What a Success!

Thanks to everyone that made the First Annual iSanctuary Christmas Boutique a huge success. I owe a TON of thanks to my friends and family that donated some much of their time, effort, and finances just to make this happen. If you missed the event and want to see what ya missed, I will be posting pictures in the next couple of days.

Also, there are some remaining products so if you weren't able to go to the boutique or just remembered a couple more people on your Christmas list contact me and we can arrange for you to do a little shopping.

Lastly, it appears that someone may have purchased a pair of mismatched mojaris (the traditional leather shoe). If that is you or you know the person please contact me so I can give you the correct shoe (it will be just between us- spollaro@isanctuary.org). Unless of course you are trying to resurrect the Punky Brewster fashion trend of wearing mismatched shoes, then all the power to ya!!!

iSanctuary Boutique

Come by my first International Sanctuary Boutique...
I'd love to see you!

Here are the details. See you then...


Saturday, December 1st
10am – 3pm
Rockharbor Café
345 Fisher Costa Mesa CA 92626


Items included in Boutique:
Shawls –Shoes –Handbags -Fashion Jewelry –Ornaments,
PLUS
One-of-a-kind, Handcrafted Semi-precious Jewelry


All proceeds go towards iSanctuary’s effort to help care for survivors of human trafficking. Come learn more about iSanctuary and the cause we fight for.

For more information contact Stephanie Pollaro at 714.841.7990 or spollaro@isanctuary.org

It's been a while

Sorry that you haven’t heard from me lately. Ever since the UN-GIFT conference I have been going like a crazy person, visiting different homes and organizations all of which take hours upon hours to get to. And by the time I reach home the electricity is off or it is very late and I am exhausted-or all 3.

The conference itself met my expectations of anything the UN tries to do--mass confusion, disorganization, lack of subject knowledge but a whole lot of pomp and circumstance. GIFT stands for Global Initiative to Fight Trafficking and in attendance where some of the most amazing people whom have spent everyday for the last decade and a half fighting against pimps, traffickers, corrupt police officers (corrupt police is a redundant statement in South and Southeast Asia).

I got to meet people I have only read about. In fact, I had the opportunity to meet Anuradha of Maiti Nepal, the woman on whom the article that inspired me 5 years ago was written. I felt honored to be in the presence of so many amazing men and women.

If only the UN had realized who their audience was!

The conference was put together as if the focus was on people unfamiliar with the term human trafficking. They showed (repeatedly) PSAs by Bollywood stars in which they told statistics and encouraging those watching to do something to stop trafficking. It was really shocking. I haven’t spoken to anyone who attended the conference that had one positive thing to say—how sad! And what a waste of money; I heard that they spent $200,000 on this 3 day event. That’s the UN for ya!

In regards to the aftercare homes I have visited, it looks as if I was a little too optimistic about the quality and importability of the products they produce. So I will be spending a lot more time here in India than first expected to see if I can facilitate development in the product base.

If any fashion designers are reading this or if you know fashion designers---we need HELP!!!!

If you create designs for clothing, accessories, jewelry, stationary, or household items (candles, table runners, pillows etc) we need your help. Assistance stateside to develop a catalog of products would be fantastic and if you are able to come to India to apply the design and to help train with the girls that would be amazing.

Right now we really need your vision, direction, and inspiration.

Little FYI: My goal is to have a store in S.Cal within the next couple years. The store would sell the items made in homes for women rescued from sexual exploitation. It is a non-profit business and all profits return to the women, the homes that care for them and to organizations that conduct the raids that bring freedom to so many.
Please pass on the call for volunteers.
Thanks!

