Update 7:  Little Angels’ Cemetery in Nha Trang, Vietnam (8 October 2016)

Mr Tong spent his savings for a piece of land, turned it into a cemetery, and since 2001, he has been giving proper burial to aborted foetuses from abortion clinics in Vietnam.

Day time, he works as a construction worker. Nighttime, he makes his rounds to the hospitals to collect remains of aborted babies so he could bury them in his cemetery.

Some two hours away from the orphanage is this beautiful and quiet garden, the resting place for our little angels.

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We lighted joss sticks for our little angels

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Most of our little angels here would have names given by Mr Tong

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Some of our little angels here are lucky – they get to be visited by their Moms and Dads once in a while

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With two of our girls from the orphanage, we lighted incense sticks for our little angels

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Some babies from stillbirths and miscarriages are also here.  Their parents had requested Mr Tong if their babies could stay here and be playmates with the rest of our little angels

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Mr Tong has this little corner in the orphanage.  This is where he prepares our little angels for burial

IMG_7062Both aborted on 7 October 2016, babies Maria and Guise sat quietly in their clay caskets.  Our prayers are with these little angels and their families.

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Babies Maria and Guise were both buried on the day of our visit to the cemetery

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The cemetery at nighttime

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I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is ‘Abortion’, because it is a war against the child.  A direct killing of the innocent child, ‘Murder’ by the mother herself.  And if we can accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?  How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion?  As always, we must persuade her with love.  And we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts.” ― Mother Teresa

Update 6: Bringing LOVE to Mr Tong and the Kids at the Orphanage (5-8 October 2016)

On our last day in Nha Trang, we had asked Mr Tong if we could attend a Sunday mass with the kids.  He said they typically go to the 4am mass and encouraged us to join them.  We could hardly sleep the night before – we kept watching the video clips they took of us dancing with the kids!  Such a fun thing to do at our age and we noticed the kids kept laughing at our weird dance moves!

We arrived early and it was still dark but the architectural beauty of the Nha Trang Stone Cathedral welcomed us.  We explored the church vicinity as church-goers arrived.  The ambience was  serene.

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It was our wedding anniversary and Pres and I were very blessed to have My Tong, his family, the kids, and a few volunteers celebrate this special day with us!  Many thanks, everyone!

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Right outside the Stone Cathedral, we saw these ladies in their colourful áo dài.  Thank you, ladies for posing with us in this photo – very nice!

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Our group photos before we headed for breakfast!  After the Sunday mass, Mr Tong recommended that we take breakfast at a local noodle stall right across the Stone Cathedral.

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Our little ladies are looking very pretty in their Sunday dresses!

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We were sooo full (and sleepy!) – the best beef pho in Nha Trang!  We then returned to the orphanage after breakfast.  The kids had to come back for their tuition!

 

Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return.” ― Roy T. Bennett

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update 5: Bringing LOVE to Mr Tong and the Kids at the Orphanage (5-8 October 2016)

Vietnam once ranked as having the highest abortion rate in the world.  Mr Tong does not only take in unwanted children, he also provides food and shelter to unwed pregnant mothers disowned by their families.

After delivery, the mothers can leave their babies with Mr Tong.  They can always come back for their children once they are able and ready to raise them.

A short walk from the orphanage, we visited 5 young mothers and their infants who are currently under Mr Tong’s care.  One baby girl (not in the photo) is born premature.  It’s been 3 weeks and the mother has not yet registered the baby for lack of money to do so.

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Mr Tong’s niece was explaining to us how important it is in Vietnam for the child to have a name and be registered so Pres and I decided to give the unwed mothers some money so they could register their babies.

A month after, when we checked with Mr Tong, he informed us that the babies remain to be unnamed and unregistered.  Sadly, the unwed mothers did a runner with the money intended for their babies’ registration and had left their infants under Mr Tong’s care.

 

I certainly supported a woman’s right to choose, but to my mind the time to choose was before, not after the fact. – Ann B. Ross