Letters from India! Whoohoo!!

If you are anything like me, you can vividly recall from your childhood those times when you mother would be SO worried about you and you never understood why. You knew you were safe wherever you were, but she still seemed to worry. Whenever I would ask why she was so worried, her response was always “You will understand when you have kids of your own.” Yeah right I thought. I would never worry as much as you do. Well, I am starting to understand what she was talking about.

Now, I don’t have biological kids of my own, but as you will recall from an earlier post, I do foster three of the children that I met in India. I consider these children my own. I think and pray about them daily and long for the day I can return to see their smiling faces. I am starting to realize what my mother was talking about. I have worried about them since the day I left, wondering if they are okay, studying hard, and getting adequate nutrition. I wrote them letters a few weeks ago and have been patiently … okay, rather impatiently… waiting to receive a letter back.

Well, this past Thursday I was having a let’s say, less than pleasant day. I happened to be in Memphis for the day for a few doctor’s visits (we all know how fun that can be), so when I finally returned to Oxford, I was exhausted and in a foul mood. All I wanted to do was eat supper and head to bed. But when I walked in the house I was elated by what I saw on the coffee table. I knew right away what it was… LETTERS FROM MY KIDS!!! AHH! This day just got WONDERFUL!!

I immediately opened it up and found several hand written letters and pictures that my girls drew for me. My heart was gleaming with joy… I am such a proud mother! Although their English is pretty impressive, they don’t always know how to say exactly what them mean, so their letters were written in Tamil. I LOVED this! Yes there was a translated copy included so I knew what they were writing, but still, it was so cool to think that my kids could communicate with me even though we are literally half way around the world from one another and speak completely different languages. I can’t express how excited I am to receive these letters.  The things they wrote to me will stick with me forever. Two of the letters began the same way…

“Dear Foster Parents,

By the grace of the Lord I am fine.”

I had to stop right there and just ponder on that. Remember, these children have nothing but they are perfectly fine because they have the Lord. This just amazes me every time I think about it. I envy how genuine their love is for God. He’s all they have to rely on and I can only hope that I can share that same depth of faith one day.

The letters went on to thank me for accepting them as my foster children and they told me they are praying for me everyday. It is such a peaceful feeling knowing that half way around the world there is someone praying for me. Whether you are a believer or not, knowing that someone out there takes time to think about you everyday is a pretty amazing feeling!!  There was another sentence in two of the letters that made me stop again, “I shall behave as a good child to you.” Not only do I think of them as my children, they think of me as their mother. How AWESOME is that! They want to act like a good child for ME! It makes me want to jump on a plane and head back there right now, just so that I can hug them and tell them I love them.

One thing that was consistent throughout all three letters was that they are “eagerly expecting my photo.” The children at ICMC like to have a picture of their foster parents to show their friends who is taking care of them. I can’t wait to put a package in the mail for them.

They don’t have lined paper at the Promised Land, so my kids had to take the time to use a ruler to draw lines all the way down a piece of paper so that they could write in a straight line. That is just another thing I take for granted. I have more notebook paper than I know what to do with it. Guess I know where some of that extra paper is going J 

Just holding these letters, knowing that they were in their little hands before I got them is a feeling that I can’t quite explain. Their letters are full of hope and love and I see just how happy I have made these children by fostering them. What they don’t know is the joy and happiness they have given me. I have a bond with these children through the Lord that can never be broken. No matter where they may go, I will always think and pray for my children. 

I am officially a worried mother. Thanks for at least giving me a warning Mom…

Remember you may be having a challenging day, but push through it WILL get better!
Emily

Ole Miss Baseball with Friends

This past weekend was the opening weekend of Ole Miss baseball. Now, not sure how it is where you are from but Ole Miss baseball is a huge deal! You have several options when choosing where to sit and watch the game. If you are lucky enough to have tickets, there is a “Diamond Club,” which is basically like skyboxes that look out over the field. If not, you can opt for the regular seats in the stadium where all the action is, or you can even head out to the outfield where my friends and myself usually like to enjoy an afternoon of baseball. In the right field you have all of the current students that tend to be loud and sometimes a little more obnoxious. You bring your own chairs and set up hours before the game actually starts. The students usually walk in dragging coolers full of cold beverages and hot dogs to cook on the charcoal grills that Ole Miss provides. To give you an idea of their rowdiness, if Ole Miss gets a home run, each student takes whatever drink they have in their hand and throws it high up in the air. I know what you are thinking and you are exactly right, everyone gets SOAKED! Now this is a fairly new tradition. When I was in college we didn’t do this, but it was a tradition I got a taste of it when I sat over there during Saturday’s game. Here is a video all about right field and HUGE Ole Miss baseball really is...

