A recap video I made of our trip to Vietnam this summer. Footage taken in Hue, Ha Noi, Halong Bay, and Sa Pa, Vietnam. 

- Dan

By popular demand, Work Camper Andrew Poon covers a Workcamp 2012 favorite, “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction. 

Thanks for the Sunflower Mission shoutout, Andrew!

by Nikky Phi

My two weeks in Vietnam were filled with plenty of unforgettable moments: working at the school site, winning the first SM vs Locals soccer game in 10 years, and touring many beautiful cities. Unfortunately, all of that came to an end on June 17th when the majority of the SM group returned to Houston, including me. Due to my failure to adjust to the 12 hour time difference, the first three days home consisted of staying up all night, sleeping all afternoon, and a little bit of reflection time in between. Before this strange sleeping schedule takes over my body again, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite memories from the Sunflower Mission Workcamp 2012.

Thursday, June 7th

The first ever Sunflower Mission robotics/English workshop was held on June 7th with Nicole Richard from National Instruments as leader.  Nicole brought 10 laptops and 10 Lego kits with her to Vietnam. One laptop, one Lego kit, and one SM volunteer were given to each group of three students. I got the privilege to work with three nine year olds named Nguyen Duc Phuong, Pham Dinh Phong, and Pham Thi Minh Chu. The students were instructed to build either a kicker or a goalie with instructions provided. After assembling their kicker/goalie, the students connected their new “robot” to the computer using USB chords. On the computer, Nicole taught the students how to create a program in order to control their robots. After the robotics workshop, the entire SM team taught the children a few English songs. The kids obviously learned a lot from Nicole and the rest of the SM team, but I also learned a lot from the kids. In America, a lot of us take an education for granted. We go to school every day, take some tests, go home, and do homework. However, it seems like we’re just going through the actions. Seeing the kids excited and eager to learn taught me that education isn’t something we should take for granted; in fact, education is a privilege that each and every one of us should be lucky to have.

Saturday, June 9th

This is a date that everyone should remember; on Saturday, June 9th, 2012, Sunflower Mission won its first soccer game against the locals in 10 years. As the winning goal was made, everyone’s faces sparkled with joy as the sweat dripped down their backs; a roar erupted from the SM crowd as the locals’ faces were overcome with defeat. Although this win was mind-blowing, the completion ceremony for the school site in Quang Loi was the highlight of my day. As Mr. Tuan Dao made his speech, the red ribbons were cut, and the children sang and danced, you could see pure joy illuminating their faces from miles away. All my life, I’ve heard the saying “money doesn’t buy happiness”, but at that moment, I realized that that saying really is true. We take so many things for granted here in America: food, clean water, a place to live, an education, etc., and we’re still not happy with what we have. On the other hand, some of these kids barely have the necessities to live, and just by looking into their eyes, you can tell that they are truly happy. This taught me that I need to appreciate all that I have in life, and do my best to give back. Another day passed, another lesson learned.

Thursday, June 14th

June 14th was our second day in Sapa. Out of all the places I’ve travelled to, I can easily say that Sapa is the prettiest. From the beautiful mountains to the quaint Cat Cat Village, it was love at first sight. The moment we stepped out of the hotel, the cute Hmong women flocked to us like the flies at the workcamp after smelling our sweat for the first time. Persuaded into buying almost everything the Hmong women were selling, each and every one of us left Sapa with bags full of stylish, ethnic accessories. That night, we departed for Hanoi to “experience a night sleep on a train”, and boy, was it an experience. Soon after boarding the train, we discovered that we had a few little guests in our room: cockroaches. After sending Don on a little exterminating excursion, the train was roach-free. Then, it was on to the next challenge: choreographing a dance on a moving train for the completion dinner the next evening. After a few hours of stumbling, flopping, and laughing, the choreography was complete. Needless to say, that was an experience I’ll never forget.

Going into this trip, I didn’t know what to expect. In a way, I thought I’d be experiencing and feeling the same emotions that I felt on last year’s work camp. However, it quickly became apparent that I was utterly mistaken; everyday was a new experience, and I enjoyed every second of it. 

by Joanna Nguyen

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I came to Vietnam. It was my first time there. People told me tips and stories of when they went. “Oh, be careful with what you eat.” “It’s so hot there, especially around this time of the year.” “Be careful about what you say.” I was a little timid and nervous being there, and even more afraid of doing something rude or wrong. 

