Broken down and patched up better than before..

Today the heat and lack of sleep got to me when I broke some blisters on my hands while gardening today. I was so frustrated because we had only just begun and I was eager to literally get my hands dirty doing something for the girls, and I knew I was finished. I had no gloves and had to wash out the blisters and splinters with alchol wipes which hurt like heck.

I did this in a room alone because I didn't want the girls to see me upset, but they found me. So I smiled and told them I was fine (it didn't work) and one girl pointed to her shoulder and signed tears running down her cheeks. She wanted me to cry on her shoulder!!!....I gave her a huge hug, my heart about to burst and I'm thinking "what?" it was just some blisters and frustration that I couldn't do more for them..

I wish I was better with words so I could put this and moments like this in a way that do them justice for you to fully understand. I will never ever forget this experience, I am tearing up now while I type...the little we do here for them is returned with so much love and appreciation I want so badly for them to have everything they need. I have to say that the women on the team are pretty amazing as well and I am so grateful to be sharing this experience with them.

We ended our day doing henna tattoos and the girls tattoed us. I asked a particular girl to do mine, who had given me some jewelry that she made. She is so talented and we are hoping to get her into the jewelry program. She also happens to be non-verbal, and since I couldn't speak Bengali anyway, we did just fine or better with hand signs:) After covering my hands with beautiful symbols and designs, she wrote both our names on both our arms and showed me how we are now linked... Do I need to say more? It is now Friday morning (very early because I can't sleep) and we have to say goodbye to them today. I just don't know how I can...