Vietnam Trip Report

The last time I got back from my trip to Vietnam, someone asked me “why did you choose such a place to visit on your vacation?” I smiled and answered, “Well, because I loved to”.

That’s true. I am no different than any of you. On my vacation, I always try to find a beautiful place where I can get my money’s worth. For these reasons, I chose an orphanage because it is a place where my dollar is always worth more than its value.

Many of you will agree with me that nothing is more beautiful than a dream and there is nothing more powerful than love. When I stepped in this place, I could see dreams in their faces, I could see love in their naïve eyes and I could see that I have many more blessings from God than they have.

This time, I would like to thank everybody who participated in helping the orphanage in Vietnam and many thanks for those who thought and prayed for my safe return.

Because of your generous contribution, I was able to visit many more places that I missed on my last trip 16 months ago.

I luckily got to my mom’s home 15 minutes before my mom’s memorial service began. I was exhausted after a long trip; therefore I decided to stay home one day to rest. One day was long enough to rest but was not long enough to hear many heart breaking stories around the village.

Her name is Tu. She is under 40 years old with breast cancer and was abandoned by everybody around her including her husband. Her cancer is so widespread that she could hardly swallow food. Her son is about 14 years old and does not know how to take care of her. Her husband is working from dawn to dark, and I heard he has a girlfriend and wants his wife to die soon so he can legitimately bring another one home. Her neighbors have thought that her illness is contagious so none of them wants to get close to her. I came and visited her twice. Each time I brought her some food and money she could spend on her pain pills, but her health deteriorated so fast. My first visit, she was able to move from her bed to the wheelchair and the second time, she could not even do that. Before coming back to the states, I left some cash with my sister and told her to use it for Tu’s food, medication and funeral.

The second place I came and visited is called “Orphanage for Handicapped Children”. This school has 84 students. Seventy-four of them are deaf and ten are blind. Their parents abandoned them when they were born. The Vietnamese government puts them all in one place and tries to teach them Braille and sign language. They are so polite and naïve. It was very hard to tell them good-bye.

Another place I stopped and visited is located next to Vinh Long hospital and is called “Food for the Poor Patients”. This group of volunteers cooks rice and provides hot water to the poor patients and their family members. Each day some of these volunteers go around city and ask for donations from people. The hospital just provides beds for patients to sleep. Any patient who needs to have surgery will be put on the waiting list. He has to be there at all times and wait for his turn. If, for any reason, he is absent during daily doctor’s visit, his name will be removed from the list, and if he wants to check in again, he will be put on the bottom of the waiting list. Some of them were there for more than 2 weeks before their surgeries. Blue-collar worker’s families cannot afford to go out and buy their own desired food. Their family members have to come down to this place to get rice and a little salt-pepper mixed to keep them going until their surgery time.

The last place I stopped by and visited from this trip is also a place where I visited on my last trip. It is called “Educational Center for Homeless Children”. There are about 80 homeless kids here. This center is operated by a small group of Catholic nuns. They provide food and teach these kids. Many of them still remember me from my last visit.

After giving out cookies to these kids, they were allowed to go outside and eat. One little girl about 9 years old told her friend: “This is good and also bad”

I choked for few seconds and spoke to her in silence: “Girl, I will try my best to get you more cookies”.

Walking around and talking to them, I noticed there was a little girl who still had her cookie in her hand. Instead of eating it, she is putting the cookie close to her nose and smelling it. I was curious so I stepped closer and asked: “Do you like to eat your cookie?” She replied: “Yes, it smells so good but if I eat it, it will be gone forever” I was speechless….

I could not believe the word “good bye” is so hard to say to the ones you love. I stepped out and wondered: “How many times do I have more than these kids?” “What can I do to dry their tears?” “Is this my challenge from God?” “Has that girl eaten her cookie yet?”…

The beautiful, blue sky suddenly became blurred and a small drop of rain just felt on my cheek.

Dear loving God, please send a spirit of a homeless Child who was born more than 2000 years ago help these kids to find home.

Linh is a very good friend of our family - and it's letters like this that make me realize how truly blessed I am to have friends like him, and how truly blessed I am to have been born in the United States.

Linh brought his family here from Vietnam - he was a refugee - and our church sponsered them and their move to our community.

He is the best argument I have for legal immigration - they worked their tails off to get ahead, to make a difference, to seize that "American Dream." They didn't want welfare, didn't want the dole - they wanted to make their way on their own, and through hard work, they did so.

His mother passed away in Vietnam last year, and he went home this year for her memorial service, and to visit the family he left behind - and as you can see, to help spread the blessings realized in the United States.

I am proud and honored that he considers my parents his parents, and that he calls me his brother.

Thanks for posting--very interesting.

Makes me wish I could go over and help these people in such need. Maybe at some point in my life....

At least all of us are able to give offerings to missions to help the poorer countries.

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