The main reason my mom and I went to Vietnam with Sunflower is because they were dedicating the school in my dad’s honor. Being a school administrator, my mom was so touched and dragged me to go with her. We met up with the group the day of the ceremony for the first school. I was so shy at first and didn’t feel like talking to anyone that day, until a few people invited me over to play some games. I didn’t know that many people there and everyone had a head start of knowing each other. But, I felt welcomed by the end of the day.

The trip went on as we traveled to different cities and saw different things. I had a great time with everyone while learning more about my country. It was a new experience for me, and I hope to remember it. Next year I promise I will do to the “work” part in “workcamp” and not arrive a week after the group.

Photo by Nanhi Tran

by Kim Yen Vu

I took the journey of the thousand steps…all the way up to San May or Cloud Yard at the Ham Rong Mountains where I was able to see the beauty of it all from above. The journey or walk up the path was not easy, but the journey itself was rewarding and a beautiful experience. My Sunflower Mission work camp experience is somewhat similar to that journey…

As a public school principal, this work camp to build schools for the children of Vietnam has been one of the most positive, meaningful experiences for me in terms of education and working for children and Hope for the future. This past year has been a difficult year for me, and I didn’t know what to expect of my emotions from this trip to dedicate a school in memory of my late husband, Anh Toan. And yes, I could not withhold the emotions at the dedication of Phong Thu Elementary School. It is such a beautiful gift that Sunflower Mission has given these students and that is the gift of an education and hope for the future. It is such a beautiful meaningful gift for me and my family that Sunflower Mission dedicated this school in memory of Anthony Nguyen Thanh Toan. Thank you Sunflower Mission for the work that you do in building hope for the future! My daughter and I have made many friends on this trip and we plan to go back in future years.

Photos by Kim Yen Vu

by Don Dao

Three days later, relaxing in the comfort of my own bed, I reminisce on the events of the last two and a half weeks that made the work camp so special in innumerable ways: the breathtaking beauty of the terraced mountains of Sa Pa, the colossal islets dotting the waters of Ha Long Bay, the nights spent alongside fellow work campers in the night market bargaining with the locals, the smiling faces of the children as they waited for our arrival each morning, and most importantly, the spark of interest that lit up their eyes as they observed their robots roar to life and connected it to their future.

Reflecting on the seventeen day journey, I realize how blessed I am in every possible way. I wake up each morning in a great home with a caring family, I never have to face the strife of hunger or poverty, I have everything I could want from my laptop to my phone to my toy poodle, and best of all I have freedom, the ability to act according to my beliefs. But this was all by chance. For example, Phong, my student in the robotics workshop who giggled and grinned from ear to ear as our kicker launched the paper ball off the table- I could have been in his place and he in mine. It was by chance that I lead the privileged life that I do and he tends to his cattle in the afternoons.

But what never ceases to amaze me is their unwavering happiness, in life itself. Their continuous grins spanning the entire duration of our days at the school. Content with the simplicity of life. After seeing us with our fancy DSLR cameras and shiny iPods, no trace of jealousy or anger shown across their faces only curious smiles and bursts of laughter as the earphone I let them borrow filled their ears with foreign music.

And as a fourth time work camper, though I consider myself relatively smart and relatively talented, I know that so many of these children who I’ve observed in my experiences in Viet Nam have much more potential and ability than I do; the only thing that I have the upper hand on them in is the life full of opportunities that I’ve been raised in- a life nurturing success.

Each year I grow older, I gain a more profound understanding and appreciation for experiences; this trip, for example, holds so many lessons and humbling encounters in memories that last a lifetime. The blistering heat of the days at the work camp went unnoticed or at least without (too much) complaint by even the most pampered members as we were overwhelmed with the joy of the children and the comprehension of how we impact them, not only enabling them but giving them the interest to move forward and become someone beyond the world that is their village. I have been blessed to have been able to return on this trip for the fourth time; this work camp is not only to help the village children, it is a humbling and amazing experience for both sides to share.

 Photos by Don Dao and Britney Dau

by Oscar Truong

We’ve all heard about it, we’ve all seen the pictures, and everyone knows what it is. Ha Long bay is a name that sparks the imagination and sends the mind into a frenzy of awe and amazement. The bay filled with hundreds upon thousands of towering isles, each as unique and as grand as the last.