Now heading over to left field, things are a little different. You will find all of the young alumni that still live in and around the Oxford can get rowdy at times but are still under control. The population over here ranges from young married couples to those with young kids that tend to want to play in the dirt throughout the game instead of actually watching the game.  This is where we usually sit. One of my good friends Leah and her husband Matt chipped in with several couples to buy an “outdoor box” for this season. It is a designated area where they can cook and put chairs up without having to get there super early to save seats. Brilliant idea if you ask me!! Anyway, my friend Elizabeth and I got to sit with Leah and enjoy a BEAUTIFUL oxford Sunday during the baseball game this weekend. 

Ole Miss swept the weekend with three wins so it was an EXCELLENT way to start the season!

It is a tradition for each section of the outfield to sing "Hotty Toddy," our signature chant for sporting events when we win a baseball game. Each time, the team raises their hats in appreciation. These are the words to the chant... 

Hotty Toddy, Gosh Almighty

Who the hell are we?

Hey!

Flim Flam Bim Bam 

Ole Miss 

By Damn!!

Sky above the stadium

This is the sunset after the baseball game this past Sunday!

Okay, I promise there is a point to telling you all of this hullabaloo. While I was enjoying the game this past Sunday with some girls, I was thinking about how important it was to have fellowship with the ones close to you. Friends can be there for you when you are down and to celebrate when things are great. Just like any other relationship, you must put in effort for the friendship to work.  I know we all get busy in our own lives but it so important to make time for your friends!! Whether it is a dinner with the girls or a phone call with someone who lives halfway across the US, you have to make the time and actually do it! If you are always making excuses why you can’t go visit or why you can’t talk on the phone, your friends will slowly drift away and before you know it they will no longer be there.  Now I know that sounds a bit harsh, but it’s the truth. I know that I don’t want to look up in 10 years and realize I have lost touch with the ones that mean so much to me right now. When you are struggling to find the time, remember how much fun you have with your friends and how you don’t want that to end. Just wanted to share that with everyone because I have been struggling with this lately.

These are some pictures of times that I have spent with my good friends...

Few years ago in Memphis

In Oxford at Waltz this past Summer

After a home football game with some girls

This is Colonel Reb, our mascot, in New Orleans 

Well that is all for now! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Charge Thru Challenge,

Emily

I'm where I'm supposed to be

Well for starters, Happy Valentine's Day!! I'm not much of a goob for Valentine's celebration, but thought I would spread a little love! Anyway... on to today's post.

So if you are a “church goer,” you have probably been to a service where you felt like they were talking directly to you. You might have been hesitant to go that service, but for some reason you went anyway. Well, that was my situation yesterday. 

Saturday night I got a phone call that my mom had fallen and hit her head and possibly broken her hip. At this point we had NO idea what was going to happen, but she told me not to drive to Memphis because there would be nothing I could do. I didn’t hear back from them that night so of course I was up all night worrying. When my alarm went off to get up and go to church, I went back and forth debating whether to go or head up to Memphis. Since I hadn’t heard from them I thought it couldn’t be serious or they would have called to let me know. My ultimate decision was to go to church, so off Cole and I went. When I got out of church, I had a message from both a drugged up on Morphine Mother and my Step-Dad. They had a cancellation and she was going into surgery in 15 minutes. Yeah crazy is what I thought too! Needless to say I got on the road to Memphis after Church, but it is what I heard in Church that I really want to write about…

We had Reverend James Newsom come from St. George’s Episcopal Church/school in Memphis as a guest to preach our sermon this morning.  He is the chaplain for the kindergarten through 2^nd grade, so he was pretty good at keep the attention of the congregation. Anyway, he had just become the chaplain a year ago, so his sermon was all about accepting the path the Lord has given you. When he was first asked to be the chaplain he said he was very hesitant, unsure that a chaplain was the calling Jesus had given him.  After much prayer, he accepted the position with a little bit of an unsure heart. A year later, he is without a shadow of a doubt sure that God knew what he was doing when he called him to be the chaplain. At times we may question the plan that Jesus has for us, but we must learn to accept it and perform to the best of our ability.

