My Girls

Me and G. Devi

Today was an interesting day in regards to our day trip. We were supposed to follow a patient through their hospital experience at a nice hospital in Chennai. So we made the 2+ hr drive to the city, met our leprosy patient and followed them to their appointment. The idea was good, but the actual experience, not so much. Our patient ended up sitting in the waiting room for nearly three hours. There was no AC and no english speakers so it was very stimulating...not. Camille and I had a nice chat about life and dating, she is one of the two married girls on the trip so she had some good advice. We also had an awkward moment where they offered us coffee and Camille took it to be nice so I did too so she wasn't in it alone, but then it was more awkward when we didn't drink it. I also got handed an Indian baby to hold after waving at a random woman's child. For a second I thought I was going to have to hold him through her whole appointment, but luckily the father appeared to retrieve the child. Don't get me wrong, the baby was adorable and I was happy to hold him, but when you can't communicate with someone, I was a little wary to babysit. We then headed to a short lecture on leprosy from a dermatologist at the hospital that used to work for rising star before Dr. Susan. After the lecture, we grabbed some porotha from the hospital cafeteria (which was divine and one of my favorites) and headed back to rising star. We got home just in time for play time and I hung out with Ruthish again and Eswari put flowers in my hair.

Tonight at dinner instead of doing highs and lows, we talked about all of the things we have learned from being in India. It was so neat to listen to what everyone has taken out of this experience and really made me reflect on what I have learned while being on this adventure. I have learned so much about what we can learn from children. They are true examples of forgiveness, meekness, love, and resilience. I have also learned so much about service. I have learned that even when you don't feel your best, if you go to work serving others, the Lord can help you accomplish His work. You also leave feeling so much better. I almost feel as if the people here have served me more than I have served them because I always feel better about and learn something about myself after working with them. I have learned that service is what you make it, you can have a bad attitude about it or you can let it soften your heart and increase your capacity to love. One of the greatest lessons I have learned is that you can have joy in your life no matter your circumstances. The people here have so little and yet are some of the happiest people I have every rubbed shoulders with. Happiness is a decision and shouldn't be based upon material possessions or if everything in your life in hunkey dorey. I have recognized that I need to be more grateful for the blessings in my life, my family, my education, my status as a woman, my opportunities, my religion, and my health. These are just a few of the things I have learned from being here because I don't think it is possible to even try to write down all of the ways I have been touched and molded from my experiences here in India.

I just wanted to remember a few details about some of the girls that I visit at family time and to introduce you to some of the new friends that I have made here at Rising star.

V. Devi and Buggi

V. Devi is an absolute ham. She has the most ridiculous sense of humor and I laugh every time I see her. Early on she was quite affectionate and at first it took some getting used to the fact that she wanted to kiss both of my cheeks, my forehead, and my chin when she said goodnight. Buggi is one of the smartest and most beautiful girls here. Her English is wonderful and her smile is contagious.

Rosy and Suvitha

Rosy is the girl with the smiling eyes and has a personality to match. She is sweet and kind and has a pinch of sass. I can just look at her and smile and when she smiles back you can feel the warmth across the room. Suvitha is quiet, but has one of those spirits that just wants to give. She is always looking out for me, making sure that I am comfortable and that none of the girls are bothering me. She's such a sweetheart.

Theresa

Theresa is also one of the smartest girls I have met here at Rising Star. She wants to be doctor when she grows up and it is evident by the fact that she checks out my veins all the time cause you can see them through my pasty skin. I have loved doing chemistry homework with her and encouraging her to fulfill her dream.

Eswari posing as me

Eswari has become an additional appendage, sometimes its a bit overwhelming, but I just remember that its how she shows she cares. She is always whispering things in my ear or telling me what girls are saying in Tamil and she has quite the personality. I love her spunk.

Laura after her makeover (Tamilarasi, the house mother, is to her left)

Tonight as I was leaving family time I notice Tamilarasi doing henna on one of the girls. I had no clue she did henna and asked if she would mind doing mine. As we sat, I asked her how old she was and she said she was 22. I couldn't believe it. She is younger than me and responsible for 15 little girls. She said that she has always wanted to be a house mother. It has taken quite some time for Tamilarasi to open up to me. When we first arrrived, she would just stay in her little closet of a room and I wouldn't ever see her, but as I made it an effort to talk to her, she has come out of her shell. You can tell that she loves the girls so much and that they love her in return. She takes such good care of them and is their mom away from home. I really respect her for the work she does with these girls cause it is no easy task to get that many girls to bed all at the same time, trust me.