Back again!

I am thrilled to be going back to Da Nang for the summer of 2013. Since returning from my last trip, I have put a lot of thought into where I see my life going and how I want to help these children in the long run. Up until this fall I felt determined that I wanted to become an MD, but after my last trip I have decided that I want to become a midwife. Through becoming a midwife, I will not only be able to provide for mothers while they go through pregnancy and childbirth, but I will also be able to advocate for women and children and support them in the way that I think is the most beneficial. I see myself working in the underdeveloped and developing world for the majority of my career, and I feel confident that I will do the best work as a midwife.

However, I will be focusing on something else this summer. My first trip to Da Nang opened my eyes to the repercussions of herbicidal warfare through working with victims of Agent Orange, and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since then.

My estimated dates of travel are June 17th-August 20th and I will be mostly in Da Nang, although I hope to travel a bit of the Ho Chi Minh trail as well as visit the northern part of the country.

As always, thank you for the endless support, and I look forward to sharing my journey with you.

Connie

PS, I will be starting a wordpress blog for this trip, but will share that link once I have made it.

Lovely last few days

Its 4:56 am and I am sitting jet lagged in a hotel room with my family in Pennsylvania totally shocked in disbelief that I am back in the states. 

Duc, Vinh, Khanh and Truong

Our last few days in Da Nang were amazing and we got to spend a lot of time with our kids at Mary's House as well as see all the sweethearts at the Pagoda orphanage again. On Tuesday afternoon I went to have a little visit with the kids at Mary's House and 4 of the boys ended up taking me out in their neighborhood for a little walk and showed me the best place in the neighborhood to get Pho. I totally adore all of the children here; they really are the nicest. It was the sweetest thing having them holding my hand and leading me around their neighborhood. It is also so nice how much freedom the kids have even though they live in a home. They are allowed to go out and explore the market and have some free time outside of Mary's House. Its really lovely.

An, Connie and Phuong

We spent Thursday afternoon just hanging out with the kids at Mary's House which was really, really nice. We have been taking them out on big trips, which is also really wonderful, but it as fun just going and playing with them at their house. We got to see them a bit in the classroom and they are all so motivated- most of the ones in class didn't even come out to play with us until after they had completed what they were working on. I think that this was the day that we realized how sad it was going to be to say goodbye to these children. The last few weeks have been so jammed packed and flew by so quickly that we never really had time to process what it was going to be like to leave. Even the day that Anne Stuart left was so full that although we were heartbroken to see her go, we didn't really give much thought to what it would be like for us to leave. However, we will be back soon so it doesn't even remotely feel like goodbye.

We had another big adventure with Mary's House on Friday and took them all to the arcade. We spent a bit more than an hour watching the kids go crazy playing all of the different video games as well as bumper carts (yes, bumper carts INSIDE the arcade). At one point little Ut, who is hardly tall enough to see over the game tables, was driving around in one of the little cars, running into everything and having the time of her life. Liv managed to climb into one with two of the kiddos, which was one of the cutest things I've ever seen. We ran into another group of children visited the arcade from another house run by Giving it Back to Kids, so that was nice seeing some of the other children that we haven't met before.  After the arcade we tok them for lunch and ice cream at a place called Lotteria which is kind of Vietnam's version of KFC and then took them home to get some rest. Friday night we were able to spend some time with our friend Hong who was an intern at GVN the first time we came over. We also got to meet her fiance (Olivia had already met him when she spent Tet with her family last year) as well as see our friend Tam who had visited the Pagoda with us the week prior.

On Saturday morning our friends Hong, Tam and Rosanna took us by motorbike to spend some time with children at the Pagoda orphanage. We had a few little things to give them such as infant diapers and wipes and then we got to spend the morning cuddling with absolutely adorable new born babies. It was really sweet, at on point one of Liv's students from 2011 cuddled up right next to her while she was holding a sleeping baby and went over her English with her. It really is the sweetest thing have these beautiful little newborn babies cuddle right up and fall asleep on you. I also love seeing how the older children interact with the babies with so much care. Everyone there is a caregiver and they are so kind to eachother. I am amazed at how well this place runs with all of the people that live there. Everything really is a group effort and like I said before, they all take care of each other. The age range of people that live there is incredible; people of literally all ages because some people spend their entire lives there. We were invited to stay for lunch which is always a treat. They eat all vegetarian and whatever they put in front of you is delicious. I'm really glad that we got to spend another morning there- its hard because it is so far away so the only practical way to get there is by motorbike. Luckily we had friends willing to take us!

