Day 11 - Wayanad

Everywhere we’ve gone, people have told us about Kerala and how beautiful a place it is. Today we went to Wayanad, a district in the northeastern tip of Kerala – a 5-6 hour drive from Bangalore. We left at the crack of dawn with our Profugo family to explore the area that their first center of development will be based.

1st stop: Shreyas - a social development organization focused on uplifting the poor and marginalized. They are one of the leading NGOs in South India for the development of marginal farmers, tribal, women, children, and senior citizens. We learned about their business model, their areas of research, their strategies, and the impact they are making. They take a "participatory approach" - people-led, people-based and people-centered. People are the subject and goal of development and not its means. In their site they describe development as "not only people having more but being more. It is a process of human becoming, where there is due respect for nature and life." They currently have 2,858 self-help groups catering to the needs of 46,646 poor and marginalized families in South India. Shreyas has been around since the late 70s. It was almost overwhelming to see how far a reach they have in terms of actual lives they have/are changing through the broad scope of services and training and programs they provide. Pretty amazing.


2nd stop: World Vision - an international humanitarian organization that focuses on children, families, and communities living in poverty and injustice. Having participated in different WorldVision programs in high school and college - we used to do the 30 Hour Famine in youth group where you fast for 30 hours and fundraise money for impoverished children and their adopt-a-child program, and a friend of mine used to work for them in their NYC office. Anyhow, in the Wayanad office, they focus on children and child development. They are also doing some work with women, providing microloans. It was neat to see and hear about the work World Vision is doing in India from folks who are on the ground working directly with them versus reading about the work in annual reports and websites. It was neat to hear them talk about their approach, which is about transforming the environment that the child lives in. It's not just about "adopting-a-child" and giving them money to afford an education. It's about transforming the living situation.

3rd stop: RASTA - Rural Agency for Social and Technological Advancement - an organization addressing the problems of rural communities, focusing on women, indigenous communities, small and marginal farmers related to agriculture deterioration, rural unemployment, food security, technology gaps in rural development, backwardness of women and tribal communities, water and sanitation, conservation of ecosystems, health and decentralized governance. This was the first organization we had met that was focusing on sustainability - technologies and strategies for promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly living, right here in India.

The couple who started the organization live very simply. They were amazing - openly sharing their life stories. Both highly educated people who have chosen to live in this very rural and poor area, living a simple life style, and dedicating their lives to the people around them. Their campus spans over 5,000 square ft, consisting of an administrative office, training and meeting halls, guest rooms, mushroom spawn production laboratory, bio-control laboratory, a community seed bank, a village telecentre, a skill training work center, an audio visual unit, two dorms of 20 beds one for men and another for women. They even have a rainwater harvesting system. Really neat to see people focused on seeking and utilizing innovative strategies that are both Earth friendly, sustainable, and effective for helping the poor and marginalized. Oh, and small minor fact - one of the women we met there, also the founder, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize among other awards. We wandered around the campus for a little bit. Then we headed on our 5 hour journey home. Our driver was CRAZY. All of us were praying that we'd get home safely. Seriously, this guy was weaving in and out, stopping abruptly constantly... thank God for getting us home safely.

This bat was zapped to death - gotta be careful when crossing electrical wires. Here I am trying to make friends with a calf.

Despite the crazy driving, we had a lot of fun on this roadtrip to Wayanad. It was educational, informative, eye-opening, and inspiring. Talking to and seeing the passion of people who saw a need and did something about it and are now impacting the lives of many is amazing. It also allowed us to spend quality time with the Koleths and their very adorable girls, and see the area that Profugo will be launching. Hopefully we'll be able to help! Thank you guys for everything.

Day 10 - Bangalore

The train ride was not so bad despite our initial reactions. We got in real early and headed to our friends place. Again, we are being spoiled by such a nice place! And, their 2 super cute little girls are so fun!!!

