Got to be a tourist today!

Word of advice for anyone who is reading....Never say you are American when shopping in a tourist town. Today we went to some random town about an hour away to do some shopping, more so bargaining. Audrey and I asked Matthew to take a picture of us and all of a sudden there was the loudest sound of firecrackers. Naturally, I started running towards the sound to see what it was and Audrey bolted in the opposite direction. It was quite the site to see!

I found many great purchases that I am excited about. I am not the best at bargaining but I learned from Audrey today. I always feel bad and back down. Because of this many of the indian men were intense and would not back down for me but all the deals seemed to be following Audrey. The only thing that seemed to be following me around was an Indian man that I bought some rings from. To give some background information I bargained for quite some time and he told me about how he wanted to find a good girl to date. I made a huge mistake and told him he was handsome and that it was great he wanted to find a quality woman. My advice was to be patient and I left with my jewelry. During lunch, which once again was rice and red sauce for only 3 dollars I noticed my finger turned green from the ring I had recently purchased. This man had told me it was silver, little liar. Usually I would just not think twice but I was determined to get a better deal since I had been ripped off. I asked another man in a store if he thought it was silver and he said it was steel. Sad thing is that in America I got this ring for a steal of a deal either way and in India I just kept trying to go lower. We went back and I told him that it wasn't silver and I wanted some money back. He told me I was mistaken and closed his store to have me show him who told him it wasn't really silver. At this point I figured he was telling the truth and I felt bad. As we were waiting in the bus for everyone else I noticed the man from the jewelry store staring at us outside. Sure enough he was knocking on the window and told Matthew that he went to a store and the man said the ring is really silver but If I want my money back i can have it. He wanted us to trust him, sweet guy. The weird thing was that 20 minutes passed by and he was still standing there staring at us. Naturally I turned around and gave him a thumbs up then blew a kiss not knowing it may just get me in trouble. Five minutes later he knocks on the window and hands me a hand made jewelry case. Too my surprise it had a note that said......

This definitely made for a good laugh on the bus.
To get back to the other events that took place throughout the day I can't forget to mention we got to see the beach! We played in the waves which was fun to see.





As we were walking on the street we saw a man who had a wild monkey tied to a leash and dressed up in some exotic outfit. Little did we know it cost money just to take a picture of him. Yeah right, we bounced! The fun thing about where we were was there was so much architecture in the place where we were at. There were really intricate ruins and something they call the butter ball. This ball looks like it is falling off a cliff and the legend is they have had elephants try to pull it and nothing seems to be able to work. Hiking to the cliff was one of the best parts of the day. There was the best breeze and we sat up there forever! The best way to describe the place we were at was the zoo but with people instead of animals. ha





Once we got home we ate dinner....YES THAT'S RIGHT RICE IT WAS! I was in a hurry to eat my food so I could go talk in all the little boys in my family. Matthew and I walked in and the ones that were asleep woke up to play with us for a bit. I had a circle form around me and we played a game then they insisted I tell them a funny story. I was totally put on the spot so the best thing I came up with was to retell the movie "Elf". The looks on their faces were priceless. They must have been thinking, "Is this really her idea of a funny story?" ha I tucked them in and tomorrow they told me to bring books to read them. I guess that is much safer then my stories.

I am definately exhausted because it has been a long day but was so glad I was able to see this fun town today. Matthew had a missionary opportunity which was fun to see. I love being here in India and I am learning things everywhere I go. I am so grateful to be out here and love the people and the things that are being placed in my path to teach me and help me grow!

The kids Came!

LICE....does anyone know what it looks like? Well I sure do. Let's just say I learned a lot about it today! To start off the morning the children arrived at the school throughout the day. Matthew and I were put into a family together and were put in charge of about 15 little boys. We sat before the kids got here and had flash cards so we could memorize their names. Matthew owned me in this process. I still mix them up because they are the longest names ever. This campus went from being a ghost town to an absolute mad house! We called in each child for lice checks and I was so nervous I was going to leave with a head hair of lice. The second I saw these kids faces and the best outfits in the world, I immediately stopped caring. I would leave India with lice any day if it meant I could stroke their heads all day. We put a lice shampoo in their hair and let it sit for 10 minutes then rinsed it out. There was a lice comb we used and BAM there they were; the littlest creatures I have ever seen. Some of the boys had a head of lice and others were pretty clean. These kids were so patient and just sat there enjoying every second of it. I guess they are just used to this process being done once a month. Lice looks like little tiny spiders and the eggs are white. It was important to find the eggs because the shampoo does not kill them.