Learning the Trains

For the first time in all my times in Bombay I maneuvered my way through the rats nest (literally and figuratively) that is the Mumbai train system all by myself. It was raining—of course it was raining, every time I am in Bombay it is seems to be monsoon season --and the opportunity came up to meet with a wonderful women in an organization I would love to partner with. So I had to go it alone. Everything went well getting there but getting home was a little more difficult. I stood where I was told to stand and waited for the trains I was told to take, A, BL, KP, or S but they weren’t coming. Train after train came in and left but they weren’t the correct trains. I asked many people around me, “Yes, this is where you are suppose to be, just wait 5 minutes” they replied. But I waited an hour, no trains. I asked the woman at the ticket booth when the next train would come and where. She said 5 minutes platform 1 so I thought finally my train will come but when the train arrived it was not my train. At that point I knew there had to be a better platform so I looked for another person to talk to. I found a group of young girls and thought one of them would have to know the right answer. Sure enough after some discussion they all agreed that platform 5 was where I should be. So I thanked them and was on my way up the stairs to the bridge to platform 5. Just as I was stepping down onto the platform train BL was arriving, I said thank you Jesus. Now all I had to do was fight my way onto it because after an hour and a half of waiting it had become rush hour and the trains were crowded! The women were all rushing and pushing into the women’s compartment but it was just packed too tight so I followed a woman that was going into the next car but she realized that it is first class—all men and she turns back. I saw the space that she was going for and said, screw it, I want on this train. Jumped in, squished myself into the corner by the open door and stood for the 1 ½ hour ride back. At the station, I caught a rickshaw which charged me double (but it was still only 30 cents so I didn’t argue too much, just enough to let him know I knew he was overcharging me) back to my friends house. When I walked in the house I wanted to rip my shirt off and run around the house in my sports bra, like what’s-her-name after she won the women’s soccer world cup. Man, I did it!!!

Here I go again

So I am currently in route to India. It is 2:30am and I am in Singapore Airport. Just wanted to let you all know that my next adventure had begun. This time in India will be so different. First, I will only be here for 2 months and I will be traveling around different parts of India meeting with different organizations. Also, I will be attending a UN GIFT conference ( I am so excited about this!) Please keep me in your thought and prayers.
I will write more once I have had some sleep and my thoughts come more easily.

Thank you for everything: your encouragement, your support, and believing in me!

I'm Home!

When faced with 22 hours of flight time it feels at times you will never make it. But I arrived home into LAX at 12:30 Friday afternoon. I was joyfully received by my mom, dad, and best friend Claire. My dad loaded my very heavy bags and immediately drove to IN 'N OUT. I had a Double Double and it was delicious!!!!!

I spent Friday night and all of Saturday eating, talking, and laughing with my family. Saturday morning I woke up to our traditional Christmas breakfast (Christmas tree and all). Then after a nap I came downstairs to find a special birthday dinner for me, including mom's homemade pecan pie (my favorite).
How incredibly thoughtful is my mom!!
Sunday we went to church, had a taco fiesta, and sat by the pool.

Tomorrow everyone has to go to work but my weekend welcome party was sure fun while it lasted!!!!

So I received a lot of response from the last posting from people that thought I was disgruntled or just over India altogether but I was just trying to help you visualize the conditions. The picture here is of the river outside The Center. And what I chose not to include in the picture were the 3 men squatting on the banks using the “facilities.” So you tell me what you think... was the description accurate or not? Don’t worry about me I am as happy as a clam. The rains should be here any day to wash everything away so when I return it will be my beautiful pristine India again.

Love you!

T-17 days

Mango Mania

Mangos are everywhere. And they are a little slice of paradise in this truckstop urinal of a country. I am not joking, as temperatures soar above 110, this place, with its complete lack of toilets and drying up riverbeds, is starting to smell worse than a port-a-potty at the county fair.

But I have mangos so that helps deal with it all.


QUICK QUESTION: What would you do? Feed it or let it die?
I have worked really hard at trying to keep my room as bug free and gecko free as possible. Granted those little lizards are adorable and I love to look at them on the walls but on the walls in someone else’s room. For their size, these little guys leave behind the biggest droppings and I just didn’t want that in my room. But the other day I found some droppings and knew somehow one had made it in.
So now my dilemma is do I let in bugs to feed Fido or do I leave him alone and maybe he will get hungry enough to leave. The problem is if he can’t get out and dies in my room than I will be the unacquainted host of an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord.

Anywhooo, let me know what ya think about that.....


And lastly, for those of you wondering if the rumor is true....YES!!! I am coming home...but just for a visit. I will arrive June 22nd and am counting the days till I get to see familiar, clean, structured places (you know, all the things I thought I would be excited to live without) and all your beautiful faces (which don’t count as the things I thought I would like to live without).