We went to a church service today. It was such a blessing - there's something amazing about praising with brothers and sisters from around the world, sharing very different backgrounds but the one common thread of JC that binds us all together as one. It was a very contemporary service with a pretty good praise band - neat to see Indian brothers and sisters rocking the drums during the praise set. Was cool. As we walked in, we were singing "I am free". The lyrics go:
"Through you the blind will see. Through you the mute will sing. Through you the dead will raise. Through you all heards will praise. Through you the darkness flees. Through you my heart screams I am free... I am free to run. I am free to dance. I am free to live for you. I am free."

This song had a new meaning for me this time round...after witnessing the poverty and the injustices people face everyday during my time in Delhi and Calcutta, I couldn't help but think of the poor women and children who are not free to run or dance or live. Many are enslaved by society's ills and injustices and are not physically free. Yet despite that, some have this unexplainable joy that can only be from the true freedom through JC. Unfortunately, there are even more that have neither physical nor spiritual freedom.

After church, we went down to "downtown" Bangalore - MG Road and ___ Rd. It was awesome! Shops, food, fun, everywhere. It reminded me of a big city in the states, but with auto rickshaws on the streets. After that, we headed back to the house and relaxed, took care of some stuff, and played with the girls. Tomorrow we start real early - leaving the house at 4AM to drive out to Wayanad where Profugo's first Center of Development will be based. We've got a couple meetings set up with some NGOs there, and will be spending time there talking to people, learning, observing, understanding and assessing opportunities and challenges, and exploring. I'm really glad we can be part of this exploration into this new territory with Profugo.

I still owe pics and backlog of blogs which I will get to when I have a free second (who knows how long that will take).

Day 9.5 - "Fun" times... experiential learning

Never will I complain about amtrak, njtransit, septa... Not even china's trains. So as I type, we are aboard an overnight train from chennai to bangalore. It's almost midnight and we get in around 430 or so.

So as we walked through the station and onto the platform, a variety of aromatic scents filled my nasal cavity... We are lucky-well, I suppose we paid more for it-but we are at least in a closed window car with "a.c." of some sorts.

The set-up is similar to china's hard sleeper cars-each section with 2 stacks of 3 bunks on each side-only here, they've really utulized the space-the area adjacent/perpendicular to the end of the rows, they've built w additonal stack with 2 beds.

So as I lay here on my bottom bunk, I'm trying to get comfortable in a way that allows me to keep our belongings tight to our vest-you never know what peoples might try to do. As jane and I chatted about this "pleasant" experience-the sweet smells, the sheets and blankets offered, and our lovely bunk mates, jane sees a mouse run from one side to the other-like from right under my head area to the other... Lovely. I don't consider myself overly protective or sterile-those who have seen my apt can vouch for that-but I wish I had lysol anti-bacterial spray to douse my bed with, and maybe also spray down the car as well as some of our bunkmates. Jane keeps laughing at my discomfort as she spots me twitching my leg. Well, we wanted the full experience so here it goes. Actually it's really not as bad as I've described here... Just how we were feeling at the moment. Praying for a night of rest, a watchful eye over our belongings, and not missing our stop!

Day 9 - Chennai: Refreshed and Ready to Continue the Journey...

So it's been awhile - our schedule was packed and internet connection was a challenge in Calcutta. I'll do some catch-up posts when I have a chance. We arrived in Chennai yesterday morning and are getting ready to leave on an overnight train to Bangalore tonight. Chennai has been a refreshing and relaxing time. Thank you so much to the Mathews and Jubi for introducing us to your wonderful family. It is such a beautiful city - much less polluted - you can actually see the blue sky and clouds! We have been hanging out with the Mathews and they are awesome... plus they have an awesome place - we've been very domestic - playing with the 5 kids - helping bake cookies - eating lots of yumminess.

We had a girls date today at a local salon - got pedicures and a real Indian threading experience. I love my Heena in PA, but it was cool to do it in India. Anyhow, really enjoyed our time in Chennai. We are CLEAN - a real shower (no bucket!); mosquito-less at least for the past 36 hours; and refreshed and ready to continue our journey. Gotta go pack - will catch up on what's happened the past few days when I have a chance.

Thank y0u for all of your prayers and support!!! I can see how He's really watched over us, providing in times of need, and protecting us from all. Share more later...

Also, just uploaded an entertaining video sound clip - scroll down to the December 7 post!