For lunch I made Matthew and I an egg salad sandwich and Matthew was in heaven. He would be the easiest husband to please. I felt like a chef and all I had to do was crush eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper. After a good nap and some rest we went back to finish the infestation of lice. We can't have any more of these eggs hatching on my soon to be children heads now can we. I went outside to make sure we had done every boy and I found a little boy crying out on the playground. I went over to talk to him and he was crying so hard he couldn't speak. Some of the other children translated to me that he missed his mom and wanted to play outside. I took him in to do his hair and got him to calm down. I must have a mothers touch! ha. I carried him around for a while after that while I chased other kids that would lie to me and say they had already been checked. One little boy said he had already been done and I grabbed his head and said, "Yeah right ya little rat, get in there!" His head had lice written all over it!. Overall we spent 4 hours cleaning out lice and I realized through this whole process that I want a lot more kids than I thought I did. Seeing how much I love them and didn't care I was picking out lice gave me a glimpse of how even more amazing it will be when I have children of my own. The kids here are so fun to be around and they love playing with each other.


One little boy was so homesick and he threw up on Audrey. I could not help but laugh. All the boys loved saying Matthew's name because it was easy for them to understand. They struggled with mine because I guess they aren't used to saying Z's. Matthew played soccer with all the children and they soaked it all up. Or should I say Matthew soaked up the sweat.





Nice smooth part!

Before dinner we had a chance to play with them outside on the playground. The children all eat dinner somewhere separate then us. For dinner we had chapatas with rice, beans, chicken and salsa. We are getting closer to american food and it was so good. Now it was time to tuck the children in and read them books before they went to bed. We went to our dorm where our group was with their house mother and she was on top of things. They were all lying down on their mats next to each other in 2 rows. I am pretty sure I have never seen anything cuter in my life, but I say that a lot! I laid down with Nagaraj and he asked me all about my family and how old I was. I told him I had my birthday yesterday and he said he had chocolate for me. I corrected him and said you mean I have chocolate for you? In India you give people candy when it is your birthday. He said to me again, "No, I have chocolate for you." Out of his pocket came a piece of chocolate candy that said, Happy Birthday and he asked me to take it. This is HUGE for a kid to offer something that they cherish because they have so little. I had the biggest smile on my face. After this they said goodnight, lizey! I gave them handshakes and blew some kisses. I am so anxious to tuck them in again tomorrow and the see them everyday from here on out.


Some stories that were shared today were hard to hear. Amy the director told us that there was were many families camped out front hoping their children would have a chance to come to Rising Star. They had to turn away five families. One family in particular said that their grandpa had leprosy and they found out it was a lie and he was just sick. The children from this family who thought they would be able to attend the school were quickly turned down after hearing this news. To attend Rising Star they have to come from leprosy colonies. The lengths parents go to do get their children an education amazes me. It is so neat to see how much these parents love their children. Anywhere in the world you look its the same even though we all come from different cultures. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given and the education I received. Rising Star is doing amazing things out here for a lot of people!

Moroni: 8:17
And I am filled with Charity, which is everlasting love; wherefore, all children are alike unto me; wherefore, I love little children with a perfect love; and they are all alike and partakers of salvation."

My Birthday!

Today we were planning on going on a 45 minute trip to do shopping and finally act like tourists. To my surprise they woke us up and asked if we would help in the school because there was a lot that still needed to be done. With smiles on our faces we gladly agreed to all stay and help out. ha ha! Details as far as cleaning goes is never that fun to hear but we did get a lot done. We finished all the library books and got the new library done! Today the humidity was so intense, I have seriously just had to get used to feeling wet. Our last job was to clean out a storage room. Just opening the door I knew it would take us to midnight. We found a million clothes in boxes that were donated from what had to have been a huge Relief Society organization! We went through piles and piles and sorted them into different sizes so when the kids arrive tomorrow they can each pick one outfit. I don't know how it happened but next thing ya know we all broke out into a dance party as we sorted clothes. We brought the ipod player in and it was all uphill from there. Soren, Audrey and I found some cute underwear that we made Soren fold.



