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Morgan and Kaylee’s Diary – February 17, 2017
Morgan and Kaylee’s Diary – February 17, 2017
Morgan:
This morning Kaylee and I said our good goodbyes to the children. It wasn’t as teary eyed as it has been in the past which is good since all the children were headed to school. However, while I was hugging Bishek, I got very teary eyed. Especially throughout this visit Bishek is light years different from when I first met him in April of last year. He hugs me now, smiles more, danced for the first time, holds my hand and tells me he loves me. Before he would never show this much emotion. I think it was easier to say goodbye this time because the children trust in me that I will always return. It’s less of a goodbye now and more of a see you in a few months!
I have kept saying to Kaylee throughout this entire trip, that I wish she would have met these children a year ago. These 12 Home of Hope children are not the same as they were when they first arrived at our doorstep. They are all so much better and truly the best kids. I am especially grateful for the ongoing love, support and parenting that our housemother Asha and housefather Shyam show for these children every day. Throughout my visit here in Nepal I was able to get a greenhouse built. Surprisingly it took less time than I had anticipated. It is 20 meters by 4 meters, a lot bigger than I had imagined. However, it is possible to plant inside the greenhouse as well as outside as there is still plenty of garden space left. We managed to plant five rows of pumpkins, zucchinis and three to four different types of beans. The other half of the greenhouse still has potatoes, onion and garlic growing from this season. Once those are harvested, then there will be plenty of room to plant many new and different varieties of vegetables, as Kaylee bought plenty of seeds!
The green house is very sturdy as it is built out of bamboo. The main support posts are secured with cement in the ground. All of the sharp edges and points are secured with soft material and tape so that it will not tear the plastic. We have tied down the plastic so that it will not blow away from the wind or rain in the future. As well, it makes it easier to replace any plastic that may tear and easily removable to provide a ventilation system if the inside of the green house becomes too hot. It was truly amazing to see this project come together in such a short time. It felt especially good to plant seeds and start the growth of this greenhouse. I absolutely cannot wait to return in a few months and see all the plants growing!
One main task this trip was to hand out the sponsorship letters to all the children. Words cannot express what it felt to give these children their letters and pictures and see the pure joy, love and support come across their faces. It was as if they had all received new families. They instantly attached to their sponsor. Many of the children shared their letters with the other children and walked around proud to tell the other kids about their sponsor. I have so many letters and drawings from all the children safely packed to bring back with me. I feel a little like a mail lady! I cannot thank all our sponsors enough for your support, love, letters and photos you have given to the children. They absolutely loved them and I can assure you that you all have some more writing and responding to do as our Home of Hope children are awaiting their next letter and photos!
Kaylee and I are now in Kathmandu as Kaylee would like to buy some fruit trees for Home of Hope tomorrow. I will also go along with Shyam tomorrow to get a pipe for the guest bathroom as that needs to be repaired. This trip has been a huge success. I’ve experienced so many wonderful moments with all of the children, Asha, Shyam and Kaylee. As always I will miss Nepal and the children, but I will return again soon. Thank you to everyone who has followed my trip and given support along the way, it means more than you could know!
Kaylee:
During this trip I really felt as though I connected with the school children more. Morgan and I spent quite a bit of time at the school doing checkups and getting reports on the Home of Hope children. Morgan and I held a workshop for the school, providing lessons on gender equality, waste disposal and recognizing your own self-worth. The school now has a new system in place where if a child is caught throwing garbage on the ground, they have to pay a five rupee fine to the school. We could really see the effects of our workshop quickly as days after many children would come up to us saying that everyone looks “same same”, which meant that no matter what gender you are, you can still achieve your dreams. With my donated money she was able to provide all the school children and teachers with a meal. It was such a treat for the children as they don’t receive food during a school day. Many children may not receive breakfast in the morning, or a meal after school, so it felt especially good to give them some nourishment. Some children savored their meal, while others ate very quickly. It felt really great to be able to spread the wealth outside of Home of Hope and to the surrounding children of the village.
Saying goodbye to the children this morning was not an easy task! Many of the children were asking me when I will be coming back to Nepal again. I gave them all the same answer and said that I will do my best to come back one day. While packing the last of my belongings, Aren came into our room and sat next to me on the bed. He started to cry and asked me to please come back as soon as I can. It was very special to hear that coming from Aren seeing as he is the tough guy of the “pack” and usually doesn’t show too much emotion. I will miss him dearly, along with all of the other Home of Hope children. During the goodbyes, I was holding it together surprisingly well. That is until little Laxmi came and gave me a big hug; her little arms wrapped tightly around me and her face buried in my neck. She said “I love you” quietly and then she gave me a kiss on both cheeks and my forehead. At that moment I was really struggling to keep hold the tears back, but somehow a few managed to drop anyway. I am so thankful for the opportunity to meet these kids. They have all made a huge impact on me. This trip would not have been the same had Morgan not been there with me. We made a great team and have had many accomplishments throughout the past few weeks.
Morgan and Kaylee
