5 Months in India

It has been exactly one month since I have been back. This just happens to be my 40th blog post, too! I've been meaning to have my wrap up blog sooner than now, but I really have not had time! My life has been going about 100 mph since I got back I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and think too much. Let alone write a blog! I have been trying to think about how I would wrap everything up so I hopefully I am able to express everything I have felt and thought since I've been back.

India is an incredible place. I wanted a life changing experience... and I got one. I have traveled to Europe and Thailand as a tourist but after volunteering at a place like Shishya, I feel complete and I know now my life has amazing purpose. I know now what I want to do with my life, and why God has a plan for every single one of us. You have amazing purpose, too. How do you think God has planned to use you with your life? Have you listened to Him when he has called you? For a long time I chose not to listen to God about a lot of things, and there were consequences. I feel so in tune now with what God is telling me I am so full with overwhelming joy. It's like his voice is so clear I don't have to think twice. I was able to tune into His voice by studying His word, praying a lot and reflecting on my day to think about how I pleased God, and in ways I did not. After being back I am faced with challenges of paying for school, friendships and work. Being at Shishya displaced me from the 'drama' from home. I was able to reflect and think about my life, and what needed to be changed, and how God needed to take complete control of every aspect of my life. Once I gave that all to him, I felt a sudden release and overwhelming happiness. Forcing myself into situations in India like teaching at Shishya and doing devotions with the little boys has made me a stronger person and christian. I feel like I got a little taste of what motherhood would be like with the challenges and rewards I faced living with the boys. I admire and respect all the mothers I know even more now. I enjoy going to church every weekend more than I ever have I think. I missed this weekend because of work and I felt so distraught and empty. I crave hearing more about Christ and receiving the Eucharist. I feel hungry without it.

Liz asked me the last few days I was there what I learned while I was in India. There were lots of things. I learned a lot about myself and God. I have always been a pretty simplistic person but I appreciated even more the simplicities of life and how much more it has to offer than other things we could have. I realized the importance of telling other people about Jesus and sharing what who he was and is. I learned how to pray better and more effectively. I learned how to love more.

Times are changing so fast. Time is just flying by! Good friends are now having babies, my sister is getting married, people are getting older and moving on. Sometimes change happens more drastic than other times. It’s bittersweet. Life is bittersweet. I love everything about it.

Some girls at Shishya school kept asking if the reason I was coming back was because of marriage. That was a logical reason for them! I had to tell them no, but my sister is getting married! It's fascinating that having light skin over there in India is the desired thing. Commercials over there advertise the different products men AND women can do to make their skin lighter. Woman at their weddings apply very light makeup to look 'beautiful'. It's so interesting! Our culture is so much different than there! I just wonder what they would think of our commercials...

I read over 10 books over in India and I plowed through 4 journals. Is there much more to say? I learned a lot about myself! It's amazing how much you learn when you read...

So now I am back in Juneau working about 10 hours a day. I commute to work 1/2 a day one way and I got my school internship placement for next fall. I have worked for CLAA for 7 summers... this will probably be my last but I'm so glad to be in Juneau. I love it and I feel at home.

I felt like 5 months in India wasn't long enough. I left when things were still very much happening. I thought it would have been a different departure experience than it was. I didn't feel ready to leave at all. The transition back to this aspect of my life after being in India was quick and smooth for the most part. Every once in a while something will trigger in my mind and heart about what I saw and experienced and I react to it in ways that are hard to express. Sometimes I'm not sure how to express how I feel about things or thoughts I have being back with different situations. I then give it to God, and I feel fine :)

I miss the little boys that changed my life. I miss their smiles, and their little looks and desire to learn. I miss all the other volunteers I met that opened my eyes. Everyone I met while I was over there changed my life and heart, too. Traveling India and being there changed my life. If I can give any advice it's this: Push yourself. Pray. Laugh. Explore. EAT! Life is challenging. But oh so rewarding.

If you live for Him, your life will be filled with so many blessings.




Pictures from India!

Shishya photos


Winter Trip photos
Spring Trip photos

My Last Week

All the girl volunteers with Frieda and her granddaughter went on a picnic last Thursday when we had a holiday from school. Everyone cooked all morning and we had such a feast! We drove past Selaqui right up against the Himalaya foothills to a pretty forested area with shade. It was really nice! That night we went to Deepak’s new house with leftovers and met the British woman who built the house. We all had a really nice time!

