After travelling for 30 or so hours, we arrived at Baan Dada and were immediately welcomed by all of the children. As the truck pulled onto the property, the children swarmed the vehicle and could barely wait to climb onto it to welcome us with hugs. We barely had time to say hello before a tractor pulled up and the children began to load our luggage on it and take it to the guest house for us. The children were of all ages - from babies to teenagers - but we got the same loving welcome from all of them. This scene alone is what sticks in my mind when I think about the children. Despite having to be separated from their families, these children gave all of us a lesson in opening up and expressing love for people in a non-judgemental way. But they were more than just loving.
Each of these children had a desire to know each one of us. For some, this meant knowing our names; for others, it meant spending countless hours with us. One thing was for sure though, they appreciated us being there and were incredibly grateful to have us visit them. We loved spending time with them as much as they loved spending time with us and we were able to show them that in many ways. As a large group, we had many talents and gifts that we wanted to share with the children. They were ready to learn anything that we wanted to teach them and they approached each task with a smile. As a group of university students, we are learning new things everyday but we hardly ever approach our work with a smile. These children taught us to be grateful for the things that we are so fortunate to have, like a post-secondary education.
In the way that our arrival sticks out in my memory, so does our departure. As we got out of bed that morning, the sun was still fast asleep - and so were the children. The atmosphere in the guest house was as it had never been before. We were all looking forward to the sightseeing that was ahead of us and the return to our homes after that. But we were sad to leave the place that had been our home for the last ten days. We were sad to be leaving the people that were so willing to accept us into their lives and who had worked so hard to make this place seem like home for the short time that we were there. As we got our luggage and walked to the vans that would be taking us away from the orphanage, the sun began to rise - and so did the children. As I looked at the children who were waving, saying good-bye, and giving hugs, it was obvious that we had made a difference. As I looked at our group, the group of adults with tears in our eyes as we said good-bye back, it was obvious that the children had also made a difference
Erin Walters
