A Challenge

Originally posted on October 23, 2011.

What started out as an already wonderful day for Medical, turned into an experience I will never forget. We recently were joined by 5 new volunteers: Diana, Melissa, and the Pope family, Charles, Gloria and Holly. Their first day was going to be celebrated by visiting a colony which we recently began work with. Everyone was coming along!There was already an air of excitement and we were all ready to serve and get going!

In the last picture, you see Koopamma, our first patient. All boundaries started to break down when I looked at her and I said, “Vanakkum! Un perer yenaa” or “Hello! What is your name?” Now, i can barely say these words correctly and so she just laughed and giggled! But she answered me and then, I’m guessing, assumed I could speak Tamil fluently, because she continued to talk to me the rest of the time. I would just shake my head, laugh and say “Amma, amma!”

This particular colony is very far progressed. In the 1960s, Europeans came over and built a hospital and volunteer hostels near them in order to help them fully. Each summer, those hostels are still used and they have set up a very good welfare program for the colony.

Now, I’d like to introduce you to a man that I have so much respect for.

He has not been given the chance to start anti-biotics and his leprosy is still in full swing. His feet are almost completely taken over and his pain is on the highest level. Without means of keeping himself too clean, we unwrapped his wounds and found maggots eating at the skin.The softest touch put this man in even more pain. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to wash his feet and try to give him as much comfort as I could, but every time I moved the smallest bit, he doubled over in pain. My heart was aching and I felt helpless and mean. I had to constantly remind myself that I was helping him and that he needed this.
Now, what impresses me most about this man is the grace and power he held. Although, he has to suffer through this terrible pain and disease, he holds himself with pride and respect. He accepts his pain and is willing to accept help from the people who could give it. You could feel his spirit and power just sitting next to him. I hope that one day, I will have the power to suffer through trials and afflictions (that probably won’t ever be anywhere near severe as this) with the strength, acceptance, and grace that this man held. It was beautiful.

Wordless Wednesday

Originally posted on October 26, 2011.

Sponsor A Child?

Originally posted on October 22, 2011.

Here at Rising Star Outreach, we have a sponsorship program for each student. It is 30 dollars a month, this in turn pays for their food, clothing, living, toothpaste, toothbrush, toe nail clippers, shampoo, etc. Anything you can think of! For only 30 dollars a month. After setting up a sponsorship, you have contact with your student. You can send them letters, pictures, packages, and practically light up theirworlds. They will send you Christmas cards and ‘Thank You’ letters and you will feel the joy you are bringing into their lives.

Interested? Contact Dani Shurtleff at dshurtleff@risingstaroutreach.org or Amelia Humphrey at ahumphrey@risingstaroutreach.org!

Do it today! It will change your life!

Wordless Wednesday

Originally posted on October 19, 2011.

Other Side of India

Originally posted on October 17, 2011.

A little while ago, I was given the opportunity to see another side of India. Rising Star Outreach has large support from the Marriott Courtyard of India, and in our honor, they held a fundraiser. Each ticket was $100 a person and a large amount of the proceeds went to the school. Lyndsey and I were sent to be there as representatives along with Padma Venkataraman, a member of the RSO board, a wildly known humanitarian, and daughter of the 8th president of India (a beloved man of the country and right hand man to Ghandi. Click here to find out more!

There were men in white serving incredible appetizers (sushi on crackers, mini margarita pizzas, etc.), a band playing old American rock cover songs, and a huge dinner where you picked the ingredients and they fried it up for you. I was stoked on all the bread! Gourmet dessert, anyone? I think I had at least three mini cherry cheesecakes.

And here is Padma, being all famous. These guys put us on the front page of the Hindi, a Chennai newspaper.

We were woman on a night out in the city of Chennai, India! A needed break. Then, 2 days later we were sent to the 2011 Battle of the Buffet to represent ourselves as an NGO with Dr. Susan.It was a huge buffet and auction with a bunch of Tamil celebrities, so Vel, our driver, was super stoked to be there.

And I got to make some new friends from the city. This is Niranjini, she works for a Women’s organization helping girls find good jobs and helping them learn necessary things in order to give them lives of their own. She invited me to come stay with her family if I was ever in Chennai and needed a place to stay.And this is Lena. She is also 18 years old and from Germany. She has been traveling through India since July and has been moving from project to project. Right now, she is working in a home for people who are mentally ill and basically just letting them know they are loved. Next, she is going to stay in an Ashram for 10 days where she will not speak at all. We exchanged numbers and are going to keep in touch.It was a pretty fun night, manning the booth and eating good food.

