25 Years of Witnessing to the Word in Thailand 157 of transportation and vegetable procurement within the association’s budget. On average, each refugee family receives vegetables once a month. Though this allocation falls short of meeting actual needs, the gesture of sharing assists refugee families in coping with the challenges of food and shelter during their temporary stay in a foreign land. What makes this gesture even more meaningful is that Ms. Nguyet, who shares the refugee experience, actively participates in these charitable endeavors. Recently, Ms. Nguyet was resettled in the United States by the UNHCR after a five-year wait. Many refugees wait much longer, sometimes over a decade, without being accepted by any country. Ms. Nguyet considers herself fortunate to have been granted an early departure. Even more fortuitously, upon learning of Ms. Nguyet’s charitable work in Thailand, a Vietnamese American priest agreed to serve as a liaison to support her during the initial period of resettlement. Ms. Nguyet feels blessed to have received numerous blessings since embarking on her charitable journey with Father Hung. On April 24, 2024, she bid farewell to Thailand, carrying with her a medley of emotions—joy, sadness, and apprehension.
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