abbey joanna

the journeys end.

2009-08-04T00:34:00.000-07:00

6 hours on a bus + 3 hours @ Delhi airport + 9 hours on plane #1 + 2 hours @ Brussels airport + 8 hours on plane #2 + 5 hours @ Newark airport + 5 hours on plane #3 = HOME.

My journey to the other side of the world is over. It is weird to be home and have this adventure that I had been anticipating and then experiencing come to an end. It is definitely bitter sweet. I am happy to return to food I enjoy, a shower, toilet paper, my bed, my family and friends, my cell phone, and in summary, the comfortable life that I am lucky enough to live. But in spite of all these things, it is sad to leave this experience behind. I am afraid to forget India. I am afraid to forget what I have learned and the people I have met. I am afraid to forget the lessons I have been taught and the person I have become. In a small way, i am hoping these writings will overcome my fear of forgetfulness. Gandhi once said that "As human beings, our GREATNESS lies not so much in our ability to REMAKE the world, as in our ability to REMAKE OURSELVES." I have not changed the world, or India, but India has changed me. I feel like my eyes have been opened once again to a world beyond myself. I have interfaced with people outside my circle of friends and learned from them. I have been forced to embrace a culture in a way I have never done before. I have seen disease and poverty in a third world country for the first time. I have lived in conditions deemed less than desirable and grown to enjoy it. I have increased my desire to travel and see more of the people, cultures, and places that make our world an incredible creation. I have given, but I have RECEIVED even more. I am so blessed, and I am leaving this experience a more well rounded and better individual.

I am grateful to my Daddy, for his philosophy of providing his children with experiences to learn and grow, improving the people we have become and getting us closer to our goals. I am grateful for my Mom, for being supportive and excited for me to have this experience from the minute it was presented to me. I am thankful for her giving nature. It is because of this characteristic that this journey was made possible for me. I am grateful for my sweet Grandma Evy, who also helped to provide this experience for me. I miss and love her very much. And finally, I am grateful for INDIA for giving me the opportunity to REMAKE a portion of myself.

agra.

2009-08-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

Um, I have ALWAYS wanted to ride an elephant and NOW I have! We went down town in Agra and had a quick ride on the back of an elephant. It was a little scary and also sad to see the driver poke the elephants ears to death in order to get him to cooperate. but it was a fun experience to have in INDIA.

We paid a visit to the marble factory in Agra. It was neat to go there after the Taj Mahal and see how the marble is made and then used to construct such features.

One of the girls in our group, Katie, bought a whole bunch of BINDI'S, the lovely dot the women of India wear in the middle of their forehead. We all wore them around for the day, another attempt to embrace the culture that so heavily influences this magnificent country.

We were able to spend a few quick hours shopping @ a market. The best purchase I made was some incredible Indian fabric I found to cut and piece together into a patchwork quilt. It is one of my New Year's resolutions to make a quilt so I am hoping this will give me heightened desire to accomplish this goal. It is SO beautiful! Also, Chelsea and I got HENNA tattoos from some guys on the street.

Our NEXT adventure was a visit to the AGRA FORT. It is the most important fort in India. The great Mughals Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb lived here, and the country was governed from here. It contained the largest state treasury and mint. It was visited by foreign ambassadors, travellers and the highest dignitaries who participated in the making of history in India. Our group had a bit of a bad attitude about being there... it was hot and long and we had other things we preferred to be doing but Nitn, our lovely tour guide, insisted we visit this site. It really was fascinating to see.

This is the bathtub used by the 500 concubines who lived at the AGRA FORT. This is Chelsea and I trying to get creative with our photos... we are washing our hair in the bathtub...

Sadly this closes my adventures in AGRA, INDIA. We got back on the bus to head for the airport. 6 hours later we pulled into the Delhi airport, prepared for the long hours of travel ahead.

the taj mahal.

2009-08-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is considered one of the 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD and I got to see it! SIDE NOTE: I almost missed this opportunity thanks to a late night caring for the young and drunk as well as the lack of a wake-up call from the hotel. That is my excuse for my exhausted appearance in these photos, which is unfortunate. There is no description that I could give to do this building justice. It was absolutely amazing. It felt surreal to be there and experience something so unbelievable. We toured the grounds and the inside. The detail and symmetry is nothing but perfection and artistry @ its best. We were lucky to be there at sunrise which was breathtaking. There was a man who came up to Chelsea and I as we were taking pictures and he offered to take one for us, directing us to a great photo spot. We were so impressed with his work that we followed him around for another 10 minutes, posing for his pictures. Don't worry, we paid him. Steve was getting a little nervous about the sketchy situation and followed us around to make sure he did not pull any stunts. We are pretty sure he thought we were lesbians because he had us pose together for a photo as if we were standing @ an altar. We were laughing hysterically; great memories.