It was pretty neat to get the chance to see this other side of India. It breaks your heart being surrounded by so much poverty that when you see the other side, you notice how completely shallow and frivolous it all can be. Not to give a moral message at the end, but always remember that we are so blessed. We are given so much, we need to give back.

Havelock Island

Originally posted on October 15, 2011.

This past week, Celina and I decided to fly out to Port Blair on the Andaman Islands. We flew out Monday, and came home Friday.
A place in India that didn't quite feel like India, Celina and I both felt really happy to be out and on a vacation to refuel.

We saw basically all of Port Blair in 1/2 of a day- and it was beautiful. From human traffic lights to hilarious light and sound shows at the Cellular Jail, we had a blast. Laughing and back packing through the town. We stayed at the Azad hostel- 600 rupees a night with a bathroom to ourselves and sheets on the bed. Nice.
Now, Port Blair is beautiful. But if you are going to make a trip out to the Andaman Islands, it would be pointless unless you planned to have most of your stay on Havelock Island. Havelock Island has some of the world’s most stunning beaches and an atmosphere of complete relaxation and chill. So we hopped on a boat and headed for this magical place.This wasn’t just any boat, this was an old, rustic, huge labor ship. Which, in turn, set us up with the perfect emotion to land on this wonderful island.
And on this boat ride, I met Mike- a dutch fisherman who came to the island for a good fishing vacation and then didn’t leave. He now has been working on the island for the past 4 years. He gave me and Celina the skinny on how to get around, the best places to stay, and the best places to eat. The island being so small, we actually got to spend time together. He had some amazing stories to tell.We came into the jetty just around sun down and headed on foot to Barefoot Scuba for accommodations. We were put up in a “Chicken Hut” for just Rs 100 a night (that is a little over 2 dollars a night) that was situated just on Beach #5 and had an incredibly clean communal bathroom and restaurant.

This next part is a bit of an adventure. The next day, Celina wanted to walk to Beach #7, which is on the complete other side of the island. She figured it would take us about a half hour to get there. Well, it took us 3 and 1/2 hours there and then, even though we didn’t want to walk back, 3 and 1/2 hours back. And it was pouring rain the entire time.But we finally did make it to the beach. White sand, gorgeous blue ocean that you can see clearly through for tons of feet in. I can now officially say that I have been body surfing in the Bay of Bengal.
And the dreaded day did come where we had to take a tuk-tuk back to the jetty and head home. But Celina and I had the time of our lives.
I will return someday, Havelock!

Building A Home

Originally posted on October 9, 2011.

It all began with a bike ride through the small villagessurrounding Rising Star.

We were on our way to visit Raja Kumari, the science teacher at RSO, to celebrate the

construction of her new home.

In India, you never move out on your own. A woman lives with her mother and father up until the time she gets married to the man her parents choose. Then, she moves into his family’s home and is expected to serve her husband and her new father-in-law.

Raja Kumari has grown up living in a hut, five people living, sleeping and eating all in one room.

As a gift to her parents, Raja Kumari and her sister have spent years saving up enough money in order to start construction on a concrete home. Last year, they finally had enough money to make this possible and the home should be

completed in the next few months.

It will be painted a sweet bably blue.

I hope you all remember the blessings of a home and a bathroom. Back home, we are truly blessed for the privileges we have. Don’t take them for granted.

Quarterly Leave

Originally posted on October 4, 2011.

Journal question of the day: What will you miss over Quarterly Leave?

I help 3rd and 4th Standard with their math homework each day that I’m not teaching. Today, I walked into the classroom and saw this on the board. I love these kids.

Kids

Originally posted on September 21, 2011.

There isn’t much to say about these kids, you just have to see them for yourselves. They are simply magnificent.

Your heart melted, yet? No? Let me show you some more.



This is Ms. Buji, and she has so much sass. She know how to get it done!And I figure, the only reason I look at blogs is to see the pictures, so I am going to finish this off with a bunch more of these kids I love so much. Enjoy!

I dare you not to fall in love with those faces.