Weekend get away

It all started with a 2 hour ride to Chennai, 2 hour plane ride then a 5 hour drive to our hotel! I am glad we all wore our genie pants because they are so comfortable. It was worth getting the weird stares.

As we drove it was surprising how the sites never get old and I am always amazed at how these people get by from day to day. I almost felt guilty when we pulled up to the nicest hotel ever! It was so beautiful and I was so relieved I got to sleep on a soft bed. I have so much respect for the Indians and how they sleep on mats. My back was already screaming at me after only 2 weeks.
This trip we woke up at 5 am to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise but to our surprise a sunrise never happened. We couldn't figure out if we were to late or the pollution in the air just covered the sun. The Taj Mahal was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen in my life. I could not believe I was there looking at it with my own two eyes! We had a tour guide explain to us everything about it and its history. There is the most gorgeous marble inside and a particular piece of marble lights up when you put a light to it. I could not believe a man had built this just for his wife. The time and effort that was put in this took a very long time. I was so glad I got to see one of the 7 wonders of the world.



As we drove we passed the Presidents house and many other neat historic sights. We had the opportunity to walk through one of the oldest temples in India. The intricate designs in these temples are amazing to look at. We drove through a very popular market place and I had never seen so many people. I am learning how to bargain and can now realize when I am getting ripped off.


The driving here is absolutely insane! I used to get nervous driving in Utah but now I will be so calm after what I have seen here. If I cross the street I can most likely expect to die because nobody will stop. Thats a lie, if it was a cow they would stop! ha One thing about this trip that shocked me was how many children were beggars on the street. I had seen slumdog millionaire the movie but it gave it a different meaning once I experienced it for myself. These children look so haggard and will not take no for an answer. I was told they are beat to look this way and have been taught this is the only way to survive. Once you buy something from them they continue to ask you to buy more. We found a PIZZA HUT to eat at that was a sit down restaurant. Might I add that I had the biggest smile on my face the whole time. Pizza had never tasted so good. The sad part was that these kids sat outside the restaurant until we were done eating to beg for more. Matthew gave a mother fruit and she was so upset that it was not money. I told her to put her children in school because the government pays for it and unfortunately she didn't like that either. It is so sad to me that these kids don't know any better and have been raised like they are.
Later that night we went swimming at the outdoor pool which felt so good after a long day. The hotel grounds were huge and very green. We enjoyed a nice Indian dinner after in the basement of the hotel, with live Indian music. I have still not become used to the idea of having to just guess what the menu is saying and hope that it tastes alright, but I haven't striked out yet. I just look for any sentence that has the word 'Masala' and it has always tasted good. Throughout our trip we made different stops to places where different things are made. We saw where rugs are made and the factory where everything was. Watching the man make these rugs on a loom was so fascinating. He worked so fast and efficiently. These rugs were gorgeous and the time it takes to make one really made me appreciate a good rug. The next stop we visited was a marble shop where they carve everything into different designs out of marble. The tools they use here take so much time and is such tedious work.
Just call me Princess Jasmin because I rode an elephant! It was such a fun experience to climb on such a beast and it was sad at the same time. The owners of the elephant kept poking it with a sharp knife and you could see where it was bleeding. I tried not to focus on that but instead smile at the lovely art that was painting on the elephants face instead ha. We only walked around in a circle but at least I can say I have been on an elephant before!


Today was hands down my favorite day and that was because we were able to go to church! It was like finding a home away from home. This church building was very nice and the members were so sweet. We got to meet the missionaries and luck would have it I knew one of them. We stayed for sacrament meeting and it was fast and testimony today. Many were in english but others were not. One man bore his testimony and even though I couldn't not understand the language or had any clue what he was saying I felt the spirit so strongly. He was crying and I began to cry also. It occurred to me how neat it was that we can all speak a different language and grow up in different cultures all around the world but the one thing that brings us together and helps us understand each other is the Holy Ghost. I felt the Holy Ghost through him and he moved me in a way that I felt that I understood his testimony. Another little boy shared a story in english and began to cry about how grateful he is for Heavenly Father always being there for him in his life. I learned so much from these people and loved how the gospel is what brings us all together to form a common foundation. A lady shared how much she misses the temple and wishes they would get one in India. I forgot how privileged I am to have so many around me and hope that I will never take this blessing for granted. For me it was rewarding to see the light in these peoples eyes and i felt so rejuvenated after the meeting.

After this we began our long journey back home where I had another opportunity to share my testimony and how I feel about the church with a volunteer who is with Rising Star. This made a great ending to the whole trip!

Leprosy Colony adventure

Today I traveled to two different leprosy colonies with Dr. Kumar and gained a lot of insight on India’s moral and ethical values. Dr. Kumar is an amazing doctor who works for Rising Star with his wife. Matthew, Audrey and I listened to him in the back of an ambulance type van as we drove to the different colonies. The drive was very scenic and it was a part of India that I fell in love with. There were acres of land with pine trees and palm trees. It was a better kept part of town but the colony we were headed to was one where they cast all the people out and made them live next to the cemetery so they could die there.
The first colony there were not many people but I was able to test everyone for diabetes today. I felt like a nurse!


