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Morgan and Kaylee’s Diary – February 14, 2017
Morgan and Kaylee’s Diary – February 14, 2017
Morgan:
This morning we worked on the greenhouse quite early. We cut off all the edges of bamboo and wood that was sharp and could cut through the plastic. We taped down pieces of wood and bamboo so that when we pulled the plastic tight, it would not tear through. After we finished this we walked all the children to school because some of the girls were going to read poems during their morning line up.
We then headed back to Home of Hope and made some valentine’s day cards for all the children. We wanted to make them feel special and show them how much we loved them. We finished this and continued work on the green house. We got all of the plastic tightened and secured with rope. We dug a trench around the base of the green house to hold the plastic down and create an area for the water to collect when it rains. It was so interesting to see the results of the greenhouse today as it was scorching hot inside. It felt like a sauna inside and we haven’t even put the door in yet. We made an easy ventilation system by tying the plastic down with rope. This way if it ever gets too hot inside, they can easily untie the rope and lift the plastic up. All of the children came home and had their afternoon snack as usual. A lot of the children came outside to help us clean up all building materials and left over pieces of wood inside and around the greenhouse. It was great of them to help us out without even being asked. They truly are the best kids. It was quite fun to work with the children as we played Nepalese music and danced a little while we cleaned!
I was able to get in a few more interviews with some of the children today which was good. Once I finished with the interviews Kaylee and I got to work making dinner for everyone. We wanted to give Asha and Shyam a break from cooking and introduce different food to the children. We attempted to make chow mein however it turned out to be a spaghetti stir fry. We had tuna and mayo with chili pepper mixed on the side, along with sweet chili sauce. Everyone tried everything and they all really seemed to like it. Many of them came up after and thanked us for cooking! After we finished eating we handed out the Valentine’s day cards we made for each child. We made it so that each card had an anagram for their names. We read the cards to them and explained to each child what we thought was special about them and what qualities they have. They all seemed quite touched by our cards and it looked like Bishek had tears in his eyes. I nearly cried several times because I feel so much love for these children. They are all so unique and special. I handed out the books donated by Partex UK which they generously donated to Lööf Foundation. All of the children were so excited and started reading them immediately! Thank you Partex UK for continuously donating!
Next, we surprised Shyam and the children with the cake! They were all so happy to have cake and celebrate. Soon after they ate it was bed time. Kaylee and I tucked everyone into bed. Today has been the best Valentine’s Day I have ever had. I am so happy I got to spend it with the most loving children!
Kaylee:
Today was a really great Valentine’s day!
I would have to say that my three favorite things of the day were finishing the greenhouse, reading the valentines to the kids and helping Asha to decorate the cake. I cannot believe how quickly and easily things have gone with the greenhouse. It feels like we just started it yesterday and today we can say that we are all but finished. I believe that we will even be able to plant some seeds before we go – yay! Later on, when Asha asked for help with decorating the cake that she baked for Shyam, I could not say no. If you know me, you know I love baking. Since the baking supplies here are quite limited I decided to use some of our stash of chocolate to write Shyams name on the cake with. This chocolate is not of the highest quality but many children said it tasted good on the cake. Asha and I were laughing the whole time as the chocolate didn’t want to melt like normal chocolate does. Instead, it turned into this fudgy goo. It would have to do, so Asha and I just tried to make the best of it and form the letters with our hands like we would with playdough. We were very proud of the outcome and finished off our masterpiece by drizzling it with honey and adding nuts and raisins.
I could really feel how excited Asha was, which made me so excited for her. After dinner (but before cake time) we handed out the cards to the children. I was overwhelmed by their reactions. Many of them had tears in their eyes while we read and we were showered with hugs and kisses by all of them in the end. It felt so good to tell the children all of the things that we like about them. I could really see in their eyes how uplifting it was for them. Moments like that warm me from the inside out. These children are all so uniquely amazing; they deserve to be told how special they are each and every day. I feel like one of my goals for the trip is being fulfilled – to make each child know their own worth. I will be going to be bed tonight with a big smile on my face. The times shared tonight will certainly live on for a long time to come!
Morgan and Kaylee