Day 8 - Chennai - Hanging with Family

We arrived early this morning in Chennai. What a difference it is from Delhi and Calcutta. The sky is BLUE. There is greenery surrounding us. There are lanes on the road and cars for the most part drive inside the lanes. We also found an ice cream shop - I was very excited.

We are staying with Jubi's sister's family - thanks Jubi! They moved from the Philly area to Chennai a few months back, relocating their entire family of 5 beautiful and super cute kids. I got schooled in bedroom basketball pretty badly (I should have just gone in for the dunk everytime - my 3-point shot was pretty lame).

Jubi's brother-in-law's brother took us out to Sparky's for an awesome holiday buffet style dinner. Please see Jane's face below - she was so excited to see Christmas decorations, American food, Christmas cookies, and hear Christmas music. It felt like Christmas and America. Jane's jaw was literally on the floor. She was shaking from excitement. No joke. Poor girl has been deprived. Anyhow, it was truly an international experience as there were folks from all over there. We had a good time, stuffed our faces, and met some really cool people. Ate way too much...


This is definitely a vacation from our "vacation". A much needed retreat...

Day 7 - CSS India, Calcutta

A loan officer from CSS India, a microcredit organization based in a more rural area outside of Calcutta, came to pick us up from the orphanage this morning. It was really nice to not have to think about getting a taxi and working our way "downtown" by ourselves. The man did not really say a word - just handed me an envelope from Himadri, my contact and also the founder and head of the organization, that stated: "in front of you is ___ from CSS. He will take you to meet me at the office..." So we hopped in the van and we started our drive to CSS headquarters, a good hour and definitely out in the burbs. Much less cars and traffic. It was a pretty ride and a nice change in scenery. We even saw an elephant on the way (although that is uncommon - even the loan officer was surprised).

CSS India is microfinance focused, but to our pleasant surprise, we visited another boys and girls children's home/orphanage. The revenue generated through microlending (interest payments are called "donations" at CSS) have gone towards building and funding a childrens home for boys and a home for girls. We visited both of the schools while the children were in school - their classroom is right on the home's premises. At the boys home, they also did a few short performances for us. Really nice... we didn't have to perform for them this time though - a nice reprieve from the hokey pokie.

Over lunch at the boys home, Himadri and I had some good business discussions. We discussed the organization's growth strategies, their technology challenges, etc. I left with some follow-up homework - a consulting project perhaps. I actually got connected to CSS through Synergy Ministries, a Christian "business as missions" organization. They organize trips for Christian business professionals to provide consulting and solutions implementation to different organizations around the world. Synergy sent a couple teams to CSS a few years back. So hopefully I'll be able to help Himadri with some of their challenges or at the least facilitate a new team from Synergy to go in the short term to help.

Himadri is another amazing person who saw a need and took a step out in faith to do whatever he could to help. Before we could even ask how he got started and why, he just openly shared his story to Jane and I. He is such a loving, caring, get the job done kind of guy, but very humble. To be honest, before heading out that morning to CSS, I was pretty tired and drained. We had been wandering around Calcutta meeting, talking, strategizing, entertaining, and swatting mosquitos almost constantly since arriving in Calcutta. We've been so blessed by all of those experiences, but we were tired. We didn't know too much about CSS India nor did we really know Himadri. In the back of my mind, I was thinking of cancelling and having one day to just relax and explore Calcutta a bit, but then realized that not only did God open a door for us to go and visit, but he provided a ride for us to get there. The door was already open and all we had to do was go... I feel like He's just telling me: "just trust me for God's sake (literally)". He floors me everytime... everytime.

Another thought that came to mind... visiting the different children's focused programs since arriving in India has really elevated in my mind the importance of building up this next generation. I knew it was important but I also felt there were a lot of organizations working in that space. Clearly, there is still such a need there.

Here are the girls at the home waving bye to us as we pulled out of their home. So precious...

