Vinh Son Orphanage

The highlight of our trip, and the main reason each of us embarked on this journey, involved visiting the orphanages in the Central Highlands. We landed in Pleiku which is the area where my dad and some of the other men on our trip were stationed during the war. How blessed I am that I was able to visit these locations and here from them about their time during the war. The Chaix clan on the trip consisted of my parents, my uncle Gary and aunt Bonnie, my aunt (and champion roommate for the trip) Jan, and myself. The mountain in the center of the skyline behind my family was where the army base was located during the war.

The orphanages we work with are Catholic orphanages, the first and largest one is behind a beautiful old wooden church. This is the orphanage that Friends of Vinh Son have been working with the longest. It was amazing to see the projects I have heard my dad talk about over the years: dormitories being built, kitchens being repaired after a fire so the kids could have baked bread to take to school, and a small barn to house pigs that are raised for food and to sell as income for the orphanage. The kids sang songs for us, held our hands as we toured the facilities, and laughed and played with us until we had to part ways. Many of them know basic English including "hi", "how are you?", "what's your name?", and "where you from?". It was so sweet to hear them talk, laugh, and sing.


My mom looking in on a pair of 10 day old twins whose lives were saved because the nuns brought these little ones into their care.

A group of the kids in front of the boys dormitory just before they escorted us through for a tour. It was amazing how clean and well kept it was and how proud they were to show each of us their beds where they stayed.

Singing for us during our visit.

Up next: more from the orphanages!