On June 12, 2012 I was able to finally see this wonder first hand and up close. With wakeup calls at 6:30, I hauled myself out of the comfort of my cozy bed and made my way down to breakfast at the hotel. With sizzling eggs and a steamy bowl of pho to start of my morning, it was gonna be a great day. At 8:00 a.m. we checked out of the hotel, congregated in the lobby for some small talk, and were soon herded onto the bus.

Within a few minutes we arrived at the harbor. Getting off the bus was certainly the second wakeup call of the day for most of us, the sun already out and happily shinning as we scrambled for our sunblock, hats, and fans for relief.  Finally fully awake I gathered my belongings and allowed my eyes to adjust to the new lighting.  I found myself at a harbor with boats moored as far as the eye could see and towering islands in the background, I knew I was finally here. As our guides collected our tickets from the usher and distributed them amongst the group we made our way to the boat.  As I approach the vessel I stand there and take in the details before me, a modest ship with paint flaking of the sides, this would be an experience indeed. Merchants cling to the side of the boat in attempts to swoon oncoming passengers to buy their goods; I politely decline and find my seat.

Within the next few hours there is picture taking, socializing, and sightseeing as our boat slowly chugs its way to our destination. As the islands draw nearer and nearer all of us flock to the bow to get a better look at the island. The island towers above us as we dock and make our way to solid ground. Once the initial exploring is done and the quick browsing of the local shops we gather under a cabana to decide our next plan of action. Our group splits up into two teams, one to swim in the bay and one to hike up to the top. I choose the later of the two and begin preparing my belongings for my oncoming journey.

With sunglasses on, a straw hat secured tightly on my head, a water bottle in one hand, and a fan in the other, I’m ready. The sun was unforgiving and the humidity was dense, coupled with the lack of a breeze our group was profusely sweating within only a few steps. I look around, grateful for the trees that provide me shade but unfortunately, I notice a sign. The sign proudly reads that there are 1600 steps to the very top.  Fantastic. Un-phased I continue my journey with the rest of my team onward, as the steps get steeper and our breaths grow shorter we quickly loose our team moral. As we continue upward we occasionally stop for the quick Kodak moment or two, all of us grateful for a little break. We take a swig of water, pass the fan around, and force ourselves to keep on moving. With the top finally insight, we all find the final burst of energy needed to push ourselves to the finish.  Triumphantly we gather around in celebration, taking in the view around us, our reward. There is sense of euphoria for overcoming the challenge, for conquering the obstacle, we’re exhausted but we made it. As we reap the fruits of our labor, we take more pictures and absorb the stunning scenery. We congratulate each other and prepare for our descend. A wonderful experience and well worth every step and drop of sweat, my day at Ha Long Bay will be a day to never be forgotten.

Photos by Oscar Truong

by Dan Dao

The past few days have been full of readjustment. Some of us are readjusting to home cooked food, some to the weather, and most of us to the 12 hour time difference. But before we sync completely to our calendars and routines, I’d like to think we have time for one more reflection. Amidst the fun, excitement, and intensity of work camp, we forget to pause and interpret our own experiences and the ritual of self understanding easily slips into the shuffle.

Our two week journey took us from the pagodas and citadels of Hue to raw, scenic mountains in Sapa. By plane, train, and boat, we crossed huge distances, covering the entire Northern half of Vietnam. Over the years, I’ve come to find that my self reflection is best done in transit. From sitting on the bus with my headphones in to taking long walks by myself, I see that the act of moving from place to place helps me process information better. This year, I realized a shift in my own thinking, one that has allowed me to recognize all the small details in the big picture.

There are millions of small bits and pieces that I will remember just as well as I remember the trip in its entirety: A small child trying to help carry a chair twice his size, a cheesy dance choreographed in the bumpy hallway of an overnight train ride in Lao Cai, and the exact construction of the gift package we presented to the students at the school’s closing ceremony. I’ll remember the language barriers between Americans and Vietnamese, and the idealogical barriers between the adults and the youth. 

What can you take away from these observations? Sure, there is beauty in small details. But what is even more beautiful is how small things connect to form bigger things. How small acts of kindness and small sums of money can build a school for a village in Vietnam, or how a bunch of small lego pieces can become a bird, alligator, or robot. When you see the rice terraces of Sapa, think of the old lady tending her crops for 50 cents a day. When you see the school we built, remember each of your own contribution to the finished product. When you look back on our work camp trip, see the moments that made each day possible. 