Day 6 - Calcutta Samaritans & Emmanuel Ministries Calcutta

A little over a month ago, I volunteered at Profugo's Sweat for Hope race. I met Amit there who introduced me to Aunty Premila who now runs the Calcutta Samaritans and Emmanuel Ministries organizations. He grew up in Calcutta and attended Aunty Premila and her late husband Vijaney Pavamani's church. Jane and I had no idea what we would be doing or seeing, but we knew God opened the door for us to meet with her, and so we went.

Boy were we amazed and inspired by Aunty Premila, all the staff, and the women and children that we met today. Aunty Premila and her late husband saw a need in the community, opened up their door to help meet that need, and, well, the rest is history. In the 70’s, they put an ad out in the paper offering counseling services for people who were depressed or suicidal. In a culture where that is taboo, they were shocked to find their phones ringing and more than sixty people on their lawn the next day. Since then, their ministries have grown – they work with alcoholics and drug addicts; children from the streets, the slums, and the red light district; and women from the slums and red light district. We had no idea how big this organization was or the impact they were making on their communities, nor did we have any idea how "big" Aunty Premila and Uncle Pavamani were. Just talking to Aunty Premila, a humble, loving woman, you would still have no idea. They are just normal people who took a step of faith to reach the lonely and hurting... touching and blessing lives around the world.

Little did we know that Aunty Premila and Uncle Pavamani used to work closely with Mother Teresa and her organization – strategically partnering to serve the community. During Mother Teresa’s funeral, Uncle Pavamani actually did some commentary on Mother Teresa's life with Tom Brokaw. Uncle Pavamani and Mother Teresa are also the only 2 people in West Bengal to be buried on private property. VJ’s tomb rests outside the Emmanuel School that they built for children of the poorest of the poor in Calcutta.

When we first arrived at their home office, Aunty Premila was busy so we hung out at an “informal” school they hold on their property for street and slum children. We’ve learned that we should be prepared to share or perform something for the kids – they always sing or dance or do something for us. Let me tell you – the hokie pokie goes a long way in India. It’s the only thing I know well enough to teach. I also played some soccer and monkey in the middle with the kids (although I wasn't sure what was going on because the kids were all wanting me to throw them the ball - I think they were scamming into giving the monkey the ball).

Then we went in to meet Aunty Premila who now runs the organization with a staff of 300-400 reaching thousands of lives. She then sent us along with Subhasis who runs their microloan program.

First stop: New Market. The organization recently began its microloan program, operating only to women in two communities - New Market and Lakhermath. Subhasis was collecting the weekly loan payments at New Market. This slum is one of the poorest – that was pretty clear as we walked into the alley. Yet despite the poverty, there was still a joy and excitement in the eyes of the women and children there. So we walked into a community center that Emmanuel Ministries has built there. Inside was a group of children sitting on the floor – another “informal” school. Then inside another door was where the money collections were taking place. In that same room was a medical clinic. A mother came in with her baby to get some injection of some sorts. In America, we might be overly hygienic – this was the opposite. Dark room, no gloves… hold up the syringe in front of a dusty lightbulb, press in the syringe to let out some of the meds., and then into the baby it went. The children sang and danced for us, and then we did the hokie pokie of course. As we left the New Market Slum, a new mother was sitting on the street with her newborn baby – I mean, it seriously looked like it was just born minutes earlier.

Second stop: Emmanuel School. Subhasis took us to the school where 480 children receive their education and a good meal. This school was built to give the poorest of the poor an education that typically only the wealthy in India receive – an “English Medium” education. It is an amazing place that once you are inside the gates, would have no idea where these kids come from or the living conditions they return to every night. School uniforms do wonders to erasing how the kids actually live at home. Also inside the school gates is VJ’s tomb, as well as a home for children – many of which attend the Emmanuel School. We met and learned about current staff of the organization - one was an addict and another a street child who came through the organization's programs. Their lives were transformed and now they are staff, working with people like themselves. Just amazing stories.

