June 3-20, 2009
Dear Friends in Christ,
Our 16th Vietnam Mission got off to a good start with team members joining up in Hong Kong. It included five nurses (two nursing professors) and four young college students with their eyes on a future in the medical field. What a delightful cohesive group, each with their own gifts to share in Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon) Vietnam. The heat and the traffic was our greatest danger.
Medical education presentations of wound care, infection control, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, pain control were on the agenda. The hospitals included 900 bed pediatric, 700 bed OB/Gyn, and ENT. Their hospital systems resemble ours of the 1940-50’s. A day was spent at the Ho Chi Minh City Medical University teaching nursing educators. Two nursing professors from Mission 08 were also there for 3 weeks teaching two courses and will return next year for another two courses leading to Educator Certificates for 60 nurses.
We visited a 100 bed neonatal intensive care unit presenting them with medical equipment, journals and textbooks. We distributed Beanie Babies to the Pediatric burn, orthopedics and surgical units. You should see the smiling faces! -
Team photo: Diane, Susan, Chelsea, Kristin, Tuyet, Lexie, Pediatric nurses, Eileen, and Tommy.
Visits to our three orphanage projects (providing healthcare, dental care and milk to 500 children and elderly) brought us joy. We visited the Be Tho handicapped orphanage near Bien Hoa. It is a dreary place but the children are happy and glad to see us. They are lacking healthcare, dental care, rehabilitation tools, showers, toilets, beds, food, school supplies and other basics. We are presently seeking funding to care for these children.
We held well child clinics, elderly exams, eye exams and gave gifts of school supplies, quilts, baby hats, toys, beanie babies at all the orphanages. The children presented musical shows for us.
Our Bible studies were led by the young people with attendance being 12 – 25. We had the pleasure of baptizing Dung and Han, two young sponsored girls. We returned home to go our separate ways with new friendships and hearts full.
****Sister Vinh at Be Tho Handicapped Orphanage introduced us to a little girl age 4 named Huong. Her parents are divorcing and brought her to the orphanage. She has a hole between upper chambers of her heart that causes great fatigue. She had been evaluated recently by an American physician and seen at the Heart Hospital in HCMC. While putting on a brave face, her condition must be corrected by surgery that will cost $4000. We are asking you to help us raise the money necessary for her to get well. We gave Sister Vinh no promises but told her we would try. Together we can fill this bucket one drop at a time with the help of God.
Please send your donations to:
Vital Links for Humanity, Inc.
PO Box 1496/ 2783 Feiner Lane,
Eagle River, WI 54521
Any questions or concerns contact : Carol Miles RN, BSN @ 715-479-7612
e-mail: vitallinks99@msn.com
Check out our website: www.vitallinks99.org