Matthew had the opportunity to experience what life is like for a fireman. Here in India they burn trash on the side of the road but this one got carried away and almost burned the place we were working at. He grabbed pails of water and put out the fire. He saved the day! There was a nice man there being treated who said he loves to work hard and asked us if we would go see his shop down the street. We followed him and saw that he worked at a little store on the side of the road selling drinks and snacks. This kind man gave us free drinks and was so happy we came! His English was fairly good and he told us about the success of his sons and daughters like a proud father would. I felt bad when he told us he is all-alone now but his spirit was still full of joy. His selfless deed to give us drinks meant a lot to me.

As we drove to the next location I learned about why Dr. Kumar wanted to be a doctor and how he got to Rising Star. This man is so selfless and does the work he does because he loves the patients. He was offered to go work in Chennai at a very nice hospital and also do private practice where he would make much more money and lead a fancy life. Rising Star asked if he would come work for them for one month before he left to Chennai and during his time here is when he realized he wanted to be working with patients in colonies that can’t get health care anywhere else. The miracles he witnessed in one month were enough to make him realize this is where he was supposed to be. My favorite part about today was listening to his uplifting stories. The interesting thing is that in working with him earlier in the week it was hard to understand his English but today everything he said was very clear to me and he was easy to understand. I wonder if this was because the stories he shared were something I needed to here.
I asked him about the moral values that India has and he shared many interesting beliefs about Hinduism and how the North and South of India differ. It is just like in any religion how some are stricter than others. I am going to write a paper on India’s moral and ethical values; what I learned today really helped me have a better understanding of this culture.

A story he shared that touched me was about a man who was blinded my leprosy for the last 20 years. A doctor whose practice was in a hospital would not perform surgery on his eyes. The patient desperately needed a new lens in both of his eyes. Dr. Kumar patiently begged this doctor to perform surgery for two hours; he finally concluded yes as his answer. The reason why the doctor was so hesitant was because there were so many problems that he feared would happen throughout the procedure. Dr. Kumar showed up to this patient’s house uninvited to see how he was after surgery. The man asked why he was here and couldn’t understand why he was in his house. This man had his eyesight back from surgery and then soon realized he recognized Dr. Kumar’s voice and his eyes filled up with tears. He was crying so hard and told Dr. Kumar that because of his willingness to persuade the doctor to perform surgery he can now see his children, his home, nature, and his wife who is more beautiful than he ever remembered. I can’t imagine how rewarding his job is as a doctor to know that he is changing lives.

One man needed his legs to be amputated and this patient who was suffering could not find any doctor to do surgery. Here in India the government pays for any medical treatment but they were only willing to do one of this mans legs. Completely hopeless and on one last wish he called Dr. Kumar. Dr. Kumar answered the phone and called the doctor to tell him he would pay for the medical procedure to be done and any complications that may occur. This patient was able to have both legs amputated and called Dr. Kumar after to tell him that if he would not have answered the phone that die he was planning on jumping in front of a train to kill himself. He was tired of living life as he was and wanted Dr. Kumar to know that because of him he is still alive. I held back the tears and couldn’t believe what I had just heard. This man has made prosthetic legs out of carpet and twigs. They saw him in the colony just the other day and gave him crutches, which he was so happy to have.
Dr. Kumar and his wife have made it so people who can’t make it to hospitals for treatment now have a chance for a better life. He drives to all these different colonies to treat these people and it is not for the money. I love seeing and hearing the progress these patients make after only months. He is able to have 200 patients a day where many other doctors never get to experience this.

These stories have taught me to go the extra mile in life and whatever job I have I need to do because of the love that is in my heart. Money can take you places and buy you nice things but that is only temporary. I have learned today if you learn to love the people you work with in any career you will learn much more about them and life that will be indefinitely meaningful. It will be something I can take and cherish the rest of my life. I want to not just perform the tasks I am given but try and always leave people better than when I found them.

Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.
Mohandas Gandhi

Tonight I played football with the kids and felt like an old grandma. These kids were counting on me to block Matthew because we are the same height. I was warn out!

Later after dinner we had a little dance party in their room. They love when I pick them up and fly them around the room. I noticed a little boy in the corner trying to sleep but his coughing was keeping him awake. I went over to see if he was alright and he threw up. I carried him outside and he threw up twice more. I felt so bad for him and he couldn’t speak any English. His housemother tried to help but she walked away about to throw up after seeing his own. I just kept thinking this is a mess ha. I washed his hands and face then put him to sleep in a room where nobody could bother him. It is so rewarding putting around 20 little boys to sleep every night. Last night I forgot to mention that I had three little boys fall asleep on me. One was on my lap, another on my stomach, and the last one on my shoulder. These children thrive for motherly love because they are away from their families for such a long time. My favorite thing is getting goodnight kisses from the little ones. Making eye contact with others and seeing their faces light up brings me so much joy.
I am grateful for the experiences I had today and the things I continue to learn. These weeks are going by way too fast and I wish I could make time stand still. Tomorrow we leave for a weekend trip to see the Taj Mahal and other sights. I will not be blogging for the next couple of days. When I get back I am excited to share the events that took place and share the sights I have seen!

