Mother's Day at an Orphanage

Unlike the United States, Mother's Day in El Salvador is a day of celebration where students are excused from school and banners are hung throughout the city. Ironically, our first day working at Hogar Padre Vito was Mother's Day for the orphans. When we arrived, they approached us first with many hugs and smiles. At first it was very overwhelming, but they made us feel welcomed and warm when they called us "mami" and "papi."  Instead of showing their appreciation for their birthmothers, they celebrated their mother Virgin Mary.
-Shannon Kidd