A Tet with HSCV’s sponsor

When I received the email of Michael Havens, an HSCV sponsor, I was very surprised. Michael wrote that he wanted to come back Vietnam, where he had been, just a few weeks earlier. He said that he really missed the 54 children in Ha Cau Orphanage. He couldn’t sleep and thought about them all the time. He wanted to share Tet New Year Celebration with his sponsored children. Tet has been known as the biggest annual celebration in Vietnam. Tet is a special great season for everyone, rich and poor and especially for children. Officially it lasts three days but since advance preparation are important. Houses are cleaned so that the Kitchen Gods can give an approving report to the Jade Emperor. Food, fruits, flowers and wine are placed at the family altar to worship and please the spirits of ancestors… Michael did as he said, and came to Vietnam just 2 days before Tet starting…

I picked Mike up from Noi Bai airport. The first thing I saw was Mike in a fashionable dark blue jacket and shiny hair. He was carrying 3 big suitcases that were very heavy. I thought to myself that he might have brought his whole wardrobe … As he understood my wonder, Mike just smiled and explained that those are chocolates for his children! That made Mike very special in my mind.

With chocolate, gifts, lucky money and food, Mike hoped to have a good Tet with children in Ha Cau Orphanage. Mike carefully put some VN Dong and a US Quarter in each of the “lixi” bags. Each coin has a different picture on them, from every state of the USA. Mike thought the children may like it, when they find out the differences and play with each other in a coin collection game.

Mike was welcomed as the big friend of the children. All of the children thought that he still lives in Vietnam and has never left. They talked and played with him. They helped him to cook Pho Bo, and shared the food with him. They all had very friendly smiles and Mike looked happier then he has ever been. To me, it was greatest tasting Pho Bo that I have ever had. The most exciting is the moment the “lixi” were given out in the red bags. Every one of the children ran to Mike and me, and asked about significance of the coins. To the children, each story of the different coins was very special., some of them said that they wanted to be George Washington…The children’s questions moved us very much, and we didn’t think the small coins would be that big of I hit, those were all very good stories for the children. They listened and dreamed. And of course, we really wish some of them will be famous and successful in the future. Yes, why not?!

Some days after, Mike asked me to take him to Hai Phong, where we looked for a place where HSCV will be able to put the container of food. Luckily Mike has a good friend there, and he offered to store the container at his site for a month for free. Hopefully, this will be just the first, of many shipments of food that we will receive for the children of Vietnam!!!

Tet passed so fast but I was very happy. Thanks Michael Havens for making a good time. And I hope to have another chance to work with you again.

CHUC MUNG NAM MOI

Blogged by Tran Ngoc Lien