Huy!

We went to Mary's House in the afternoon and ended up taking the kids out for ice cream in the market.  We walked over with one of the house mother's and all 24 of the kids packed around a little table for their treat and them we walked around the market for a while. We didn't realize it then, but this was actually the last time we got to see the Mary's House kids this trip. We went by Sunday morning but most of the kids were out and when we went on the way to airport on Monday we were heartbroken to find that they had all been taken to the dentist. That was definitely a huge disappointment, but I am so happy for the time we got to spent with them and I know we will see them all again before too long. We also found out that some of the kids have e-mail accounts, so it will be fun to stay in touch that way.

Liv, Dave, Connie at Cu Chi

We spent Saturday in Hoi An doing a bit of souvenir shopping and then had an amazing dinner at our friend Tony's house. After that we met up with some friends for a bittersweet farewell. On Monday morning we left for Ho Chi Minh and met Olivia's friend Dave, who she will be spending the next two weeks traveling with. We had an incredible day on Tuesday and say the cu chi tunnels as well as visited the War Remnants museum. It was one of the most powerful things I have ever seen in my life. We've seen the results of agent orange in all of its devastating glory first hand on our trips here, but it was still unbelievably heartbreaking seeing the images and reading the stories. There is so much history here! We had a great last night in Ho Chi Minh City and said our 'see you soon's' on Tuesday.   It just really doesn't feel permanent- I know that I am going to be back soon. We also have a lot to work on from home, so I don't feel disconnected from Vietnam. I will write more about the trip overall later, but it has been an incredible month and I couldn't be more grateful for the time I got to spend in Vietnam. Everyday had an adventure and the children we were lucky enough to spend our time with are so phenomenal. It definitely feels strange being back in the states. I am excited to head to a family wedding in Ohio today, though- it will be really nice to see the whole family. After that, back to school and onto planning the next trip!

More soon.

Liv, Connie and new friend Jen at War Remnants Museum

Chau!

2 week old baby!

Liv and Ut at Ice Cream

Ice Cream at the Market!

Bikes, beach, movies and working blogs!

So I have had a bit of a struggle with my blog in the last week or so, so this update comes with several fun events.

Beach day!

On Thursday we took 16 children from Mary's House to the beach. The water was a bit rougher than the first time and we were amazed at how brave the children were, jumping in and body surfing and refusing to get out when the life guards finally gave us the signal that it may be a bit too rough. After that, we spent the rest of the morning just hanging out with the kids, eating lunch and playing in the field by the beach. It was the nicest time. We found that several of the boys are pretty amazing breakdancers/gymnasts. One boy Tai was able to stand on his head for an entire minute and many of the other boys were doing impressive back flips and cartwheels. The bad weather did not phase them at all and we still had a really wonderful time. They really don't get out much, especially not on trips like this, so I'm really glad that we've been able to take them out several times while we have been here. Jen, one of the main women behind Mary's House, is coming back right after we leave, so I'm sure they will have more chances for outings!

Khanh, Connie, ASM

While we've been here, we've been working on little care packages for the kiddos at Mary's House, including clothes and books. We sorted through all the clothes that we brought and a bought a few extra and we were able to present each kid with several new articles of clothes and a book, as well as the Harry Potter series in Vietnamese. Olivia and Anne Stuart did a really nice job packaging them and the kids were really delighted. It was funny, almost immediately after we gave them their gifts, they all swapped clothes/books until they found pieces that they liked. We left them Friday afternoon calmly sitting all together reading their books and showing off their new outfits. Some of the kids had been wearing the same outfit every time we visited, so the clothes were definitely appreciated. Big, huge thank you to everyone who donated! Your clothes have absolutely been put to good use!

