The Orphanage

I learned about the Orphanage late one night. I had been searching for places to volunteer for months and couldn’t find the right place. There are many great organizations helping people, but I really believe that you need to find the right match. Sometimes, it takes time. It took me over six months. Late one night, I found the Orphanage on an Internet search and knew immediately that is where I was going to end up. I can’t explain it, because I wasn’t even looking for Cambodia at the time. But, I found the Orphanage one night after waking up at 3:00am.

I can’t tell you enough about this place. The orphanage has the most amazing spirit of any place that I’ve been. When you walk in the door, children run and greet you with open arms. But, it’s not just about the greeting. The place is an incredible family. Children help cook, they hand wash their own clothes, they all have chores, they love to study. They call the Director papa and they call each other brothers and sisters. It’s a little world where life is simple and good and full of hope. These children are mostly from the dump. The others are from the streets or very bad places.

Why?

I went for corn with some of the children one evening. I sat with the children eating corn, as an old lady came to me begging for money. Before I said one word, six children stood up and gave her the little money from their pockets. It was the allowance they had received the night before for Khmer New Year. I was with the children that had no other family on Khmer New Year.

In class, a teacher asked the kids to stand and talk about their dreams. Every child had a dream, but they were all about “working hard, becoming a rich person and helping others”. It was an amazing moment to hear children from the dump that saw love in others and wanted to share their grace.

A boy was supported to attain a driver’s license on the condition that he would use his license to deliver food to poor seniors. Now, a group of children pile in the back of a truck to deliver food to the poor.

I can tell you about the great food. I can tell you able the excellent education. I can tell you the garden the children grow. I can tell you about the pigs they sell. But, how can I tell you about their loving spirit? I can show you one hundred e-mails about children that worry about me working too much. I can show you one hundred e-mails that are written from the heart. I can show you children that will stay in Cambodia and change the country for the better. I can show you children that have changed me.

I’ve included many pictures from the Orphanage in the photo gallery. I think the pictures tell a story more than anything. These children came from the garbage dump or from the streets. Each one of these precious souls once stood in the mud and garbage. Each one of these children, have dealt with more in their little lives than I can imagine. And yet, they teach me. Please listen to their stories. For me, this is heaven on Earth. It’s interesting that a person can be in heaven and hell in the same day. In the end, the only difference is on the surface. I believe these children will make a difference.

Please help.