Yes, this is my evidence that I practiced YOGA @ the Taj Mahal. Best moments ever.

fridays adventures.

2009-08-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

After sleep a whole 3 hours, we woke up to head to DELHI. It was rainy and everyone was running late, very frustrating. First, one of our buses did not show up. When it finally did, there was not enough space for our luggage and SHOCKINGLY, both mine and Chelsea's luggage were selected as some of the few to be strapped to the top of the bus with a rope to create space. Awesome. I spent the entire 2 hour drive to the airport hoping the rain wouldn't soak my belongings and the rope would do its job. Here is Steve strapping our stuff to the roof of the bus.

The bus ride turned even more adventurous and worrisome when Chelsea got quite sick. We ended up pulling the bus over and the two of us ran into the bushes out of sight. It was sketchy but we survived. We arrived @ the airport in time and made our flight. While sitting at the airport, Chelsea and I came up with 3 words to summarize the country of India: SKETCHY, PRIMITIVE, and INEFFICIENT. Arriving in Delhi was wonderful. The airport had at least a few white people and normal bathrooms that even included toilet paper! Such a contrast. We loaded our tour bus which was air conditioned and clean. We stopped @ a McDonalds for lunch where I ate french fries and a milk shake, the meat seemed a bit sketchy. We toured the city by bus before heading out to Agra. New Delhi has a European feel which makes sense because it was built by the British when they were still in power. It also reminded me a lot of Washington D.C., lots of grass, open space, clean streets, fences, all the government buildings, military, embassies, and the presidents home. The were guards on every corner and the whole city was well kept. It was really fascinating to see.

Agra is an interesting place. All I can think about is Aladdin and the city of Agraba! I am so happy to be here and experience yet another part of this country. These photos were taken on our way into this city:

We arrived @ our hotel which was incredible. It was so nice to feel clean and comfortable again, with nice showers and normal food! We were greeted @ the door and given flower leis and a yellow dot on our heads to make us feel right at home with the culture.

We headed to a rug store to see how they create such masterpieces. It was so interesting to watch the process and see the works of art. The ladies we were with from New Canaan spent lots of money so we were pampered with drinks and they let us take lots of pictures on their "magic carpets."

After our magic carpet rides, we returned to the hotel for an awesome buffet! Our hotel also had a DISCO BAR which you better believe we attended. Turns out no one else was there so we had the floor to ourselves. It ended up being our group of 30 and the DJ but it was the best dance party I have ever been to. Chelsea and I requested "Jai Ho" by the Pussy Cat Dolls, our theme song for the trip. We all went crazy and I loved every minute of it.

saying goodbye.

2009-08-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Since we are leaving early tomorrow morning for DELHI, we said goodbye to the kids @ RSO tonight. They are truly incredible. I feel blessed to have spent significant time with such great children. It is interesting for me to think about these children and their opportunities, or lack there of. I have a difficult time understanding why I was born in the USA and they were born in a third world country. Why do I have wealth, higher education, loving family, and they do not? Why are my opportunities such that I traveled to India for two weeks and they probably never have, and never will, leave the boundaries of their own communities. On the other hand, I think about the opportunities that are presented to these kids, such as Rising Star Outreach. The facilities provided for them are far better than where they have been. They are gaining an education. They are learning English, improving their job opportunities and paving the way for a better future. They are socially stimulated by friends, teachers, and volunteers who come to RSO to interact with, teach, and serve them. They are lucky children in their own way. I guess what matters most is what we choose to do with our opportunities, no matter what they are. I keep thinking about how ridiculously lucky I am to be in India and how if I walk away from this experience UNCHANGED, I have wasted my opportunity. I came here to serve and yet I am walking away a better person because these children have served me.

Priya.

Prianka. We LOVE PEARLS.

She is adorable and LOVED my sunglasses.

Davy.

PRECIOUS.

my fabulous final day @ RSO.