I have struggled so much with doubt about my life plan over the past few weeks that I have forgotten to stop and thank Him for where I am now. I love what I do for a living and I know I am doing the right thing. I was reminded that the Lord has an ultimate plan for me and my current job is part of that plan. I may not be here forever, as I feel He may be starting to pull me in other directions, but I am going to do my best to Glorify him in the part of my life I am in now. At times you may think you are straying from the right path, but just ask him and he will show you. You just have to be willing to listen. That is where I tend to fault. I ask over and over, but struggle to listen to what his answer is.

The sermon this morning was my answer LOUD AND CLEAR! Stay where I am, as he has a plan for me and when he is ready for me to move, he will show me the way. Now I’m not saying just sit back and relax and coast on the coat tail of Jesus, but know that he has had your ENTIRE life planned before you were even conceived in the womb. I’m not trying to preach, I just often get asked by non-believers why it is that I believe. This is one of those reasons. I have prayed day after day for guidance on what it is I am supposed to be doing. After coming back from India, I really want to get involved with helping children, but it is very apparent to me, that it will happen when it is supposed to. After hearing this sermon yesterday, I know that right now me having that career is not what he wants. There is something I have yet to learn or share where I currently am. Looks like volunteering is where I will be heading first… that’s why I believe.

Charge thru your challenges one day a time. Worry about today right now and tomorrow when it gets here. 

With Love in Him,

Emily

I might have to sell by cowboy boots and buy some skis...

A snowfall in Oxford is typically, if we are lucky, for one day in February and at the most a ¼ inch accumulation on the ground and the city completely shutting down! School closings, business not being open, its even pretty hard to find a place to eat even though the roads are PERFECTLY fine. Well, this winter has been COMPLETELY different. We have already had several large snowfalls, causing havoc around Oxford. Grade schools have to postpone the start of their summer vacation to make up for snow days, the Ole Miss students had to take class on Saturday, and we had to close work 2 separate times! Now, the first snowfall was fun and we did get 6 inches of snow, which is HUGE for us folks down in Mississippi, but when the snow stuck around for the next week, everyone was pretty much over it.

Cole with the Pups

 We made snow angels!!! 

 It was really cold!

 And then they threw snowballs at me.

7 Inches this snow!

No one here knows how to drive in the snow or ice, so the number of wrecks is through the roof.  When the snow turns black and packs on the side of the road, it makes beautiful Oxford not so beautiful.  We don’t have a single snowplow in the state of Mississippi that I am aware of, so you can imagine how everyone was freaking out. I know now why God has put me in Mississippi. I can’t stand the snow. It is great for a night to play in, but gosh I would get sick of it if I had to deal with it everyday of my life.  Once again, He knows what’s right.

Okay I will admit, watching my kiddos run around in the snow is pretty fun. I have a black dog named Pace, and Cole has a chocolate dog named Gunner. They are inseparable and I call them both my own. 

The Kids

Of course I made Cole take a picture with me every time it snowed… If you know Cole, you know how thrilled he gets when its time to take pictures.  He gets this cute little “are you serious” face on and immediately says, “where do you want me to stand?” He thinks posed pictures are pointless and that they should all be candid. Now I agree with him that candid pictures are better, but if I am the photographer, who is supposed to take pictures of us?

Night of the first snow

The next morning after the most recent snow

Even though I am so over the snow, the photographer in me jumps on chances like this to take some fun pictures as well. My dogs are usually the lucky victims of taking snow pictures. I have discovered a trick to get my dogs to look at the camera...BRIBE THEM! Yes, that’s right, dog treats. They will do anything I want them to if I just hold a treat right above the camera. Yes technically it is bad parenting, but at least I am getting it out of the way on my dogs rather than my future children, right? 

The most recent snow started early enough so I got to get out and take some pictures around town. Oxford is such a beautiful city and even more so when it is blanketed by several inches of snow.  

