Days I Will Never Forget

I will begin by telling you all about yesterday and what a fun day that was. I did not write because I was too tired and exhausted from my day doing absolutely nothing requiring hard labor, but sometimes I have noticed myself getting tired just because. Weird right? Well, I went to the colony with the Bindu Art School again to visit my old friend with the broken hip. For some reason he was in low spirits and by the look of it when we came in did not want to be seen, cared for, touched, or even looked at. We brought him food, but he said he did not want to eat. We brought him water, but he did not want to drink. He said he was full from milk. I looked over to Paul and asked him to translate if he was happy, which he said he was, but all the emotion given off by him did not look like it. I asked Paul if I could bathe him, and at first the man said no, but after a few seconds he shook his head and said ok. Kristin, Nicole, and I all bathed him, and as we bathed him we sung a few hymns we knew hoping he would regain his happiness. I don't know why he seemed so melancholy. I asked myself several questions hoping I could come up with an answer, but nothing came. Was he lonely because he wasn't with his friends? No, his friends came and saw him when they had time. Was he humiliated or possibly embarassed? I think a part of him was whether we came or not, and the humiliation and embarassment he felt would probably be of one I could never fathom. He was more so the first few times we came, but after a while he seemed to let it go. Every question I could think of I had an answer to it, but these answers were probably not ones he would give, for mine were just from a few minutes of contemplation and hypothetical assumption. I finally thought about one question I did not want to know the answer to, for it was too depressing to think about. Had he lost hope thinking it better to give up? From the looks of him it seemed the question was rhetorical, but I did not want to believe it. Nicole looked to Kristin and then to me softly whispering, "Do you want to say a prayer for him?" I felt a little bit overwhelmed, but in what seemed to be one motion, I slowly bowed my head, closed my eyes, and put my hands together. Thoughts were moving at a thousand miles per hour; words were uttered I was not forcing to say. I felt as if I was learning to run before I knew how to walk. I prayed words of comfort, so he would not feel alone or abandoned, I prayed for strength, so he might be able to do certain tasks better, and most importantly I prayed words of hope, so he might feel happiness and joy in however long he has left. Words cannot describe how overwhelmed I felt praying to this man, but somehow I knew he would be happy. After staying there for what seemed like two minutes, we left to go back to the campus where I got to talk to Padma. She was there speaking with Ron and Joyce, but also glad Nicole and I went to visit this man, so she wanted to catch Nicole and I to appreciate what we had done. I did not know Padma tried to get people to come visit him to a point of offering a thousand rupees, which is about twenty dollars, to go visit. I thought Ron and Joyce one day felt it was great if Nicole and I went, so for me to be appreciated felt great, but I was more honored to have the opportunity to go. Padma told me out of any experience so far she has had in India it would be this one she would always remember. She gave me a hug and told me she was very proud of me. I have never felt more honored in my entire life than I did in that moment. It came time for Padma to leave and a few of us came along because we had to make a few errands in Chennai. It was great talking to Padma about her life and RSO's success and how she is excited about its future. It also was very cool to see her many awards inside of her home. Today was a very quiet day. We had three new volunteers come, which is nice because now we have more people to add to our group. I hope it is not so quiet anymore. One of them was Sharon Thompson, who apparently remembered me from when I was little, but I had no clue who she was, but we talked for a little while and she seemed really nice. Today I really just spent cleaning and organizing things around, so not a lot really happened. Dinner was Chappathi, which is one of my favorite meals here in India. It is this huge tortilla looking bread thing similar to parotha, but has more of a thicker consistency, and you wrap it up like a burrito with this chunky sauce with rice. Sorry my description is not too great, but it is the best I can do. It is one of those things you just have to be there for, so come to India and try it! I promise you will not regret it! Well this is what is happening out here in India! I hope all is well back home! I miss and love each one of you! I love the people here and I love what I am doing! Please try to be great in everything you do and count your blessings everyday because I know for a fact each one of you is blessed beyond what you may think! I love you all!

A Mark, A Brand, A Statement

I had a very calm and rather relaxing day as I had the opportunity to assist Nicole tutoring kids, go on a walk listening to my ipod pondering about life and opportunities I would love to have in the future, look out at the beauty of India admiring its serene feeling along with its picturesque views, and go out to eat parotha with everyone. Tutoring kids can be a handful as I have mentioned before, but today was not. I tutored Karthik, one my favorite kids, which is Mani's son, who is one of our drivers and in charge of our land. I know I am not supposed to have favorites, but Karthik, to me, is one kid I connect really well with. It is not his huge smile or how smart he is, for all the kids have adorable smiles and brains to cure cancer, but it is his example to all of the other children making him more special in my eyes than any other kid. Everytime I look I see him helping another child. Karthik always leads by example, but not in the self-righteous way thinking he is better than others, but in a positive way making others better. He does not use his age as a way of belittling other children, but as a helping tool showing others his maturity. Karthik, to me, is a perfect role-model for other children and I know through his example others will want to become just like him. I am proud to sit here and tell you about Karthik because his example to the children has significantly impacted my views of how I want to represent and carry myself throughout the future. "The children here can be a guide to you and each child has something to offer if you just let them in." These were words spoken by Amy Antonelli at a devotional one night here at RSO. Amy is an amazing women and someone I look up to immensely. Everytime she speaks at RSO I feel as if her words reverberate thousands of miles, and all of India hears what she pours out from her amazing heart. I figured this out slowly, but surely by letting the children teach me instead of always trying to teach them. It always amazes me how much children teach me. I never thought by looking at a child so much could be seen, but it is the same with anyone we admire or look up to. If we watch them closely there is always going to be something interesting. After tutoring, Nicole asked me if I wanted to come along and walk with her through the village. She said she always takes walks back at home listening to her ipod just pondering about life, and so, I came along. Walking through the village we greeted many people with Vanakkam, tamil for hello. It was great to see smiles as we walked through. It felt so serene listening to music as I walked looking out into the beauty of nature God created. In the horizon, clouds were swiftly moving together to form one huge ominous mass of violet-gray. Behind us, clouds remained in its clear blue state seen on a perfect day. I felt as if I was in a painting depicting armageddon. Earth itself was not ending, but the beautiful picture nature sometimes paints can be beyond beautiful; awe-inspiring is an understatement describing what I had seen. I always enjoy taking time for myself pondering on life's mysteries and how truly blessed we are to be living a life of great opportunity. For dinner all of us went to Uthiramerur for parotha! How great is it to eat a meal less than a dollar? I would have to say FANTASTIC! After dinner we all had ice cream, which in India is so good! I always get the choco bar, which is chocolate on the outside and vanilla laced with dark chocolate inside. I would have to say today was a great day! I saw more of India's beauty, learned to view people around me and myself in a different way and I noticed how blessed I truly am to be living life. Life, to me, is a privilege and opportunity not a right. How we decide to live it is up to us. Do we want to go about it just walking through the motions not getting anything out of it, or do we want to make a mark, a brand, and a statement to the world letting each person see the light all of us possess? I know I want to make a positive statement to the world leaving behind a legacy full of greatness becoming better when good is not good enough. I leave these thoughts with you, so you, like me, can ponder them and search for the answers you seek. I miss and love each one of you! I love these people and the work I am doing! Continue to do the best you can in all aspects of your life!

We All Can Do Great Things!

