In early October 2020 we had a fun visit to the Lac Thien Orphanage. We had contacted the nuns ahead of time and made a detailed list of their current needs. Our team of volunteers went to local markets, bought everything on the list, loaded up a van, and drove north to Ninh Hoa.
On this visit, we brought instant porridge, racks of eggs, baby bottles, laundry supplies, toiletries, detergent, dish soap, cleaning supplies, 2 wall-mounted fans, and 2 portable gas stoves.
It’s the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam, which has some lovely traditions specifically for children. We wanted the orphans at Lac Thien to enjoy this fun holiday, so handed out paper lanterns, moon cakes, coloring books, and bags of traditional treats to all the children. They had lots of fun with their lanterns!
This holiday visit was made possible through the kind donations of Elaine Nguyen and Hung Pham. Thank you!!!
ABOUT THE LAC THIEN ORPHANAGE
Founded in 2006, the Lac Thien Orphanage is part of the Phat Buu pagoda and lies north of Nha Trang in Ninh Hoa district. The orphanage’s origins are endearing. On a peaceful day, a baby was left at the gates of the pagoda. The nuns cared for him, and from that day on they have taken in orphan children from the area. The orphanage is run by the nuns of the pagoda and its head nun, Chon Minh. They rely entirely upon donations, most of which come from people in the community. There are about 30 children at the orphanage, from newborns to teenagers, and Lac Thien also takes in elderly whose family cannot care for them.
