NPH Expectations
When I first arrived to NPH El Salvador in the summer of 2008, I had expected many things. I was told that I would be greeted by a sea of smiling faces and be swept away to play. Knowing that I was going to a Spanish-speaking country, I was prepared to understand very little because at that time, my Spanish vocabulary included numbers, colors and basic greetings. I expected the “normal” things.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the kids’ actual presence and being there with them. You can’t help but be happy and smile and laugh when you are around them! They are beautiful and wonderful each in their own unique way. Some of their stories make you sad, but the majority of their stories make you laugh.
I went there thinking that I would teach them something. What that exact ‘something’ was, I’ll never know. I was wrong though. I wasn’t the teacher. I became the student. Learning from the kids is one of the coolest and most humbling things I have experienced.
Here are the two most important things that I learned. The first was about unconditional love. Some of these kids had unfortunate beginnings and experiences. Instead of being Negative Nancys or closed off to the world, these kids are some of the happiest and most loving in the world. Upon their arrival to NPH, these kids turn their negatives into positives. They love unconditionally, and they treat each other as their own blood family. Once at NPH, a child becomes a part of something bigger…they become a part of the largest family I have ever met. Their love has no expectations, no requirements. It is simple yet strong. It is unconditional!
The second thing that I learned was how to be grateful for the simple things. The children have a home, clothing, food, education, and a place to worship. They are thankful for the new set of clothes they get each Christmas and for the books and pencils they use in school. After visiting them and seeing how they live simply, I came away with a sense of gratitude for the things that I have. Each day I thank God for what He has blessed me with: a family, friends, and the opportunity to go to college…the list goes on.
We all can learn from these kids. Our expectations will be broken. We can especially learn about unconditional love and gratitude.
“When you take the time to actually listen, with humility, to what people have to say, it’s amazing what you can learn. Especially if the people who are doing the talking also happen to be children.” –Greg Mortenson
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