Well it's been about four days since I have last written and I am anxious to tell you guys about everything. Friday, which was the 28th, was a very interesting day. From the time I woke up to about 6 in the evening it was pretty calm, but when I had the chance to go to Uthiramerur again it got very interesting. Entering the small town of Uthiramerur eyes cannot help but look at a huge tower that stands high casting its eyes down upon the people. During the day this tower, which marks as an entrance to the temple behind it, stands shining in the sun, but during the night is when its true beauty can be seen. Standing tall as a pillar in the night its lights in each one of its crevises glows lighting a path to an ancient temple still used for people today. One of our teachers is a very devout Hindu. She wanted to come with us, but to go pray, and of course we tagged along because we were curious. Inside the temple were many locked cages of what looked like Hindu Gods. At each one our teacher would stop and pray. I just did the usual indian salute of respect by putting both hands together and bowing my head. I felt I could at least respect the Gods, but worshipping them was too much for me. The priests inside wore white skirts wrapped around them like towels and all of them had prints on their foreheads as respect to their Gods. It was a great experience to be inside an ancient Hindu temple and to be a witness among people as they worshipped. After the temple, I had parotha for dinner. Since I come to the diner often I am now known as a local and the cooks always greet me with a warm welcome. Saturday the 29th I had another chance to go visit the old man with a broken hip. I came with Radhika and Nicole to not only check up and take care of him, but this time hoping I could learn more about his earlier life and who he was as a person. I could not believe how hard his life was. He had been married, but his wife died trying to give birth a long time ago. He said he was fine and doing well after the loss, but it was his accident that changed his life forever. He was on a bus and had fallen off breaking his hip. I could not imagine the pain it would cause me breaking my hip and never fully recovering. The hospital he was in saw no hope for him and threw him out with nowhere to go. He obtained leprosy at some point in his life as well. All these moments in this poor man's life slowly ate away his hope. I made sure he would regain it. It was great seeing this man smiling, laughing, and living like he should have been. I hope I get another chance to visit him before I leave here. Sunday the 30th was Swathi's engagement, which I did not have the opportunity to go to because I was in bed all day feeling pretty awful. I knew my time would shortly come when I would get sick here, and I guess being here for a month already was long enough. The rest of the day nothing too exciting happened. Monday the 31st, which was yesterday, happened to be a rather cool day. It felt nice to have cool weather for a change. I am still preparing everything for my new project, so yet again I am left with nothing else to do, but during the kids' playtime I am helping them learn a different sport. Each day I spend thirty minutes with the kids teaching the basics of whatever sport I decide for that day. The kids are great and love to learn anything new! Today was also a cool day and I loved it! I wish India was like this everyday! I got the chance to teach another family home evening lessson, but this time it was on goals. I had three rows of dominoes laid out each one different than the other. One row was divided by a gap and could not connect to be a perfect line, another line had one dominoe jutting out making it again a not perfect line, and the last line was completely perfect. I told three different stories about kids who had goals. One kid wanted to do well on his science exam, but decided not to do his homework. I had a kid knock down a line of dominoes. The line still had a few left and I explained how we need to do all the small things in order to make our goals come true. The next story was about a girl wanting to become a dancer, but decided she did not want to practice. I had a kid knock down another line watching all but four dominoes fall down. I explained to them we still have to practice if we want to become great dancers. I explained to them the importance of doing the small things again. Finally, the last story told was about a boy who wanted to finish all his homework so he could play outside. He checked every subject twice to make sure it was all done. I had another kid knock down the final line watching every dominoe fall. I told them once you have obtained your goal you will feel better and want to continue to make new goals. I explained the importance of never giving up and even though we will get discouraged it is still better to keep pushing forward. Learning from our mistakes is where we truly become a better person. The kids loved the lesson and I felt great to give it. I think family home evening was a perfect way to end my day today. Eventhough my last few days have not been too eventful I want you all to know there can always be lessons taught as you go about your day. Sometimes I have noticed small things I do end up being some of the biggest things. Somedays we are too blind and cannot see opportunities crying out at us, but if we truly look I bet we could find a myriad of opportunities. My mother once said, "You do not have to be great to do something great, but if you have love anything great is possible." I did not fully understand what she was talking about when I first heard her say this, but now being in India I think I have come to understand what my mother was trying to teach me, and for that I am truly grateful. Mother Teresa quotes, "It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving." With love in anything we decide to accomplish the outcome will always be greater and more meaningful in our lives than simply doing them. I hope each one of you can share love to someone who is in dire need of it. Mother Teresa quotes,"There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. Find them. Love them." We all know what it is like to hurt from not being loved and we know how badly we long for love in those times, so why not share love with people that truly need love and give them the feeling we at times desire. Open your eyes so you are not blinded from opportunity, open your minds so you may be mentally ready, and most importantly open your hearts so your love is not locked away, but ready to be given. I pray for each one of you back home and I miss every single of one you guys! A day does not go by where I do not think of you! I love what I am doing here and I love these people! This work here is truly amazing!

One Lesson Learned, Another Taught

The past two days have been so amazing and unbelievably touching! Yesterday I didn't have a lot to do. I was sort of getting tired and about ready to shutdown for the day until Joyce asked Nicole and I to go visit an old man who had been thrown out of the hospital with a broken hip. This man is 84 years old and all I knew was the hospital he was in did not want him there because the doctors thought it pointless to keep him alive. When I heard about his situation I was shocked! How could the hospital act so cruel to actually throw a man who was dying out into the street? My heart ached for him and I gladly went to help. He had been sent to the Bindu Art School, an art school for leprosy affected. I did not know, but this had been his home for quite awhile. Thoughts were rushing through my head not knowing what to expect, and all I could think about was this poor man who was in complete despair and misery. I shortly arrived with Nicole and our nurse. Nicole and I had brought food and water for him thinking he would be hungry, and he was. This man was laying down on a mat with his head comfortably placed on a rice bag. His whole body was completely emaciated. It was difficult looking at this man, but for some reason unknown it did not bother me. Paul, his art teacher at the school, told both Nicole and I he has no hope, and looking at him I noticed it. The nurse treated all of his wounds while Nicole and I helped out with as much medical knowledge we knew, which was close to none actually, but somehow it got the job done. After the nurse left, Nicole and I sat with him holding all that was left of his hands. Humming silently I prayed for this man to receive comfort and hope. For the longest time I sat there pondering to myself how lucky he really is. As each day passes, this man gets closer and closer to celestial glory. Paul came over to where I was sitting and we had a short conversation about how it would be better if this man died, so he could go to heaven instead of suffering in pain and agony. I told him if he is alive there is a reason God wants him alive. Maybe he needs to learn one more valuable lesson before going to see God, but whatever is holding him back from being in heaven I know is all through the Lord's plan. Nicole and I wondered what he was like in his youth as we sung silently the children's hymn "A Child's Prayer". Tears raced down my eyes as I sung, and the feeling of the Spirit was so powerful. I cannot describe in words how I felt, but the feeling was one of comfort and joy, and I knew this man would be ok. There is a line from "A Child's Prayer" I really like, and it seemed to suit this occasion. "Some say that heaven is far away, but I feel it close around me as I pray..." This line hit me powerfully as I sung because heaven for this man did not seem so far away, but actually within reach. I asked Nicole if she wanted to pray for this man, and as we began to fold our arms the man seemed to understand what we were doing, and slowly he did so as well. We prayed that he would find hope, comfort and joy in this time of suffering, and we told him God has a plan for him. Our time to leave slowly sneaked upon us, but I did not want to leave this man alone with no care. On the way back home, Veil, Nicole and I stopped for parotha in Uthiramerur to ease our emotional evening. The rest of the night I was in a state of peace, but not the kind of peace usually felt being at ease with yourself, for this kind of peace was one words cannot portray. I hope one day you all may be able to feel this feeling I struggle to express. Today I had the opportunity to go with the medical van and check up on the man. Walking into the school, Paul saw Nicole and I coming in, so he kindly came over to greet us. Paul was shocked we came again, and all the words he could utter were God bless you two! Nicole and I brought him breakfast, and again we sat with him for awhile. I asked Paul how this man was feeling, and Paul said, "Yesterday there was no hope, but today he is happy, he is laughing, and he has hope." God had answered my prayer, and in that moment I felt the same feeling come over me again. As Nicole and I sat there with him I noticed an awful stench coming off of him. Smells of urine and infection stung my nose. I asked Paul if we could bathe him, so he would not have to feel so ashamed and humiliated. At first, Paul looked at us like we were insane, but after awhile he got us a bucket of warm water and a bar of soap, and surely enough we began to bathe him. It was really sad because any small movements made would hurt him immensely, so we had to be extremely careful making sure we were fragile with every touch. Paul could not believe what we were doing, and every so often he came to tell us God was going to bless Nicole and I. To see him happy and laughing was amazing! He even sat upright as we fed him! I could not believe how much improvement he had made in one day! I do not know the next time I will see this man, but he has a special place in my heart and he will always be in my prayers. The rest of the day Nicole and I helped with the medical unit. We gave out different medicines as people one by one came up to our van. One man outside of this building, in the colony we were in, with the only English he knew told Nicole and I the same thing. He told us thank you for the medical services we had offered to the people, and God is always going to be watching over us. The gratitude of these people always amazes me! Small acts of kindness I see as nothing are huge to them, and because of these acts their lives will be completely altered. I held the hands of this man and told him God will always be with him. Today, again, was another remarkable day! Everyday is a remarkable day for me, but these past two days have completely altered my life. The experience from this man, the feelings I have felt and the overall joy I have attained while being here are incredible! I can never portray my feelings about what I feel here sometimes as well as I would like to, and for that I apologize, but hopefully the times I do explain my feelings well can give you all an idea of what it is like to be fully immersed in an amazing work! I never thought about life and certain things the way I have seen them here, so hopefully all of this will stay with me when I come home. I miss and love each one of you! You guys are always in my thoughts! I love this work and I love these people with all of my heart! Goodnight or nalla thoungunga, which is Tamil for goodnight and I love you all or naan unnai virumpukirén, which is I love you all in Tamil!

