Thank you for your patience. We did not have any internet as the village we were staying in was very remote, so all of the blogs from this time will now be posted.
Day 4 + continuing orphanage comments
The most sentimental part of this experience has begun as today as we travelled to a village in the Mekong Delta. After a long four hour bus journey with interesting conversations, and musical numbers along with an intense discussion of American politics and a scenic boat ride, we finally made it to the village!
Settling in, all of us were over the moon about sharing a room all together, boys and girls separated of course! We then got the chance to meet the people that have offered us accommodation and warmth, with lots of giggles involved because we couldn’t understand each other. They commented on our appearances and thought that Helene was fluent in Vietnamese. We all know that the language barrier between us won’t stop the strong relationships being built between us and that is one thing all of us are really looking forward to.
Heading to the site that we will be building the house on, we met the young family who will we be building the house for. They had two sons, 12 and 1 years of age and were extremely grateful for what we will be doing for them with the mother shedding a tear. At this point, many of us were really touched and knew that however difficult the task which awaits us may be; it will be more than worth it.
The next couple of days will definitely be remembered as something really special and most likely life changing for many of us. We are super excited about the massive job ahead of us tomorrow morning as we learn to lay bricks and mix cement.
Lauren & Helene
Continuing comments about the orphanage visit on Day 3:
Cole: Today’s activities brought out a lot of mixed emotions in me, I had never really experienced anything like this and was severely challenged in ways I had never experienced. It was a real confronting experience in the way the kids were challenged in many different ways, and I felt extreme gratitude towards myself in knowing that, these kids have to go through many difficulties everyday.
Emerson: Of the orphanage, I say this: the world has deemed these children sick, dysfunctional, broken beyond all hope of repair. But if lucidity is a measure of one’s ability to wilfully influence one’s place and condition in the world, then these children are more lucid than most; they have turned the supreme suffering of never knowing normality into contentment, and have taught me that the limit of happiness is not the quality of one’s life, but the quality one is able to believe one has.
Amelia: The orphanage was a confronting and beautiful experience. Although it was bittersweet as you couldn’t help but feel sad for the kids it was extremely enjoyable. It was truly an amazing experience just to be able to give the kids a bit of happiness even if it was for a short time. The best word in my opinion to describe this whole experience is humbling. It truly made me grateful for everything I have and it made me realise how much I love making people smile.
Helene: Nervous about approaching the unknown, turned into an experience that was truly amazing. At first I was definitely pushed out of my comfort zone, not knowing what to expect, but at the end of our visit to the orphanage, I was just so grateful to donate just such little time to make the children feel so happy. To see a smile on their face was just so special and it was so heartfelt and sentimental. Our trip to the Cu Chi tunnels was another experience of its own. Learning about the conditions that the soldiers fought in during the war was mind blowing. I was so amazed by the intelligence of both the Vietnamese and American soldiers and their tactics to win the war. I am so grateful of what I have and the value of a smile.
Photos: Vietnam Red standing on the foundations of the house they are about to build with the family who are going to live in it; and on the boat to our village. A boat is the only way in or out of this area.
+ Some more photos from the orphanage yesterday.