Post-movie

We had a really nice weekend with Giang and came back to Da Nang to take the kids to the cinema and lunch on Monday before Anne Stuart was due to the airport. This really was an experience because a lot of the children had never even been the shopping center where the movie was, let alone the movies. We saw Ice Age 4 and all of them were completely enamored at the entire experience- popcorn, soda, movie, comfy seats. I had one little girl sitting on my lap who only stayed we me until our sections popcorn was out, and then she found another lap with more popcorn. She returned to me after all the popcorn was gone, but was definitely disappointed that I hadn't produced another bag just for her. After the movie we took them out for lunch at KFC, which has interestingly made it to Vietnam and is actually all over the place. It is the only chain I have seen here. They had chicken and french fries and ice cream and then went home very sleepy for their mid day nap. Olivia and I are going to take then to the arcade and lunch sometime this week. 

Ladies of Mary's House

I can't communicate enough how important this home is. There is not a ton of information on the website for Mary's House yet, but down below is the link to give you a little more information. We will be producing a website with more information about each individual child in hopes of getting sponsorship for them all. Here is the current website through Giving it Back to Kids: Mary's House. It is really one of the most amazing places. Everyone there has done such a beautiful job making it a safe and happy place for these children in need to live. They also really give volunteers the opportunity to donate and help in ways that are both immediate and long term. Through sponsorship, the sponsor gets a monthly update on their child and I guarantee that the money is going to all the right things and truly is used to provide the best environment for the child. This place is empowering children in need to  have an incredibly bright future. They are just the nicest kids. Yesterday afternoon I went to visit with them and four of the boys showed me a local Pho place, holding my hand and helping me order. I know I basically said this before, but Mary's House is a place that takes children from unfortunate circumstances and takes care of them. I love it there.

We had a visit to social support where we were able to meet the absolutely adorable son of one of the care mother's, Mai. Last time we were here I gave her a bunch of clothes and it was really cute seeing him in them. He was a very funny little guy- incredibly confused by me and Olivia and Anne Stuart, going between staring skeptically at us, hitting us in the face, and the occasionally offering a sweet little smile. It was really nice though because she was very pregnant when we met last January, so it was fun meeting her little guy. We also spent some time with the disabled babies. They have some very capable and caring GVN volunteers working with them right now, one of whom is training to be a physio, so that is really great. Its really hard to shake the sadness there. We are comfortable and happy to be with those children, but it really is heartbreaking seeing children as sick as they are. However, Dinh will always have the ability to melt your heart with her sweet and sometimes naughty smile. They are incredibly sweet kids. I am grateful that GVN still has a placement there; they really do need it the most. We brought them eye cream because they have a case of conjunctivitis going around, and will continue to supply them with that they need.

Afternoon Reading

I will blog again very soon, but the rest of week is full of planning and taking a trip to pagoda to drop off another load of resources and spend time with the babies. We will also spend time at Mary's House, taking the kids out and spending time with them at the house. I am completely shocked at how quickly the last month has gone by. I can't believe that my trip's end is around the corner. I will return to the states to start planning my return to Vietnam :-). I look forward to continuing to help Mary's House from the states as well. As I've said many times before, I love it there! 

Its been an incredible month in many different ways. Spending time with these children has been refreshing and motivating and I am totally devastated to have to leave. However, I know it won't be long until we are all back.

Olivia and Trinh 

Group at Beach!

Duc break dancing!

Connie and Tai

Beach babes!

Beach days with Mary's House

Another busy few days here in Da Nang. On Friday we had the great pleasure of taking the 24 children from Mary's House to the beach. It was an amazing day. All of the children were so excited for the outing, as were we, and we spent hours playing in the water at beautiful China Beach. It was so fun getting them out of the house and being able to play with them and share something that we all really love to do- swim! We were also all very impressed with how well all of the kids could swim. They exhausted us, having swim races, climbing on our shoulders and jumping off of us, pulling us around and collecting shells. I can't explain enough how much fun we all had. These are some really incredible children. Its been really special for us to be able to spend time with them and put money into projects that we know will really benefit them. After the beach we went to a delicious lunch and then took them all home for nap time. We are totally delighted to be able to do this outing again tomorrow. 

