Chúc Mừng Năm Mới - Anh Linh Love School

So, last week I got an invitation from Sister Thuy at the Anh Linh Love School to attend their Tet celebration.  Of course, as most moms, I felt I was too busy to go. I have a lot of work, PTA, cycling, and just managing a house, husband, two kids and a dog!  But at the bottom of the invitation it says, "Your presence will be an encouragement to the children".... 

SOLD!

I was over 20 minutes late when I arrived.  I rode my bicycle and had been there many times, but that was always by taxi and I never paid attention to exactly WHERE we turn...  but I thought I was savvy enough to read the map and make it there...  well...  ha ha...

I had prepared 200 red envelopes for the kids.  I knew there were 188 kids in the elementary school and for some reason....thought it was enough....  I sent an email to the school letting them know I was coming and asked if it was enough.  Sister Thuy in her gracious way simply said, "Yes, we have 186 int he elementary school and another 89 in the middle school".... "Elementary is fine!"... Oh....@#$!@#%

So, at 8:00am I am running all over the neighborhood trying to get new 10,000 bills and more red envelopes.  Most banks are closed... text many friends asking what to do!!!  I can't come empty handed... of all the kids, the older ones are truly the ones that realize that things aren't really in their favor...

Thanks to the good guys at ANZ bank, they helped me stuff the remaining 40 envelopes when I had less then 10 minutes to get to the school....

Sadly, after all of that... I got lost!

Luckily, the show went on for nearly 2 hours.  So unfortunately, I missed a few of the singing and dancing, I got to see so much!

I went alone.  No one could come with me.  There were a few that I knew, the ES Principal and the old ES art teacher, Helen. 

The envelopes I prepared.

Candy that Jerri (the main benefactor for the school) had prepared along with "lucky money" too....

I think most all of the middle school kids sang and/or danced.

This angel is exactly that.... she left the school last year, but had the courage to come back and continue her education!  She was allowed to sit with us after during our lunch.

How can you NOT love that face?!?  So beautiful, so innocent, but definitely, a hard life to this point, or she wouldn't be here. 

Supermen were there... these boys were nothing short of amazing!

The girls so beautiful!

The children then receive their red envelops from the guests, and gifts donated and new uniforms.  The modest handful of items they received put huge smiles on their faces.  I also understand that they received some foods so that they would have something to eat for the two weeks they would not be attending school.  The children are all small for their age.  Malnutriution does that.  Poverty does that.

These kids, bring a joy and warmth to Sister Thuy.  They do to all of us visiting as well.  Sister Thuy has sought out these kids, advocated for them, and loves them so dearly.  She is a hard working woman.

To all the beautiful children at Anh Linh Love School:

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới

And to all the beautiful children not YET at Anh Linh Love School:
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới


Every child deserves a childhood!