Camp

March 30:

Camp started @ 8am on the beach. There were many activity stations - arts and crafts, games, nail painting, tattoes, soccer, tug of war, sand castle building, etc., for the Catalyst children to enjoy. The expedition volunteers each signed up to help at a station. Zach selected the sand castle building station for us so we were down by the water. The kid's faces just lit up when they saw the ocean and the beach toys. When you think about what their daily life is like, you realize how much in our lives we take for granted. This day was a real treat and positive experience for them.

After a few hours the camp kids wanted to go back to their rooms to take a shower and enjoy the air conditioning. Those are just 2 things they have never experienced before. We also heard that they were fascinated by the flushing toilets at the hotel and stayed up late into the night flushing them over and over and over again.

After the rest we took them into the ocean. The volunteers formed a human chain to keep them in the designated area. They all had a blast splashing each other and us!

Another unique experience for the camp kids was having plenty of food to eat. Some kids ate so much that they felt sick afterwards. Catalyst gave each child 50,000 dong (approximately $3 in US $) and most of them used it to buy additional food to take back to their families. We also noticed many of them doing trash picking and placing recyclables in a bag to take home to sell and make money for their families.

We had a short break before dinner to go back to the hotel and freshen up. After dinner was the talent show. The camp participants as well as the volunteers performed. The home team sang a song one of our volunteers wrote to the tune of "If I Had a Hammer". The kids volunteers did a dance. Everyone enjoyed the evening.

March 29

Zach's team visited another school today and played soccer, basketball, frisbee, and jump rope. They passed out gift bags to all of the children as well as bikes and food.

The housing team had off and they took us to a market where there were a lot of vendors to shop from. It was like a giant flea market but I was looking for Vietnamese handicraft items and did not find any at the market. Hopefully we will have a few hours on Tuesday to do some souvenir shopping before we catch our midnight flight home.

After lunch we traveled by bus for 2.5 hours to Vung Tau province to the Thuy Duong Resort. The children from the Kien Giang garbage dump, Dong Thap, and HCMC arrived late tonight. The buses will pick us up for camp at 7:15am tomorrow morning.

Dong Thap - Day 3

March 28:

Today we travelled an hour to our work site. We spent the morning nailing tin siding on the frame of a house. It was the easiest job of the week. The family brought out fresh fruit for us to eat before leaving. Again we were amazed by the generosity of those who have so little. We finished at noon, had lunch, and departed for Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) around 2pm. We stopped at a beautifl rest area in the Mekong Delta where we ate dinner before continuing on to HCMC.

Zach's team visited another school today and finished their work before us. The distribution team left for HCMC earlier than us and had already arrived at the hotel as we were leaving the rest stop. That has been one of the hardest parts of the trip for me. We are separated for much of the day and it seems like everyone else gets the best part of his day. By the time we get to spend time together he is overly tired and on the verge of a melt down. It made me very nervous to have him traveling on a bus for 4.5 hours separately from me but he did not mind at all since he was with all of his new friends.

Tomorrow the housing team has off and they have arranged a shopping trip for us. Zach has 1 more school to visit. Then we will again travel on separate buses by team to our next destination, a beach resort where we will hold a camp for 300+ underprivileged children who will be bused there to enjoy a day of fun activities with all of the teams.

The hard work part of the trip is now over and we will have a few days to relax before heading back to the US.

Dong Thap - Day 2

March 27:

Today's construction project was very similar to yesterday's only in a more rural area of the Mekong Delta. We took a bus part way, then a motor bike/cart followed by a short walk. The family who will be getting the house currentlylives along the river under a metal roof supported by poles. It is not protected from the weather other than the roof. They have none of the amenities we take for granted. There is no running water - they use the river to bathe, drink from, do laundry and wash dishes. They cook outside on a fire. I'm not sure what they use for a bathroom. (We were able to use a squatting toilet at a house down the road and let me tell you how far out of my comfort zone that was. We had to take our shoes off before entering the house and the bathroom floor was wet. So the choice was to get my socks wet or take my socks off. I'll let you guess what I did.)

