use his or her life to serve Jesus and other people. By sticking to this way of living, a person will find meaning and unending joy even in the dark night of his or her soul. This person will always trust in God’s love on the Cross of Jesus to guide, protect, strengthen, and encourage him or her throughout his or her life. My hope is that you will find comfort, joy, hope, and answers for your life issues by journeying through this memoir with Viet. May God’s love always be before you, beside you, and behind you all the days of your life.

Fr. Peter G. Vu

Living for a Higher Purpose

Story of a City Boy Who Survived the Viet Nam War by Living for Jesus and Others

Reverend Peter G. Vu

Chap t e r 1

Searching for Life and Salvation on the Days of Apocalypse

One, two, three, a boy facing a wall with his eyes closed keeps counting. His friends scatter looking for a place to hide in the neighborhood where they grew up together and knew everyone so well. There are occasional giggles and whisperings as this group of kids tries to keep themselves well hidden from the counting boy, who seems oblivious to all the fun his friends are enjoying. His voice seems to pick up with a faster pace as he says, …seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. A few slackers speed up with their search for the best hiding places, but change their minds at the last minute and decide to go home to hide instead. That is probably the best hiding place of all. Even the most seasoned detective cannot find them there.

After several minutes of counting that seem to go on forever and commotion from kids looking for the best hiding places, the whole neighborhood is reduced to silence. The boy who counted a moment ago stops abruptly at thirty and calls out at the top of his lungs, Ready or not, here I come! When he closed his eyes a moment ago, he could sense all the familiar sounds and smells of the neighborhood. He could tell where all the yelling and screaming was coming from. A couple of his neighbors often talk with their household members at the top of their lungs, as if they were deaf. Street vendors also frequent the neighborhood and call out their selling slogans, letting everyone know what is best about their products. His whole neighborhood is always full of sounds that intertwine with one another to create a magical concert for its residents and visitors. The intoxicating smells of the tropical flowers and fruits make the whole neighborhood feel like the Garden of Eden, where everyone can feel safe and have anything they want.

The counting boy slowly opens his eyes to an eerie silence of a neighborhood that he once thought he knew quite well. All his friends had gone into hiding and he now must look for them. He wonders where he can begin his search. Maybe he can find