We were on our way to the medical mission worksite. I was anxious to do what we had come so far for, but the drive in itself was a gut check. There were torn up cinder block houses with dirt floors; some houses had no front walls. Garbage was scattered all over the ground.
Little children ran around in dirty, ragged clothes and no shoes. I was afraid of the illnesses the people at the mission might have because their living conditions were so unsanitary.  | 
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| We arrived early in the morning and there were already patients waiting for us. For the first week, my job was to play with the children while their mothers saw the doctor. I was expecting these kids to be like the sad little children advertised on television asking people for their money. These kids were not like that at all. They were happy, loved to laugh, and more than anything wanted to be played with. The language barrier was tough at first, but the kids loved to teach me their language and were eager to learn mine. Many of them were not able to go to school because their parents could not afford it, but they wanted to learn moreso than any children I have ever seen. The parents were not used to so much attention being put towards their children. They were very grateful for it, and often joined in and played with us. Some of the children didn’t have parents or family, so they just roamed the streets looking for a place to sleep and some food. Their lives were sad, but they were content and happy just to be given some attention. I realized then that kids are the same everywhere- play with them, make them laugh and they will be happy. |
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