Our own Lorry Rowe recently paid another visit to the Bahay ni San Jose orphanage in the Philippines. The orphanage caters mainly for special needs children. 
 

Annaliza, one of the young women living at the orphanage was born with cerebral palsy and given up by her mother who suffers a drug addiction. Annaliza is a very cheerful person. She greets each day excited to talk to her friends at the orphanage, sharing her radiant and contagious smile with all she meets. Normal daily tasks such as showering, cleaning, and getting ready for school are exceptionally difficult for her, as she cannot walk and has limited upper mobility, but she happily takes each task on and is grateful for the independence won by her abilities. Her courage is only outdone by her kindness and humility. Grateful for the love she receives from the staff and her “brothers and sisters” at the orphanage, Annaliza is constantly complimenting, thanking, and loving others. She is also incredibly generous. It seemed every week I was there, Annaliza had some special gift for me, whether it be her own bracelet, a special water cup, or some fruit from the orphanage’s guyabano tree. These small tokens were pieces of herself and for that were all the more precious.