I had an opportunity to participate in a humanitarian project in an orphanage in Guatemala last summer. It was an experience that I will treasure forever. Even though it was only for two weeks, I truly came to love all of those kids that I was there serving. Technically I was there serving and helping them, but I think more than anything they helped me. I learned so much, not only about them and their different culture and lifestyle, but I learned so much about myself. I find that when I'm serving others, I'm the most happy with myself. Gandhi once said, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
The last day I was there was really emotional for me. Like I said above, I had come to truly love every single one of the 15 children that were there at that time. So when it came down to me having to leave the orphanage for the last time I was having a hard time and was crying. I had become not only really close to the kids, but also to the other three girls I was there serving with. All of the kids hated to see me cry, they wanted me to be happy. They were drawing me pictures and making me little trinkets out of paper as fast as their little hands would let them, so that I would have plenty of little things that I would be able to take home with me. I was humbled tremendously when Jimmy, one of the older kids, came out of the bedroom that all of the boys share and gave me a sack of marbles that hadn't yet been open. Those kids don't have a lot of possessions and what they do have they treasure. I wasn't going to take it, but he insisted I do. Those kids have so little, but are willing to give what they do have. Jimmy's little brother Oscar then did the same and brought me out a little sack of marbles. I don't know if they'll ever know how much that meant to me. I went there for two weeks and have been inspired for a lifetime.
Every single one of those kids has a piece of my heart and they always will.
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