Friday, June 6, 2014

Coconuts and Henna

Today was awesome.

It all started with a little bit of sing-a-longs in the bus on the way to the colony. We've gotten pretty good at the singing thing. We're pretty impressive. Part of it we owe to the random hodge-podge of talent shows and entertainment that we've had to put on for multiple colonies and the students at Rising Star. It's so much fun singing with the girls on the bus and it makes the hours of driving in the hot and muggy bus so much more bearable. You forget about the sweat, the heat, and the stench-- even if it's only for the chorus.

We visited the Poot Colony first thing in the morning. The colony hadn't been visited by Rising Star in over a year. They had originally asked that RSO stop coming, so RSO complied with their wishes. Visiting the colony was much different than any colony we have visited yet. They were so happy to see us. They welcomed us like we had returned home from a long journey-- with warm hugs, happy faces, and more joy than you could possibly imagine.

I was able to take a bit of a tour with my professor and classmate Julia. It was fun to meet some of the locals and see where they lived. The colony was so nice. They had rice fields and they had banana trees, coconut trees, mangoes, jack fruits, lemons, limes, chillies-- you name it. One of my favorite parts of the day was when Raj (our tour guide, patient, and new founded friend) picked some coconuts from the tree, hacked them open so we could drink the coconut water inside-- and then hacked them again so we could eat the coconut! I have to admit that the coconut water wasn't my absolute favorite thing, but it definitely wasn't the worst thing I've tasted. I think I was expecting it to be more sweet? But it was a bit on the bitter end. The coconut on the other hand was exceptionally delicious. I can't believe I haven't eaten more of it. I also have a hard time believing that I've never had fresh mangoes or coconut until this trip. Can you say, "missing out on life"?

Yep. It really happened!

Fresh Coconut!

Raj, our new friend
I also met a woman that I loved instantly. Her hands were simple palms. Her feet were half the size of a normal foot. She had no toes. And she was mostly blind. She crawled from place to place on her knees. It was one of the hardest things I've witnessed here-- but we had a discussion later about her and how we had coped with what we had seen. Aren't we all that woman? Aren't we all lepers who crawl to the Savior? The Savior will remove our dirty bandages, wash our wounds, and bind them again-- so that he may heal us. We acted as the Savior's hands today. It brings me so much comfort to know that this woman is loved and looked after by our Savior, especially in the moments we are not here to care for her.


While we were performing our duties today, we carried out the singing a little bit longer and sang some hymns for the patients while we washed their feet. It was touching. There wasn't a person there that couldn't feel the spirit. It really put the work we are doing into an eternal perspective. I love being the Savior's hands. I love learning about him and trying to become more like him. 

Something funny that happened while we were at the Poot Colony: The women were all laughing at Julia because she had her hair down. In India if you leave the house without doing your hair-- it's basically like you forgot to get dressed this morning. It's similar to not being fully dressed. They were having a good laugh about it. They all took turns braiding and re-braiding her long hair.

Abarna, one of the nurses who happens to also be one of the house mothers at RSO, taught me some Tamil today. I learned how to say "little dog" (which I thing is fitting for me to learn of course), and a couple other things like :

     How Are You?             Epdi Erukinga?              EP-DEE-UR-KING-UH
     Fine                            Nalla Eurukka               NAH-LAR-KUH
     Litte Dog                    Nai Kutti                       NY-EE- COO-TEE
     Beautiful                     Alaya irukkinga              UH-LA-HA ER-KING-UH
     Please                        Dhayau Seithu                DIE-OO-SAY-THU
     Thank You                   Nandri                           NAWN-DREE
     No                             Iley                                EE-LAY
     Yes                            Surree                           SUR-EE
     Now                          Ipah                               EE- PUH

Also, keep in mind, Tamil is so much prettier written in Tamil and not in English. I just have no idea how the characters work in Tamil. Sorry!

We stopped at the Junction on the way home and bought some henna so that the house mothers could make us works of art. Literally. I ended up being the only one who had henna done. My friend Abarna painted a beautiful henna on my arm. I love it. I'm so glad she was able to do it for me. I've gotten to know her a bit better than some of the other people I've met on this trip and I adore her.

Me * Tamilselvie * Abarna

ValenKannie the Beautiful

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