New River Academy Whitewater Kayak School

Student Report by Sean Johnson:

To kick off our week, we took off a day of kayaking to visit an all-girls orphanage in Pucon. We met about twelve orphans. They were enthusiastic and extraverted, not shy at all. When they didn’t seem interested in the Frisbee we brought, they pulled out a soccer ball and the games began.
Our visit last approximately two and a half hours, and the soccer game lasted the entire time. We were not as victorious as we might have liked to have been. The girls were extremely good at soccer. Those who were not playing soccer got bored of standing around, so they decided to drench us with the water guns we had brought them.
These kids were so much fun to play with. It was hot and we did not mind getting wet at first. We finally got so soaked that we just wanted to make peace. We started to take the water guns away from them. Once we had obtained the water guns, the kids went off to get water bottles filled to the brim to throw on us. It became a war. Everyone was soaked, but we all had a great time. After all of the craziness was over, we served watermelon and cookies for snack. Before departing, we gave out thanks and passed out few soccer balls and coloring books.
It was a great event for all. Most of us had never been to an orphanage before and we all enjoyed the experience. The smiles on their faces were proof enough that the girls enjoyed the afternoon of games and excitement.