Square two Blog

September Newsletter Posted!

Tue, 7 Sep 2010 22:43:43 +0700

Go here to see!

Update on Celeste

Mon, 6 Sep 2010 22:16:11 +0700

Last Thursday Celeste and Aimee embarked on a long day of travel to Singapore in order to go to the National University Hospital for some tests. A few weeks ago, she had another urinary tract infection which caused a high fever and resulted in her having another seizure. Since this was the second UTI with febrile seizure, the doctor wanted to do these tests.

It was a difficult few days for Celeste. We hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep for a couple days due to waking up early to make it to the airport and then to the hospital. Then she had to be catheterized and given an IV for administration of the tests. And then there was the waiting. Every step seemed to have at least an hour of waiting before the next step. Originally, I thought we would be able to walk around to pass the time when we had to wait. Unfortunately, with the catheter, she had to stay in a bed in the day surgery ward.

As it turned out, the first test showed no defect that would cause the infections. That is good news! However, the second test showed that there is already some scar tissue on her kidneys. In order to prevent further damage, she will have to take an antibiotic every day for one year to prevent further infections.

We give thanks that we know the extent of the problem and a plan for preventing future illness, for one very caring nurse called Gusni who took very good care of Celeste even though she wasn’t the nurse assigned to care for her, and lastly that Celeste doesn’t mind taking her medicine and even asks for it when we forget! Thank you for your prayer! It does make a difference.

Prayers Needed for Celeste

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:52:17 +0700

A few weeks ago Celeste spiked a fever suddenly after a day of playing happily with her friend. Since she had experienced a febrile seizure in December, J.P. slept with her to make sure she was ok through the night. At 6 am, J.P. awoke to Celeste having a seizure in bed. Fortunately this one was much shorter than the first and we were prepared with how to handle it.

For a couple of days, we worked to bring her fever down with medicine and wet wash cloths, but it was still around 104 degrees. Since a urinary tract infection had caused her fever before, I asked the doctor to check and sure enough, she had a very strong infection. After 5 days of medicine she was completely fine.  
However, since this was the second time she had a UTI, the doctor suggested we have her go for an ultrasound of her kidneys. Two weeks ago when we went, they saw that part of the kidney and the tube that connects it to the bladder were too big. Because of that, there can be a risk of damage to the kidneys over time. The next step is to do a couple of tests, but since the sanitation is not too good at the hospitals here, the doctor at the Vietnam children’s hospital suggested we go elsewhere.

So....that brings us to Thursday, as in two days from now! Celeste and Aimee will be flying to Singapore by way of a few connections and a long day of travel to get to a good hospital. When we arrive on Thursday we will have a meeting with the doctor to discuss the tests and what we will need to do to prepare, then Friday we will spend the better part of the day at the hospital for the two tests. From what we have seen and heard, the tests aren’t dangerous, but since she will have to hold still for a long time, she will be sedated---which always has some risks involved.

Please pray that everything goes well and that they don’t find anything serious. Pray also for Bella, who will be staying home with J.P., which will be the first time away from Aimee for more than a few hours. Since it takes two days of travel, we will be away almost 4 days! And pray for J.P. that he has energy to sustain him---especially since Bella still wakes up a couple of times per night for breast milk, which she will not have access to.

Bella Turns 1!

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:54:49 +0700

Happy Birthday to Isabella Grace, who turned one year old on August 26. Seems like yesterday she slept soundly curled up in our arms, totally dependent on her parents. But now she walks and climbs and talks and eats on her own. She is getting quite independent!

We decided to do something small for her birthday, and invited just a few friends over for pizza and cake. It was a great time, although by the middle of it Bella was tired and had to go up to bed. She was awake for the important part, though---cake and singing happy birthday!

Go over to the media section to see some pictures of her party! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA!

Erin Alter Visits Vietnam!

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:32:57 +0700

The post below is taken from The Vietnam Blog (vietnam.lcmsworldmission.org):

From August 7-12, we were pleased to welcome to Vietnam a fellow servant of LCMS World Mission. Erin Alter served for three and a half years in Japan as a volunteer, but now works full-time at the LCMS World Mission headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the program director for long-term volunteers throughout the world. For the past six years, any volunteers who have come to Vietnam have come because Erin sent them! Thanks, Erin!