Photos by Don Dao

by Zoe Pham

I was nervous and anticipating starting the robotic workshop at the school we had finished painting. The point of the workshop was to teach the children about engineers and what they do, and to encourage them to think about engineering jobs in the future. I cannot speak Vietnamese, and I was thinking about how hard it would be to help the kids, who did. Only two groups of kids were allowed to participate because the other children were either too young or too old. I felt bad that the other village children couldn’t come in and play too. I felt guilty and sad having them watch through the window as we taught the children inside. The village children were told not to come in, and had to be content playing games outside with other volunteers.

The volunteers inside were each assigned to a table of three kids, and were expected to help the children build the lego figures, then with motors, and show them how to use the computers. Firstly, we would show the children a game very similar to the computer programming to help them understand the concept. I could see they were very shy but eager to learn, listening to Nicole and Khoa, two engineers lecturing about engineering and what engineers do. Nanhi then explained how to play the game, and took three volunteers to show the kids an example. The kids akwardly stood up to play when it was their turn to play the game, then slowly got into it. Next, we showed them the contents of the box, full of brightly colored legos. None of them had ever even seen legos before, and I had to first show them how to design and assemble a wall to prepare them for building a “kicker” later, which would then join with the “goalie” to try and kick paper balls into the goal. It was quite an experience just watching them pick up which piece fits into which, and how eager they were to create something.

I could see they were very proud of their wall, but that didn’t stop them from breaking it apart and putting the pieces away when it was time to build the kicker, which is harder to build. Most of the students had never seen laptops before either, and watched eagerly as we showed them how to use the mouse. We then showed them what we were building, and went to a program showing them step by step how to build the kicker. They were very serious about finding right pieces and fitting them together, and it was very fun helping them put it together. It was amazing how they went from not knowing which way to fit the legos, to building a machine by themselves. I was very proud of my kids. We plugged it in, then I showed them how to program the motor from the laptop. They were very surprised when the kicker whirred to life and kicked the crumpled paper ball. They played with their machine and the goalie for a while, and I could see they loved it. I cannot describe the workshop as anything other than amazing and an incredible experience that changed my perspective on opportunities and education.

Photos by Dan Dao

by Trang Nguyen

The past two weeks had been an eye opening experience for me. Images that are still stuck in my head are the smiles on the children’s face in Hue, a young 3 ft tall girl carrying her younger brother who is half her size, and an old lady selling jewelry in beautiful Sapa. I could understand them because I was once a poor child from the countryside. A notebook and pencil could bring a huge smile to a poor child yearning to learn.

Being young or old, when poor they have to work hard to help out the family. The little girl taking care of her brother is very touching. Perhaps she is babysitting for her parents to go work. She is too young and yet she is carrying someone almost as big as her size. The other touching image was when an old lady came up to me; asking me to buy her jewelry in Sapa. Her face was all wrinkled, and both her hands and feet were black. It’s sad to see her still working hard at old age. May Sunflower continue to bring hope and joy to those that are less fortunate.

Photos by Dan Dao and Nanhi Tran

Nanhi and Zoe on an elephant at the imperial city of Hue!

Cutting the ribbon at the completion ceremony in Quang Loi District

by Brandon Trinh

After day one on arrival at the site of the pale grey building with nothing but sand outside, I didn’t even know where to begin. But we just dove right in and split into our teams and began painting, and before I knew it… day three we completed all 4 rooms. Way ahead of schedule we had plenty of extra time to play with the soon to be students and other local kids. It was truly an amazing experience being able to play with the kids and see how happy they were when we gave them something as simple as a soft drink or even water. To see the conditions they lived in while we drove to the school to work everyday really made me think about how made we have it in America. Everyday I take so many simple things for granted, this trip has truly allowed me to appreciate the little things in life.

The Lego robotics workshop was also a really good chance for us volunteers to really get to know individual kids and get to work with them. Not only did we get an opportunity to create a rapport with the kids, but we also got to work on our Vietnamese since the kids knew very little to no English. They got to teach us Vietnamese while we taught them English. The connection that was created will stay with both the volunteers and the students.

After a week of hard work and many paint stained clothes, finally… the school is finally finished and ready to officially present to the teachers and students. The opening ceremony left me with a loss forwords. The amount of kids that were waiting for us as our bus arrived at the school gave me sensational feeling to see how many lives we have touched with all the hard work and sweat we put in. We played a few singing games with the kids before we began the ceremony of officially unveiling the school and presenting the school.