2009-07-30T03:20:00.000-07:00

Today was amazing. It is not over yet but I am afraid I won't be able to post tonight because we will be busy packing up. We are leaving Rising Star Outreach @ about 4:00 am to head for Delhi. We went with the building team today out to do the final touches on the squatters (the Indian bathrooms we have been building in one of the colonies). This particular colony has an ART SCHOOL where the local lepers paint for a living. Most of them don't even have fingers and it was incredibly humbling to walk into the school and see multiple people barely holding a paint brush and yet, creating a masterpiece. One woman in particular caught my eye. Her name is SUNDARI. She was the sweetest old woman and Chelsea and I fell in love with her work. We both ended up buying a painting from her, as well as our friend, Steve. She was so amazed that we loved her work so much and as she watched us pay the man for her paintings, she stood there and cried. Chelsea and I were both so touched and teary ourselves. It is incredible what these people are able to do and I was amazed to see them use their talents in spite of what they have lost. It was incredible.
This is on the wall of the school. So neat.

Incredible. He doesn't even have fingers. We loved this painting but it wasn't finished so we couldn't purchase it.

This is SUNDARI. She is incredible.

Our next adventure for the day involved these bushes. This colony does not have any bathrooms, hence the reason we are building them. SO.... Chelsea and I both had to use the restroom and were directed to the "hill." It was a lovely sight, walking on the path surrounded by human feces. I realize this is graphic but it was one of the most comical moments of this trip so I just had to write about it.

We worked on the squatters for a while, plastering the outside. It was harder than it looked but a good experience. They look so great! It is amazing to think I helped to build that! It turned out the medical team was actually working in the same colony we were @ which was SO LUCKY! Chelsea and I both got to help wash and bandage wounds of some of the lepers. I am so grateful that I got to have this experience. It was wonderful to sit and talk to the people and help the nurse to make them feel better. It was one of the most MEMORABLE things I have done on this trip.

You can't really see this wound very well but it is on the back of his heel and SO DEEP. I watched the nurse shove the gauze about an inch into his foot. It was crazy but amazing.

As we were walking through the colony we saw KARPAN! He is the man I helped around the hospital yesterday. I was so excited to see him so we got another photo with him @ his home.

Such a fun filled and memorable day. I LOVE Rising Star Outreach. Every moment I am here I wish every person I know and love could see what I have seen here in India. Pictures and words can only go so far. These people are truly INCREDIBLE. Serving here may not change the entire world, but I believe that each day we are here we change a life, and in some small way, it changes a part of the world.

a hospital visit... Indian style.

2009-07-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

I was assigned to go with the medical team for the day. Again, we didn't get to wash which I was really bummed about, but we got to visit the hospital. The medical van leaves early and drives around to the colonies, picking up patients that need to visit the hospital. My group headed out to the city and met up with the van @ the hospital. We were each assigned a patient from the colony to take around to their appointments for the day. Luckily the two guys Chelsea and I were assigned to needed the same care and were from the same colony so we got to hang out together. We were assigned to TIAGA RAJEN who was with his wife, VIJAYA, as well as KARPAN. We went to the cardiology department and handed in their charts which were marked "confidential." Odd since we were carrying them around.... We had about an hour to kill before the Doctor was going to arrive so we wandered to the "cafeteria." Sketchy. We spent 10 minutes refusing coffee from our new friends in our best Tamil+actions. We faked it a bit when they persisted and stuck it in front of us... it was sad to decline their offer.

Karpan, Abbey, Tiaga Rajen, Vijaya.

We wandered up to the second floor and I felt like I had stepped back in time. Chelsea and I both had the independent thought that the hospital looked a bit like the set of the movie, Pearl Harbor. Our patients were so proud of us and walked around introducing us to all of their friends @ the hospital. They would randomly be talking to people and look @ us and say something about America and then people would stare. It was so sweet. We met this man who was lying in a bed and his friend asked us to pray and bless him. Chelsea and I were looking @ each other very confused but we folded our arms and said a prayer for him... One of many interesting moments on this trip. Don't worry his friend recorded it on his phone... sketchy. Anyway, we went back down to meet the doctor and Chelsea and I basically sat in the waiting room and talked to people while our colony friends got their shots and check ups. It was so interesting to take it all in and get a feel for an Indian hospital. I took most of these photos for my dad, I thought he would be able to appreciate the appearance of this place.

Our little friend that we blessed....

GREYS ANATOMY gone India. Doctors in training.

This nurse was just kickin it on her phone for about 20 minutes.... Also take note of her desk....

Pear Harbor flashbacks anyone?

As I returned from the hospital, I again got to spend time with these awesome CHILDREN.

monkey.

