Destinations:

·         Santvana

·         Pune Airport

·         Dehli

Purpose: Spend time with the kids from Santvana, give them backpacks for school and say our goodbyes. 

Tomorrow: A very large orphanage/school in Delhi and visit children who live in slums

Highlights:

• Walk around the block
• Backpacks!
• Frisking at the airport
• A pretty sweet hotel

Quote of the day: “Indian’s are very spiritual people; prayer is our way of life.”

We arrived last night in Delhi. Once we got here we were ready for bed and the time was already late.  I skipped the meal on the plane so I had a quick bite in the restaurant and then headed to bed.  Didn’t sleep that well again last night.  Too much on my mind.

Walk around the block

I was the first one to breakfast today.  Our last meal at the YMCA.  I got two eggs and something that was similar to rice.  Found out that I could order just plain tea and wish I would have discovered that a few days ago.  They serve a complementary chai that is made with black tea, milk and sugar.  They knock at the door at 7am, if you are up or not, and pour you a small plastic cup in the morning, in addition to it being out at the breakfast table.  After breakfast I decided to talk a walk by myself around the block.  The craziness of the traffic had already began and children were being dropped off in the three wheeled rickshaws and/or walking to school.  Each one with their cute little uniforms (all kids wear uniforms to school and they all look similar, each school has a different color for the kids to wear). 

I decided to be daring and walk across the street just to see how many people honked at me.  And then I did it again.  And again. I even decided to walk down the center of the street for awhile and count the honks.  I think I made it to twenty before I gave in and walked to the side.  It was a fun game and no one really seemed to notice this weird American, except for the guy who was really honking at me.  I stopped to pet the cow that was lying on the side of street, and then noticed the gigantic cow pie just inches in front of him.  If only I could record the sound of this place.  But imagine for a moment 30 different types of vehicles, all their engines roaring, each of their different horns honking, some stringed music in the background in the far distance, and the humm of voices all around.  Sprinkle that with a pound dust.  And walla … you’re in India.

Leaving my heart at Santvana

When we got there all the kids yelled … Uncle … magic, …Uncle Magic (people from India refer to older people they respect as uncle and auntie). So I was glad that I saved a majority of my magic stuff for them.  They all quickly sat down and gave me the attention I would pay for.  Later, Robbie told a story and then we did the scrap book craft.  Each child was given a small 18 page 4×5 scrap books that they decorated with stickers and glued the photos we printed out for them.  The kids were broken into groups earlier in the week and my four little guys took to the project like a clean pig takes to warm mud.  The books turned out so well that all the adults were wishing that they made one for themselves.  We then cleaned up and played games with the kids. 

But the big surprise was a few minutes later when we presented them all with backpacks.  We each presented our group individually as an awards ceremony, just like we did on the first day at the School for the Deaf.  They were beaming!  Afterwards the kids prayed and thanked God for the backpacks.  The prayer from this 10 year old boy broke my heart, “Thank you Lord for these wonderful backpacks. Never could we have imagined such wonderful & beautiful gifts…”  It makes me cry just rethinking about it.  Not one of the kids traded, or was disappointed they didn’t get a backpack that someone else got. They were just happy to have one.  Each of the backpacks were donated and therefore, they come to Orphan Outreach in all different types.  Barbie, Elmo, GI Joe, flowers, there was even one that had a giant 6 inch zipper used to open it.   When each child finished their craft and when they received their backpack, they immediately had to go show Nani, who had pockets of joy and approval waiting to hand them.

Leaving was of course hard.  But we left a piece of our hearts and the desire to find ways to support and pray for the ministry of Santvana.  Sure makes the 20 hour plane trip seem like nothing …

Pune Airport

This place never ceases to surprise me.  The security is very thorough but done very different.  Women go to a ‘screening area’ which is a room where a curtain is pulled and then they stand with their hands stretched out and wand. Men go to the ‘gents frisking area’ which is a platform out in the open to stand on and then wand.   The bathrooms all have two different types of stalls, a squatter and a regular toilet.  And you hunt for trash cans!  I never can find a trash can in this place.  Once on the plane we were served a cool towel for our faces … I absolutely love when an airlines does that.  And we were served a meal.  I ate the dessert.  The cool thing is the after dinner mint package.  Once you tear the small bag open you discover a small ounce of a blend of sugar and spices you chew on until it dissolves.  Leaving your mouth refreshed.  Wish I could have rubbed some of it under the pits of the guy sitting in front of me.

Madness and more madness is the trip from the airport to your car. Navigating through streams of traffic that appear to come from nowhere like veins in the body, with all the luggage and then from paved to unpaved road, squeezing through the mobs of people.  Of course, not only was I pushing a cart of luggage but I was also trying to upload pictures to the blog.  Why not maximize the excitement? 

We drove in two vehicles through Delhi and arrived to the new hotel.  I was excited not to see a YMCA sign in front of the building.  It is really dark by now so I didn’t get to see anything on the drive to report about yet.  Maybe tomorrow.  Ok… we go up the elevator and to much of our surprise (the outside area looked kinda sketchy) we enter a modern looking, really nice hotel.  I mean … really nice.  The rooms are small, for the most part just a big bed.  That works for me.  And Uma, my roommate, lives in this town so he went home.  I get a room all to myself and I don’t have to hear anyone snore, or the buzz the elevator made all night at the YMCA, and it has a really nice bathroom, and two chocolate covered cookies in my room, and free internet connection … is this the reward for those who do nice things.  I am changing my ways. 

Thought of the Day

There is a popular book out that you may have seen… ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ is the title.  The author spent 4 months in Italy and ate, then 4 months in India to pray and then 4 months in Indonesia and fell in love. I have not read the book but someone on the team has brought a copy and from time to time shares excerpts from the author’s time in India, and what she discovered through prayer and the spiritual lives of the people. Spirituality is part of their life here.  There is said to be over 3 million Hindu gods.  I hear the prayers of the Muslim’s early in the morning, in the afternoon and at sunset throughout the city.  There is not spiritual persecution, but spiritual acceptance … and respect for your faith.  Even those in Hell’s Den pray and seek spiritual direction.  It begs to asks, do their gods hear them?

Dean