Vietnam: A World Apart

I recently came back from my trip to Vietnam with Sunflower Mission, and it was beyond all my expectations (including not getting sick!).  Away from the noise and chaos of the city, the countryside looked so vibrant, peaceful, and pristine.  The locals and the kids I met had very full hearts and warm greetings.  And for the first time, I saw the Vietnam that my parents grew up with and loved.

The first week of the trip was spent in the coastal town of Phu Yen, where the site of the school was located.  Everyday, the group would take an hour long bus ride past miles of rice fields to get to the school.  We would spend the day painting the walls, windows, and doors of the 4-room building before trekking back to where we stayed.  In the afternoons, we would usually play with the little kids who would run around and pop their heads in to see what we were doing.

In the US, we keep our doors closed for fear of strangers or for fear of letting the cool air out of our air conditioned houses.  In Vietnam, where A/C is a luxury, doors are always opened, and floors must be swept daily to chase out the dust that constantly makes its way inside.  Without the walls and gates and luxuries of computers and video games to keep them isolated from one another, children in Vietnam are constantly outside running around with one another. Though they have little, their smiles and laughs are full of happiness.

The people of Phu Yen work very hard to live day by day.  Agriculture is the main livelihood of the province, and as I see the farmers out in the rice paddies, I think about their backs and how they must feel stooping over the fields all day.  Then, I think about the little kids that I just met.  How many of them will become farmers in the future just like their parents?  50 percent?  90 percent?  The thought saddens me because I see so many possibilities for these youth to live an easier life if they were given the opportunity to work towards it.  I understood then, that the mission of this organization to build schools was to help give future generations in these underdeveloped areas a chance to reach a little further outside of the everyday life that they know.  It is but a small step, though.  To make a leap to the competitive standards in today's world, a school also needs computers, more avenues to higher learning, dedicated teachers and continuous support.  This goal is bigger than any one person, but in my lifetime, I would like to help work towards this future.

On the last day of the trip, our group leader left us with a few words that stuck with me:  "Most people's favorite part of the trip was getting to interact with the kids at the school.  Remember that they are just like you.  The only difference between you and them is that you were given an opportunity.  In the future, share a little of what you have with those who are less fortunate than you."  Although we may be a world apart, I love the people in Vietnam, and I won't ever forget them.

To read other people's thoughts about the trip, visit the blog we kept during our stay in Vietnam (www.sunflower-mission.blogspot.com).