Ho Chi Minh City
On the morning of Friday 20 September, our 2024 Vietnam Immersion Team, consisting of 25 Year 11 students and six staff members, successfully arrived in Ho Chi Minh City after a red-eye flight. The team dove right into Vietnamese culture with bánh mì (bread rolls) for breakfast, followed by a day of touring the city. Highlights included visits to the Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum and the Museum of Vietnamese History. On the second day, we explored the Cu Chi Tunnels before enjoying dinner and a stroll along Nguyen Hue Street. On Day 3, we attended Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, where we felt at home as we joined local people in singing familiar hymns such as “City of God.”
Hoa Hong School
After three days in Ho Chi Minh City, our team headed to Long Khanh to spend three days at Hoa Hong School, where 60 students, aged three to twelve with hearing impairments, are taught to hear and speak to integrate into mainstream schooling.
We were warmly welcomed by the Dominican Sisters and the children, who performed a dance they had been practising for weeks. The sisters introduced us to the school and shared how they work to help the children integrate into society. We spent time in the classrooms, teaching and playing with the students, with the sisters’ help. They also treated us to delicious food, like bánh bèo and bún bò Huế!
The next day, we planted foliage for flower arrangements with the sisters and students, a skill the sisters teach to prepare the children for their future. After an hour in the garden, we returned to the school and began organising and painting three projects, turning the school into an art workshop!
While in Long Khanh, we took some time to visit the Bishop’s House and the Seminary of the Diocese of Xuan Loc – the diocese with the largest number of Catholics in Vietnam. About 400 seminarians are being trained in this seminary! There are more than 2,300 female religious and about 700 male religious in this Diocese.
Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse
On the 7th day of the immersion, we visited the Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse, where we were warmly welcomed at Mass by 600 kindergarten children, who participated with energy and joy. We spent the morning playing team games before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch. After lunch, we played the role of cooks, making jelly to serve as dessert for dinner. We then toured the convent and learned about the history of the Dominican Sisters. The students were particularly excited to hear about Sister Chau’s journey to becoming a nun.
We then paid a heartfelt visit to the elderly nuns before participating in Evening Prayer with the sisters. Following this, we joined them for a delicious dinner they prepared for us. Each student had the opportunity to sit with several sisters and learn about their lives and everyday experiences.
It was an incredible experience and we left the Motherhouse feeling fulfilled by their warmth and hospitality. We then embarked on our journey to the Central Highlands on an overnight bus to visit and work with the Bana girls.
Bana Girls’ Boarding School
Upon arriving in the Central Highlands, we dedicated our final three days to working with the Bana girls at the Dominican Sisters’ boarding school in Mang Yang.
The Bana girls welcomed us with traditional dance, which allowed us to connect and build relationships. We explored the surrounding village, played team games and enjoyed traditional lunches and dinners prepared by the sisters and the students.
We also took time to teach the girls basic English and were impressed by their understanding of common words and phrases.
On our final day, we attended Sunday Mass with the Bana community, conducted in the Bana language, followed by more dancing with the girls. The farewell was emotional as we began our journey back to Australia.
All staff and students returned home safely late Monday night 30 September. This experience was truly once in a lifetime, one we will cherish forever.
Vietnam Immersion Team