27 October 2011.

'Grandparent's day out'

In celebration of the recent jubilant events of World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid - we at Thanh Nien were simply inspired. The idea of WYD itself has this contagious and exciting energy, especially for those fortuitous enough to attend! So what we wanted to do was continue this buzz and share it among friends and family back home on our very own soil.

The Berrima Pilgrimage was our way of tying in the spirit of WYD and engaging those in our community, especially our elderly members who did not have the opportunity to embark on this spiritual journey.That beautiful Saturday morning, all our grandmothers and grandfathers arrived bright and early at the Cabramatta Parish Church. It was an amazing turnout, definitely proven by our four coaches - completely filled! The coach trip was filled with chatter, 5 star in-coach entertainment and refreshments, and of course a whole rosary-bead worth of prayers for our safe trip!

On arrival at Berrima, the weather was unforgiving, but this did not dampen the spirit of the pilgrimage. After a re-energising tea (consisting of pork buns, sandwiches, coffee and of course – tea), Cha Liem led us to the spiritual shrines of Berrima. Our seniors weathered the cold rain and a long muddy trek to take part in a beautiful prayer service at our Vietnamese Shrine. Making the most of the opportunity, we also took the time to absorb in other cultures and their artistically crafted shrines.

The pilgrimage would have not been complete if it were not for Cha Liem’s famous youthfully stylised mass service at Berrima’s very own church, which we all agreed to be absolutely stunning and serene.  To put the perfect end to our pilgrimage, Chef Dung cooked up a mouth watering lunch of a mix of Vietnamese and Thai flavours. The sheer volume of food he individually produced was a feat in itself, but to make it as tasty as it was, it was sincerely appreciated and applauded by all of our guests! So an enormous thank you to Chef Dung for his kind services.

So all in all, thank you to all the seniors and their families for not only sharing this journey and continuing the WYD spirit on our home soil, but also for their more than generous donations. Thank you to Cha Liem for taking time out of his busy schedule to help us coordinate and lead the pilgrimage. Finally, thank you to everyone in Thanh Nien for your hard work and dedication making this day a huge success!

More photos of our Berrima Pilgrimage here

Thomas Le and Jacqui Luu both from Thanh Nien had a simple dream, to one day visit Vinh Son orphanage to bring love and joy to the kids who have so little.

To raise fund for their missionary trip, they held a morning tea at work and convinced their employer ANZ to support their cause. ANZ agreed to match whatever amount they raised from the morning tea.

Next they took the extraordinary step of organising their engagement party and asking all guests to donate to the Vinh Son orphanage fund instead of giving presents.

In total they've raised $3,000 to donate to Vinh Son orphange. So on behalf of Thanh Nien, our deepest gratitude and thanks to Thomas Le, Jaqui Luu and ANZ for showing such generosity and kindness to the 200 children at Vinh Son orphanage.

Below is Thomas and Jacqui's personal story of their visit to Vinh Son 1 orphanage....

"One smile, one child, one memory, multiplied by 220 children over 8 days can only leave one with happy memories to last a life time.

Vinh Son 1 Orphanage in Kontum, Viet Nam is where Jacqui and I begin our story. An unforgettable story where words cannot justly describe the emotion or experience.

A young nun, after a War stricken Vietnam, found herself in a situation which lead to changing the lives of many children, who eventually grow up to be young adults.

Sister Imelda, was presented with a baby on her doorstep. She took her in, and fed her with rice water as milk was limited back then. She asked neighbouring mothers for milk to feed this baby. No one came to claim her. She saw a boy, hungry and homeless, she took him in, clothed him and fed him. The numbers grew, as she found more and more homeless children being left on her doorstep or returning to her having no where else to go. As time progressed, she opened her home for all children, who had nothing and nobody.

