Eighth and Ninth Days

Sorry to everyone - I was trying to keep up blogging every day, but man, it has been hard to make time for that.  I write too much for you all as well - I know it - but it's taking the place of my journal while I'm here because Becky has just not found time for both with our packed schedule.  Thanks for your patience for whoever is still looking at this.  You're great!  I wish my videos would post, but most haven't been loading properly so I'll have to try that when I return.

Leprosy Colonies: Chettipunyam and Venkatapuram 
 

We went to the leprosy colonies on both Monday and Tuesday this week: Monday's was small; Tuesday's was a pretty good size with lots of new people and many not recorded in our records, so it was especially good to be there for them.  It was a full morning Tuesday, and as I've described previously, it is a very special, humbling experience being with these people who I can't help but note are my Indian siblings.  And how I wish I could speak their language and spend more time with them, hearing their stories, massaging their tired frames, and lifting them in any way they need.

On Monday, I rubbed alcohol on their fingers before pricking them to test Glucose levels - most of them didn't need much of a poke, but then some needed several places pricked til blood would come out - and it was really humbling to have to prick their fingers and cause them pain, even for a moment.  One woman needed it 7 times before any blood came - also, I'm a novice but with her, the nurse even struggled to find a good spot.  For a good number, the calyces are thick so that we need to go deeper.  Many are of course missing some or all of their fingers, and some of their hands are just round stubbs.

Another woman was really sick and hurt quite a bit all over her body.  Her teeth were falling out and stained red and brown from whatever root she chews on, and her body was quite frail.  Even though the pokes were light, she really didn't like it and kept pulling away as I tried to get a reading for her Glucose.  She kept trying to tell me about what was hurting throughout her body, but I couldn't understand the specifics and knew I couldn't take away her pain.  Really wish I could, but her Maker is aware of her - He's aware of each one of us and He has purpose for all we experience.  I don't know hers, but even meeting this woman has helped me double check myself, check my level of gratitude for all that I have, check my patience and kindness for others, and that is good.

Random List of Things I Love Here

- Their English grammar: "eat streets" = street food.  They use "coming" a lot for anything directional.  "This girl coming that road, then she coming this road." = She is taking a street over there and then will turn down this other one to get to you.  "You see my bike.  It coming." = You should see my bike.  I have it here with me today.  "The noise coming.  I go over there.  You make sure nothing coming, okay?" = It's getting loud or Beware of the noise rising in here.  I need to go down the hall for something.  Can you watch over everyone and make sure to keep down the sound, make sure they stay in here and that nothing happens to them?  Never realized what an important word "coming" is!

 

- My early morning runs have been amazing, so therapeutic.  My friend Hannah has been running with me outside of Rising Star on the country roads and then teaching me awesome ab workouts afterwards that hurt so good ;).  I've been grateful not to have had ants with wings flying around us this week.  They filled the sky last week and it felt like we were dodging them while running, trying not to let any get in our mouths, etc.  But we're nearing the rainy season so it has rained a bit in the evenings, and in the mornings following rain, there have been no flying ants! :)  Also, it is sooooo very green here with the skyline full of palmtrees and many other green bushes, grasses, trees and fields.  It is so wonderful to run with that as my terrain.

- Currency is rupees.  So far I've seen the following exchange rates of rupees for one US$: 50.75, 52.25, 54.7.

Super common to see this many on a motorcycle going to school, work or wherever else!

-The power and consequently, the lights, go out here quite a lot, like all day and night.  It's pretty funny, especially when you're in the shower at night!  So we always have a flashlight on us :) and that element just adds to this adventure.  My boys in my family looooove my flashlights, especially the headlamp.  When I'm at the hostel for family time, they beg me to take turns just to hold it and use it for two minutes.  "Auntie, pleeeeease can I use the flashlight?"...like it is something they desperately need :)  So funny.  We take turns and I've been impressed at how willing they are to bring the light back when their turn is up without me even asking for it back.

One of many, many Hindu temples that we see all the time. It's so fun how colorful it is.  They love color!

- That reminds me of night time with the boys when we've colored pictures.  Like I said before, I have one box of crayons that they all share, and their cute little Indian voices in sincere tones ask, "Rebecca, can I please change the color?" over and over.  They are super cute.  Kids will ask my name if they don't know me and then they have to spell it out for me.  The funnest thing was when they were coloring pages from the Harry Potter color book, they would return them to me when they'd colored both sides, and on their pages were all sorts of "I love you Rebecca" notes or their names all over the page or other messages.  Super cute - and it's neat how much they like writing in English because their chances of doing well in this country when they grow up significantly increase when they have great English skills.  Man, I will miss them more than I can express.

There are so many of these huts everywhere.  It's "super"...which is the word everyone uses here for anything great/cool/awesome :)