Early evening on Thursday, December 26th, we arrived at the rural home of Ket and his wife to visit with our four girls that live in this home. Phet, our translator, is also the daughter of this minister and his wife.
The girls were shy but very sweet. Each could introduce themselves by name to us in a sentence. Phet has been teaching them some English when she visits, but she has a full-time job as a translator and does not live there.
Ron showed the video about our work and explained what we do to help girls in Laos, Thailand, Nepal and soon the Philippines. They were all smiling and very happy that we came to see them. The girls are small and young-looking for their ages.
They showed us their room and it was very neat and clean. For dinner, we had sticky rice, a spicy mixture of finely chopped meat mixed with cilantro and some other finely chopped vegetable and some fried or roasted pieces of meat We had a cabbage soup that was very good. The Lao people get a handful of sticky rice from their own container of rice at the table (the girls shared a large container). With the other hand, they pinch off a piece, roll it up into a ball, about the size of a marble, and use it to pick up something else on the plate and then pop it into their mouths. Ron and I were given rice on our place with a fork (for which we were grateful). They had a platter of shredded papaya (I think) which is not ripe. We didn't eat any of it but have eaten it in the past. It is almost like a shredded raw potato, as best I can describe it. It is sometimes seasoned with vinegar and called a papaya salad.
Early in the afternoon of December 26, Ket drove us to the other village to see our 22 girls in that location further from the city. It is more than a hour drive from his house and most of the trip is on dirt roads that are extremely rough with potholes and ruts. It is now the dry season so with the red dirt, dust is flying everywhere and coats every leaf on the trees and bushes. It stirs up a dust so heavy you can hardly see other vehicles, especially motorbikes. Houses and little stores along the road are covered with red dust. This is a heavy pollution for the people to breathe in the air. Late in the afternoon, some are watering the road in front of their houses with a water hose, trying to settle the dust. Animals roam from area to area in the countryside looking for food (cows, calves, goats) and late in the afternoon, they will be coming down the road in droves, going back home. Usually, there is no one driving them. With everything covered in red dust, I guess they have to go far off the roadside to find green grass or leaves from bushes that they can eat. Little children play all along the roadside, oblivious to the dust and dirt. It is a way of life for months until there is rain again, which will likely not come sooner than May.
We were sad that about half of the girls at Doon-Lan are sick with colds. Many were in their beds and did not come outside because they are running a fever. Several did not go to school that day. I didn't get to hug or spend time with the girls because I was concerned about catching the virus myself. The travels are difficult so I can't handle a major illness and continue the traveling.
Ket's house and Hong's house (our two other homes with girls) are also on this type road. It just does not take quite as long to get to their houses off the main highways as it does to the Doon-Lan village.
All 36 girls in these three locations ride bikes to school on the dirt roads for 15-30 minutes each way, morning and afternoon. The way of life for these girls is not easy but so much better than having no chance to go to school because of poverty. It is their only hope for a better future. It is the only way we can have an opportunity to teach them the Bible and give them an education. It gives the girls an opportunity to learn about human trafficking so they will never be caught in the trap.
We are concerned about our girls on bike and most of our workers riding motorbikes or motorcycles. The majority of the vehicles on the roads are this type of transportation. We were told over 800 people are killed just in the city of Vientiane each year mostly from these bikes. Most accidents are at night because of visionary difficulties and most deaths are of men because they take more chances. On the way to our hotel, we went around an accident where two motorcycles were strewn in the road from an accident and one person lying on the side of the road. We saw many of these accidents in China and it is always very sad and disturbing to see this happen.
We are concerned about our girls on bike and most of our workers riding motorbikes or motorcycles. The majority of the vehicles on the roads are this type of transportation. We were told over 800 people are killed just in the city of Vientiane each year mostly from these bikes. Most accidents are at night because of visionary difficulties and most deaths are of men because they take more chances. On the way to our hotel, we went around an accident where two motorcycles were strewn in the road from an accident and one person lying on the side of the road. We saw many of these accidents in China and it is always very sad and disturbing to see this happen.
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