Soren loved it, he just wouldn't admit it! Matthew asked me every 2 seconds what size I thought each article of clothing would fit into.

For lunch I had the typical peanut butter sandwich with Nutella and Audrey found a need to tell me how fattening it is. I have been dipping everything I eat into Nutella so that is just perfect! Earlier today we spilled purple ink on the table and Matthew rushed to clean it up with his white shirt. Audrey and I at the same time yelled, "NO, NO, NO!" Sometimes men need some serious guidance. ha ha Besides that Matthew and I have grown really close as cousins and I am so glad he is out here with me. He is a good example to me and makes me laugh 24-7. He is the first to help out and his manly arms help us out a ton when we have to lift stuff around. We both had to carry a huge TV way far, I am an OX. Don't sweat it. Finally after hours of waiting to hear dinner was ready I found out we were having FRENCH TOAST, with homemade syrup. I also prayed it would rain and it did! Boo ya. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me!! All the other volunteers did a rain dance for my birthday. We have a fun group, I wish I would have filmed it. Back to the meal, It was hands down the best meal I have had since being here. Weird, I wonder why! After dinner I passed out my candy to everyone.
Later Matthew, Soren, Audrey and I went to the Mango room where we usually go every night. This room is the lounge room where Audrey and I blog and Matthew just sits waiting for us to talk to him. He has already read 2 books! Tonight we all just danced.....ok well Audrey and I broke it out and they just watched not knowing whether to laugh or leave! Today was fun and the family here that are the managers for the year gave me a really neat present that they make a lot in India. It has a bunch of elephants and jewelry all on a string. I am not explaining it that well but it is was very sweet of them to think of me.

Today's blog is not that long but it really just consisted of mostly working around the hostels and getting everything ready for tomorrow. I can't wait for the children to all get here and get put into our families for the rest of the time we are here! Quote for the day is...."We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather recognizing and appreciating what we do have." -Frederick Keonig

Leprosy Colony overnighter, Day 4 and 5

Truthfully I do not even know where to begin and the feelings I feel words can’t describe. I missed blogging yesterday because we traveled 5 hours away to go to some leprosy colonies that had never been visited before. It was an overnight trip and they were the best two days since I have been here. The first colony we went to everyone was lined up waving at us at we drove in. They were so grateful and were so willing to help us carry all of the medicine. Seeing these people run inside to sit down was like seeing kids in a candy store; the difference was they were so happy to get treated. Matthew and I did hypertension on 50 different people and they were thrilled looking at the numbers go up and down. The way everyone shows gratitude is by putting their hands together as if they were praying and they nod their head. I was so excited when I looked over and saw a bunch of little kids sitting down staring at me… or so I thought. The truth is they were just intrigued with my camera! I sat down and started to play with them showing them how to take pictures and they ATE THAT UP. All of the children here thrive off of taking pictures and then looking at themselves. Something as small as a camera is like getting a free ticket to Disneyland. After we finished at the clinic I started dancing around outside and the kids began to follow me. This moment was priceless and something I will never forget. We were all having so much fun playing follow the leader and these boys can dance like I have never seen. The smiles on these kid’s faces can heal any wound or broken heart. Christian Morte was a little boy who actually goes to school at Rising Star and is the smartest kid I have ever met. He was directing all of the adults with leprosy where to go and spoke great English. He received a letter while we were there from a family who is sponsoring him and read the entire letter out loud they had sent. It was so neat to see his face light up and learn the people’s names that were supporting him. I have never seen someone as smart as him. The generation today is one where children are helping teach their parents who have not had the same privileges as them.




After this colony we went and ate at our hotel, which I found out, was only 10 dollars in American money. Granted you can’t escape from the Indian toilets here but besides that it was a nice hotel. Hearing this did not make me too happy because the first night we landed in Mumbai the guy told us it would be 140 dollars in American money and it was a HOLE in the wall. We got ripped off so bad; I guess I know now why people say, “Stupid Americans!” Bless us. Anyways, when it comes to food in India lets just say I feel like I am eating the same thing over and over again just in different shapes. It isn’t bad at all but after a while I could really go for a Pizza. My favorite thing to eat here is Chapata with Masala; this is pita type bread with red sauce. Everything they eat here is basically rice or tortillas with different dipping sauces.

