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Giving it Back to Kids

She came, saw, now changed

She came, saw, now changed
Today’s journal was written by Hannah Flaherty. Hannah came to Viet Nam this trip with her husband, Shane. They had great time being with the kids in Viet Nam and in Cambodia. Here is Hannah's journal. 
 
When my now husband Shane and I were dating, I told him straight off the bat that Vietnam and Giving it Back to Kids were an important part of my life. So, when we got engaged, we planned a trip to Da Nang so he could see what he was getting himself into. That trip was scheduled for March 2020. Yeah, it didn’t happen. Fast forward one pandemic and we finally made it! 
 
Funny thing is I thought we were prepared. We had extensively researched flights, packed for the weather and prepared various experiments to do with the kids. What I was not prepared for was that this was not really a trip about DOING but SEEING. We saw firsthand that the local GIBTK staff were not slowed down by the pandemic, but rather came out of it more eager and perhaps even more capable to serve others. We saw the effectiveness of the Bicycle, Water Filter, Wheelchair, and Heart programs and the many ways they profoundly change the lives of the recipients. 
 
(Hannah and Shane at a water filter distribution in Gia Lai province)
 
And of course, we visited the homes. You guys, these kids are growing up into some really awesome people! We got to do some experiments at all the Homes and Legacies 1, 2, and 3. Water bottle rockets, color changing chemicals and a whole lot more. Then I noticed something really cool happening. The kids I was not connecting with, Shane was! Call this a shameless plug, but I begin to wonder what could YOU share that might connect with the kids in ways other people can’t?
 
(Water bottle rockets with the girls from Marlene and Vera's home in Cambodia)
 
This trip was also a bit challenging. My grandmother Ann Moore passed away in 2021. She was a part of GIBTK since its beginning and is the reason I got involved. It seemed everywhere I looked I saw a bit of her. In the faces of the kids, she sent cards to and the programs she prayed over I saw a bit of her legacy living on. 
 
(Shane helping lower the bicycle saddle for one kid at a bike distribution)
 
Okay one more thing, if you get a chance to visit the Cambodia homes TAKE IT. Marlene and Vera’s are the best example of hope I may have ever seen.
 
(Hannah hugging one of the girls from Marlene and Vera's home in Cambodia)
 
 
Sincerely,
Hannah Flaherty
 
Robert Kalatschan
Giving it Back to Kids
www.gibtk.org

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