September 2012 – Orphanage Visits
TA NUNG ORPHANAGE – DA LAT
Peter Huels, Kath Zeljko, Dennis Edwards, Justin Huels, Suong Nguyen, Peter Fryers, Mai Vo, Sister Bernadette & Le Thi Tu
THE GIVING EXPERIENCE
BRIGHTON ROTARY DONATES – FUNDS FOR A BETTER LIFE!
Thank you Brighton Rotary for your absolute generosity you have enabled the ASAVO sponsors team to bring this very remote and poor Orphanage up in status in their standard of living. You have made them very, very proud! To be thought of by Australians like you.
Thank you from the bottom or our hearts to the Management & Members of the Brighton Rotary. Sister Bernadette has written a personal letter of thanks to Dale Hoy & the Management of the Rotary, including a receipt for the entire amount donated.
Below was their Wish List, and guess what, we managed to fund the lot and a few items extra. They were so grateful they were beside themselves with love and thank you for us the ones who got to experience this it is indescribable we got to spend two (2) days giving and sharing love with these wonderful children.
WISH LIST
- Large Rice Cooker, Microwave Oven, Twin Gas Burner Plate, Electric Hot water Service
- Large Stir Fry Pans, Large Saucepans
- Push Bikes (Baskets and Carry Racks) x 5
In all we spent the whole $1,500.00 from Rotary on Facilities, plus and an additional $250.00 USD for mattresses, $500.00 Push Bikes, $300.00 for Food. Plus, we transferred to the Nun’s account the Education Scholarship money for the first term of 2012/13 which was $595.00 USD which pays for Thirty (30) children’s education for the first six (6) months of the 2012/2013 School year.
PHAT BUU BUDHIST PAGODA – NHA TRANG
THE SPONSORS TOUR TEAM VISITED THE PHAT BUU PAGODA TO MEET MINH AND HER TEAM OF WONDERFUL CHILDREN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS OF GIVING AND SHARING
Paul Moss, Helga Moss, Brooke Moss & Taylor Moss also joined us for the balance of this tour.
We headed off to Phat Buu Pagoda which is situated around 50 km from Nha Trang in a small Buddhist village. Our routine now when we arrive is we contact Sister Minh & meet her at the local market, then watch her negotiating with vigor to get the best price on the goods she purchases. Suong our interpreter & guide helps to spend the $300.00 we give her to purchase food and wares that the pagoda requires. Many who are visiting for the first time, I am certain that all these sponsors will tell you that this is what charity work is all about. The joy of giving is an experience that only one can gain from being there. It is impossible to describe in words the feeling that it gives you.
Then it is time to be welcomed by the children, they always feed us provide with cold & hot tea hot, and dining with the Buddhists is a truly a divine experience. The food is very basic, rice and steamed vegetables with plenty of chili.
The next phase of the day is the giving of gifts, cloths that were donated by friends, and gifts that were sent over from children's sponsors in Australia. Plus, in a few cases the sponsors on this tour who got to meet their child and give their gifts directly to their sponsored child extending the personal giving experience.
We returned to Phat Buu the next day, we returned early so we got to experience a play & great time with the younger group of children. Then at end of the day we shared time with the older children when they returned from school. The day was full of fun with face painting, nail painting, Australian football lessons, and basketball. Simply enjoying life and love with these wonderful children. Of course there were a few lollies and treats to top things off.
The final gift was we decided to purchase five bikes for the children (250.00USD) so they could help the younger children to get to school. This lightened the burden on the Nun who has to dink the younger children to school on their motor bikes. You can imagine the joy when the man arrived from the local bike store with five brand new sparkling push bikes!
At the end of two wonderful days of giving it is time to say goodbye.
KIM SON PAGODA – NHA TRANG
The next phase of the tour was to Kim Son Pagoda it is about 10 km out from Nha Trang. Again we purchased food & essentials at the main market at Nha Trang, including a rice cooker, school bags for the older children & many gifts & lollies & treats for the children.
EDUCATION REPORT VISIT – CHAU KIM SON PAGODA – NHA TRANG
This pagoda is around 10Km outside of Nha Trang and Nha Trang is around 500Km from Saigon (HCMC). It was the city that the Americans had their largest Air Force base during the war, situated 45 Km from the city. Is was the home base of the B52 Bombers and today they have knocked down the old Air Force buildings and built and International Airport terminal there, but they still use the original runway network built in 1960.
The visit this year coincided with a public holiday so many of the children was away being billeted out by Buddhist families or many of the older boys and girls were taking the chance to go into town. The sewing class room was also closed so we didn't get to see the beautiful work that they do. But they are so talented we are trying to get a store setup in town so they can market their clothing to the tourist and the general public.
Anyway, we gave the children who we had around us clothing donated by the Portelli family which they all loved and we have some photos of the children with their new outfits closely held to their chest. They all say thank you Charles, Jutta and Boys! In addition, this time to the standard 5,000,000.00 VND or ($250.00) for food and essentials, we also donated an additional $250.00 to their new building fund which will be used to supply bed mats and pillows for the children to sleep on.
