Binh Rybacki and I (Raina Zeeh) became friends on a mission trip in 1994. When I first met binh she invited any doctor or nurse to come with her to Vietnam. As a nurse and with a desire to do a short term mission, with God's leading, I decided to travel with binh. At that time the trip was more of a fact finding mission than actually providing care to kids in Vietnam.
binh & Raina at binh's son wedding 2009
It was a very eye opening experience and one that stayed with me. In 1999 binh helped my husband, Curtis, and I adopt my son, Thane, from Tam Binh orphanage in Saigon. In 2001 binh helped us adopt my daughter, Nina, from the same orphanage.
Curtis and I decided in 2005 to take a more active role in COPI by serving as mission coordinators. Curtis or I have led each March mission trip since 2006. Binh and my friendship has grown over the years and I am honored to call her one of my best friends. Binh is an incredible woman with a heart for God and the people of Vietnam.
The family picture was taken on a trip to the Great Barrier Reef last summer during a trip to visit the Catfords (Tanya, one of our team members). Thane is now 14 and in 8th grade. Nina is 11 and in 5th grade. One day they both would like to make a trip back to Vietnam to see the country where they were born. We hope they can go on a mission trip in the coming years.
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