Fun in Hyderabad!

Yesterday morning, I arrived back home in Ongole after being in Hyderabad for a few days. It was time for Rebekah to go back to the states, so since she was flying out of Hyderabad, I took the night bus with her so she wouldn't have to go alone. There, we would stay at an ICM guest house where 2 volunteers with SCH were already staying for one of our kid’s eye surgeries. Many of the kids have to come to Hyderabad for surgery because the hospitals in Ongole are not very good. But anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself. The bus ride.....well, that was quite an experience, a hilarious one actually. They call these overnight buses "sleeper buses". I have no idea where they came up with that name because I'm not sure how anyone falls asleep on these things. We were blessed with the last room at the end of the bus.The bus is full of rooms that each have 2 bunk beds so that you are able to actually lay down in a bed and sleep for the 8 hours it takes to get to Hyderabad overnight., that didn't happen for me because every 5 minutes I was being launched into the air as the bus driver sped over a series of speed bumps and pot holes. I was literally clinging to the bed to prevent myself from thrashing around the small room. I was actually laughing to myself as I flew into the air thinking about how the bus driver actually expected anyone to be sleeping through this. Later, I discovered the bus had no shocks….of course it didn’t. 8 hours later, we were dropped off in the middle of Hyderabad at 6am and waited for someone from the guest home to come pick us up. In the meantime, we had a few people taking pictures with us on their cell phones. That was also something I tried to keep myself from laughing at. It humors me to think that people here want to get a picture with a complete stranger just because their white. The 2 men kept taking picture after picture with us because they were not satisfied with the pictures that were taken. Rebekah and I just stood there with blank faces hoping for our ride to come. Here in India, it’s seen as flirting to befriend or smile at a man. Men and women here are very separated and do not mix in public. So, it was a rather awkward situation.

            For the first day Hyderabad, we all were able to go out shopping together and see a bit more of the city. Hyderabad is a very different place than Ongole. Hyderabad is much more developed, populated, and busy! It’s a big city with a lot going on! The next day, we took Genevieve to her doctor’s appointment and went out to dinner and coffee. The place we went to dinner was really nice and had very tasty Indian food. I ordered “Poori” which is fried bread dipped in potato curry. Then we went to “Coffee Day” which is basically the starbucks of India. Then, that night, Cassie (another volunteer that was already staying in Hyderabad with Genevieve) rode the half sleeper bus back to Ongole. The half sleeper bus was just recliner chairs but it was so much better than taking the sleeper bus because I actually slept this time! And it was cheaper! Plus, I got to watch a bollywood film! It was the best! When we got back to Ongole at 5am it was so cool to see the always busy and loud city quiet and empty. A few people were getting up and starting their day, but that was one of the most peaceful rickshaw rides I have ever taken. Then, it was back to SCH! Since Cassie is leaving soon, I have been shadowing her for the past few days because I will need to take over her responsibilities at the home when she leaves. This means putting the orthotics on all of the children and keeping track of hearing aids and glasses for our kids. The things I have learned how to do here have really surprised me. It’s definitely been a great learning experience in multiple areas. Here in India, they don’t need to see a college degree or masters in anything! They just need someone who’s willing and able.

            The break in Hyderabad was very much needed and appreciated. It was fun for me to be able to revisit and see a different part of India a little bit more. The things I see here never get old and I am constantly reminded that I am far from home. Here are a few of those reminders:

-Being stared at by every person I walk past on the streets of Ongole. Walking around stores or being in a restaurant usually means there is a crowd of people that are staring and watching your every move. For example, today I had a lady closely follow me around the grocery store the entire time I shopped. That is still something I am getting used to!

- The smell of garbage being burned on the sides of the road. There is no such thing as a dumpster or public trash can here. Everything is thrown on the ground! And I mean everything! All trash finds its way to the ground outside because when it’s time for someone to take out the trash, they either throw it off the balcony of their home or take it outside to dump on the side of the road. Then, to decrease the size of the pile of garbage, garbage men burn it. So you can imagine that glorious smell of that. It’s pretty much the nastiest smell I have yet to take in.

- The cows and water buffalo that are constantly roaming through the middle of the streets. Water buffalo are used here for milk and labor. Cows are seen as sacred animals and are not to be fussed with or touched. So they just roam around eating garbage. Or every now and again, you see a few little piglets or chickens scavenging for food in the garbage piles as well.