I regret more than anything not being here for Easter. Ratan said something in devotions the other day when I said something about this thing they could do for Easter in regards to my stations of the cross stuff and he said with a sad smile, “ But mam, you won’t be here.” I am going to miss so much that day! I almost started crying right then and there. On my walk home after, I did let tears come in the dark. I hope I don't beat myself up too much thinking I COULD have stretched a day or two longer in India.

On Good Friday, the day Jesus died for us, the boys presented our stations of the cross to everyone. When I told Ratan I had to fly out on Easter because of visa stuff, he said “Mam, just tell them it rained.” Oh if only that would work. The Good Friday service was awesome. The worship at Shishya doesn't compare to anything else.

Two boys in my project class with Nibha were fighting the other day. I had them stay after dismissal and made them apologize to each other and then shake hands. One boy tugged on his ears and said sorry. I saw that as well earlier that day. Maybe that’s what some do to say sorry?

The moon rising one day this week was awesome. There was clear sky above with stars with thunderclouds surrounding the valley. You could see lightning right to the side and below the moon as it rose so bright and big above the clouds. It looked incredible!

Swaliya, one of my 7th class students invited the teachers and me for food one last time so we took the crazy school bus in! It was fun! We stopped by Sabiya’s to say goodbye one last time and insisted we stay for tea… and she gave us henna too. People just beg you to stay longer and come back! I thought I could pull off seeing her one last time after that but it didn’t work out. Ruth and Kiran had Liz and I over for dinner and we had Chicken curry. It was great to just relax with them and talk. They are amazing people. Linds and Sonu also had us over for dinner and had great conversation as well.

My last day of school was Thursday. I came into the school on a whirlwind in November and I’m leaving on one. They called a special assembly with the whole school and thanked me. I got a school magazine and a big round of applause. I feel so appreciated here. I feel like it’s the most I have ever been. My kids finished the ABC flip books for Deepak’s slum school. I hope it works out good! On Thursday night Kiran and Ruth had Liz and I over for dinner. It was really nice to just talk with them in a different way. More relaxed with good conversation with chicken curry and chai was nice :)

So it’s wheat harvesting time. The boys wake up early before school and work the fields then again in the afternoon from 4-7. Shishya has 10 fields to harvest! I got out there today and carried some wheat piles to be threshed. In the midst of all that I lost my Alaska ring. Two days before I leave I lose it! It’s okay. It was a good place to lose it I guess. My India footprint!

The day before I left I had to finish up some last minute lesson plans. Frieda took all the volunteers for ice cream and we went into the jungle and ate them! We drove a little loop around back to Shishya. It was like a Sunday drive… on Friday. Beautiful. Before we jumped back in the car, everyone prayed for me. Needless to say, I cried. Tears of sadness… but of joy too. So many people impacted my life over the last 5 months. My last, and final post will be more about that.

Friday night there was a going away party for me at the small boys house. Some older boys that I taught came and joined us. Some boys thanked me for things (even got some sweet hand made cards) and Ruth and Kiran said a few sincere heartfelt words. I tried so hard to keep the tears in but couldn’t. It was so moving. I felt so appreciated by so many people. I kept stealing glances from Ratan, and the expression on his face was hard to read. I just wanted to run across the room and give him a big hug.

Vijay took the bus with me with my big bag and Liz's too to Delhi. It was nice to have someone with me. Delhi was a lot hotter than Dehra Dun. When Vijay hugged me by at the airport, I choked up because he was my last Shishya contact. He, along with lots of other people, asked if I'll be back some day. I said I hope to sometime in the future. I said most volunteers probably feel that way... but I don't want to say that then not come. Vijay admired that, and said that since I said that.... I'll for sure be back.

For 2 whole days I will be traveling by bus, plane and ferry to get home.
I still can't believe I left.
Why did 5 months have to go so fast?

Google maps and ABC flip books

I’m only here for another week and a half. I can’t believe it. Liz says, “This has been the fastest 6 months of my life”. I agree. I feel like I have seen and done so many things in that time. I feel like a different person in a lot of ways.

Before Liz and I left on our trip the big boys house got new parents. They are a younger couple with a little baby girl named Gracie who is just a couple of months old. She is so sweet. Her eyes have changed from blue to grey since they have been here. I love holding her.

