By Patricia Paddey

IT WOULD BECOME a Pulitzer Prize winning photo that would be seen around the world. Snapped June 8, 1972, following a South Vietnamese napalm attack on the Trang Bang village during the Vietnam War, the photo captures the image of a naked, nine year old girl running toward the camera, screaming in pain.

That girl was Kim Phuc – who today, at 44, is a Canadian citizen, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and recipient of the Order of Ontario. In a move that reflects her deep love and continuing care for her homeland, Phuc is partnering with I.N. Network to raise awareness of their work in that nation.

I.N. Network encourages and prayerfully supports the local church in Vietnam in the commissioning of 75 teams of evangelists, and facilitates post-secondary educational studies for gifted young Christians.  

“Kim Phuc personifies the Vietnamese struggle,” says I.N. Canada’s executive director, John Denbok. “The opportunity to do something positive for the cause of Christ there with her support is very powerful. Because of all she stands for, Kim represents the past, but also the hope for Vietnam.”

Reflecting on the 35th anniversary of the famous photo, Phuc says softly: “That picture changed my whole life. But this life is temporary. God changed my heart and gave me life eternal.”

When Phuc arrived at the hospital in 1972 she was not expected to survive. Third degree burns covered more than half of her body. She would require countless operations and years of therapy. But while the physical pain and scarring were horrific, she says the emotional and spiritual scarring were far worse.

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Living in constant pain throughout her late childhood and teenage years, Phuc recalls, “I was bitter and filled with hatred. I was constantly living with the question, ‘Why me? Why do I have to suffer like this?’” Commandeered by the Vietnamese government as a spokesperson, her education was cut short and her personal freedom denied. “My life became like a bird in a cage,” she explains. “I had no freedom at all.” She contemplated suicide.

On a desperate quest for meaning, she began visiting the local library to read about world religions. It was there she first encountered a Bible, and read through the New Testament. Impressed by the words of Jesus, she began to seek a deeper understanding of Christianity, which resulted in her deciding to become a Christian in 1982.

It took years, but, “God freed me from hatred,” she says. “He enabled me to love and forgive my enemies, to trust him and to obey.” While she still suffers daily from excruciating pain, she now finds purpose in that pain.

“The pain reminds me daily to go back to the Lord in prayer, then the Lord reminds me, ‘I am with you Kim.’ He gives me peace, energy, strength and grace to face each day. If I didn’t have the pain, I think that I might forget to pray, so the pain is for my [spiritual] protection, and I thank God for it.”

Today, she travels the globe, speaking a message of hope, love, peace and forgiveness. Her non-profit, charitable organization, The Kim Foundation, provides medical and psychological help to child victims of war.

Commenting on her partnership with I.N. Network, Phuc says: “I pray for Vietnam every day. The Lord answered my prayer through I.N. Network. This is a wonderful opportunity to help Christians and children in Vietnam.”

Vietnam is a communist republic, where the pressure on Christians continues to be harsh, and particularly severe for unregistered churches.

August 2007