'Til We Meet at Jesus' Feet

Yesterday some of the volunteers traveled to the same colony that we had visited the day before. I got to see my good friend Ravi Chandran again, but he was soon surrounded by many of our volunteers- he loves taking silly pictures with us. I joined one of the volunteers in talking to another man on the other side of the room. Then Ravi asked some of the other girls to sing & I turned around to listen. Ravi Chandran saw me & his face just lit up & he got all excited, calling me over & telling me to sing my "verry verry goodt" song again. It was very sweet.

I'd been thinking a bit about some other songs I could have picked to sing the day before if I'd been a bit more prepared, so I asked if I could sing a new song for him. He responded with a funny head shake that means "okay" here in India, so I sang "Lead, Kindly Light," which is one of my favorite hymns.

When I finished, he said, "That is a Jesus song, yes?" I told him it was. He then told me that he loved Jesus, too, & asked if we would sing more Jesus songs. Soon our whole group was singing - "Come Thou Fount," "I Am a Child of God," "I Like to Look for Rainbows," (it was raining, so that was pretty sweet) & "A Child's Prayer." It was an incredible experience for all of us, & I'm pretty sure our eyes were as wet as the pavement outside after the first few hymns.

After we sang "A Child's Prayer," Ravi took my hand & asked me to tell him what it meant, so I knelt down in front of him & tried to explain as well as I could. I told him that it was a song that children sing that teaches that God loves everyone equally, even the smallest child. He just closed his eyes & smiled & nodded, then began to pray in Tamil. I felt the most incredible pure spirit... words can't even come close to describing that feeling, but it made me realize, yet again, that our Father in Heaven truly does love His children, all of the world.

We then sang "Abide with Me, Tis Eventide," & if anything, the spirit in that small hospital ward in India only grew stronger. Just before it was time to leave, we sang "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again."

I have never been more touched by that song. A powerful spirit of unity & love flooded the room. I never had fully appreciated the lyrics, but the line "til we meet at Jesus' feet" took on an entirely new meaning to me - I've spent the last 2 weeks working with people who live most of their lives as beggars, but before Christ, we're all beggars. Each one of us needs His mercy equally, & yet He loves all of us. It doesn't matter if we're rich or poor, whether we have great health or leprosy, whether we live in the USA or India. Christ looks beyond all that the world sees & sees our hearts - the LOVE in that thought just amazes me.

Someday I hope I can meet my dear friend Ravi Chandran again at the feet of my Savior - I only hope that at that time my heart can be as full of love, happiness, & gratitude as his. I came to India to teach - or so I thought. It seems like I've done nothing but learn from these incredible people.

Ravi Chandran with Jennie & me on our first trip to Badalampuram. He was supposed to pull a funny face, too.

The Sound of Music

It's hard to pick your favorite days when you're here at Rising Star Outreach in India - every day is so amazing, whether you're digging up pipes or playing with the children. I feel like love is so tangible here & my heart is so full, even when my shoes are full of dirt & my face is dripping with sweat.

Today a part of my group traveled to a nearby leprosy colony where we washed the patients' feet before they were given new bandages. It was stunning to see the extent of these people's wounds - one woman had an ulcer that went as deep as the muscle & spanned the length of her foot, yet she felt little pain from the effects of leprosy. After washing for a while, I was able to go into the hospital & visit my good friends Ravi Chandran & Sinivasen. Ravi & I had another great photo shoot featuring many "Roomba roomba nandri" - "Many many thanks." Then he asked me if I would sing for him. I've been singing some lullabies for the children, but somehow singing in a small hospital room in front of about 5 Indian men was a bit more intimidating, so I sang the first song that came to mind- "Edelweiss."

I've never enjoyed singing a simple solo so much in all my life. My two dear friends seemed so happy, just to hear a little song from my favorite musical. But the joys didn't stop there - then Ravi started showing me how they sing random sound notes in India, seeing if I could copy & build on what he sang. He would sing, then I would sing what he sang & add my own American twist,then he would sing again. After a few minutes we were both smiling & laughing so much it was hard to continue singing - & then we got shushed by some of the hospital staff - apparently we were being a bit too rowdy. oopths. But it was worth it.

