About a week ago Ricardo and Glaucia arrived back in India. They are the Brazilian couple in charge of Ashasthan who went home to Brazil after three years of staying grounded in India. There son was tiny when they left so he was completely unrecognizable to all their family and friends. They were happy to have had time in brazil but you could see they were thrilled to be home. It is so nice to know them and have them back. The girls especially were ecstatic to see them again. It has also been incredibly neat to get to know the 7 other Brazilian women they brought with them. The women range from ages 24-55 and are all very excited to be here. They all come from the ministry school that Dad spoke at during his time in Brazil. This is the same school that started Ashasthan.
With their arrival comes a new challenge set before me. I have now begun three weekly classes with these Brazilian women. It is difficult to teach women older then me but they are very grateful for the help and I am happy to give it. These new classes have helped me grasp a little more the reason God has placed me in this role of teaching English. Ashasthan has been praying for more staff to come in as it is their only hope of being able to open new homes. God has brought the staff to work for this next year, possibly longer, but the only obstacle is the language barrier. I have this incredible honor of being able to help both sides communicate with one another so that on my departure I can see a lasting fruit to my time here in the way these Brazilian women will be serving and loving these girls after I leave. While I still feel completely ill-equipped for the role a lot of the time I am finding new creative ways to try to teach. It was a huge blessing to me to see Glaucia’s shocked face as she heard the girls speaking in English. The improvement has been hard to notice at times for me but her coming in having not witnessed the process brought fresh perspective I really needed.
The other really cool thing about the Brazilians all being here for me has been to watch two very different cultures from my own interact with one another. I have been blown away by this experience and have never seen something like it. I loved seeing the girls all meet them for the first time. The Brazilians are very loud and energetic and the girls are all very quiet and shy at first. Indians by nature are very timid and drawn back for introductions. It was hilarious to watch these women tackle these girls in huge hugs and serenade them with high-pitched squeals. The girls were a bit shocked and one came running to hide by my side. Once the newness wore off the girls were very happy to talk and laugh with all their new Di-Dis (big sisters). Every moment form then on has continued to add to my captivation with this blend of differences I am seeing. It has also proved a delicious blend as I had a Brazilian lunch and Indian dinner today.
Last time I wrote things were a bit up in the air in regards to where I would be living. The plan (at least for the next couple weeks, which is kind of how things go planning wise here) is that I am living half of the week at Sani’s house with all of the younger girls and half of the week at Ricardo and Glaucia’s home. From Ricardo and Glaucia’s home it is a lot easier for me to get to the other 3 homes of girls. This way I am getting to see all of the girls each week, time to experience living on site with them, as well as time with Ricardo and Glaucia. Yet again God has proved himself a better planner of my days.
A little more then two weeks to go now and then the girls will be out for summer break. I think I might be more excited then some of the girls. Summer vacation in India sounds like good times to me! It will be an especially fun way to end my time here. I am so happy I will have got to see Ashasthan both during the school year and the summer break. I am nearing the mark of my second complete month her in India. I am so stunned by this. Time is slipping so quickly by and I am trying to eat as many Indian street snacks, take as many photos, learn as much Hindi, and savor as many of these girls smiles as I can.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Lots and Lots of Laughter
The transition into living in Sani’s home with 9 of the girls has gone so well. Thank you to those of you who have been praying me through it. Living with the girls has given me a whole different view into who they are and has opened up so many more ways to get to know them. Staying up late with the two older teens getting the house cleaned and ready for the day, waking early for morning exercises led by the small girls at 5am, sitting with Sani for a cup of chai when all the girls have left for school or tutoring. These women and young girls are incredible. The more they speak the more I am left with such appreciation for what makes us so unique yet still able to relate.
My housing situation is a bit unsure as of right now but I am happy to go with the flow as thus far I have been in two wonderful homes filled with wonderful people. We just got news today that the couple that lead Ashathan are returning form their 3 month sabbatical and bringing seven new volunteers from Brazil. Everyone is very excited and with the excitement comes lots of preparations to be made and shuffling of housing, which is why I am waiting to see where I will end up! The craziness is fun and I am learning to embrace every moment of cluelessness on my part.
Ok, so more about this past week of moving into Sani’s homes. I wake every morning at 5:00 with the girls, sometimes 5:30 if we’re lucky. I lead the morning devotions for them all and then we have a time of prayer together. Words cannot express the sound of these girls praying all at one time together. Then the day begins full swing. Each girl seems to have a different schedule of when school or tutoring starts. There are times when all the girls are out at the same time which is when Sani and I do a clean of the house and prepare lunch. I am being taught how to cook by about ten different women. It is funny because they all have different ways of doing things so my head is swimming with recipes. Most of the day there are girls coming in and out of the home. I do major “study” time between 12-4 with the younger girls. I use quotation marks because never have I been apart of a study session with so much giggling. At 6:00 the older girls come home. I get to have tea time with them all and then Revadi (who is 16) and I start preparing dinner together. For the next 4 weeks a lot of my time will be spent helping these girls cram for their final exams. They need a lot of help in English before they get to test day.
April 15 will be a day of much celebration as by then all 30 girls will have finished the school year and summer holiday will begin. The books are all put away! I am looking forward to my last month being while the girls are on break as it will hopefully open up the time for some new fun.
For now we do a pretty good job or squeezing all the fun out of exam prep that we can. Yesterday was Holi Day here, which is a festival where people throw water and color all over each other. The girls aren’t allowed to participate which is hard for them all to understand as they watch the festivities from their window, so we decided to get a bit creative. We began to clean the house. Fun, right? Well it is when your whole house has tiled floor and you decided to make a slip and slide out of the whole thing with bubbles and water. Buckets were flying, we were all soaked. The girls were on their bellies sliding through the whole house. It was one of the funniest things I have ever been apart of. Seeing these girls in hysterical laughter is gorgeous.