At lunch, the Catalyst staff brought us our lunch. The family whose house we were building also made food for us. Here is a family that has nothing and yet they wanted to share what they had with us. Fortunatley some of the people in our group were brave and willing to try the food. I couldn't bring myself to do it because I had seen them washing the dishes and vegetables in the dirty river water.

Zach visited another school. They passed out stickers to the children and distributed beans and rice. After lunch they played inside for a while and then went to the park again.

Dong Thap

March 26:

The construction team split into 3 groups today. Two of the groups did home renovations and the other worked on constructing a brick house. I was in the group that worked on the brick house.

We took our bus part way to the site and then had to take a smaller vehicle called a Tuk Tuk the rest of the way. This is because the roads were too narrow for the bus and because some of the bridges could not support the weight of the bus.

Part of our group, including myself, spent the day laying bricks and mortar. It was hard work for me especially since I had never done it before and there was no shade to be found. There was also another latrine to dig - a 4 ft square that was 4.5 feet deep.

We were schedule to work until 5pm but they let us stop at 3pm because we were all starting to feel the effects of the heat and we had run out of bottled water.

Zach spent his day visiting a school. They played games with the children there (soccer and duck, duck, goose) and did crafts witht hem. They passed out beanie babies as gifts and distributed the food. After lunch they had the afternoon off. They played inside in the a/c for a while and then went to a park.

Beach Day and Moving to Next Province

March 25:

We boarded the bus headed for the beach @ 7:30am and arrived around 10am in Ta Hien near Cambodia on the South China Sea. We spent 1.5 hours swimming and playing on the beach followed by lunch overlooking the water. Then we took showers and headed back to Rach Gia because we were moving on the Dong Thap on a bus @ 4pm.

While we were at the beach the person in charge of the distribution team gold me what a great job Zach was doing, what a hard worke he is, and how well behaved he is. I'm so proud of how well he is doing on this trip.

I had terrible stomach pains on the way back from the beqach and though I might be coming down with the dreaded traveler's diarrhea. It would have been terrible timing and made the bus ride to Dong Thap miserable. We only had 15 minutes after returning to the hotel to check out before leaving for Dong Thap. I quickly took some Active Manuka Honey (which I have recently discovered as a cure for acide reflux and all kinds of GI problems) and prayed it would work. Within 15 minutes the pain was gone! And some people think God doesn't perform miracles any more!

We were warned that the trip to Dong Thap would be very bumpy as part of it would be on a 1 lane dirt road. So Zach and I took some dramamine and that combined with being exhauseted from the time change and working in excessively hot and humid conditions had us sleeping much of the bus ride. We had to disembark and take 2 ferries as part of the trip. It took about 4.5 hours to get there and by the time we ate dinner and checked it, it was almost 11pm.

The Work in Rach Gia Continues

March 24:

Our work days start early. The bus picks us up for breakfast at 6:15am and we leave for our work sites at 7am to try to beat the heat.

The other housing team got dropped off 1st so our team took the opportunity to see how their job was progressing. We took a rickety ferry (that I'm sure would never pass a US inspection) across a river and then walked to the work site. On the way we passed through a marketplace where vendors were selling fish, vegetables, meat, etc. Again, we turned heads everywhere we walked because this is not a foreign tourist area.

We arrived at our work site and found bricks had replaced the sand that was there the previous day. You guessed it! We had to haul the bricks by hand, in a bag, or by carrying them on a wooden board. (In case you don't recognize me in the photo, I'm the one in the conicle hat!) Just when we thought w2e were done, another load arrived!

After we finished hauling the bricks we had to mix cement to pour in the supporting columns of the structure. Since they did not have running water in this area, we had to hand pump it. One of the Vietnamese woman showed me how to work the pump. It took a lot of work just to get 1 bucket! We made enough to do 3 out of the 6 columns by 11am. We then went into waiting mode because we needed more supplies which had not yet been delivered. So we took a welcome break in a shady spot.