I learned that it’s normal for two working parents with a small child to send the baby away for a period of time to family (even if it’s all the way south) for them to care for it. I couldn’t even imagine. And to be honest, it doesn’t make a lot of sense here…especially at Shishya.

I’ve been busy teaching life skills to 4-8. For 6-8 I am making lessons for boys and girls in regards to body and emotional changes in adolescence. It’s been challenging and really interesting. School is a bit hectic. Deepak and mine elective has 50 boys! Community service has three parts; community service around Shishya, reading/playing with younger classes and I am in charge of making ABC flip booklets for Deepak’s slum school. It’s the closest I’ll get to going there. I’m glad I came up with this idea at least!

The weather has been a bit weird lately. It’s hot and muggy but the last few days it has been raining and thundering off and on which is kind of neat. Walking to the small boys house tonight, there were stars right above me but off to the right pushed up against the Himalaya’s foothills thunder clouds with lightning were there. They were going to start cutting the wheat, but the rain keeps pushing that back. There is news of snakes around campus. I hope I don’t run into one!

A little shout out to my friend Andrea Sears. She sent me a package with lots of goodies for me, but she also included a Ripley’s book the boys just can’t get enough of! Good send, friend!

Google maps is awesome! My roommates and me took a stroll up Alan road to my driveway in Haines. We walked by the big horse field I used to work at in junior high, and past my junior high science teachers house. You could only go as far as standing at the bottom of my driveway looking up it. But it was still SO AWESOME!

Liz and I watched Mary Poppins this week. I was smiling the whole time. I don’t think I have watched it since I was in elementary school! Seriously! Good flick.

When Liz and I were in Darjeeling I HAD to buy 7 Years in Tibet. So we found it for about 2 dollars. We watched it earlier last week and the POW camp Brad Pitt goes to in the beginning is in Dehra Dun! Weird! Great movie. The scenery in that movie is fantastic. I had only seen it once before when I was young. It’s one of my Dad’s favorite moves. Liz, me, Lara and Charlie went to Dehra Dun on Tuesday ( two school holiday's this week). I got to go to Kumar's for the last time and did some shopping too. Surreal!

I’ve had to do some last minute scrambling in regards to my ticket from Seattle to Juneau but it’s getting sorted out. Now I’m just trying to decide if I want an escort from Shishya to Delhi on the 23rd. I don’t want to inconvenience anyone on Easter! But it might be for the best?

Story time!

India beat Sri Lanka in the final game for the World Cup Cricket! Everyone got to stay up and watch the game on the big screen on campus (it was about a 12 hour game that ended around midnight!) I turned in early but I heard fireworks going off and things. The boys are nothing but cricket cricket cricket lately!

Charlie read in a newspaper somewhere that motorbike riders have to wear helmets now but Sikhs don’t have to because of the turban they have to wear. Of course!

In the newspapers here there are personal classifieds for people seeking spouses... or letting people know they are available. It’s pretty incredible. I’m bringing a newspaper home specifically for that reason for people to read! It’s amazing how people still marry into certain castes only. Sometimes, if a woman doesn’t want to marry a man … he’ll just kill her. The newspapers are so graphic here. There is no respect for people whose brains are spread out all over the pavement.

The boys go to school tomorrow. When Liz and I got back we went straight to wrapping textbooks. I’m pretty sure I can do it in my sleep now!

I got to put the boys to bed the other night while Kiran and Ruth went to a wedding. The boys were really riled up and I had to scold a few. I wasn’t their best friend the next day but today was better. Devotions went really well as we are going through the Stations of the Cross. After dinner I stuck around which was fun.

My dad is a great storyteller. He has always told good stories from his childhood, and after the boys were playing with a toad outside after dinner, I couldn’t help but tell the story about how my dad used to send frogs up with helium balloons. One story after a next the boys wanted to hear. They would say “ about animals” or “about mountains” or “about snow” or "travel adventure". “One more story, mam” I was having so much fun! I think the boys could tell!

Frieda encourages all the teachers this week to READ to their students. She read a few pages from Heather Lende's second book “Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs” ( her blog) that I gave her for her birthday a month ago. She read a few pages about when Heather was smoking fish and hunting to the teachers. I got to share a little bit about my home town to the teachers which was really fun :) Frieda told all the teachers from reading Heather's books, she wants to come to Alaska more than ever! She feels like she is learning a lot about where I am from. She said that the way the mountains are described, it is exactly what the bible talks about! I’m hoping for our community service elective our older kids can go read to the younger ones. I think it would be a good buddy system!