Great Expectations!

Today started out slow because I woke up late. I still have not started on my project, so I do not have a schedule to follow. I am still talking and planning about it all, so when I have more details on it I will be sure to let you guys know. I am anxious to find out so I can begin, but in the meantime I am helping tutor kids with Nicole, our tutoring coordinator who was a volunteer, but is now staying till December. She's so fun to work with so I think this will be great until I get started on my assignment. Tutoring the kids today was a little stressful like it can be, but some of them were so smart and managed to do the work without our help. It is so great to see the kids wanting to learn. One of the kids I tutored today was on a roll getting everything I was teaching him, and he noticed some of the other kids struggling, so as I taught he would translate everything I was saying into Tamil for the other kids, and then he would help them. At first I was not aware of this, but after awhile I finally saw what this kid was doing, and to watch it happen totally caught me off gaurd. This kid may not know how great of a thing he did today, but what he did, and if he continues to do so will greatly shape the future of India. A handful of our kids struggle with English, so it is extremely important to teach them properly. I am always amazed when children set a better example for me. The innocence of a child can teach us a lot if we look closely. After tutoring, Nicole and I went with the teacher drop to go run a few errands. Shama, one our house mothers, came along with us. Shama is a perfect example of the most loving person. She loves the kids with an undescribable amount of unconditional love. She is one our youngest house mothers, but by far the best! I always see her with a huge smile on her face knowing the work she does could never make her happier. I both admire and look up to her, and someday hope I could reach a state of happiness in doing something I love to the amount she does. One by one we dropped off the teachers at their designated stops, and I could not help myself, but to say a few words to Shama. I indulged myself in our conversation, and from it I picked up a few words in Tamil. She told me pretty soon she was going to be married off, and by next year she would probably not be with RSO anymore. I cannot imagine RSO without her. Every house mother tries to follow by the example she sets, and the children love her with the same amount of love she gives to them. I got back to RSO in perfect timing to be able to teach my first family home evening lesson to the children. I taught the lesson of making both wise and foolish decisions. It was great seeing every child looking at me with full attention ready to learn. I told the story of the wise man building his house upon a firm foundation, and how we should makes choices beneficial to us. I also told the story of the foolish man and how he built his house upon sand, and choices he made are symbolic for detrimental ones. All the children knew this story, but I hope and pray they will grasp the concept of it carrying it with them throughout their lives. Everyday we make choices. I pray for the children here at RSO, the staff making this possible, my family, who I love dearly, and myself to make the best choices. After family home evening, before dinner, I ran into Jon, one of our security gaurds. Jon is one of the most amazing men I have ever met! Jon, when he is not in his uniform is teaching at his ministry The Book of Mormon to many people. Jon has given out so many books here in Tamilnadu they now cannot print anymore, so people have to patiently wait until more copies are printed. His knowledge in the gospel is phenomenal and his faith in the church is extraordinary. Jon's faith is so powerful; a church closer to our campus may get built, or better yet India's first temple might be built because of Jon's remarkable faith. We talked a good bit about The Book of Mormon, and his misunderstanding of The Tree of Life. He inspires me to seek more knowledge from questions he asks, and I told him to come back if he had more questions. I know Jon is going to bring thousands of souls unto Christ, and from doing so he will be blessed tremendously. I love what I am doing, and I love the people here! I would not trade this experience for any other! I miss and love each one of you! I pray for each one of you back home, and I hope you strive to do your best in everything!