The Grove, Oxford, MS

The Grove

Where University of Mississippi football players walk to head to Vaught Hemingway Stadium 

Lamar Park, Oxford, MS

Okay that’s all for now. Nothing deep for today. Just wanted to share some pictures from the snowfalls over the past few months.  Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!

With Love,

Emily

My mind is in a million places ( just realized 2 paragraphs were deleted so I reposted)

Well, I have been back over a week and It is still quite an odd feeling. I keep trying to explain to my friends and family how I am feeling, but I can't seem to put it into words. The only people that understand what I am going though are the people I went to India with or people that have previously done trips similar to what I did. 

The first moment I was alone was when I got in my car to drive from Nashville back to Oxford. I just started to cry.. and I mean balling crying. I am sure it was the mixture of emotions and exhaustion, but I was literally crying uncontrollably. I couldn't turn the radio on or call anyone to let them know I as on the road. I just started to drive and think about the experience I had just gone through. After about 2 hours on the road, I decided to call the one friend that I knew would be good at understanding what I couldn't explain. Rebekah. As she will tell you herself, she knows me WAY better than I even know myself. She knows what I need to hear, even if it may be hard for me to swallow. She reminded me that there needs to be a balance in life. She said, "When you are blessed with things in life, you should share the blessings you are given. You don't have to tell everyone what you are doing, but do it for yourself because you enjoy doing it." She's so right. I have gotten so caught up with the silly things in life, I have forgotten what's important. Love those around you and do what you can to help others. Don't worry about the rest, it will happen the way it is supposed to happen. Everything happens for a reason, EVERYTHING! When I signed up for this trip to India, I knew I would be a little different when I got back, but I didn't expect anything CLOSE to this degree. These children will never know the impact they have had on my life. I will forever be different, and in my opinion, for the better. 

I think about my kids in the most interesting moments. I was in my Pilates class the other morning and I was laying out my mat  to work out when I thought, this is better than what the children of ICMC SLEEP on. I never anticipated my trip to India affecting so many different aspects of my life. I find myself praying a lot more now. I have been a Christian since I was young, but I am guilty of praying only when things are bad or need guidance. I have always  tried to control every aspect of my life, worrying how things were going to work out, but now I have been reminded that I am not in control of ANYTHING. There is already a plan for me and I just have to listen to what He has planned for me. 

I went though a lot of guilt when I got back. Guilt for all of the things I have and loathe to have. The children in India have NOTHING and they wanted to give me the one bracelet or hair clip that they did have. How can I complain when I don't have something "cute enough" to wear out to dinner on Friday night. Seems pretty silly now. Now I'm not going to go give away everything I own and never buy anything again, I just am going to make sure that I am a lot more grateful for the things that I DO have. Cole told me  the other day, "these things you have are blessings and you shouldn't feel guilty that you have these things, just remember to appreciate the things you have been given." I wouldn't say that I'm someone who is never grateful for the things I have, I just think I have room for improvement. Don't we all forget how lucky we are sometimes? Maybe I am a loner on that one, but I am not afraid to admit it.  

 I have always been the person to help everyone around me and forget about myself, but I forgot how INCREDIBLE it feels to help the people that need it the MOST. The feeling I felt when those children looked into my eyes was the most incredible sensation. There was just so much sincerity in their eyes when they told me thank you over and over. The hugs they gave me will stay with me forever. Makes you realize how important human interaction is. A hug can make your day go from miserable to incredible. When I am having a tough day, all  I have to do now is think back to a hug from Parimila and her telling me not to worry because Jesus loves me and everything will be okay. 

I would consider myself someone who tends to be a "go with the flow person." Sometimes a little too much. I was talking with my friend Jordan the other day and she reminded me that sometimes it is okay to say what you want and not just do what everyone else wants. If you let everyone else make your decisions for you, you will loose who you are as a person. Thats where I was before I left for India.  I had lost who I was as an individual. She also told me that it is okay to be selfish every now and then. Selfish in the way that you do what you want to do because it is what makes YOU happy. I needed a BIG reminder of that. I so often put what I want aside just to do to just be easy. Who I am is someone who LOVES to be around children that need adult love in their life. I knew this before, but it is SO apparent to me now. Maybe I will look for a career in non-profit? Maybe not a career, just volunteering, but who knows what God has is store for me! However, I am very excited and can't wait to see what's next!