They brought lunch to us around noon. We ate it next door at a Buddhist temple courtyard. They were very hospitable and started bring out additional food that they had prepared - soup, fried sweet potatoes, and cut up fruit for us to enjoy.

The delivery was supposed to arrive at 1pm and didn't show up until 2pm. This is what they call Vietnamese time. Things are more laid back here and being on time is not as important to them as it is to Americans. We spent the rest of the work day hauling stones and embedding them in the sand .

A few people on the team had to dig a 4 ft. deep hole in the ground which will be their version of a bathroom - it will have nonflushing toilet - it will be flushed by pouring a bucket of water into the toilet.

Speaking of bathrooms, there are no port-a-pottys here. The 1st day we used a neighbor's bathroom - a back porch where you went on the wooden slats and then rinsed it down below with a bucket of water. Today we discovered the monks had a non-flusing toilet which was much better for us Americans.

Even though we had a break in the afternoon it was a very tiring day due to the heat. There were several times when I thought I just couldn't keep going one minute longer. But God truly helped me get through the day. When I felt I couldn't go on I prayed for the strength to continue and I would get another burst of energy.

Zach's team finished portioning the food in the morning then went in the afternoon to a location near the garbage dump to deliver it along with some bikes. Don't worry . . . he didn't go on the dump but he could see it from his worksite and he could efinitely smell it. The kids ate dinner when they returned from the site and arrived back at the hotel as we were returning from our work day.

We were exhausted again and in bed by 8pm.

Tomorrow I am being given a temporary reassignment to the distribution team. They have the day off and they have arranged a trip to the beach. One of the adults on the distribution team wanted to do housing instead of going to the beach so we are swapping for the day. I think I got the better end of that deal!

The Work Begins!

March 23:

We headed ro the airport at 5:30am for our flight to Rach Gian in Kien Giang province. Our group took up most of the plane.

After our buses picked us up at the aiport we stopped for breakfast and then were taken to our hotels. We are spread out among 3 hotels all of which thankfully have a/c. I was also thankful I treated a sleeping sack with permetrin as recommended because there were definitely bed bugs. Others who slept directly on the sheets woke up with bug bites but so far our sacks have protected us.

By 10am we were at the Catalyst Foundation school which the kids from the garbage dump attend. Adults and kids spent the next 2 hours sorting all of the donations into their proper areas: medical, clothing, toys, gift bags, art exchange, camp supplies and construction tools.

After lunch the home team started our 1st job. We were split into 2 groups with each of us assigned to build a house in 2.5 days. We spent the next 3 hours hauling sand that had been delivered by the roadside to the housing site whice was down a narrow path. I'm not very good with judging distances but we had to haul it past several other houses, through a graveyard, and past a few more houses. There was no wheelbarrow so we had to carry it in buckets and burlap bags. After hauling the sand to the house we dumped it as a based for the foundation. We were hot, sweaty, and filthy by the end of the day and wondered how we were going to complete the project in only 2 more days.

The family the house is for worked side by side with us in their bare feet and were happy to have us there. We drew a large gathering of spectators who probably had never seen a foreigner in their neighborhood before.

At the same time, Zach's distribution team was back at the shool. They finished the sorting process and started portioning the rice the families would receive the following day.

We both were exhausted at the end of the day. Zach was so tired he fell asleep at the table while we were at the restaurant eating dinner. We were in bed by 8pm so we could be ready to go by 6:15 the next day.

Getting Acclimated (March 22)

I haven't been able to update the blog on a timely basis due to lack of internet access. Most of the provinces we have been in have the blogger.com site blocked.

March 22:

This morning after breakfast we went for a walk around the city with 3 other families. Everywhere we went we turned heads. We also attracted a few little children who were begging for $ on the streets. They followed us for quite a distance before they gave up.