One motor bike, 4 bicycles

A lot of our projects are manifesting at Mary's House. We bought several bicycles for them today to help the older children get to and from school. It was ridiculous- this one man took all four bikes to Mary's House on the back of ONE motor bike. There is a picture to the left to give you a visual. We were all sure that is couldn't be done, but then we watched this 60-something year old 5 foot man haul all four bikes onto the back of his motor bike and head off for Mary's House. We meet him there and both he and the bikes were safely delivered in one piece. We also bought them a bunch of books to give as gifts along with the clothing we brought over from the US and I am thrilled to say that we were able to get Harry Potter in Vietnamese. Olivia and I are so excited about this (Anne Stu is excited as well, she's just not a HP fan). We are spending tomorrow afternoon deciding which clothes go to which child and we will deliver them with a little care package on Friday. The big project we are working on is developing a profile for each child in the hopes of getting them sponsored. Sponsoring a child means providing them food, education, clothing and medical supplies for the time they live at Mary's House. They are able to stay there until they are 18, and the hope after that is that from the education and care they got at Mary's House, they will either go off into the professional world or pursue higher education at university. I wish I could bring you all here to see this place. It truly is phenomenal. I said this before, but it is also amazing seeing directly where donations go. It is clear that they use the money given to them to help the children and the function of the home. There are also clear things that we are able to do while we are here (even though our time is short) that really benefits the children. More beach pictures tomorrow after our outing!

Sweet Dinh at Social Support

In other news, we have spent time at social support this week also. We are still struggling to wrap our heads around this placement. We are all determined to do something to help before we leave, but we have to keep brainstorming for the best thing. My heart lives in the disabled babies room and I really want to do something to help in there. We have brought some medical supplies, clothing and diapers to them per the mothers requests, but we all want to do something that has a little more gravity. It really sends shivers up my body in there sometimes because all the kids in the disabled room have so much potential and with consistent care could improve in ways they aren't right now. Its both heartbreaking and warming watching Dinh 'dance' when you hold her up by her armpits and let her legs move. She can't hold herself up on her own, but with physical therapy she could definitely have more motion. I also really melt for Hoi who just seems to not be doing well. He has a bad cough and seems more fogged then he did before. We're all watching out for him while we are here, and we will figure out something that can help, even if it is doing what we originally wanted to do and taking them in with a translator for an assessment to better understand what their future holds in store. 

Olivia doing Physio at Social

Here, more than anywhere else, I wish I was more qualified. I wish I actually knew exactly what was best for them from a medical standpoint and could act on it. These are the children that I will be able to help the most once I am a doctor. Its just so frustrating sometimes. It brings me back to that initial feeling of wanting to rip the world apart and make it right. It reinforces the terrifying results of agent orange. The aftermath of that warfare is just so horrific. This placement really reminds us that there is so much to do and that some things are bigger than us. It also reminds us that this is a place that will be part of our lives forever because we have fallen completely in love with the country and the people here. We will keep working through what is the best investment for this trip. The two girls I am traveling with really are wonderful and its amazing debriefing and brainstorming with them every night. 

We also spent another day at the Pagoda orphanage, cuddling with and feeding newborn babies and playing with the older children. We went with our friend Hong whom we met last time and then her friends took us out to a really wonderful vegetarian restaurant called the Loving Hut which was some of the best food we've had since arriving. I've felt a bit homesick this week but that immediately goes away when we get to placements. Its felt different than the first time and I haven't really been able to pin point exactly why, but I think it is just that I am more comfortable in this city this time. Last time, every little thing was crazy and new. The smells, the sounds, the people staring and pointing. But all of that feels more normal this time. Its also of course very different being here with our own agenda, not under the schedule of an organization. I was terrified of that at first, but we fell really nicely into a routine, planning our days between placements and making the most out of the month that we have here. 

Now I'm off to bed to be well rested for our big outing tomorrow,  but I will post more soon.

With love from Vietnam.

Connie and Olivia psyched for Vietnamese HP

Phuong, Connie and Trinh post-beach

Olivia giving Trinh a ride

Anne Stuart and her good friend Ut

Connie and Giang

Truong, Khanh, Tai, Ut, Trinh, Connie and Vinh at Mary's House

Babies, babies, and more babies!!!

