Wednesday

An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.

-Mohandas Gandhi

Today my group was assigned to construction at the same colony where we are working on the community center. Today was different though because our group has been slowly getting smaller and smaller. After the Bertha family left we were down to only 5 people and today two of those five people were too sick to work so we were down to 3 people. Our coordinator was sick as well so we didn't even have that one extra person with us.

So Melissa, Kim, and I headed down to the colony, taking a short stop at the art school so Kim could buy her paintings and then heading down to the construction site. We weren't sure how much we would be able to get done, but we all agreed that we would do our best because in the end that was all we could do. We started off moving dirt in an assembly line; next we carried bowls of sand to cover the foundation for the front porch, and then carried another layer of large rocks to cover the sand.

After we had finished the two layers, we moved an entire pile of rocks. It was huge and we just kept making the same rounds -- walk over, pick up a bowl of rocks that the other workers filled and carry them to where we were dropping them off, dump out the rocks and repeat! The men who were working with us were so sweet; when we walked over with our empty bowls to get a new one they would help us lift the heavy bowls of rocks onto our heads because it was hard for us to lift them that high, but once we had them on our heads it made them much easier to carry, taking pressure off our backs and arms.

It was so awesome to have all of their help and to know that they were grateful for us being there even if it was just for a few hours. I think that the image of us truly working with our own to hands and serving them meant a lot. I also know that I learned a lot about my own strength when I'm doing something for a group of people I admire, respect, and love.

After we finished working we were all exhausted and I'll admit my head and neck were very sore (Tessa, I could have used your hairography neck muscles:)) but we were all amazed at how much we had accomplished. I honestly think we did more in that hour and a half with three people then we've ever done in more hours and with more people!

There is just so much love here, everyone looks out for everyone else and our drivers are always so careful and protective of us, they always pull over when they need to talk on their phones, help us cross the street, and even at one point when I was taking my malaria pill in the car, one of the drivers warned me to wait for a second because we were coming up on a bump and made sure to drive extra carefully while I drank.

I love these people that are so welcoming and always wave and smile, it's just so different back home. I hope I can carry this little bit of India with me forever.
Playtime was so much fun, and dinner tasted so good, as always:)

After dinner we had family time, during which Rajakumari did henna for me, she did an amazing job and it was only her first time!

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oh and one last note, my mom has been asking me to blog about the hostel and shower/bathroom situation, so here it goes.

We take what are called bucket showers. In each stall is one large bucket and a small bucket, you fill the large bucket and use the small bucket to get yourself wet and rinse yourself off. Its actually not too bad and the cold showers usually feel pretty good after a very hot and sweaty day. They also save an incredible amount of water.

The toilets here are called "squaters" and they're actually pretty nice as well. I think the name is kind of self explanatory, but the hostel is still so new that they were very clean and flushed and they also save a lot of water which is important when your main water source is a well and drinking water is so important.

with great love,

Kenzie

Tuesday

"Each relationship between two persons is absolutely unique. That is why you cannot love two people the same. It simply is not possible. You love each person differently because of who they are and the uniqueness that they draw out of you."

— William P. Young

 

Today my group was assigned to tutoring. We started the morning off by writing in the children's memory books. The memory books have pictures of the children and they ask the volunteers to write in them, kind of like a baby book that they will recieve when they graduate from the school. Afterwards we went and worked with the children helping them to write letters to their sponsors. The children were so sweet and always wrote how much they loved their sponsors.

 

This meant even more because my family and I are now sponsoring a little boy, Aravind Raj. It's funny to me because in the past I've always seen those commercials on tv about sponsoring children around the world and I've always just changed the channel and thought it was a scam. But being here it is so different, I love being able to see exactly where the money is going and knowing that it is truly going to the children and their education. It's amazing to think that I'll always have a connection to India and one of it's future leaders. These children have seen so much and they will be the ones to break the stigma. They will be the leaders of the future.

Aravind Raj A.

The rest of my day I was not feeling very well, but I think out of all the places to be sick, being here is really okay. There is no way to blow anything out of proportion or feel bad for yourself when you can see so many people who have worse afflictions and are still happy and full of love!

At dinner we saw the most beautiful sunset.

India is truly a magical place, it's so hard to explain in words all of the beauty around me and the happiness. India has stolen my heart and I never want to leave.

 

with great love,

Kenzie

Monday

"The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove loving and friendly and helpful to you. The world is what you are."

-Thomas Drier

Today my group was assigned construction. We were working at the same colony working on the community center. When we first arrived we took a detour at the Bindu School of Art. This is an art school in the colony where leprosy affected people learn about art and create painings that are then sold. Each painting is about 40 dollars and the majority of the money from the sale goes back to the colony to help with the costs of things like the community center or the old folks home that was built a few years ago. It is a truly amazing place where you can really see the effects of microloans. It is practically impossible to see the difference between the different villages and this beautiful colony full of life that even has its own barbershop.

