First day at the pagoda

My first visit to the Buu Tri pagoda orphanage was on Tuesday. Simply put, it is an incredible place with some incredible people. The pagoda is run by a Buddhist nun called Su Co (see picture to the right). She's absolutely amazing. When I first met her, I basically stood there speechless, in awe. She has an aura about her that emanates generosity, goodwill, empathy, and kindness, plus incredible smarts and strong, influential leadership. She's the kind of person you just want to be around... And I'm not the only one who feels that way. The 30 or so orphans at the pagoda feel that way, too!

The children range in age from newborns to 25 years old. (For the summer program, most of the children we will work with will range between six and 20 years old.) They are full of energy, curiosity, and life. In the few days I have gotten to know them, I have already learned so much from them and am so inspired by them. I hope we can return the favor by the end of the month! As part of the program, we will be posting bios of a handful of the children and posting them to this blog... Coming soon!

The first floor of the pagoda is a great space for convening and learning--it's very large and open. In one corner, it has a couple blackboards and tables and chairs that can seat about 20 people. We will hold most of our classes there. The third floor is also large. We will hold most of the other activities there, such as sports, arts, and team games. The second floor is quite a sight: It's what I call the "baby hangout." Buu Tri is the home of about 12-15 babies under the age of three. Absolutely adorable and crazy chaotic at the same time.

In the middle of our first visit on Tuesday, a nurse from the nearby hospital came running into the pagoda with a little baby... It turned out that the baby was only 15 days old; her mother left her at the hospital a week prior. She put her in Su Co's arms and Su Co came over to show her to me... Wow, so beautiful and precious! What a sight; what an experience. Su Co took the newborn upstairs with the other babies and the 15-day year old instantly became part of the Buu Tri family. Incredible.

Tomorrow, I will meet with a few more of the college students who will teach and help out with the program. Can't wait! More to come soon.