The traffic in HCMC is very congested. The streets are packed with bicycles and motor scooters with a few buses and trucks thrown into the mix. It is hard to describe, but to us it seems to be total mayhem. Everyone rides/drives side by side, there are very few traffic signals and at the intersections everyone just turns and crosses whenever they want to. All of this makes it very difficult to cross the street. Because they don't stop at the intersections you just have to step off the curb and walk at a steady pace. The drivers judge the pace you are walking and adjust their speeed so they don't hit you. After we crossed the 1st street, Zach said "I almost had a heart attack". It was helpful that we had a group to cross with. We also ran into some helpful locals on several occasions who helped us navigate across some of the busier intersections after seeing us standing pondering the situation for several minutes.

During our walk we stumbled across a playground. The kids enjoyed a break from the walking and played with the local kids.

We went back to the hotel for lunch and then set out for our visit to the Tam Binh orphanage where Zach lived for the 1st 5 months of his life. After drinking hot tea and showing baby and current photos we were given a tour of the facility. They would not let us see the baby room but we were shown a room with handicapped children. Some of them had hydrocephalus and were laying on pillows staring at the ceiling. It is so sad to know that these children could have been helped early in their lives with an operation and now it is too late and this is how they will spend the rest of their lives.

We also saw the room where the toddlers slept and the toddlers themselves. Zach was overwhelmed by the children because when they saw us they all ran toward us and swarmed around us. The wanted hugs and held up their arsm so we would pick them up. Some were grabbing at Zach and trying to pull him into their play room. He did not enjoy that because he thought they weren't going to let him leave. All of the childreen were so precious and you just wish you could take them home and give them a better life.

We wrapped up the day with a swim in the hotel pool, an early dinner, and were asleep by 7pm.

We've Arrived!

We made it to Vietnam! We arrived at the hotel on Friday at around midnight Vietnam time. Zach was a real trooper on the very long trip. He did very well on all 3 flights and with all of the waiting time in between. The personal entertainment systems on the 14 hour flight really helped. I was hoping he would do most of his homework on that leg of the trip, but he was only interested in playing games on the system.

We breezed through immigration and customs without any problems and all of our bags arrived. Unfortunately, one of the zippers got broken so now we are trying to hold it together with duct tape.

Today we will be visiting Zach's orphanage in the afternoon and hanging out by the pool. He has made friends with many of the kids on the trip already.

On Sunday we head to the airport at 6am to catch our flight to Kien Giang. It is a short flight and we will spend the rest of the day sorting donations. The construction work starts on Monday.

Two Weeks and Counting!

Two weeks from today we will be on the plane to Vietnam. We have our donation bags packed. They are stuffed and cannot possibly fit one more thing. The next challenge is getting everything else packed without exceeding the airline's weight limit. We have lots of supplies we have to take (suntan lotion, deet, our own pharmacy, tools, cameras, batteries, voltage converters, snacks, a bag of tricks to help us bridge the language barrier, activities to occupy us on the long plane ride, etc.) I'm wondering if it is all going to fit and if we will have room to pack some clothes!

We will have the 1st day in Vietnam to relax and adjust in Ho Chi Minh City. When I showed Zachary a picture of the hotel a few weeks ago, he said "That's a lot nicer than I thought it would be." When I asked what he was expecting, he said "I thought we were staying in the garbage dump." He knew we were going to help children and their families who are currently living in a garbage dump and he just assumed we would be staying with them. I couldn't believe he was willing to do that. I'm not even sure I will have enough courage to go there when the adults are given the opportunity to visit!

Zach is looking foward to making new friends, delivering the bikes, and seeing where he was born. He is also excited about taking lots of pictures to show his friends when we return.

We were told to be ready for the good, the bad, the unbelievable and the amazing on this trip. Let the adventure begin!

Our Assignments

We received our team assignments a few weeks ago. The group is divided into 3 teams: home renovation, medical, and food and bike distribution.

