Orissa India....December 21, 2005

"Please pray for Us"....

These words came out of nowhere with a surprise. Where just moments before a song was heard, these words were uttered. Just moments before a welcome song filled the air with loud voices, joy, and smiles. Just moments before little hands presented a gift of flowers, hundreds of beautiful flowers given by beautiful soft faces. Each gift was recipricated with my own gift of a kiss and hug.

But then the words came...."Please pray for us"..

The first time these words were uttered I could not determine the source of the request. The request was not uttered in just but in truth. The request was not for riches but for the simpliest of acts. The request was not whispered but spoken to be fullfilled. The request was not made for oneself but for all...the request was unselfish.

The request was not the voice of a small child, it did not come in close proximity therefore it did not come from the front row of faces. As I scan the crowd and my ears are allerted again by the repeated request of "Please Pray for Us".

My heart pounds, my eyes tear up and my hands filled with a gift of flowers tremble at this simple, unselfish, lovingly uttered request.

As I stare in the crowd of child faces, I cannot speak. I am overcome with both a tinge of sadness and overwhelming love for the request did not only come from a child, a child that is a girl but from an child that is a girl and an orphan.

There are 150 children, they are all girls, they are orphans at the Mount Carmel School. They are beautiful, they are all from the age of 4 to 18 but mostly 4 to 10, they are innocent, they are loved, they are family but they are orphans.

"Please pray for us".... I cannot help but consider that these beautiful, innocent girls should be praying for me instead.

________________________

This picture was taken the day before as the girls welcomed us with song and dance. The picture could not contain all the girls but just a few....and they were all beautiful.

For Christmas Monica and I presented the orphanage with 150 bags filled with caring love, practicality and joy. I stand here with my flower gift from the garden, a bit teary eyed with Monica and the Sisters of Carmel.

Excerpt: Monica and I found out that many families in India give their GIRL or GIRLS up for adoption over their boys. It seems so unjust to us for the girls are so beautiful, the girls are the one's cleaning house and cooking. When the Girls get a little older, they are the one's working the feild, tending the stock, carrying the would. We Learned that the GIRLS were considered the working gender in a family...so why do they give away their GIRLS? They are the heart and soul of this vast land.

Excerpt two:
Upon arrival to Bangkok I located a book...."Chinese Cinderella, The Secret Story of an Unwanted Girl" written by Adeline Yen Mah. I have not read this book yet or her first booked titled Falling Leaves, both are autobiographies of her own life as an orphaned child. May we read, love and learn the heart of a little girl....who is unwanted.