Another cool thing about this art school is that after you purchase a painting you get the opportunity to take a picture with the artist and his creation. Some have no fingers, others' eyesight or feet are crippled, but they paint these beautiful pieces of art. It's just a very meaningful souvenir, and when we arrived I was very excited to have the opportunity to look through them.

At first as I looked through the paintings, one truly began to stand out to me, in fact it basically smacked me in the face. In the center of the painting is an old man painted in black and white, he is painting a picture and has no fingers on either of his hands. He is skinny and has a very deep expression on his face. Around him, however, are beautiful patterns made up of brilliant colors and in front of him is a brightly colored painting he is working on. I wasn't sure if I should get it because it really was so different from anything else I had been looking at. I just felt so drawn to it. As soon as I pulled it out of the stack one of the artists who spoke fairly good english came and picked it up and began to explain it to me. He said that the man in the painting had been a painter at the art school and had passed away a year ago. He explained that one of his friends at the school had made the painting in his honor. The man in the painting would tie a paintbrush to his hand and use that to work with. Learning the background story and seeing how much love and respect they had for this man truly touched me and the painting gained even more significance. I ended up buying the painting and another that was painted by the man in my painting before her passed away (ahah sorry, that sentence is kind of confusing).

Afterwards we carried cement at the construction site. It was awesome to serve these people and help build their community.

I have one other absolutely amazing story I would like to share with you. This story is one that another volunteer, Kim, told me and has given me permission to post here.

There was a man last summer who had leprosy and was hit by a car. He had a horrible break in his hip and needed surgery but no hospital would take him in because he was a leprosy patient. Finally Dr. Kumar was able to get him into a hospital, and his colony, with the help of Rising Star, came up with the money to pay for his surgery. When it came time to take the money to the hospital, one of the coordinators that was going asked Kim if she would come with because she felt strongly that she needed to be there. When they arrived they found that he had been placed in a room at the end of a hallway and that any other patients along that hallway had been moved. He had a horrible infection and was covered in filth -- they had not washed him and he had laid like that in incredible pain. Kim said she just sat and held his hand and cried wishing there was some way she could communicate with him and let him know that she loved him and he meant something to her.

Later that day the coordinator came down to talk to Kim and told her that the hospital refused to do the surgery because he needed blood and they would not give it to him because he was "dirty". Kim immediately realized that she is O positive and offered her own blood, the hospital agreed and she was able to give her blood to this man. She found out a few weeks later that the man had passed away. The hospital refused to do the surgery because no one but other leprosy patients would be able to sit with him and help him during recovery. His infection grew too bad and so RSO took him home to his colony so he could pass away in peace surrounded by his friends.

Even though the man had passed away, Kim was grateful for the opportunity to show him and the hospital that she loved this man and that he was worthy of her sacrifice. The gesture was huge and the story truly touched me.

When I returned to the hostel with my painting Kim came into my room to see what I had gotten, she immediately said "Is that, is that Arumagam?" and when we realized the man from her story was the man in my painting we both burst into tears. This painting embodies everything we've been working for, and how important it is that we break through the stigma so that no more lives are lost unnecesarily.

It was amazing how a painting that I wasn't sure about at first, gained so much significance in my eyes. When I hang it up I know that no one will be able to walk by it with out asking about it and I am happy to tell the story. I know that each time I see that painting on my wall, all of the feelings will come back and I hope I can keep them close to me.

Afterwards we had playtime with the kids and I had a great time with the little boys digging up clay from the field making little balls and shapes.

Dinner was amazing and family time was so much fun. The boys are all so good and Ragu, one of the older boys, helps me get them all to bed early. He is so helpful and such a dedicated student.

withgreatlove,

Kenzie

New Delhi weekend trip

“I am not the same having seen the moon
shine on the other side of the world.”

– Mary Anne Radmacher Hershey

This past weekend the volunteers left for a weekend trip to New Delhi. It was such an amazing experiance to see everything and to take the time to get to know all of the other volunteers a little bit better. After arriving in New Delhi we took a rickshaw tour of Old Delhi. It was so much fun, I have no idea how we didn't all bounce out of them, the road was so bumpy and the cars were so close. At one point a car even tapped the rickshaw I was in! The drivers here are crazy. Crossing the street is like playing frogger with real cars.

Me and Laura Jane in our rickshaw!

view outside

Next we walked through a spice market

The next day we woke up reallyyyyy early so we could beat the crowds at the Taj.

