Ramblings of Our Life

Little tidbits of our life here in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. 

We teach an English Conversation Class for the English Club at the University of Technology on Saturday mornings from 9 - 10:30 am.  The students are mostly engineering majors who need strong English speaking skills to obtain good jobs.

Last Saturday was the last class for 2011.

The students have finals week beginning Monday, 26 December - 31 December 2011 so are preparing most diligently for the big tests.

Felix and I are standing with the club's leaders/officers after class...and I do not remember everyone's names - only Tu the president of the club I am standing next to!


We also teach English on Tuesday nights for poor people at the church building and on Wednesday afternoons for workers of our NGO partner SAPP for those who need better conversation English.

The Wednesday afternoon class has 10 students from SAPP.  These students are studying while waiting for the others to arrive.   They are all so attentive and willing to work hard to become better English speakers!








NGO Partners Who Have Worked With Us

The Sponsoring Association of Poor Patients (SAPP) had a "Donor Appreciation Night" Saturday, 17 December 2011.  It was a gala affair!  There was singing and dancing to entertain us and goodies to eat.  Each donation to help the poor or disabled or disadvantaged was recognized. 

Below is the picture of Felix going on stage representing Latter-day Saint Charities donation to SAPP of 2,500,000,000VND or over USD $120,000.00 for wheelchairs.

The Women's Charity Association of HCMC (WOCA)
This volunteer women's charity group help the poor children of Ho Chi Minh City.  They have been caring for the under-privileged and homeless children of HCMC for over twenty years. 
They care for the children in seven (7) homeless shelters throughout the city.

The Tan Binh Boys Homeless Shelter.  LDS Charities installed a direct drinking water system for better health.

 Above: This is similar to all the direct drinking water systems that are installed in small places. 
Below: The children can then drink directly from the faucet and not have to boil or buy all drinking and cooking water.

These are a few of the wonderful women of WOCA
Left to right: 
Mrs. Dang Thi Hgoc, Vice President
Mrs. Duan Le Huong, President
Mrs. Y Quan, office manager
Annie, WOCA volunteer for English translation 

Lotus Kid's House is a homeless children's shelter for 30 - 35 girls between the ages of 6 yrs old and 18 yrs old.   I love going to the shelter because they always are so happy to see us!

"Mai Am Ga Sai Gon" or Saigon Railway Shelter is the first shelter to receive the clean water system.  Everyone was so thrilled to be able to drink water from a faucet.  The house mother said they were drinking more water than ever before!

 


 "Preparation for Our Mission" Milestones
I will always remember the end of 2010 and the hectic beginning of 2011. 

• 12 December 2010 - Branch President challenged us to prepare for a mission
• 15 December 2010 - Prayed and talked to contacts in missionary department in SLC and decided to do a Humanitarian Mission
•   2 January 2011 - Started all paperwork and application forms
• 11- 20 January 2011 - Immunizations started and dental exam and physicals completed
• 13 January 2011 - Photos taken for mission application
• 22 January 2011 - Picked up photos, uploaded them and submitted our application to our Branch President, Roger Clukey for his endorsement
• 22 January 2011 - Chicken flock given away to nice farm family
• 23 January 2011 - Gave Zeke, our sheep dog, away to the same farm family that we gave our chickens to! Everyone in the family, even the Dad, enjoyed playing with him so much they were willing to take on a 150 pound,14 month old puppy.  Zeke was our biggest concern.
• 24 January 2011 - President Clukey called to say he forwarded our mission application to Stake President for his endorsement
• 31 January 2011 - Met with President Hazen Martin and submitted final application
• 12 February 2011 - Sold cattle
• 26 February 2011 - Sold the sheep and baby lambs as a flock to a good home
• 5 March 2011 - Received mission call letter for the Phnom Penh Cambodia Mission
• 7 March 2011 - Received actual assignment in the mission, serving in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam as Country Directors!
• 19 March 2011 - Left Maine for daughter's home in Massachusetts
• 22 March 2011 - Start heading out West to visit family with 1st stop in Ohio at Ryan's
• 26 March 2011 - Arrived in Burlington, Colorado at Gina and family's
• 2 April 2011 - Family "Congratulations on Your Mission Call" and "Going Away Party" at my brother Dan's in Denver
• 17 April 2011 - Leave Gina's to go to Denver for family visiting the last few days
• 21 April 2011 - Fly to Salt Lake City, Utah and visit a few days with Laurie and family
• 24 April 2011 - Enjoy Easter with Laurie and her children and their families
• 25 April 2011 - Arrive Missionary Training Center to learn about the Humanitarian Mission 
• 9 May 2011 - Arrived Hong Kong at 5:30am - took train into city to visit Asia Area Offices - arrived late afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam!!

Random Musings


This is a typical poor farmers home in the rural areas.  The water area in the back is for shrimp farming.

This is a better view of shrimp farming.

I truly believe this!

David A. Bednar came to Ho Chi Minh City when we first arrived in country and spoke about these very words.

I just love going down random streets anywhere in Ho Chi Minh City and finding beautiful buildings and temples.

 

A typical city street in HCMC - I am so glad I do not have to drive!

This is a view of Saigon river.  We live behind the tall, white apartment complexes on the left side of the picture, in the Thao Dien Ward of District 2, HCMC.  It is a much quieter District of the city.  Mostly villas and apartment complexes with smaller shops and restaurants that cater to the ex-pat community that live here.