Shishya Volunteers While I Was Here

Volunteers are always asking each other how they found out Shishya. Every single volunteer that I have met here has been amazing!

Amanda from Chicago (25): Her mother knew Frieda when they were young! And apparently the family stayed in touch over the years. Amanda’s mom actually remembers Frieda saying at a young age she wanted to run a school and orphanage in India! Amanda volunteered off and on at Shishya for the last three years and left right after New Years. Amanda did everything here it seems and left such a great impression behind!

Sharon from Maine (64): Frieda and Sharon were snowed in at the airport in London and had to wait until planes could fly. They struck up a conversation and the rest is history! Sharon was the first volunteer Shishya has had her age. The boys referred to her as “Grandma” while she was here. Sharon has been a real inspiration for me. I hope I have the same stamina, adventurous spirit and independence when I am her age! She was here 3 months from September to December.

Nibha from India (21): Nibha is Frieda’s daughter! :)

Abby from Michigan (19): Abby’s family knows Amanda’s family and the pastor that inspired Abby to come to India knows Amanda. Abby was here for 5 months from July to December.

Liz from Ohio (28): Liz and Amanda have a really good mutual friend that has also been to Shishya. Liz leaves India for 3 more months of traveling Thailand and Indonesia the first week in May. She would have been here about 6 months. She got to Shishya the same time I did. She has been a great India travel partner!

Lisa from Germany (20): Lisa came here through a couple of different Christian programs. There was a German girl that was here a few years ago that knows Lisa. Lisa will be at Shishya for 5 months total and leaves at the end of May.

Lewis from England (20): His dad and mom volunteered at Shishya previously! He got here end of December and leaves end of Feb.

Mike and Charlie from England (24/22): They are friends with Lewis and another couple they know has been here and has connections to Shishya. They got here the beginning of Jan and leave mid May.

Lara from Kentucky (23): She met two of Frieda’s children in Kentucky when they were both visiting a mutual friend a few years ago! She got here the first week in February and leaves mid May.

Me (24): I’ll give you all the details! I took a photography class at UAF my junior year of college. I became friends with my teacher and I went to Thailand after that and she told us all these great places to go! We talked about travel and I told her I had always wanted to go to India to work at an orphanage since high school. She got me in touch with her friend Heidi that had been doing missionary work here all over. Heidi and I emailed off and on for a couple of years and last summer Heidi sent me the Shishya information. She is friends with Frieda and has been a volunteer here. Rest is history! I have never actually met Heidi in person. Would love to, though! Oddly enough last summer in Skagway I became friends with a guy and I told him about my India plans and he told me him and his soon to be wife were planning on going to India as well after they were married to volunteer. Few days after we were facebook friends and he noticed we both had Amanda as a mutual friend. Long story short, Amanda’s brother is marrying him and his fiancé, and the place him and his wife want to volunteer at is Shishya! Small world, indeed. I think I was meant to come here for sure! When I leave on Easter, I will be here for exactly five months and a week.

Lewis leaves at the end of this week… then I am next in line to go home.

Complete Satisfaction

The power of prayer can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. Especially when you are laughing so hard your stomach and face hurts (I cannot remember the last time I have laughed so hard for so long!), while playing games with other volunteers, then the conversation gets more personal and we all decide to pray for each other, other people in our lives and so forth. It’s so moving when you can feel God’s presence all around you amongst good, honest friends who genuinely care about you and the people you love in your life.

When Sharon left in December, Yip said to her at church that she might never feel completely satisfied ever again after leaving here. I thought that was a bold statement at the time, but after being here for three months; it makes sense.

I’ve been talking with some of the volunteers and I think that leaving here and going home will be more of a culture shock than it was coming here from home. Adjusting back to my ‘western’ life will be a lot different than what I have been doing here the last 5 months. I seem so busy that I don’t have enough time to dwell on myself a whole lot. I guess I feel the most selfless I have ever felt. I feel like sometimes I can be really selfish and thinking about things back home that I’ll go back to are a little stressful. I feel like I have the self-control and strength to balance my life when I go back, but it may take some adjusting and perhaps some permanent life changes, too.

3 months

I have been in India exactly 3 months today. Frieda wants volunteers to try and be here as close as 6 months as possible to really get the cultural experience and so forth. I feel like it took about a month and a half or so to get into the routine of being here and I just now feel like everything is sink in for me.

We got an awesome Valentines Day box from Amanda with so many goodies! Chocolate always goes over well!!

Teacher conferences were interesting last weekend. The parents didn’t really talk to us… and we only saw about 7 or 8? There were quite a few parents there all together and a little dramatic with some feedback from parents about certain things in regards to the school as a whole… but I am learning drama in a school can be found everywhere, all over the world! Lata offered to take over drafting the final exams for Liz and me. A HUGE weight off our shoulders, but we still have lots to do!