- There is also no such thing as a public restroom. People just pee or poop on the side of the road. It doesn’t even phase me anymore when I see men peeing completely unashamed on the side of the road. This definitely adds to the “interesting” mixture of smells in India.

- Taking bucket showers everyday are still something I am getting used to. At home, one of my favorite things about my day is showering because it’s so relaxing. Here, I dread showers because there is nothing comfortable about cold water and using a bucket to bathe.

-Driving through our SCH neighborhood everyday is reminder that I am in a third world country. One of my favorite things to do is just watch life happen here. Women washing their clothes, doing dishes on a dirt floor, peering into their tiny 1 bedroom homes, watching kids playfully run around the streets with nothing to entertain themselves but each other. They are happy people and this is the only life they have ever known. That still boggles my mind. I find myself asking the question “why me? How did I get to be the lucky one that was born into such privilege?”  I know that is the classic thing to say when one is on the mission field, but there is really no other way to say it. We are blessed people and sometimes I can forget that.

That’s all I got for now! It’s almost been a month since I have been here and it’s flown by! I am looking forward to another month and a half I still have to experience this place for all it’s worth. Love to you all from India.

Dreaming for breakthrough

I have officially completed/survived a week of teaching school at SCH! At the end of everyday, I was pretty wiped but there were lots of good memories that were made this week. We had a lot of fun playing water games, which consisted of Rebekah and I spraying them with a hose. I love how easily entertained these kids are and seeing their faces explode with laughter as we splash them with water. We colored, we danced, played instruments, did puzzles, played with the rainbow parachute, and read books. I sure learned how to entertain kids all day and was challenged to be patient with the many different children I was working with.

Yesterday, Rebekah and I were able to take the day off so we went to a nearby market called "Baboogee" and did some shopping. We walked around the city a little bit and went out to lunch at the favorite resteraunt around here called "Ramya". It was definitely what we both needed and it was so nice to take time away and re-charge. After, we decided to stop at the home for a little to see the kids. When I got there, I went into the baby room to see if Cedar was awake. Cedar is the blind baby I talked about in my last post. Yesterday, I learned that Cedar is also autistic. Of course, Cedar was sleeping, so this time instead of letting him sleep like he does all day, I picked him up out of his crib and tried to wake him up. When I brought him into the office to play with some toys, I put him in a baby seat that allows him to sit up with his legs stretched out. Cedar did not like this at all! Cedar is a 3 year old boy, but developmentally, he is still in an infant stage. He cannot properly sit up on his own and whenever he is propped up, he immediatly curls his body into a fetal position. He spends most of the day just sleeping or laying in his crib. His body is fully functioning and physically this boy should have no problem walking let alone sitting up on his own. But because of his history-being abandonded and living in government orphanages, he is developmentally delayed. Now that he is at SCH, he should begin the process in moving forward in his development. Cedar just has not received enough one-on- one attention in helping him work through the challenges of growing in his development. No doubt, it is a challenge for Cedar to be awake and alert, sitting up and stretching his legs out.

As I sat beside Cedar in his chair, as he cried and hit himself out of frusteration, I completely lost it. I just started crying, right there with him. My heart broke for him as I watched him struggle through something as simple as sitting up and being awake. It was heartbreaking to watch someone I love so much not be able to thrive the way that I know they should be. I dream about watching Cedar run around, happy and free, able to experience and access so much more beyond laying in a crib all day could ever provide him. Eventually, I was able to calm him down by singing softly in his ear "twinkle twinkle little star" and "the itsy bitsy spider" After I was done, a full time volunteer told me that they have been hoping for someone that could come and work with him everyday. I like to think that God pointed Cedar out to me from the beginning for this reason. I can't tell you why I fell in love with him the second I laid eyes on him, but I can tell you that it was completely the work of God. I'm committed to him and walking him through the challenges he is facing, even if he hates me for it at first. Cedar has a bright future ahead of him and God is in the midst of writing a beautiful and powerful story for Cedar.  

