Cam to the Bodia

Yay we're here! It was a short sail over and I was kinda sad cause it's very peaceful when we're steaming. The view is wonderful from the deck and there's the cutest island just off our port side and I'll try and post a picture of it later. I get to go on a service project on shore tomorrow to help paint a school and I'm way excited to get on land and see what it's like. The people here are so friendly but they're all really short - bascially everyone is my size and my navy friends keep telling me I fit right in and maybe this is where I belong - hah. I can't believe I only have like 2 weeks left. Luckily every day is better than the one before.

Qui Nhon, Vietnam

I have had such an amazing time here! I can't believe we're leaving in a couple of days. I have grown to love the Vietnamese people so quickly. They are gracious, friendly, happy and loving kind of people that I want to be more like.

I work in an area call CASREC or casualty receiving. So we see all of the patients who come aboard first and assess them and get everything started for surgery or another service who's going to see them like audiology or something like that. The days are very busy but I like it that way. I have met so many people and it's crazy how quickly you can become friends and share something special together in such a small time. I have definitely loved them as I have just tried to make things work or find the right doctor for their baby. It's beautiful to be able to just serve them and not have any other motives in doing it.

I've been in the OR twice just observing. One of them was a cleft lip repair on a baby boy. The surgeon is from the Navy and asked to come on the project and he took as much care and detail with that little guy as he would have anyone else. Once it was finished to looked great and how huge of a blessing that will be for him and his family. The other favorite patient I had was a 6 year old boy who had burnt his hand and then it hadn't healed properly and 3 of his fingers had healed together and he couldn't fully stretch them out. So they separated them and skin grafted on the exposed sides. His hand looked amazing once it was finished. How blessed we all are to have people with those special gifts and talents to fix our bodies. They're going to have his hand in splints for the next couple months to stretch out those tendons and to make sure the skin graft heals properly.

I've also gotten to go to our off site clinics on the main land. They see from 600-800 people per day. They have physicians, pediatricians, optometry, pharmacy and dental. From those sites only some people are referred to the ship. But those clinics reach so many people and help them with smaller problems but make a huge difference. We are unbelievably blessed to live where we do. I am so humbled by the material things I enjoy and just how much more my comfortable my daily life is.

Vietnam is a cool country, especially cause I've never been to anywhere Asia before. On my day off I got to go to a Buddhist temple and to some ancient Hindu towers and to the market and the fruit market and ate local food. It was such a fun time! The temple was gorgeous and so intricate in the detail on every building. It's a really peaceful place because it's so quiet, even in such a loud city. It was especially great cause our friend Taylor speaks fluent Vietnamese from his mission so he could talk to everyone for us. I have fab pictures but the internet is way too slow so you guys will have to see them when I get home!

I only have just over 3 weeks left! So crazy but I'm excited to be back with all of you but I don't wanna leave at the same time.