2009-07-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all time FAVORITE children here. His name is Madidos and he is six years old. He is the CUTEST little boy I have ever seen and so full of life. I call him "MONKEY" (he calls himself "King Kong") because I keep telling him he looks just like Terk, the ape friend on Disney's Tarzan. He is adorable.

You can't see it very well but his hair is honestly always in a mohawk. It is so cute and just adds to his character and the fact that he is a lookalike!

a new home.

2009-07-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

We visited a larger, nicer colony today, about two hours away from Rising Star. Some of our group went out to the colony yesterday and kindly scraped the home of a man, @ his request. They prepared the home for our painting job today. I was one of the lucky ones who got to paint his home for him while he watched with a big smile on his face, complimenting our every stroke! It was hot as usual but enjoyable nonetheless. RSO will continue to visit this colony and paint more of the homes. You can imagine they are jealous of his new home!

You can't really see the home owner, but he is next to me in the doorway.

A sort of BEFORE and AFTER shot. This is the home we painted next to the neighboring home. The yellow is so cheery!

Our drive back once again turned into a lovely excursion and we ended up pulling off in some alley way so that our bus driver could collect some sort of equipment for the other buses. Sketchy. Then Chelsea and I both had to use the bathroom so we crossed ANOTHER highway and attempted to communicate our need for a bathroom to some individuals at a "Dentist" office. Sketchy. We finally got our point across and were able to use their restroom which was, of course, SKETCHY. Our 2 hour drive had turned into a 4 hour drive but we eventually made it back safely. In India, everything ends up taking longer than expected. We timely people here (Chelsea and I) are struggling a bit with the lack of organization and punctuality. But hey, it's all part of the experience, I guess.

Tonight I was reminded of what an example CHILDREN are, of unconditional LOVE and so many things that are good. The kids here @ Rising Star are incredible. They welcome every person, young or old, dark or white, and make them SMILE. What a talent they have to help others feel LOVED. Many of these children come from less than ideal situations and are deprived of love and attention in multiple aspects. And yet, they give of LOVE so freely and so genuinely. I feel like LUCKY to have associated with such wonderful kids, even if only for a short time. I have been a recipient of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

a little side note.

2009-07-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

I just have to take a break from India and post some news from home. I woke up this morning to a DEMAND to check my brother Geoffrey's blog. My sister in law, Aleena, is pregnant and due in January. She went to find out the sex of the baby on Monday and this is what they saw:

In case you can't tell, TWINS! A boy and a girl!
I am SO excited for them! They are the greatest parents and have the most beautiful children. I can't wait till December to have two new additions to our growing family. Congrats to Geoff and Aleena!

more of the kids.

2009-07-27T09:38:00.001-07:00

I just have to post a few more PRECIOUS faces. I love these kids.

painting.

2009-07-27T03:28:00.002-07:00

Today I got to stay at Rising Star and PAINT! The children's hostels are located right above where the volunteers stay. Past volunteers have painted all the walls of their rooms with BLUE paint. Our group has been able to decorate the walls by painting colorful pictures on them. It is SO FUN. The girls hostel has lots of great paintings like Dora the Explorer, butterflies, rainbows, and fish. My group ventured over to the boys hostel to start on their walls which have been blank. We painted one huge wall with a moon, stars, clouds, and a ROCKET SHIP! We had such a good time.

The boys came in for their lunch which they eat in the hostel. We had only just begun on some of the walls but they were SO HAPPY! It was cute to see their faces and excitement. They kept saying, "Paint this wall! And this wall!" We told them we would do as many as we could. They loved the colors and the paintings.

After lunch Chelsea and I worked on Buzz Lightyear. Each room sort of had a "theme" so we stuck with the SPACE idea. It turned out really great and the little boys love it. It was fun to do a different kind of service for these children and put a SMILE on their faces. They are all so grateful. It makes me HAPPY.

a sunday to remember.

2009-07-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

Today was an adventure. We woke up early this morning to go to church in Chennai. It was a two hour drive which went smoothly. @ church I got to talk to Elder Tuscano for a long time. We went to Gospel Principles with Josh and it was quite the experience that I will attempt to relay to you now: The young man started out by asking everyone to introduce themselves and give their name, where they are from, and tell their favorite drink. Coincidently, the topic of the lesson was "The Lords Law of Health." He proceeded by asking the class to raise their hands if they drink alcohol, then chastised those who do. Then asked who drinks coffee, pointed specifically to one woman and when she responded, "No." He said, "Good job sister." Mind you the girl next to her had said that her favorite drink was coffee. Awesome. Chelsea and I could not believe what was being said, it was pure awkward and we kept exchanging looks with each other and the American missionaries. It was classic.
It was said to say goodbye to JOSH! We are going to kick it in Provo when he returns.

