I wanted to write about the field trip I went on this morning with Eli. His school class decided to collect toys and clothing to give to a less fortunate school, here in Nanjing. Eli had a difficult time parting with his toys, so I was happy he was going to get to see where the toys were going, and feel good about it. We rode over in the bus. This school has many children that come from transient workers. They are lucky, as there are so many children here in Nanjing that don't get to go to school at all. The parents here in China, have to pay for their children to be in school, and of course, the quality of the school depends on what you can afford. We are so blessed in America. The children can get a good education no matter what the income of their parents is. It is a sad cycle. Most of the parents of those children who can't go to school, didn't get to go to school themselves, and therefore can't get jobs to pay for their child's education.
We arrived at the school, that looked more like old warehouses, than school-rooms. We went back to the kindergarten. It was so humble. We had to be careful not to trip over the outdoor carpeting that was laying on the cement with lumps everywhere. The children were all dressed in their best clothes. They were so sweet an sang for our children, and shared some poems. The children then went out and played some games together. Each of the kids from our school gave a stuffed animal to the children from their school, and we left our boxes with them. I could tell that this was a special day for Eli. I feel like he caught the good feeling of it all. Today, he and I were the only westerners, but I could see that Eli has really learned to fit into his class. These are special experiences that are priceless.
