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It broke our hearts to wave goodbye as the van, filled with kids ready for camp, left Pamusis. It only got worse when we had to finally part with the remaining children and workers.
These past two weeks have changed our lives. There are no words to explain how much we long to return to the children. The instantaneous bonds we formed were deeper than simply friendship. At times, we felt as though we were siblings or parents. Simple actions like drawing pictures or teaching a new game brought excitement to the kids' relatively monotonous lives. Their horizons were broadened just by hearing our stories of mountains, tropical beaches, big cities, and life in America.
We were honored to find out that our presence even affected the other workers at the house. By seeing us so enthusiastically play with kids, we reignited their own passion for the job.
This trip opened our eyes to a reality that we still struggle to grasp. Leaving the kids felt so wrong because they have all been left before. For this reason, we know that we will continue to do as much as we can to keep strong relationships with all the children.
Never before in our lives have we had to say goodbye to so many wonderful people, not knowing if we would ever see them again. Coming into this trip, we expected nothing more than a lithuanian babysitting job. However, we are leaving with countless lessons learned and memories that will last a lifetime.
~Daiva, Ziba and Julija
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daina siliunas
non-member comment
okay, I sprung a leak
Well, while reading your last two journal entries I went through a half a box of kleenex. It may be hard to say goodbye, but their memories will not fade, and perhaps the children will have gotten a spark of hope, hope for the future, hope for their own fate. I recall hearing Oprah Winfrey comment on why she did not bring home some of the orphans she supports financially in Africa, and her answer was that this, the US is not their home. She financially supports them, because they are now in a stable environment within their home, so they could flourish and grow to later help others within their own country. I hope these children you met will grow up, remembering the time they spent with you and thereby help others within Lietuva.