HUONG PHUONG VILLAGE ORPHANAGE, CENTRAL VIETNAM <meta HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <link rev="made" href="mailto:Peter.Kabaila@pcug.org.au"> </head> <body bgcolor="white"> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="center"> <h2> HUONG PHUONG VILLAGE ORPHANAGE AND MONASTIC COMMUNITY,<br> CENTRAL VIETNAM </h2> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr width="100%"> <p>This is a personal travel diary of volunteer work for the Huong Phoung orphanage and monastic community in Quang Binh province, Central Vietnam. </p> <p> I was invited by Vinh City Diocese and the sisters of the monastic community (convent) of Houng Phuong village to provide advice for orphanage extensions. The orphanage is for disabled children and is also a shelter for the poor. It is one of nine community works of the Huong Phuong monastic community. </p> <p> The orphanage extensions comprise a chapel (stage 1), to be followed by additional guest rooms and dormitories (stage 2). </p> <p> I work from Canberra as an architect and archaeologist. As an architect over the past 25 years, I have designed and construction managed many commercial, industrial, residential and church projects in NSW and the ACT. As an archaeologist over the past 15 years, I have been working with Aboriginal people in NSW to record family stories, now published as books. Currently, I work as an advisor to four local government areas in NSW. </p> <p> Orphanage, village and monastic life gets under your skin. The chance to become involved with a small community in Vietnam has been personally frustrating, rewarding, and fascinating. I want to share the experience with you and ask for your support. </p> <p> There is a construction diary for Stage 1 of the orphanage extensions (disabled access chapel) over eight weeks from Christmas 2010. </p> <p> <ul type="square"> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Week_1_Diary.pdf">Week 1 Diary</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Week_2_Diary.pdf">Week 2 Diary</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Week_3_Diary.pdf">Week 3 Diary</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Week_4_Diary.pdf">Week 4 Diary</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Week_5_Diary.pdf">Week 5 Diary</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Week_6_Diary.pdf">Week 6 Diary</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Week_7_DiaryPartA.pdf">Week 7 Diary</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Week_8_Diary.pdf">Week 8 Diary</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Week_9_Diary.pdf">Week 9 Diary</a> </li> </ul> </p> <p> Mixed in with this part of the diary is my record of working with two visiting student volunteer groups from St Aloysius College in Sydney from December 2010 to February 2011. </p> <p> I observed that <a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Week_7_DiaryPartB.pdf"> monastic life is very different </a> from life on the outside. </p> <p> Monastic life has both harshness and beauty, marked by rhythms of discipline, joy, work and prayer. It is reinforced daily by spiritual exercises of communal singing and prayer chant. I have captured samples of these in MP3 files. </p> <ul type="square"> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Alleluia.mp3">Alleluia.</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Grace_before_meals.mp3">Grace before meals.</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Agnus_Dei.mp3">Agnus Dei.</a> </li> <li><a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Short_hymn.mp3">Short hymn.</a> </li> </ul> <a> There was an <a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Interlude.pdf">interlude between visits</a> of Christmas 2010 visit and the Easter 2011 visit, during which I followed progress of the construction project in Australia by email and telephone. </p> <p> There is a construction diary for <a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Easter_Diary.pdf"> Easter 2011</a> and impressions of <a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Personal_Easter_visits2.pdf"> personal visits during Easter 2011.</a> This year, the monastic community’s leader issued an <a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Appeal.pdf"> appeal</a> for help, providing a <a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Profile.pdf"> profile</a> of the orphanage residents and their circumstances. </p> <p> I was able to <a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Assistance-orphanage-convent2.pdf"> organise some assistance </a> to the orphanage and convent during Easter 2011. For three larger assistance projects, I prepared sponsorship programs. There is an itemised and costed <a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Orphanage_play_equipment_program.pdf"> orphanage play equipment plan. </a> </p> <p> <a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Student_sponsor_program.pdf"> Student sponsorship </a> of women from the Huong Phuong monastic community to gain university training is important, to lift their status, and prepare them for roles as professionals and leaders. </p> <p> Designed for the original chapel sponsors, St Aloysius College, is a program for <a href="http://amandak.pcug.org.au/Chapel_furniture_sponsor_program.pdf"> funding chapel furniture</a> (but anyone can donate). </p> <p> Please email to me in Australia at <b>peter@blackmountainprojects.com</b> if you wish to: <ul type="square"> <li>Donate to the orphanage or convent;</li> <li>Find out exactly how your donation is being used;</li> <li>Contact the convent; </li> <li>Visit the convent to personally give your donation;</li> <li>Do volunteer work.</li> <li>Stay for free in the fully-catered, luxury accommodation specially reserved for guests who donate to the orphanage. </li> </ul> <p>Your donation can provide exercise/play equipment at the orphanage and sponsor education for women. Or you may tag a specific use for your donation. </p> <p> Dr Peter Rimas Kabaila </p> <hr width="100%"> </body> </html>