Beach Day

So Suresh and I had this crazy idea that I should take all the girls in “the center” on an outing. So when I presented the idea to the girls they got so excited and all agreed that we should go to Sudialanka (the beach).

We started early in the morning cause the beach is 2.5 hours away and the heat is reaching 111 degrees. I got up early threw on an old punjabi dress, removed all my jewelry and took off out the door to pick up the girls. When I arrived at 6:15am, an hour and 15 minutes late they of course they weren’t ready. But they quickly got ready and that’s when I realized how big a deal this day was to them. They all came out in their best sarees and dresses and with all their gold on. They were really confused why I didn’t have a saree on or any jewelry—just another cultural difference I tried to explain; in California you don’t dress up to go to the beach.

Many of the ladies and all the kids had never seen the ocean and were all stunned at how magnificent it was. But none (except little Ramia) was too overwhelmed not to go in...they all just rushed in and spent hours jumping in the waves (despite not knowing how to swim). I tried to keep a watchful eye on everyone and got everyone home safe and sound.

.......................and exhausted!!!!

What a funny day of firsts....

Today was the first time the Embroidery teacher actually showed up. And someone has finally showed really talent on the sewing machine and it is one of the kids-a boy but not any boy, Big Mama’s son. I really think he has potential and he is crazy about being on a machine but I’m not sure I am ready to open that can of crazy.

And now I just got done watching Spiderman 2 with the boys in the house. You see Christina and the kids and all the girls that live in the house left for Christina’s brother’s house so I am alone with all the guys, which I don’t mind, I’m simply trying to set the scene.

So anyways, you know there is a lot of kissing in that movie between the main girl her fiancé and the main girl and Spiderman. And you may not know but there is NO mouth to mouth kissing in Indian movies. In fact, Richard Gere has an arrest warrant out on him for kissing (on the cheek) an Indian Bollywood star at an HIV/AIDS Awareness event. Funny thing is she isn’t pressing the charges it is some sort of moral police going after him. (See one of the many articles if you don’t believe me http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6600839.stm )

So my point is that you don’t see kissing very often at all –like never. So I must have got accustomed to not seeing because I felt like I was watching a movie with my parents when all the sudden it gets all racy and you think, “Oh shoot, what do I do?” “Are they as uncomfortable as I am?” Ok, it wasn’t that bad but I think I blushed a little but that isn’t my point anyways.

Ok, Stephanie will you get there already then!!!!!!!!!

Ok

So after the movie one of the guys followed me to the stairs and NO he didn’t kiss me, gosh!

He said, “Stephanie, I have one question. In America do friends kiss mouth to mouth or only lovers?” I told him that only lovers kiss mouth to mouth and he replied by saying, “And they get married?” So I had to explain the dating and kissing customs of the Western world to this 24 year old East Asian man who has probably never held a flirting gaze with a girl. That was a first!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo THE KISS xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kiran is the one in the middle in the blue and orange plaid shirt

Why buy Tiffany when you can have Cartier?!

(lice comb)

Precious in His Sight

Our youngest member is 2 ½ years old and serves in the center as comic relief. She is just the sweetest thing. With her mouth constantly open in a big smile Ramia is thrilled to spend the whole day with us looking at design books, trying her best to get hold of scissors, and picking up sewing boxes and putting anywhere except next to the person that needs them.

Ramia LOVES scissors! They are the one thing she goes for the most. In fact she gets hold of them all the time. Each time I catch her (no one else seems to care) I tell her wudu which means NO in Telugu. I have told her wudu so much that now while she is holding scissors she says wudu, wudu, wudu. She also says hey but that is because everyone is always yelling that at her so I guess she has decided to yell it back.

I taught Ramia her first English word: Thank You. Ramia just wants to be apart of the group and so she moves the sewing boxes all the time because it makes her feel like she is doing something. So when she brings the boxes to me I always tell her thank you. The other day Ramia brought a box to me and I told her thank you and she replied by saying thank you. I was floored, it was so cute.

