The beginning of my journey began 2 years ago when I applied to go on a service trip to Nepal. Never could I have known that what I had signed for would end up being as memorable and life changing as it was. I had heard many students talk about the change that the trip brought in their lives. As I arrived in Nepal it still didn’t strike me that I was actually there, but after 26 hours en route, I would have been glad to be most anywhere just to be on those planes. We arrived at night and I was in great anticipation for the next day when we started our work at ABBS.
The youngest girl was named Nerwana and she was 4 years old. She was always in the cutest little outfits, but she was sassy and did not like any of us. After a few days of switching rooms to find the right one for me, I landed in the pink room where Nerwana was. I was on a mission to get her to like me! After an hour of playing peek-a-boo, she picked up a long and flat red Lego and began pressing her thumb to it, then on my forehead. Then she would pretend to feed me a bite of food and a sip of a drink, followed by her cleaning my chin. She did it a few times and seemed to understand that I was confused. She turned to her teacher, Mana for help, and Mana explained to me that Nerwana was giving me blessings. It touched me that such a small and seemingly innocent act could mean so much.
This year I was determined to come back to see the little girl I left behind. If I could I would adopt her. I knew the chances of her remembering me was slim but still, I had to come not just to see her but to help again. This year I was touched to see that she remembered me. I was even more touched to be welcomed back by the teachers with great amounts of love. It wasn’t until this year that I realized how much the teachers mean to me and how much they played a role in changing me for the better. They all have a place in my heart. Their courage and sacrifice inspire me to try to be slightly as amazing as they are. This is why I came back. Not to experience the same thing again because that’s impossible, but to grow deeper in my relationships with the students and teachers. To be a small help in their busy day. I come in knowing that I will be changed and taught, I am not here as an American who wants to come in and teacher knowledge I don’t possess but as a girl who wants to be a small piece of their bigger work here. I am so blessed to have been able to come back and hope for the future to be back again.