DOLISA Meeting

Yesterday's meeting with DOLISA (Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs) exceeded my expectations. We gave them a DVD from last year's conference. They were very complimentary about our contribution to elderly care and actually want to formalize the relationship with us and have requested additional assistance as well.

It has been exciting to watch the relationship develop over the last four years as it has grown from cordial yet somewhat distant, into one of trust and friendship as they have seen our ongoing commitment. When the meeting was over we lingered and walked together like friends not quite wanting the meeting to end. What a blessing.

Lunch with GVI Staff

Met with staff of NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) regarding meetings with government officials and SS3 (elderly/orphanage facility). It was great to hear that they had used our pig/turkey/chicken program as a model for a chicken program in a Lao Chi Province orphanage. Tan also shared a personal story of a stroke victim who responded to therapy taught in last year's CARING FOR THE ELDERLY conference in Hanoi and use of the transfer vest. Huong and Bich said that throughout the year they had continually looked at the schedule calendar for our visit and were concerned when they didn't see it. They are more than people we work with when we come to Vietnam. They are friends. It is a blessing to know them. Left to right...Tra, Bich, Thanh, Mark, Tan, Huong and Thao. We shared a great authentic Vietnamese meal.

Eager Anticipation and Thanks

It's almost time to leave DFW and the comforts/familiarity of family/friends/co-workers and Tex-Mex. ...to Hanoi via Chicago and Tokyo. While awaiting the first flight I'm flooded with emotion. I'm the beneficiary of so many words of written and spoken encouragement from friends and family. People concerned about my safety (hopefully unfounded), praying for the people I meet and that the trip will be successful and even a teenager wanting to buy chickens or a goat for the elderly/orphan facilty. ...thoughts of sadness at being away from Paula. The overpowering emotion is a combination of eager anticipation and enthusiasm!!! Seeing Vietnamese friends from the previous four trips, visiting the orphans/elderly...so excited about the rocking chair/adopt a grandma program...meeting with government officials regarding further endeavors to improve care...on and on...and of course a bowl of pho for breakfast. I land there Tuesday night Hanoi time/Tuesday morning Dallas time, and my first appointment is about 7 hours after my anticipated arrival at the hotel. 12 hour Iime zone difference. I bought a 6 pack of 5 Hour Energy, just in case! Thanks for your kind words, thoughts and prayers. They lift me up.

Opportunities...Time for you to take a step? (click on photo to enlarge)

As you look at the blog and you're prompted, please contact us for additional information. There are opportunities to go as a volunteer...Most likely there is a need for whatever you're interested in. There are also volunteer opportunities without going. Volunteers helped set up the blog, develop our logo, donated medical supplies, teddy bears, toys...even the money to buy pigs, books and turkeys. In Laos, school stops for deaf children at 8th grade. A volunteer is helping develop the needed sign language curriculum. You want to go play with orphans, plant a garden, install a sprinkler system for the garden, paint, install a shower or two or three, fix something, teach something? The need is there. If someone would've told me 5 years ago that I'd be spending vacations in SE Asia (it's definitely a working vacation), I wouldn't have believed them. Now I wake up every day thinking about the people and the needs there, and what we can do to contribute to their lives. Like our friend Vilat says, "If we wait till we have enough time or enough money to start, we never will." Take a step, you'll be blessed as a result. Southeast Asia Healthcare Partners, Inc., is a non-profit Texas corporation that serves elderly and orphans in SE Asia. We are all volunteers.

How could we say no?

We couldn't...

Reflections

LAOS - We had great meetings with government officials in Laos and are beginning to get a picture of the needs of the disabled there. There is no one advocating for the elderly at this point, although a national committee has been established to evaluate their needs. Mentally and physically disabled cared for and housed behind/under a stadium is indelibly imprinted on our minds. Deaf education stops at 8th grade in Laos. Surely there is someone out there who can help with high school deaf curriculum. After all, the sign language is universal. Laos seems primed for improved care for the elderly and other disabled people. They have requested a copy of our Vietnam Conference DVD. We need guidance in how we are to proceed in working there.

VIETNAM - Thanks to Dr. Nguyen accompanying us, this trip gave us a much better understanding of healthcare overall in the country. We experienced so much, visiting hospitals, medical school, nutrition institute and facilities for the disabled that were painful to see. We had meetings with significant Vietnamese influencers. The enthusiastic response to the Caring for the Elderly Conference and subsequent training was inspiring. Much of the work in Vietnam was physically and emotionally draining. Visiting SS3 on our final day was a blessing as we saw first hand results from some of our efforts and were welcomed as family members there. We were humbled that their staff paid a half day's salary or more ($2.50) for our lunch. It was also humbling that when we gave a little money to be spread among the staff in the Executive Lounge of the hotel for their excellent service, the supervisor initially didn't want to accept it, saying we should give it to the poor people we were there serving (he was aware of our work)...his employees make about $200/month.

OTHER THOUGHTS - Folks at home praying for us, as well as praying for the people we were there to serve...the building of our faith as we did things we hadn't done before, frequently being called upon to give a speech or even TV interview without advance notice. Gifts of medical supplies, transfer vests, toys, teddy bears, and unexpected financial contributions warmed our hearts and made a difference in the lives of others. An attitude of gratitude for family, friends and our way of life. Respect and deepening friendship for our co-workers who went above and beyond any reasonable expectation. While we were taking vacation time, to consider it a vacation would require a significant re-definition. Perspective about what is really important. Serving others...Friendship. Divine appointments. Our dependence on Divine guidance... This isn't about us.

Most of you reading this know someone on our team...you can be assured that they represented their God, their country and their profession well on this trip.

Return to SS3 (Click on photo to enlarge)

How exciting to see ongoing improvements at SS3. They proudly told us they were getting ready to sell one of the donated pigs (big now) to buy some more little pigs. The turkeys are apparently fertile as there are more than a dozen. This is just the way we envisioned the program, and it's so exciting to see the enthusiasm of the elderly resident who feeds the pigs. They have even installed two flushing toilets (shared by 18 residents) in one of the elderly buildings. Although we expressed concern when they told us they were hosting a feast for us and that we were there to serve them, they fed us lunch. How humbling when we found out later that they had collected approximately $2.50 from each employee (they work a 72 hour/week and make about $100/month) to feed us and another group of volunteers (from Australia) that was there that day. We were told it was their desire to welcome us as family members...next time we will be the ones throwing the feast. The Australian group is focusing on the orphans and providing supplements for the babies. We demonstrated techniques taught at Wednesday's conference and distributed donated medical supplies and toys. I wish all the donors (books, toys, medical supplies, transfer vests, and money) could have been there to see the difference their gifts are making in peoples' lives. There is still a lot to be done here, but it was a significant contrast to the other facilities we visited, and was an encouragement to us and the work we are doing, which after the day before was sorely needed.