Third stop: Lakhermath – a Red Light District. The organization has their 2nd microloan program for women there as well as programs for the children of sex workers. Subashis did his business with the women downstairs, and Jane and I went upstairs to hang out with the children. A tiny room filled with children ranging from 3-18? Similar sentiment – happy and excited and joyous kids. Again, the hokie pokie performance. They run an “informal” school there during the day. Then from 6-10PM, they run a program for the kids of the women who are in the sex industry, providing a place for the children to be and be cared for during the hours when the women must work. Emmanuel obviously wants to help the women get out of the trade – the microcredit program is one avenue – but they also realize the reality of the situation. Without this program, many of the children would be under the bed of their mother doing “business”; and many of the girls especially would be “in-line” to join the trade. There was one older boy, a first year at university, who grew up through the Emmanuel program. He spoke very good English and he was back to help out with the program in his free time. It was inspiring to meet and speak to someone who came through the program. Again, another example of the impacts this ministry is having on real people.

Then, Jane and I headed back to Freeset. The founder offered to take us for a walking tour of the red light district. A surreal experience for sure, and one that had particular meaning after having visited Lakhermath during the daylight. It’s actually quite amazing – Kerry is a friendly face in the community there…

Aunty Premila shared something her husband said to her: Unless you are willing to love them or do it for them, don’t say anything. Just listen.

Day 5 - Calcutta: Missionaries of Charity

Today Jane and I woke up bright and early and headed to Mother Teresa's organization - Missionaries of Charity (MC). Thank you so much for your prayers - finding a cab in our neck of the woods at that hour is a near impossibility, but He provided a way. The streets were so empty and quiet- it was so surreal when just hours before and a few hours after the streets will be packed with all sorts of creatures and sounds and smells.

The cab took us to the "Mother House", where Mother Teresa lived and now also where her body lies. Inside, we found an international melting pot of people, ready to roll-up their sleeves to help the poor. It was amazing to see how people, young and old, from all walks of life and from all parts of our world, were drawn to Calcutta by the life Mother Teresa lived, all to help the poor around us. I met a couple of girls from Taiwan (2 were from the town my dad grew up in!) and played translator at one point. Never thought that would happen, especially not in India of all places.

So in the Mother House, we signed up to volunteer at Shanti Dan, a home for mentally disabled women. Then all of a sudden we all began to sing some song, and then read a short statement, a gated door drew up, and then we were all out the door. Everyone seemed to know what to do - many people have been volunteering there for days, weeks, months, maybe even years, and people just seemed to know what to do... so we followed along.

As we stepped out of the Mother House and onto the streets, we were greeted by the sounds of prayers being chanted on the streets, and men of all ages dressed in white, kneeling in neat rows in the middle of the street of a typically busy road. Today was a Muslim holiday. We had to walk through them to get across the street to catch the bus - it felt a bit uncomfortable, but we didn't have much choice. It was quite the scene - I mean, it wasn't just 5 or 6 of us wandering, it was a group of maybe... a hundred or so. After we crossed over, we hopped onto the public bus. Thank God for people who knew where and how to get where we needed to go. Buses in Calcutta are funny - most of the time, they don't stop, they just slow. So good luck getting on and off. Thankfully, we made it in one piece!

We arrived at Shanti Dan and met the head sister running the show there - sister Mary __. She was this little Japanese lady who was indeed... running the show. She was the most efficient and resourceful person I've ever met. So there were 2 things that needed to be done that morning... 1) clip the finger and toenails of the women; and 2) put together these paper hats with tissue flowers attached for the women to use in a surprise holiday performance the sister wanted to put on for another staff member. I got tasked with putting together the crafts... Jane got the privilige of cutting nails. What was amazing was that there was no question as to: "are you comfortable doing that? Are you okay?" It was a... okay... here's a need, now you go and do it. Thank you for your help.

So we separated and started our work. She gave me a small roll of packing tape, some old cardboard boxes, scissors, some posterboard, and a bagful of pink tissues designed to unfold into flowers. She gave us some instruction, but the main one being, you only have one roll of tape so use it wisely. As I sat there thinking through how much easier it would be if we had more tape (like scotch tape or clear packing tape) or rather, something seemingly as simple as Elmer's glue or rubber cement, I was again reminded of how lucky and privileged... and how wasteful I am. Then we watched the sister teach a small group of the women the dance. I was impressed. I don’t think I could have even done that, although I can’t even follow easy step aerobics routines so why am I not surprised. After a tea break, one of the women grabbed my hand and sat me down. Not being able to speak the language, I just sat there and held her hand (as she stroked mine), smiled at her, and said some simple things in English. She just kind of smiled back. She was really cute – I wish I could have had more meaningful conversation but I suppose the human touch was sufficient. She was happy.

