This year, my sister will be joining the team, and it is the biggest honor ever to be able and introduce her to a country that basically feels like home for me. I am so ready to show her absolutely everything, not hiding anything, the good and bad and the ugly. She has no idea what she is getting herself into, but I do, and I am so excited for her.
Just a few weekends ago, it was "Orphan Sunday", a day specifically set aside to remember those who many forget about. To me, they are unforgettable. Everyone of them has a unique, and usually extremely painful story to share to anyone who will just take a few short minutes to listen to them. Sometimes this means not getting the job done, or not finishing a project on time, but the longer I have been to Guyana the more I begin to realize that listening is really the most important thing that I can do. Without pausing from painting or building or whatever else we are doing there, I would have missed so many important details of those children's lives. I would have never known that Reshma and Rolisha are in love with ballet, and I would have never known that Naresh has dreams of coming to the United States. I would have never heard the stories of the orphanage workers or of anyone at all.
I am realizing more and more that this season of my life is simply about listening, to those around me and even to those who I have never spoken to before. It is important, and you really begin to understand people for who they are.
I absolutely cannot wait to return to Guyana this summer!