After the speech’s given by the teachers and the head of the Non-governmental organizations, we prepared little gift bags with toothpaste, toothbrushes, school supplies and notebooks, and a backpack for each student. To see their faces as they received their gift bags was really truly touching, they were so happy to open their bags and see the different things they just got. I’m so glad that I was fortunate enough to be a part of this group and had chance to make such an impact on so many different lives and to give back to others who are not as fortunate. 

Photos by Dan Dao

by Andrew Poon

In many ways this trip has served as a message of affirmation for me. To see firsthand the fabrication of a school where there once was none, and perhaps more importantly, to see the children who this building will directly impact, is invaluable. The trips to and from the building site inadvertently turn into times of reflection and contemplation. Driving through country and seeing how its people live in such a minimalistic state is both sobering and humbling. The truth of the matter is that I can have trouble even comprehending what life would be like if I were born into this poverty. But what I tend to reflect on most is the resilience and happiness that the locals have. I think that they are quite possibly more content that I am. I am so grateful to be a part of this trip, and to be able to contribute to such an amazing group of people. To experience this land, its culture, and the people that we are empowering is truly something that will resonate deep within my heart for a lifetime. 

Photo by Nanhi Tran

by Nanhi Tran

I am not good at words. I am not that good at writing. My words cannot move many people like others. So, this year, I’ve decided to do video diaries instead of writing out a blog. 

I am hoping that these video diaries will show the different aspects of Sunflower Mission work camps that cannot be portrayed in words or pictures. They contain my thoughts, descriptions, and visual aid to my experience. My main objective is this: to give more proof to the world that Sunflower Mission is not only effecting the children in Vietnam’s lives, but mine as well. These videos are also to document the trip and to grasp my memories and keep them safe forever. 

Below is a link to one of my videos. It is a YOUTUBE channel. Please check it out and enjoy!!!

BEWARE: I DO NOT look nice in ANY of these videos. Haha… I dont think any of us workcampers look amazingly fabulous… :P ENJOY and please feel free to comment!

by Chris Sabbagh

Throughout this trip, technology has played a major role in everything we do; our tickets were booked through a travel website, reminders were sent through email, and communication was often done over the phone. This pervasiveness didn’t become evident to me until I began to prepare to go to Vietnam. My parents talked with me about how I would communicate with them, since most of the technology that we are accustomed to in the United States would either be inconvenient or less efficient. Even then I wasn’t prepared for what I would see in Vietnam.

Although we were blessed to stay in a hotel that had everything we were used to in America, the condition at the village where we helped build the school was drastically different.

Yesterday, we got together at the end of the day to discuss the robotics workshop that we would be holding. The coordinator, Nicole, told us that most of the kids would have never seen a computer in their life, which, although obvious, was surprising to many of us. Despite this obstacle, Nicole seemed intent on teaching the kids as much about robotics and engineering as possible. Some of us joked around saying that teaching them all of that information would be equivalent to teaching the kids quantum physics. Still, we trusted her experience and passion and listened to what she had to say.

When the day finally arrived I didn’t know what to expect. Would the kids be able to understand these foreign concepts? We started out simple – going through the different types of engineers and the products they help make. Then the program shifted from abstract to more concrete. When Nicole asked “Who here knows what a computer is?” only about four kids raised their hands, but that didn’t deter her or the Sunflower Mission volunteers. 

The program went through different aspects of engineering; how programs begin with a person who writes instructions which are compiled by a computer and finally executed into a finished product. Surprisingly the kids grasped these concepts easily. As a final test the kids were instructed to make machines (either a machine that kicked a paper ball or one that blocked the ball from going in the goal) out of Lego’s and pre installed computer programs.

The mission of the program was made clear by Nicole the day before. She wanted to expand the children’s thoughts, leave them thinking about something they might not have thought about before. At the end of the day, it was obvious that this goal was accomplished. Seeing the joy and happiness in the kids’ eyes is something I will never forget, and could only have been accomplished through Sunflower Mission.

Photos by Dan Dao

While we were working, the number of local children would multiply daily and drifted in and out of the building curiously to see us work. Anh Chanh went down to the nearby store to buy candies and drinks for the local kids and it was endearing to see Anh Tuan like proud Papa Bear passing out the treats to the local kids today.

