AMELIA SHOWERS

On our last night at the village, we had a few moments to say goodbye to our buddies. As we were hugging, I wasn't expecting anything more than a simple goodbye, because it seemed that she hadn't even liked me very much. All the sudden, she started crying and thanking me for coming and telling me how much she would miss me. We connected more at that time than we ever had through our time at the village. Even after I had gotten on the bus, she stood at the window to wave goodbye and blew kisses to me. This moment really opened my eyes and made me see how big of a difference we make for these children, no matter how small it seems. In such a short time, I realized how life changing everything we do for these kids is whether it's reading them an English book, giving them sneakers or making plans for the learning center we will one day build. Having the opportunity to connect with them on a personal level made what we do even more valuable, both for them and for us.