Chúc Mừng Năm Mới - Happy New Year February 3, 2011

We rang in the Lunar New Year in Da Lat, Vietnam, the “Capital” of the mountain region. We left Mui Ne after a breakfast that featured many Western offerings like scrambled eggs, crepes, and bacon (thanks to a high tourist clientele at the resort). I miss those flavors, so it was nice for a change.

Our plan was to go right to Da Lat for the festivities. On the way there we climbed through a mountainous jungle region along a twisty, narrow road that called for our driver to constantly honk the horn to warn anyone around the corner that we were coming. After reaching a summit we descended a little into a small town called Di Linh. Fr. Binh thought he knew someone who lived here, and then suddenly remembered that the family of Sr. Thu, of the Sisters Adorers of the Holy Cross of Thu Thiem, whom we had visited January 27th in Saigon, lived here. Furthermore, he remembered that she would be staying with her family for Tết. So he called her and she invited us to stop by for a snack that turned into a little lunch. After all, it was about 1pm and we hadn’t eaten. We met her family and then she told us of the Vincentian Sisters who operate a home for those with Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease). So we went there after lunch to see their facility and to offer a gift for the New Year.

As it turns out, January 31, according to the Vatican, was the 58th World Leprosy Day, created to heighten our awareness of a disease that still exists, mostly in developing nations in Africa and Asia. It is primarily due to lack of basic health care and limited access to antibiotics that cause for this treatable disease to continue to cause suffering.

Sr. Thu also explained that many of the people who live in that area are not Vietnamese, but are referred to as Mountain People of a different language and heritage. She said the Mountain People were there long before the Vietnamese, similar to our Native Americans.

After our good-byes we made our way to Da Lat and our hotel which looked east over the lake in the center of town over which fireworks would be displayed and the sun would rise ushering in a New Year.

A rice paddy along the road.

Close-up of the grains of rice on the stalk.

Driving into Di Linh we could see the valley is filled with rice paddies which are almost ready for harvest.

Sr. Thu on the far right introduced us to her mother and sister.

Residents at the leprosy facility run by the Vincentian Sisters.

Me with one of the residents and one of the Vincentian sisters, who was giving us a tour.

Fr. Binh with one of the residents. Those who are served by this facility are “Mountain People”, indigenous to the region. They have a different language and culture than Vietnamese and have been here longer, too.

The Cafeteria at the Leprosy facility in Di Linh.

Sr. Thu’s shy niece who is with her aunt constantly whenever she comes home for a visit.

The grave of Bishop Jean Cassaine from France, founder of the leper colony and a former Bishop of Saigon. He died in 1973.

Marty Quandt made a new friend in Di Linh.

Da Lat by night. A radio tower and the Cathedral.

Fireworks at midnight to ring in the New Year over Da Lat.

The Sun rises on the New Year in Da Lat at 6:30am.

Sunrise in Mui Ne February 2, 2011

Good morning Vietnam!

Fishermen on the South China Sea.

You know the resort is fancy when the staff sweeps the debris off the beach every morning.

This little camouflaged crab, about the size of a dime, nearly escaped my attention.

A lovely resort with coconut trees.

The pool at 6:30AM before any swimming.

Singing English Songs

Lunch at a Dragon Fruit Farm February 1, 2011

Fr. Binh made plans for us to take a few days outside the city, in the countryside, and at the seashore. That led to lunch on a farm near Phan Tiet, staying at a resort in Mui Ne and then Starting the New year in Dalat, all beautiful places with fresh air, as opposed to the smog in Saigon.

The best part for me will always be lunch at a dragon fruit farm. Fr. Binh has a friend, Sr. Therese Thuy Phan, who is teaching and studying in Indiana. She grew up on a farm near Phan Tiet, near the coast a few hours by car north of Saigon on Highway 1. She invited us to visit her family there for lunch. We got to meet her mother, who just turned 80, and her brothers, sisters, in-laws and nieces and nephews. What a delightful family! We had a fantastic lunch of traditional Vietnamese food. We took American candy for the children and they sang us songs. Then we learned about cultivating one of the amazing tropical fruits of this region. We were only there for a short time but the memory of that visit will bring me joy for a long time.

