Tet Holiday at Vinh Son - As Told by Martha

For the six Vinh Son orphanages, the days leading up to the Tet Holidays are when the orphans find the most joy, excitement and happiness. The children look forward to Tet because they can visit their families longer than other holidays that occur during the year. Adults give the children lucky money so they can have a big celebration. They also deliver gifts to their families in the villages and love to visit with them.

Before the Tet holidays begin, everyone is eager and diligent in cleaning their homes. Everyone is responsible for their own tasks and work with a sense of responsibility and enthusiasm. When all their decoration and cleaning work is complete, each VSO looks beautiful with peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, kumquat trees, and chrysanthemums. Spring is also nearing, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere for the Vinh Son orphanages.

Cake making is also a fun activity for Tet holidays, with all the older orphans and Vinh Son staff helping to wrap sticky green cakes (banh chung) together to enjoy at the year-end party. The inside of the sticky green square cakes contain golden green beans and fatty pork, wrapped by the skillful hands of the older children. They also prepare pork and chicken to enjoy during their big celebraion! It is so fun when the whole Vinh Son family gathers to wrap sticky green cakes and prepare food.

The Tet holiday is very sacred for everyone at Vinh Son, and happiness radiates on the faces of the children. Each group is busy completing their part. On January 26, all six Vinh Sons organized a year-end party for their extended family to enjoy all that they had prepped. The dishes included: curry pork, fried chicken, spring rolls, fried meat rolls, hot pot and more. Everything was delicious, and each child enjoyed a soft drink as well.  Thank you FVSO for your sponsorship!

After finishing eating, the children gathered to wish the nuns good luck before leaving, and received envelopes of lucky money from their parish priest. Even though the lucky money was small, everyone felt very warm and happy, and their hearts full with love. Once the New Year's Eve meal has finished, the children are allowed to return to their family's home in the village so they can relive the loving memories of their childhood with siblings, parents, and grandparents. Children without relatives stay at Vinh Son with the nuns who take them out to play.

As Y Quynh Anh from Vinh Son 6 shared: “Tet holiday has come. Each Vinh Son orphanage is very happy and I wish all the families and benefactors to be as happy as our Vinh Son orphanage here. Wishing everyone good health, peace, success and luck in life.”

Meet Martha from VSO:
Martha Y Phanh entered the local convent to become a catholic nun in 2001. She lived and learned in Ho Chi Minh until 2009, when she began work as a Sister helper at Vinh Son 1. In 2013 she moved to Manila to begin her studies at ASI to earn her Masters of Science in Education and Community Development. After graduating in 2018 she returned to the Central Highlands to continue helping her beloved orphans of Vinh Son. In 2019 she left the convent and her life as a catholic nun, but continued to work for each of the VSO locations.

When looking back at her own life beginning as an orphan herself, then becoming a catholic nun, pursuing her education, and finding her passion for helping the orphans, she feels blessed for everything God has given her. She is committed to continuing to learn and grow, and use her education and gifts from God to teach the children and lead them to a better future. She is grateful to be able to work with such wonderful people and friends that share her passion to help.