This week we were privileged to spend an hour in the home of Kim Loan (Teeda) and her parents. Teeda is 18 and battling cancer. She is one of the most kind, pure and humble people one could ever hope to meet. Immensely popular because of her friendly and outgoing personality, she speaks four languages fluently--Vietnamese, Khmer, Thai and English.

Last week, we were invited for a (Chinese) New Year's get-together in the home of a woman from Branch 3 who lives with her daughter in a Viet village along unused railroad tracks. The row of structures on either side of the tracks contains small 'tenement' homes with common walls.

This is the main floor of the house we visited, roughly 10x10. We enjoyed bread, fruit and drink with some Viet-speaking missionaries, but we had to leave before the main course of rice and curry. There is a lower floor which we did not see. The lower 'floors' are typically open space with dirt.

My Hoa and Lam Sophy from Branch 3. Lam Sophy (right) has already served a mission to Cambodia and My Hoa is preparing for a mission.

This little girl from Branch 3 is wearing a traditional Vietnamese áo dài, pronounced ow zai in the North and ow yai in the South. She was trying hard not to smile because she is missing her two front teeth.

Ratha Marady (2nd from right) pictured with his parents and younger brother. We took this photo in Phnom Penh on Jan 15, nine days after his successful operation in Vietnam to repair a large Ventricular Septic Defect (hole in heart). Prior to the operation, surgeons projected an 80% chance that he would need a pacemaker, and the necessary 'wires' were implanted. They were pleased to report six days later that the pacemaker would not be needed and promptly pulled the wires--another tender mercy of the Lord. That is the short version of a long list of mercies and miracles extended to this fine family over the two years that Marady's condition was diagnosed and evolving. It was gratifying to see the Church help the family to surmount the challenges of finance, finding a quality heart center and rare blood resources, translation, scheduling, passports, transportation, lodging, etc. and to see so many people earnestly and prayerfully involved in bringing this to pass.

Dr. and Mrs. Duy, who were instrumental in facilitating Marady's surgery at Tam Duc Heart Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Dr. Duy made all the contacts, accompanied Marady and his parents, and provided translation between Vietnamese, Khmer and English. The surgery would not have happened without him. He first became acquainted with Marady's situation when we called him for help from the Phnom Penh Heart Center at the time it was discovered that the B- blood needed for Marady's surgery was not available in Phnom Penh.