Later in the evening, Jane and I headed back to the Mother House to see her tomb. People were paying their respects at her grave. We learned of her life in the small museum documenting her life history, and we visited the small, tiny room that she lived when she was alive. It was a humbling experience to be where she roamed and slept. – the tiny quarters, the simple life. As we walked up to her room, other sisters were just doing their daily thing – hand scrubbing their clothes, cutting vegetables in preparation for dinner, and just living their lives. After that, we headed back to the orphanage, had a delicious instant noodles dinner and called it a night.

Day 4 - Exploring Calcutta

Well, last night was an eventful night! Full of "wonderful" sounds and mosquitos! Jane and I got a nice video clip that we think you'll enjoy, but I can't seem to fit my USB thingy into the computer that I'm at right now - we're at an internet cafe. So in our first full day in Calcutta, we took a taxi out to Freeset, an amazing organization that is helping women in or at the fringes of entering the prostitution and sex trade by providing jobs and training. It is an amazing organization - we spent much of the day with the founder, touring their factory, meeting the women, seeing their work, and learning the story of the organization. Anyhow, please visit www.freesetglobal.com to learn more (they will be launching a new website shortly so check back again!).

The couple who founded this organization 8-9 years ago are from New Zealand. They moved their family of 5, and at the time pretty young children, to Calcutta. The founder came out to meet us by the subway stop that the taxi dropped us off at. It was so neat to see how the family has really become part of this community. The people know them, and they know the people. Really, really neat scene.

Afterwards, we went down into the underground and got a taste of the subway/metro system. We wanted to register and attend an orientation so that we could volunteer at Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity organization on Tuesday. So, we arrive, and a sister is standing outside with some other foreigners and a father from somewhere in France. We find out we can't register today because of some other events going on, and the other foreigners invite us to join them to attend a "vows" ceremony. Not being Catholic, I really had no clue what they were talking about, but it sounded fun. So, becaues Jane and I are completely random, we squeeze into a cab with complete strangers - 2 folks from NYC, a Franciscan father from France and head off to... we had no idea where! We arrived at the church where the mass was being held and the nuns were "sworn" in... said their vows, etc. Yes, Jane and I are completely random.


Here we are following the priest through the streets to... well, we didn't know where to be honest... we ended up at the church and made our way into the ceremony.

Then, we made our way back to the orphanage...which was quite the adventure as well... but we made it by ourselves. Not too bad considering the many challenges. Traffic is HORRIBLE here. Never will I complain about traffic in the US, or sheesh... not even in Taiwan or China. It's nothing compared t6 here. I mean, no lanes, cars, trucks, mopeds, motorcycles, rickshaws, these mini super punch buggies with the rear open, bikes, foot traffic, dogs, cows, goats... just about anything you can (or rather, cannot, imagine). The pollution is so bad. Auto exhaust is really bad. I believe everyone should conserve, recycle, and do their part, be mindful of polluting, and help slow global warming. But as I sat there inhaling the wonderful fumes, i have to admit, i did start questioning whether my small act to recycle a bottle would really help this global crisis. i love challenges, and it made me sad that that give-up attitude even crossed my mind, but the pollution here is just so bad. after having a night to sleep on it, i slapped myself in the face and decided regardless of how bad the problem is, i still have to do my part to help address it (after all, i am part of the problem so might as well try to minimize my impact). You should too.