Vietnam was one stop among many for Erin, but what a joy to have her here to experience first-hand what life is like for our short and long-term volunteers. Erin visited Hanoi University of Technology, one of our partner universities where volunteers are placed. Unfortunately it is the summer so none of our volunteers are here, but Erin was able to meet faculty and administration, as well as visit classrooms, offices, and volunteer housing.

We also took Erin to Phu Tho to see firsthand the other “helping hand” of our work in Vietnam, rural development projects. We spent the afternoon in Phuong Vy commune, spending time with families with cows or biogas, and then dropping by the health station. Of course we stopped by the town hall to say hi to the commune officials and ate dinner with them.

The next day we visited Hung Vuong University in Phu Tho, another of the universities in which LCMS WM places long-term volunteers. We were treated to a tour of the campus, including student dormitories, and Erin got a chance to interact with students who were just beginning their fall semester. I am sure it must have been interesting for Erin to be in front of an English class again, reminiscent of her time as an English teacher in Japan!

For her last full day, Erin enjoyed a little relaxation by going to Ha Long Bay, one of the most beautiful places in all of Vietnam, along with the Engelbrecht family.

Erin’s visit was a pleasure for us, and we hope it will go a long way in helping Erin understand even more fully the life and work of a volunteer in Vietnam! Thanks, Erin, for all you do!

Click here to see more pictures from Erin’s visit.

Summer Fishing

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:31:15 +0700

On the way back from the villages the other day, we spotted a man in a pond up to his neck. My immediate reaction was that the man was drowning. But I quickly saw the other man on the bank pulling up a net. These men were fishing, and we beginning to pulling up the net to see their catch. We pulled over to check it out.

The net was huge and was spread out wide, perhaps about 20 meters in diameter. Slowly but surely, with one man on the bank and the other in the water, they pulled the net to the shore.

Fishing is an important part of daily life in the communes. Rice farming, which is what all families do, is not enough to live on. The prices of rice are low, and people have too little land. Moreover, Phu Tho province is prone to flooding, and often entire rice fields can be wiped out, leaving people with no income and thus no food. With these problems in mind, Vietnamese must find other ways to earn income and supply food for their families. Some men work construction in cities, rarely seeing their families. Others even find sub-standard work overseas. But it is, of course, always best to find meaningful work near the home. The Vietnamese government, along with NGOs like LCMS WM, have tried to teach rural citizens other techniques for earning money. LCMS World Mission has implemented projects in this kind of education and assistance, of which breeding fish is one part.

In fact, Prof. Tu Giay, the founder of the National Institute of Nutrition (our partner), first developed the V.A.C. system for families to provide for themselves. In addition to rice farming, the V.A.C. system trains people in Vegetation (planting vegetables and other foods in home gardens), Aquaculture (breeding fish in community ponds), and animal husbandry (Cages). Utilizing these methods, families can find ways to sustainably grow more food for themselves while also developing skills and activities that can turn into businesses.

Breeding fish can be done between rice harvests by flooding the rice fields (whether done intentionally or by rain water). Moreover, many families have created ponds or utilized natural ponds. The fish can then be sold to others in the community. This family we met, for example, was breeding fish to earn extra income. As we talked with them we learned that they were not catching fish to sell this particular day, but only to move one variety of fish to another pond, so they could populate more efficiently. My Vietnamese was not adequate to understand all the different types of fish they were breeding, but the list was impressive.

As they brought up the catch, large fish flapped about helplessly, but were quickly thrown back in the water. That day this family was after the smaller fish, which would be added to the pond across the way. As we left, we asked the family if they ate fish fairly often. “Never! We have grown tired of the taste!” they replied as they began preparing the net for the next catch.

A Gift for a Family in Dieu Luong

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:44:10 +0700

The post below is taken from The Vietnam Blog (vietnam.lcmsworldmission.org):

A while ago we told you about a visit by Seoul Foreign School (SFS) to Dieu Luong commune. During their visit, they spent time with one family in Dieu Luong who had hit hard times. Mr. Kien has been suffering from both physical and mental problems for some time now, and the medical expenses have taken their toll on their already difficult economic situation. They had originally received a cow through LCMS World Mission's cow project, but unfortunately had to sell both the mother and a calf (after having paid back the loan already) due to the man's medical issues.

Sometimes life sends us unexpected situations and people need a little help. The SFS group was touched by this family's need, and decided they would like to donate funds to buy this family a new cow (about 400USD). With an annual income of around 100USD, this family will benefit greatly from this gift.

