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Todays journal is written by an how shall I say it, "fun girl." Elizabeth is 15, smart and quirky beyond her years. She travel with her mom often. This year her mom wanted to skip the gibtk trip but my Elizabeth insisted and I'm glad she did! Please enjoy and if led send a note of encouragement and I will forward to her. PS She speaks Vietnamese!!!
I came back for the second time on this summer trip to Vietnam and it really couldn't have gotten any better. Seeing familiar faces, some new ones, some old, and especially the beautiful smiles everyone wore on their faces was very heartwarming. One of my favorite experiences was getting out of the van and being approached and welcomed by a bunch of kids who were excited to meet people they didn't even know.
When we got to Mary's Home, I saw Chip Chip run-up to my legs and hug them tight. Last year, I had met her and she still had the same, maybe even more energy, the cutest smile, and the kindest heart. I felt like I had never left that place because usually, it could be kind of awkward when you meet new people or reunite with those you haven't seen in a year, but it was totally different.
I felt really welcomed and by the end, I didn't want to leave. The kids are so fun to be around and seeing them happy made me really happy.
This year, I met three women (home to home distribution) and two gentlemen (group distribution) who were in need of wheelchairs. They all have different stories and backgrounds that are really inspiring and hopeful. Although they were all mostly in their 90's, they looked as if they were in their early 70's.
The first gentleman was named Tran Soan. He was ninety years old, had four children, and recently had surgery on his leg. He can't walk, nor does he have the strength to move but he's hopeful that when he does get the wheelchair, he'll go out with his friends and have fun. The second gentleman was named Quan Ban. He was eighty-five years old, was a soldier, didn't have any kids, and was hit by a bomb in his left leg. He was really happy and smiley when he was given a wheelchair. He said that he'd meet up with his friends because he had many.
Onto building the wheelchairs, the first woman I met was named Truong Thi Doan. She's almost ninety years old, had one son, forty grandchildren, her eyes weren't strong, she couldn't do anything without help, and laid in bed all day. The government only pays her daughter-in-law eight dollars to help support and care for Truong. Last year, she got into an accident where she fell and hurt her hands, moreover, only one of them can now function. She said that when she gets the wheelchair, she'd want to go outside and visit her friends.
The next woman was named Thanh Nguyen. She's the most beautiful, healthy, wise, kind, person I've ever met. She's ninety-seven years young but has gone through quite a lot. Her left leg was cut off because of poor blood circulation but she can still feel her toes as if they were there. She had ten children, four have passed away but her five sons and one daughter are still alive. She can eat by herself but only in small amounts of soft foods.
She said that she wants to go to the market, visit friends and go places when she receives the wheelchair. During this interview, I don't remember seeing her with a straight face, she smiled the whole time and if I could be like her when I'm in my 90's, I would have the most perfect life.
Last but not least, the third recipient was named Truong Thi Cuu. She's ninety-three years old, had three children, can't walk, and lays in bed all day. She used to be a farmer and every now and then, she would go to the forest to find wood to sell.
In conclusion, this was the highlight of my summer and was a really fun and great experience. I was really happy when distributing the wheelchairs and seeing the smiles they had on their faces. The kids were amazing and I'm really gonna miss them. I'm definitely coming back again next year, it's an experience that I'll never forget.
Elizabeth Pham (15 years old)
><((((º> BBlessed
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