Last Sunday I went to Dehra Dun with Lindsey and Sonu to Vineyard Church. It was really nice and I’m glad I went. I felt like in the sermon God really spoke to me. It was really neat. It was the longest I had been away from Liz since I got to India, which felt weird! When I was telling stories to the boys I said one about ice-skating when I was really young and when my sister fell through the ice. Ratan said, “And Liz mam was there”. I had to remind him I just met Liz in November when I came here!

As a staff group we were all supposed to go on a picnic today a little ways away from Shishya but we had too much work today so we all just sat in front of school and shared food. Delicious!

I'll just be teaching life skills the remainder of the time I'm here to grades 4-8 and helping with the community service elective with Deepak. I won't have Saturday school anymore and I only have 10 school days left. Incredible!

Spring Break INDIA

Grass huts, yoga, rafting the Ganges, night trains, awkward men, Holi, Taj Mahal, burning bodies in Varanasi, bouncy/spectacular jeep rides, delicious food, tea gardens, awesome shopping, meeting amazing people from all over the world, cozy/artsy coffee shops, colorful birds and amazing animals, pretty sure saw one of the 3rd tallest mountains in the world on a plane (where the pilot updated the passengers every 15 minutes during the India/Pakistan cricket game) and being in Delhi when India beat Pakistan in the semi-finals World Cup Cricket game!

Check out Liz's more detailed blog post about our trip here.

March 17 Bus to Rishikesh
March 20 Taxi to Haridwar where we got a train to Delhi
March 21 Train to Taj Mahal then Varanasi
March 24 Train to Darjeeling area and took a jeep up. Amazing.
March 30 Flight from Darjeeling area to Delhi. Night train to Dehra Dun
March 31 Taxi early AM to Shishya

Check out the trip photo album here.



When we got back the boys were swimming in the pool here at Shishya. It’s much hotter now. The wheat has turned golden and so many more beautiful plants are in bloom. The students come back to school on the 6th. I won’t be teaching English anymore but helping with the school project on the different states of India, teaching Life Skills, and leading the community service elective with Deepak up until I leave Shishya on the 23rd! The big final World Cup Cricket game is tomorrow with India and Sri Lanka. Everyone on campus is getting together for a big cook out to watch the game!

Life is amazing.

God is Love

Fruits of the Holy Spirit:
LOVE*JOY*PEACE*PATIENCE*KINDNESS*GENEROSITY*FAITHFULNESS*GENTLENESS*SELF-CONTROL.

Good choices lead to good consequences.

How we spend our time indicates what we value and what we think is important.

In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die. Where you invest your love, you invest your life. (Lyrics from a great song by Mumford and Sons)

Always try to become better than you were before. When that happens, everything around us becomes better too.

Every person on earth plays a role in the history of the world.

"If anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, than everything is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes. Every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes. With every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again." -God (from the book The Shack)

Romans 8:28
“We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

Our day’s work isn’t done until we build up someone!!

Humility, poverty and happiness are better than pride, ambition and pursuing wealth.

Those who know God will be humble; those who know themselves cannot be proud.

Forgiveness is key to Christianity.

Willingness to learn is a mark of those who are truly wise.

Our lives are not small and significant. We are not isolated or alone.

Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Simple as that.

Prayer is faith+love

Your eyes show the strength of your soul.

From Prayer of Francis of Assisi: “Lord, make me a instrument of your peace.”

Love without conditions or motivations. It chooses to serve without expectation or service of return. Love without counting the costs.

Philippians 1:9-11
“And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”

Baptism is the first time we receive the Holy Spirit in our lives and all our previous sins are wiped clean.

As God becomes a regular part of our daily lives, our worries begin to disappear.

As we study God’s word and honor God with our lives, we experience his joy in our lives.

The Holy Spirit helps us to be the people we are called to be.

Trust God.

When you do wrong, blame yourself, not others.

Do all you can do to make the world better with your own life.

Hebrew 10:24
“We must consider how to rouse one another to love and do good works.”

Prayer of St. Patrick:
Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ were I lie, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The secret to happiness according to Gianna Molla: live each moment to moment and thank God for everything He gives us day after day.