I want to take this time to thank Katie for inviting me to go to India. Without her, I would not be where I am now. It was the best decision I have ever made!! Thank you and Love you Katie! 

I didn't realize I would be able to share some of these thoughts out loud, but it feels good to let it out. This is who I am and I'm not afraid of that anymore. It just started SNOWING! yay! So I am off to play in the snow and enjoy getting off work a little early today. Can't wait to share some pictures of our "Oxford Blizzard." Have a fantabulous day!

Much Love in Him,

Emily 

Never ending Sunday... Final day of my journey

Recap of Sunday January 30, 2011

Well.. because we are flying from the other side of the world to America, we will see the sun rise twice on this glorious Sunday. What a blessing! We flew into Hong Kong around lunchtime today, plenty of time to spend touring around the City after a quick shower and Skype with my mom and Cole at the airport. It was nice to see familiar faces from home, but weird at the same time. It was a quick reality check that I was soon to face the real world again. 

Katie quickly dictated what our first stop would be... Starbucks! Caffeine is a must because the lack of sleep is catching up to us fast! While waiting for the coffee, Aaron spotted something that was pretty cool. Hong Kong's version of Scaffolding. We stood there for several minutes and just watched. It was amazing! It is simply rows of bamboo and they were climbing all over it with such ease. Of course this was a prime photo op :) Thanks Aaron!!

Aaron on top of Victoria's Peak

We knew we wanted to hit Victoria’s Peak since we didn’t have time to do that on the way to India. After once again struggling to find the right bus to take, Katie, Aaron and I headed up to the peak. He view was definitely was worth the long winding bus ride to the top. You could see the entire city from the top of this mountain. This city is amazing.. literally buildings EVERYWHERE and keep in mind theses are 20-30 story buildings!

I just LOVE this picture of Katie on top of Victoria's Peak

Honk Kong... These pictures do not come close to doing it justice!

                                           

 After taking in the view for a bit we realized we were starving! We hopped back on the bus to head down the mountain. Another winding road down.. we were past ready to be off motor vehicles and ready to just walk around the city! We went over to Central Station, where we found a local, and I mean hole in the wall local, restaurant to eat some authentic Chinese food. That was an interesting experience for sure. What we thought we olives turned out to be octopus, what we thought was fish turned out to be cow cheek, and what was actually fish, Aaron was the only one that could get that down… But we were in Hong Kong, so we enjoyed every minute of it. They did give us some "hot tea." It was more of hot water with a splash of tea.

 We made our way to the Mong Kok district where we came upon an incredible street market with everything you could imagine for sale. Fake handbags, shoes, and wallets, jewelry, toys, food, EVERYTHING! It was so neat! We spent a few good hours here before we were exhausted to the point of not being able to hold a conversation with each other, we knew it was time to head back to the airport. 

The street market

I just think these streets are incredible!

Trying desperately to hail a cab

After once again waiting around in an airport for several hours, we boarded the 12-hour plane ride to LA. Going from HK to LA is 3 hours shorter! Whohoo!! We were not so lucky on this flight to get open seats, so we did what we could and tried to get some rest sitting up. I got a few good hours, but didn’t really want to sleep because it would mean the time approaching when we had to leave the group would come quicker. I spent most of the flight just talking to the team members about the reality of what we had done. We actually were in India, half way around the world and we got the opportunity to play with some of the sweetest orphans in the world!! It is still so surreal that I was able to take this journey.  Thank you to all that helped me along the way with donations and prayers, I could not have done it without each and every one of you. 

I thank God for all he did to point me in the direction of this trip. He knew it was exactly what I needed at this point in my life. I feel so re-centered in life and have set my priorities straight. The Lord always knows what it is we need before we even realize we need it. I will miss the friends I have made on this trip dearly but know that the Lord will find a way to keep us close. If anyone is debating on traveling somewhere for the good of others I strongly encourage you to do so. No matter your age, sex, or religion, the feeling that you will get from a trip like this is like nothing you have ever experienced. We were able to provide over 2,400 pairs of shoes for children who desperately needed them, but the happiness they provided for me was one of the most amazing feelings I have felt in my lifetime.  

