Bruce and Camella Binkley are great friends, partners and Bruce sits on the board of GIBTK. They have been GIBTK since our earliest of days. Made many trips and I love them dearly. BUT after todays note I'm not so sure. It broke my heart to see this child. (muchless the flood of emotion as they spoke of my dear departed gift from God)
I "missed" Minh when I was at Go Vap. When Bruce came to me I said sure Bruce we will see what can be done.... Knowing what a soft and compassionate heart Bruce is. Seeing these photos today stirred something in me. Truly this child's life is as unfinished painting.
Here's Bruce and Camella's story;
We've made many trips to Vietnam. In fact, we are not even sure how many. We just know that it all began in 2002. Our friends Robert & Dorothea Kalatschan shared with us some photos of children in Vietnam who needed life changing orthopedic surgeries. Just the sharing of a story and we became sponsors of an orthopedic surgery. And then the next year while I grieved the unexpected loss of my mother, Bruce suggested I make a trip with Robert & Dorothea to Vietnam.
And, the rest is history! My heart was captured and Bruce & I began this journey called Giving It Back to Kids. We've been honored to see lives changed, help in any way we can, and serve alongside dear friends Robert & Dorothea.
Then March of this year, our hearts grieved deeply the loss of our brave friend, Dorothea - my heart friend. It is hard to explain how your heart can be ripped in two but begin to beat stronger for the thing that was so close to Dorothea's heart - the children of Southeast Asia.
This is the spirit in which we made this trip. We knew we were only experiencing a small part of what Robert, Tommy & Kristina were, but we knew we must go.
The trip has been filled with visits to the homes for kids, wheelchair distributions, and many of the things we usually do on a trip with GIBTK. But a significant event was to have a small memorial service for Dorothea at the Love Bridge in Danang. A beautiful place for the staff of GIBTK to gather along with the Kalatschan family and those of us who had made the trip.
We cried as we remembered the lady we all love so much. Bruce shared how we all wouldn't be here at this moment in this country of Vietnam if it had not have been for a very determined lady named Dorothea who wouldn't give up when she had the desire to adopt Kristina. That consuming desire was what God used to begin Giving It Back to Kids.
Our hearts grieved that day but I sensed a renewed commitment to all who were there to carry on the work of GIBTK in an even greater way. That afternoon, after travelling from Danang to Ho Chi Minh City, we visited Go Vap Orphanage, the very place where Kristina began her life. The very place where it all began.
We began to walk the halls and of course, our first stop was the "baby" room. As our group began to love on babies, you could almost sense a new awareness of what that very room symbolizes for GIBTK. One little Vietnamese baby girl named Kristina...one determined American woman consumed by love named Dorothea...and now 14 years later - an organization called Giving It Back to Kids that is transforming a nation.
I noticed that Bruce had moved from loving on a little baby boy to a little girl that he was now holding. What I didn't know is that he was holding Minh - a nine month old darling who has no arms.
Our group proceeded to other rooms in the orphanage as we loved on children with severe mental and/or physical handicaps. Approximately 30 minutes later, I realized Bruce wasn't with us. I was informed by the staff that he had stayed with the babies.
Later that evening I could feel that my husband's heart had been touched in a deep way. He could not get the little baby girl without arms off his mind and heart. So deeply that he wanted to return to see Minh the next day.
We returned to Go Vap to hold Minh and find out more. She was abandoned at birth in the hospital, she was born with no arms, club feet, and no fibias in her legs. But, she is an amazing little girl! She can sit up and has amazing balance, can roll over in the bed, uses her toes to play & pick up items (even your keys)...uses her toes to "swipe" through the photos she wants to see on your I-phone and can pick a pen from Bruce's shirt pocket. Minh is a bit spoiled (to say the least), and one of her caregivers is one of the same ladies who cared for Kristina as an infant.
Minh's physical therapist - a French volunteer named Etienne gave us as many details as possible. She is completely healthy and a surgery to repair her club feet happened months ago. She is very determined and quite agile using her toes to do what hands normally would. Surgeries to correct her legs will occur once she develops physically. He shared that it is not yet determined if she will have enough muscle in her shoulders to one day have prosthetic arms.
We do not yet know all the dynamics of how we will help Minh, but we know that she is in our hearts...we are determined to give the most help we possibly can to a little Vietnamese baby girl. We want to make sure that Minh has every opportunity to fulfill her potential. The GIBTK staff will work with Go Vap management to keep us informed as to what her needs are.
It all seems providential - ONCE AGAIN: one little baby girl at Go Vap Orphanage, some determined American people consumed by love. Dorothea, your work is not yet finished.
Camella & Bruce Binkley
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Thank your customer, tell them how valuable they are to you, but don't go overboard. Insincerity is easy to spot.
Sincerely,
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Robert Kalatschan
Giving It Back To Kids