After arriving back to the orphanage, jane and i had some instant korean noodles for dinner - yum. as i was walking back to our room, i had to walk through the kids main "classroom"/"lecture hall" where they were having their evening lesson. i was just going to quietly tiptoe in and join jane in eating our pineapple cookie dessert, but as i was walking through, i noticed that the head guy was talking about abraham lincoln. why is it that wherever i go, lincoln is always there? anyhow, so i sit down and join the kids. let me give you the play by play:
1) teacher: "do you know who abraham lincoln is?" kids stare blankly at him... silent. tw wondering where he is going with this. jane listening through the door from the room.
2) teacher: "you didn't learn anything in school? do you know who the first American President was?" kids still stare blankly... a couple say George... tw gets excited that they know the answer... but then realizes the kids were saying George Bush...
3) teacher: "abraham lincoln was the first american president. the first american president. you got it? he was a small boy (like you children), no money for school books, but he worked hard, was honest, and..." tw sitting there totally confused - wanting to correct him but not wanting to do it in front of everyone... jane covering her mouth with her sleeping bag to stay quiet.
4) teacher: "you know slavery? slavery is when you make someone work too hard". yes, imagine what jane and i are thinking now. i'm trying to keep a straight face but i have no poker face...
5) teacher: "do you want to be like abraham lincoln? do you?" some kids start raising their hands, others look around confused... see others raised so raise theirs too... one kid doesn't raise his hand and the teacher says: "you don't want to be like lincoln?" poor little guy... he probably was sleeping through the whole story...
...anyways, it was an entertaining evening.

Day 3 - Arriving in Calcutta

Jane and I made it to Calcutta! We woke up at 3 am to find out our cab driver was prolly still sleeping. Anyhow we made it to the airport on time-let me tell you-the single file line system does not work here. Thank you to my bball coaches for drilling the "box-out" concept-it worked remarkably well.and jane's got some anger issues that she likes to blame on being here too long (whatever, it's just jane being jane).

Even though we tried to blend in with the crowd, we still stuck out-an indian-american guy approached us, asking us where we were from and what we were doing. Anyhow, we had a good conversation.

So jane and I are staying at this orphanage in the middle of... The head reminds us of mario from super mario brothers. Really awesome guy with a huge heart for these precious children. we joined their "church service" after we arrived-actually, we were hoping to get a nap in, but their service was right outside our door (literally) and they were all singing and praising and praying loudly... Clapping, chanting, and hallelujah'ing. It was a blessing to be able to join these young children inworship-i was blessed just seeing how much these kids love the big guy. Then of course, I should anticipate this from now on... We were asked to share something... And since jane was somewhat half asleep, I got the task. Well, jane also led the hokie pokie yesterday at asha house so it was my turn I suppose.jane says: it was honor and privilege to teach the children the hokie pokie. anyhow, it was fine. Oh remind us to share the boom chicka boom piece.

Anyhow, so words cannot describe this place we will call home for the next few days. This area is very poor although mario says that this is not the worst . I think we are the only foreigners here. The staff are wonderful but accompany us wherever we go. They have such a heart for the children... More on loaction, so there is also quite a bit of still water-like a lake along the streets, but looks dirty... We did see one man drying himself off at the edge of the lake... Disturbing... Trash thrown on the streets. Water, trash, and somewhat humid weather equals mosquitos! They were in delhi too but worse here. Thank God for bugspray and mosquito nets and coils. Pray that they will protect us. Both of us have some bites to show off already.

So we kind of feel like we're trapped in this room... Because... We pretty much are. Haha. I mean, we could leave but we'd have no clue where to go and I'm sure the staff would follow. We just set up our mosquito net...there is definitely no inernet connection anywhere close by-writing from bb... And oh, the sounds around us are interesting... I think there were fireworks outside earlier. The windows are windowless with a grate in front to keep the outsiders out and insiders (us) in. we closed the "blinds" or rather, the wood flat panels that shut out all sunlight. Sounds are still pretty clear though. Crickets, honking, footsteps, random noises, cooking, chatter, children, jane sneezing, everything. Ok, until next time... Signing off for the night.

Just added the video clip... turn the volume up. It's a black screen because our lights are out, but listen...Enjoy!

Day 2 - Delhi: Asha Mission and Asha House

Jane and I woke up to Peru making us yummy American style pancakes... with syrup. We are so American... then we headed off to Asha Mission and Asha House to visit the children and staff, and play Santa Claus with the presents and donations. We ate our second round of breakfast there (Indian style this time) and had lunch like an hour or so later. One thing I am good at is eating, so that wasn't a problem.

