Happy Birthday

Living at a hostel with about seventy children for six months just about guarantees that I will celebrate more than a few birthdays with them. I've made an effort to help make their birthday special by making each birthday boy/girl a Rainbow Loom bracelet using their favorite colors. In Semmandakuppam, the birthday traditions at school are as follows. The child gets to wear their new "birthday dress" to school and their parents give them enough candy ("chocolates") to share at school with their friends and teachers. Getting to wear a birthday outfit (or something they already own if their parents don't buy them a new dress) is special because all of the children, no matter their school, wear uniforms.



Yesterday, I got to celebrate one of my best friend's birthdays, Madesh. I was SO happy to be here to celebrate his birthday with him. Madesh is studying XI standard and turned 17 on January 27th. He has lived at the hostel now for seven years. His mother cultivates watermelons and his father doesn't work due to leg pain he has from a previous accident that he was involved in. Madesh is such a responsible young man with a smile that could light up anyone's day no matter what kind of day they're having. He is a great leader to the younger boys at the hostel and is a wonderful role model for them. He is also an awesome cricket, volleyball, football and kickball player. Madesh is an all-around awesome kid.

I started off his day by singing to him with all of the hostel children after devotion and giving him his red-and-white bracelet. He was thrilled. That evening, I went to give Madesh a pack of gum as an additional birthday gift. When I caught up with him, he handed me a small chocolate bar, saying "Here's my birthday chocolate for you. Take it, Aunty." When I asked him where he got it, he told me he bought it at his school canteen. It was such a selfless act that it just blew me away. Here it is, his birthday, and he spends 10 rupees at school to buy ME a chocolate bar in order to celebrate HIS birthday. It put it into perspective for me just how special these kids are and how much love they have to share.

One part of Madesh's birthday that made my heart ache was that his mother nor father ever came to see him that day. Keep in mind that Madesh doesn't live with his family; he lives at a hostel. This means that he sees his parents about six times a year for a couple of hours on parents meeting days at the hostel, in addition to the one and a half months that the children spend at their homes for the summer holidays. His parents couldn't take twenty minutes out of their day to come and see their only son (Madesh is an only child) on his birthday. It broke my heart because their son is absolutely incredible. I would be SO fortunate if one day God blessed me with a son like Madesh. How could his parents not make an effort to come and at least see their son on his birthday?

In America, there are parents that spend THOUSANDS of dollars on their children's birthday parties. They have to buy the matching cups, plates, silverware, tablecloths, giftwrap, banners...all stuff that gets thrown in the trash. There are children who, if they only get a few small gifts, throw huge temper tantrums because really more is better isn't it? Have you ever seen that show on MTV called, "My Super Sweet 16?" That just about sums up the extent to which Americans will go to celebrate "ME." If you haven't seen it, don't bother wasting your time. It's enough to make your skin crawl.

Madesh taugh me a couple of things on his birthday. He taught me to always put others before yourself, no matter the circumstances. He taught me to smile through everything because there really are bigger obstacles you could be going through. I'm so happy to celebrate the birthday of such an incredible young man. I pray that he follows the Lord's plan for his life because I know God has great things in store for Madesh. Happy birthday, Madesh. <3

Surprise!

On Sunday, January 5th, I got one of the biggest surprises of my life...no doubt about it. I was lined up with the children, very anxiously waiting for the team members to climb off of the bus. After being reunited with one of my favorite uncles, he encouraged me to come and see the rest of the team. As I walked closer to the bus, I saw something that I could not quite believe. What was it? My DAD. Boy, was that one hug that I will never forget!

There's been more than a few clues for my dad that India means a lot to me. I talk about it non-stop at home. My room is covered with photos and treasures from India. I sponsor now two children at Carmel. I look forward to every trip like a little kid on Christmas Eve. I've been there now six times. And, probably the biggest and most obvious of them all, I'm living here for six months. I think it has been fairly clear to him since my first trip to India in 2009, that India is a special part of my life. However, I don't think he ever truly understood. He would easily get tired of me talking about it so much and ask me to stop. He would see me putting up a new India photo in my room and ask, "Another one?" If I am being completely 100% honest, my dad is the last person I ever expected to get off of that bus.

But, boy am I extremely happy that he did!!!! I loved showing him around the wonderful place that has become my second home. I loved introducing him to his sponsor child, Ilayaraja. I loved introducing him to all of the awesome kids who have become my brothers and sisters. I loved having him sit in the back of my spoken class and seeing me do what I love. I loved sharing my "appa" with my second family. Most of all, I loved being able to share my passion with him. I've always been close with both of my parents, but it's a really incredible feeling to be able to share your passion with parents. My mom made my first trip to India with me so she was able to witness the beginning of it. But now my dad has seen me living my dream and I am so proud that he was able to see me at my best. I am so happy he was able to see the reason I wake up every morning at Carmel with a smile on my face. The reason I can live in a faraway country for six months and not feel homesick for one minute.