Last cute thing on Ramia and then I will shut up. She wants to embroider sooo bad. She is always trying to see what the girls are doing and get her hands on fabric. A few days ago she picked up a bag that was in the process of being embroidered. She sat down took the needle and poked the clothe and then pulled it out all the way up and just kept going for like ten minutes...well, until one of the girls saw her and slapped her and took it away from her. Cute things don’t last very long around here so I was glad to have captured the moment (see pictures).

Its a Difficult Road

John 15:18-19 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Working in a red-light area isn’t easy. I am facing a lot of opposition by the managers (pimps). They really feel threatened by my presence which I guess is understandable. But the problem is even deeper than that; every group of people has a leader. The women have their managers, the managers have “Big Mama,” the kids have Bavani, and the girls have Nagamani. Nagamani somehow weaseled her way into being the embroidery teacher even though she has pretty limited knowledge. And for the last month has done absolutely nothing in regards to embroidery. The other day I told her to let the students use the sewing machine and to help me get the embroidery stuff organized. I asked multiple times until I said very plainly, “Get off the machine!” She didn’t like that at all and left the class for the remainder of the day.

So today after devotion and prayer I talked with the girls about their handbags. Of which many have very nice embroidery but the stitching needs improvement so I brought in 10 bags and asked them to fix them. Immediately after our discussion the girls went to the machines and the bags were left laying on the floor. I asked that they finish the bags before they begin making new bags but they (under the influence of Nagamani) said they would do them later. This went on for about 4 times until I said, “Ok, we are finished for today, let’s close up!” Which got their attention and they began to come and sit but Nagamani insisted they leave with her. So we closed the doors 3 hours early. You would think that is no big deal the girls will learn that I am serious and tomorrow would hopefully be an improvement.
Not in the red-light area!
Big Mama must’ve been out today because it was another manager that came in and started yelling about how they would do it when they wanted. I replied simple by saying, “Sir (which is a big sign of respect here but I just did it cause I don’t know his name) in a learning environment the teachers tell how things are going to be done not the students. I respect these girls and expect them to show me respect also.” He replied by saying that tomorrow, I should not come to the center, that his girls will continue to sew but I should not be there. I told him that we could close our doors and go to Chilikalurapet. They have been begging us to start a center there. And these women are committed to changing their lives and are struggling to find a way out of the darkness.

So why not pick up and go to Chilikalurapet? Sure it is an hour drive there and back everyday but if it means working with women that are asking for help instead of just asking for money than it might be worth it!

What a wake up call to remind me that many of these people are just wolves in sheep’s’ clothing. They say one thing, do another, but no matter what, they are driven by one thing: $$$, at any expense: lives, happiness, health, relationships, anything. Sometimes I forget who I am dealing with; Big Mama is out on bail for killing a man. These people are evil people that “own” human beings and force them to do unspeakable things. Unfortunately some of the young ones get pulled in as protégés (which I think is the case for Nagamani). Others get stepped on into a life of submission. And a very few manage to keep a spark of hope alive. And that is what I see in Poodi. She has such a beautiful spirit. She strives for perfection in everything she does. Her eye for color and her needle work are so good and she takes true joy in it. I love when she completes a bag and she comes to show me. She just wells with pride as I admire it. She will help with anything; one day she spent the whole day ironing. What a humble sweet girl! And when I think about not coming back to this place I cry. I cry because I am afraid of leaving her here to be swallowed up Nallakata (the dark place-what the locals call this area).

Please pray for Poodi and my situation here.