In a house full of so many young girls you can be sure there is mischief around every corner. I never know when Roshni is about to jump out and scare the life out of me or Angeli is going to perform her favorite joke of blowing in my ear. Arjuna constantly has her hands in my hair creating some new masterpiece. Priti likes to spray me with Clorox. There is so much joy packed into this house even with all the past sadness. At the end of every day I am left so grateful for the time I get with each of these girls.
*I have not had a chance to upload all the recent pics but they will come soon!
My housing situation is a bit unsure as of right now but I am happy to go with the flow as thus far I have been in two wonderful homes filled with wonderful people. We just got news today that the couple that lead Ashathan are returning form their 3 month sabbatical and bringing seven new volunteers from Brazil. Everyone is very excited and with the excitement comes lots of preparations to be made and shuffling of housing, which is why I am waiting to see where I will end up! The craziness is fun and I am learning to embrace every moment of cluelessness on my part.
Ok, so more about this past week of moving into Sani’s homes. I wake every morning at 5:00 with the girls, sometimes 5:30 if we’re lucky. I lead the morning devotions for them all and then we have a time of prayer together. Words cannot express the sound of these girls praying all at one time together. Then the day begins full swing. Each girl seems to have a different schedule of when school or tutoring starts. There are times when all the girls are out at the same time which is when Sani and I do a clean of the house and prepare lunch. I am being taught how to cook by about ten different women. It is funny because they all have different ways of doing things so my head is swimming with recipes. Most of the day there are girls coming in and out of the home. I do major “study” time between 12-4 with the younger girls. I use quotation marks because never have I been apart of a study session with so much giggling. At 6:00 the older girls come home. I get to have tea time with them all and then Revadi (who is 16) and I start preparing dinner together. For the next 4 weeks a lot of my time will be spent helping these girls cram for their final exams. They need a lot of help in English before they get to test day.
April 15 will be a day of much celebration as by then all 30 girls will have finished the school year and summer holiday will begin. The books are all put away! I am looking forward to my last month being while the girls are on break as it will hopefully open up the time for some new fun.
For now we do a pretty good job or squeezing all the fun out of exam prep that we can. Yesterday was Holi Day here, which is a festival where people throw water and color all over each other. The girls aren’t allowed to participate which is hard for them all to understand as they watch the festivities from their window, so we decided to get a bit creative. We began to clean the house. Fun, right? Well it is when your whole house has tiled floor and you decided to make a slip and slide out of the whole thing with bubbles and water. Buckets were flying, we were all soaked. The girls were on their bellies sliding through the whole house. It was one of the funniest things I have ever been apart of. Seeing these girls in hysterical laughter is gorgeous.
In a house full of so many young girls you can be sure there is mischief around every corner. I never know when Roshni is about to jump out and scare the life out of me or Angeli is going to perform her favorite joke of blowing in my ear. Arjuna constantly has her hands in my hair creating some new masterpiece. Priti likes to spray me with Clorox. There is so much joy packed into this house even with all the past sadness. At the end of every day I am left so grateful for the time I get with each of these girls.
*I have not had a chance to upload all the recent pics but they will come soon!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Moving Day!
So as most of you know I moved into a home with a couple of the other staff when I first got here. I had high hopes that I would be moving into one of the four homes that the girls live in. As time went on complications came up and it looked more and more unlikely. While I am getting lots of time with the girls it is usually while teaching them and running around from one house to another and then back home. I kept asking God to make a way for me to move into one of the homes so I could be more intentional about getting to know the girls. I had a desire to go into Sani's house which is the one with all of the littlest girls.
Late last night I got a knock on my door saying I needed to pack my things cause in the morning I would be moving over to Sani's. Annamma, the eldest of the staff, who I am living with got a call to say her mom is in critical condition and she needs to get home. While I am so sad about the circumstances this has all happened under, I feel like God has been so sovereign in the planning of this trip for me.
My first month here has been stretching and wonderful in every way. I have found living with the staff a perfect setting to settle in and getting to know them. Now I get to move in with the girls and spend 24-7 being with them. I am running around in a bit of a frenzy to get my things packed into the Indian style U-Haul, aka rickshaw, over to Sani's.
Please be praying for me in the days ahead. I feel so blessed to get this opportunity and really want to hear the voice of God in all that He calls me to do with my remaining two months at Ashasthan.
(L to R: Laxmi, Revadi, and Sani) This is the house leader of the home I am moving into with the two older girls that help her.
These are three of the girls I will be living with. Sonu, Angeli, and Roshni
Late last night I got a knock on my door saying I needed to pack my things cause in the morning I would be moving over to Sani's. Annamma, the eldest of the staff, who I am living with got a call to say her mom is in critical condition and she needs to get home. While I am so sad about the circumstances this has all happened under, I feel like God has been so sovereign in the planning of this trip for me.
My first month here has been stretching and wonderful in every way. I have found living with the staff a perfect setting to settle in and getting to know them. Now I get to move in with the girls and spend 24-7 being with them. I am running around in a bit of a frenzy to get my things packed into the Indian style U-Haul, aka rickshaw, over to Sani's.
Please be praying for me in the days ahead. I feel so blessed to get this opportunity and really want to hear the voice of God in all that He calls me to do with my remaining two months at Ashasthan.
(L to R: Laxmi, Revadi, and Sani) This is the house leader of the home I am moving into with the two older girls that help her.
These are three of the girls I will be living with. Sonu, Angeli, and Roshni
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