It always amazes me how music has the power to transcend barriers - barriers of faith, barriers of language, barriers of life style, & barriers of age. There's something pure that connects you to someone when you sing together. Songs can bring back memories in the most vivid way. Music can bring comfort to an aching heart and soothe a little one to sleep. Song can strengthen faith and pride. Music can unite people that cannot communicate in any other way. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to be a part of that today. :)

(Again, sorry for the lack of pictures - I'm working on it!)

No Diggity No More

I dug a hole today. Actually, multiple holes. & they were big. I'm pretty sure in about 100 years, there will be a Grand Canyon in India as a result of the digging we did today. & now I hurt. But my life is still awesome - I love INDIA & all the fabulous people here. Tonight I spent about an hour singing lullabies to Miriam V. & then we sang primary songs together. I don't think life gets much sweeter than that.

But... my whole self is too burned out to write or post anything right now - so I would suggest you read this blog: http://jennielovestheworld.wordpress.com/

It belongs to Miss Jennie Dozie & she has been doing an awesome job of documenting all of our adventures. Love to you, Jennie.

Lack of Color Here/Birthday Wishes

First & foremost, I must apologize - I've been taking hundreds & hundreds of pictures, but uploading them here is just really impractical... so... I guess we can all learn to be patient together. Anywho - sorry for the lack of pictures (aka color) on the blog - India is spectacular & I can't wait to share it with you!

I am no longer a teenager.

I am twenty.

Wow.

I bid farewell to my teenage years by watching the sunrise from the gardens of the Taj Mahal. It was one of the most incredible moments of my life. One thing I've learned from India is the need for flexibility - a lot of times we head out to the colonies without really knowing what we'll be doing. Many times what we find is totally different from our expectations. I'm pretty sure this is true with everything, not just humanitarian work in India. The Taj Mahal was no exception - but it completely blew away my expectations. That building is stunning; the white marble has this glow at sunrise that makes it seem really ethereal. It was utterly beautiful & I was so grateful to be able to start my twentieth birthday in such a unique way.

Our wonderful guide told us so many amazing stories & facts as we travelled through Delhi - & he knew it was my birthday & gave me a beautiful pashmina. All my fantastic RSO buddies even got me a cake at our hotel. We spent the afternoon exploring the massive Agra Fort. Although it was very different from the pristine white of the Taj Mahal, that red sandstone complex was really impressive - I definitely wouldn't want to try to storm that castle. Despite being such a huge fortress, it also incorporated the grace that is so prevalent in India - everything is decorated in the most beautiful fashion. I love it. We spent some time shopping -yay, presents! & then went to Pizza Hut for dinner. & let me tell you, Pizza Hut in Agra is very different from Pizza Hut in the US - namely, they play really loud techno club music, that miraculously continues playing, even when the power flickers out. It was awesome. & Pepperoni pizza has NEVER tasted so good. Actually knowing what I was eating for the first time in over a week made a nice change.

I think I'd like to have my birthday in India a few more times, please. It was definitely memorable.

& I promise I'll post pictures ASAP!

This Is India

We have a saying here at Rising Star - it works for when things go wrong, when we run late, when it's REALLY hot, when the electricity goes off right after you've typed a huge blog entry - we simply say, "This is India." & that's that.

I love being here. It's already been life changing & I've been here for 4 days. Wow. If I didn't miss some people back in the US so badly, I'd never leave. Ever.

Sadly - I can't get any photos to post directly on to here... so... here are a couple links.

This is how you ride in India - some seriously love in the back of the Sumo Tata.

This little boy, Ajay, is brand new at the school. He doesn't speak much English, but he's so sweet - he fell asleep in my arms a few nights ago. :)

Home for the next 17 days - wow, this time is passing quickly!

