Not only was the weather warm upon our arrival at this convent, but the welcome was equally warm. The Sister Superior speaks very little English. The other three nuns are bi-lingual but English is not one of their languages. They were all hoping we spoke French. No such luck. We speak and communicate instead in our smiles, body language and love of the people.
The other “Happy Bus” travelers all dispersed into an older dormitory building but we were told there was a special room for us in another building up the hill. They took us and our bags on up the hill to a brand new building. It is a U shape with a court yard in the center. They have a small kitchen and eating hall, one large classroom and several dormitory rooms.
They have 50 children who are housed here during the week. These are children of lepers and poor people who would not otherwise be able to attend school because of the location of their homes or the fact that their parents are out trying to make a living for them. The kindergartners stay here for classes but the rest of the children go to a school nearby and come back here at night. We got to visit all of them briefly after our arrival, but being a Friday, their parents came to pick them up for the weekend.
This convent is a “branch” of another one at which they have dormitory for 150 children of lepers being housed so they can attend school and get the valuable education that will hopefully break the chain of poverty experienced by their parents who have been disfigured and disabled by leprosy.
We are not by any means alone this weekend as there are 7 orphans who live here 24/7. They are all babies and have been such entertainment to us. If Gary wants to find, me he need only check who is holding the babies. I will be attaching some pictures to this blog post of these sweet ones and you will see why I cannot control myself. This is the Mother Superior visiting with the orphans.
The two little ones pictured here individually...have such sad stories behind them.
By tradition with the Mont nard people...if the mother dies in child birth they figure the child has no means of care and support and so they bury the child with the mother. These two were such children that the nuns saved from being buried with their mothers.
* Huyen is two years old. Her mother died when she was just 3 days old. She was so small they nicknamed her "Mouse". She is now two years old.
* Hien is just one year old but nearly as large as Mouse. Hien is Vietnamese for "good attitude".
It is quite hot but a nice breeze blows through. The sisters are going out of their way to cater to us and we have tried to communicate that we do not need so much...or as I say "Save the Milk for the Babies”.
Mother Superior sat with Friday at lunch and we spoke very slowly...learning she has 3 brothers in California who try to help her. She has cancer and has been having treatment. She is 70 but looks older. She is hoping to go to California to visit her brothers this year and when she told us of the cancer, we can understand why. She has not seen them for 17 years!
Another priest stopped by a short while ago and visited with us as well as interpreting with us and the Mother Superior. We wanted her to know of our appreciation and also that they should not do so much for us...we are fine. At lunch today (Saturday), as the nuns were all feasting on plates and plates of Vietnamese food, I asked if they always eat so well and they admitted that they are just fixing much more food and variety to celebrate the honor of our coming.
They have done so much to prepare for us...no way would we say it is too hot or too humid and go to a hotel (there are only two in Pleiku) as it would be an insult to them.
This is all keeping us very busy and our cameras busy recording the needs and heart wrenching experiences as we go.
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