There is a girl’s boarding school near by called Hope Town and their basketball coach invited the boys to come for a practice so we all went last weekend. It was so fun to shoot around and do some drills! I asked the coach if he ever needed people for a scrimmage (friendly game) I could come. I’m not 100% sure if he understood what I meant but I hope so!

People call flashlights torches here. I’m starting to call it that too! When someone asks what your “good” name is… they are asking for your first name.

I have a whole new appreciation for Christian music. I just got a bunch from my long time dear friend Holly and future brother in law Andrew. I have always loved Third Day… and I’m loving newer things too!

For my masters degree in Education I have to do a research project or thesis. I would like to do something in relation to India but haven’t been able to pin down something specific yet. Here are some ideas:
-Western education in an Indian school
-Indian public schools vs private
-Girls and education opportunities in India.
-Any other ideas out there? I think Yip, Frieda’s husband, would be a good person to talk to so I will soon.

My 6th grade students wrote a story about giants, fairies and three headed monkeys and I asked them if they have read The BFG and they hadn’t even heard of it! Our library didn’t have it but I was able to read the first 5 pages on Amazon.com today. They listened for the most part… and it made me want to read the book again!

It has still been pretty cold here. Last night there was a crazy thunder and lightning storm with lots of rain. When we woke up this morning, the foothill’s of the Himalayas in the foreground of Shishya where Musoorie is had snow-capped tops!

I have decided to make my pictures more private from my time here. If you would like the link to view them, please email me and I will give it to you.

Just heard last week that two people were murdered in the village near Shishya due to a jealously issue of some sort.

A few weeks ago a train going from one place to another carrying a ton of people to only a few selected job interviews wrecked. The train was over booked and people were all over the outside and it went under a ledge and literally scrapped the people off killing like 30 or so. The newspaper even had pictures of the train just draped in people before, then the after shot of the blood. It was horrific.

Alaskax2=India

In square miles, Alaska is about half the size of India! I had a discussion with Bharat about it and wasn’t sure because maps we saw were obviously not to scale. I looked it up online and got it sorted out! Bharat turned 10 last week!

Wanna know what I have been eating? Liz has some great pictures and descriptions on her latest blog post.

Shishya is one of the better schools in the Dehra Dun area. Many parents want their children to come here and teachers want to work here. Some teachers now were once students at Shishya! There was a new teacher hire and her name is Latika (like from Slumdog Millionaire) and she is really nice. She has great English and a Christian, too. I told her my younger sister is getting married and I am helping with the planning. She said, “Will you plan your wedding when you go back?” She was shocked I didn’t even have a boyfriend! I said everything is in God’s hands… she liked my response. I asked her similar questions and if her marriage would be arranged or not. She said depends, and then we got interrupted. Nibha said that some people have a choice, but when they hit a certain age their parents step in arrange something. Could you imagine?

Latika offered to teach me Hindi… Charlie and I are going to ask if she was serious and if we could maybe have lessons once a week or something after school. Hindi is the most common spoken language in the works after English, Chinese and Spanish… which makes sense if you think about how many people live in India. It’s the 2nd most populated country in the world after China (Bharat fact). Latika and me are the same age. We’ve already had some friendly, personal conversations and we’ve exchanged emails a few days ago. If I lived here, I think we’d be really good friends.

I wasn’t so sure before, but I’m thinking I would like to come back to Shishya in the near future as a volunteer again. Maybe the July- December session eventually… and maybe learn a little more Hindi by then too. Been thinking a lot about how much I’ll miss the place and all the people I’ve met. . Maybe in a few years after I get my degree? That’s planning way in advance. If God wants me to come back, I believe he’ll open that door.

A volunteer from 15 years ago stopped by for a quick visit this week on short notice. His name is Darren and he is from Scotland. He got to see some of the teachers that used to be students of his while he was here. He was 18 or 19 when he was here last so he has seen lots changed since then. He is taking a year sabbatical from being a teacher and traveling Asia for a year. His students remembered him throwing chalk as a teacher!

With Lara the new volunteer here now there is lots of help during homework time at the little boys house. I only take a few boys at a time now and little Ashish and I have become quite close buddies. I teach his class moral science twice a week so we’re pretty tight. I did an activity with Rohan briefly during homework time and he has learned so much already! Over the last few weeks Ratan and I have gotten into water bottle chugging water contests at dinner… it’s funny. He reminds me to bring my bottle every night. The boys got new PJ’s for Christmas and Ratan and Rohan were having a Superman/Spiderman battle last night. Cracks me up.

When I was in Musoorie I got these really neat sandals and apparently they are uniquely Musoorie style! I love them! I love shoes…

I got antibiotics for my bad cough finally. In the states you need a prescription for them but here you can just but them for about 5 dollars over the counter.

