At the end of 2018, The Hong An Association began to collaborate with the Sisters of the Witness to Faith of Lam Dong in central Vietnam. The Hong An Association started the donations with 50 rice bags per month and a small amount of money for the poor in Lam Dong. These people were selected by the Sisters based on their need. After six months, the Association increased the bags of rice and funds based on increased contributions from the Hong An Association’s benefactors.
In March 2019, the Hong An asked the Sisters to search for 50 additional people to receive rice. The Sisters were very happy. After a month, the Sisters wrote to the Hong An Association:
“Dear Hong An Association,
Thank you for your unconditional love, support, and kindness to help the poor people in Vietnam. The additional 50 portions will help reduce the suffering from poverty and hunger. The support of the Association has given us the hope, motivation, and courage to find families in areas that no one else has been brave enough to approach.
Thank God, I found families in this village that are the poorest of the poor. The village is nearly 20 miles from my community. The people in this area are the Mong, Tay, and Co-Ho people. They came from outside Cao Bằng more than 30 years ago. There are nearly 200 families so far. Most of the homes are made of a leafy roof, a wooden house, dirt floor, and a wood-burning stove for cooking.
Because the government is afraid of people following a certain religion, they protect and isolate the people here. I cannot imagine how miserable these people are. In the past, anyone who has tried to help was chased away. The villagers are not allowed to accept gifts or have visitors. Recently, some parishioners saw how miserable these people are, they tried to bring necessities to the villagers but were denied access and they had to drive away.”
The letter was long and shared the different methods the Sisters had to come up with to go to the villages to help and visit. But due to the complex situation, the Hong An Association does not want to disclose any details that may cause trouble to the Sisters. However, hearing the stories, the Hong An Association felt somewhat responsible for putting the Sisters in the middle of a bad situation.
Because of their mission to help these poor people, the Sisters are being monitored, investigated, and interrogated. Other people may have given up but because of their commitment to the Gospel and their love for the poor, these Sisters do not give up. They have found some helpful solutions so they are not confronted by the government.
“The difficulty is the wisdom”: The Sisters are still able to find alternative ways for the Hong An Association to help the poor families in this miserable village. The Sisters know best because they are locals and are familiar with the people and the area. It is an advantage to have these Sisters because they can advise whether the gifts will be accepted or confiscated. Thank God and thank you, Sisters, so much.
