Wednesday afternoon we arrived back at the orphanage after a three day trip to the south. We scrambled to pack our bags and wrap things up before we left for the airport that night. As we ate dinner with the kids for the last time, I knew we were going to have to say goodbye to them shortly. But that couldn’t be too hard, could it? We’d only been there for two weeks, and we had been busy working most of the time. We hadn’t spent nearly as much time with these kids as we did with the kids in India. But when it came time to say goodbye, I couldn’t do it. I walked with the boys to their dorm and hung out with them as long as I could while they prepared for bed.

I am going to especially miss Ishara the chess player and his best friend Mahesh, who tried to teach me Singhalese. These two boys pulled me aside that night and promised that they would write to me. Then they opened my hand and placed in it a necklace with two hearts on it. I don’t know where or how they got it, but I know their chances of replacing it are slim. These kids don’t have much. Ishara and Mahesh gave me one of the few possessions they had. It was a gift from their hearts, and I will never forget them for that. 

My stay at Samudra Sri was a unique experience that I feel privileged to have had. The kids there all have horrible stories and backgrounds, but surprisingly, they were not incredibly emotionally needy. This orphanage has done a fantastic job of providing a healthy environment for kids, complete with food, shelter, and education; but most importantly with love.