• Continuing subsidies to disabled people already documented, and including newly found eligible recipients. I will take time to visit and verify cases that I did not visit during this mission.
• Wheelchairs, crutches, and walkers are needed for many other disabled personsons.
• Operating costs of the Dispensary. The benefactor who financed its construction decidedly distances himself from its operation. (He has kindly agreed to finance 2 Catechetical Conventions for 1,000 catechists in January, 2002 when he will come to participate).
• Wells to be drilled for other communities.
• Other material assistance (bicycles, farming equipment, linen, etc.)

• Literacy classes for children who have never gone to school.

  In previous missions, I attemPhu Thoed to initiate a few such classes during the daytime. It turned out that parents in these remote and impoverished areas do not see beyond their rice fields. School is something superfluous to them, as their children will never have the opportunity to travel beyond the bamboo trees surrounding their villages.

  Several religious women have agreed to cooperate with me in a renewed attemPhu Tho. One-hour Literacy classes will precede CCD classes (in many parishes, children go to the CCD classes almost every evening). Each such class would cost the Mission 200,000 dong, enough to provide the teachers with their daily food. Classroom supplies and materials will be an additional expense.

• Limited tuition assistance to families and children who really want schooling but cannot afford tuition.

CONCLUSION

Our Assistance to the Disabled Program has awakened most of the diocesan clergy from their primordial concern with constructing or rebuilding church buildings, developing parish organizations, almost to the point of ignoring the existence of so many poor and disabled people in the diocese.

In times past, responding to my voiced concerns about the lack of charity work in the diocese, the answer they always gave me was: "they are so numerous that we couldn't possibly look into it yet; for now, the most urgent need is evangelization/re-evangelization." They might be right in the sense that they had to direct their efforts toward what they considered of foremost importance to them. My deaf ears and determination, and the case managers' enthusiasm in going about our task of finding and bringing some hope and joy to our disabled people has gradually changed their hearts. Recently, I heard one of the key pastoral personsonnel of the diocese preach to the seminarians, teaching them that the mission of the Church is "not only evangelizing but also caring for the poor and the unfortunate, as God is doing."

MISSION EXPENDITURES

I. Financial Assistance to the Disabled: 72,000,000 dong

• Monthly subsidies
  284 personssons x 50,000 dong x 5 moths = 71,000,000 dong
• Travel expenses for 5 case managers
  40,000 x 5 persons x 5 months = 1,000,000 dong

II. Health & Nursing and Assisted Living Care
for the sick, disabled and terminally ill people: 19,750,000 dong

• 3 daily meals for 3 inpatients
  5,000 x 3 persons x 30 days x 5 months = 2,250,000 dong
• Medicines: 1,000,000 dong
• 11 wheelchairs x 1,500,000 dong = 16,500,000 dong

III. Dispensary Staff: 5,500,00 dong

• Nurse practitioner: 500,000 dong/month x 5 months= 2,500,000 dong
• (2) Nurse Aides: 300,000 dong/month x 2 aides x 5 months= 3,000,000 dong

IV. Dry Goods for Needy People: 15,520,000 dong

• Blankets: 140 pieces x 40,000 dong = 5,600,000 dong
  • Hauu Thao, Sapa - 30 pieces
  • Lao Chai, Sapa - 30 pieces
  • Ro Luc, Phu Tho - 40 pieces
  • Mo Xuan, Phu Tho - 20 pieces
  • Khe Nhoi, Phu Tho - 10 pieces
  • Khe Nhao, Phu Tho - 10 pieces
• Mosquito Nets: 60 pieces x 42,000 dong = 2,520,000 dong
  • Ro Luc, Phu Thọ - 20 pieces
  • Hien Quan, Phu Tho - 20 pieces
  • Mo Xuan, Phu Tho - 20 pieces
• Nylon Straw Mats: 60 pieces x 40,000 dong = 2,400,000 dong
  • Hien Quan, Phu Tho - 20 pieces
  • Mo Xuan, Phu Tho - 20 pieces
  • Ro Luc, Phu Tho - 20 pieces
• Bicycles: 7 bycycles x 500,000 dong = 3,500,000 dong
  • Van The, Phu Tho - 1 bycycle
  • Mo Xuan, Phu Tho - 2 bycycles
  • Khe Nhoi, Phu Tho - 2 bycycles
  • Khe Nhao, Phu Tho - 2 bycycles
• Farming Equipment: 10 haversters x 150,000 dong = 1,500,000 dong
  (Wheat Haverster = May Tuot Lua)
  • Mo Xuan, Phu Tho - 4 haversters
  • Sapa - 6 haversters (2 for H'Mong Tribes)

V. Catechetical Formation Programs: 19,900,000 dong

• Master Catechists: 7 days
  Food Expenses: 7,000 dong x 7 days x 60 persons = 2,900,000 dong
• Catechetical Convention : 4 days
  Food expenses: 7,000 dong x 4 days x 500 persons = 14,000,000 dong
• Printed Materials: 2,000,000 dong
• Supplies: 1,000,000 dong

VI. Community Development Projects: 1,500 US dollars

1. Mountain trails ( Hau Thao & Lao Chai): 500.00 US dollars
2. Well Drillings: 1,000 dollars
   • (1) Son Dong, Ha Tay: 300 dollars
   • (1) Phu Nghia, Ba Vi, Ha Tay: 200 dollars
   • (1) Chieu Ung, Phu Tho (Dispensary) 200 dollars
   • (2) Hien Quan, Phu Tho: 2 x 150 dollars = 300 dollars

Grand Total: 10,650.00 US Dollars (132,670,000 dong = 9,150 dollars for projets of I to V above and 1,500 dollars for project of VI)

Funding received for this Mission was 10,000 US dollars