March 2017 Newsletter

A TESTIMONY FROM AN AUSTRALIAN SPONSOR AFTER HIS VISIT

My name is Mark Smith from Australia. Since becoming a sponsor in 2010 I have been to Vietnam five times to visit the family that I sponsor and to get involved in some other charitable events. This TET I joined with LOVE and other friends to give out some small gifts to 75 poor children. Phuong and Ca from LOVE organized the official side of things while my friends organized the gifts and venue. We gave a blanket, some cakes, rice and lucky money to each child. It was a wonderful event with many smiling faces. The children are delightful, most are very shy. You can easily see that many have difficult lives and this small gesture on the eve of TET certainly would have made a big difference for the annual celebration. An important part of the Vietnamese culture is the giving of Li Xi (lucky money) at TET. Receiving lucky money gives them hope for a better year ahead. This gift alone is enough to bring happiness to the children. From a foreigner point of view this is a real chance to get involved in the Vietnamese community. The people of Vietnam are very warm and friendly and I get invited into the homes of many locals through the events that I get involved in. On this particular day I met a Canadian couple who had been traveling for 2 weeks in Vietnam but had no direct interaction with the community. I invited them to join us and they also contributed to the event. After the event my friends invited them for lunch and we all returned to Hoi An on motorbikes through the countryside. The Canadians were suddenly deeply involved with the locals and the whole Vietnam experience changed for them. My point in telling you this is that while it is a wonderful thing for me to sponsor a family through LOVE, it is even more wonderful to get involved with communities in a very personal way.

A blanket, some cakes, rice and lucky money to each child

During the TET holiday, I met with the family that I sponsor. This was my fourth TET with them. This year after having a delicious lunch in the family home, I took the younger members of the family to Asia Park (with Phuong from LOVE). This large theme park has many exciting rides including the Sun Wheel, which gives an amazing view of Da Nang city. I highly recommend that you visit the family that you sponsor and take them to Asia Park (go in the morning because there is a lot to see and do). Sponsoring a family through LOVE then taking every opportunity to spend time with them is extremely rewarding. If you are reading this you are probably already a sponsor, I urge you to take the next step and visit Vietnam, meet the staff at LOVE and the people that you support.

VISIT OF TWO AUSTRIAN SPONSORS

Mr. Gerhard and Mrs. Irene, who had been one of the earliest European sponsors in our program, now are supporting two families. Mrs. Irene comes back Danang after her last visit 2 years ago and for Mr. Gerhard, this is the first time. They spent two afternoons with their sponsored families. On the first day, they had a nice dinner at white-boat restaurant where there is a great view of Danang along the river. Asia Park Danang is the destination of their second meeting. Here all the children and the two sponsors had a lot of fun together while participating in many exciting and thrilling games.


Had dinner at Happy Yacht restaurant

Joined in many games at Asia Park and laugh out loud together

Some of Extra and Letters in February

Sponsors Needed

Right now, there is a needy child living in poverty who is waiting for a caring person like you. We have many children who need sponsors.

To see these children or to fill out an application go to our web site by clicking child. Without your help, many of these will not finish school. For just $30 a month you can see that the child you choose will break the cycle of poverty by getting a good education, better food, clothing, and shelter. For more information about these children or an application form, you can also contact Reggie.

Please pray that we can find sponsors for all our children and put your prayers to work by sharing the need with your church, Sunday School Class, civic club, etc.

PLEASE HELP

Share your love and faith

These children urgently need sponsors who will support a child for $30 a month or the whole family for $50 a month, and will pray for them, write and encourage them.

Thu Trinh with a birthday gift of a sweet pink dress

Yen Nhi got a T-shirt and a pair of sandals for birthday

Loan’s mother received extra help to pay a debt

“I’m proud that I’ve got a letter from my far-away kind sponsor”, said the boy.

Hong Anh with her extra class fee

Please Sponsor me!
	My name is	Pham Thi Tu Oanh
	Area	Cam Le, Danang
	Birthday	January 21, 2004
	Gender	Female
	School Level	7
	School achievement	Good
	Favorite Subject	Literature
	Favorite Pastime	Singing
	Number of Siblings	1
	Father's Occupation	Painter
	Mother's Occupation	Housewife
	Family’s income	$180
	Children in school	2
	Total in the Home	4
About me: My father is the breadwinner of family and works as a house painter. My mother is a housewife and at present, she is also working as a babysitter (taking care of a baby next door). She cannot work heavily because she has ascites and heart disease. My younger brother is still at kindergarten. I am in grade 7. My parents don’t have stable job and they sometimes have to pay for my mother’s medicine. I always try to study well to make my parents happy, but I need to have a better condition for my study. I really hope to receive your help. Family members: Pham Thanh Khoi (5/25/1967) – Father Le Thi Hen (1/01/1975) – Mother Pham Thanh Nguyen (10/24/2011) – Brother – Kindergarten LOVE’s note: A single sponsorship is highly recommended.