The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom. ……

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Many of you know the story of Quan http://www.accv.net.au/18.html

It is a privilege to play a small part in the journey that is this young man’s life. He has come such a long way since we met him in 2007.

I sometimes pause in awe of Quans achievements and how well he has handled everything. And then I think of the expression;

……… The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree ………

When we first went up to rural Hoa Binh to meet Quan, we also met his mother Duyen. A delightful lady, we found her to be very gracious and calm as she dealt with the extreme challenges of daily life. Her husband suffered a massive stroke a number of years ago and he is totally incapacitated. Poverty stricken, with an invalid husband and a disabled child, you can imagine her day to day existence as she soldiered on and cared for both father and son.

During that first meeting we broached the subject of Quan leaving the tiny shack and coming to live in Hanoi to study. Duyen very graciously thanked us for helping them, and tears softly rolled down her cheeks as she spoke of the difficulties in their lives, and her fears as a mother about what the future would hold for her child.

Quan sat very quietly nearby and simply listened to everything that was said, he didn’t say a word.

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Duyen and Quan are obviously close and it must have been so difficult for her to let him go off to a busy city hours away, knowing she wouldn't see him for months. But let him go she did, in the hope that his life would improve, and it certainly did!

Quan’s achievements have been quite remarkable and they have really transformed his life and those of his family. He has become an inspiration for so many people, and the amazing thing is that his story is still unfolding! He now works as a massage therapist, he attends IT lessons a few afternoons a week and he goes into Hanoi all day Saturday and Sunday to attend secondary school. This young man is going places!

He has that same gracious way about him, he calmly accepts & appreciates every opportunity that comes his way and he then puts his all into doing a good job. He is so much more confident now and he’s really enjoying his life. And his mum is not quite so worried about his future anymore.

Today is Mothers day, a day set aside to honour and appreciate our mothers. I can’t help but think about Quan’s Mum. As this beautiful photo from Jim clearly shows, Mother’s day is so much better for her this year.


And then of course, there are all the other mothers out there, poverty stricken, with very real fears and concerns for their child’s future……….


Regards

Alison & Rose


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