One of the boys in the home, and whom I teach English to, left to go see his family in Delhi because his mother is sick. Sometimes boys leave like that during break or an emergency or something… and don’t come back. Makes me sad to hear that. Amanda has a heartbreaking story of when she went looking for a boy in Delhi she cared for and his family never did tell her where he ended up.

There is a girl in my 8th class who looks JUST like a girl my sister Christine went to high school with. She even has the same mannerisms! There is a lot happening in the school now. Liz and I made English entrance exams for new students for each grade this week. We are all drafting final exams and syllabuses (I have to make and distribute 8 I think?!) and reviewing with students. We’ll also be reviewing the boys at the home during homework time too. Busy busy. I know time is just going to fly by until I leave.

I think there is a mouse in our room and the cockroaches still squeeze under the door from outside into our bathroom! When I want to get the flat mop bucket in the kitchen with old towels in it last week I moved some and saw a towel move up on it’s own… and out jumped a mouse! Nibha and I were screaming like little girls and eventually it ran out the hole in the wall. We but a rock in front of the hole. I’m so glad we are on the second floor so we don’t have to worry about snakes.. AHHHHH!!!

Liz and I are taking off after finals to go to the Taj again (pray it’s open) then Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi (yes… where the bomb went off a few months ago I told you about) then up to Darjeeling far north near eastern Nepal hopefully for some trekking. We’ll be traveling for about two weeks… during a popular Hindu holiday called Holi. Should make for an interesting time while we are at the Ganges.

Tomorrow is Saturday school and I am doing parent teacher conferences… with a translator. Wish me luck!!

Fun Indeed

After I first got here class 6 laughed and giggled when I was writing on the board and said out loud, “ quiet guys”. Apparently guys means cows in Hindi. I just figured this out a few weeks ago!

Today Frieda asked me if I had ever thought about teaching in the sates. She told me I would make a good teacher with some ideas I have and things (mostly from Mom and other things I experienced in classrooms as a student). I was flattered to say the least. Right after that in 8th English some boys said that I am a good teacher. I’m not sure if it was sarcasm but it seemed sincere. Put me in a GREAT mood for the rest of the day. Teaching is going much better.

Deepak, who helps me with life skills assembly with the older ones, and calls me “Alaska” all day every day, lives on campus and is a teacher. His story is pretty remarkable. He was raised basically by a man from Wisconsin and while living in Mussoorie as a young adult, met a western lady who introduced him to Shishya. She is now building him a house near here! He goes and teaches in a nearby slum a few times a week. I’d like to see it sometime, but need permission to go. His blog/website is here.

A new volunteer came this weekend. Her name is Lara and she is 23 and from Kentucky! Mike and Charlie’s blog can be clicked here.

Lack of communication is India. Even at Shishya. “Oh, we have parent teacher conferences in a few weeks?” I’m still trying to learn the names of my 105 students I teach English and moral science to.

It is noticeably warmer now. It's even starting to get a little humid!

I went to Friday night devotions for the first time this week. All the young and older boys get together and anyone else for about 45 minutes. There is music then people who want to can say something either what they are thankful for, something from the bible or whatever. Most of it was in Hindi, and for the first time I felt really irritated and sad I couldn’t understand what they were saying. I could tell some things were really sincere and heartfelt and I so badly wanted to understand. I cried when Ratan spoke because I had heard he is very spiritual (he is 8 or 9) and got upset about something the night before during our homework time (I couldn’t figure out why) and I’m sure what he said was incredible. I also cried because I couldn’t understand what he was saying. In Hindi I found out that Rohan said, “Thank you for brining me here.” More tears.

This was our weekend off from taking care of the little boys so all the volunteers (besides Nibha) went to the hillside city of Musoorie at 7000 ft for the weekend. I had been there once before when I first got here. It was nice to go back. We shopped and got to see a little bit more of the area. Lewis found a few really cool antique shops and found a telescope made in 1885! We went to dinner and pigged out at this place called the Tavern. We all discussed out much Jesus loved food too! The Himalayas were in view during the day and I got a great sunset picture at night.



On Sunday morning I suggested we go to St. Paul’s, where Frieda and Ken were married, for church. It’s part of the Church of Northern India and it takes six different traditions and methods of worship from other churches to make their own service. It was interesting and like nothing I have ever really experienced before. Sunday morning I met a girl at the hotel named Johannah from Michigan. She had been studying at the language school and I invited her to breakfast with us. She invited all of us to hike to the Everest base camp with her in a few months. Sure, no big deal. The road is so windy and narrow to and from Musoorie and I felt a little sick going back down. The taxi driver was a jerky, breaky driver. There are signs all the way up that encourage a healthy, respected environment and one sign reads. “Plant a tree or three, it’s like having ten sons indeed.” Or something like that…. but for heavens sake, if I lived in India I wouldn’t plant a tree for that reason.

