Last Day With Rising Star

Today was our last day volunteering with Rising Star Outreach.  We are leaving here at 4 am so we can get to Chennai airport to catch a plane to Jaipur in northern India.  I'm sad that my time serving the leprosy affected is coming to a close.  I feel as if I need another week here so that we can have some repeats of some of these experiences.  But I am completely satisfied with our time spent here in southern India.

Because it's late and we have to get up early, this post will be short and won't have many pictures.  We'll have to share more at a later date.  Also, I'm not sure if we will have internet connection or time to blog while we are in Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi.  We get home really late Wednesday night.  So if the blogging stops, just know that I will finish up after I recover from our long flight.

Today was another hot, humid, sweaty, but wonderful day.  We drove to an "orphanage" about an hour away where there are children living who have been rescued from being beggars on the streets.  I'm not sure just how these children came to be here and if they ever see their parents anymore.  I don't think they do.  From what I gathered, the parents of these children would send them out to be beggars.  This place feeds, shelters, and schools these precious children of God.

We played with the children for about two hours.  We brought some games and art supplies.  They didn't speak english, but that didn't matter at all.  After playing, they danced for us and then we got to dance with them.  I loved every minute of it.  I got some video of the dancing that I will share later.

When we were leaving, we gave them pieces of candy and then they lined up and we went down the line giving them high fives and saying good bye and "nandri" (thank you).  One little girl just cried and cried standing in the doorway because she didn't want us to leave.  It was heartbreaking.

After that, we went to a leprosy colony where Pearls With A Purpose is located.  The women make pearl jewelry to sell (even worldwide).  They had some of their products layed out on the ground for us to look at.  There were also a few women sitting nearby who were beading.  We bought a few pretty things which made me feel good to help their economy.

Just down there road from there was the "art colony".  We went inside and looked through hundreds of paintings done by men and women with leprosy, some of which have clubbed hands.  We finally chose one and look forward to framing it and putting it up in our home to remind us of these beautiful, worthwhile people.

One last thing to write for tonight... Matt and I had a student at Rising Star do henna on us this afternoon.  I had bought a tube of it yesterday.  It's a red henna.  Kinda looks like blood.  It will fade, but hopefully not too much before I get home.

There are so many details that I'd like to share with you or at least record for my own benefit.  But today, this will have to be enough.

Here are some pictures.

Bethel Nagar Colony

Our day started off with our daily morning conclave in the courtyard.  Laura read another wonderful quote from Mother Theresa, and then we discussed what everyone would be doing today.  Here is some of our group getting ready for our quick meeting.

We headed out at 9:30 am for a 45 minute drive to the Bethel Nagar Colony.  The driving, again, was so fun.  We are out in a rural area so the roads aren't very wide, so it was pretty exciting watching the oncoming traffic of buses, cars, pedestrians and the occasional cow.  I loved smiling at people and looking at them in the eyes as we drove by their little villages.  Matt took some great pictures through the window along the journey to the colony.

When we arrived at Bethel Nagar, we helped set up the tables, chairs, and medical supplies in their community pavilion.  Each of us was given an assignment to do...bandage removal, feet washing, rubbing oil on feet and calves, eye drops, taking blood pressure, and glucose testing.

I was one of two people washing feet.  I would fill up a bin with clean water and add some antiseptic solution to the water.  The patient, after having any bandages removed, would put his feet in the water.  After locating the ulcers, I would begin washing the feet using a small towelette.  When I'd come to an ulcer I had to use a fresh towelette on it so I wouldn't spread any infection.  Then after the patient would be done soaking his feet, I'd dry the foot off using a clean towelette, again, not using the same one on each ulcer.  Then I would place a bootie over the cleaned foot, and he'd move over to the oiling station.  The end of the line was where Matt and the head nurse were waiting to cut away the dead skin around the ulcers, apply ointment and place a clean bandage around the affected foot.  I absolutely loved that Matt got the opportunity to use his doctor skills in India.

Picture-taking was limited because we were busy helping patients and also because it's a place to be extra sensitive.  I passed my camera to a couple of people and they snapped some of these pics for us.  I was able to take pictures of two of the people I washed.  I asked for their permission first and they would give me the little side to side head bobble that means okay.  They like to see their picture after its taken.