Although every day was full of tasks, there were pleasant “surprises” that came along the way:

• Awesome hotel accommodations (think Vegas in Viet Nam)…pool, gym,
• Full breakfast bar
• Yummy lunch catered by the local ladies (think Top Chefs in Hue)
• Volunteers so talented that they can multitask (painting, AND break
• dancing & singing)
• Impressive youths with such self-confidence and strong community belief
• Zak’s immediate bonding with Andrew (from REACH) and the other big boys (he is usually a loner so this is a big deal for me)
• Shy Zoe willing to dress in royal garbs and go “gangsta” with Emperor Paul

by Paul Tran Today was our third day at the work camp and our goals for the day were to finish painting the restroom, back wall, and the other small painting details of the school. Needless to say it was another hot, if not hotter day, with little or no clouds to block the blazing sun beaming on all of us. I was thinking at this rate I will end up blending right in with the locals, except for the can’t-speak-Vietnamese-for-my-life part. We finished up the restroom and back walls relatively quickly and had some downtime to play with the local children on the swingsets and seesaw. Lunch was sooo good. From the chicken wings to the eggplant, everything was perfectly made and tasted amazing. After lunch, we walked down the street to a local convenient store with some of the work camp members and local children to buy them all candy and drinks. It was great to give the kids something to smile and be happy about because they never asked for anything and you could just tell by the looks on their faces they appreciated everything. I had a great time learning from the local children and trying to fine-tune my poor vietnamese. After that, Nicole taught us about the robotics workshop and the lessons she had in store for us to help teach the children the next couple of days. At night we had a very good dinner and later some of us got to watch the Hip Hop Block Party. It was fun to experience and watch the young generation dancing/rapping/singing and showcasing their talents. It reminds me that the vietnamese youth are not so different than back home in America, that they still love to dance, sing, and do normal things that we are so privileged to have back at home. We had a productive and fun day aside from the sun and I look forward to the next few days and closing ceremony. I’ve had an amazing last few days and this is by far the best trip I’ve had in the 3 times I’ve been to Vietnam. I look forward to the next coming days and weeks and experiencing more of Vietnam.  Photos by Dan Dao

Wednesday, June 6th: Our work campers got the chance to attend the first ever Hip Hop Block Party in Hue, Vietnam. 

by Katherine Tran

“I swear you hit me like a vision 

I, I, I wasn’t expectigng

But who am I to tell fate where it’s supposed to go?”

An old friend asked once why I’m part of SM when I had no desire to go back to Vietnam. I can’t remember the exact answer I gave him, but I’m certain it wasn’t a completely honest one. SM is more than just anon-profit organization to me; it’s family. I believe in SM’s mission and its work, but at the end of the day I’m part of it mainly because my family is.

When Hoa suggested going to the 2012 SM work camp, I said sure with the option to cancel. Vietnam wasn’t on my list of places to travel. My best friend got so sick when she went to Vietnam that she talks me out of it every time the subject comes up. Deep down though I knew it is a trip I need to make. Being an inquisitive person, I needed to figure it out for myself why I’m a part of SM. “Family,” as great as that answer is, just doesn’t cut it anymore.

I boarded the plane at IAH going to Hue on Friday not knowing what to expect; I was too nervous about the long plane ride for that. I also didn’t set specific expectations because everyone’s journey is different. I wanted to find my own personal legend rather than to live out someone else’s. The one hope I had was to have a fun and memorable experience.

Today was the first day of work camp. We got up early to head out at 8am. The site of the work camp is about 30 minutes ride away from the hotel. It is located in a rural part of town in the midst of rice paddies. Seeing this landscape in movies doesn’t do it justice. It was a majestic sight with the sun shining brightly beckoning us to start our day and we did. The majority of the day was spent painting the walls, windows, and doors. Some of the local kids came to visit. Some came in the morning, left for lunch, then came back after to hang out. They were all so shy and happy. Playing games with them not only brought out the joy in them but also in the kids from Hue Foundation and us. It brought our group closer together and much sillier.

After a full day of work, we went out for dinner then some of us went to the night market. Sadly, there wasn’t anything I wanted to buy. Atthe end if the night market, we got nuoc mia and split up with one team going back to turn in for the night and the other on a quest for che. The Che crew (chu Chanh, anh Khiem, Trang, Thang, Hoa, Stephanie, Andrew, and me) hopped on a water taxi in search of a Che shop. We felt defeated after the fourth stop. We agreed to try one more location before we called it a night. As luck would have it, the last stop had che, We pulled up 9 chairs for us and the boat driver and his,family and ordered. It delicious and well worth the trip. I hav ea feeling I’m going to love this place and want to come back. Who knows what tomorrow holds. All I know is it will be awesome with my extended family.

Photo by Dan Dao