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PDF version“Let the Little Children Come to Me…”
by Maureen Fiedler on May. 24, 2010
Vietnam: Day Two
Today, our interfaith delegation from the United States visited the /Center for Children with Disabilities/ in Cu Chi, Vietnam. It is run by a Catholic priest, Father Phan Khac Tu and a wonderful staff.
As we walked into a large room on the ground floor, we were greeted by a couple dozen children sitting on the floor, singing and chanting and welcoming our strange looking group. These children suffer from a wide variety of disabilities, but they were able to be hugged, and to appreciate Bob Edgar’s crazy/wonderful magic tricks.
Upstairs, we visited more severely disabled children, lying on mats. Most had badly crippled limbs, and some had enlarged skulls. One girl, eleven years old, had the body of a two-year-old. Still, they smiled, reached out, and seemed to welcome our visit, and our hugs.
These are just a small fraction of the children with birth defects that are believed to be caused by Agent Orange/dioxin, the poisonous herbicide the United States sprayed over the countryside for ten years during the Vietnam conflict.
They are cared for at this Center because their parents cannot give them the kind of round-the-clock attention most of them need. But this Center, and another run by Fr. Tu, hold only about 130 children; he is just now breaking ground for yet another center which will hold 200. And this barely scratches the surface of the needs of such children in just this area of Vietnam.
It takes a special kind of love to care for such children. They will not grow like normal children, go to school or become adults and raise families. Some will die in the early years of life. Others will simply live on in a world where pain and discomfort are moment-to-moment realities. Yet the care here calls up in me the words of Jesus, “let the little children come to me…” The witness of Fr. Tu and his staff is stunning.
But these children cry out to us in their suffering to stop the horrors of war. For wars do not end when the last troops are gone or the last gun is stilled. It’s something to ponder when we see pictures of Iraqi children or Afghan children today.
war is hell, and hell is
war is hell, and hell is endless, and produces still this strange fruit which we struggle not to see, not to believe, but which happens now and forever on each battlefield far away we have create.
where our television does not go.
where we must no and forever plant the seeds of peace, of life, of hope, of love.
of our Nonviolent God.
Thank God for Sister Maureen Fiedler, for taking us with her. May Our Lady give her the great strength and compassion of her Magnificat in bringing our healing love to our victims of war.
working twelve hour days and
working twelve hour days and seeking a little peace in the evening while still called to one side by students, I cannot always proofread this unphonetic Saxon script and I beg your forgiveness and understanding
This is NOT Joycean, like the Wake. This is unintentional:
create(d)
no(w)
(cancel penultimate our)
etc.
for these and all my other faults, known and unknown, please forgive me
Some pictures of these kids
Some pictures of these kids and other victims would graphically make the point about the evil effects of this warfare.
Another good example what the
Another good example what the wonderful Nuns in this country do. Making us aware of the care for the children who are suffering from the affects of the war in Vietnam. As sister stated this will also be the case wherever wars are fought, the children and mothers will suffer. We need to all continue to pray that Peace will come to the world someday.
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