It was absolutely amazing. When you hear people talk about places, ussualy they don't live up to the hype, this one definitely did. It is such an incredible building, made even more incredible by the story behind it.

This building was built by one of the ruler's of India for his wife. It is completely symmetrical and she is buried in the center. The building was to represent his love in a way that it would never be forgotten. Its so cool because the only part of the Taj Mahal that is not symmetrical is his tomb, she is buried in the very center while he is placed beside her. Its so interesting to think that the "mortal" part is the only imperfect part. Feel free to look up the story and learn more about the details, it really is worth it.
 She will definitely be remembered!

Next we headed over to Agra Fort. Which was also an amazing piece of architecture.

Followed by a refreshing swim at the beautiful hotel, we had so much fun, such a great group:)

We had dinner at pizza hut(which was like a real sit down restaurant here)

"Thank you for choosing Pizza hut it was a pleasure to serve you. Hope you visit us again - Akash" On the back of our receipt:)

And then dancing at the hotel's disco club:)

And last but not least we spent our final morning taking an elephant ride, it was sweet!

It was really fun but I found that I really missed RSO and the kids. Sightseeing is awesome but theexperiances I'm having at RSO win out every time:)

Crawling into my bed at the hostel was the best feeling in the world.

Home is where you feel safe and loved.

I'm home.

with great love,

Kenzie

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,

while loving someone deeply gives you courage. "

-Lao Tzu

She was so happy to see me, I loved it:)
She can always make me smile

This post is going to be super short, because we leave at 330am to catch our flight to New Delhi! The next three days will be packed with sight seeing and I'm super excited!

It was great to be back with the kids, I really really missed them so play time was amazing and dinner back up on the roof was absolutely amazing (sorry for the use of that word over and over on this blog, it just applies to so many things!). Tonight we did highs and lows and what we've learned and it was super touching. Everyone said something different, it was so cool to see how everyone is growing and changing and how we've managed to grow together. We've all become so close and have such a great dynamic. What took place the past few days could not have happened without all the different combined personalities. I will always have a special deep connection with this group of people because we have been through so many things together that noone will understand until they have lived it for themselves.

Low: Falling asleep and missing hot rod on the bus.

High: When the people at the first colony we visited brought us out drinks and flowers, it was such a huge act of compassion and sacrifice to show that they were grateful.

Lesson: I learned about selflessness. Some things are bigger then me, in those colonies helping the people was more important then my own worries or emotions. I needed to be strong and share a smile for them. In those moments I also learned about my own strength when faced with a challenge. I'm so grateful for these lessons.

Some of the girls:)

Finding yourself

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

Today we visited another new colony. The colony we went to yesterday had been visited by Dr. Kumar two years ago, but this colony had never been visited by him or any RSO volunteers, so we were not sure what kind of a reaction we would recieve from them.  When we arrived, we all crowded into their community center because it was raining. It was very crowded and stuffy, but we did our best to set up our stations and create order by allowing groups of 5 in at a time. I really learned to enjoy working on the diabetes testing with the girls yesterday, we had gotten into a really good rhythm, but today I was assigned to bandaging. I was very excited to try something new and contribute in another way.

Many of the wounds and ulcers on these people were worse then we had seen at any other colony so far. I was slightly overwhelmed at the very beginning, but after I began to work and serve these people, I was able to get the job done without focusing on the severity of the wound while smiling and comforting the people I was bandaging. I began to think about them more than myself and my own selfish fears and worries. After the foot was washed our job would come in; we would look at the ulcers, apply oinment, apply gauze, and finally wrap the foot or hand to hold the gauze in place.

About halfway through our time at the colony, one man came in for his turn. This man had the the worst ulcer I have ever seen in my life, it is hard to get the image out of my head. The ulcer covered the majority of the top and bottom of his mishapen foot. His skin was discolored and rough; it no longer looked like skin. I do not want to use my blog as a place for horrifying pictures or descriptions of wounds for people to be shocked by, out of respect for these beautiful people. I wish only to help show the feelings involved and the lessons learned. I feel that for this story the details are necessary. As the man's foot was unwrapped and the gaping wound was revealed, a volunteer hurried over to wash it. Tears streamed down the man's face as a he begged Dr. Kumar to amputate it. Dr. Kumar told us that for now it would need to be bandaged, and action could be taken later. This man was in so much pain and his wound was so severe. Another volunteer and I began to bandage the wound as quickly as we could. Even though the man was in pain, he still reached down occasionally trying to help push the gauze into his wound. I tried my hardest to help him, holding his hand whenever mine was free, or simply trying to share a smile and let him know without words that he was loved. When we had finished I had to excuse myself and step outside. I needed a moment to myself to think. While inside and busy I was able to focus on what needed to be accomplished and keep my feelings in check, because there was something more important that needed to be accomplished and him seeing my own tears would not have helped. A few of the other volunteers who had been helping the man or who had simply looked over and seen came outside as well, feeling the same way I'm sure.