Whatever is done; is done in the glory of God.

Awareness of God’s presence beside and within us will shape how we approach each person and situation. God dwells in everyone!

Jesus is in the people we meet, when we pray together and in the Eucharist.

“To care for a sick person is to pray.” - Vincent De Paul

Turn away from things that take away from a Godly life.

Continue to exam your conscience about the priorities in life.

Our sins can be forgiven if we seek forgiveness.

1 Peter 1:6-9
“… without seeing him you are already filled with joy so glorious that it cannot be described…because you believe.”

The purpose of prayer is not getting what we want, but to become what God wants.

Our life is God’s gift.

With God’s love, love one another.

Phillipians 1:20
“To live in Christ and die is gain.”

Pray to God by opening your heart and acting on what we hear inside ourselves as God’s voice.

1 John:
3:17-18 “If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.”
4:8 “Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.”
4:12 “No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.”
4:16 “…God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. “
4:19 “We love because He first loved us.”


The heart of the Law is love; our love for God and God’s love for us. We express that love in the values we live out. Conflicts occur when the way we rank our values comes into conflict with the way others rank their values.

Stay focused no matter what obstacles try to keep us from doing the right thing.

Encourage and thank those people who sacrifice but also look for what you can do too.

Pray before you act.

James 2:24
“See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

Use the gifts God gave you. If you don’t know what they are, ask God to tell you what they are and how to use them.

Knowing God gives meaning to life; obeying God gives purpose to life.

When you see God’s goodness, thank him!

Do you talk to God in prayer? Study scripture and devote? Do you minister to others and spread the Good Word?

Time is short; ask God to help you spend time on things that count.

Thanks be to God.

~I pray that this post, along with the rest of the blog, exposes and expresses God’s love to all those who read it. Perhaps some of the things I wrote bring up questions within you, and I pray that you do not let them go unanswered!

"Jesus loves me and He's my friend!"

After homework time, I have been reading the chapter book, The Tale of Despereaux to Bharat and Ratan. They ask me to sit up on their top bunks and read a few chapters each night. When I have to go, Ratan reads some more to himself :) I look forward to it every night and I, myself am really enjoying the story too!

I have recently acquired a lifelong pen pal. She is one of my 8th class students and her name is Sabiya. She invited Liz and me to her home on Tuesday for food. Indian people are so hospitable and I am SO excited to keep in touch with her and see where her life leads her!!!

Final exams are this week so I am finished teaching English. Now it’s just correcting so. many. tests. How many do you ask? 180 until next Wednesday when Liz and I leave for our travels (we also need to figure out final grades as well). When I get back at the end of March, I’m only here for about 3 more weeks! I leave on Easter, which in some ways seems really ironic to me. In devotions with the little boys, I’m going to be doing the children version of the Stations of the Cross twice a week. We already made a list of each persons name and how they can become close to God in the next 40 days :) I got to go to Ash Wednesday mass last week, which was a real treat. The catholic teacher at school was going so we went with her family. It was in Hindi, but it was nice to go to mass. I’ve only been able to go about 3 times since I’ve been in India. The power went out about half way through… but just a typical Indian day, I guess. The mass was a good reminder of what our lives are really about.

I always wonder what kind of impression I am leaving on the boys and students at school in regards to what they are learning and things like that. I had reassurance a few days ago. I guess at the campus wide devotions with all the boys, Thapa shared some versus in 1 John (I discovered how much I love that book in the Bible since I’ve been here) he had to find for his Moral Science final that I wrote for his class. Also at devotions, since Ratan has been listening to The Tale of Despereaux when I read it, shared about always being brave and having a good outlook on life, no matter the circumstances and that God is always with us, even when we are scared. Also, I teach moral science for Ashish’s class and during big devotions too he said out loud the verse he had to memorize for school. I think our “ Getting ready for Easter” poster from small devotions was shared at big devotions too :)

I’m beaming.

For our weekends on I wake up the boys on Saturday morning. It's so fun being there for when they wake up. I like hearing about the dreams they had the night before... yesterday I found myself dancing to Rahul singing, "Put your left foot in... put your left foot out..." Whatever gets them up and moving in the morning!!

Every morning and sometimes in the afternoon I can hear one of the 5th grade boys singing at the top of his lungs. Yesterday it was "Jesus loves me! Jesus is my friend!!" I smile so much here!