Starting to come together

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Finally everything is starting to come together. After a very wet & cold 6 weeks, today the sun is shining ... maybe we can all have dry clothes tomorrow! I have spent the last few weeks with Vi, my translator come life saver, searching for & then assessing deaf children in Hoi An. Many a day we were wet through within 10 minutes of leaving the office (my bedroom) but I still loved every minute of it. We have been among some very poor families who put me to shame when I hear myself complaining about the cold & wet! Some of them have nothing. A few homes we went into were made of bamboo & dried palm fronds. But as always, the "craic" was great & the welcomes were wonderful. There is something about the poor that sets them apart from the rest of us. Their welcomes are straight from the heart & their smiles make my day. We now have a group of 8 students who are oh so keen to start class. I hope to find out today if I have a teacher. I met the most wonderful young woman last week. Although she is not deaf I know she is the person I want to teach Sign Language to the kids. Fingers crossed that she agrees! I have attempted to attach some photos - time will tell if I am successful! If so, I will add more photos on the day the class begins & then will write a Bio each month about one of the children. If anyone wants to contact me about "Paddy's Jewel" & the kids I am helping feel free to get in touch & I will email you. For those who are visiting Hoi An - have a wonderful time. It is a great city & the people are very special. Mái.

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Photos

Ròm
Ròm, the boy who started me on this journey.

Nở
Nở outside her family home - not much protection from the cold.

Hung
Hung lives with his elderely grandparents. We didn't get any smiles from him - but then again, he had no idea who we were & what we were doing there - maybe in a month or so ....

Comments

[pilib]

learning
Hi Máire, the P7 (10-11 year olds) in my school will be following your blog, and learning about your work, and the challenges that face you and the people you are there for. Good for you!