Zachary (along with all of the other children and some adults to supervise) is assigned to the food and bike distribution team. The team will be organizing and distributing bags of food to 500 families during the trip. They will take bulk quantities of rice, salt, sugar, and beans and divide it into portions to be distributed to families. Each family will receive enough food to feed them for 2 months. They will also distribute 250 new bikes to children who live far from school and are usually the main caregivers in their family at the average age of 10. New bikes will be of immense help in allowing them to continue their education! They will also serve as goodwill ambassadors by visiting local schools to exchange drawings and bring gifts and school supplies. It sounds like a lot of work, but because of all of the children on this team, they work for a few hours in the morning, take a break for a few hours in some air conditioning, and then work a few more hours. They will return to the hotel by 4pm where they will get dinner and wait for their parents to return. I hope they leave some food for us!

I have been assigned to the home renovation team. You can stop laughing now! Fortunately, there are some people on the team that actually know what they are doing who will direct those of us like me who will need to be told exactly what to do. There are 18 adults on our team and our goal is to build 6 new houses in 4 days in 3 different villages. Our biggest challenges are not having access to "modern" tools (except what we are able to bring in our luggage), the extreme heat we will be working in, and the time restraints. Our team will be working the longest hours, starting early in the morning and stopping when it gets dark. We'll need lots of sunscreen, water, and something to relieve our sore muscles.

Thank You for Your Support

In order to participate in the expedition each adult is required to raise $1000 and each child is required to raise $500. This money is used to fund the projects that the expedition team will be participating in on the trip. In addition, each participant is required to pay their own trip expenses (air travel, hotels, food, etc.).

Fundraising was one aspect of this trip that I was not looking foward to. I quickly found out what generous friends and family we have! I sent out letters to family and friends in December explaining the trip and the projects and requesting donations. The very next day we received our first donation and I found $20 laying on the sidewalk which I promptly put in our donation collection. I felt it was a sign from God that the fundraising was not going to be a problem! I am happy to report that we have exceeded our fundraising goal and have raised $2430 for the expedition projects. We even received donations from people we didn't know due to others sharing about our trip with them. Thanks to all of our supporters!

In addition to that we were asked to collect at least 2 large duffle bags of "in-kind" donations (t-shirts, toys, toiletries, etc.). Again we were overwhelmed by the support we received and have reached that goal.

Zach's elementary school has been very supportive of him going on the trip. His application for missing school for an educational trip was approved quickly. The school also participated in our fundraising by holding a Valentine's for Vietnam Spirit Day. The students were asked to wear red, pink, or white and donate 50 cents and raised $360. Zach's class as well as Sean's class is participating in an art exchange and "fun bags" for the children.

And of course, Zach's grandparents deserve a special thank you. One set paid for part of his plane ticket and the other set donated all of the items for the "fun bags" as well as tools for the home renovation team to use.

Why Are We Going to Vietnam?

This journey actually began when we adopted Zachary from Vietnam in 1999. During that trip and the subsequent trip in 2001 to adopt Sean we saw very young children working on the streets selling postcards and souvenirs to support their families instead of attending school. We also realized that the orphanages lacked the proper funding to adequately care for all of the children living there and that many were being turned out to live on the streets at a young age. I have wanted to go back ever since then to do volunteer work to help the children of Vietnam and to give something back to the country where our children were born.

I found out about the Catalyst Foundation's Aid Expedition while attending a Vietnamese Culture Camp organized by the Catalyst Foundation. They do humanitarian work for Vietnamese children all year round, but every 2 years they organize a humanitarian aid expedition for anyone that is interested in participating. Their focus is on helping children who are at risk of being exploited by child traffickers.

Originally I was planning to go on this trip by myself. It fell at a very opportune time since the kids are both in school full time, I'm still a stay-at-home mom, and Lee is on a job assignment where he is working from home until the end of March so it will be easy for him to take care of the before and after school responsibilities with the kids.

I applied to go on the trip in January 2007 and was planning on going by myself. Zachary became interested in the trip this past summer and decided he wanted to go as well. So he will be joining me on his first trip back to Vietnam on what is sure to be the most exciting adventure of his life so far!