Presently the orphanage consists of 220 kids, ranging from new born babies to 19 year old teenagers. These kids, by no means have it great when it comes to possessions. Some kids don’t have sandals, and those that do are so used to being barefoot, they do not know what luxuries sandals or shoes are. They would wear torn clothing over and over, they would only bathe in cold water during the day as it is too cold to shower at night and eat less in a whole day then what I would in a snack.

Not all children were abandoned at birth. However, there are many reasons as to how the children end up in this loving place they call their home, and the main reasons will range from, either one or both parents have passed away, abandonment or parents who simply cannot afford to keep them.

One story the sister told Jacqui and I broke our hearts, and it was about a baby boy whose mother passed away and father was nowhere to be found. The day his mother was buried, the towns people decided to bury the baby boy alive with her. By the hand of fate the boy made it, he was rescued by another young nun, Sister Bernadette, in the village. He followed her everywhere, and at times mistakenly called her ma (vietnamese for mother). He is now 3 years of age and causes havoc in the orphanage, in amongst the other children, always smiling and laughing. You can hear his name “Longggggg” being yelled as Sister Bernadette tries to tame him. He has had heart surgery at a young age, with a deep little scar down his chest where the surgery occurred and because of his experiences, I feel inside he has nothing to fear.

We went there on a mission, not to be recognised or to be praised. But merely to help out where we could. Bring smiles to people’s lives and at the same time have a bit of fun and enjoy an experience of a lifetime.

Our day would consist of waking up and being at the orphanage by 8am. The sisters wanted us to play and spend time with the children. That’s exactly what we did. In sun and rain, we would laugh and tease, braid hair, learn new games or simply talk about the day and share our stories. Time would fly. At lunch time the kids would say a prayer and then retreat to the lunch room to eat the meal the older children had made. Jacqui and I would retreat to have lunch with the Sisters and share stories of our countries and personal experiences that has led us to where we are now. Afterwards we would teach a class of 10 year olds basic maths and English as extra aid, as the children did attend schools in the local district. It was funny that the kids would call Jacqui by “Co” (Aunty). When it came to me, they would call me “Anh” (Big Brother). I guess they knew who the scary one was.

We would then play for the remainder of the evening, Jacqui would go upstairs and spend time with the babies and toddlers, and I would stay in the courtyard being the biggest kid of them all. Throughout the day kids would come home from a long day of school and still respectful greet Jacqui and I as they walk past. It would already be 6pm and it would be prayer time. So we would huddle into the hall and we would hear these little lungs belt out the prayers of the faithful. It was spine tingling. They would then head to dinner for their meal before retreating to their dorms. Jacqui and I would then head back to our hotel and on a hard bed, rest. Ready to do it all over again.

We did the same thing for the 8 days, and it was the best 8 days of our lives.

It’s amazing to watch the big kids look after the little kids, feeding them, teaching them to dance, playing games, singing songs. Sometimes you see them tease and scream at each other, but that is where you really see a true example of tough love.

You can sit there and hear all the stories of these kids, and it breaks your heart. Then when you see the kids and their smiling faces, it makes me appreciate everything else in my life. Issues that were once issues seem so trivial, and the list of wants become less and less. These kids have been through so much more, and made do with what they have, and maybe even more happier than us with the simple things in life that we often forget is all we really need. And even now their lives are still so vulnerable. I draw on their strength to make it through my days.

On that trip Jacqui and I made 220 little brothers and sisters. Everyday I miss their voices, their hugs, and kisses. The way they would want to hold your hand. We did takeaway a piece of that calm and love that existed in the orphanage back with us, and a stack of letters the kids wrote to us.

In the end Jacqui and I walked out of that orphanage on the last day, tears running from down our cheeks, feeling like the luckiest people in the world.

Our goal was to bring a bit of joy and love to these kids that some people cast aside and to help where possible. Instead I think these kids gave Jacqui and I an experience that has changed us forever. They helped us realise what truly is important. Love for each other, and for everyone who comes into our lives."

More photos of their amazing journey here...