57 Days in Ho Chi Minh

- I’ll be featured as a guest writer, writing articles and columns for magazines and newspapers back in Seattle, WA about the orphanage, the children and my journey.

- Several of my hometown newspapers and college magazine will interview me about all my adventures and experiences at the orphanage.

- A collection of my professional photography work will be published in online newspapers and on my Ava Van Photography blog.

I’ll post links on this blog to keep you all posted.

Looking forward to sharing more of my journey with you. Hope you’ll stick around to read my work with the kids! Xo

Leaving my heart, loves, kisses and hugs to all my kids, Ky Quang Pagoda 2, and all my volunteer friends at IVHQ. Thank you for all the wonderful memories.

Love,

Ava

P.S. Be back soon :) Get ready for chapter 2, my friends!

The beautiful pagoda.

The gang.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

John 14:18

What I’m best at ;)

Bought two boxes of pastries for the kids and staff members during my lunch break.

Even most of the children at the orphanage don’t make it past 7th grade, according to longtime staff members at the temple, I’m still very optimistic that these kids can and will graduate from college one day. I honestly believe they’re all smart, capable, and they have the right mindset. On a daily basis, most of them can’t stop sharing with me how eager they are to become teachers, doctors and lawyers when they grow up (which by the way, makes me so happy. Even though they don’t have much, they never stop dreaming!) Plus, the monks told me the temple would be willing pay for all of their college expenses if they got into a school.

So I’ve been trying to be an encouragement to all the older kids I’ve become friends with, reminding them to always work hard in school and to never give up because it’s their key to brighter future.

On that note, they also have to have the right tools to get them there, so I bought them all the essential school supplies they would need, which many lack. (Most of the people who visit the temple donate milk, snacks and clothes to the disabled kids and babies, forgetting about the big kids.)

Hopefully, I’ll be able to make yearly visits to continue to support them through school. I want them to have a chance like other kids.

I want them to have a better life.

P.S. Below are photos from shopping trip. I wished I could have gotten more pics of the kids with their school supplies, but by the time I arrived at the temple, they were all asleep. Naptime starts at 10:30-11 in Vietnam. However, was able to get a little crowd of sleepy heads in :)

Thanks to my donors, I bought over $1,000,000 worth of school supplies for the kids.

Long list of school supplies.

One of the nurses with school supplies for her 15 kids.

Some of the boys with their new school supplies, which they were so excited about. You can’t tell in this pic because they’re trying to act tough (boys :), but they were jumping up and down as if it were Christmas.

Another nurse with school supplies for her kiddos.

“If you have a dream - big or small - go after it, starting today. No dream is impossible, regardless of your upbringing, status, or ethnicity. Don’t let life happen to you. The world is all yours!” - Ava

It didn’t hit me that tomorrow is my last day until I came home and saw this sweet card from Dung, one of the staff members at my house. Not ready to leave the orphanage yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:( x 193847584930334398

On that note, I’ve been crazy busy wrapping up everything - both at the house and at the orphanage that I’ve barely had any time to visit with my kids or even blog at night. At work, with most of the staff members realizing I only have a few days left, they’ve asked me to buy several items for the children, so I’ve been spending most of the day buying last minute things, and I’m still not done. So much to do - so little time!

That’s it. I’m gonna miss my flight on purpose. That way, I can stay here forever and be with my kids :) Hmmmmmm…..

(More from Dung’s card below)

Dear Ava,

It is very nice to meet you!!! Thank you is not good enough, you have done so much for the kids.

You are living a good life, doing great jobs. Keep it up, Ava!

Good luck in the future!!! We will miss you a lot ;(

N. Dung

When I first visited the baby room, I was shocked that the newborns didn’t sleep in a crib, but on the ground, on a gym-like mat. Not to mention there were 14 other babies running around in that tiny room. It didn’t look safe, nor did it sit well with me.

Rather than accepting these poor living conditions, I knew I had to do something about it. So one of my roommates and I saved up money to buy the babies day beds - the room was too crowded to buy cribs.

Now the babies have proper beds and they look so much more comfortable. Love it!

Before.

After.

Alley market.

Outdoor market.

Ben ordering a limenade with jelly basil seeds.

YUM!

Indoor market.

Store of hair clips.

Vietnam version of Sephora

BRB.