New Faces 6/12/15

Excitement and anxiety explains my feelings of the tuk-tuk ride to the new orphanage this morning. It is like starting all over again since CHA shut down. The faces would be unfamiliar, I won't know any of them. I have to talk to new faces and find out their stories from ground zero. There is much excitement in this though. It was a far ways out to a part of town I was unfamiliar with. We arrived to the gate, and children quickly approached and lined up looking all cute and proper ready to meet us. The smiling and waving existed but there was that awkward barrier, which always happens when unknown visitors arrive for the first time. We walked around with the director as he pointed out places that needed fixing. The building they live in is quite old and has many roof and gutter issues when it rains. This gets the children as well as their belongings (very few belongings they have) wet, this also prolongs sicknesses. Tomorrow we will be patching up the roof with hopes our idea can pull through to keep the monsoon season rain out of the house. That awkward barrier was soon broken and mayhem was let loose when the bubbles and balls came out. The children were soon running around and following the volunteers anywhere they wandered. These particular children didn't seem to speak or understand much English, making it hard to learn names. Possibly they are just being shy and will open up to speak as time goes on. There are 30 in all. Every single one was smiling and so happy to see a new ball that had replaced the broken plastic one they only had. There was only one girl who sat out front and didn't play or blow bubbles, my goal is to change that soon.