I would be glad to talk in depth with any and everyone that has even the smallest of question about my trip. Don’t forget to check out both the Soles4Souls and Katie, our trip leader's, blogs. They will both help to give another prospective on our trip. Here is the link to the orphanage that we partnered with so you can learn a little more about that as well www.icmcinda.org Remember that they are always looking for sponsors for these children. They told us while we were there that the money is not the important part of the sponsorship. Yes, they greatly appreciate any amount of money that you can donate, but the children love to receive birthday cards, Christmas cards and little goodies throughout the year. It is the contact and feeling of love that these children cherish so much. Please don't think I am trying to pressure you, just wanted to let you know that the option of sponsorship is available. Don't worry, even though my trip is over, I will still continue to blog about my life and the future places I plan to go! 

What a week of challenges to Charge Thru! No way I could have done it without the Lord on my side!

With Love in Him,

Emily

And our travels back to America begin...

Recap of Saturday, January 29, 2011

Getting up at 4:00 this morning was quite rough. I didn't get much sleep last night, so I can't call it waking up really. My head was going 90 miles a minute just thinking about what all had happened over the past week in Salem. The kids faces would not leave my mind. All I wanted to do was scoop them up and take them home with me. I guess in a way I am taking 3 of them home, but I know I will miss hugging them and holding their sweet little hands. 

We got to the train station in plenty of time, and though I was in a complete daze, I am very sad about boarding our train. The ride to Tamil Nadu was not so bad this time. We didn’t have all of the bags of shoes with us, so everyone was able to actually lay down in their sets that turn into beds. I was given the top bunk this time with no reluctance. There are three rows of beds in each section and I was on the very top. It really wasn’t that bad considering I am a whopping 5’1. Some of the taller volunteers on our trip didn’t think it was quite so comfortable…  If you are a severe claustrophobic, it was a little uneasy being that close to the bunks below and above you. That would be why I slept a good portion of the 6-hour ride. After all, I hadn’t slept in over 24 hours. The rest of the group was pretty quite as well. It is now very apparent that we are absolutely EXHAUSTED!!! There isn’t quite the pep in our step that we had at the beginning of the trip.  

Our Train Car

Aaron in his tight quarters haha!!

Sleepy Time on the Train!

We had an all day layover in Tamil Nadu and we knew he had a lot we wanted to see so after a quick check-in at the hotel, we headed up to a mountain where Disciple Thomas is buried. It was a surreal moment to think that someone from the Biblical times was buried right where I was standing. Now of course they wouldn’t let you see the actual tomb but there was a shrine a level above it where you could stop to pray and pay your respects. There were rows of pews were you could stop and pray and offering plates throughout to building. This was a place unlike any I had ever been. If you stop and think about where we were standing, it was breathtaking. Disciple Thomas is buried right below us!! A man who knew Jesus face to face! Now you see why I was a little overwhelmed. 

Disciple Thomas is buried below this building.

Close up of the front of the building

Lookout from St. Thomas Mount in Chennai

Inside the chapel on the Altar 

Plaque when you walk in the door to the chapel

Afterwards, we headed back down the mountain to hit the local mall for souvenirs to take back to the states with us.  There were small vendor type shops filled with pashminas, jewelry, toys, wooden boxes, any and everything made in Honk Kong was in this authentic mall. Even if we had spent all day here, we still would have not been able to see it all. Of course I am coming home with my fair share of souvenirs! I mean why not.. I AM in India!! After a few hours of shopping for interesting odds and ends, we were ready to head back for a chance to sit down for a bit. 

We headed back to the hotel to regroup for a minute and decide how we would spend the remaining hours of our last day in India. Although we were pretty tired, a few of us wanted to check out Tamil Nadu a little bit more. We hopped into a rickshaw (a small buggie type taxi that 4 people should NOT try to squeeze in, but we did it!) and headed to the Park Hotel. a local 5 star resort hotel, to grab a drink after our long journey. Along the way, we noticed it was pretty standard to squeeze as many people into a rickshaw as possible. There were times we saw 6 and 7 people crammed into one of these things. Not sure how they did it, as we only had 4 people and we were already on each other's laps!! On the way to the Park Hotel, we came across a young man using the street as a urinal and he thought it was pretty funny. So, being the photographer that I am, I took a picture of his cute smiling face : )

Our cute urinating friend :)

Our rickshaw driver

We spent this time away from the rest of the group discussing some amazing things that happened to us while we were in India. I feel so close to these people and I am not ready to leave them!!! Of course we had some similarities and differences in our experiences, but it was neat to try and understand the emotional impact it had on each of us. As our departure flight time was quickly approaching, we decided we better head back to the hotel and get ready for another leg of our trip home.

