Reunion Time

Well, after 30+ hours of travel by plane and a very bumpy 10 hour bus ride, we finally arrived in the same city as Sarah’s Covenant Homes in Ongole. By the time we arrived in Ongole at 5am, I felt like a walking zombie. It was an exhausting trip to get here, but man, does it feel good to be back. Its funny to see how much less culture shock I am experiencing this time around and how much easier it is to pick up right where I left off. I am reminded of how much I truly love this country and its people. I collected a handful of business cards and contact information on the way here from people insisting that I give them a call if I ever need help. It’s definitely been a warm welcome back.

It is now my third day here in Ongole. The first day here, we woke up and went over to Tisra and Eric’s apartment. They are volunteers that have moved here full time this past year with their four children to help oversee SCH and the volunteers who come. I walked into their apartment with a room full of volunteers, all in their early 20’s. Right then, I knew that this year was going to be different than last year in that I would be provided with plenty companionship. A lot of things have changed this year in terms of the home. They now have 3 different homes, victory home where most of the children live and where I worked last year, a foster apartment for the girls who go to school, and an apartment for all of the babies. So instead of going over to one home everyday to see all of the children, there are now 3 different places that I can go and visit the children. This is a really good change in SCH because it’s aiming for its goal of more small, family style environments for the children. After the meeting was over, I was practically jumping up and down with anticipation to go over to Victory home and see the kids. We took an auto over to the home and I was greeted with kisses and hugs by the ayahs. I think they were surprised to see that I came back. I asked the ayah where Cedar was and she pointed me in the direction of his room. As I approached the room, I could feel my lip quivering and my heart pounding. I was walking into a moment I had only dreamed about for the last year. I walked into his room and there he was, fast asleep on the bed surrounded by all the other boys. I sat down right next to him, already in tears, and wrapped him up in my arms. I just held him so close to me and cried tears of joy over seeing him again. And he just laid there asleep, wrapped so tightly in my arms, with no clue how special of a little boy he is to me. Little does he know the countless amounts of times my thoughts have been consumed with him, the number of times I’ve used his name in so many conversations and prayers, looked at so many pictures and watched so many videos of him with tears in my eyes and told almost everyone I know about him. This little boy, abandoned in a hospital at the first sight of his blindness and incomplete set of eyes only to be labeled “orphaned” and “unacceptable” by his society, has no idea how famous he is in my life back in the United States. As I sat there, rocking him back and forth in my arms for the first time in a year, I was reminded of the overwhelming and all consuming love of God. I’m confident that in that moment, we both just sat in God’s presence as He breathed His love all over us. 

It wasn’t long before I was being greeted by all the other kids crawling and coming up to greet me. I was so surprised to see what children recognized me and remembered me. I was also surprised to find that I remembered most of their names when I first saw them. It was a reunion to be had with so many “oh my goodness look how big and strong you have gotten!” or “look how long your hair is now!” I felt so completely loved with all of the hugs and arms stretched out towards me from the kids. They are so completely easy to love with their sweet smiles of joy and so much excitement. They really do make you feel like a million bucks. I felt so much like I belonged to this family here at SCH as I was greeted with excitement by all the kids and ayahs. What a gift it is to be able to return to a place that God was able to pour so much into through me. It truly is the best feeling to know that I have some sort of history in this place and I’m able to stay committed to these people who mean so much to me.

Yes, it’s good to be back. The chaos of Indian traffic, the smell, the humidity, the stares I get by every person I pass on the street, the spicy Indian food that I eat with my hands, the sound of all the horns outside, the rickshaw rides, the bollywood music, the Indian accents, the Punjabis, the jingling bangles, the bright colored sarees, the bucket baths and the sound of the children yelling “akka!” are all reminders that I am back here in India for another summer. It will bring challenges like this place is really great at doing, but I am positive that if God was able to bring so much growth and indescribable joy despite those challenges last summer, then he is sure to do the same for me this time. I’m excited to discover what He has in store for my time here.

                                                       The first time I saw Cedar again