Waking up this morning I was not expecting what happened to happen. Everyone met for breakfast and of course they knock on our door to ask why we weren’t in the lobby. Let’s just say Audrey and I have no sense of time here, luckily it takes 2 seconds to get ready here, NO MAKEUP, just a simple brushing of the teeth. After my tortilla with sauce yet again, we drove to the next colony.

Every moment since I have arrived in India has been one I will never forget. This was a different colony than the one we visited yesterday, yet they were also there to greet us with huge smiles on their faces. I immediately got out of the bus and started asking everyone’s names and hugging them. There were many older folks and a lot of children. Today I took pictures of every person before bandaging them to see if the ointment we put on their wounds showed any difference. We did 100 people today. Matthew and I had an assembly line where he would write down their names and I would take the pictures of their faces and feet. The wounds they have are like nothing I have ever seen. They are huge open flesh wounds with rotting skin. Flys were swarming all over them while I washed their feet and bandaged them up. One man had rotten skin on his thigh and Audrey and I couldn’t tell where the smell was coming from. We lifted up his skirt and the flys were hovered over his wound. He was so happy we had found it so that we could wash it. One man had a wound so bad that his elbow was literally the size of a tennis ball.



Leprosy can also make it so their eyelids don’t shut anymore which drys out their eyelids. Many have become blind because of it. Washing the feet and hands of these people has taken me completely out of my comfort zone and it is so touching when I see how patient and loving they are. I feel so awful when I am cleaning their feet because I can’t imagine how painful it would be. The crazy thing is that they have no feeling sensation so it doesn’t hurt them. I have been thinking about Jesus and the 10 lepers that he healed. I never want to complain about any sore muscle on my body because these people are saints for everything they have gone through. This man had a little seat with wheels on it that he would scoot around with because he was not able to walk.



One old lady dragged me to everyone in the colony and made me take his or her picture. She loved the idea of a camera just as much as the children. I found myself discovering a new passion. I started taking a bunch of photos of just individual people and their faces. I learn something just by looking through each person. After I pronounce my name to everyone they all repeat it back to me and are so happy they got it right. Once they get it they begin to say it over and over again! My heart sinks into my chest every time I hear it. These people have nothing but are so giving and kind. They gave each one of us a coconut drink straight from the tree!



This moment I am about to share is the moment that made me whole. I met a little boy in the colony while we were there names Cartee. Cartee had a huge smile and sweet spirit that changed me for good. I am crying just thinking about the fact that I may not ever see him again. He is 10 years old and we instantly hit it off, yes you could say we were in love ha. Cartee helped me throughout the whole day and did not speak much English but we could understand each other pretty well just with our eyes.



All of the children call me Auntie and once again kept begging to take pictures. Every time I would look over at Cartee we pointed to each other and smiled. I taught him how to pound it with our fists and he loved that. I began to dance with all of the children and they literally just stared and laughed. I looked like an idiot but I didn't care. They all joined in and had a good time. I taught each of them the handshakes, (a Sailor went to sea sea sea, and down by the banks). I was sitting on the other end of the circle as Cartee and he yelled, “Auntie!” and patted to come sit next to him. There was something about him that made me want to take him home from the second I met him.

Children teach me so much about life and how I want to always strive to be. They are slow to anger and quick to forgive. They love everything about life and do not hesitate to love everyone. I understand why Heavenly Father says be like children. Leaving was the hardest thing I had to do today. While hugging everyone goodbye they asked if I would be back. What do you say to that? Cartee ran onto the bus and gave the, “I love you!”, hand sign to me. Today he taught me something about life and myself. I feel so alive and happy. Life is amazing and if you ever want to truly know a persons soul just look into their eyes. Every person whose eyes you truly look into you will be able to find the child inside of him or her. The wounds of these people did not affect me once I looked into their eyes and saw their beautiful smiles.



The drive home was long and it still amazes me how different every part of the world is and what people are going through. I stared at the moon and realized how neat it was that so many people I love are in different places of the world but we can all look at the same thing. I hope the world can remember to look into the eyes of everyone around us because it will be easier to love and not judge. Count our blessings and remember that it is a choice to be happy. Learning to love oneself is the first step before we expect others to love us. There are opportunities to serve all around us. Don’t let these moments pass by!

