A Child That Stirs Up Your Heart

End of freshman year, I went to Vietnam for an ICE trip.

It was such a great experience, getting to work with the people

there and running around with the children. 

I have grown to care and love a little girl I met there so much. Sadly, I didn't

get her name because of language barriers and she was too little to

talk. Although she looks grown up, she is only two years old. Her story

breaks my heart I wish I could do something more for her.

Her father left her, her older sister who is only a couple years older

than her and her mother, for another woman. They live in poverty

with nothing much to have. She has to wear her older sister clothes

that barely fit her and her mother works two jobs
to keep food on the table.

When I hold her, all I feel is bones. She is so malnourished.

Another team member of mine who adores the older sister

really wants to go out and buy them clothes, toys, and food.

But because we don't know if buying them things would be an insult

or a gratitude. We didn't know their culture enough
to do what we wanted to do.

The last day we were there to see them, was the hardest. She had

come to trust me, loved me, and played with me. Every day when I

get to see her, she would come to me and play with me. Then it dawned

 on me that she won't see me every day like used to. She was

so young and we had a language barrier, I didn't know how to say to her

that it was goodbye. This child has really made an impact in my life,
even to this day. Not for a moment do I not miss her.
I truly miss her....