The Search for Greatness

Sunday I woke up feeling really tired. Going to church was slightly weird, and not because the idea of going was weird, but weird because there were 3 of us in the car when normally there are tons of people. So, right now there are 4 other people staying here if you do not count me, but I have been hearing some rumors about a London girl coming here next week, so I am excited to meet her, and welcome her to RSO. Church was fun, but due to being tired I slept through all of sacrament, which I guess is bad, but even when I am awake I want to fall asleep because the talks are always in Tamil, and I know none. After sacrament, Mrs. Mitchell, the woman I stayed with when I was with Esther, called me to play piano for her primary class. She knew I did not play well, but she said any help was needed. Seriously I had no clue what to do because all the help I gave them was playing the first key of every hymn they wanted to sing, and to me that is no help, but hey if helping people is that easy then I love helping. I do not know what is worse. Is it worse doing it one Sunday thinking you will never have to do it again, or being permanently called as the primary piano player, and expected to know hymns by January, so you ecan play for their program? I do not know what sort of blessings are to come out of this, but I think I will find out in a very painful way. I think back to when I was taking piano lessons, and now I regret having quit them. Mom I think quitting piano was a bad idea, and now you can tell me that you told me so. It is nice because I am not completely alone on this, but I am sure you can see the frustration/humor to all this. Anyway, after church, I had a nice, but rather quiet ride back to the campus. Later that night, I got to experience an Indian wedding reception, which was very fun. Dr. Senthilkumar, our doctor, is now getting married! I arrived there with a few other people from RSO, and our car went up this huge ramp to the entrance. I was greeted by this lady standing behind a table. As people walked in, she would dip her finger in orange stuff lightly placing it on their foreheads, and then shake some sort of shaker, and little drops of fragrance would come out to sprinkle you. It was so cool! Loud music was being played inside by a band called The Nightingales, and quiet honestly they were no nightingale. The experience of how our ears would feel after was best put by Ron Hanson. He said, listening to the band felt like getting your eardrums thoroughly cleaned out, and he was right. Now do not think I mean to offend the band because they were great, but it could have been a little softer. We sat down and listened to the band while drinking a fruit drink of some sort. We sat in the front row, which was nice because we could see pretty much everything going on, but bad because the cameraman's light blinded everyone. There was a t.v. screen set up showing everything the cameraman would view. On top of the stage, there was an enormous golden couch with flowers and beautiful decorations all over it. It was quite the couch. After sitting down for awhile, I had the pleasure and honor to meet Padma, the daughter of the former president of India. She is such a remarkable woman! I told her I was going to be here for awhile, and how I would be staying at RSO. We talked for a little while, and I enjoyed every second of it. Finally the screen changed, and now it was showing Dr. Senthilkumar and his beautiful wife making their entrance, but instead of entering right away they stood there being blessed by many women. I guessed it was some sort of good luck for marriage from the Gods. After their blessings, they walked up the stage, and had their picture taken. I am sure from the light they too were blinded. The line to congratulate them was huge, so being one of the many people to go first was great. After I had the chance to greet Dr. Senthilkumar and his wife, we all went to the dining hall to eat. The food was great, but the best thing I had was the ice cream. The ice cream here in India is amazing! I must have gone to get somewhere close to about 6 bowls of it, and I even grabbed one to go for the road! The reception was awesome and I totally had a blast! When I left I received a bag with a coconut inside it, which was cool, but odd. I was completely exhausted afterward. The whole way back the thought of laying down was the only thought in my head. Today was not too exciting, but it did have its moments. I had to move out of my room and into this other room, which I guess is nice now because I have my own room, but the room I moved in has now become the toy room, so I am hoping I do not get bombarded with kids everyday. I cleaned out the kids' supply closet, which is good because now you can see everything inside, and I am hoping it stays this way, but anything cleaned here does not have a long time until it gets messy again. The staff is hoping through this new system things will stay organized better, but who knows. T.I.I.(This is India). Later in the evening I went to Uthiramerur with Radhika, our dance teacher and Nicole, one of our volunteers staying here until December. Radhika needed to buy some bangles, and Nicole and I are always excited to see more of India, so we went. We had parotha for dinner, which is my favorite thing to eat here. The parotha was so much better in Uthiramerur then in Chengalput, where we usually go. We did not spend a lot of time there, but it was still fun, and places new to my eyes are always fun! Before we came home, we stopped at Selvi's house in the village, and gave her some parotha. Selvi does our laundry back at RSO. She always greets us with a huge smile on her face. She is going through a tough time right now because her husband is losing his eye, and on top of that she can barely feed her three sons, so helping her out was the least we could do. I do not know the full details on how her husband lost his eye, but they do not have enough money for the surgery, so the only way to fix his eye is to remove it. I can't imagine losing one of my eyes. I use them everyday, and this man can't use them in the same way ever again. I pray for Selvi's husband, so hopefully he can overcome this tough trial. Everyday I learn something new. I love these people and I love everything I am doing out here. I hope each one of you back home is learning something new and worth your time. My dad wrote in his latest weekly reader, which I will never forget that sometimes being good is not good enough. Out here I am doing great things, and I know I am becoming better, but sometimes it is never enough. Everyday I want to become better than the previous day, and I want to carry that same ambition to do so everywhere I go, and in everything I do. What my dad wrote inspired me, and from the inspiration it brought a new logic into my thoughts. I had never thought of ambition to become great the way my father had, but I am now understanding what it truly means to be great. I still have a long way, and in the eyes of some I may be closer than I think, but there is no road to perfection man can simply teach me, for God is the only one to teach that path for me. I know in time I will learn more about becoming great, but as for the journey here I do not think I will learn it fully, but yet a part of it, for there is more than I could ever imagine on becoming great, and certain people in my eyes have that greatness. God, my parents, and my family are the people that obtain the greatness I desire. I know this type of greatness will come to me in time with patience in myself, faith in God, and humility with others. The greatness I desire and speak of will fulfill me, and make my life complete. I love you all so much! I miss each one of you! God has a great plan for each one of you, and you do not have to be thousands of miles away to see it.

What A Month Can Do!

