After last month my team and I were talking about what we learned and we agreed collectively…
From the minute we walked into SILA home in Thailand, we felt the overwhelming feeling of Love. It was thick in the air as the children laughed and jumped around the room. One little girl with a short jet black hair came running up to me and jumped into my arms, kissing my cheek. She did not know who I was or why I was there…she just loved me. I thought to myself, “Awww, how sweet. They are excited to see all of us because it is the first day.” However, that was not the case. They continued to love us the exact same way up until the day we left. Kisses, hugging, dancing, laughing, and all…
SILA home is an orphanage in Chaiprakarn, Thailand. It is filled with some of the most amazingly talented children I have ever met. The youngest (most of our favorite) was 3 years old and named Arlee (see photos of him above)…such a little heartbreaker. He waited until the last few days to start warming up to us. The others ranged in age up to 19 years old. They would wake up around 5:30 am, pray, eat breakfast, complete their chores, go to school, eat dinner, work on homework, and play with us. The kids were all being prepared to go to a University after they graduated.
Every morning I was able to run with one of my teammates, appreciating the amazing landscape and almost getting eaten alive by angry dogs. Then I was able to enjoy breakfast and skyping with others from back home. Nikki, a 19 year old who helped out around the home, would also be hanging around during this time. He frequently poked his head into my webcam to say hello to others at home. Nikki became very dear to my heart…meet Nikki:
While they were at school we spent our days hoeing different areas of land and starting to build a chicken coop. We were living with another team during the month, which provided us with more opportunities for laughter and silly moments (see photos below).
We had a translator named Ning. She is studying at the University in Bangkok, but came to volunteer and translate for us for the month. She was so incredible! Her family and the pastor’s family all loved us and provided for us throughout the entire month. They welcomed us into their homes and into their lives. It was an overwhelming feeling to know how much they loved us.
If I were to pick a theme for my race so far, it would beLOVE. Love deep, love fast, and love whenever you can. The reality is…we may never see this wonderful people again…so loving them is the gift we can give them that will forever linger in their hearts.