I'm still deciding whether I like Indian food (as in dinner) but the SNACKS are DELICIOUS!

Part of our group of awesome volunteers - please note the awkward Jared Boy.

MY FAVORITE PICTURE - Jennie & I with Ravi Chandran, a patient a near-by leprosy hospital & the funniest guy I've ever met.

A Whole New World

I've made it to India at last! My computer time is limited, so pictures will have to wait, but for now I thought I would share with you a very abridged list of firsts.

- flying over the Pacific Ocean
- chilling out in the Hong Kong airport - Burger King's soft serve is AWESOME in China
- being on a plane for over 14 hours straight
- traveling for over 30 hours, about 7 of which I spent asleep
- painting houses in a leprosy colony
- learning how to say "spider" in Tamil - something like etukalpuje.
- reading bedtime stories to a group of about 20 5-8 year old boys that call me "Auntie Kelthey" - they all seem to have trouble with the "s"
- going to the LDS branch in Chennai - the people are amazing - so happy, so grateful, so full of the light of Christ.

India is hot, dirty, humid, & absolutely amazing. I've never been so exhausted & I've never fallen in love with a place so fast.

Thank you to everyone who has supported & loved me & helped me on this trip. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be here. This was originally a much longer post... but then the power went out. & my brain isn't functioning totally right now. I think a bucket shower might help. So good night!

Come On, Get Higher

As I shall be spending the majority of the next 2 days airborne, I thought "get higher" seemed like a pretty fitting sentiment. And that song is often stuck in my head these days, so it just felt right. :)

The big day of departure is TOMORROW! I'm on my way to India for three weeks. It feels incredibly surreal & I'm feeling more than a little bit inadequate at the moment. But I'm looking forward to this new adventure & opportunity to serve & teach at the Rising Star Outreach School in Chennai.

While I'm in India, I'll continue to post updates on this blog - hopefully with pictures, too! So leave comments & keep in touch! Thanks to everyone for all the love & support - you've helped make this dream a reality for me.

It's real. I'm leaving. Tomorrow. EEEK!

Everything I've Never Been Before

The past few months have been full of journeys, recipes, testimonies, and stories, as well as epiphanies - yet another "ee" that should probably be featured in the subtitle of my blog. I feel like I've suddenly reached a point in my life where everything is starting to change; there are a lot of big decisions floating out there on the horizon, just waiting for me to catch my breath and make the next leap. The wonderful lyrics of Switchfoot's "On Fire" have been running through my head a lot lately, as I really do feel as if "I'm standing on the edge of everything of never been before."

If you hadn't yet noticed, I like making lists, so here goes one more. I'd like to call it, "Real-izations."

1- I have some stunning tan lines. I may look a bit like a skunk.

2- I get on a plane to fly around the world to India TWO weeks from TODAY. wow. Soon I'll be starting my days eleven and a half hours earlier than I do here. Soon I'll be in a foreign country surrounded by ancient beliefs, customs, and architecture. Soon I'll start my days by singing primary songs with the children of the Rising Star Outreach School in Chennai, India. Soon I'll be facing poverty unlike anything I've ever seen. Soon I will have water buffalo milk on my cereal each morning. Soon I'll see stars I've never seen before. Soon I'll walk in the gardens of the Taj Mahal. Soon I'll be on the biggest adventure of my life. Those three weeks in India will be full of new sights, sounds, smells, and feelings. The trip that I've talked and dreamed about for months finally feels like a reality, and now I feel more than a little bit inadequate and intimidated. I'm just a little girl from a tiny farm town in Idaho. What could *I* do to make a difference to India? Not much, but I can make a difference in the lives of those I meet in India. I hope I can bring a part of my experience in India back home to share with all of my friends and family who have supported and believed in me.

3- My twentieth birthday is three weeks from tomorrow. I think this means I have to grow up a little. Which might mean that I have to make some grown up decisions. This is both thrilling and terrifying. :/

4- Our Father in Heaven truly loves each and every one of His children, no matter where they live or what language they speak.

5- Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith & believe.

6- Naps are good.

7- There are some people that just fit into your life like they were meant to be there.

Toll House Goes Shfancy

aka Super Buttery Chocolate Chip Cookies

My daddy is a big fan of cookies, brownies, ice cream, & treats in any form, although you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at him. So yesterday, when I was having a major chocolate craving, dad was all in favor of some chocolate chip cookies, but the recipe off of the Hershey’s bag just wasn’t going to cut it; rather, he wanted to try a new recipe from our favorite magazine, “Cook’s Illustrated,” for the perfectly chewy yet crispy cookie. I was a bit skeptical, but I’m always up to try a new recipe.

Verdict – These cookies are crazy delicious, but a bit more time consuming & labor intensive than Hershey’s or Toll House recipes, calling for browned butter & a separated egg yolk, among other things. This recipe also gives a much smaller yield, only about 20 cookies. If you’re planning on feeding the masses, stick with your usual favorite. But if you have a special someone in your life that loves butter & chocolate chip cookies, in that order, this recipe just might pave your way into their heart.

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
14 tblsp. (1 ¾ sticks) butter (if using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt to ½ tsp.)
½ cup sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips ( I used about ¾ cup semis, ½ cup milk chocolate – I like my cookies a bit sweeter
- you can also add ¾ cup chopped & toasted pecans or walnuts

1)Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat your baking sheet w/ non-stick spray.

2)Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat until completely melted. Butter should sizzle & bubble – foam might form - don’t worry, that’s just fine – just keep stirring. Continue cooking butter while stirring constantly until butter is golden brown & has a nutty aroma, about 2 or three minutes. Remove skillet from heat & stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Stir until all the butter is completely melted. Transfer hot butter to a heat proof bowl – you will add the rest of the ingredients to this bowl, so make it a big one.

3)Add both sugars, salt, & vanilla & stir thoroughly. Add egg & egg yolk & stir until the mixture is smooth. Let this mixture stand for about 3 minutes, stir again, & let it rest for another three minutes. I would suggest using these 3 minute breaks to dance around the kitchen to your favorite song. Stir the mixture again – it should be thick, smooth, & shiny.

4)Stir in flour & baking soda. Add chocolate chips (& nuts, if you so choose).

5)Shape dough into balls about two inches in size & place on greased cookie sheet, 8 at a time. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes – the cookies should still be puffy, with golden brown edges & slightly soft centers. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Counting Days

I arrive in India on August 2nd. For those of you who don't like to frequently count days on the calendar, that's just 26 short days from today. *insert awed face here* My to-do list for the next three weeks is beginning to feel a bit daunting, but I am incredibly excited for this awesome opportunity.

Here are just a few highlights from my list of things to do:

1- Learn to shower without getting water in my mouth - for a chronic shower-singer, this is very difficult.

2- Get immunized for Typhoid Fever & Meningitis. Tomorrow. I don't like needles. uh-oh... someone please hold my hand?

3- Wait patiently for my visa to arrive. (& Patience isn't always top on my list of virtues...)

4- Get used to the idea of water buffalo milk on my Wheaties... yummy.

5- Pack an extra-large suitcase with very few things.

6- Write about 100 thank you notes - Sorry I'm slow! I AM grateful... but also busy... but thank you to everyone that has supported me, both financially & emotionally. I really appreciate all the confidence that everyone has in me & all of the well wishes.

7- Figure out how I'm going to survive three weeks in 100+ degree weather when I'm not allowed to wear shorts. EEEK.

8- Talk my way in to a window seat for the 20+ hour flight.

9- Tell Amelia H that she's awesome about 703 times! Thanks so much for your help & faith in me!

10- Get ready for my biggest adventure of my life.

Wheeeeeee!

ALSO - a VERY happy birthday to Mr. Keaton Jolley, who used to comment on my blog & now spends his free time creating the most randomly entertaining podcasts on this earth, quite possibly in the whole universe. He's over there > check it out & wish him a rockin' birthday on the 8th.