NEXT came lunch. We convinced them to go to an American restaurant called SPARKY'S. It was a great decision.

This is SPARKY. He was the greatest manager and checked on us about 4 times during our meal. Great guy!

Chelsea and I shared chicken fingers and we ate an amazing dessert called "Dessert Nachos."

OH! I was thrilled because this restaurant had DR. PEPPER. Well, they only had diet but I did not care. It was the best moment ever. Here is our before photo, right when we got it:

And AFTER. Whoever can stand DIET Dr. Pepper is weird. Also, THIS IS INDIA so there may have been something else wrong with it but it was terrible. We both ordered a PEPSI and were satisfied.

NEXT we began our trek home. Remember how it was supposed to be a 2 hour problem? Well, 5 hours later, we returned to Rising Star. Worst experience of my life. Our bus broke down, not 1, not 2, but 3 TIMES! First, we ran out of gas. We hung out on the side of the rode like dumb Americans for about 45 minutes. This is Steve, Chelsea, Lincoln and me on top of the bus. We just stood up there and waved as people stared at us. It was awesome.

THEN, our engine blew. We pulled off to the side of the road, called some mechanic (very sketchy) and waited for about an hour. Steve, Lincoln, Chelsea and I went on an adventure to find water for the group. After crossing a 4 lane highway and hopping some random divider in a skirt and sandals, we found liquid. Soon after we returned to the bus, we left.
An hour later, our engine blew AGAIN. This time it was pitch dark, in the middle of a country road. We did not have a chance to pull off the road so cars just pulled around us. By this time everyone was angry and in horrible moods, which made for eventful road side chat.
We attempted HITCH HIKING:

PUSHED our bus to the side of the road:

and AFTER waiting for another hour, we were rescued by another bus. All 30 of us climbed into it and drove the remaining 15 minutes back to Rising Star. It was crazy, but a Sunday I will never forget.

a unique opportunity.

2009-07-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Today we took all 170 of the children from the school to India's version of a theme park. It is, of course, called "Dizzee World." Awesome.

It is even more GHETTO than it appears... if you can believe that.

A girl that is here for the summer has a grandfather who wanted to do something special for these kids. He kindly funded the entire day for all the staff, volunteers, and children. Although it was chaotic trying to keep 170 kids in line, safe, hydrated, fed, and happy, we had a great time. I think these children had an experience they will never forget. Every minute I am here I am reminded of great people who give so much to make others happy. Such a unique and memorable opportunity to go to a theme park, in INDIA, with 170 orphan children. Lucky me.

MY GROUP OF GIRLS FOR THE DAY.

(I promise they were having fun. Their faces may not show it in these photos... lol but they LOVED it)

NAMES: Manodhaya. Gracy. Sujatha. Karpagam. Logeswari. Sathya.

I'll be honest, this theme park makes LAGOON look absolutely incredible. This is one of the SKETCHIEST places I have ever been. Regardless, it was a great day.

children.

2009-07-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

These are some of the kids that live here @ the hostel and attend the school. They are some of the most energetic and happy children I have ever been around! They are used to people like us visiting and spending time with them and they love it! They are so warm and inviting and easy to entertain. Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the faces I see every day here @ Rising Star Outreach.

the greatest of people.

2009-07-24T09:31:00.001-07:00

Today I went out with the medical van to another leper colony. It is the most isolated of them all, about two hours from Rising Star Outreach. This colony only has about seven people, all of which are old and will probably pass away in the next few years. It took a bit of warming up but by the end of our stay, it was very hard to leave.

We brought along nail-polish which they LOVED! We painted some of their nails and then one woman insisted on painting ours! It was the best and worst manicure ever. She was so sweet.

INTRODUCING... my new favorite person: JARAG.

This man made my day, made my life. He has severe leprosy and lives with his wife in this colony. I sat and talked with him for a long time and learned about his family. He showed me many pictures of his three sons and five grandchildren. I already have a soft spot for his granddaughter, JOSIE, because I love her name! He taught me some new phrases in TAMIL and I taught him how to say "What's up?" We sang "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" which I recorded but am sadly struggling to load. My nephews will appreciate him attempting to do the actions. It was hilarious. THEN, he taught me how to dance! We also performed the Macarena for him and he laughed at us. He painted some of my finger nails after having "1 thumb only" painted for him. We did not wash and bandage anyone in this colony because he is the only one with an open wound and he said, "My wife will do it for me." What a loving act of service. It was so sweet to see them interact, like nothing I have ever seen before. Unusual for this culture, he kept telling us how beautiful his wife is and complimenting her. They really LOVE each other. Literally, some of the greatest people I have met in my 21 years of life.

