As you view the pictures and text below, you may click on any of the pictures for an enlarged view.

About an hour and a half from Da Nang, in Quang Ngai Province is a small, poor town called Chau O. Just minutes from the site of the Mi Lai massacre, the memory of that great tragedy of thirty years ago still lives.

On November 10^th of this year, a team of workers from UniReach International and Kids Around the World will arrive in Chau O determined to leave a new legacy in this place. You could be part of that team.

This dirt road leads from the “main street” (also made of dirt) to the center of three schools where more than 1800 students gather daily. There is a pre-school with about 250 students to the left. The secondary school with about 500 students is on the right. At the end of the dirt road, about 150 yards away is the elementary school with just over 1,000 students.

You are looking at the concrete courtyard in front of the pre-school. It is the primary play area for the students. Notice the absence of toys, swings, slides or soft surfaces.

Here is a classroom at the pre-school. Notice their feet. No shoes! If you know Asian culture, you’re saying, “They’ve taken them off because they are indoors.” It’s true that many Asian people take off their shoes when they enter a building, but in this case, only a handful had shoes to take off when they came to school today.

Look at the expressions, expressions of happiness, expectation and hope. Imagine their faces when they see the playground! If you join the construction team in November, you will not have to imagine their faces, you will see them first hand!

Here’s a group of elementary age children. Note the bare feet again – and this time outdoors, not in. Also note the teachers’ parking lot on the right in the picture.

The students are wondering why the American with the contingency of government officials and strangers is here. Little do they know the wonderful gift they are about to receive and the delight it will bring to them.

The man in the brown shirt is the elementary school principal. He knows why the American and the government officials are here. He knows it is one of the sites being considered for a new playground in Chau O.

After this picture was taken, I told the officials this was the site we would build on. They turned to the principal, told him what I had just said. Tears filled his eyes as he rushed over to shake my hand. His gratitude for a promise not yet fulfilled was overwhelming.

You can have a part in keeping this promise. You can give money toward the playground equipment – more than $60,000 is needed. And you can volunteer to be part of the construction team.

This is the actual location of the new playground. The building you see is the back side of the pre-school. The secondary school is to the left and the elementary school, behind us. Our playground will occupy the physical heart of the school complex. It will also have a special place in the hearts of each child in Chau O.

Making this dream a reality takes lots of work, some of it is skilled, but much of unskilled labor. Only a strong back and a willing heart are required. It’s amazing what you can accomplish one shovel full at a time.

Spreading, raking and picking out stones and debris, all contribute to making a safe place for the children to play.

Keeping track of the nuts, bolts, parts and tools is one of the most important tasks in the whole project.

Digging holes with the power auger takes a team of three. The project requires about 250 holes into which the playground equipment is placed and cemented.

Fixing the hand and footholds on the low climbing wall is a little like placing pieces in a puzzle. Trust me; it’s a lot harder than it looks!

But the main tower, now that’s the challenge! Everything must be connected loosely until all the parts are in place. Holes have to be adjusted to accommodate the reality instead of the drawing.

At this stage in the process, it’s a good thing to remember the instructions did say, “Some assembly required!”

But after all the work, its payday! When we arrive, we are greeted with a flat, empty piece of ground. When we leave, children are shouting, laughing and squealing for joy on the playground we have built. These two are about to learn the arts of compromise and cooperation on the horizontal loop ladder.

Who among us hasn’t felt a little apprehension when encountering something for the very first time?

Or the exhilaration of a brand new sensation.

Watching this young girl from Phu Ly play on the barrel roll we built in June of this year, you get a glimpse of what it will be like for the children of Chau O. Not only a child at play, but a child learning about her physical and emotional potential.

Construction team member and child share a moment of delight on the pogo pole. You see, the building of the playground is reason enough – providing a place where children can be children in a community that cannot provide them with things children here take for granted and often ignore.

But ultimately, it’s not about a playground. It’s about relationships. Relationships with Americans – Christian Americans. It’s about letting a labor of love speak of Christ’s love in a country where we cannot preach and teach Christ. It’s about Christians from America leaving a symbol of friendship and love in a community whose memory is scarred by an awful past. It’s about some of them eventually finding a relationship with Jesus.

Why would anyone want to be part of a project like this? Well, maybe this picture answers that question. When was the last time you put a smile like that on a child’s face?

Construction will take place in November of 2007. You will need to depart the United States on Friday the 9th of November and be returning on Saturday the 17th or Sunday the 18th.

If you would like to learn more or want to have a part in building a playground in Chau O, contact Bill or Gwyn Hoyt at 909 860-0359 or by emailing your inquiry to ghoyt@earthlink.net .