Fact: India is the second most corrupt country in the world after Somalia.

Bharat, for some reason, says “babes” at the end of sentences or statements sometimes when he is talking to a girl volunteer and with his accent and voice it is quite funny. Ratan’s eyes get so big when you explain something to him he has never heard of before—like how in America we drive on the other side of the car and the road. His eyes are so full of wonder and awe… I love it.

I have seen my first cockroaches this week. They are big… and show up in our bathroom.

I bought Red Delicious USA apples from a small fruit street vender last week in Selequie?

New favorite soft drink: Limca

With my wool socks on I seem to sleep through the night without night terrors…just dreams… but a few nights ago Liz said I sat up in bed and was speaking a language she didn’t recognize. I haven’t been feeling so great so maybe that has contributed to the weird dreams I’m having. Frieda got me some medication for my sick self from a pharmacy that only cost about two dollars. Cheap drugs. My cough is still really bad and I might need more. We had a volunteer meeting last week and all the volunteers prayed for me and my night terrors and restless nights for me and my roommate Liz. Since I have been here I have strengthened my faith very much and my relationship with God has gotten a lot stronger. My dreams could have a spiritual meaning I guess. I have finally been sleeping better at night. This week God answered a lot of prayer requests. It’s pretty incredible. Has anyone experienced a prophet or prophetic word? A friend of the McRae’s visited Shishya for a few days and some people on campus experienced his spiritual gift personally. It sounds incredible. I can’t stop thinking about it.

It’s not feeling AS cold at night now. Even with the cold, it is has always been quite dry since I have been here. I noticed they are watering the fields now. When the sun comes out it gets really warm during the day!

I played cricket for the first time this week with my 8th grade girls and also played soccer with the small boys. I accidently nailed Rohan in the chest with the ball, but I did make a goal. Some of the boys play barefoot and apparently who plays the best that way… is the most cool? Mike the volunteer cut his foot open! After we played, Nibha and I picked a few juicy lemons from a tree and added it to our water. I notice Rohan is talking a lot more now (in English and Hindi) which is really exciting! His little voice is so sweet! I feel like a lot of the little boys are completely warmed up to me now. They cuddle up close to me and interact with me a little differently now. It makes my heart so happy.

Liz and I got away from campus on Friday to Dehra Dun. Got some shopping done and we went back to a coffee shop Amanda took us to called Barista. I feel like we are back in the states or something. Right now there is a guy playing the guitar and a group of guys singing Oasis, the Beatles and Goo Goo Dolls just to name a few. Picked up a wireless connection too. All is well.

Shishya school will be celebrating 25 years this summer! I am bummed I’ll miss out on the anniversary festivities!

I had my older class life skills assembly this week and Deepak helped me, which was nice. We talked about different kinds of conflict (with acting!) and I read this from the bible and thought I would share:

James 3:5
“…the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”

James 3:19
“… be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight.”

I was talking to junior high students, buy many adults can apply this to their lives as well I think. I know I can.

India Weddings

Omprakash, a teacher at Shishya, got married this week (it’s a three or four day event) and the Republic of India holiday was the same day so we didn’t have school the whole day. The school day consisted of raising the flag, a few speeches and games. The teachers were invited to the wedding festivities but we just attended the lunch, which was a cultural experience in itself. You walk in with loud music playing and the couple is sitting on the stage in fancy seats that look like thrones! There are chairs out like an audience set up so people can sit and watch them. There is another room for food. Our teacher friend was all smiles! His bride looked beautiful in the wedding attire. The food was delicious, of course. We didn’t drink the water because it was a bad idea so the hot food was a little intense. We gave money all together and it’s bad luck to give an even amount, so we contributed 901 rupees.

On Thursday night we went to the wedding dinner for the teacher I took over teaching English. Her name is Lata. I wore my first sari (between 5-8 meters of cloth!) I felt pretty in it! It took about 15 minutes to put on and Ruth, a parent in the small boys house, put it on me. It’s wrapped and tucked around you and pinned in a few areas to keep it up. I felt like the connection at this wedding event was closer since I knew Lata. When we showed up she hadn’t been out of her house yet for her appearance. She walked down the isle around 1045! She called us all in before hand and we got to talk with her and take some pictures. I was so taken away with how beautiful she looked and how incredible her wedding outfit was. She asked how teaching was going and if the kids had been naughty! The groom was up front before she was but when she walked down the isle with a sheet held over her head like a ceiling, she went to the front and they exchanged flowers they wear around their necks, which concluded their marriage. She looked absolutely incredible. It was an amazing experience. Enjoy the pictures. Liz got some good ones with my camera of her since I wasn’t at a good angle in the room to do so.

To see the rest of the wedding pictures click here.