Mary's House!

          The last few days have been a total whirlwind. We have fallen into a rhythm and it feels great. One of my biggest fears is getting on a motorbike, which is how everyone gets around here. However, this morning I finally overcame that and rode the 30 minutes to our morning placement on a motorbike. I found comfort in immediately wondering what my mother would say if she knew I was riding through the Vietnamese countryside on the back of a motorbike with someone I hardly knew. I'm so grateful that I got to do this trip once with her presence. I think I'd feel a lot lonelier here if I hadn't gotten a chance to share my love for this country and the people here with her. However, I feel more than ever that she is with me. I guess it took me getting 9,000 miles away from the home I share(d) with her to remember that she is always with me. I feel more at peace right now than I have in a while.

Monday we visited social support where we got to meet with Mr.Phuoc, a physiotherapist who works for GVN. It was great being there with him because he was able to tell us in more detail how each of the children in the disabled room are doing. We are meeting with him later this week or early next week to talk about a physio plan. We've all been able to see how important physio is for these kids. Dinh (little girl with cerebral palsy) is so eager to use her legs, but she can't do it on her own. You lift her up and hold her under her arm pits and she tries to walk and even applies a little weight to them. Consistent physio will greatly benefit all six children in the disabled room at Social Support. Its really challenging at this placement, though, because it is hard to figure out who exactly we can stay in contact with to ensure that we can guarantee consistent work, but I have faith that that will happen.

Fun day at Mary's House!

On Tuesday, we got to see the new home Mary's House for the first time. It was truly amazing. Anne Stuart did a lot of fundraising for it back in the fall, so it was even more special since she was able to see where all the money went. We are spending a lot of time there. Its really amazing seeing how successful a home can be here. The kids are happy and the house in so clean. There are 24 children living there now and that is their capacity, but only 5 of them are sponsored. When a child is sponsored, they have their food, clothing, and school covered until they are 18. It is a huge and important opportunity for these children. The sponsors role is to pay $100 a month to support their child. It is an incredibly small price to pay to support an absolutely incredible child. All of the children at Mary's House are so eager to learn. They cling to you immediately when you walk in and are happy to play and practice their English. Its just really incredible seeing something work as well as Mary's House does. On top of that- there is a clear solution to how you can help. For us, being there and taking them to the beach and playing with them is what they need the most now, but in long run, sponsorship is what they need. Its not quite a puzzle like it is at some of our other placements- their needs and what we can do are very clearly drawn out. We are also going to buy them a few bicycles to help the kids get to primary school. Most excitingly for us- we get to take them to the beach tomorrow!! I think that will be really fun.

In the afternoon, we went to social and brought some supplies that they had asked for. We spent some time playing with the disabled children, but had to leave pretty soon after because we had interrupted nap time! We are going back there this afternoon.

sweet baby with Hydrocephalus

This morning and on Wednesday we went to the Pagoda orphanage. This is a placement that we used to go to with GVN, but they no longer visit it. Its a really exceptional place. After the baby orphanage in Da Nang City closed, a lot of babies were left here, and they now have more infants than ever. However, they handle it beautifully providing really excellent care to everyone who lives there. We realized almost immediately that the baby room did not smell like bodily waste like so many of the other placements do. A project we are going to jump on board with there is bringing a baby who was left at the orphanage about 2 weeks ago to Ho Chi Minh City to have surgery for his hydrocephalus. He is SUCH a sweet baby and I got to spend most of yesterday cuddling with him. I've seen a few children with hydrocephalus, but never as young as this boy. His head is so swollen and soft and at first I was terrified to take him out of his bassinet. Once I got the feel for how to support his head, I did not want to ever put him down. They are not sure of how old he is, but based on his presence of his teeth I'd guess he is about 5 months old. Oanh is going to help me figure out how much money they need to get him to Ho Chi Minh. I was so devastated last time I was here when we found out that Hoi was not eligible for surgery, so we are really hoping this boy can withstand the surgery. We were also asked to help edit the facebook page for the Pagoda, so we will be helping a manager, Simon, with that!