Cheers to new, amazing friends!!

We hopped back into the rickshaw and made our way to the hotel to meet back up with the rest of the group. Of course we had no time to sleep, so we were just ready to roll with what was ahead. The Chennai airport closes for a few hours in the morning, so we had to be there at 11:00 PM before it closed, even though our flight wasn’t until after 3:00 AM that morning. Needless to say, the majority of the team opted for a nap, myself included. We were finally boarded on our 6 hour flight to Honk Kong, which lucky for us was not that crowded. I found three empty seats in a row and immediately lay down and went to sleep! Ahhh finally some undisturbed rest!! As was I, most of the team was out cold before we even took of from Chennai. Of course I wasn't able to sleep the whole time, so I took advantage of me being awake, and chatted a little more with some of the volunteers. I know I keep saying this, but  I am going to miss these people terribly! We are so different in our own ways, yet they accept me just the way I am inside and out. These people have seen me look the worse I possibly can. Sweat dripping down my face, without an ounce of makeup on. Bless them for accepting me this way! Thanks Team India!! 

In Him,

Emily 

Busy final farewell :(

I cannot believe that today is our last day in Salem… I have had such an amazing experience and I am SO not ready to leave this place. I have some pretty crazy thoughts going on in my head.. what if I just stay and spend some time in India with these kids? Of course I can't do that, but wouldn't that be incredible! This morning was lazy and so wonderful.  I got to spend some time just talking about our trip with my new friends. I can’t believe I have only known these people for 10 days, yet I feel so very close to them already. I have definitely made a few life long friends from this amazing experience. We are all different ages and come from very different places, but we understand each other so well. That is the power of the Lord. He brings people together from every walk of life to learn from one another. It boggles my mind to think when he made me in my mother's womb, he knew I would come to India and have this amazing experience! He knew I would meet these incredible volunteers who share the same joy and passion as I do for helping those around us.

At around 11:00 this morning, 200 men and women with leprosy and several children of beggars around Salem lined up outside the orphanage. Every other week, Dr.Jay and the staff of ICMC give out scoops of rice and a little money. Because our group of volunteers is here, we were able to hand out shoes to the adults and cookies and toys to the children. Aaron, one of the volunteers on our trip, said something that stuck to me and helped to describe just what this trip has done to me. He said, “The first day I got here, I freaked out when a mosquito bit me, convincing myself I would get Malaria. Now it is the final day and I am hugging and shaking the hands of Lepers.” So true!! We were so cautions when we first got here, but we quickly learned that God is in control and he will take care of us. The people of India pass by these lepers everyday and don't give them even the slights glance. Everyone deserves a chance in life to feel loved. I hope that our team of volunteers were able to do that for them. To me, it feels so wonderful to just forget about yourself completely and do whatever you can to help someone who just needs a little help. 

Leper praying with us

One of the beggar children. These people use their children to beg for money, as people are more likely to give to a child than a leper. 

Giving rice to the children

Most of the ladies didn't have a bag to put the rice in, so they used their shirts. 

One of the local lepers  

In the midst of passing out shoes, rice, cookies and toys, one of the children at House of Peace, Princess walked into the room. She pointed at one of the lepers and then told me that he was her father. It broke my heart right then and there. You could see the shame in his eyes when we all realized who he was. Not being able to take care for your child has got to be extremely tough for a father. Princess seemed very happy to see him, but even more excited about getting dressed up for this evening's closing ceremony. By admitting princess into ICMC, she has been given more opportunity than her father could ever dream of giving her. When you are born with leprosy, you are automatically shunned from society. There is no way to overcome this, so you do what you can to survive. It is so ironic to me that these individuals are just cast of by society for something they had NO control over!! And guess what... Leprosy in India isn't even contagious! I know right.. you always thought, you touch a leper and you will become one too... So not the case!! Makes me so irritated that the world has come to this. Why must we cast off others who may be a little different than us. I am just guilty of this as anyone, but seeing this will certainly change my ways. I will forever do my best to accept people JUST the way they are without judgement. I'm not saying I will be perfect, but I am certainly going to try. 