This week LCMS WM representatives, along with our partners at the National Institute of Nutrition, traveled to Dieu Luong commune to meet with this family as well as local government officials. We were happy to present the gift to the family on behalf of SFS. The gift will be dispersed through the local women's union who normally administers our microcredit project. And, as usual, the family will be expected to pay back the loan with the birth of the first calf, after which time they will keep their cow and reap the benefits of future calfs. Mr. Kien was ecstatic about this gift and expressed his thanks both to LCMS WM and to SFS. We hope and pray that this generous gift from SFS will be a blessing to this family for years to come!

Many thanks to the students and faculty of Seoul Foreign School!

Click here to see more pictures from the trip...

Isabella Grace Video Posted!

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:20:03 +0700

Click here to check out this video which highlights Bella’s first months.

All is Well!

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:33:31 +0700

Many thanks to all who said prayers for us! Tropical Storm Conson did indeed pass over Hanoi, but thankfully the effects were not as bad as they could have been. Aimee and the kids were just fine the entire weekend. And now the skies look much clearer!

There are many, however, particularly near the coast, who have suffered devastating loss due to this storm. Many have lost their homes. Please continue to lift them up in prayer.

Prayers - TROPICAL STORM CONSON

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:45:38 +0700

Tropical Storm Conson is tracking to hit Hanoi sometime this evening (Saturday). Everyone in Hanoi is getting prepared for the storm. It is hard to know what to expect, but Hanoi floods very easily, as does the area where we live.

With J.P. in Hong Kong guest preaching at the Church of All Nations, and Aimee home alone with the kids, we would like to ask for your prayers. Please pray for Aimee and the kids, that they would stay dry and safe, but also pray for all northern Vietnamese who will be affected by this, especially for those who are vulnerable to serious housing, food, or health problems.

Thanks! Updates to come...

Kormilda College Visits from Australia!

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:37:42 +0700

Head over to our ministry website (vietnam.lcmsworldmission.org) to read what J.P. was up to last week...

Flooded...Again!

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:11:44 +0700

A year and a half ago, JP went to Hong Kong for work and Aimee and Celeste were at home to enjoy four days of unrelenting rain and the flooding that followed. This year, JP was fortunate to still be here for the sequel just a few days before he is due to go to Hong Kong again.

Bella and I woke up this morning around 5:30---our normal time. Shortly after we were up it started to rain. But it continued for about 5 hours. The drainage in Hanoi isn’t good anyway, but right now particularly the ground is too hard from the recent lack of rain and it all runs off.

Outside of our door there was just a few inches of water, but some of our neighbors had water coming inside their houses. Now the rain has stopped and the water is slowly draining, but they are calling for more rain this afternoon.

We give thanks for the rain because the farmers are desperate for it, but flooding also causes the spread of disease, especially in children, so pray that the flooding doesn’t continue!

Independence Day

Mon, 5 Jul 2010 10:14:55 +0700

I could have never imagined that I would celebrate the Fourth of July watching a Vietnamese circus in Hanoi, Vietnam, but that’s exactly what we did. We had just returned from a month in the U.S. and we wanted to gather with our fellow Americans and share our holiday traditions with Celeste and Bella. However, this was not what your typical July 4th might have looked like in the U.S.!

It all began with a buffet of food and Budweiser beer, not so atypical for Americans. There was also a watermelon eating contest and sack races...also pretty normal. Then came the Vietnamese traveling circus. While I must say the performers were talented and interesting (Celeste especially enjoyed the monkey show), there were also some strange moments.

The highlight of these was the act in which a Rambo-looking Vietnamese man came out holding a very large python snake. I can’t say exactly how large it was, but somewhere in the range of 10-15 ft would be a safe estimate. At first he was moving it around showing his strength in handling it. Then, he recruited volunteers from the crowd, adults and young children alike, to come stand in the front while he allowed the snake to drape around their shoulders. Then he pulled out another snake of similar size from a crate. The snakes kept slithering toward the crowd and he would then pull them back. At that point, we had thought that this might not be a good idea---like one zoo in Ho Chi Minh City where someone was killed after going into a tiger’s cage.

Fortunately, nothing like that happened, but I looked over at a fellow American and said, “I never thought I’d be watching this during the Fourth of July!”

Happy Fourth of July to all of our American friends and family!