Baby! About 4 weeks old.

I was also thrilled because there was a little girl named Thui who I spent a lot of time with at the Pagoda orphanage on my last trip. She was a victim of regular sexual assault before entering the orphanage and we watched her grow a lot on our last trip. She is doing wonderfully. She is playing so nicely with the other children and has a smile that will melt your heart. I really love the Pagoda. We brought them diapers and formula and clothes and spent the morning helping with feeding and caring for the babies as well as brushing up on the older kids English. Olivia taught and English class there and all of her students remembered her. It was really nice. We were invited both days to stay for an amazing vegetarian lunch, which the entire population of the Pagoda eats together, and then we helped clean up ad headed out. I'm excited to spend more time with those sweet babies.

This week has been really wonderful and I am so happy to be here. I will post pictures from the beach tomorrow. 

More from Vietnam soon.....xoxo

With Simon, a manager at Pagoda orphanage

more babies!

Olivia, Connie and Anne Stuart at Pagoda Lunch

on my right, brand new 2 week old, and on my left about 4 weeks

Hot in Hoi An

“To be charitable is a virtue. To be empowered is a human right.”

Its been an interesting and busy last few days and I will post more tomorrow, but here is a little update. First off- it is HOT here. Like really, really hot. I have never experienced heat like this. People ride around on their motor bikes with full coverage clothing. I do not know how they do it. Its currently 9:21 PM and 97 degrees. Hot.

Anyway, more importantly, Anne Stuart arrived on Friday and we got her acquainted and adjusted and discussed our plans for the weekend and the next week. We decided to take a trip to Hoi An this weekend to see the tailors and visit the Hoi An orphanage. We spent a little bit of time at this orphanage back in 2011 and were expecting the worst. Last time we were there, the conditions were horrible. It was significantly worse than any of the placements in Da Nang. The children were tied to the beds and there was seemingly no constant care being given. It left us feeling incredibly helpless because we could not figure out how we could help since our time needed to spent in Da Nang, not in Hoi An, and we had been warned not to give money or supplies because they often didn't make it to the children. There were many disabled children and most of them seemed completely unable to communicate.

We were amazingly surprised. The childrens' room has been cleaned up and there are sheets on the beds and the children are no longer tied. One of the children suffering from cerebral palsy who Liv had had a real connection with was able to communicate beautifully with her asking how old she was and telling her how old he was. I can't communicate enough how enormous that is. All he did last time was shake his head and jut around the bed where he was tied. Another child that really hit my heart was so sensitive last time we visited that when you picked him up he would just cower into your chest and would have to be pried off. This time he was smiling and playful, a seemingly different child. Something good happened here. We were chased out at 12 so that the children could nap, but it was really unbelievable seeing the same children we had seen just a year earlier doing so much better. Granted, there is still much to be done and if we were here for longer we would dedicate a chunk of our time to this orphanage, but it is not the same place we were at a year ago. Its really inspiring, especially as a volunteer, to see the progress that can be made. It gave us a lot of wind to come back to Da Nang with. Traveling independently is great, but it is also difficult. We have a good amount of projects that we will be able to implement and aid, but we are kind of on our own when it comes to getting people to trust us. Luckily, a lot of people remember us from last time and seemed pleased to see us again. 

The initial shock that we all felt our first time is gone, making us more brave, but the heartbreak that comes from seeing these children and thinking of having to leave is still relevant and still paralyzing at times. I find myself obsessing about what is the 'best'. What is it that we can do that will have the MOST impact on these kids? But I am starting to remember that sometimes the best thing is to come in and brush their teeth daily and play and get them clean clothes and food and new clean clothes and diapers. The small things that aren't considered luxury in America but are life changing here. I have a lot of resources that can make a big difference and I am really realizing that we can't cure Dinh's cerebral palsy or Hoi's hydrocephalus, but we can do things now that can continue after we leave that will make their lives better. 

There are real and effective ways to empower these children who have nothing. 

