On Sunday, I returned home after being in India for nearly 2 weeks. I planned to post while I was away, but lots of electronic things weren't reliable. In addition to having spotty internet service, my flat iron fizzled out on me (even though it was a dual voltage thing that I bought from TravelSmith, thinking I had outsmarted the current gods).
But one day into the trip, all that stuff wasn't so important after all. I survived just fine with frizzy hair. Who could complain based on what I witnessed???
A friend of mine and her husband have put considerable time and resources into caring for the orphans in India - she asked me to go with her to visit the places where they have contributed and made significant changes. Little did I know that poverty is so extreme there that parents sell their children into slavery to "wealthy" farmers for 100 lbs of rice. We visited an orphanage about 3 hours from civilization (through a tiger reserve) that houses 500+ children. They have no toilets - no electricity - and no running water. The children seemed a little flat - it's very hard for 15-20 caretakers to express love to 500 children. But they were reasonably happy and healthy. And, my could they quote scriptures - in a 2nd language. We took crates of bananas and oranges on the ride in... They'd never seen oranges before in spite of living in a country that is the 3rd largest producer of oranges. We gave them cookies and lollipops, too. Like children every where, they went for the lollipops first.
I'll be processing what I witnessed for a long time, I think. I saw beautiful people who are in such incredible poverty and who suffer horrendous persecution for their faith.
Loved this little boy. Would have brought him home with me if I could have.
Until next time, India. You're in my prayers.
Jane
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