I've learned so much about myself through my experiences today. Just this past year I made the decision that I want to go into nursing, but I have always wondered if I would really be able to hold up under the pressure, or keep myself in check when dealing with something gory. Today helped me so much to see my own strength and my ability to stretch myself. While I was working I didn't notice the smell, or the crowd, all I could see was the beautful person in front of me, and the only thing on my mind was how I could best wrap the wound to keep in clean and secure. It is not a bad thing to feel emotional, or overwhelmed, or to cry, but there is a time and a place for everything and sometimes you need to be strong for someone else. I learned that there are more important things than myself.

I am so grateful for everything I am learning and the opportunities I am having to grow and stretch.

I'm finding myself by losing myself.

After a long but worthwhile two days and a long car ride home (which I slept through as well, except the part where we all watched Hot Rod;)),  I am grateful to be back at the beautiful Rising Star campus, I've missed my bed:)

withgreatlove,

Kenzie

p.s. This adorable little woman is 95 years old. She was constantly blessing us and smiling; she loved looking at the pictures and pointing to herself:)

New colonies - Day 1

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."

-Mother Teresa

Missed seeing the kids, but it really has been an awesome 2 days.

Today was absolutely amazing, but so different from any other day so far.

We left the Rising Star campus at 5 am and piled into two buses to take us to a neighboring state. The plan was that we would arrive at 9 and start work in the new colony and leave to go to our hotel at about 2 or 3... but TII, this is India:)

We did somehow manage to leave ontime at 5, but when we reached the border we were stopped and told that one of the buses did not have the correct paperwork. We sat there for a long time and finally had to turn around and rent a different bus. Everyone on the other bus moved onto the new bus, and we were off again! Later on we had to stop again at a grocery store to pick up toilet paper, which we realized we had forgotten to bring. (Indians do not ussualy use toilet paper, because it is expensive; they wipe with their left hand and then wash it. This is why you can eat with only your right hand at restaurants, which can be challenging when it's bread you need to tear!) We were then stopped by a policeman who wanted to again check our paperwork for entering a new city. We arrived at our hotel at around 12pm. I would also like to point out that I was very, very asleep during the entire drive and had to hear these stories after! Thank you dramamine :) ahhaha (motion sickness medicine, the drives here are Mr. Toad's Wild Ride status)

After a quick lunch we finally arrived at the colony. When we got there we walked into a roofed town center/patio area. We were blessed to have the roof, because it had begun to rain. I was immediately overwhelmed seeing the people seated on the ground; they had been waiting for us since that morning. As soon as we began to unload, a man arrived carrying a box of cold sodas and gave one to each of the volunteers. It was hard to hold back the tears as I recieved this sincere gift. They had so little, but they were giving us all that they could. It meant so much to me.

We were then assigned to groups; some were washing feet, others took blood pressure, some bandaged, some were in charge of picture documenting, and 2 other girls and I were assigned to test for diabetes. I will admit I was very nervous about the diabetes testing.  I wasn't sure what to do, but I've realized through these past few weeks that you just have to jump right in 100%; thats they only way to learn. Diabetes testing on leprosy patients can be much harder than just a simple finger prick. Because of the disease, some have very thick and calloused skin, some have no fingers, and some have very poor circulation making it hard to get enough blood.

It was very hard for me to watch their pain as we pricked them multiple times trying to find a soft enough spot. I was very lucky to be working with two other very talented girls, one of whom actually has diabetes herself. They showed me what to do, and eventually I got the hang of it. I was grateful for the opportunity to not only help getting the blood, but being able to comfort the people and simply hold the hands of those who were so scared they would begin to tear up even before we had touched them. We helped about 85 people during our hours at the colony and diagnosed 12 new diabetics. 15 other patients were diagnosed with hypertension. They will now be able to get the medicine and help they need to keep themselves healthy.

When we finished I was "joyously fatigued," one of my new favorite descriptions, and also once again overwhelmed. I started talking to another volunteer, Kim, about our experiances from the day and it was impossible to hold back the tears any longer. We had felt so much love and tried to give as much love as we could give. These people were so inspiring and grateful. One woman walked around placing flowers in each volunteer's hair. I know that I will never be the same; they have taught me so much about living with pain, but loving and enduring at the same time. I have grown to love these people in just one day. They are absolutely beautiful in my eyes.

withgreatlove,

Kenzie