Day 3

The best way I can describe today is MANUAL LABOR all day long. We cleaned six of the classrooms, which included scrubbing walls, organizing junk and setting up all of the desks. In all honestly I will say it is exhausting. I love the way sweat just drips off my face every second. Funny story was I went to turn on the faucet to fill up a bucket and it shot out at my like a hose. I looked down and saw that it looked like I had wet my pants, big time. If it was cold water I wouldn’t have cared but it was hot. We did all of this before lunch and then we went to the junction. The junction is 15 minutes away but you can get everything and anything you could imagine. It has tailors, ice cream, food, clothes; you name it. I tried to bargain with an Indian man for ankle bracelets for 30 minutes. Sweet thing had no idea what I was saying to him and I had no idea what he was saying to me. Both of us just lost and confused; in the end I left with anklets not knowing really if I got a deal or not.
After the junction we had a doctor come speak to us about what the plan is for tomorrow. We are leaving at 5 in the morning to a leprosy colony with over 100 people. My assignment when we first get there is to do hypertension. We will also be giving them this medicine and doing foot treatments that will help heal the ulcers on their feet. These sores are the size of a tennis ball and so deep. I won’t lie it is…well, NASTY. I am glad we can help heal them so they don’t look as bad.
For the last 2 hours before dinner I had the lovely privilege of stamping hundreds and hundreds of library books. Why would anyone want to be a librarian?
Anyways, as much as I would love to describe each spot on the wall I cleaned I am not going to. Instead I want to talk more about leprosy and Indian culture for those who don’t know much about it. Every symptom looks different on each individual person. Loving these people makes it so much easier to do things you never saw yourself doing. Some of the others had no fingers or toes and many have become blind. There was a particular lady who lost the pigment in her skin and had green skin. I cannot imagine what they have all had to go through but I am so fortunate to have been surrounded by each one of them.
In India I have had to be careful and remember not to hug my cousin Matthew. Here men and women go through different security lines at the airport. Touching or display of affection in public is a definite NO NO. I learned that Indians have arranged marriages and many turn into love afterwards. I loved hearing that they marry a partner who will help provide and is a hard worker. There is no such thing as giving up or falling out of love. They meet in the middle and marry to help serve the other person. Marriage here is a matter of survival so they do not have the luxury of falling out of love.
Last piece of information I learned today as we passed the Beer Factory is that the beer plant smells like the dirtiest diaper that I don’t think a baby is capable of producing! I am not kidding you the smell was repulsive. For those who drink come to India and you will think twice. I don’t know how the Indians walk around and not pass out. Good grief!
Today has been a very long day and not the easiest one. It was 108 degrees and tomorrow where we are going will be 120. I heard it snowed in Utah and I hope everyone there is whistling while they shovel. Don’t take the cold for granted; I would give anything in the world for a cold drink of water. Goodbye until tomorrow, I can’t wait to start working with the people again! I definitely missed not having that experience today.

Ps here is a picture of my feet from the heat...I guess that is normal out here ha


"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give"

Day 2

Yes! Jet lag is finally gone and my feet are looking somewhat normal. My luggage is still traveling the world at the pace of a turtle so who knows if I will ever see it! Anyways, today began in the Leprosy colony where I was able to help these people smile and realize that they are beautiful inside and out. We were split into groups and I had the opportunity to wash the elderly’s feet that were affected with leprosy. I have learned how to say, (hi, how are you, my name is, beautiful, and what is your name) These five phrases basically make me fluent, Sike!



The people here are very easy to talk to and can usually understand what you are trying to say to them. This lady began to cry and pinch my cheeks, while bowing to me as I washed her feet. She wanted me to stop because she felt so bad that I was taking care of her. This was a tender mercy moment for me. I tried to hold back the tears as I sat thinking how amazing it is to do such a small deed and have someone be so grateful in return. It just shows how badly these people have been cast out. Their families have most likely disowned them because of leprosy and their social status is diminished. The Indian people have the most beautiful smiles you have ever seen. They are so happy and so generous! One man spoke very good English and was joking around with me as I filed down a toenail that looked like a thick branch coming out of his toe. I was very good at this thanks to my dad who taught me how to saw down branches in our yard! After washing feet I walked down the road and found a couple of people sitting in a hut. I asked if I could join them and they bought me a little packet of juice. It tasted like sweet apple juice, not bad. Our advisor was saying that is very rare that they buy anything for anyone else because of the scarce amount of money they have. The lady learned our names and loved when I would take pictures of her. She made me show them to her every time. I would tell her she looked, “Nalarga”, which means beautiful. I won’t do a spell-check on that but that word means good and beautiful.