My mom shared this verse with me the other day.. 1 Corinthians 2:9 "No eye has seen, no ear has heard all that God has prepared for those who love Him" I have no idea what the Lord has planned for all of these kids, but I know that it's good. I can't even begin to comprehend how good God's plans are for us. Looking at these kids, the dreams they have for themselves are as much my dreams too. I dream of healing in these kids, both in their bodies and spirits. And to think that is only my limited, human, perspective. To think about the plans God has for them, what he desires for them, thats incomprehendable! Praise God that there is something beyond my limited human efforts and dreams. He dreams bigger dreams for us and completes our stories with something far beyond whatever we could imagine. If that doesnt give hope, I don't know what else does.

A Good Challenge

It's been a long and exhausting past few days! My job this week-teaching school! While many of our kids attend private schools and are gone all day, we also have a lot of kids stay home because they are not able to function well enough to go to school. So, we have a few teachers come to the home and do educational activities with them during the daytime. Our teachers have to take this week off to take exams, so Rebekah and I have been put in charge to teach school to our kids that stay home for this week. This is hard work! It's one thing to try and entertain kids all day but it's another thing to try and entertain 30 kids with severe autism and are all begging for your one-on-one attention. Rebekah and I have been challenged in our patience as multiple kids are constantly tugging on us for our attention and often end up resorting to bad behavior in order to get our attention. A few will hit and grab my face in order to get my attention, it's a never ending battle that I feel like they are constantly fighting. So, prayer is what is getting me through the day and the reminder that love is patient and kind. However, we have had fun singing songs, dancing, coloring, doing puzzles, and playing water games out in the courtyard. I have also been able to spend time with kids I feel I havent been able to spend much time with thus far and have enjoyed that time getting to know them better. Never the less, I am absoloutly exhausted at the end of the day and sleep quite well at night. On our lunch break, Rebekah and I were talking about the challenges of our day and she said something that really stuck with me. She said "Anything in life that's worthwhile is going to be hard." I think that's really true because while I know teaching these kids is hard, I know that they need it and it's a blessing for me to be able to be apart of their lives this way.

There are two little boys here at SCH that I want to share with you-mostly because they are two that have stolen my heart since day 1. Ezra, is a little boy who has Cerebral Palsy and has the sweetest smile you have ever seen. I like to come into his room at least once a day and say hi, even if for a moment, because that smile of his has the ability to make my day a whole lot better. When I have time, I like to take him up to the office and blow bubbles and bang around on the tambourine. To see the excitement in his eyes is priceless. Then there's Cedar, he's a blind baby, with one eye missing. When I first met Cedar, he would always be sleeping. This guy loves his sleep! But for the past few days, I have been able to catch him when he's awake and he is a little bundle of joy! He loves to dance-which looks like lying on his back with his hands and legs in the air, waving them back and forth really fast. He does this with a big smile on his face and his raspy little giggle. Cedar and I have had some good times playing with the music instruments, being tickled, and snuggling when he's tired. These guys have captivated me and I find that I can't stay away from them when I'm at the home. I love how God puts the most random people on your heart like that, I don't know how they became so iresistible to me, but I like to think it's for good reason.

Many aspects of working in this childrens home remind me of the past 2 summers I spent working at a camp in Canada for underpriviledged children. It's hard work, but it is entirely rewarding at the same time. You fall in love with kids the second you meet them and feel a sting in your heart when you think about saying goodbye. This never ceases to amaze and astound me. There's nothing like loving a perfect stranger so much that it hurts and knowing that it's completely not of myself and entirely of Jesus. If there is one thing in life that has shown me the heart of God the most are kids like these. I am thankful for the joy and presence of God these kids bring into to my life. There's really nothing like it.

                                

                                                             Ezra

                                                       Cedar

Healing and Faithfulness

Living in India, you can never expect or plan on anything. Any sort of "plan" is ruined within minutes of making that plan. Indian's just dont restrict themselves to anything regarding a schedule. This is something that I have come to observe and learn to adapt to while being here. For someone like me, who likes a schedule and likes to stick to whatever plan that is made, this has probably been the hardest aspect of Indian culture to learn to work with. So, yesterday, when I woke up and got ready to head over to the home, I was asked to stay home with the kids who are staying with us at the apartment. So, Rebekah and I stayed in the apartment with 3 kids for the day, all whom have individual medical needs and require special attention. I learned how to catheterize and feed a child through a tube all in one day yesterday. Did I need to go through SPU nursing to do this? No I did not. They showed me how to do it once, and there I was, released into something I most definatly did not feel comfortable doing but did it anyways. Caring for the kids at the home is one thing, but living with children who have special needs is another. That's where you get to do the dirty work. So yesterday turned out to be quite the unexpected experience in taking care of kids with special needs.