I am in Nepal! I've been here for about 5 days or so. It wasn't easy getting here either! What an adventure I have had! I first flew to Bombay to pick up my friend Ena and then we fly to Delhi. From there we had planned to fly to Kathmandu but something in my heart was telling me not to fly. But of course I didn't listen...We spent all day trying to get a flight to Kathmandu when by late afternoon we found out we couldn't fly b/c Ena didn't have proper documentation. So we went to the train station to buy tickets to Gorapor (the closest stop to the boarder but still 2 hours away). We couldn't get on that night so we had to wait till the next night. But we made the best of it and saw the sights Delhi had to offer.
The next night as we were boarding the train we realized we had been upgraded to first class and ended up sharing the entire car with only two other people. They were business men on the way to check on their cement factory in Nepal. When the train arrived in Gorapor 14 hours later the 4 of us had breakfast/lunch and shared a car to the boarder. When we reach the boarder I faced some trouble with my visa. Praise God for these men! One stayed with Ena with the car (which they wouldn't allow us to pay for) and the other one helped me talk to the immigration guys. It took over an hour but it all got worked out and we were off again.
We reached their hotel around 5ish and decided to get a room also since we missed all the buses to Kathmandu. Our two friends/guardian angels had to work so we arranged to meet for breakfast in the morning. After breakfast and some quick goodbyes Ena and I were off to Kathmandu. The road was steep, dusty, and rocky, not to mention we had Evil Canival behind the wheel. After 5 hours we had to take a break so we decided to stop at Royal Chitwan National Park. What an amazing place; we took a canoe ride and saw a rhino taking his morning bath, and (don't hate me Claire) I got to sit on an elephant as it took a bath and it sprayed me with her trunk. But that is not all, there was this baby elephant that was rubbing its bum on a post so I thought I would help him out and I started scratching him with my long nails and he wiggled all over like he was ticklish and when I would stop he would wrap his little trunk around my arm as if to ask for more. No one got a picture of it cause we were all in awe of the whole thing.
We finally got to Kathmandu after another 7 hour bus ride and although the bus ride was difficult we were thankful to have gone that way. Nepal is BEAUTIFUL and we would have missed so much if we had flown.
Ena went home yesterday and I am waiting for my visa. To get a visa is a 3 step process. Please pray that is comes quickly!
Love you--Will post pictures when I get back home--to India that is.

Ok, so I am not still in Nepal I just arrived back in Tenali last night. But I had written this posting while in Nepal and couldn't get it uploaded on the sight. So thought I would put it up now, hope you don't mind.

My Little Monsters

Hold on to your hats and glasses... this is a deep one

I’ve been observing the children that come by The Center and I was struck with the most amazing revelation, children are the same all around the world. I know so it doesn’t seem like that ground breaking of an idea but I have always wondered about the psycho-developmental feud of nature vs nurture and I think I have solved it in my own mind. Anyways it all began when my little pixy, Gangatree, came up to me crying and said, “Chepanie (that’s what she calls me) he pulled my hair.” Sound familiar? I hugged her, kissed her head, told her I was sorry, told the little boy that wasn’t nice and Ganga’s tears went away. And I thought to myself, man, I am in a COMPLETELY different culture, in a different country, that speaks and different language and yet the same exact sentence and scenario is said by little ones back home.
Maybe it was one of those ‘had to be there moments’ but it really got me thinking about deeper issues like prejudice, racism, and slavery. I was thinking how could anyone look at child running to their mommy when they hurt themselves, or have them ask you over and over to watch them do some silly thing, or watching kids care for even littler ones and not see the beautiful innocence that is in every child. And from that realize that we are all one creation not multiple creations with some more superior than others but the same. My only conclusion was fear, ignorance, and pride are tools of the Enemy to tear us apart and keep us from coming together to glorify God.

Then when I think about fear I think about driving in India. The chaos of bikes, cars, trucks, rickshaws, cow-drawn carts all weaving in and out so quickly passing each other with just centimeters of clearance. But yet it works! Yet in America if I passed by someone that close my passengers would scream and say, “Oh my gosh, you almost killed us!” The driver of the other car would yell profanities at me. Why? I didn’t touch his car, I didn’t hurt the people in my car.
Because of fear.
But I didn’t realize how much we are affected by fear, how much we modify our actions by fear. Now I am not saying that the way they drive in India is right but I just realize how much we as Americans take the fun or spice (pardon the poor Indian humor) out of life in the name of safety (fear). And as a result fail to see how much God protects us on a daily basis. I mean I have a hard time comprehending how I don’t pass dead bodies on the road every ½ kilometer. Then I realize even in our chaos God still holds things together. Look at the world; how bad it is, how many really sick individuals there are. Think about biological or chemical weapons. Think about religious militants. We could very easily kill ourselves off and yet somehow we keep going on. Chaos vs order, dark vs light, good vs evil, a constant battle. Remember that if you are in a place gripped by fear 2Timothy 1:7 tells us that, ‘God did not give us a spirit of timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline.’ And 1John4:18 tells us, “Perfect love drives out fear.”

