I can not believe how quickly the weeks are flying by here. I could have sworn I wrote an entry a few days ago, but its been over a week. It's been a great few days here in Da Nang, I am feeling almost completely better and we have really gotten into a nice, regular routine where everything feels natural and familiar. I'm really glad that I still have almost a month to be here now that things feel fluid.
We had another great morning with the children from the Red Cross at the beach last Wednesday. My good friend Oanh and her sister Kim came along with us, so we were able to take a lot of children. Oanh is a physio here and we met back in 2010 when I first came over. She is one of my favorite people in this country. Her sister Kim is really wonderful to, and she works with Mr.T and Mr.Phuc and I'm confident that they will are start a really amazing volunteer program in Da Nang. The water was pretty rough on Wednesday, so some of the children couldn't really go past the shore, but we managed to get a few of them past the break and in a little deeper. We spent about 20 minutes getting the sand out of our bathing suits and hair before heading back to the orphanage, but it was definitely worth it. Some of the kiddos who were scared of the water at the beginning on the summer are getting more confident which is really fun to see. They are so happy in the water, which all of us from the coast can relate to. It is definitely my favorite place to be.
I've been spending the afternoons at the center for victims of Agent Orange and I really love all the people there. They are a wide range of ages, the youngest being 13 and the oldest is in her 40's. The centers were established because the families of the disabled people needed somewhere to send them during the day so that they could work, so many of them have been going to this center for years. We brought some arts supplies on Thursday afternoon and it was a big hit. We also brought puzzles and groups of them worked together for over an hour to finish them all. Today we are bringing scissors, paper and markers to make masks that they can bring to their homes. Some of them are really incredible artists and do some embroidery and printing at the center that they sell to help support them. There are others there whose disabilities make it hard for them to do anything, but they also enjoy the mechanics of drawing or doing other projects with their hands such as building and hitting at a ball. Another favorite activity is making up different games with soccer balls and soft balls which is great because it gets them moving around. Unfortunately, last Friday we all got a little too excited and one girl kicked the ball so hard that is knocked out one of the big lights and almost fell on her. Luckily, she moved and everyone was OK! But we are definitely going to be a little more careful with the ball games. 
Mr.Phuc came to AOV with us yesterday and spent a good amount of time with the boy, Thien, who can not walk. It seems that he may have had polio as a child and that is why he can not walk now. Mr.Phuc was amazing and feels that if he visits regularly to do PT with him, he may be able to get some control over his legs and at least move with a walker. Thien was so excited when Mr.Phuc was explaining that he was going to help him get strength in his hips and legs. Aside from not being able to remember very well, his brain is so good and he is such a funny kid and I really hope he can improve. It would mean a lot for his family too. His grandparents are much older and are really worried about what will happen to them once they pass away. Having Mr.Phuc work with him at the center seems to be the best option. It is the most affordable and almost most time efficient since the boys family will not have to take him to a different rehabilitation center to get treatment.
This week has involved changing many diapers at the baby orphanage (we don't have other volunteers living in Da Nang right this second, so it's me and Mr.T and Mr.Phuc at the baby orphanage which is great- just a lot of diapers). My friend Molly came with us on Monday and is going to come again and it was really wonderful having her with us. The baby orphanage really is so fun. The older disabled kids play nicely with the babies and we're able to spend time with everyone there and it feels like we are one on one even though there are many more children than adults. Feeding gets a little tough when you have 23 hungry babies and only two hands, but I feel like I am starting to get the hang of it. We go to AOV in the afternoon and will visit Social Support tomorrow and Friday. We're taking Mary's House to the pool on Friday morning and then out for ice cream after.
I also went to Hoi An last night for my first time this trip. Mark had a friend in town from Australia so we had dinner with she and her fiancee and it was really nice getting out of Da Nang for a few hours. We ate at one of my favorite restaurants in Hoi An called Cargo which is owned by this amazing woman named Ms.Vy. She owns several restaurants in Hoi An as well as a cooking school. I go to Hanoi next week for a night to meet a few people and go to go a meeting and I am really excited for that. I haven't been up North yet so it will be good to see what it is like up there.
That is all for now and I will write again before the week is out I promise!
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