To love and be loved

Hey!!

Today was a really, really fun and relaxing day. In the morning we worked on the playground and built a fence around it. Soon it will have a fully wooden fence and sand! After that we played with the kids. We played monkey in the middle, basketball, and I even managed to get a game of stella-ella-oh-la going. It still amazes me how I used to play that game growing up and they know it to! It makes it easier to connect with the kids and really shows how we are all the same and should be treated that way. It makes the language barrier a lot easier to deal with as well! Similarly, nothing beats a language barrier than a tickle fest. All you need to do is tickle one another and suddenly all the smiles and giggles come out and every body is happy. Playing with the kids and showing affection towards them is sometimes all that they need. Every body wants and has a right to be loved. These kids have been exposed to some pretty brutal things, things a child should never have to go through. When I look back on my childhood, I see myself running around playing games, or even going to school and playing with my friends. Never in my life would I have imagined myself to be a slave to trafficking. A child should be able to live their childhood without fear and without abuse, but instead with pure enjoyment, innocence, and freedom. The children at the orphanage are beautiful. They each act differently- some quiet, some loud- some aggressive, some calm- but you know they are all striving for the same thing- to be loved. 


I saw a girl this morning, and in fact I took a picture of her. When I saw you I just felt lost and alone... She was sitting alone on bamboo sticks and she knew I was taking a picture and looked at the camera. I could feel something, something I had never felt before, I felt a story behind her eyes. I don't know what the story was nor could I imagine what it was. Later that afternoon I saw the same girl, only this time she was laughing and playing around with me. We started off by chasing each other and then got into tickling one another. She was laughing and smiling and giggling! It was like I had seen a whole new side of her. She was happy, she was loved. It's amazing to see how just a little bit of attention and compassion can change a child's entire outlook on the human race. No longer should she feel scared or threatened- but instead loved and cared for.

At lunch yesterday we said prayer before we eat. Something I found very interesting was who they thanked during prayer. As you know in many part of Asia, rice is very popular. The children pray and thank the farmers for all of their hard work making the rice and promise not to drop a grain of rice on the floor. When have you ever prayed and actually thanked the farmer? I don't think we do, and if we do it is not nearly often enough. With all the work that farmers do, we often overlook the fact that they put food on our tables nearly every meal. The fact that the children will not waste food is amazing as well- and they literally lick their plates clean. Next time you pray or eat, think about who to really thank for your meal and to eat everything you grab as a sign of respect for those who helped prepare your meal

I cannot wait to go back to the orphanage tomorrow and share more and more love with each child. Tomorrow we will be working on the playground again and then hopefully taking the kids swimming in the river! Stay tunes :)


Love and Hugs
Bianca 


"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return" 
- Moulin Rouge