This is Princess with her father

After all of the lepers were taken care of the girls got dressed up in the sarees that we bought yesterday and the guys put on their dhoties and we headed out to the Promised Land for one last farewell ceremony. It was so fun getting all dressed up in the traditional Indian garb. It took almost 30 minutes for some of the older orphans to help get each us into our sarees. I couldn't imagine doing this every morning when I got up, but today it felt really nice! 

(L to R) Wendi, Katie, Me, Brooke, Anne

J and I ready for the ceremony! 

Before we got started with the children's performances, Dr. Jay had us all line up in front of the children. He gave a little speech about how thankful he was that we had taken our time to come and be with his children. As a group, we sang together one last time, "This is the Day that the Lord has Made." This is clearly one of the children's favorite songs, because they sing it every chance they get! Why wouldn't we close this journey with that song. After all, we will rejoice and be in this day!! After we sang, Dr. Jay uncovered a huge plaque that would be placed on the new College of Arts and Sciences at Promised Land! ARE YOU SERIOUS?? They had just dedicated their new building to us!! How amazing! Our names will be on the front of that building forever! and ever! Now that is pretty cool. I can't wait to go back once the building is built and see my name and remember what an impact this trip has made on my life. 

The Plaque 

The children sang and dance for us for hours! Some individually and some in groups with their friends. You could see how excited they were to show us their talents. Although I was sweating like crazy under the multiple layers of my saree, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the ear to ear smiles on the little kids faces. Of course we passed out biscuits to all of the children again this evening, but keep in mind there were over 2000 boys and girls combined in the 5 locations of ICMC, so passing out cookies took a LONG time. Each orphan walked down the line of volunteers, shaking each hand and saying thank you, thank you, thank you!! 

Afterwards I got to do something I have been waiting to do all week, I told Parimala that I would be her sponsor! She looked at me with the sweetest smile and said so you will write to me and send me a picture of your family.. and I looked at her and I said of course I will and gave her the biggest hug possible. The joy I felt after I told her that was something unimaginable. Once again, the Lord is showing me that it is the little things that matter in life.

Kisses from Parimila 

How could you not love her!

Now of course Parimala’s two best friends stole me heart away as well, so I ended up with three sponsor children, and I am SO glad I did!!! They all gave me little notes and presents to remember them by. Their notes told me how much they love me and miss me and how much God loves me and told me the names of their brothers and sisters so that I could pray for them when I was back in America. These sweet girls gave me a necklace, a bracelet, a hair clip, some marbles and a pen. These things were probably the only belongings that they have, yet they wanted to give them away to ME as gifts. These are the most unselfish children I have ever met. I can’t wait to send my three new children a package filled with toys and pictures of my trip. Unfortunately all I had with me was some extra hair ties on my wrist, and you guessed it... they got them! And the thing is, they were SO excited they they would have something to remember me by! These children just continue to amaze me! Before I left to go back to House of Peace, I asked them what they wanted me to send them. All they said was bubble gum. You better believe they will have more bubble gum then they will know what to do with it. 

Indhumathy, one of my other girls, is on the left

Indhumahty, Sangeetha (my other child) and Myself

Spending this last evening with the kids was bitter sweet. I loved their sincerity of love, but strongly dislike the fact that I have to leave them and go back to my life and these children don’t get an escape from their life. I feel so very blessed that I have been able to take this trip because I have changed for the better in so many ways. The Lord has truly blessed me and shown me the power of his love and forgiveness. Tonight will be a restless night, as we have to leave out of Salem at 4:00 AM to make our train to Chennai at 5:00. I will spend tonight reflecting on everything that has happened over the past week and a half and relive all of the joy and happiness that has been a result of loving these children. Man I'm going to miss this place, but I have faith that I will return.

Charging thru a pretty tough day....

In Him,

Emily