Today, I was back in the home working with the kids. Rebekah and I went around to each child and did a brief body check to make sure that none of the children have any issues that we are not aware of. We came across one boy, his name is Nicky, who is about 12 years old and has cerebal palsy. We noticed that he was very lethargic and very skinny. We talked to his Iya (his caregiver in the home) and she explained to us that he had not been eating very much and seemed very sick. When we took him up to the nursing station, we rubbed a cold washcloth over his upper body and gave him extra water to drink. While we were in the station, I learned about his story. About a year ago, this boy abandonded by his family and taken to the government orphanage. Here in India, the government orphanages are run horribly and any child that has special needs is easily neglected and malnourished. They are left to lay on floor mats all day, drug by their hands to be cleaned from their own human waste, and not given any kind of affection or love. This is why, when Sarah's Covanent Home's offers to take the kids who have special needs, they come into the home underdeveloped both physically, emotionally, and mentally and malnourished. Some don't even make it out alive from the government orphanage. Since Nicky is a more recent member of the SCH family, he is still recovering from being in the government orphanage and needs all of the affection and love that he can get. Sitting at the end of Nicky's bed, and wiping his frail body with a washcloth, was heartbreaking. All of us gathered around and prayed for Nicky's healing and I was reminded that God is still the ultimate healer, both emotionally and physically. Nicky needs healing in his body, but he also needs healing in his heart. He needs to know that he is important and that there is still someone out there that cares about him enough to fight for his well being.

After today, it is my goal to work with the children in the home that don't get out of their beds many times during the day. I have decided to pick a few children and work everyday with them, one on one, to help with whatever physical or emotional need they have. One boy, named Ceder, who has caught my heart since day one, is blind and only has one eye. Most of the day, Ceder just sleeps in his crib. It's my goal to help get Ceder up and alert and working on stretching out his legs and walking. I cant wait. Mostly because I know how strong this little guy is and i'm looking forward to giving him some good quality time.

Yesterday, I was reading my bible, and I cam across the scripture "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4) God has given me the desires of my heart here in India. After dreaming of coming to India to work with kids who have special needs, the Lord has been faithful to fufil those desires in my heart. I feel so blessed to be here and so astounded at how good our God truly is. He is faithful to fufil our hearts deepest desire and reveal Himself to us in ways we never thought possible.

I'm having the time of my life and loving every step of the journey.

Peace and love,
Nat

The beginning of something beautiful

It was my third day today volunteering at the children's home. Something that I have learned while being here is that Indian's dont run on any kind of schedule or plan for the day. So everyday here is different and we just go with the flow with whatever comes up in the day. Everday, I wake up and the morning in the apartment is usually pretty slow, just eating breakfast, reading, and lounging around in the air conditioning. Anywhere from 11 to 1 is when we start making our way over to the home. When I get there, its up to me what I want to do for the day with the kids. Rebekah and I did some crafts with a few kids today and hung some artwork they have done up on the walls of our office. We also like to take kids who are unable to walk into the office so stretch their legs and arms out and give them toys or music to play with. This is has been my favorite part of working in this childrens home because I can connect with them on a one-to- one level and give them my full attention, away from the other children. Today, there was a little boy we were playing with who was so precious he made me laugh out of pure delight. He was born without any eyes so all he has are closed sockets. He was one of the cutest little guys I've ever seen. Aside from working in the home, life in India is so different and so rich in culture. Everytime I step outside our apartment, I am overwhelmed by the sounds of the beeping cars, the busy streets of people and bikers, the smell of garbage and curry, and the incredible amount of stares from everyone I pass by. It's rather awkward to be stared at by an entire city of people but I try to smile and wave so they know I'm normal person. The food is still something I am getting used to and with all of my picky eating habits, Im really working on branching out of bread and rice. We have a few of the children from the home living with us, who are recovering from surgery, so it has been nice getting to know them through a less busy setting. Everyday here brings new surprises and new experiences and I look forward to each day that comes. I have missed home more than I thought I would. One of the biggest things I have missed is life in Seattle- especially how beautiful it is in the sunshine. I have become so attached to my home and my life in Seattle that to immerse myself in something that is so far different is a bit of a shock. None the less, I love the challenge it brings and I love how different India is from my home. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here right now. I definatley have a new found respect for americans that come to live overseas full time to be missionaries. It's not easy and takes a lot of commitment. Otherwise, each day gets easier to adapt to the lifestyle here and I have the chance to love people that for most of their life, have never been loved. What a beautiful oppourtunity I have been presented and I couldn't be more grateful for it.
Peace and Love,
Nat

