Time flies when you are with these orphaned children at CPO. I feel as if it was just yesterday that all of us walked out of that airplane and instantly felt the perspiration on your skin. We only have about 6 days left here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, but we are leaving the children and the orphanage on Friday evening. I just wish that I could spend every day with them for the rest of my life. I wish I could be there for good. Every step of the way. Since I know that this is not physically possible, because of the fact that I live in Vail, Colorado, I try incredibly hard to give them everything I have to give to them in the time that I am still here. I want to make them feel happy, extraordinary, and most of all, loved. There will always be a special place in my heart for them.
6-19:
This morning we helped finish up the "dirt yard" in the lawn of the orphanage. This will soon be a place to plant food for the kids to eat as part of their daily meal. It was really fun while working on it, knowing that this will provide the children with full stomachs from now on. In the afternoon, we played some very fun, exciting, and high-leveled volleyball. This was a very memorable part of the day as well. Next, we gave every child at CPO some new clothes. This made them feel very loved, and extremely wanted, which I loved and enjoyed. Then, Keavy and I searched through all of the their cubbies to terminate any ripped or stained clothing. After that, I taught some of the children their colors, shapes, and numbers. I was very shocked to see how little the older children knew, but I should have expected it. These kids might not have gone to school when they were young. They don't have a fraction of the advantages that we in America do, so I am grateful to be helping them with learning as well. The girls also taught me a new version of "rock-paper-scissors" and "monkey in the middle." I loved them both.
There are two blind boys at the orphanage, and they might just be the most inspiring people I have ever met.
One of the boys name in Sopia. When he was younger, about age 4, he and a few friends were playing with a land mine. They had been playing with it all day, and then towards the end of the day, it blew up in mid-air. One of his friends died. Sopia was left blind. Sopia still has the land mine scars all over him, and I cant even imagine how bad that must have hurt.
Now, he can play tons of instruments. Its truly amazing because he was taught how to play all of them by someone holding his hands onto the instrument and learning the patterns. Its almost impossible.
6-20:
Today, when we got to CPO, after making a trip to SFODA and spending a limited amount of time there, we instantly started playing games and sports with the children. We also bought nail polish, which we used today on all of the girls, and to tell the truth, some of the boys. It was very fun, and now most of the children at CPO have very colorful nails.
Keavy and I then also cleaned the bathrooms. This time it didn't take as long as before, because they had already been cleaned, but they still get very dirty in a matter of days, so I was glad to touch up on them again. Straight after that, we washed the clothes that needed to be washed, which a good majority of them. It was so cool to see how they clean their clothes though, because they clean them like in the olden days. With a bucket, brush, and a wood panel. It was very fun, and from my perspective, it actually cleans very well.
After that, we played some more games, handshakes, hula hoops, and tags games.
I cant wait for tomorrow... We only have two more days at the orphanage left.
"A small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of LOVE"
~Stendhal
No comments:
Post a Comment