So much has happened this past week so all my thoughts are boggled up with memories and I may have a hard time putting them in chronological order. Tuesday, the 18th, I went back to Thiruttani, the colony that was run by the corrupted president. It seems like everytime I go to Thiruttani I never have enough time to spend there to talk to all the people, but is just due to the colony being so far away. It takes two hours to get there if you guys don't remember me telling you in my previous blogs. It was still great! I love driving to Thiruttani because the landscape always takes my breath away. There is a bridge you cross before getting into the city where the colony is located, and looking out you can see a huge valley that is so picturesque. I can only imagine when monsoon hits what it would look like. Seeing it full of water with mountains in the backgroud would make quite a serene and breathtaking landscape. Everyday India takes me by surprise of how beautiful it is. I think my favorite times are being in the bus listening to music and looking out of the window staring and pondering about everything. In Thiruttani I had the opportunity to only speak with one family, but this family was truly worth the time. I don't remember much of what was said because Tamil does not stick with me, and even though it was translated to English I am not great in remembering things, so I will try my best to decipher my thoughts for you guys. This man was diagnosed with leprosy at the age of 17, so he came to this colony to find hope and acceptance. He later found his wife there and they had two kids who are still there helping each day with the most love for their mother and father. The son is not married and he works in the colony. The daugther is married and has one adorable child. She takes care of her family, but also, she does the cooking because neither the mother or the father are able to. The story behind this man, the daugther's father, is one similar to all the rest here in India, but for some reason his story hit me harder than the others told. This man had enormous amounts of faith and perserverance like all the other people in colonies I have spoken with, but the way in which he told it was far more inspiring than all the rest, and the feeling I had sitting there listening to him was a feeling that I felt somehow connected to this man. I cannot describe in words of how it felt, but I can say the feeling was remarkably strong. As I was leaving the colony, I prayed for the family to be blessed and safe. I do not know how or why I had this connection, but a part of myself believes it is because God was sending me some sort of message about myself. I am not the most religious person as most of you may know, but my experiences here have been nothing short of amazing, and I know God has been watching over me. Wednesday, the 19th, and Thursday, the 20th, I spent time with Esther before her leave from India. We stayed in Chennai with the Mitchell's, a family here from the states, and good friends of my parents. They are the family who took Esther in for her last year of high school. I see them at church every Sunday. They have a nice home right by the beach, so it felt nice to stay with them, and for a change sleep in a comfortable bed, and take a nice refreshing shower instead of crawling on all fours with a little bucket. Levi and Jessa, their two kids, are super fun to play with. Levi, is their adopted child, and he is totally just like I was when I was younger. He is always getting into fights, loves being all over the place, and has tons of energy. Jessa, is their birth child, and she is a sweet girl. Esther and I had tons of fun those two days. We went to City Centre, which is the Indian version of the Mall of Georgia. It is really nice with tons of shops giving you an American feel, so I guess you won't miss home, it has an Imax theatre there, but they called it Inox, and the food inside is awesome! It's great because if I want to eat American food I have a plethora of options to choose from. Subway, Pizza Hut, KFC, and McDonald's are some of the places I can choose from to get food I miss back home. It was great spending time with Esther. We talked about her upcoming marriage, and how she is so excited, but the same time worried because it's all new for her. It was great because I do not think I have ever bonded with Esther the way I did here, and for that I was truly grateful. She is an amazing friend, and a wonderful sister. I am so excited for her to have this new chapter in her life. I know she will be an awesome wife, and a remarkable mother. We left the Mitchell's Thursday evening to go back to RSO, and it was so cute to see Levi on his bike chasing after our car to say goodbye to Esther. The drive back we drove along the beach, and again my breath was taken away at the beauty of India. Seeing the sunset in the horizon as the clouds slowly drifted to cover up the "God" praised for millions of years by every ancient civilization; the color of the sky metamorphosized into a red-orange reflecting off the whole world it shined down on was beyond beautiful. Sometimes there is nothing more beautiful than seeing nature be itself. Friday was a very depressing day, for it was the last day the volunteers had before they went home. I spent the day helping them clean and pack. As evening came around, it was time for the volunteers to leave. The kids would scream and holler at each one of them to see if they were really leaving, and sad faces came upon them when they discovered the truth. Since all of their flights were not till 1:30 in the morning we had a lot of time to spend in Chennai. I came along to say goodbye to friends I had made in the short three weeks time, and for me it was sad to see them go. For a few hours we spent our time in Spencer's Plaza, another big shopping mall in Chennai. We did not have a lot of time to be inside because we had gotten there at 9:30 and the mall was to close at 10, so everyone rushed their last minute shopping to get all they wanted before going home. Saying goodbye is never easy for me, and especially even harder after making friends with awesome people in such a short amount of time. It honestly felt like I had known them all my life. I guess when I am around people that share the same experiences as I do, and feel the same feelings that I do, I feel connected to them in a stonger way than if I had just gotten to know them through conversation. In the bus, on the way back home, I was contemplating about how I have already been here a month! It's amazing how fast time flies by! Today was a rather slow day, but still a fun one. Usually on Saturdays I go out somewhere, but due to no available drivers it wasn't possible. All day I spent answering emails and talking to people about my project that I will be starting up in September. I am going to be running the micro-lending program here for the kids, so the kids can learn the business side of life. It's a great idea teaching these kids discipline, and teaching them to work hard in everything they do. Who knows, but maybe in a few years our kids will grow up and become successful businessmen and businesswomen? I know so, and I know with all my heart these kids will make the future of India become what it has never dreamt of becoming. I miss and love you all back home! Everyday I think about you guys, and how excited I am to come home and tell you all that I have experienced and learned out here! I know I have my blogs, but there is so much more to say, and words in a blog will never fully describe it. It is truly amazing to sit back and watch yourself from the outside becoming someone you never thought of becoming, and changing lives when a thought of doing so never existed. The power of one person may seem very small, but it is not. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you are the world. Remember it is never too late to help those in need, and it doesn't have to be thousands of miles away, although it sounds better, but I can assure you back home there are lepers waiting to be touched, talked to, cared for, and simply loved. Each one of us can become the world for someone else, so keep an eye out for those that need us. I love this work and I love these people! Never lose sight of where you are headed, and always have hope, and faith in those certain circumstances where it all seems to be going bad, for in those times is where it truly matters!

A Myriad of Memories!

So much has happened in the last few days and I don't know where to begin to explain it all. Satuday was great because I got to go back to Mamallapuram. I spent the day their with a bunch of the volunteers that I have met here, and I can't even put to words how awesome they are! We walked around, shopped, and went to the beach. I was so excited because I got some really nice shirts in one of the shops for like 2 bucks a piece! I know right? Well after spending our time there all of us went to eat some parotha for dinner. While I was eating, I noticed on the wall these huge gecko-like lizards eating all the flies. The sight of this wasn't to appetitizing, but it was still pretty cool. Sunday was a very depressing day. We all went to church to hear Raja, one of the kids that is from RSO, who is now leaving for his mission to Provo, Utah give his farewell talk. If you don't remember me talking about Raja before go back and read my earlier blogs. He is one of the coolest guys and I know he will make a great missionary! It was sad because his wisdom teeth were coming in and he wasn't able to give his talk, so Esther gave it for him. He talked about all of the people in his life that he wanted to thank and how grateful he was for his parents and all the things they had done for him. Church was good, but what made it even better was when it was over. All of us went to the Mariott and had lunch there. Can I say real food finally! In the Mariott they have this huge buffet with a plethora of foods, and everything there is just awesome! On the way home I slept like a baby from all the food I ate. It was great because it's rare to be super full here. Later that night we all had a group devotional. Each person had to share a thought, experience, an entry from their journal, or just something cool they thought would be pleasing to hear. Everyone shared something amazing. Today was a very cool day, and for a change it felt nice! It rained pretty much all day, which I guess would be considered as depressing, and it was in a way, but even in today's sadness nature still looked so beautiful and picturesque. India is always beautiful in it's own way, but today with the rain something was different. Everything seemed so lucious and fruitful. We went to the colony of Bethel Nagar and it was sad because I found out this would be the last time I would visit the colony for the summer. Knowing this, I decided to have a better experience than usual. All of the colonists stayed in their homes and slept, watched t.v., or whatever seemed to please them. To make their rainy day seem more happy, all of us played games with them. One of the games we played was an indian version of the game sorry, and it was really hard to follow, but really cool to watch. Jenga was another game we played, and it totally made their day. When the blocks fell they would burst into laughter. Seeing these people laugh is a rare sight, so when it happens I try to keep them doing so. To some of these people we're all they have, and to others we're kind people with huge amounts of love. The little things we do like playing games with them, holding their hands, or just acknowledging them as real people, truly do touch their lives. As I walked around the colony and greeted people with the limited Tamil I knew, I noticed how everyone there would smile at me. The only downside of today was being so tired. The minute I came back to the campus I slept until dinner, which was fantastic because we had chicken briyani. Three of the girl volunteers left tonight to go home, which is sad because there are now less girls to choose from, but also great because I can get to know them easier. Well I am going to have to go to bed because I can barely keep my eyes open. I miss you all back home and I love all of you! Take care and be the best you can be!

It's the Small Things that Count!

