Its difficult for me to say what aspect of this first month has had the most impact on me. I am sure it will shift and vary throughout the remainder of my time in India as I travel and continue to see more of this Incredible country. However, I can say that regardless of what world wonders and beautiful views I come across, nothing will touch me as deeply as my experiences at the orphanage have.
So much progress has already taken place since we first began our work at the orphanage and soon the entire back plot of land behind the buildings will be transformed into a playground for the girls and a sustainable garden. We are planning to purchase a slide and swing once the land is leveled and seeded. And we will finally get our hands dirty when we paint the exterior walls of the buildings next week!
Each time I visit, the girls just open up to me more and more. They are initially shy, however by the end of each trip I usually have a few of them hanging around my neck, pulling my arms in different directions or hovering close to my side. My heart melted yesterday when they started calling me "Didi Katha", which means older sister in Oriya. I am so blessed to be able to spend time with these girls and I know full well that the benefit my time and efforts at the orphanage bring to me are just as great as for those little girls. I don't need to speak their language to feel their warmth and kindness, to know how much they want to impress me with their jump roping or counting and to understand that when I smile at them, they know that I will never forget them. We are in this together.
So much progress has already taken place since we first began our work at the orphanage and soon the entire back plot of land behind the buildings will be transformed into a playground for the girls and a sustainable garden. We are planning to purchase a slide and swing once the land is leveled and seeded. And we will finally get our hands dirty when we paint the exterior walls of the buildings next week!
Each time I visit, the girls just open up to me more and more. They are initially shy, however by the end of each trip I usually have a few of them hanging around my neck, pulling my arms in different directions or hovering close to my side. My heart melted yesterday when they started calling me "Didi Katha", which means older sister in Oriya. I am so blessed to be able to spend time with these girls and I know full well that the benefit my time and efforts at the orphanage bring to me are just as great as for those little girls. I don't need to speak their language to feel their warmth and kindness, to know how much they want to impress me with their jump roping or counting and to understand that when I smile at them, they know that I will never forget them. We are in this together.