I am lucky to be here and even more so to be here with resources that I have. Tomorrow we will bring diapers and wipes to babies and clean shirts and shorts to the children in the disabled room at Social Support. And then we will go from there. Our biggest project is working out the details to fund a year of physio at social support, and that is incredibly exciting. I love these children and it is really captivating to realize we can help provide for them. 

So much to do. I will write more tomorrow- we are visiting the new orphanage, Mary's House, for the first time tomorrow and spending the morning at Social Support. We only got one photo from the Hoi An orphanage because they do not allow photography, but more photos tomorrow.

Back to Social

Today was full of exploring and getting a feel for what we will be able to accomplish while we are here. In the morning, Olivia and I went to a church where we had heard there might be some orphaned babies, but after some broken communication with the priest, we found out that all the children there were school aged and had families. We got to sit through a morning lesson though, which was fascinating.

After that we went to meet Oanh and she took us to social support. It is just as we had remembered, more or less, just so much hotter now. Its heartbreaking because one of the best things that the disabled children in this center had going for them was that they had physical therapy, but that program has been cut. We have decided to put a good amount of the donations towards restoring that program. We haven't figured out exactly how much it will be and the other logistics, but we are hoping that we can have someone (preferably Oanh) come about 3 times a week. These children can have a significantly better quality of life with this attention. As well as the therapy, there are some basic needs that the care mothers have asked us to bring such as new shirts and shorts that we will bring on Monday.

It was incredibly overwhelming seeing these children again. I mean it in a good way, but it really time warps the year and a half since we have been here. So much has happened in my life and there has been so much forward motion, but these children are still in the same room with the same diseases. Dinh, the little girl who captured my heart last time I was here, is doing OK and still just as charmingly naughty, but she needs help. They all do. We're stuck with the dilemma of what exactly is the best way to help since we are only here for a month. How can we implement something that will continue to give once we leave? A year of physical therapy is definitely something, but we are going to see if it is possible to take them all in for assessments at the doctors and see if there is any sort of regiment that can more improve their quality of life. Hoi was another little one who I fell in love with and he suffers from hydrocephalus. It was really heart breaking seeing him. His head is so swollen and he seizes regularly and I just can't imagine the pain he must be in all the time. Last time we were here we got him a custom wheel chair that supported his head so he did not have to lie on his back all the time, but without physical therapy there is no one to help with that. The care mothers work incredibly hard and all the time and there is only so much they can do. 

These children are fragile and vulnerable in a way that I have never seen outside of Vietnam. I wish we could spend all day every day there, because on top of actual resources, they also need someone to hold them up and play with them and help them with their exercises. I have faith that we will be able to do something that can help, but I am back to realizing that I will be most useful once I am a doctor. 

On top of the inevitable heartbreak that I knew would come, it was amazingly comforting being back in the room with these children. I have missed it here so much. Olivia and I talked a lot about how we were anxious to see what it was going to be like, but it wasn't much different than before. The children are still sick, still need help, but they are still smiling. Dinh still has the incredible laugh that melts your heart. Hoi still gives a faint but true smile when you rub his head gently enough and in the right place. All of the other children outside of the disabled room still run to us when we come, taking our hands and wanting to guide us around the complex while repeatedly showing off their English skills and saying 'hello'. The thing is, there will always be work to do. There will always be projects. Our challenge over the next month will be to figure out what projects we can fund and help with that will provide the most long-term support for these children. Many of them, like providing physical therapy, we can continue to help with from home, but I know that we will want to start planning our next trip the moment we get back to our homes. 

Tomorrow we are going to the Pagoda orphanage with diapers and wipes to visit with the babies there and see what they can use us for. Oanh told us that after the baby orphanage closed, the Pagoda starting getting more babies, so we will set up a regular placement there.

It feels good to be here. There is so much to do! 

A nice little side note is that our hotel is right on the Great China Sea, so we get to start our early mornings with a swim before carrying on with our day in the incredible heat. It is insane how hot it is here. Its technically similar temperature to Nantucket, but it feels completely different. The sun is stronger and the air is both more humid and stiller. Even in the heat, the Vietnamese still cover their entire bodies to avoid the sun! I do not know how they do it. I was burning up in a t-shirt. 

More tomorrow, but here are some photos from social as well as the view we get from our hotel.