I only felt nervous at first because I wanted to do the washing correctly not because of the leprosy or of what kinds of sores I might see.  After a few people, I felt comfortable and figured out what I was doing.  But then it slowed down and no more people came in for treatment.  I probably washed about six people's feet.  So in all, there might have been only about 12 people treated today from that colony.  It's such a meaningful service that Rising Star provides to them.  They need the treatment to come to them and that is what Rising Star is doing.

After I was finished I went over by Matt to watch what he and the nurse were doing.  It was the nurse's turn to do the cutting, and she began working on this lady's foot.  One side effect of leprosy is that they begin to have nerve damage therefore they don't have great feeling in their extremities.  This lady began feeling the pain of having dead skin cut away and she started turning away and wincing in pain.  I gently caressed her shoulder to comfort her through the process.  I felt so bad for her and wanted to cry right along with her.  I told her that she is a very brave woman.  I wish she could understand me, but hopefully through my touch, she knew what I was saying.

The lady in the picture with both me and Matt had a huge gaping ulcer covering most of the bottom of her foot.  She asked the nurse to not cut today because it's so painful right now.  It still hurt her badly when the nurse applied the ointment and packed it with gauze.  Matt wrapped it up nicely for her.

After we loaded up the supplies in the van, we went outside and washed our hands using the spigot near where a bunch of people were sitting in the shade.

A woman sitting in a group motioned to me to come over and take their picture.  So I went over there, but I knew if I took a picture it would turn out bad since they were sitting in the shade and I was standing in the sun.  I had Matt come over, and he began a great photo shoot of these lovely ladies.  I don't know if any of them have leprosy.  They just might be family members.  The lady who called me over must be the "ring leader" of the women.  She's the one in purple.  She was so funny trying to get her friends to move into the picture.  Then she began introducing each friend with a hand gesture and what sounded like their names as Matt turned his camera towards each one.  The ladies loved it.  Look at these beautiful faces.

I'm so grateful for being able to have this experience and that Matt is here to share it with me.

Our day ended, once again,  with the children at playtime in the late afternoon and then having prayer time with them in their hostels.  So far, we have been in all four of the boys hostels so I guess tomorrow we will get to visit with the one of the girls' hostels.  It will be interesting to see the difference.

I took my little journal out to playtime and had some of the kids write their names and what standard they are in.  It will be a treasured keepsake... maybe even the silly picture that one little boy drew.  I didn't know what he was drawing until he was finished.  I won't describe it, but let's just say that potty humor is universal.  My journal has been defaced.

Work Hard/Play Hard

Today was going to be colony day for us, but the schedule had to be changed for various reasons.  We tutored again in the computer lab throughout the day doing math and reading...

The power just went out.  That happens throughout the day. Since I'm charging the computer right now,  I had to jump up and pull out the plug before the power comes back on to avoid ruining our cords even though we have a surge protector. The outage usually lasts a few minutes.

Anyway, we had another wonderful day with these children.  They are such hard workers, quick to learn, and very happy.  They are kept very busy with schoolwork and chores.  They also play super hard.  I am so impressed how they entertain themselves and play with each other.  They make up games and rules and are so creative at it.

Morning Assembly

 Matt watched the older boys play cricket and soccer.

 Oh, I forgot to mention that Matt and I ran at 5:30 this morning just as the sun began to rise.  Before starting, we remembered we needed to get our major Deet repellant on.  But I got my first mosquito bite anyway.  Hoping my malaria prophylactic is working.  We ran 21 times around the small track which equalled three miles.  It was like running in thick soup.  I was drenched in sweat when we finished and went right in and took a bucket shower.  Refreshing.  I don't think we will run anymore in India because it zapped us of some energy that we needed to get us through our workday.

One thing I love at dinnertime is that we go around the table of volunteers and share a high and a low of the day.  My low today was the text I received from Emma at 3:30 this morning telling me how she got sick 9 times already that day.  I feel so bad for her and wish I was there to help her.  But my high that I shared with everyone was that I then got to skype with Emma, Josh, and my mom before we started tutoring.  That made me happy.

Wish I could share more.  It's late once again.