Another rewarding day

Covered in dirt and sweat but I am still smiling! Today we got split up into 3 groups which consisted of one group helping tutor kids all day, one going to the leprosy colony, and the other doing construction. Since Matthew was in a group with Audrey and I we got lucky and went to do construction ha! We thought we would be building toilets but instead we got a job that required more demanding work. The construction site had three huge holes and they needed to level all of the dirt off to a certain height. They handed us our man made looking shovels and we hacked into the dirt. Best part about the whole day was the Indians just watched us do their work and were laughing because Audrey and I were singing. The first song I started to belt out was, “God, Bless America!” ha ha One more thing I found I am thankful for is the machinery that we have in America. The labor here takes so much longer and is not the easiest thing for them to do. Audrey suggested singing an uplifting song and we both broke out into, “You raise me up!”, at the same time. We are getting to know each other way to well. From the second we started working we didn’t stop and I felt like I had jumped into a pool but we were having so much fun it didn’t matter. It feels good to work hard. Dad you never thought you would hear me say this but I appreciate you always making me cut down trees, mowing the lawn, and taking a chain saw to bushes. If I had just done laundry like most women this job would not have been the easiest. We were all covered in dirt and had it dripping into our eyes; blinded! I was amazed at how much we got done and how fast we did it. I can see how having a positive attitude allows me to learn things that I may not have been able to with a bad attitude.


It was now time to head back and eat lunch and take a break. The bucket shower never felt so good. I have really come to love these bucket showers and that is not a joke.
From 4 to 6 was playtime with all of the little kids. While most of the volunteers chose to play jump rope with the little girls I decided to play soccer with all of the boys. Matthew was one captain and I was the other. Sad to say my team fought a good fight but we lost by one point. These kids are so talented at soccer and have such a passion for it! The little ones have no fear and would go full force to try and kick the ball. Playing soccer for an hour and a half about did me over. These kids are like energizer bunnies.
Dinner was served early, which was fun because then we got to go watch the kids eat.

My best friend Nagaraj, who gave me candy the other day, is a genius. We sat down next to each other and he told me my birthday, how many people were in my family and Matthews birthday. He had remembered all of that information from the day before which astounds me because I can only remember a name for 5 seconds then its gone from my memory. He is very special and so smart. I watched him tell everyone to pray for their meal and the kids began to chant a certain prayer; they were bobbing their heads back and forth with hands clasped. If this wasn’t a sight to see I don’t know what was. I couldn’t even get my camera out in time because I was frozen. Nagaraj aspires to be an engineer when he grows up and I don’t doubt he will do it. Everyone in this world is born with a certain gift or talent and Nagaraj was born a leader. Later I will explain why I see this attribute in him.
I had the chance to read the children books and tell stories for an hour before it was time to go to sleep!


The same reoccurring thoughts that I seem to find myself thinking are about how these children have changed me for good. I have learned from them passion and brilliance! Indian children are very unique and so lovable. School is one of their favorite things and they get so excited when you start counting or recite the alphabet. There is one little boy named Cartig that ran around all day like a chicken with his head cut off. He was so fun to watch and carried a teddy bear around that sang. As it was getting closer for bed I noticed Nagaraj handing everyone their toothbrush and telling them to brush their teeth. Let me remind you that this kid is the same age as everyone he is directing. Everyone listens to him and then he pulled out the mats for everyone to sleep on. Tonight took forever to get everyone to calm down so I asked Nagaraj if he would tell everyone to lay down and they did. It was like baby geniuses, something from a movie you don’t see everyday. He acts as an adult figure and has the biggest heart. Nagaraj shows me how to be selfless and to take action when help is needed. The little things like remembering information someone tells us makes others feel special and being aware of where to offer a helping hand. These things are what I learned from a ten year old boy.
Rising Star helps all of these children to get an education and help them to have a life they may not have been capable of reaching. They see their families for the Holidays and once a month. Just to see what opportunities these children will now be able to have gets me so excited. My heart is so full and many times I just find myself in awe with the people I am surrounded with. Watching Cartig go to each person and play his teddy bear song for them was the cutest thing. I received many kisses goodnight from the kids!
Thoughts that I have had today are ones about losing yourself through others to find you. When we are charitable is when we are able to be the person we strive to be. My favorite scripture is….
Moroni 7:45
And charity suffereth long, and is kind and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Nagaraj is only 10 but we talked about Jesus today and he told me he has many pictures of him that he would like to show me. I talked to him about heaven and how much I love Jesus too. He told me that he would love to come visit my in America and I promised him that someday we would meet again. The children have taught to me to embrace every moment in life and not care about the small and stressful things. I want to become someone and do the most I can throughout my life. Seeing the hopes and dreams of these children makes me want to continually push myself and remember the sky is the limit. Not everyone in other parts of the world are given the resources we have to do and become what we want. I hope I can remember to always work my hardest and that is when I will receive the greatest reward. These children are given very little but that doesn’t stop them from reaching what they hope to become. I love these children like they are my own and the way they love others and me reminds me how to love everyone I meet.

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!