Hanoi update 10- 15- 2011

Hi All,

Girl number six arrived at the home yesterday. Her profile is attached. She was referred by Blue Dragon and her profile was prepared by them. The English is not perfect but I think the message regarding her life comes through loud and clear. The Blue Dragon, for those of you not aware, is a wonderful organization in Ha Noi working with street children. They do some really "heavy lifting" when it comes to helping children in need in Vietnam.

I was at the GFH when Huong arrived yesterday. The BD social worker brought her. As her profile states she is 14 and two years behind in school. But we are advised she is an enthusiastic student and applies herself well. (It is easy to understand why she would behind in school considering how difficult her life has been.) Huong is a very pretty girl but seemed a bit apprehensive about the GFH. But after a good meal and a shower, maybe her first, she seemed much more relaxed. Today when I went to the GFH for lunch she was helping to cook the meal. I have yet to see her smile, but I suspect that will be coming soon. I will report.

A question for many of you reading Huong's profile, I hope, is what is going to happen with her cousins. HSCV does not have that answer yet but we are going to try to visit them next week and see what we can do. I will report.

On Friday we took Mai, the college student with the severed arm, to two orthopedic facilities to find out what we might do. To say the least, and I usually don't, I got an education. An above the elbow amputation is very difficult to deal with. A cosmetic arm is relatively easy. A functional arm is a different creature. It can be done by a harness across the back which will allow a hand to open or close depending on stretching motions. But the hand has very limited strength, maybe not enough to lift a pencil. We are not sure which option will be chosen, but we will choose one. However, we did get some contact telephone numbers for people that have had both procedures done for Mai to talk to. The decision will be hers. (Although, if she chooses the functional arm it is quite expensive. In the $3000 range. Some of you may be contacted to contribute. And you know who you are. Nobody ever said being on HSCV's mailing list was going to be a picnic.)

Mai also advised me yesterday morning that her grandmother was coming to Ha Noi to visit her yesterday. I thought that was very nice in that it is a nine hour bus ride from Dien Bien. I told Mai her grandmother was welcome to stay the night at the GFH. She thanked me, but said no, in that her grandmother had made other arrangements. At the same time Huong showed up at the GFH so did grandma, and two aunts and a cousin. They were all very much available to stay the night at the GFH. (Welcome to Vietnam.)

The GFH has room but we are quickly running out of beds. (We will be getting two more next week.) But Vietnamese women seem to have no problem with sleeping in the same beds with each other even if they have never met. (I am happy to report that I have no idea if this is also true of Vietnamese men.) Everything seemed to work out fine but I find it best not to fall asleep because something unexpected is always going on. But I don't know if I have ever been happier. This is a wonderful place. (Sometimes, semi-craziness seems good.)

So all is quite well in Ha Noi. But one big problem we do have is getting the girls exercise or keeping them busy on the weekends. The house we have is great, but in an alley. The alley is about six feet wide and nothing green. Just houses side by side, all three, four or five stories. There is no place to play, and no parks nearby. When my wife, Patty, and I had young kids and we went on a long driving trip we would go as far as we could until the kids got really wild. Then it was; find a place were we could "run em". The GFH has no place to "run em". The girls are all really wonderful but this is a concern. And it will also grow as we add more girls. Hopefully, we will find a solution as this is important. I will report.

Thanks for everyone's support,

HSCV President, Chuck Devet