Conference Day (Click on photo to enlarge)

The Caring for The Elderly Conference was amazingly well received. A little over 100 were in attendance. DOLISA (government agency) and GVI (NGO) both expressed that the conference exceeded their expectations and the attendees were most attentive in spite of the extra time taken for translation. It was the first conference I've been at where participants took photos of us as we gave our presentations. We were able to video the presentations and will be able to send a copy of the DVD to the Ministry of Health in Laos as well as to others who requested copies. Fortunately Dr. Nguyen was able to navigate any hard-to-translate medical terms to make them understandable for the participants. All participants were given a copy of his book, a certificate of attendance, and the representative facilities were given donated medical supplies and transfer vests. The remaining days will involve visiting the participants' facilities and giving hands on demonstration/training to reinforce the topics covered at the conference.

From 5 Star to Suffering Disabled to Hope

We were greeted with large boquets at the SOS Children's Village in Vientiane. This organization is worldwide and was very impressive...5 Star compared to others we have seen in SE Asia. (click on photos to make them larger)

It went downhill pretty rapidly from there...we ran all day (ended up with about 7 appointments) and mid-fternoon landed at a facility (I use the term very loosely) for 40 disabled children. It was one of the most disturbing scenes we have seen...the photos make it look better than it actually is. The "facility" is mostly outside, behind and in the bowels of a stadium. The room with the beds houses 6 or 7. The Director lives onsite in unbelievable conditions. How she smiles is beyond me. We didn't want to leave that place without doing something to help. Hopefully we will be able to help facilitate at least a clean up of that place and improve the conditions...believe it or not, people pay to leave their kids there for the day.

Our last visit in Laos prior to heading to the airport and back to Hanoi was with Dr. Nao Boutta, Director of the Ministry of Health. The discussion was very hopeful as we discussed the needs of the elderly in Laos. As you can see in the photo, we presented Dr. Nao a "transfer vest" as a sample of something that can be very helpful with disabled people of all ages. He was most enthused with the potential of the vest in Laos, where transfer equipment is not readily available. High points of the Laos portion of the trip were the receptions we received at the Department of Social Welfare and Ministry of Health, where requests were made for video of our upcoming conference in Hanoi, the enthusiasm for the vest (we took 3 as samples), requests for Dr. Nguyen's book and their offer to take us into outlying areas. They also requested that we collaborate with them to improve care for the elderly...our passion.


When is that jet going to arrive???

Wednesday in Laos

We enjoyed dinner on the Mekong River with Dr. Intong, a nutrition officer, and his friend. An exceptional dinner for four was $29 and no tip expected. I left 50,000 kip which migh have resulted in an obscene gesture in the U.S., but was greeted with a warm smile and bow here. What a difference 10,000 miles makes. Thursday we have 5 appointments, 2 with government officials, 2 visits to facilities of some kind and dinner with the grandson of the first Communist President of Laos. Please pray for these meetings and that we'll be worthy amassadors... We asked an English speaking Laotian how to say "God bless you" in Lao yesterday. After conferring with 2 others, she informed us that she didn't know....

Monday in Hanoi - Tuesday Lao PDR Arrival

After riding motorbikes to the pottery village and eating lunch at a goat restaurant, we dropped by artist Minh Son's place for continued fellowship with him and to admire his art. Maybe one day we will own one of his paintings. Minh Son and Sherman Chau provided the motorbike adventure and Minh Son would have nothing to do with our offer to buy lunch.


We ended Monday at a truly 5 Star dinner that our friend Tan's wife prepared for us. It was an unbelievable Vietnamese meal, exceeded only by the fellowship enjoyed with Tan's family. It was humbling to climb 5 stories (no elevator) in an area that would frighten most Americans, to a 400-500 sq ft apartment for a family of four and to hear Tan tell us of his desire to be able to help the poor more. While their home may be small, there is nothing small about the love and happiness we experienced there. Tan's wife is an attorney and an extraordinary cook.

Minh Son and Tan have become genuine friends...what a blessing to know them.





Our trip to Vientiane started with a plane ride from Hanoi. The guy sitting next to me...from Ft. Worth and a friend of the lady who interviewed Steve and me on Lao TV.

There was/is much uncertainty about our trip here. We had no set appointments with government officials prior to our arrival. Within minutes of landing we received an email that we have two that we most wanted and a third in the works. O ye of little faith... We are having dinner tomorrow night with Dr. Intong, who we met in May. I'm hoping we duplicate that dinner at a restaurant on the Mekong River overlooking Thailand.


Dave and I got lost while walking around this afternoon, but did manage to find a Joma Coffee and Bakery. Two kind students, who appeared to be young teens, led us back to the hotel. The girl didn't want to accept the small offer of 30,000 kip as a reward. "I just wanted to help you." It was touching and we finally convinced her to take it.


Looking forward to the next couple of days here in Vientiane. We have meetings scheduled with the Department of Social Welfare, and the Department of Retirement, Disability and Handicap. We will also be going to two places that work with these people. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also working to get us an appointment with the Ministry of Health. Later today we will be meeting with Dr. Intong, who we enjoyed dinner with on our previous visit. He is an excellent resource.

Arrival

Dave's first trip out of North America...you know you're on a long trip when you get to Japan and you're not there yet.















After visiting an international church and eating lunch we went to Hoa Lo Prison, commonly known as the Hanoi Hilton. A sobering place.







As you can see, one day and David is acclimated to life in Vietnam. He is like a giant here.

It's been a fun first day as we adjust to 12 hour time zone change. Folks at the hotel remember me (Mark) from previous stays, we filled up our frequent eater card at lunch (Al Frescos, an Aussie owned favorite), so our next one is free!

A surprise for Dave...wild/crazy Hanoi traffic and all the near misses had him cringing in the front seat.

Toys and Medical Supplies on the way...

Four suitcases of donated medical supplies, toys, stuffed animals, transfer vests are half way to Hanoi. Here they are before being closed up for the trip. Next time you see these they'll be in use. The rest of the team is bringing several more suitcases full when they travel next week.

David and I (Mark) made it to Tokyo. Flight attendant from DFW-Tokyo was the same one on Mark/Steve's May trip. He and Mark exchanged contact info...He and his wife both have Harleys and invited Mark to call him next trip to Seattle.

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement.

Pre-Trip Meeting

Dr. and Mrs. Nguyen hosted a Board Meeting and volunteers meeting to discuss the upcoming trip to Laos and Vietnam. November 16-19 we will be conducting training and the first annual Caring for the Elderly Conference in Hanoi.
Pictured left to right: Dr. Y Duc Nguyen-Medical Adviser, Gary Anderson-Board Member, Mark Hemingway-Board Member, Steve Johnson-Board Member, Paula Hemingway-Board Member, Loan Nguyen-Board Member, David Hemingway-Volunteer, Melody Malone-Board Member and Joleann Beene-Board Member. Not pictured (someone had to take the picture) is Lee Lanham-Volunteer. Hope you'll follow our trip and consider how you might partner with us...Volunteer, Pray, Support. Want more information, just let us know....we're an open book. We have been overwhelmed by the people who have volunteered time helping us develop a logo, set up this blog, supported our volunteers financially and prayerfully, and who have given us an amazing amount of supplies, toys, etc., for the elderly and orphans we serve. You'll see some of these items in upcoming posts.