"The soul that perpetually overflows with kindness and sympathy will always be cheerful"

Dec 2016/ January 2017.

2017 will be the 7th year I am returning to these children.
It doesn't get old. I have never once gotten sick of it or thought it a bore or chore to return here. Not even during all the hours of prep in anticipation of the trip do I find it mundane.
I still get the same butterflies in my tummy walking up the gate.

Although, this time, the gate....it's a bit different.
Six months ago they moved all the children from baby orphanage to peace village.
They joined all the typically developed children together with all the disabled residents.
I was very unsure of this move and thought it could end in disaster like some other places I have frequented. It will take a good manager to ensure it does not fall apart and that neither one are disadvantaged.

My fears were alleviated as the awesome director from baby orphanage was chosen to take on both and direct both sides. This is great as she is wonderful and caring and not corrupt. She actually cares and she has a lot of connections and influence and this has been good for peace village and the disabled residents. They have been getting more donations and support now too.

Showing up here was a different entrance: the buildings are spread over huge land and everyone spots me from the different sides. So my entrance is not so much a 'surprise' as they can see me coming a mile away. Who do I go to first? The disabled are clumsily running out of their rooms for me... they spotted me first so I veered towards their buildings. Many cuddles and happy greetings for my return.

I then turn and walk in the rain towards the baby orphanage buildings. Just as awesome to see them and much exuberance and joy at seeing me.
One little boy, around 2.5 years old.... who I've known since his baby days, spots me and stands in the rain waiting for me to reach him. His wave, smile and hug are nothing short of a miracle. I feel like my heart could burst in these moments....

Time flies whilst here and I feel like it's never enough. I'm here for six weeks this time and already I feel like I'm running out of time with them and it's only been 10 days!

The last 10 days we have already been out to the play land and a restaurant with baby orphanage, peace village went for lunch too at Mrs Hanh's restaurant.

We have had games nights and art and craft afternoons on rainy days.

I get so much happiness from just sitting back watching them engage and be involved in doing things!!!!!
If I wasn't there, they sit around with no stimulation.
I brought new games this trip like leaping frogs, fishing games  and new card games and my heart wants to burst at their smiles and banter when someone loses or wins.

What you do speaks so loudly...

Visiting the other children who got moved to a different orphanage is always a different experience to where I am posted regularly.

I got here and even though I come alone with no translator, we still manage to communicate. The kids were excited to see me. And even more so, ALL the kids now recognise me and call my name. To be honest I was trying to keep my distance from this group as I couldn't possibly allow myself to fall in love with more children as I wouldn't be able to support them all. But these kids are pretty cool and I like hanging with them. I don't do big things for them as I don't have the funds for that,  but small things I can do. The other day I bought 60 ice creams and took them back for them. They were so grateful and excited by an ice block each.

The kids I know from Tam Ky, I just sit in their room as they do their thing and I thought to myself that I'm just wasting my time sitting here, not communicating with them, just observing what they do. But really, it must make some difference and when I say I'm leaving they get sad. And when I tell them I'll be back tomorrow they get excited.
Yesterday, I had two Aussie magazines with me that the lady next to me on the plane gave me. I took them out and we spent hours going through them. It was funny watching them compare the make up and fashion. Taylor Swift was on the cover of one and they love Tay Tay so everyone wanted to see her new boyfriend. I came back days later and some other kids were going through the magazines.
It was so simple. But in a place where you aren't allowed to leave and there is literally nothing to do, the magazines proved to be a hit.

It reminded me of the small things. And how these small gestures are actually greater bigger ones.
The security guard at night, I either caught him drunk and happy or in a good mood as I bought his son an ice cream too and he allowed me to take 12 kids out for dinner! I couldn't believe it!!!!! I told them all to hurry up and get out before he changed his mind. :)

We went to a street food lady where they ate bowls of noodles, laughed and joked with each other and then we went back. He only gave me 45 minutes with them. I wasn't going to argue, beggars can't be choosy!It was the best feeling sitting back and watching the children eat and laugh and joke with each other. I had a lump in my throat the entire time. I took a stool and sat behind them, kind of separately. And straight away, they noticed and they all shuffled their stools and moved me to be in the inner circle with them.

The pimple that grew.....

Ngan has a growth on her face. I saw it 9 weeks ago when I was here and thought it may have been an infected pimple and left it, thinking it will heal on its own. Well, I was wrong. It's grown and its oozing a milkish pale yellow fluid.

The nurse just laughed at me when I said she needs a Dr. She said it's gotten smaller so don't worry about it. I said it's actually grown and she needs a Dr!!! Fell on deaf ears and so I took it higher to the Director. Showed her a picture of it and then she allowed me to take her to the Dr.

Ngan got excited when we told her she was going into the car for a ride. Poor girl thought this was going to be a fun adventure.

She loved sitting in the surgery waiting room as there was a TV and she kept inching closer to it to watch. In the dentist chair, she fought at first but then was really good at opening her mouth and letting the Dr see. It's definitely an abscess growing from her terribly decayed teeth and infected gum.

Ngan will need a hospital visit and surgery to fix it. Thank goodness to mission: nampossible donations who could do this for her. I cannot imagine how painful this abscess is....

Every summer has a story...

As always when I come for summer holidays we go swimming. 34 children A DAY die from drowning in Vietnam. Getting them used to the water is good for them.

A head of local government asked me why I 'waste' my money on taking the children out and why I don't do bigger projects with my money like install more clean water tanks, buy more cows etc.

I replied that I did not 'waste' my money.

I told him I balanced my spending's on buying cows, installing clean water systems, paying for children's education, vaccination programs etc with taking the children out and showing them joy.

Who else does that?  I explained that children's self esteem and emotional state is just as important as everything else. When they get back to school from holidays and everyone is talking about what they did over the break, at least all these kids can now join in and say 'yeah! I went swimming and ate at restaurants too!' and feel good about themselves. They are ostracised enough and labelled as orphans, give the kids something. C'mon!

I don't need to write loads here. The pics say it all.