One day I went to my neighbors yard to call her to come play and I saw white fluffy cloths in the dump out side her orchard. I was so curious about the cloths that I went into this pile of…well I’d rather not say and saw Kleenex tissues for the first time.   My neighbors had visitors visiting from overseas, and I imagined that the place they came from was wonderful because it must of had so many of those Kleenex that they could afford to dirty them and dispose of them. I hoped that their presence was going to lead to me having some of those cloths someday.

When I was walking through the little village of Nabapur, I so remembered that feeling of hope. These beautiful children were so curious to see someone from overseas walking into their homes and talking to their mothers. They followed us around with looks of wonder and excitement in their eyes. Hope that somehow, something new was coming into their lives and that it would be wonderful. Who’s to say where how that hope will drive their imaginations. My hope is still driving mine.

In gratitude,
Anna Marie Stauss