...Phew... so I am glad I got that out!!!

A rather abrupt ending I know but that is all I had to say. I feel like C-3PO when he is in mid-sentence and he just shuts down. Oh well, good night!
**I swear I am not some crazy Star Wars nut...that was just a random thought, I swear!**

An Update on Special Boy

Sorry for the late update...
Unfortunately it isn't good news. It didn't go so well with "Big Mamma." At the time of the incident we had a team visiting and as you can imagine many were shocked by the sight of Special Boy. So when Suresh asked to take Special Boy it didn't go the way I had hoped. I had advised that we make it sound like we were going to do "Big Mamma" a favor to take the problem child off her hands, instead she saw it as it was; a bunch of people passing judgement on her and trying to take something that she claimed was hers away from her b/c she is a bad person. So she made a huge scene and told us to stay out of her personal business and that she can do whatever she wants to her kids. Needless to say, Special Boy hasn't been around much (I think he has been ordered to stay away). However, he finds away to see me for a quick hug and a prayer.

Please continue to pray for Special Boy and for "Big Mamma," that God would soften her heart and let us take Special Boy.

Special Boy and Me

Trotter, from Revolution, was gettin’ on me about needing to update my blog more but can I just tell you that that isn’t as easy as it sounds. For the past few days I have come to the internet café check my mail and than prepare to make a new post but the connection goes out. So I am sitting here at the café waiting until the connection returns (so far 30 minutes) because I WILL post today! Speaking of Internet, I paid $200 to have connection for Suresh and I in the house but that was 4 months ago. Yesterday a couple of guys from the internet company came to assess my room and said they would be back to make the installation at around 2 or 3pm but I knew better! I’ll keep waiting. It’s probably better this way, if I get internet in my room I will have nothing to blame for not posting more regularly.

The girls at the center are doing well. They are really enjoying the new project I gave them, a simple sling handbag with light hand-embroidery. Their sewing skill level is pretty elementary but the project I chose is simple and allows them to display their embroidery which they LOVE doing. I haven’t even told them about the money that they will make; I am afraid to do that because as it is I can’t get them out of the center to take lunch or close for the evening, once they find out how much they get from each bag they will be busting the locks to get in. Please join with me in praying that each girl would know how much the Lord loves them and wants the best for their lives.

Below are pictures of Special Boy’s burns (just so you would know how bad it really was).

Special Boy's Leg

Special Boy's Hand

Quick Prayer Request

(Please forgive the spelling/grammer I wrote this quickly)
At the red-light area there is one boy who I think is real special. I creatively call him "Special Boy." He was the child of a prostitute, the son of a "John." When his mother gave birth she took off and left her son behind. Over the past couple months I noticed that he is treated as the village outcast. Everyone beats on him (sometime he deserves it as you can imagine he acts out a lot but no one deserves the treatment this kid gets). We today I go into the Red-light area and notice that Special Boy is not wearing pants. Ok, not completely unusual for India but when he turns towards me I see his little left leg leg has a terrible 6 inch burn down the inside of his thigh. When I see it of course I must of looked startled. So I started asking who did this and then he showed me his hand; 1/2 of it is covered in a blister from being burn. I guess he runs away a lot (I wonder why) and so as punishment they burned him.
Please pray as tomorrow I am going to speak to "Big Mamma" about taking him out of there and putting him in either the RH Home or Suresh's home. Please pray for the staff members at the RH home that if SB comes to the home that they be prepared to deal with the many issues and difficulties that will arrise as we care for this child.
I will post a picture of him so you have a face with the "name."

Hindus believe today and the next 2 days are auspicious days for marriages so they cram in as many marriages as possible. But at 2am in the morning when I was awoken by the piercing sounds of a wedding band, I thought to myself how could it get an worse than this. Well, it is now 6pm and time for the Sai Baba temple to broadcast their chantings for 2 hours. So now the temple is chanting over their 1940 staticy megaphone and the wedding band continues to play. It is like some weird battle of the bands. I kind of feel like a prisoner of war and they doing some psychological mind melt on me. Please pray for me!

