How Much Does Wonder Cost?

A very happy swimmer on a recent field trip.

Imagine a few things with me, please.

Imagine you have never seen a deer or any wild animal bigger than a bird. Imagine you have never even seen a forest. Imagine you have never eaten at a restaurant, not even a McDonald's. And you certainly have never stayed the night at a hotel.

The 3rd, 4th and 5th grades up a tree.

Hard to imagine isn't. But not if you are a child living at the Akany Avoko children's home in Madagascar. Most have lived a life that would make you very sad or even frighten you. Some were hurt by their families. Some were so poor they were lucky to eat just one meal a day. Some had no families or homes at all and lived on the street under bridges and behind dumpsters. Some were sick and nearly dead before they came to the home. And almost all of them were not able to go to school.

They had hard lives. Sad lives.

Cool. Even Miss Frizzle's bus didn't have flames.

Now they have better lives. Akany Avoko has given them a safe and loving home with food, warmth and even school. But this is where you came in; you gave them more.

Thanks to very generous donations from caring individuals and from some hardworking classes and kids at Community Park and Litltlebrook Elementary schools in Princeton, NJ, the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders at Akany Avoko have been given some wonderful field trip opportunities.

And wonderful is the exact right word to use. You have given them the gift of wonder. Wonder at the sight of a sea of green trees. Wonder at the sound of a lemur calling far in the forest. Wonder at the touch of rich moist rainforest air on their skin. Wonder at swimming in cool clean wild water. It is difficult for them or me describe what this wonder means.

Nine out 10 trees have been cut down in Madagascar.

That's why all but two of the kids had never seen a forest.

But they thanked you with every smile and there sure were a whole lot of smiles. Even the bus rides to the field trips were big deals. The trips your loving donations payed for provided an escape from lives that very much need an occasional escape or fairy tale.

A nice big lunch...and she didn't waste a bite of it.

Fruit bigger than your head. Jack fruit to be exact.

A nice big spread for supper too. And as always, lots of rice.

Eat all that rice and you may have to take a break after lunch.

Now they don't have to imagine eating at a restaurant, staying at a hotel, walking through a lush forest or the sight of lemurs leaping from limb to limb. They don't have to imagine anymore.

You have done a good thing for some very good kids. From the bottom of my terribly-moved heart, I thank you. And the kids? The smiles in the photos show how incredibly thankful they are.

A hotel was quite a nice treat.

Swimming is always the biggest smile-enducing hit.