As the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, some doubted the news reports, the statistics, and the actual danger.  Suddenly the danger seemed real when people called the Hong An Association requesting prayers for their family and friends who were sick from COVID-19 infections.  To add to their worries, some lost income due to the shutdown of the economy.  People were isolated and lonely.  Also, students were bored and restless at home.  There were so many factors causing stress and worry!

          Another dimension of the pandemic was the reduction in donations to the Hong An Association.  Due to uncertainty about finances and employment, many benefactors have stopped or reduced their donations.  The Association had to inform the Sisters in Vietnam that this lack of donations would affect the charity programs.

          The Hong An Association was still committed to helping those in need despite reduced funding. The Sisters reported that needs had increased due to widespread job loss.  Many families were destitute now.  The Sisters responded with trust, “Let God take care of it!”  And God did, indeed take care of it!  The Sisters were inspired to continue to help all in need.  They did this by reducing the amount given to each person so all could be fed.

          The Sister consulted the Hong An Association regarding the monthly rice contributions. They asked if they could share some of the rice meant for the elderly and disabled with the jobless families. This was the best solution during this desperate crisis. No one would be full, but no one would starve.

          Starting in March 2020, the Sisters implemented this "sharing" plan to certain rural villages. In early April, the Hong An Association transferred the second quarter (April-June) funds to places although the budget has been reduced. The Hong An Association continued to send emergency relief funds to areas in desperate need of help like Cao Bang, Lang Son, and Lam Dong. Now that Hong An Association has sent relief to help the pandemic victims, the Sisters are happy! They say, “First things first; let’s worry about fighting to stop hunger!”

           Here are some pictures of the Sisters from Lam Dong.

          In life there are times when we feel lonely and miserable. If we focus on only our misery, then it will seem unbearable. But if we open our eyes to see the pain and suffering of the people around us, especially the poor and the sick, then we will realize that our problems are not so terrible.

          In recent years, the Hong An Association has received letters from benefactors to help with the burial of aborted fetuses in Vietnam. This is not one of the programs of Hong An Association, but if any benefactor wants to help, then the Hong An Association will act as a mediator to transfer money to the religious communities that specialize in this mission. The Hong An Association has sent donations to the Sisters of the Lovers of Holy Cross of Hue, the Brothers of St. John of God, the Franciscans and most recently, the Dominican Sisters of Bac Ninh.

         Sister Ly Nguyen, OP, of Bac Ninh Diocese, is also a very involved collaborator with the Hong An Rice program and other programs that improve the lives of those in need. Here is her briefing:

         Dear Sister, I have been the Head Director of Protecting the Dignity of Life Program (abbreviated BVSS) of Bac Ninh Diocese for more than 10 years. Currently, I have 11 groups of 268 members actively working for "BVSS".

THE WORK OF THE GROUP IS

1.  Publicity to prevent abortion

1. 2. Counseling women with problem pregnancies, or nursing, or taking care of a newborn.
2. 3. Burial of aborted fetuses.
3. 4. Accompanying the Dominican Sisters of Bac Ninh to transport pregnant women on this program to safe delivery of their babies.

         It is very painful to look at and bury the aborted fetuses.

         For more than ten years on this mission, I have experienced these cruel and atrocious crimes. I added these numbers to the terrible acts I witnessed.

         The number of fetuses aborted in the first 6 months of 2018 was 34,700. The fetuses were buried by the members in the 11 groups of BVSS. Only 52 babies were able to survive. But the diocesan Bishop has always said that saving one life is a miracle. We thank the Lord for the compassionate benefactors’ concern about this special mission. I am sending some pictures of the activities from the Diocese and our Sisters.

Working to protect lives:

         The purpose is to find and advise pregnant women to keep their babies and provide a safe home.  These are pictures of the babies that were saved by the volunteers.  They counseled these pregnant women and took them to a place where they could live instead of aborting their child. After these mothers give birth, the Sisters must find ways to help the mother and child. But this is not a simple mission; there are many complications.  While saving lives and helping the young mothers is a wonderful feeling for the volunteers, most of society looks down on this. It is difficult to get enough support for milk, medicine, and diapers.

Burying the aborted fetuses:

         The burial of the fetus is the last step of protecting the dignity of life. But it is very emotional for everyone to attend the burial service of these fetuses. It is very painful and heart-wrenching.

         There are some fetuses that are mature and large, making it difficult for them to leave the womb. Therefore, the doctors have to cut them up into pieces to remove them. We collect the fetuses and their parts from the hospital waste bins, take them home to graft the parts together, wrap them in a cloth, and keep them in the freezer until burial.

         Currently, the Diocese of Bac-Ninh has 14 facilities in many areas, which is convenient for the volunteers to bring the bodies there to freeze. The largest area has about 1,000 fetuses a month and the smallest has about 100 fetuses a month.

The volunteers have to face many difficulties. It is not easy to bring the survivors to their homes or to bury the ones that did not have a chance to live. For all these years, everyone has been working silently with God. It was just in 2019 when we received sympathy and support from people who helped build tombs for the unborn fetuses. But the babies who survive still do not have anyone to care for them. 

         That is the brief information about the aborted fetuses and the ones who survive.

         If you have any questions, please contact us.

          The Sisters in Nghe An presented a new idea to the Hong An Association for helping and supporting patients with kidney disease. These patients go to the hospital three times a week for dialysis and their meals are prepared by the Sisters. The Sisters shared: The hospital has about 160 patients. Many patients have been on dialysis for more than 10 years. Although they do not pay for dialysis, they still have to pay for medications, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses! The Sisters give rice to the patients but due to their limitation of 20 bags of rice, they created a rotation so every month, 20 people will receive a bag, then the next 20 people for the next month, and so on. So, after a few months, everyone has received a bag of rice.

           Patients who come to Nghe An are often very poor. They have multiple struggles along with their own health complications.  Some examples of this are:  

•            -  A husband suffers from a stroke, his wife has kidney failure, and their child has a disability.
•            -  For another elderly couple, the husband has both kidney disease and a stroke. His wife rents a small lodge to take care of her husband.
•            -  There is a young girl, who just finished high school, recently diagnosed with kidney disease.   Her future is unpredictable.

          When on dialysis, the patients look exhausted and seem to have lost their will to live. There are a bunch of children, lying close to each other for dialysis.  Dialysis is very draining on the body so by the time they are home, they must rest and recuperate. They do not have energy to do anything else!

           When the patients receive the rice from the Hong An Association, they are overwhelmed with joy and excitement. They are happy to take this donation home to their family.