We are home on Salt Spring Island and trying to make the transition back to "normal". Our Journey of the Heart was far richer than our wildest expectations. Altogether, we spent 80 days in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam doing volunteer work with two different organizations.We have added a new link to our list on the right side of this blog. http://vietnamanon.blogspot.com/. Here you will be able to view a video of an interview with us in Hoi An. There is also footage of a speech made by Le Ly Hayslip with whom we worked on the Portable Libraries Project.
We would like to express our profound gratitude to the many friends and family who supported us with genenrous contributions to our work. We felt blessed to be able to deliver so many gifts from our benefactors in Canada and the United States.
This is the way we put your gifts to work:
- Go Vap Orphanage in Saigon - $500.00
- Bursaries for disabled trainees at Reaching Out, Hoi An - $2,000.00
- Tours of Peace Vietnam Veterans - $1650.00
- Global Village Foundation, portable libraries project - $500.00
- Hoa Van leprosy village - $500.00
- Hoi An Foundation for Children-$100.00
- Leprosy victims, school children, the aged and the poor -Leprosy bandages, medical supplies, personal hygiene items and toys.
We would like to acknowledge the following very generous donors to our projects:
- George and Nancy Alliston
- Trisha Wilcox
- JoAn and Michel Maurer
- Gail McKechnnie
- Bryna and Dan Cable
- Suzanne Bolton
- R. Bruce Morrison
- Ivan Mindlin
- The Red Tent Book Club ( the Best Book Club in the World!)
- Stan and Marie Teitge
- Heather Horton
- Barb and Bruce Housser
- Janet Musgrave
- Grade 8C, St Thomas Acquinas High School
- Rosemary and Jim Robertson
- Kim Young
- The Rowlandson-O'Hara family
- Stan and Ann Derelian
- Pat Sather
- Carole Earle
- Philip Musgrave
- The Conradi family
- Dr. Richard Hayden
- Ganges Liquor Store
- and of course the many knitters in the Bandage Brigade
You were all in our hearts and we bring back to you the warm smiles and deep appreciation of the Vietnamese people to whom your gifts brought comfort and joy.
