We did it! Three weeks ago we started building houses. Today, we had the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. When we first started, students were divided into three groups and each group would work on the same house each work day. That meant that we got to know the ladies moving into the houses, the foremen that were teaching us how to build, the kids that lived close by, the animals that roamed around, and the neighbors. So, today was more than just a ribbon-cutting ceremony, it was also a lot of goodbyes. The Youth Union organized a big event for the final ceremony. There were speeches, news cameras (that’s right, the news was there), exchanging of gifts, pictures, hand shakes, applause, and ribbon cutting that all took place. We then gave gifts and pictures to all the ladies moving into the houses and said our farewells. There were even some tears mixed in there as well.

After the ceremony was completed we then made our way to a celebration party. The Youth Union built a stage on the beach that included lights and a sound system. Hundreds of students and neighbors came from all around the area as people, including our own students, sang and danced. The night ended with a giant bonfire on the beach. The internet is not strong enough right now to upload all the videos but once it is we’ll post them for your enjoyment. Until then, see our pictures and one video, and picture the greatest rendition of “The Cotton Eyed-Joe” that Vietnam has ever seen

We are now on our way to Hanoi and then Ha Long Bay! Talk to you soon!

— Rusty & Janie