Little Princes

Little Princes
One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal
by
Conor Grennan

I have read many different types of books, political, self help, business, historical novels, 2012 end of the world books and many more. This book was a breath of fresh air for me, full of love and discoveries, wonder and struggles. 

  In November of 2004  Conor takes a year off to travel the world after saving up for a long time. He starts the trip volunteering in an orphanage in Nepal for two months. This was during the decade long civil war when the Maoist rebels took up arms against the king. Child traffickers would take children, especially boys, from their families in remote villages. They promised to protect the boys from the rebels who wanted to teach them to take up arms. They also promised to give them an education, for all of this the parents needed to pay a great sum of money . Then these traffickers would abandon the children in Katsmandu leaving them to defend for themselves with nothing but the clothes they were wearing..

 This story of Conor and his transformation from a person who is just "doing his duty" so he can get on with his vacation,  then becomes captivated with the children and their lives is an inspiration. These boys in spite of their place in life are so playful and happy and make the best of their situation. He spends his time at the orphanage getting to know the boys and their stories and then it is time to continue on his vacation. The whole time traveling he's thinking of the children he grew to love. Before  returning to the U.S. Conor returns to see them again and then has to leave to go back home.

Upon returning to the states, trying to get back into the social groove and sharing his story, he realizes he wants to go back to Nepal to try and find the families of the children and reunite them. Then he begins working on the logistics of creating a non profit to help fund his vision and overcoming the obstacles it entails. Eventually he gets enough funds together to return and start the process, first thing is to find a home for the children and working with his good friend Farid from France they accomplish just that . 

Now the fun really begins as he starts the process of finding the families. He walks for days through the foothills of the Himalayas with the team he has put together to the remote villages of southern Humla. As he finds each family you feel the emotion of talking with the them as they realize that their sons they have not seen in years were not lost, and the joy of making this possible.

During this time Conor falls in love with a girl from the states, as they get to know each other through the Internet she changes his life even more. There is transformation all throughout the book,  growing up and realizing that everything doesn't revolve around just us, we are put on this earth to help others.

There is so much joy in reading this book as you feel the gift of love Conor gives to these lost children by reuniting them with their families and how he finds love in return.

My favorite quote in the book: "The children had become little spinning tops that splattered joy on everyone they bumped into" Conor.

To further enjoy this story review his web site of the non-profit "Next Generation Nepal", www.nextgenerationnepal.org, and see the pictures of the children and where they are from and the families that were found.

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress James 1:27a

May your territory be expanded in reaching out to others!

Barbara