Down the road there were leprosy-affected people who have become artists and their work is exquisite. I have never seen anything like it in my life! These paintings are what give them a sense of worth. Later it was time to head back to the hostel and get to work. My job was to wash down all the walls that the boys and girls live in at the school. I was lucky and had some surprise helpers that were the highlight of my day. These helpers were four little boys who go to school here and were playing near by because their parents were helping work around the school. They were so willing to help and we made a game out of it. At my house we call it a POWER; which is who can clean the most in the shortest amount of time. The kid’s faces lit up and they went to town on those walls! I am for sure adopting later in life.


One thing that I have learned is that these Indian children are the hardest workers with the most optimistic attitudes I have ever met. Many children in America have been given so much and sometimes because of this I feel lack the will to work hard. Technology and everything else we have make it so our time is so consumed and appliances are able to do most work for us. I know my brothers and sisters work hard but many times are wondering what they get in return. This is not the case here and I have learned so much from everyone around me. I thought I knew what hard work was but I was mistaken big time. The Indians work all day, both men and women. Children have learned what it is to work by example and they see that nothing in life is handed to you for free. I hope that I will be able to teach my kids how to work hard and have the attitudes that these children do. It still shocks me how these kids are what pushed me to keep going and I have never have had so much fun. Our group finished the fastest because of our generous little helpers; we helped sort the entire library books into different sections.
Dinner was on the roof and the view was amazing. It is so green and the sun was setting as we were served on a huge green leaf for a plate. Not long after we ate it was back to work. We were able to clean and organize all the desks for 3 classrooms tonight and we will finish the rest tomorrow. Luckily the weather had cooled off the only downfall was my legs wanted to fall off. I find myself thinking a lot about life while I am here and how valuable every breath we take is. Life is so fragile and it is pointless to sit and think about all the things that we don’t have or things we want. Just being grateful for the little things we have that mean something are things that last forever. You can have nothing and still choose to be happy because life is what we make of it! Everyone in this world is going through something, many times far worse than we think. Love yourself and the life you have; do everything you can to be charitable towards others and you will find it hard to be ungrateful.

DAY 1

Today I flew in from Mumbai to Chennai at 6 am and from there we got a taxi to take us to the Marriott hotel, where the group of Rising Stars was to pick us up. Still no luggage of course and I am going on eating my 5th power bar, which Audrey was willing to share. Don't let me forget to mention I am a walking marshmallow. My ankles, fingers, and calves are swollen from the airplane and it is so annoying! Driving to the hotel I learned that basically anything goes in India and if you aren't careful you will get run over by a car. It was a mad house on the street but I held in my gasps fairly well! It was so cute to see families on scooters trying to get to and from their busy lives. I would describe the homes to you but to be honest there are rarely any. They make houses out of woven materials that look like tiny shacks. It is basically called the slums and a lifestyle that broke my heart. Many people are sitting on the dirt selling fruit and little kids are running around without shoes. There are areas that smell so bad you can taste the air. I have never seen so much garbage in my life and it makes it worse that these poor people are living in it. Cows, dogs, and goats must think they are humans because the frolic around everywhere. During the 2 hour drive to our village I had seen enough to want to take all of the people home with me. I now understand what a privilege it is to live in America. It is fun to see little boys just hanging on to any car to get a ride to and from school. The way they stare at us here is so funny. I went to go buy a drink and a bunch of them yelled, "Hey, look it is the Americans!" I really should have dyed my hair black.
On the drive I saw the Victoria Secret Plant where they make all the Victorias Secret clothing. Who would have known, a job well done! Pulling up to the Rising Star Village was quite the sight to see. There is so much land and in the village before it the people were ecstatic to see us. They were so friendly and jumped for joy. The biggest house in the village was owned by a police officer because he bribes people for money. The government here is very sketchy and most of the people in office are gangsters. If you hold an office you cannot be tried, that is why it has become so corrupt. The place I am staying is hard to describe but is truly amazing! It's like a palace compared to what I have seen on the streets. We are staying in bunk beds and the facility is brand new. We are the second group to stay here which was exciting. We were given a tour today throughout the colony and everything is being built so fast. This week the children are on Spring break so it is our job to work hard to get all the classrooms put together and create a new library. The children have not yet seen the additions that have been made and we have the opportunity to organize everything and paint the walls before they get back.
We have Indian style toilets, so if you are wondering how it works all I can say is just squat! ha I took my first bucket shower tonight and it was a dream come true after not having showered since Saturday. They give you a large bucket and you fill it up with water then just rinse off. The weather here is SO HOT, actually hot doesn't even cut it. Once I got out of the shower I was dripping sweat again. I have had 2 great Indian meals already that surprisingly were very good. The meals lack protein but weren't too spicy to eat. Today has been a long day but I am anxious to go to the leprosy colony for the first part of the morning and work the rest of the day! These people need to be shown love and I am so glad I have the chance to not hold back from fear of leprosy but to touch the faces of these wonderful people and show them there are people who care!

