MARCH 2003
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, Below is a letter from one of our children that I wish to share with you. I am sorry I cannot find her picture at this time, but will try to send it later. My name is Thai Thi Phuong. I am at 10th grade, Ngu Hanh Son High School. I was born and grew up in a poor family. My father died when I was young, leaving my mother who is a farm worker alone with 3 young children. Because of poor condition, my older sister had to stop going to school. Now she helps my mother with homework and learns how to sew. My brother is in 6th grade, at Hoa Quy School. Without your caring and helping, I and my brother would have stopped going to school not because of being incapable of study but the school fee, clothing as well as books, notebooks. In the beginning of the school year, my mother, as a farm worker, cannot provide for two school children to go to school at the same time. I thought that I would have to stop going to school. However, with your help I can go to school as my friends do now. Today when I am in my high school I feel very happy because so many of you (supporters of LOVE) are concerned about people like me. Now I write these lines to express my gratefulness to the Love of Vietnam Expressed Charity organization that makes the opportunity for me to continue going to school. I do not know how many words of "thank you" I say are enough. I only know that I owe too many thanks. I wonder what do I do to return the favors and I think I have to study really hard so that you are happy. Wish all of you a healthy and happy life. Writer Thai Thi Phuong A copy of Phuong's letter is below if you read Vietnamese. LOVE has helped Phuong since 2001 and we are very proud of her and so many like her. Several parents have told us that they "cannot say thank you because the words are not enough to express what they feel in their heart". Think about that and read Phuong's letter again. I want to do so much more for them, but we just do not have the funds. Most need repairs on their houses, some need new houses. I visited one today. The sides and roof of the house was a combination of rusty tin, clapboards, and plastic tarps. I sensed so strongly, God's love for this family. Even as I type, my eyes fill with tears. God's love is the only real hope they have. (For a better quality copy of the original letter, email Tina, and I'll send it directly. It loses quality in the process of posting to the website. tina@loveofvietnamexpressed.org).
|
APRIL 2003
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,Remember Phuong I hope you remember Phuong and her letter published last month, and have been praying for her and hundreds more like her. Below are portions of her letter to remind you and her photo as promised:
"My name is Thai Thi Phuong. I am at 10th grade, Ngu Hanh Son High School. Without your caring and helping, I and my brother would have stopped going to school not because of being incapable of study but the school fee, clothing as well as books, notebooks in the beginning of the school year. My mother, as a farm worker, cannot provide for two school children to go to school at the same time. I thought that I would have to stop going to school. Today when I am in my high school I feel very happy because so many of you (supporters of LOVE) are concerned about people like me.
I do not know how many words of 'thank you' I say are enough. I only know that I owe too many thanks. I wonder what do I do to return the favors and I think I have to study really hard so that you are happy."
 Thai Thi Phuong |  Pham Thi Yen Le (youngest) |
Today we met with a preacher in Quang Nam about how to help about 30 very poor Christian families. We were helping 20 of them but had to stop at the end of December for reasons I cannot state here. We want to continue to help but we do not have permission yet nor the funds to help now. Please pray for us that we will be able to help them soon.
Medical Missions
We are in the talking stage of 3 medical missions. One will bring 5 - 10 eye surgeons plus accompanying nurses. The other 2 will be medical/dental teams. All are badly needed. Often the problem is government regulations. They make it very difficult to set up teams in the areas where they are needed. Often they are restricted to local hospitals far from the most poor. It is also difficult to bring in equipment and medicine. Also pray for the medical people themselves who will need to take time off their busy schedules.
On the 28th of April, another dental team will examine all our children and others associated with the Street Children Program of Danang.
Program Review
Pray for us as we are beginning to review the school work of all our children and to review the financial state of their families. We will visit the homes of all 150 families that we assist on a monthly basis. Often they live so far apart, we can only visit 2-3 a day. Other days we may visit 10-15. There are many whose houses needs repairs, a roof, or complete renovation. We need to help, we want to help. We are often pushed beyond our limits to help.
 |  |  |
A Christian Family
The house on the left is a one room, unfinished house. It is 3 years old. The Vietnamese Red Cross gave them the frame, the tin for the roof, and some bricks. A Christian family lives there. The husband has TB and is a cyclo driver when strong enough. He rents the cyclo for about $7 a month. After he pays for the cyclo he may make $20-$30 for his family if he is well enough to work all month. His wife sells in a street market. The center picture shows 3 of their 4 children. The oldest boy is 15 (not pictured). Nguyen Van Nim above with his younger sister and brother, is 11, We provide a scholarship for him . His sister, above, started school this year. We need to help the oldest boy or he will have to drop out of school to help the family. Both the front and back of the house are unfinished because they had no more brick or money. The picture on the right shows Duc, LOVE's associate, as he looks at the open kitchen in the back of the house and a small shelter used as a toilet. LOVE wants to close in the front of the house and put a door, cover the kitchen area and build a room for the toilet and shower. They also need a well. Now they must walk to a friend's house about 500 yards away and carry water home to cook and bathe. We would also like to buy a cyclo for the husband. The cyclo is about $100. To finish the house to acceptable living conditions should not cost more than $300. Please pray for them. Now we do not have funds to help, but with God's help we will do something as soon as possible.
Please pray earnestly for our work here and the families.