Thoughts on India

I’ve been in India for over a month now and I can’t believe how fast my time here is flying by. Life here is crazy, hard, intense, joyful, and more wonderful than I can describe.  Each day and week teaching these kids brings soaring highs and sinking lows.  Exhaustion and frustration intermingle with joy and love. 

The day before I came to India, I went with my dad to see a movie called “The Most Magnificent Marigold Hotel”.  It is about a group of old British people who, for various reasons, move to a hotel in Jaipur, India.  The movie, which filled me with such excitement at the time, now seems so poignant and meaningful to me.  In one scene of the movie, two characters are discussing their experiences in India.  One is a woman who, despite everyone’s best efforts, refuses to leave the hotel or see the wonders of the land in which she finds herself residing.  She spends her time reading and complaining about the climate. The other is a man who fully immerses himself in the chaos of India and experiences the true nature of this country.  He forms bonds with the people and finds himself changing for the better. The woman, feeling miserable and underwhelmed with India, asks the man, “What do you see that I don’t?”  His response, which I wish I could remember in its entirety, is something that has played through my mind countless times since I’ve been here.  He says, “I see light.  I see love.  I see the joy of the people around me.” 

This conversation perfectly illustrates the reality of India.  Those who come here with hardened expectations and a narrow mind will always fail to grasp the spirit of India.  They will find themselves overcome by the heat, the poverty, the odors, the beggars, the filth, and the chaos.  However, those who come here with a willingness to open their eyes, mind, and heart to this crazy world that is so incredibly unlike their own, will see what the man saw and what I see in this country.  They will see the rich and abundant history of the ancient ruins and temples that are so abundant here in this land. They will see the beautiful light from that hot Indian sun filtering through the leaves of the mango trees.  They will see the vibrantly green, open fields of rice surrounded by the horizon of towering palm trees on the edge of the jungle.  They will see the resilience and strength of the people who strenuously labor and fervently pray to keep their families alive in a place of such extreme poverty.  They will see the glowing smiles on the faces of the children playing cricket in the trash-filled fields on the side of the highway.  They will see the love shared between the tiny brother and sister as they grasp each other’s hands and journey alone along the side of the road.  Love, charity, joy, and awe-inspiring faith abound here in this little corner of the world.

I never thought I would feel so content, peaceful, and happy living in a place of such poverty and hardship on the other side of the world.  I never thought I would be so appreciative of a bucket shower or a cold water bottle.  I never thought that I would bond so tightly and quickly with the other volunteers and become like family.  I never thought I would find myself living in a tiny village in rural India, falling madly and deeply in love with 200 children whose lives have been affected by leprosy.  Most of all, I never thought I would find Christ and a renewal of faith amidst this kind of chaos and turmoil.  My gratitude is overwhelming.  Even on my hardest, most exhausting and frustrating days here, I feel the warmth of the people who surround me and have to smile.  I love my little slice of heaven here at Rising Star.  Once again, the words of the man in that movie run through my mind as I think about my life here in India, “I see light.”

I love all of you and I miss you every day.  I have the most amazing family and friends and I can’t wait to see you all again.  I wish you all were here to feel the love of these beautiful children.   I hope, at least, you can feel my love.