the sojourn: Day 13

So today was our last day at the malnutrition clinic and it was a sad day to leave the kids. We got there around 9am and immediately started playing with the kids and changing and feeding the babies. A few hours after we got there I came across a boy named Benjamin. Benjamin has Hepatitis A and is quarantined to his crib, but today they let him out of his room. When I came upon him he was gobbling down a sucker. He was a brilliant boy, when I realized he had a pocket full of candy he started taking it all our of his pocket and hiding it under his mattress. I held him for a while and with every smile my heart grew closer to his. I stayed with him for a few hours and when it was meal time I left to hold some of the other babies. I picked up a girl named Odelia and started to feed her. After her belly was full, I just sat with her and rocked her until it was time for us to leave. I went to put her down and as soon as my hands left her little body she started to cry. I knew that we had a few more minutes before we had to leave so I just rubbed her belly and hummed "jesus loves the little children" to her. Every time I would try to leave her she would cry and break my heart a little more each time. I finally had to leave her crying in her crib which was very hard. As I walked out of the babies room and into the hallway, I looked through a small window into the room where the bigger kids eat. As I looked in the window, I saw the back of a little girl named Ofelia. She was sitting at the end of the table, all alone with a full plate of food, looking straight at the wall in front of her. She hasnt eaten in 3 days and wont talk to anyone or let anyone touch her. That sight broke my heart and I broke into tears. This little girl was just so pitiful but I hope that someday someone can break through to her. The entire experience has been very rewarding but heartbreaking at the same time. We came back to the hotel and let everyone do a little shopping, had dinner and now are getting ready for bed. We will be leaving the hotel at 6am for the airport and are now going to bed to get as much sleep as we can.

LITTLE BENJAMIN