today some of the team got the chance to visit with some street children outside the H4H gates. our very presence seemed to excite them beyond words. my heart really broke today in this hour. these kids have nothing. nothing. most of them didnt have on a pair of shoes. one little girl had a gash in her chest covered in dried blood. a boy who held my hand was soaking wet, he couldnt have been older than two years. their skin was dirty and dried out. i stood there, smiling, chatting (in Amharic the best i could), playing clapping games with some while the others sang little songs. then when it was time to go back, they swarmed around me, grabbing my arms, reaching out to give me one last hug goodbye. the moment we were inside and the gates closed behind us, Ariel and i just sobbed and sobbed. it's like i think that every place we visit on this trip is heart breaking, and saying goodbye to a group of children cannot be beat - but then you hold another hand, you see another child's smile. my heart gets attatched to another fifty little pairs of chocolate brown eyes, and i feel myself long to stay!!! 