Journey begins...

When I was told how long the flight was I had no idea what I was really in for. I think we can all agree that it would be completely out of the ordinary to have everything go smoothly from SLC to Chennai. I am traveling with my cousin Matthew and his friend Aubrey which made this experience much more enjoyable because we were able to laugh at the cards we had been delt. The anticipation getting off the plane was too much to handle. I took NyQuil and slept like a gem. I woke up and noticed that my ankles had transformed into kankles from sitting so long! Gosh dang. We arrived in Amsterdam for a 2 hours layover and Aubrey and I enjoyed our last Big Mac, mmm Good! Things were looking good until security check and Aubrey’s passports and mine beeped red, no go! After we resolved that the security lady informs me to stand still and she began to pat me down all over, even a boob grace. Way more up close and personal than I had wanted but quite funny! Danke! Finally we landed in Mumbai to be told our bags had not made it onto the flight from Amsterdam. They informed us that our bags would get to the village in Chennai in 2 days. Laughing/Furious at our luck I called our hotel to get us a taxi and they told me that our reservation was for 11 am not 11 pm. Holy cow, could it get any better?!? We walked outside of the airport to see guards standing there with guns; I did not want to move. At this point it was midnight and we were homeless with nowhere to go and no clothes to change into. This lovely Indian man helped get us to another hotel close to the airport since we only had 5 hours until our next flight to Chennai. The people here are surprisingly very nice but Aubrey tells me its only because they want our money! I will give everyone the benefit of the doubt. The drive to this hotel was one I will never forget. There were dirt roads full of people lying around in garbage and stray dogs everywhere. The conditions were like nothing I had ever imagined. Families huddled together in piles of filth made me realize how blessed I am. This was the biggest culture shock and something I had only seen in movies. Our hotel was a hole in the wall consisting of cockroaches and a bed as hard as wood. My eyes have been opened to how different others lives truly are. It amazes me how awful the living conditions are here; I am so grateful for this experience. We will see what tomorrow brings...

Leaving on a jet-plane

So I am not very well educated on how to blog, so I am going to try and do my best! Tomorrow I leave for India with Rising Star foundation and I have been waiting for this day for a long time! Ever since I can remember I have wanted to do something like this and it is finally a reality. I will be in Chennai, India for 3 weeks helping in a leprosy colony offering medical treatment and spending time with the children in the villages. I am so anxious for the experiences I will be having. Packing for India was a breeze because they provide clothing for us when we get there. My whole suitcase is basically full of FOOD! I have the best mom in the world and she got me everything anyone would need. I will be spending my birthday out there on May 29th and in the Indian culture you give treats to everyone on your birthday. I loaded my bag with candy, ha happy birthday to me! I hope I don't get run over by the herd of children thinking this is the coolest candy lady ever! Once I spend time with all of the children I am worried I will have to be dragged back to the U.S. I will be living in a hostel and get to wear traditional indian clothing. Showering will be with buckets and I get to use indian style toilets. I have heard the mosquitos dominate in India so I will have a net around my bed and I will be wearing shoes to prevent parasites from entering my body. Tonight I will pull an all nighter in hopes that I will be able to sleep on our 22 hr plane ride....YIKES! Pictures and experiences to come, hope you enjoy! If you don't see me on June 15th don't be surprised, this is my new calling in life.