One Dollar One Meal

Twenty-five years of age, I have been living at Nhat Hong Home for the Blind for eleven years; so, naturally Nhat Hong becomes my second family.

Eleven years passes as quickly as yesterday only. Looking back the lively memories in my mind, I have thousands of emotions.

It is sadness and disappointment at first. I was sad of separation from my loved family, and disappointed of unexpected things. In the mind of a fifteen-year-old boy, Nhat Hong should have been a big and gorgeous place; simply it was in Saigon, the biggest city in the country. Yet, it was an old-three-story house among other cement houses. It took me a while to adjust myself to life at this home.

Having caught up with the Nhat Hong life, it becomes my second family. Here, the sisters love us with their hearts. They care for us from food to sleep and study. They care for our heath when we are ill. When it becomes cold, they give us warm clothes. They console, encourage, and soothe us when we are in a bad mood. They share with our joy when we are in victory.

Not only being nice mothers to us, the sisters also play a role of strict teachers when we behave without consideration and fall down before temptations in daily life. They guide us with discipline, instruct, and lead us back to a well-behaved way of living. Sometimes they are so strict with me that I become upset rather than grateful. Now, I appreciate them for being strict to me very much. “No pain no cure”, thanks to those bitter doses, from then to now, wherever and whatever I am doing, I will never make the same mistakes.  I come to an understanding that love is not always a smooth and soft melody; sometimes it soundly thunders making people fearful to turn around or change their way.

In this sweet home, I have chances to live with peers having the same circumstances with me. We sympathize, love, care, and share with each other our joys and sorrows, and help each other overcome obstacles in study and in life. However, it is a fact that life is not peaceful and joyous all the time. My Nhat Hong home is up and down sometimes. It is when we make a mistake with our selfishness and weakness. We treat each other badly, make each other sad and sorrowful. Some of the pains are healed; but some need time to get over.

The most important point after those breaks is that we then accept our faults and accept our own weakness. This makes us turn back to each other, hold one’s hand to continue our challenging journey. Those encounters are invaluable for me during my Nhat Hong life.

Having been lived at Nhat Hong home is my luck and happiness. Without this family, perhaps I did not become mature both physically and mentally as I do now. Thanks to Nhat Hong, I entered the university; it only takes me several more months, and I will possess a bachelor diploma of psychology.  I am well aware that beside the sisters like our meek mothers, we are also receiving affection and enthusiastic kindness from benefactors all over the world, especially from BVCF.

All precious love and care blow a strong desire and dream within us, lift our wings to fly up to the sky of knowledge and then to walk with confidence on challenging road ahead.

I would like to say special thanks to Fathers, Sisters, friends, and donors. May you be deepened into the rain of God’s grace.

My dream is to apply my knowledge of psychology into helping the children of Nhat Hong, then others having trouble with psychology. I strongly believe that deed is my practical thanks for Fathers, Sisters, friends, and benefactors.

A STORY OF TWO VISUALLY IMPAIRED BROTHERS

Brothers of Kien and Tan are congenitally blind due to being born with prematurity. Tan has additional impairment with motor and mental problem. Kien and Tan’s parents have three children. Their father passed away when they were at the young age, their mother earns a living by gathering and selling palm leaf. Fortunately, the oldest sister is sighted and healthy; she can help the mother look after them.

At the age of seven, the mother took them to a local school for the Impaired. This school had an elementary program only, so five years later they were back to their families. Then their mother took to Vi Thuy Home for the Blind when they were 13 and 15 respectively.

At first, Tan and Kien were very homesick, but they adjusted quickly to the home life. Kien states: “It is very fun to live at this place. We have many friends and younger fellows. Everyone is joyful, studious, and well behave. The sisters teach us to pray for everybody. They tell us that we could do everything if we are praying with perseverance. God will help us with all kind of tasks. We cannot do anything to help our families, but we can do by our daily prayers. God will do everything for our families for us.”

Tan and Kien are making good progress.Their mother’s pain is reduced. Both of them know how to write and read in Braille, to play organ and frequently play this instrument in the church choir. Hoang Tan has a nice voice, sometimes he sings. They are still learning the instrument, and learning a traditional instrument. Their mother is very happy seeing them developing like this. When picking up, she usually borrows a keyboard from the shelter to bring home with them so that they can play the instrument at home to entertain their family and neighbors.

Sister director of Vi Thuy says: In the future Tan will join in career training program and learn traditional treatment, and Kien will continue studying further.

Thanks to your generosity and kindness, the two brothers have a good chance to study and develop in a warm environment.