RISING STAR outreach.

2009-07-24T01:50:00.001-07:00

So just a little explanation for those of you who don't know how this works: Rising Star Outreach basically consists of a school, a hostel for the children, and a volunteer hostel. The hostel is made up of children from the surrounding leper colonies who live here and attend school. The founder of RSO, Becky Douglas, came to India in 2000 and was affected by the poverty and especially the lepers of India. She wanted to give these children a home and proper education, and therefore created Rising Star Outreach. For more information, visit http://www.risingstaroutreach.org/history.

I am one of many who have come to RSO to volunteer and work for these children and in the community. Our day goes something like this:

Wake up. Eat. Get ready.
Meeting: we find out what "project" we will be doing for the day.
PROJECTS:
1. Anthropology: visiting one of the many surrounding leper colonies to visit with and record the life stories of those afflicted with leprosy
2. Building: Our group is working on what we call "squatters" which are a sort of... bathroom. It is hard work! We get to work with the locals and help them in any way they need us!
3. Medical: This involves going out to the leper colonies as well and washing and bandaging their wounds.
4. Painting: We paint murals on the walls of the hostel and school to make them aesthetically pleasing for the children!
5. Tutoring: This takes place at the RSO school where we work with children individually and tutor as needed.

We spend about 4-5 hours working on one of the above projects.
Return to RSO, relax.
4:30-6:00 play with the children! They have more energy than any kids I have ever seen in my life. RSO has a playground, jumpropes, balls, fields and more and we basically spend time entertaining the children.
Eat dinner.
Work on homework and read to the children
9:00 = days end and we get to do whatever we want.
AMAZING.

PLAYGROUND.

HOSTELS. This is where the children and the volunteers sleep.

CLOTHESLINE. The children hand wash their own uniform and play clothes every day.

a perfect day.... minus heat & humidity!

2009-07-23T09:35:00.002-07:00

Today was amazing. Not that I don't LOVE the humanitarian aspect of this trip, but it felt good to feel like tourist for the first time in INDIA. We went to a place called Mammalaporum, about an hour away from RISING STAR OUTREACH. Here is my day in pictures and words:

We wandered around these carving/ruins for a while. It was a really cool place.

Then we went SHOPPING! These adorable girls were selling on the street. These are some of the really great stores and items:

This picture was inspired by ROSANNA, our cleaning lady who told me 10 times before I left to "BUY FABRIC!" They really do have beautiful fabrics.

LUNCH. Not very Indian but super good!
Thank heavens for PEPSI in this country. I still miss my beloved DR. PEPPER.

Walking through the streets of MAMMALAPORUM.

I bought an awesome ring from this man. This was one of the SKETCHIEST experiences of my life so I just have to tell it. Chelsea and I went in this store and talked to this man forever and after leaving and returning, I bought a ring from him. I needed to use a debit card and he went to get the machine and it was "not working." So he put Chels in charge of the store (that is weird) and he walked me to an ATM "down the street." I thought it was like 2 seconds away so we started walking and then we got further and further and starting turning corners! I was seriously panicking and images of the movie "Taken" were going through my mind. I thought he had planned it out to have his machine break and leave one girl, take the other, arrange for people to visit his store to rape and kill Chelsea, and then rape and kill me on the way to the "ATM." I kept turning around and he knew I was getting nervous so he said, "Don't worry. I'll take you back." Anyway, I created some interesting stories in my head which clearly did not come true. I am alive with a gold banded, amethyst stone ring that I love! Oh, and on the way back he told me how he is getting married in a month. I was so excited for him until he said, "I don't think it will last long." Who just goes into a marriage thinking it's not going to last long? Weird. You may be thinking it was arranged because yes, this is India... WRONG. I asked. He has dated her for 2 years and is marrying her by choice. Interesting.

BEACH TIME!

Just kickin' it in the BAY OF BENGAL

anthropology.

