Learning Happiness

Colorful roofs. That’s the first thing I noticed when I arrived in Cambodia. Everywhere you look there are red and blue roofs. That’s why it came as a shock to me when I first saw the gray walls of S21. The dull color of the walls match the grim truth of what happened there about 40 years ago. Once a high school, S21 was converted into a prison during the Khmer Rouge. It was a place used for torturing innocent people that Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, saw as a threat to modern times. These people included anyone thought to be an intellectual. People were arrested just for wearing glasses or having soft skin. Of the thousands of S21 victims, only 12 survived. Walking through the very rooms that were used for such inhumane events made my heart go out to those who died, as well as those who are still alive and recovering. This visit made me realize why Cambodia is where it is today and why I came to help.

After our trip, we went to the orphanage. I looked into the innocent, welcoming eyes of the children and then looked around at all the trash. Something about it just didn’t match up to me. These children deserve better, and the fact that I can help them, whether that be through teaching or manual labor, is a blessing. These trips don’t just benefit the children we work with, they benefit us too. In Nicaragua, the children were able to show me a new part of myself, a new way of life, and a new perspective. They taught me more in that week than I would have ever learned in a lifetime without them. In the same way, the children at the orphanage and schools have already made me realize so much about myself and the world around me.

While teaching the pre-schoolers, I realized I had more patience than I ever thought and I rediscovered my ability to maintain a positive attitude. While cleaning out the back of the stage, I learned that I have more perseverance than I knew and I can mentally take on more than I expected. While playing in the rain with the children at the orphanage, I learned that happiness is a choice, and you can make that choice any time on any day. That’s why today, after cleaning trash out of a dirt pit for almost 6 hours, when I was hot, filthy, and tired, I was happier than ever.  I can already feel the permanent imprint these children are leaving on my heart, the least I can do is do everything in my power to make their lives easier in any way possible. By doing that, I just might be able to change their lives forever.

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the one’s that do.” -Steve Jobs.