A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE

By Ella Kolomyjec,

The Vietnam Mission Pilgrimage Students from Sacred Heart College, Perth, were lucky enough to have the opportunity to give happiness to 12 beautiful indigenous Vietnamese girls.

We travelled to Pleiku by bus from Saigon and we immediately in awe of the beauty of the area, the kindness of all the people we met. The boarding house was located in the most serene, rural location. On the first day, we, 20 students and the teachers had the ability to tour the boarding house.  It was an appropriate environment for living but was in need of a bit of color and love.

We worked efficiently as a team to transform the house into a home, using bright colors, happy quotes, smiles and hard work. The girls really allowed us to persevere through every challenge we faced, especially when seeing their eagerness to help, participate and talk with us. It was definitely three days of every emotion.

The RNDM Sisters were incredibly hospitable and we all felt as if they had given us more than we could ever give them. We shared culture, friendships, songs and many hugs leaving us all truly uplifted in the fact that God had brought us together. Seeing the girls’ pure excitement when we showed them our efforts is definitely something we will keep with us forever in our hearts. We left emotional but more than anything, we left as better people, completely inspired by the brightness and sisterly love we shared with the girls and with the kindness of God, reflected in every action of the Sisters. It was a life changing experience.