Smiles I'm missing: Melanie

I titled my last post Smiles I'm missing: Palmer.

Because I miss his sweet little grin, his cute teeth that are just a little too big for that precious face. I miss the face that smiled up at me. I miss the wonderful little boy that smile belongs to.

But I also titled it so, because I find myself yearning for the smiles that I know I'm missing out on. For the moments of joy that I don't get to be a part of. For the laughter and the happiness. I know the wonderful kids I fell in love with are finding moments of ridiculous joy everyday, with the long term volunteers, with each other. Joy in the little things, joy from the big things, and joy when everything in the world suggests that they shouldn't be happy. That knowledge brings my heart peace, but it makes me miss them that much more. It makes me ache to be part of the moments of joy.

I don't think anyone at the home filled my days with as much laughter and as many smiles as my beautiful, beautiful Melanie.

Melanie

Sweet Melanie captured my heart quickly. She has the cutest giggle you'll ever hear. Really. And she is always laughing. Whether its at her ayah's saree being dragged across her face tickling her, or just someone saying her name with the right tone, its hilarious. No one's there to be funny? No worries, Melanie cracks herself up just fine. She finds so much joy in the world around her. 

I spent some of the sweetest moments with Melanie, and many of my favorite memories of the home came from simply sitting at the foot of her bed, and laughing with that funny girl. 

Time with Melanie also often left me facing the hard truth that I am not enough. Melanie's hypnotic laugh was easily replaced with tears when she realized it was time you to leave her. At the end of each day when I left for home Melanie cried and cried. It was in simple moments like this that I was really crippled by the meaning of these kid's label as orphans. That people rushing suddenly into her life, and leaving just as quickly is her normal.

Melanie is a beautiful, loving, hilarious little girl. She has deep shining eyes and the longest eyelashes you'll ever see. She wants nothing more than to sit next to you and laugh and be tickled and played with. I ache to see the smiles that I know fill her every day. I ache to hear that laugh. 

Melanie is partially sponsored, but still needs her sponsorship completed.

Read more about Melanie here.

Smiles I'm missing: Palmer

Every day since I've been home, I've woken up aching to be back in India. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't wonder what the beautiful little faces that I fell in love with are doing. I see updates on the SCH page or facebooks of the long term volunteers still there and my heart flips in my chest. Each day I pray for SCH, and for the children there by name. 

Being away from them, being so very far away from them is harder than I thought it would be. I desperately want to be back in India, with those kids, and I'm working on figuring out how soon I can be. In the mean time though, there is so much help that can be given from right where we are. 

The children at SCH need sponsorship. You can sponsor a child completely or partially. They need sponsorship for food, water, diapers, medicines, surgeries and schooling. Things that every child needs. Sponsorship also helps the children have new clothes, new toys and field trips. Fun things in their lives.  Things that every child deserves.

SCH isn't funded in an ongoing way by any large grand foundation, church, or company. Their funding comes almost entirely from caring individuals. You can read more about donating to SCH here.

If you go to the SCH link Meet our Children you can read about each child and see their smiling faces. Please go read about some of the amazing kids there. They each have a story, and each is beautiful.

Over the next week or two I want to tell you all about the little lives that impacted me the most while I was in India. Children that are still in need of either partial or full sponsorship. Read their stories, see their beautiful little faces, pray for them, and if you feel led, help sponsor these wonderful kids. 

Palmer

Palmer snuck into my heart. I didn't really expect to fall in love with him, but when I realized I was, it was too late. I was head over heels. At first he's kind of shy. He'll step back and let the more rambunctious boys fight for attention, but once the commotion calms down a little you realize he's already at your side, tugging on the bottom of your shirt.

Palmer's favorite place to be was on my back. On my last day at the home he kept his little arms around my neck, his feet wrapped around my waist, while I walked around and said all of my goodbyes. Man, I miss that sweet sweet smile, and his tight bear hugs.

Palmer is sweet and gentle. He loves to color and play games. He will giggle and smile and hold your hand. I find myself missing this little charmer every single day. 

Read a little more about Palmer here 

Pray for this little guy, and don't forget, he still needs sponsorship!