Our final goodbyes

It's our final day! I got another lucky break because Chenelle's group was split. Half went to do Education and the other half joined my group in the colony doing medical. So Chen was in my group one more time. I was also lucky because we were headed to the first colony that I went to. It was the colony that changed my life,where I knew that I was doing something good in the world. It's where I knew that I wanted to be a better person. I knew that I would always try and serve. This is where I was also very overwhelmed. There is so much pain and suffering in the world. How Could any one person change that. I was overcome with so much emotion, I wanted to fix everyone and everything and I knew that I couldn't. I can't even put a dent in the work that needs to be done. Then I met that man who changed my life. He was so grateful, and he did indeed need me at that time. Heavenly father sent me here to help him. At that moment I knew that I could change something, I could help someone and put a teeny tiny dent in the work that needs to be done in the world and specifically India!



I was so happy to see this man again. I'm really sad I can't share his name but I didn't understand him when i asked. He was extremely humble and so sweet. I am so happy that I was able to see the man that changed my life. I'm so grateful to him for letting me help him because he will never know that he helped me more than I could have ever helped him!


Every time we go to a leprosy colony I am so touched by the amazing people who live there. They have so much courage and heart. They seem to always be smiling and despite there deformities they are living and are making the best of what life has given them! Our very last patient had an ulcer on his hand, right where his fingers would have been. We watched as the doctor took her scissors and cut out the ulcers. He winced in pain as she continued to go deeper with the scissors. Then she stood up and started squeezing his palm pushing the infection out. He moaned in pain. He was the very last to be worked on so all of us stood watching. A few cried watching him wishing we could take away his pain. After the infection was out and his palm all wrapped he stood up and smiled at us! He walked towards the door and joined his wife outside. This is his life. This is how he lives.


Something India has taught me is that there is beauty all around us. When I first arrived in Chennai and was going to our hotel all I could see was overwhelming amounts of trash on the ground. It looked so dirty. That's where my focus was. After a few days my focus shifted on the people. Soon I looked past the filth and realized how amazing India truly is. The people are beautiful inside and out! The villages are vibrant and green and have so much character! I've loved being here, I love the beauty radiating all around me and I will miss it terrible when I leave.


Just a smile can show someone how much you care, I want to always remember to smile even when life gets hard. The people here have so many problems in their life, and I'm sure they have many days where they just want to know why they have to live with the trials they have. Im sure they feel helpless at times and angry, bitter and much more than I know. But they always seem to be happy with a smile on their faces. I can't explain how beautiful these people are. Inside and out they radiate with the Love of God. I just hope that I can learn from the example that they have shown me and remember to be thankful for all the Lord has blessed me with.



On our way home from the village we stopped to buy some last minute things at the junction. Anand's daughter goes to school in the junction and she had happened to just get out of school so we met her. She is so beautiful and he is such a proud father. It really made me miss my dad, I love my dad so much and I felt so sad that I didn't get to share fathers day with him! I'm grateful to have a father that loves me! He has been so supportive of my journey to India. He has supported me through so much in my life and I'm so excited to see him when I go home! Love you dad!


When every volunteer session ends they get to paint one of the fence walls. They have to paint the theme of the session! Our session's theme was "it's all about love" we painted a mural of hearts and made little hearts with our names in it. Our theme was so perfect. I feel like the thing that I've felt here the most is Love! I love India, I love these kids and the people around them, I love the other volunteers here and have made some really good friends, I love Chenelle and Krissy even more and I didn't know that was possible, I love my family even more, I have learned to love myself and even more so my Heavenly Father and the Savior!

Our last play time was pretty emotional! I knew it was our last play time and so did the kids! Ruthish made me a bracelet. Thank you Chenelle for snapping such an amazing picture of this moment. I will forever love this picture. It shows how sweet and humble he is!



I sat and watched Vishva play with his cousin! He says they are best friends! It makes me so happy to know that he has some family around! They played a game of marbles during playtime. He is so cute, I love Vishva.


I am so excited to say that I am going to be Vishva's final sponsor! He needed four and I'm the fourth. To be a sponsor you pay $30 a month towards the child's schooling and stay. In return I can send him things and I will receive letters from him keeping me posted on his progress in school and in his life! I really wanted to show Vishva how much he meant to me and how much I truly care about him! He changed my life and I want to be there for him whenever he needs me!


After dinner we all went down to see the choir and life dance performance. Vishva sat next to me. I was feeling nervous but excited to tell him that I was going to sponsor him. Emotions ran high in the dining hall knowing that after the performance we were going to say our final goodbyes. The choir sang a few primary songs and ended with "God be with you till we meet again" then the life dance group danced three numbers. It was so much fun seeing these kids perform. We spent many nights dancing with them, doing only technique. We hadn't actually watched the do a choreographed number. The final dance the did was about lifting those with Leprosy. They portrayed someone who was struggling then had another person represent an angle lifting them up. Almost everyone in the room was crying. The dance fit every emotion I had felt while in India. Plus I love these kids and I watched them work hard in dance and they performed it beautifully. The song they danced to was a David Archulate song that he specifically wrote and sang to the rising star when he volunteered there. Not only did the dance make me emotional but the sound of the little voices singing it all around me. A few kids looked at me confused at the tears running down my face. They asked me "auntie why you cry? Don't be sad!" I couldn't speak, my throat choked up. My friend Becky explained to them that I was crying because I was happy. Happy to see them dance and happy that I came to India. To be honest I was also heart broken. I didn't want to say goodbye and I knew in a few short minutest would be time.


Kala led the program, she kept the kids calm and quite during the mini concert. After the performance they put music on for us to dance with the kids before we had to say goodbye. I was prepared to have so many kids crying. I couldn't hold back my own tears either. I will miss them so much. A year is a long time. I searched for Vishva in the crowd and pulled him aside to tell him that I was going to be sponsoring him. I let him know that he meant so much to me and that I would sponsor him! He shook his head and hugged me. He told me that he would write to me and that he loved me! I hugged him and never wanted to let him go. He went off to tell his friends the good news and I turned my attention to Ruthish. He was sobbing, loud cries came from his mouth. I picked him up and held him tight. I told him that it wasn't the last time we would see him! Chenelle had a huge attachment to Ruthish too. She was crying as she was trying to comfort Basha as well. Ruthish has our hearts. We would sponsor him as well if he hadn't had all his sponsors. We told him that we would write him. I am going to miss his smile, his spunky personality. His cute dimple that he said means he is going to marry a rich woman. I can't imagine my life without these boys. They mean the world to me and I can't wait to see them again!

After we walked the kids to the hostel, I held Chenelle's hand and sobbed. We knew that we wouldn't see the kids again before we left and until we could come back again. I was truly heart broken at that moment and also extremely grateful that my Heavenly Father sent me to such an amazing place. I know I was in India for a reason. I haven't felt so much love, compassion, spirit and happiness. When all the volunteers made it back to the Elephant house we sat in the courtyard to watch a slide show that the coordinators put together of our session. We all laughed and cried and laughed some more. This experience was one that everyone should have. I can't imagine my life if I hadn't come to India. I will forever have a family in India! The Rising Star will forever be part of my life. I will never be the same again. I hope that I can share a little bit of India and the lessons I learned here with my family and friends! I hope they will be able to feel an ounce of how I felt through my blog, pictures and movies of my journey!

Now the chapter of my session as volunteer closes, I get all packed to head to New Delhi for a few days before I go home! I'm sure I'll post a few blogs about my trip to the Taj when I get back. No wifi there!

Thanks again for sharing this experience with me by reading my blog.

Remember IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE!!!

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