Today was a great day! I got to go out to the colony of Muut, which my mom started. I do not know the entire story of how she started the colony, but I know that she did send tons of rice to them and other things that they needed. This colony is the smallest colony that we go to with only seven people, but each one of them are so happy to see us every time we arrive. It was great because when I arrived one of the men remembered me from the last time I had been there when I helped him carry rice. He told our translator that I have changed in size and I don't talk as much or joke as much as I did last time. It felt great to know that I was remembered. Talking to these people you really get to know them and it feels like they really get to know you back. I can't really explain that feeling that I get because I guess you just have to experience it, but it feels so amazing as you take the time to get to know these people that are outcasted from their society. It's sad because the rest of India is truly missing out on some awesome people! While we were there, Radhika, one of our translators and teachers for our school, danced for them. To see these people light up with joy as she was dancing was hysterical! The man that remembered me had these huge burns on his feet so he could not stand, but to see him clap and sing and laugh was just so touching to me. I think it is so remarkable to see them with nothing and yet still have room to be full of joy and love! I don't know what I would do if I was in that position. The great thing about this colony is the location of it. It's an hour away from where we are, but in the middle of the country. There are huge fields and even though it is hot and dry to the eye it looks beautiful! I asked the people what they do for fun, and what seems to be a big time passer for these people is watching T.V. and listening to the radio. It's not much, but to them they appreciate it greatly, and that is what counts. I also asked the ones that do not have leprosy as bad as the other people if they go out anywhere. It was cool to hear they go to the movies sometimes when they get welfare money, which is similar to our welfare system of food and etc. It's pretty shocking to me that majority of these people we visit in the colonies are Christian. I definetly did not expect seeing pictures of Jesus everywhere in their colony, but it made me feel more comfortable knowing they have full trust in God instead of all their thousands of Gods like the rest of the Indian culture. After talking with them and getting to know about their lives, the girls got their fingernails painted with all the women, and that was pretty funny to see. Instead of getting the nail like it should've been they just painted away and sort of sloshed it on their nails and made it look pretty wild, but it was great and you could tell they had joy in sharing their time. Leaving the colonies always gets hard for me especially after learning so much about them. As I was reading later in the day, I came across this quote from my book that totally hit me about the people here in India that we visit. "I came from nothing too. Sometimes I think it's easier. Ambition is natural when you don't have anything. You know what you're driving for." When I think about this quote I relate it to my personal life as well as the lives of these leprosy-affected. I appreciate things so much and even though a lot of the times I take things for granted I know at the end of the day that I was blessed. I have worked hard to get to where I am today and who I have become. It's the same in the lives of these people here. They have nothing, but they have ambition and a drive of where they want their lives to go. Everyday I visit these people and their trust and faith is in God. I am truly amazed. I never thought that somewhere, being India, could teach me so many things. I want each one of you to know that when you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, never give up then, for that is just the time the tide will turn. I love these people here and I love the work i'm doing. I hope all of you are doing well back home. I miss you all and love each one of you!

Another Exciting Day!

Everyday seems to be another adventure here, but I am loving it because everyday I learn something new either from the people here in the colonies, or from just within myself. Wednesday I went out to the colonies again. This colony was about two hours away so I had a lot of time to relax and listen to music. It was great because looking out the window I saw the country of India and it is truly beautiful! We had Raja come with us, one of our translators. Raja is one of RSO's kids that is now shortly leaving for his mission to Provo, Utah. He is the first kid of any RSO kid to leave the school. Raja is such a funny guy and he always keeps us entertained. Thiruttani was the colony we went to. Thiruttani is a pretty interesting colony because we first started to go there last year to help build them a community shelter. When we arrived there a year ago they had their doubts about us working because we were apparently "soft" and "American" and so that meant to them that we couldn't do hard labor, but little did they know that we would come in there and work so hard. In a week we had built this community shelter and they were stunned and so grateful. The people and the president of the colony didn't want us to leave and kept asking when would we return. Today they have a new president and he is corrupt. He has been taking the money we have been giving the colonists for their businesses and using it for himself and his family, so we stopped sending the colony money. It is really sad because they now have crawled back into their old lives of begging and for those that don't beg they have shops along the steps leading up to the temple in the village next to their colony. When we were sending them money we tried to teach them the importance of being independent by having a business, which we setup through our micro-loans, but without the money they cannot afford to keep their businesses running. It really is sad how the wrong doings of one person have caused this colony to suffer. As I was going up the steps of this temple I would notice beggars of all sorts shouting rudely at our group and translators. The beggars would yell telling our translators to try to get money from us so they could get money. This lifestyle is just so sad, but when their country is so poor there is just not a lot they can do. I wanted to help them, but it's against our rules to give out anything to the people because it takes away everything we have set up in order for them to become independent. At the top of the stairs you see this beautiful temple and the view that looks out across the valley is picturesque! One of the cool things about being there was we saw this elephant that was trained to give you his blessing. The way it worked was you had to give the elephant a 2 rupee coin and place it on his trunk, he would then curl it up, hand it to his master, and then lightly tap his trunk on your head. It was by far one of the coolest things I have seen here in India along with that really weird festival. Since we only had a short amount of time that day we didn't get to talk to as many people in the colony as I thought we would, so I only got the chance to talk to one family, which I was bummed about, but still very grateful. It was great to go to Thiruttani and see how much it had changed in a year. Today I went out to the colonies as well. This colony I had been to before and it is my favorite colony because there are two women there that are so amazing! Marianne, one of the women, has sacrificed so much to be where she is now. She gave up all she had so her kids could have a future. She came to this colony and helped build it before her leprosy got bad, and now she is slowly working to pay off her house debt that the government help her build. At one point she thought about putting her house up so her son could keep his job! Marianne is so full of faith. For all those times that I have doubted God I wish I hadn't because if someone who has less than I can have more faith, then to me, I have a long way to go in becoming faithful in all things especially life! Another woman there that is just so remarkable is Mumtaj. This woman was diagnosed with leprosy at the age of seven, had shots for it, but after she got married and pregnant it came back. She fled with her daughter to this colony because she didn't want to be a burden on her husband. She told us about how hard she has worked in order to make her daughter's life the best it could be. Mumtaj is a devout christian. She goes to church every Saturday and Sunday and then goes back home where she is usually laughing with the other women colonists. These two women have taught me what sacrificing really means. It just amazes me how they do not have anything and yet they still are giving to the ones they love and to others! It takes a lot of faith and courage to sacrifice all you have. God truly blesses those that have room to give no matter how much or little we have. I love being here and I love these people! I miss all of you guys so much and I love each one of you as well! Don't lose sight in where you're headed and always have faith in yourself and in your situations. God bless all and take care!

