“She is clothed in strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future.” (Proverbs 31:15, NLT)

I came across these profound words shortly after my AAI escort trip to San Salvador where I met two of the strongest little girls that I’ve ever known. Lizette, age 14, and little Marcela, age 11.

Our journey was long, and not without difficulty.  At some point or another, the girls cried, and so did I.  Understandably, tiny Marcela shed the most tears. She missed her mother.  However, through her tears, she was extraordinarily dignified.

After the novelty of being on an airplane for the first time wore off, the gravity and the uncertainty of our journey began to set into Marcela’s heart.  With burns over 80% of her little body, the trip to Los Angeles would provide life-altering surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Surgery for anyone can be overwhelming, but far more so for a little girl in a new and unknown country far away from her family.

When the first tears began rolling down Marcela’s cheek, I couldn’t immediately find tissues, so I handed her a stack of napkins. What she did next confused me a bit.  She took one napkin off the top of the stack and then gently folded the remaining two napkins and placed them into her shiny new purse.  I didn’t comprehend why she did that until a couple of minutes later.  She continued crying as I thought to myself, why wasn’t she wiping away her tears?  Then, little Marcela took the remaining napkin, carefully folded it in half and tore it into two halves. All the while, tears were streaming down her precious face.  Finally, at that last moment, she considered her tears.  At last I realized that Marcela was using only what she needed and saving the rest of the napkins for later.

These impoverished children are so grateful for the little that they have. I saw how strong and brave these girls were.  At one point, Lizette seemed determined not to cry at all. She held one napkin up to one of her eyes before a tear even had the chance to fall. Lizette was also scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on the very same day as Marcela at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles.

These courageous children taught me not to regret having abundance in life, but to appreciate it and not take anything for granted – even the simplest things in life such as a single napkin.

My hope is this journey will provide Lizette and little Marcela great improvements in their health, and through the power of healing, continue to strengthen their faith and enable them to live without fear. May their futures be filled with confidence, happiness, and of course, much laughter.

By Anna Maldonado
Airline Ambassador