The women of the team play an important role

This man came down to check on what we were doing at our Friday site because his house was being rebuilt with the assistance of his family and local community. He came down to see if he could help us with our project. We are all amazed at the community effort shown among these people to see that every house is a joint effort involving the majority of the Hoa Hai community. All of us are overjoyed with the genuine community spirit that has shown itself during this reconstruction week. We will be moving to a different section of the Da nang city on Monday but will do our best to maintain the community unity that evolved as we worked in the close knit neighborhoods of the #17 Hoa Hai district.

If our information is correct, and we think it is, this woman lost her husband and father in the Xangsane storm earlier this month. She took Linda (my wife to her home and showed her wedding photos and photos of her house before the storm destroyed it.) Unfortunately, we’ve all heard far too many stories like this one. But thankfully we were able to help this woman rebuild her home and her life. Her expression of gratitude and happiness is inexpressible by words alone.

We spent the day with this group of families, young children, old ladies and middle aged men and women. After awhile language ceases to be a problem as a soccer game happens and women begin to hold babies and stories are told with facial and hand expressions. The universal language of compassion and kindness begin to break down all the cultural and language walls that can so easily separate us as people. That day we spent together will be remembered by everyone as a mile marker in all our lives. We all experienced a level of community that defied all racial, economical and poverty levels that would normally separate us if we were to allow it.