Then we made our way to Mui Ne and stayed at a lovely resort, reminiscent of Hawaii, I’m told. We had a great seafood dinner by the beach and woke up to the most beautiful sunrise on the Feast of the Presentation, Feb. 2. It was delightful to pray Morning Prayer as the sun was rising over the waters. “In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (From the Morning Prayer Canticle of Zechariah – Luke 1:78-79)

Sr. Thuy’s Family Farm.

Sr. Thuy’s Mother with Fr. Binh.

Mot, hai, ba YO! (One, two three CHEERS!)

Members of Sr. Thuy’s family.

The future of Vietnam.

Resting after lunch.

Getting ready to drink coconut juice.

I pretended that, after “struggling” to open the bag of candy, that none would come out. The children could not stop laughing.

Singing songs after lunch.

The children were fascinated with Marty’s video camera. He taped them singing and would show them the playback right away. The just loved him.

Learning about the dragon fruit plant.

The fruit is produced from a flower and is seen here at the early stage.

Full grown dragon fruit and cut to eat.

The dragon fruit orchard.

A group photo after a delightful visit. Again, notice the family shrine. A holy and happy family.

Sister Goretti January 31, 2011

Before breakfast a dear friend of Fr. Binh’s showed up at the Quang house, Sr. Goretti. She is originally from South Vietnam. By “originally” I mean that she and her family already lived in the south before the country was divided in 1954. At that time many in the North moved to the South if they preferred to live in a democracy. Fr. Binh’s family, for instance, moved to DaNang from the North in 1954. It is a very important year in the story of Vietnam.

Sr. Goretti joined the Good Shepherd sisters during the war. She happened to be working at a refugee camp in Hong Kong when Fr. Binh, as a 16 year old, came through the camp there.

Sr. Goretti has had a remarkable life and ministry. They are an international order and have sisters in Portland. They are best known for there work helping women escape the chains of prostitution. But the sisters are involved in many other works assisting the poor and we visited two locations in Saigon and gave a red envelope (with financial support from our parishes) for each of those works.

The first place we visited was a school for children who drop out of, or are kicked out of the public school system. Then we went to visit a home for unwed mothers. Those we met and their babies are from the North, are all Catholic, and were sent away from their families to give birth to their babies, often due to a lack of financial means. These women were happy to meet us and have us hold and bless their babies. They seemed so proud of their children. There are few things more delightful than playing with babies. Fr. Binh and I had a great time there.

After lunch at the Quang family home we went to the Airport to pick up Marty Quandt from St. Juan Diego Parish who will be traveling with us for a week in Vietnam. These coming days will be more “vacation” in nature. But I have to say that I am feeling very rested and inspired by the amazing Catholics I am meeting here.

We spent the evening on the opening night of Lunar New Year festivities downtown all gearing up for February 3 to usher in the “Year of the Cat”.

Meet the Quang Family, who have been my hosts this past week. From left to right: Phong (Fowm) 19, Ngoc (GNowc) 15, Hong (Howm) mother, Quang father, and Phu, 21. The children have done their best to speak English to me and Hong and I have been teaching each other simple expressions in each other’s language and laughing at our poor pronunciations. The shrine above our heads is very common in Catholic homes in Vietnam.

Fr. Binh and I at the school run by the Good Shepherd Sisters for children who had to leave the public schools. Behind us is a bulletin board of photos from all the school activities.

Sr. Goretti showing me one of the Classrooms at the Good Shepherd school.

Sr. Goretti introduced us to a woman from the North who came to their school to learn the seamstress trade.

Every school needs a computer room.

Fr. John, Sr. Goretti, Sr. Elizabeth, a novice from Myanmar assigned to the school for a practicum, and another sister whose name I cannot recall.

Scenes from various markets.

More markets...

and more markets! (see below)

Women and their children from the home for unwed mothers standing with Fr. Binh. On the far right is one of the Good Shepherd sisters who works at the home helping the young mothers and their children.

Offering a blessing for the babies and their mothers.

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting these mothers and their beautiful children.

Marty Quandt of St. Juan Diego Parish arrives in Saigon in time for Lunar New Year festivities.

A new dragon is made out of flowers each year. In Asian mythology a dragon is a source of good to fight evil.

The Lunar New Year is all about flowers! These are from a bonsai tree exhibition.

The Year of the Cat.

Happy New Year in many languages.

Everyone wants to be in downtown Saigon for the festivities which culminate on February 3.