I am incredibly thankful that he made the decision to come and see me. I truly hope that he was able to see why I love Carmel so much and why India means the world to me.

Padre ~ Thank you for coming such a long way to come and see your "baby." I hope it was easy for you to see my purpose for being here. I love you SO much. I am so so happy that you got to meet my amazing second family and see how I am living out God's plan for my life. I hope (like always) that I am making you proud of me. See you soon! <3 <3

January Team Visit

First of all, my sincerest apologies for not posting in quite some time. I know many of my friends really look forward to my blog posts, so I'm sorry for keeping you waiting!! It's been an incredibly busy past few weeks with the team's visit. We had a team of about 15 this year. I must say that it has truly been amazing to be on the other side of this visit. For the past five years, I've always been one of the team members so I only knew the visit from that perspective. But, having arrived in September (a little less than four months prior to the team's annual visit each January), I got to experience it from a completely different perspective.

It's been incredible seeing how much effort and emotions go into the team's 10-day stay. I've seen it all. The weekly prayers for the team members (which had been taking place at least since my mid-September arrival). I've seen the hard work by all of the teachers and staff (at both the school and hostel) that goes into all of the special activities like Sports Day, the Science Exhibition, the Pongal Cultural Activities, the Sing Song Service, the FKP Cultural Program and the Community Dinner. The effort by all of the FKP sponsor children to prepare for the FKP cultural program including: memorizing Bible verses in English (some members 5-10, others 20-30, one 15-year-old boy memorized 50!), planning matching outfits and props, and a load of dance practices (during school, after school, in the evening and some taking place at 10 o'clock at night). All of the planning and preparations that go into making the three meals and afternoon tea that the team enjoys each day. The selflessness of Karthick, who checked the fridge multiple times each day to make sure the team had cold water and soft drinks at all hours of the day. All of the excitement and anticipation that builds up to the team stepping off of that bus and entering the gates of the hostel. The ear-to-ear grins on the children's faces as they see their sponsors for the first time in one or two years. The hugs and high fives shared with team members as the children greet them along both sides of the driveway. The incredible sense of joy that fills the air during the entire time that the team is there. The small conversations between team members and children that give the children a smile enough to last them the whole day.

I've also seen the more difficult times that the team's visit brings. The sadness and tears of the children as they hug their sponsors tightly, hoping and praying that they return next January. The disappointment the children feel when they do not get as much time to spend with the sponsors on a particular day. The overwhelming silence that surrounds the hostel when the bus pulls away. The sorrow the children feel in their hearts when they realize they have to wait a whole year to receive love...love that only the team gives them. Backie and Freena's sadness as they have a special goodbye ceremony for their loving sponsors.

All of these things I've seen and experienced over the past two weeks, both good and bad, I would not trade for anything in the world. The one thing that I have witnessed most prevalently through the team's stay is an enormous amount of love. The entire community of Carmel (not only the children, but all of the staff, teachers and Backie and Freena too) love the team with all of their hearts. They work so hard and put forth so much effort out of pure love for these people who they only see once a year. They treat them like they are kings and queens. They love them as their own family. Those two weeks in January are undoubtedly the highlight of their entire year. Spending time simply talking with the team members is something they cherish like nothing else. They know the team members have families, friends, jobs, lives back in America; so it makes them feel especially loved to know that these team members would take two weeks out of their hectic schedules to spend here at Carmel.

I am beyond thankful that I now have this perspective to keep in my mind. It is now even clearer to me the need for a team to visit Carmel every year. I've had many people ask me, "Wouldn't it be better to take the money that is spent for a team to visit Carmel for two weeks and simply mail Backie and Freena a check instead?" I always used to struggle with that question because I knew it was a sincere amount of money that could be used well, but I also knew how much joy filled my own heart on every trip (let alone the children's). But now, I have no doubt in my mind that the answer to that question is an absolute "NO WAY!" No way does money or "stuff" make these children and everyone at Carmel feel as loved and as cherished as a team's visit does.

I believe that every one of these children deserve every ounce of love and joy they get when the team comes. They are living in a culture where affection is not encouraged; where no one even blinks when a child is beat; where an overwhelming number of parents are not able to care for their children; where a child or adult with HIV/AIDS is completely shunned in the community in which they live. These kids deserve every hug and every laugh that is shared with a team member. It may be seem small or even seem like nothing to you, but I can tell you that it is the world to these children.

I am SO thankful to the wonderful team that came to visit my second family this year and also for all of those awesome team members that have come on previous trips to Carmel. Thank you for sharing your time and money to come and love these kids. I hope you all know just how much your visits have meant to the entire community of Carmel. <3