2009-07-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

We spent another day out in a leper colony working on the anthropology project. Anthropology is the science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind, the science of humans and their works. Rising Star Outreach has made it a point to focus on this anthropology project, recording the life stories of these leprosy afflicted people before it is too late. It makes them feel like someone cares about the life they lived, in-spite of their classification as "untouchables." We walked around with a translator, Raja, who was a student at Rising Star a few years back. He just got called to serve a mission for the LDS church in Provo, Utah! He will be coming to the MTC on August 22nd. Here are a few pictures of the people in the colony.

This is one family we spoke to. The woman with the baby is Davi, she is 19 years old. Her baby BOYS name is Lokish. Though we all thought he was a girl until we saw the body parts, he is a beautiful baby. The children wear these rope/necklace looking things around their wastes and I found out yesterday that they do it because they think it fights off evil spirits. It is a cultural thing, not associated with a particular religion. Interesting.

Another family in the colony.

This mans name is MONNY. His wife leads him around the colony because he is blind. It was the sweetest thing to follow them up to their house and interview them. Such wonderful people.

a good day.

2009-07-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

We spent lots of time today out in a colony building a bathroom. I felt like a caveman with ancient tools and old fashion building styles but it was a good experience. We got to work with some of the local men. Though it was hard to communicate, they were such hard workers and it was interesting to see what they do every day for maybe $3.00 a week. Pretty crazy. Tonight we got to teach a little "FHE" sort of thing on LOVE. We are split into "families" that we spend time with each night. There are house mothers that are assigned about 20 of the children from the orphanage to look after. Each of us are assigned to a house mother as well. I got to teach the lesson and it was a wonderful experience, especially hearing them sing I am a Child of God. It was probably the highlight of my summer. I also got to read to them tonight. These are smart kids! They love to sit on our laps and read books with us. You would be amazed at how good their english is. Anyway, here are a few pictures of my day. I'm not going to lie, I am hating the heat but loving the children. I am just trying to soak it all in.

SHOVELING some dirt/garbage/who knows what....
Faith. Camille. Abby. Abbey. Chelsea. Rochelle.

laying BRICKS and carrying DIRT

We have NO idea what this is but it was ALL OVER this colony and we thought this wall was cool....

our lovely FEET.
PS: You may think we look dumb in flip flops, BUT, the natives work bare foot or in flip flopish shoes so we decided to be culturally appropriate and fit in. Also, in case you are wondering, other than the ants crawling all over my feet, I did not regret the decision.

PICTURES

2009-07-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am too tired to post much tonight but wanted to show a few cool pictures of today. We went out to a leper colony called Bethel Nagar. Enjoy!

HERE IT GOES

2009-07-19T18:48:00.001-07:00

We just got dressed in our lovely chutidars, already sweating to death but ready for our adventures!

Day 1.

2009-07-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

I just wrote a huge post and lost it with this highly dependable internet. So, here is a quick re-cap of my day.

CHURCH. amazing.

LUNCH @ the Marriott. Staying @ the Marriott = BEST decision ever!

ON THE BUS

UMM, we went to MASS. I guess you could say it was cool as far as cultural experiences go but it was one of the more painful things I have done. We sat on the side in the blistering hot, wiped sweat, swatted bugs, and had some preacher man screaming in our ears in a language we could not udnerstand. Then randomly the people would start singing things. We were all looking at each other thinking, "Why are we here?" and then finally our director, Sally, waved us out and was laughing hysterically saying, "I couldn't make you sit there one more second. That is not what I was expecting." So we waited around for a while in the streets for this parade thing which is pictured above. Hilarious.

STREETS OF INDIA

DONT WORRY, we got back on the "bus" after the parade to head out to Rising Star Outreach which turned in to quite the adventure. We were on a smaller bus with only a few people and for the first hour it was burning hot. Honestly, I don't remember ever being so hot in my entire life. But then it started to cool down and it poured down rain. Conveniently, our bus did not have any windshield wipers and we could not see anything so we pulled over in the ghetto of India and hung out on the side of the road. Getting out in the rain was far better than the alternative so this picture is of Chelsea, Blake, and myself hanging out in the rain. Awesome.

Elder Tuscano

2009-07-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

Well first of all, here is a post for Anj! For those of you who don't know, my friend Anjuli's brother, Josh, is serving a mission here in Chennai. I have never met him but we have been planning this meeting since the day we discovered I was coming to India a month ago. Anj and her mom put together a package for me to take to him at church today. Here is the experience:

I walked in to church with my large "package" for Elder Tuscano and I instantly spotted him scanning for me from the stand. His smile looks identical to Anjuli's so it could not be missed. For some reason I became extremely emotional! Probably because when I said goodbye to Anj she cried and said, "Tell my brother I love him." It was so sweet and it was surreal to see him. Anyway, he waved at me from the stand and I had to wait the entire meeting to talk to him. By the way, the meeting was awesome. This branch has 2 missionaries going out in the next few weeks so they both spoke. It was honestly amazing. Conveniently they speak English in this branch so we understood nearly every word.

