Like Family

by Jacqueline Hoang

Today was day one of my second workcamp with Sunflower Mission. Seeing all the new, unfamiliar faces at breakfast this morning was quite overwhelming, but I know these people will be like family after 2 weeks. It was also lovely seeing my friends from the previous workcamp again. We reminisced about how we all first met each other in the same setting 2 years ago and how close we’ve gotten since then.

En route to Da Lat, our workcamp group faced our first obstacle together: being stranded on a poorly air conditioned bus together for a good 2 hours. This was the moment having a fan came in handy. While everyone else was making use of flimsy file folders they had with them or cut up pieces of cardboard, I whipped out the handheld fan I had thrown into my luggage last minute. Note for when you visit Vietnam: bring a fan! But this unique situation right at the start of workcamp made everyone get along and willingly help fan one another after having just met. 

Getting to work in Da Lat this year hits close to home for me. Da Lat is my dad’s hometown, the place where all his fond childhood memories took place before he moved to Saigon. The first time I visited Da Lat was with my family, but now I get to experience it for myself and picture my dad, who was once an elementary school student in this very city several years ago. I’m looking forward to all the memories I’ll make this time around and the stories I’ll have to tell my family and friends back home.