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Landon would have been forty-three years old today. His death fourteen years ago seems like yesterday to us. The pain subsides over time, but the sadness never disappears. We never lost Landon; he is alway with us as we honor his memory through our work at home and in Vietnam.
“The bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.”
—Anne Lamott
Because of your extraordinary generosity over the years, we have raised more than $860,000. Starting with a residential school for visually impaired children in Dong Ha, which has become a model for schools throughout Central Vietnam and beyond, we have funded capital projects including:
- Kindergartens
- Water treatment facilities
- Regulation soccer field that is the envy of schools throughout Quang Tri.
- New houses for those displaced by catastrophic flooding and mudslides
- A mushroom garden and other sustainable organic gardens
We have supported with partner organizations:
- Anti-human trafficking programs
- Educational support, medical intervention for the disabled, and nutrition programs for children at risk
- COVID emergency relief providing food staples for families out of work
- De-mining activities
Our work is not over. We have several new visually impaired students at the school. Our students tell us their English lessons are their favorite classes. We continue to support the dreams of our high school students who hope to follow Nhi, now in her second year at university in Hue.
Landon would be proud of what we have done and continue to do in his memory. A woman we met recently at a reception captured our work so well when she wrote, “I was so moved to hear about how you turned something so painful into something so meaningful and impactful. Truly inspiring.” Every child we reach is Landon's.
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