A Couple of Days

So almost two days have passed since the last time I wrote and I do apologize, but what's great about it is I have twice the stories to tell. Yesterday my group went out to Bethel Nagar, our favorite leprosy colony to go to because the people there are just so awesome, and it is the colony that Rising Star has gone to the most since it's establishment. There is one man there who is just so funny to talk to because every time we come he always greets us with a huge smile and his laughter is endless. I do not know his name and even if I did it would be almost impossible to pronounce, so I will just tell you the story about his life and what makes him so remarkable and unforgettable. He got leprosy and was brought to this colony, but besides leprosy he was also blind. Dr. Kumar, who is our doctor, wanted to operate on him and try to recover his eyesight, but the other doctors told him he was too old and the operation would never work, but this did not stop him. This man told our doctor that he wanted a chance to see his grand kids and his family before he died. With all of Dr. Kumar's faith in this operation, he made sure that was the reason he would see again. The operation miraculously worked and he was able to see in one eye. Since that day he has been the happiest man alive! Every time we enter in the colony he is the first one to talk to us. He walks by and shakes our hands with his nubs with joy because he can finally see again! That day we set up all of our medical equipment and began to do our work. We had this huge line that started with all the patients sitting down waiting for Dr. Kumar to write down what was wrong with them or if their sores had gotten better or worse. After they had been checked out, they went over to get their blood pressure taken, and then they would come get their feet washed and bandaged up. I, again, was taking photos, but this time instead of just taking photos of their feet I had to write the picture number from the camera as well as their name because Dr. Kumar did not have his laptop. To see our other doctor dig into their infected sores was pretty gruesome and many times I had to look away. I just can't imagine the pain this disease causes them. After all of our patients had been treated, they walked to our medical van to get their medicines and soap. We try to teach our patients to wash their feet during the time they have to wait for us to come again so their leprosy will get better the next time we come. A lot of these people are very grateful, but others are not, and they would rather take medicine, or a pill as they put it to get rid of leprosy. It would be great if all the worlds problems could be solved with a pill because this way I would already be rich and with a lot of women, but unfortunately this is not possible. It was very touching though to get to talk to each one of these people as they were being treated. I got a lot of smiles which felt good, but the best part of getting smiles is knowing wherever you are in the world when someone gives you a smile it is understood and you don't have to worry about deciphering it. I truly do love these people because they teach me so many things about myself and life that I didn't know before, and for that I am truly grateful. Today was a very hard day. My group stayed on the campus and we dug in order to find the water pipeline, the power line, and the internet line. Last year one of the lines got broken and so to make sure that didn't happen again we had to dig up and find each line to know where they were in the future. This is another funny example of how unorganized Indians are! Usually back in the states when we build things we have blueprints, but here they just do everything by ear! Well after about 4 hours of digging none of us could find this mysterious internet line. We managed to find all the other lines, but honestly I felt like 49ers digging for gold without hope of knowing that it actually existed. This was really frustrating, but being so determined to find this line all day, I had it in me to keep digging. Out of everyone else that was digging looking for this line my partner Catelyn and I were the first to find it! I felt so relieved because I knew I could finally shower and escape the scorching Indian heat. The shower felt so surreal! I guess out of all the other things that I have done here in India this was one of the many that I asked myself in what way is this helping! One thing that I have learned here in India is exactly what Mother Teresa said. "There are many people who can do big things, but there are few people who will do the small things." This quote is so true in everything that I have done here. No matter how many monuments I help build for these people what they will remember most will be the small things that were done for them because those things that we look at as small to them they are beyond anything we can fathom. Washing their feet, touching them, and showing them love we see as small things because everyday we do them, but here in India especially when they have leprosy they never see those things and to them that is a huge thing! Later on in the day all of the volunteers went out to Chengalpat for dinner and we had the famous parotha. It was crazy because Esther won eating 12 of them beating her old score of 11! I don't know how she did it because I eat 4 and I am done! Well it's 9:25 here and i'm supposed to be putting my kids to bed so I hope all of you enjoy my thoughts and stories! I love you all and I miss you all! I think about each one of you often and I hope that you guys are doing well! Keep looking out for many more stories!

What A Weekend!

So since I haven't been on here for a couple of days i'm going to start from Friday, the day that I should have written, but due to my complications I was unable to do so. I spent all day Friday throwing up and being sick for some unknown reason, but then again T.I.I(This Is India), the famous acronym used by all the volunteers, was my only answer. You can feel my frustration can't you? Well that night the kids got to watch this slide show of some old pictures that were taken of them when their hostile was located in the city of Chennai, and the only reason I know that is because for a short amount of time I went out and saw some of it to get fresh air, but then after that I went back to bed. Saturday come around and I feel so much better! Thank goodness! All of us coordinators and two volunteers went to Mamallapuram, the beach city right in the Bay of Bengal. The whole day we spent relaxing at the beach, swimming, and a few of us were brave enough to get the Indian massages. I did not because I had already done the whole exotic massage from another country thing, and my experiences in Cambodia were almost perfect and I didn't want to mess that up with an oily Indian massage. When the girls were done I asked them how it was, and they said oilllyyy! I just smiled and nodded. The food at the resort was awesome! I got to spend some time with Esther and that was fun. We walked around the tourist markets and she bought some cool jewelry and some shirts for her fiance. I also got some cool pictures of me on the beach! I mean if I am in a exotic country like India I have to get some pictures of me on the beach so I can show the girls when I get back! On the way back we stopped at our favorite place to get lunch/dinner. In India they have this amazing bread called paratha, but it's pronounced parota. It's amazing! It's like a naan bread, but more tortilla like. I don't know how they exactly make it, but it's one of the best things to eat here in India. So we're on the side of the street eating this amazing bread, and I notice behind me this huge rack of Indian music. In my head I freak out and I go to buy some. On these cds they have like 120 songs! That is amazing because back in the states we can only get like 20 on one cd. Well each was like 30 rupees, so for three I spent 90 rupees which is almost $2 in the states. I love India because everything here is so cheap! The cd covers are so funny. They have pictures of girls dancing and the guys are wearing who knows what! We got back around 7:40 and then we hooked up a huge projector so the kids could watch Robin Hood. Every Saturday the kids watch some sort of movie and have popcorn. So I guess I can still feel like I am somewhat back in the states! Today was by far the most exciting day so far spent in India! Out of everything strange and bizarre that happens in India this totally knocks it out! So we were planning to go to church but we didn't have a driver. We called our other driver Regindren, who lives in the Nelvoy village just right outside of where our hostel is. It takes us two hours every Sunday to get to church because that is the closest Mormon church from where we are. So as we're driving Regindren hands us these photos of what looks like some festival. We find out this is a tradition that goes on in his village and his sister's son was going to be there and his family. We ask him if he was sad that he was going to miss it, but he does not know English very well and did not seem to get the question. The four of us volunteers pointed to the photo and said, "Are you sad that you're going to miss this?" He said, "Yes, 9-1." We felt so bad that we decided to miss church and go back so he could go be with his family to be a participant in this festival. Sometimes we get frustrated because the drivers cannot meet our needs of transportation, but we don't know what they're missing in order to come out of their way to do us that favor. We asked him if we were allowed to come and he said it was ok. So he takes us back and the three girls change into Chutidars which are the typical casual outfits the girls wear in public. Sarees, another type of outfit, are more formal and are used for church and nice events. So, after we were all changed we went with him to this festival, and I am glad we did because I probably will never see what I saw again! The festival didn't start till 9:30 so he invited us to his home to meet his family. We met his wife and his four daughters. They were all beautiful. So, finally we get to this festival right down the street from where Regindren's house was and they had six boys from the age of 8 to what looked like 16 sitting down getting these fruits sewed into there back and chest. The village had a huge temple and inside the temple there were two old men that would yell praises. There was a man on the roof taking up leaves and what looked life offerings to put on the roof of the temple, there were two old women possessed and just dancing in a wierd manner in front of the temple, and then to the side of the temple there was a group of men playing drums and this wierd trumpet and chanting as they played. After the boys had their whole upper back and chest of sewed on fruits, they entered inside the temple to get these huge hooks hooked in their lower back. One hook was hooked into them on each side of their back. As the hooks were being placed in their back, the old men inside the temple would yell different sayings, but they would yell them at the same time. So while all this is going on, I and the other 3 volunteers just looked at each other not knowing what the heck was going on! All of us were asking so many questions and we finally got to know the festival happens as a praise to one of their Gods. The boys can have this done at any age, but they have to be unmarried to do so. Regindren had this dedication to the Gods done three times! It was funny because as the boys were going through the first step of having the fruits sewed onto their skin, Regindren pulled up his shirt to show us his scars on his back. They were hideous! We kept telling him he was a real man for having it done three times. I just can't imagine the pain they feel as they get fruits sewed on their skin and hooks hooked in their back! The last step is they have to get this tattoo of a trident on their tongue! By this point I don't know what to think! After all the steps are done they get yellow rope and through the hooks they tie the rope to these carts for the Gods. Two boys had to pull carts while the other four pulled a bus all decorated with flowers! Now imagine how painful it would be to have hooks in your back while pulling a flowery bus! I guess if it was a regular bus it wouldn't worth it right? I asked Regindren how far they had to pull the carts and the bus, and he told me 10 feet. I thought WOW! So all that pain to just pull a cart and a bus for 10 feet?! Screw the Gods I wouldn't do it! I don't know what Regindren was talking about when he said 10 feet because after the ceremony was finished they kept going from the village all the way down the street. Unfortunately, we did not follow them that far. This was by far the most interesting thing I have ever seen in my life! I guess this is what happens when you skip church in India. After the ceremony we went back to Regindren's house and all of us got a family photo. We thanked him for allowing us to come with him and his family to the village festival. I have to say though throughout all that time we were there Regindren never stopped smiling. He was so grateful to show us his family and he was so happy that we spent that time with him. Regindren is one our drivers and he has been working with us for a few years now. He's an awesome guy and you can always see him with a smile on his face! I just love the people here. No matter what part of the world you are from they all accept you as one of their own. Whether you go to the colonies or out in public each person you talk to can teach you something you didn't know. This country is full of love and joy and I love being here! These people will walk up to you and ask you for your name and to them knowing your name makes their day! I wish America could be like India in that aspect! I wish more people back home could have as much love and joy as these people in India do. Try to incorporate love and joy throughout all you do and I promise you that your life will be happy and joyous like these Indians. They have nothing and yet they still have so much joy and happiness, and while we have a lot more than they do sometimes we are still not happy. Just think about that and then see what is really important in your life. I miss all of you and I love each one of you back home! Be safe and take care!

