After a great weekend in Hoi An we were ready to finish building our Compassion Homes and wrap up the community service portion of our program. Early in the week, an opportunity was presented to us in which we would be able to clean up and repaint a small, local elementary school, and since one of our houses had been completed early and the other two were steadily rising, we gladly took part. We spent two days cleaning the school’s grounds and repainting the fences and buildings, all alongside our friends from the Youth Union.

After completing the school we finished the work at our two remaining houses and embraced another service opportunity at a local war cemetery dedicated to those villagers who lost their lives fighting in the war. After the work was completed we paid our respects to the dead in traditional Vietnamese fashion, burning incense and bowing our heads, taking our cues from our local friends.

On our last day in the village we rode our bikes around to each site and had the chance to go inside the completed houses, as well as present gifts to the recipients of the homes and to those neighbors who fed and housed our students during their work days. That evening, a big goodbye party was thrown for us by the Youth Union. Many were in attendance, including our friends from the Youth Union, the recipients of the Compassion Homes, and many of the neighbors and their children from around the village. We had a great time at the party but eventually the time came for our final farewells. Many of the locals have grown so close with our students that they came to see us off early the next morning, arriving to our guesthouse at 7 a.m. Saying goodbye was quite the emotional rollercoaster, and there was no shortage of tears being shed, but with all of our work completed and some lifelong friendships forged, it is time to move on to the final leg of our journey: Hanoi and Ha Long Bay! Until next time friends and family!

– Vi & Ryan