Leanne Hoang. I was so excited when Sister Madeline, my superior, gave me the opportunity in June to tag along with Leanne Hoang and her husband, Damin, to visit the Sisters of St.
Paul de Chartres' Vi Nhan School for children with special needs. Leanne began missionary work in July in the Highlands of Vietnam and now works in many regions of South Vietnam. I had heard the story of one child that made me want to see the place. Thirty years ago, Sister Celestine, the superior of the school, was walking in the coffee plantation on her way to the local church for Mass when she thought she heard a baby crying.
She followed the sound and discovered a tiny baby boy wrapped in a tattered blanket. She took him back to the convent and named him Hung. It took some time before the sisters realized he was blind. He started learning Braille in kindergarten and concentrated on music, his favorite subject. He excelled in this along with other academic courses. His ability to compose music and lyrics earned him a place in Ban Me Thuot University. When he graduated, he returned to Vi Nhan School as a teacher with his wife and baby.
While there, he was invited to Orlando, Florida, to perform and attend a conference for the visually impaired. He then toured and performed in other states, including in New York City, for six months with his wife and child before returning to the school.
My trip to Vi Nhan School was a big adventure from beginning to end. First, we started out very early when it was cool, a relief from our scorching temperatures in Qui Nhon. Arriving in Ban Me Thuot was difficult because it was new territory for the driver. Howling winds grew stronger and dark skies threatened rain, as we encountered what seemed like thousands of scooters, bicycles and people on the streets, which kept us all alert.
