March 5-8

03/05
We got up and went to the market before we go of the the party for Te's grandma's 1st year memorial party. We bought material, shoes, purse's and order some dresses to be made. At the party there was lots of friends, family, food,beverages and visiting. After the party we got on motorbikes and went to different silk shop to come pair price and quality of there work. We also looked for some with flowers and birds. No luck the 2 we did find we not very nice looking. Then we headed back to the market to pick up the dresses that we had made. We ended up being there for 3 1/2 hrs. A couple of the dresses were not quite done and then a few alterations needed done. So in the mean time pick out more material and designed a few more dresses. I guess that is a good way to make more money. Back to the house load up the car and we are on the road back to Hue. It felt so good to get back home to a bed that had a mattress.

03/06
Today we went to the temple where we get are silk pictures for SEACAN. We got to meet the girls that do the needle work. There are 4 that are deaf and the others are handicap. It was amazing to watch them do the silk needle work. They are pretty fast at it. Susan paid them the money owed from the silk that had sold. They were so excited. We took a few pictures of the girls. We then went back up to the seating area and looked through all of there finished work. We bought some more Rose one's to sell for SEACAN. There were so many pretty ones it was hard to choose. From there we stopped at a couple book stores looking for some books Susan wanted to get for a few people. We then stop and drop the traditional material off at the seamstress to get them made. They should be ready in a bout 10 day's. Mom has called twice wanting to know when we will be home and what do we want to eat? After dinner we put money in envelopes and got ready for tomorrow. We have a full day planned. There should be about 16 of us going. Mom say time for bed. So good night.

03/07
We left the house a 8:10 am and didn't get back until 8:30 PM was a long and busy day. There ended up being 17 of us. We had the van and car full. We rented a van Than was are driver. We drove to look at the school where we are paying for a well to be put in for them and maybe a toilet. It was a little three room school that has 60 students. The principal of the school was there to talk to us about what is happen in the school and about the children that go there. It is in a very poor village. On up the mountain we headed. We went to a village way up in the mountains and walked around half of it and gave them all envelopes so that they could buy rice and gave out some of the clothes that we brought. Ended back where we started. To take a rest and have lunch. After lunch we headed out to walk the other side of the village and do the same thing. We got up in this one part of the village and had to walk across a river and up a little creek to get to the higher part of the village. Good thing it wasn't deep. We did a lot of walking to get to all of the different family's living up there. A lot of very poor people. Headed back to where the cars are after a eventful day of caring and giving. We didn't hang around long the government had been there wanting to know what was going on. The drivers told them we were visiting family. It was a long but very good day.

03/08
Up early and off on motorbikes to help the handicap today. There were 14 of us that went today. We had 8 motorbikes. My bottom was a little sore after riding all day on bumpy roads. We went all over parts of Hue from house to house giving envelopes to family's that have a handicap person that they are taking care of. Today was a pretty hard day. There were so many sad cases. Some of the homes were pretty bad. This one house that has 3 people living in it, dad is blind, mom a stroke, and daughter is handicap. The floor is dirt, walls and roof made from empty rice bags, one bed and a small area to cook and that is it. After we went to all the houses Dr. Hang took us to the hospital. Only Susan and Muriel could go in, the rest waited out side by the motorbikes for them. Dr Hang took us to several different parts of hospital the burn unit, kidneys, children w/bad hearts, cancer, and others hurt from accidents. We saw a lot of sick children and a lot of burn victims. One poor women was burn all over her body from a gas fire. When we talked to her she still had a smile on her face. Really makes you think!!! We ended up giving out of the envelopes we had plus a few more. Today we saw to bad motorbike accidents. One was right next to Muriel's motorbike. They were passing on the left and it ran head on into a pedal bike. Susan was on the motorbike behind us and stopped. She said they were hurt pretty bad. Susan keep telling people to call a Taxi, finally someone did and the loaded them in and took them to the hospital. Makes you sure count your blessings. We made it back home safe tired bottoms and all.