The Vietnam Blog

A group of eight amazing people came from Faith Lutheran Church in Naples Florida to help with our projects in Phu Tho. The task for the week: building a parking structure at a primary school. Most of the kids ride their bikes to school, but with no where designated to park them, the bikes end up cluttering the play area.  So we worked alongside the school staff and dedicated parents to level a dirt field and turn it into a concrete parking area and a small garden.

This was no easy task. There were no power tools or big fancy machines. We had to dig up weeds, level a path, move piles of dirt across the campus, mix and move the concrete by hand, and all the while we were surrounded by curios children who wanted to say “hello” to the westerners.

The children were not seen as an unwelcomed interruption, but instead an opportunity to show love. It was a reminder of why we were sweating out in the villages and a reminder of who we were there to serve.

By the end of our time in Phu Tho, everyone was sad to say goodbye. The parking structure was not yet finished, but many important relationships were built. We give thanks for a opportunity to serve the people of Vietnam.

See pictures here.