VIETNAM

After seeing pictures on a tourist board, I decided on a whim to go to Sapa, Vietnam. It looked so beautiful, and I thought I'd spend four or five days there, exploring a bit and finding something productive to do. Then I'd hit all the traditional Vietnamese tourist sites, like Halong Bay and Hoi An.

But Typhoon Yagi had other plans, and I ended up staying for over a month.

LOCATION: SAPA, VIETNAM

FOCUS: TYPHOON YAGI RELIEF EFFORTS

LOCAL PARTNER: My spectacular trekking guide, Bla!

TOTAL DONATED:  $16,900.00 for the reconstruction of three multi-family dwellings, a new library, and immediate assistance to 90 families.

The first few days before typhoon Yagi were a dream. I found a wonderful guide named Bla, and we trekked, helped her family harvest rice, and sat around her family’s table and gave thanks. Then the yphooon hit, and we all hunkered down for 4 days as Typhoon Yagi swirled around us.

On Sept 12th, and our first day out. Bla and I went to her neighboring village to see what to do. We learned that 10"-12” of rain fell over the week, and a landslide came down the mountain yesterday around noon. Someone in the village saw it, started screaming, and everyone tried to run.

Bla’s friend ran with one of his children, his wife carrying the another. As the water and mud came, the father was able to throw one child to high ground and get out of the way. The landslide took the young mother and her baby, swallowed by the mud along with their home. Their bodies were recovered yesterday.

We were there early this morning, as her father found her wedding picture, and was cleaning the mud off her face in the runoff water - over the rubble of their home. Her mother, weeping, was down the hill digging through mud looking for memories.

Bla gave her all the money I had in my wallet.

Many have died. I was on autopilot on site that day, and kept my emotions mostly in check, but that night, not so much.

I haven’t been able to shake this moment, or this gentle man.

I’ve seen much in my life, and yet this moment has affected me about as deeply as anything ever has.

A landslide stole part of this man’s family.

A mother, daughter, and new baby, gone.

He found his daughter’s wedding photo, and lovingly washed the mud from her face.

A silent expression of love and loss and honor.

He placed her photo near where her house once was, and stood back to witness her, once again in that place.

Silent grief and love.

As motorcycles drove by, heavy equipment churning in the background,

He scooped her up, put her under his arm, and walked to an unknown destination.

I felt like I was intruding as I watched this profoundly poignant moment.

I want to bear witness to this man and his loss.

I pray for those his heart is missing.

This man’s life has been forever changed, and it seems that mine has been as well.