I found Josh after the meeting and got to talk to him for a while. He introduced me to some members and I gave him his package which was so nice to get off my hands because I was stressing about it! He was super excited, especially about the homemade cookies :) As we were talking another elder came up and asked if Josh would teach a lesson. he invited Chelsea and I to join his class while the rest of our group went to a young single adult class. The class was fitting for me, all about service. It was so fun to hear Josh teach. A few notes from the lesson that you might enjoy:
- Love is more than a feeling. When we love others, we want to serve them.
-Love doesn't fear, love does what needs to be done
- A list of "small and simple acts of kindness we can do":
1. give good advice
2. don't make problems
3. pick up garbage
4. pray and love the weak
5. have a helping mind
I only add this list because it was hilarious and Josh was literally pulling teeth to get them to suggest things. Everything they said was hard for even him to understand and interpret enough to write something on the board. It was hilarious.

Also, Anj, he talked a lot about your parents and their perfect service to him as their child. He talked about your dad and said that whenever he was having a bad day, your dad would encourage him to serve others and he would therefore feel better.

-Through service we increase our ability to love. When we serve, we grow close to the Lord.

It was a wonderful lesson and made me excited to finally get to the colony where I will be serving the people. In our meetings today we also talked about trying to see the people the way the Lord sees them. I have thought about that a lot coming into this experience and it is something I am trying hard to focus on. Though I have not encountered it yet, I am hoping I can see beyond the bodies and deformities of these people and see them as children of God.
I was so happy to go the church here in India and once again realize that the gospel is the same no matter where you are and that there are incredible members all over the world. Luckily I found out we will be attending that ward again next Sunday. Josh says he has things to send back with me that he didn't have today so that worked out well. It was such a neat experience to meet and talk to Elder Tuscano. He is darling and made me miss my dear friend Anj!

I have arrived.

2009-07-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

I am in India. I am lying in my bed at the Marriott Hotel in Chennai, India. Surprisingly I cannot fall asleep which is ridiculous because I hardly slept at all on my 22 hours of plane time but my body is just too wired. It is now 4:05 am and I will be waking up at 8:00 to attend church. I am so excited to start the day. Getting here was painful but as I walked off the plane and into the airport, I felt like I was in a movie. The best word to describe this is SURREAL I cannot believe I am really here. It is a crazy city to say the least. At 2:00 am the streets were still hoppin' and the airport was the most crowded place I have ever been. I have already been exposed to some of the poverty that comes with this third world country. I am highly intrigued and can't wait to see and learn more about these people and the culture. Anyway, there is my update and assurance that I am alive and well.

only DAYS to go

2009-07-14T23:50:00.000-07:00

I leave for India in 56 hours. Crazy. This opportunity presented itself about 3 weeks ago and after 48 hours of weighing pros and cons, I decided to take on the adventure of 16 days in India with an organization called Rising Star Outreach. Friday morning I will fly from SLC to JFK, on to Belgium, and finally to Chennai, India. After 3 1/2 weeks of planning and preparation, shots, pills, 24+ hours of traveling, and much anticipation, I will have the opportunity to serve the people of India through building, teaching, working in an orphanage, washing and bandaging lepers, and transcribing their life stories as dictated by a translator. How lucky am I? These posts are an attempt to cherish the moments and share my experiences with my family and friends.

ITEMS TO DONATE.

TO KEEP ME FROM STARVING. I AM A BIT OF A PICKY EATER...

PACKING IN PROGRESS.

a man named GANDHI

2009-07-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a lot about Gandhi lately. I am intrigued by his life and mission and the words he spoke. He was an interesting man filled with wisdom and passion, both admirable qualities. Here are a few of his priceless quotes that I especially love.
ENJOY:

-Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.

-Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

-Be the change that you want to see in the world.

-Culture of the mind must be subservient to the heart.

-A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.

-A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.

-I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.

-If patience is worth anything, it must endure to the end of time. And a living faith will last in the midst of the blackest storm.

-Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit.

-Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

-Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow-men.

-Peace is its own reward.

-Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.

-Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

-The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

-The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problem.

-Where there is love there is life.