From Brighton, South Australia, they volunteered to join a building team to help with our work in Vietnam. Little did they know what they got themselves into?
They were then appointed team leader for the building team for the two weeks here. When the building team went home they decided to stay on for a further two and a half months. You'll be surprised what they got up to during their time here.
They continued to work on the property bricklaying, helped out in an orphanage twice a week, and taught English to many young Vietnamese students who are our volunteers for the hospitality and tourism class.
They also provided valuable practical support for the Director of Company of Grace (that's me - Hoa). Cleaning my home, fixing up my old wheelchairs and purchase another for use in outdoor terrain. Half of the time I didn't even have to come up with things for them to do, as they just saw the need and then went about finding out a way of solving it.
Every Friday night they assisted Hoa in his classes for teaching and equipping local volunteers so they will be more able to work with our visitors from overseas.
Leigh & Jill then started making contacts with all the Aussie expiates living and working in HCMC and began to promote our project with them. This made us realied that these Aussies expiates may be another potential avenue for us to tap into in the next few years, but we need people like the Wheatley to make these contacts.
Finally they helped me put on a great AFL Grand Final party in my house to give me a feeling of being back in Australia again, eating meat pies and prawns cooked in a rice-cooker.
At the end of September they had to go back home to normal life in Adelaide but everyone here missed their contributions and friendships made.
However their story does not end there. They are already praying about the possibility of coming back again for another trip!