What Makes You Beautiful?

Today I had the chance to go out to one of the colonies with the medical unit. We entered into this colony and got all of our equipment organized and began to work. The looks on their faces as we washed their infected feet were looks of great gratitude! Again, these people are so amazing to me. I still can't imagine how they have so much faith! My job instead of washing their feet was to take pictures of them after they had been dried by the other volunteers. Looking at this old guys foot was pretty horrific. His foot had been eaten out so much that you could see his bone. Brittany, one of the girl volunteers, was washing his feet, and she told me that you could feel his bone as you were washing his feet. I can't imagine the pain that it causes him each day as he walks around. After washing their feet, we wrapped them up in these huge bandages, so they wouldn't get it infected from the ground. Another colony that we went to today was a fairly well off colony. They had food, shelter, and no leprosy, so that was nice. This colony was a school colony. These little kids that were there were so adorable. We came in as they were eating, and the funny thing about this situation was that they looked at us while they ate as if any minute we were going to rob them of their food or something terrible was about to happen. The girl volunteers painted the nails and toe nails of the little children and to see them so bewildered was really funny. Tonight we had our first family home evening lesson with the children on the topic of honesty. The younger kids couldn't really understand the lesson because they didn't know English very well, so that was sad, but the older children I hope got the message. At dinner we had our tradition of highs and lows. This is when we go around the table and each person will tell their high and their low for that day. My high was going to the colony and seeing these people being so grateful that we came. It always touches me when these people look me in the eye and tell me thank you. I just love getting that feeling knowing that I did something great for these people that have nothing. This work is truly remarkable! My low was just being so exhausted from the day. The minute I came back the campus I just passed out! Tonight we also had an amazing slide show. This slide show was a compilation of pictures put together to show what the true meaning of beautiful was. We all have our own meaning of beautiful, but I think sometimes we get blinded by what is happening out in the world that we don't actually see what the word beautiful really means. Tonight looking at these pictures it really hit me that God has made everyone beautiful in their own way. The regular world doesn't think that these leprosy infected people are beautiful, but the truth is they are. Seeing pictures of them smile without teeth, watching them hold your hands to praise you because you're actually talking to them, hugging them, and just giving them love, totally makes their life more complete not just their day. I guess when I first came out here I didn't really grasp the meaning of what I thought was beautiful, but the real truth is the word beautiful means a lot more than just what is on a cover of a magazine, or some supermodel taking some photos. Everyone in the world is beautiful! I love being here, and I love being with these amazing people! India is truly a remarkable country and it is filled with so many life lessons that I keep learning each day. People here in India these two weeks have honestly taught me so much more than anything I have ever learned in the last 13 years of my life. I want each one of you to think about what you think beautiful means. I think you'll be surprised with the kind of meanings you can come up with just by pondering on the word. Again, I love each one of you and I miss all of you back home! Take care and do the best you can with your time!

I Got a Haircut!!

Well today was a pretty relaxing day. I woke up and did the normal routine of showering in a little stall with a spicket. This honestly, at first, was so hard to get used to because i'm not so flexible, and bending down and trying to wash myself while being on all fours isn't all that appealing, but being in this hot weather you sort of start to appreciate these cold showers! I headed over to the school after my shower to tutor the kids which went well. Gopi Nath, one of the kids I tutor, is just so cute because every time I finish tutoring him he looks at me and says, "Thank you uncle." It really is adorable. It's cute because all the kids call the boy volunteers uncle and the girl volunteers auntie. It's like we're all one big family! All my kids are cute so I shouldn't leave anyone of them out, but this one in particular is one of my favorites. He works so hard and tries to get all the right answers, and just looking at him while he's struggling to get it right kind of makes me appreciate my education a little bit more. Most of these kids are abandoned, so teaching them is very important. What's really remarkable is if these kids learn English, and not only English, but English with an American accent, their income in India increases 500%, so that is really important. All these kids work so hard and we're so proud of them! Another exciting thing that happened today is I got a haircut! One of my really good friends from Utah came out for this last session and she is a hair stylist, so before she came out I told her to bring her scissors and all her accessories so that she could cut my hair. This is quite a thing because here in India it's so hot, and so ever since I've gotten my haircut I feel like it's 5 degrees cooler! All the kids keep telling me that I look like a American movie star, so I guess I really am that handsome. It's great that these kids have learned to boost all the volunteer's self-esteem levels up so well because now I know why all these girls keep coming back. The kids truly do have so much love and it's great because if you're ever feeling down you can just spend some time with them and afterward you feel like a million dollars! Eating here is also another hard task. In my case I eat all the time. I know that's surprising because before I came out here everyone kept saying, "Oh well you'll hate all that rice." The truth is I LOVE THAT RICE AND EVERYTHING I EAT. We have this kitchen that is full of food. We have cereals, bars of all sorts, beef jerky, and just tons of snack foods. Well surprisingly enough I have gained a little weight since I have come out here. The trick is to just combine all sorts of foods with your meals, so you get all the nutrients and you get tons of calories, and calories here in India are your best friend. After dinner we read to the kids before they go to bed and we will sing to them. This part of the day is my favorite. The kids are so amazing to watch because the innocence that they possess really hits you hard in the heart. When you can give so much love to these kids and these people out here, you can also receive that same amount of love back, and sometimes you can receive more than you give, and that feeling feels greater than any other feeling here. I love being out here and I love these people. I have come to know that God has made everyone special in their own way. These people here in India are so full of love and gratitude. They have sacrificed so much so that their children can have a better life, and to me, that stands out far more than anything else these people possess. It just amazes me that the people in the leprosy colonies who don't have anything are still sacrificing things to make sure that the future generations of India will be great! Trials to these people happen everyday, but no matter how big the trial is they are always happy to be alive and they are still grateful for everything they have. I guess my message to you all is to never take anything for granted, but always take full advantage of opportunities that come your way and the things that you possess because somewhere out in the world there are people who would kill to be in the same position as you. I hope all of you are doing great! I miss all of you and love all of you! Keep looking out for more blogs!