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!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
"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!
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!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
It's March!
Nibha told me Shishya means “disciple” in Sanskrit.
I learned from one of the boys' Adventure Bibles that the name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua. Interesting little fact.
I didn’t know that almost all of the women and girls in India have pierced noses until I got here!
I feel like my dad when I’m running around our apartment turning off lights with no people in the rooms and turning off outlets with nothing plugged in. I have always been environmentally conscious but I just feel even more compelled here to conserve energy!
Lots of visitors at Shishya lately. An old volunteer was here for a week. Her name is Anna and she is from England. Lisa’s older brother is here this week as well. Her and him made PASTA for us last week! The people that introduced the Lord to Frieda and Yip when they first met are visiting Shishya as well. Anyone who would like to come visit me still can! :)
I learned last weekend that marijuana grows wild here. You can see it growing on the side of the road sometimes. Crazy.
Shishya had a going away party for class 8 with skits, music and games last Saturday. It was fun! The picture of class 8 is below.
I will be doing devotions two times a week now with the little boys. I’m excited to interact with them in a different way! For the last couple of weeks Ratan and I have been reading Revelations together after homework time.
The Shishya boys went and played basketball again at Hope Town Girls School. Last week I went with Yip to interview some girls who were elected leaders there who are graduating high school and leaving this spring. Yip and his team from the youth center implemented some leadership structures in schools and this was kind of like the girls exit interview. I took notes. It was interesting.
The campus at Hope Town is absolutely beautiful. Apparently these girl’s parents are very well off and some even work in parliament!
We celebrated another birthday last week; Pradeep is thirteen!
It’s cricket (the game) time and all of India is so pumped up about the games! I think the Indian team is doing quite well.
Speaking of bugs, since it's getting warmer out there are a lot more in our bathroom and bedrooms! That also means snakes will be about....
I can officially say, “I leave next month” now that it is March. Insane! Time is going so so so fast. We have final exams all this week then Liz and I leave for our two week trip on the 17th. Darjeeling tea anyone?
When we went for a little walk around Shishya last week. I walked by an tall, slender old man with a stick standing in the middle of a dusty road with a cloth wrapped around his head, wearing blue. He looked old and tired and he was just standing there. I regret so much not snapping his photo when we walked past. I should have stopped! I miss so many great pictures of India….but please enjoy these!
I learned from one of the boys' Adventure Bibles that the name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua. Interesting little fact.
I didn’t know that almost all of the women and girls in India have pierced noses until I got here!
I feel like my dad when I’m running around our apartment turning off lights with no people in the rooms and turning off outlets with nothing plugged in. I have always been environmentally conscious but I just feel even more compelled here to conserve energy!
Lots of visitors at Shishya lately. An old volunteer was here for a week. Her name is Anna and she is from England. Lisa’s older brother is here this week as well. Her and him made PASTA for us last week! The people that introduced the Lord to Frieda and Yip when they first met are visiting Shishya as well. Anyone who would like to come visit me still can! :)
I learned last weekend that marijuana grows wild here. You can see it growing on the side of the road sometimes. Crazy.
Shishya had a going away party for class 8 with skits, music and games last Saturday. It was fun! The picture of class 8 is below.
I will be doing devotions two times a week now with the little boys. I’m excited to interact with them in a different way! For the last couple of weeks Ratan and I have been reading Revelations together after homework time.
The Shishya boys went and played basketball again at Hope Town Girls School. Last week I went with Yip to interview some girls who were elected leaders there who are graduating high school and leaving this spring. Yip and his team from the youth center implemented some leadership structures in schools and this was kind of like the girls exit interview. I took notes. It was interesting.
The campus at Hope Town is absolutely beautiful. Apparently these girl’s parents are very well off and some even work in parliament!
We celebrated another birthday last week; Pradeep is thirteen!
It’s cricket (the game) time and all of India is so pumped up about the games! I think the Indian team is doing quite well.
Speaking of bugs, since it's getting warmer out there are a lot more in our bathroom and bedrooms! That also means snakes will be about....
I can officially say, “I leave next month” now that it is March. Insane! Time is going so so so fast. We have final exams all this week then Liz and I leave for our two week trip on the 17th. Darjeeling tea anyone?
When we went for a little walk around Shishya last week. I walked by an tall, slender old man with a stick standing in the middle of a dusty road with a cloth wrapped around his head, wearing blue. He looked old and tired and he was just standing there. I regret so much not snapping his photo when we walked past. I should have stopped! I miss so many great pictures of India….but please enjoy these!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
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.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, February 11, 2011
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!!
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!!
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