The kids were super cute! I gotta get to bed now but I'll share some pictures and videos of the children. I actually have no idea what time it is right now, but I know it's late and everyone is sleeping. Jane and I are headed out in a few hours to catch a flight to Calcutta. Will share more later...

Day 1 - Delhi

I arrived and my luggage did too! No issues at customs... got my stuff and walked right out - no problemo! Thanks for praying for that. Had some difficulty spotting Jane in the crowd but we eventually found each other. Reminded me of pre-cell phone age - trying to spot my mom in the mall department store, well, except, I didn't have a cart full of massively sized pieces of luggage and uh... much fewer people in the mall... much less than even the holiday season.

We packed up Wilson and Peru's car (Jane's friend that we're staying with), and headed to their place. Cleaned up a bit - a much needed "bucket" shower (made a mess with that) - and then we headed out to a local shopping area where we ate at my favorite restaurant. Can you guess which one? You won't find big macs in India, but the mcchicken sandwich was yummy as were the fries. they also don't have dessert pies but had a "pizza mcpuff" which is basically like a pie with pizza in it - i give it a so-so rating. i actually think hot pocket pepperoni style is better.

A good night of sleep ahead...

The journey has begun!

We collected so much stuff for the kids – I just have no idea how we’re going to get it all to the orphanage in India! I guess that’s a good concern to have, but nonetheless, I’m confident we will get it there somehow. Hopefully by the time this posts, I will have successfully made it through customs with my ginormous duffel bag of presents for the kids and staff and a large box of donated goods for the kids.

I’m very confused as to what day or time it is. All I know is that I left on Wednesday night from Newark and arrived in London the next day around 9:30AM… I took the tube down to Piccadilly Circus in downtown London to meet up with Mallika and Jacqueline, my StartingBloc buddies. We had a blast roaming around London, eating yummy food and wandering through museums! It was so good to see them and catch up.

I’m really glad I had those 12 hours in London – it meant a lot to be back in London, the source of the inspiration for a vision trip to India. It was 2 summers ago at the 2007 StartingBloc Global Institute for Social Innovation at LBS that Jacqueline, Vinay, and I agreed it was time to stop talking and discussing the issues to death, but to start acting … fond memories of that conference. Ah memories... next to me is Jacqueline and in the middle is Mallika.

What is faith?

That's the big question that's been stirring my heart and mind lately... to the point of making me sick to my stomach. I feel that God's really challenging my heart and mind to step out in faith. Yes, I'm nervous about going to India right now with all that's happened. Yes, it absolutely pains my heart to know that my family is seriously concerned about me going there now and would rather me not go now. I guess for the past 20 or so years of my life, I've successfully, or at least felt confident about the decisions I've made for myself... confident enough to somehow persuade my parents into agreeing that "my way" made some logical sense and was for the betterment of my future. I'm not sure if one calls that "finagling" or simply... "charm"... (being the only girl on one side of heavily boy side made that easier too). okay, okay, probably more of a spoiled brat syndrome or something in the middle of that spectrum.

Anyhow, this struggle between living by faith and living practically... living the easy and comfortable way is difficult. I mean, I don't think the two ends are necessarily contradictory, but, well, they sort of are. At the least, living by faith means trusting in my loving creator who loved me so much, that he would be willing to let his son die so that i could ultimately live. Living by faith means relying on Him and knowing and truly believing that what he has planned for me is so much greater than what i could even try to work hard to accomplish on my own. If I truly believe, then i've got to stop just paying lip-service to him, but to depend on him. And right now, this trip to India, it took this horrible terrorist act to remind me that I must rely on him... that i must truly depend on him for wisdom, direction, and strength. He is in control. I am not.

I do feel that going right now to India is what he wants me to do. The timing of my original plans not working out with my bum knee, to opening up this opportunity with Jane in India, and the connections he's provided both seemingly random and through friends of friends, gives me pretty strong conviction that this is where he wants me to be right now.

...taking a step of faith, and learning to trust...help me know confidently this is where you are leading... free me from this angst inside... give my family, my friends, and myself understanding and peace about me going... and help me be excited about this journey again.