First day at SCH

It was my first day at the children's home today! I was so excited to finally get to meet all of the 82 children and see where I would be spending most of my time for the next 2 months. Upon entering in through the gates to the orphanage, I was greeted by a few children that came to see us. I then went around to each of the rooms, where the kids are seperated mostly by age and gender, and met the kids. Since many of them are unable to sit up on their own, I mostly held kids or sat them up in my lap. They love to be held! And I love to hold them! So it works out great! I learned today that mostly what I will be doing from day to day is playing with kids and holding kids. So I'm stoked! After the kids ate lunch, Rebekah ( another volunteer) and I went and filled up a pool for some of the kids to splash around in. They loved this and I think it felt good for them to escape the intense indian heat for a little bit. Man, it is HOT here! Something I am still getting used to. We splashed around together for a while and then we went back upstairs to blow some bubbles in the rooms. After this, we took a few children up to the roof and did some finger painting. At the end of the day, I was completley exhausted. Mostly because it is so hot outside, it is hard to stay energetic. My first day at the home was perfect and I can't wait to get to know the kids better. A few times, it was hard for me to keep my composure and not get teary eyed. This usually happens when I am with kids who have special needs so I wasn't really surprised. The love that God has given me for them is already overwhelming. This is something I know will get me through the times that will be difficult and challenging. No doubt, I can tell that these next 2 months will be exhausting. But the kids are showing me Jesus- and that is what will make every challenge worth it. Thanks for all of the prayers and I miss you all very much. Love from India, Nat

Today, I woke up in India..

After 25 hours of traveling, I arrived at the Hyderabad airport and was greeted by a volunteer and taken back to a guest house in Hyderabad. Since one of the little girls from the orphanage needed surgery in a hospital in Hyderabad, she came along and we stayed in the city for 2 days until her surgery on saturday. In those 2 days, I went to a big shopping center and bought my first Indian outfit's and some peanut butter (cant live without it). The next day, our driver dropped me off at the mall and I looked around. Basically these 2 days were very low key since her surgery wasnt until saturday. I did a lot of reading and sleeping. Then, after waiting in the hospital for 3 hours, we were able to head back to Ongole, where I will be living for my 2 months here. The drive was 8 hours long but it was the best 8 hour car ride I could ask for. There is so much to see here its almost overwhelming to try and look at it all. We drove through the crowded, busy, and noisy streets of Hyderabad into the outskirts of the city, through many farm towns, and small villages. The driving here is absoloutly insane! I felt like I was going to die at least 10 times as we would drove 80 miles per hour towards a moving truck and then swiftly at the last minute move to the other side of the road. Our driver also liked to blare Indian music, not only so, but the same song over and over again. I was laughing to myself as I looked around at the experience I was having- definatly an true Indian experience. When we finally arrived, I met my other 3 other roommates and went to bed. I still have yet to visit the orphanage but I will start volunteering tommorrow. I have had the chance to meet a few of the children because some of them stay with us in our apartment while they recover from their surgery. This country is so culturally rich and full of so many different and new things to experience and see. I am loving my time here already and am looking forward to the 2 months I have ahead of me. Here is a funny story to leave you with. While waiting in the hospital lobby the other day, a young man's cell phone went off. What was his ringtone? Baby by Justin Bieber (this one's for you court, em, and jane) except the voice was definatly not the Biebes. It was a woman. Looks like Bieber even has fans in India! except they like woman voices better. Well friends, I am not sure how often I will be able to update but it should be weekly. Thank you so much for all the prayers you have covered me with. I have felt them surround me like never before and I am so grateful for the support I have back home. You guys are the best. Much love, Nat