.....Ok, so that was a couple of days ago ,and you know what, it wasn't that bad. For some reason the weddings only went for 24 hours. I'm thinking maybe they moved local so as not to upset the surrounding houses. Anyways, I am so glad that is over!

Love you all!!!

Here I Am

I am sorry friends and family for keeping waiting so long for an entry with real substance. I could blame it on being so busy but the truth of the matter is that a wonderful couple gave me the first season of LOST and I am finding out what all the hype is about. No, but really, since the moment I got back from my holiday with Claire (and I mean the night I got back) I have been pulling double duty. Even now I am on a stage at a double wedding and I am writing this journal entry (by hand to be typed later) just to keep myself from dozing off.

... Well, that is all I got written before it was time to go and now I am in my room. It is 9pm and all I want to do is lay down so not to be rude but I think I am going to put a LOST on and call it a night....

Of course I wouldn’t leave you with nothing...

Below is an entry I wrote a couple months ago but never had the chance to post it.

(Quick prayer request: Joyfulness would carry me through my days here. And that I would be an example of God's love to all the people)

11/27/06

Ok so today was a rather interesting day. At the front of the red-light clinic right at the bottom of the stairs is a liter of brand new baby puppies. So cute, but if I learned anything from the day Dr.Kishore made me hold the baby goat it is to avoid scabbies at all cost which means don’t touch baby animals in India. But while I was at the clinic I heard this atrocious squealing sound. So I looked out the window and there was momma dog and another dog chomping into a live baby pig as it struggled to get away. After I squealed, I thought to myself, is this some kind of twisted wild animal show? Evidently it was entertaining to some because a group of young children sat mesmerized watching the whole thing. I swear kids in India seem fearless. Nothing frightens them. It is very common to see toddlers literally toddling along any road as car, trucks, motor bikes race past them with only inches to spare; no flinching from child or driver and I have never seen a child run into the street.

Anyways, that is how my day started. After I left the red-light area I accompanied the doctor to the hospital where one of our girls from the RH home was having her appendix removed. Little did I know that when they said they wanted me to be there for the surgery, they meant they wanted me THERE for the surgery. Bare foot and with my “surgical mask” firmly tied over my mouth and nose I entered the surgical theater (as they call it). Really it was just a room with a big light and some surgical tools that’s it. The procedure started right away; I watched them cut her, open the cut and cut deeper, clamp the skin, etc. etc. etc. I can save you the gory details. Bottom line is please pray my appendix doesn’t need to come out anytime soon because I will gladly die before I go under the knife in rural India!

And all this was before lunch!

What a crazy life I live!

Claire and I at the Taj!

Doesn't it look like backdrop instead of the real thing?! The whole time I was there I couldn't believe what I was seeing; it seems so unreal.

Escaping India

I am in Goa right now and let me tell you, it is amazing. I don’t even feel like I am in India. Not to diss India but I really needed a break from the craziness. Claire (with the help of the T-Town Life group, my brother and grandma) has put us up at a VERY nice hotel and has arranged massages for us tomorrow.

The beds are amazing; like sleeping on clouds: the mattress has a huge down pillowtop, plus a down comforter and four down pillows. I keep yelling “I’m a princess” and I feel like it. Claire, in her dry sarcastic tone, says that any bed would feel this good after what I’ve been sleeping on. Well, we are going to leave our luxury the day after tomorrow and go to south Goa where there are bamboo hut on the beach. Not sure about the hut part since I can sleep in a hut any day but we will see.

Oh, we got to see the Taj and that was really cool. As soon as I get home I will post some pics.

Love you!

As I promised here are pictures of Lalitha taken at bath time... We ain't in Kansas anymore that's for sure! 

After you bath the baby of course you have to place her over a plate of steamy smokey ambers...right? I mean, what else would you do??? 

baby bath India style 

RH What a Blessing

I am having a wonderful time with the Rockharbor team. It is so great to have familiar faces and good friends around me.

When the team leaves, Claire is staying on and taking me to relax in Goa. I can’t wait. I will definitely post pictures of our time there. Thanks for all of your encouragement and prayers!!!!

Happy New Year!

Galatians 6: 9-10 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we donot give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to to those who belong to the family of believers.

May others experience God's love through you this year.