India:: Visiting a Slum

Hi! Did you wonder if I was ever going to get back to India pictures? I was beginning to!

I have been sick again. Yes. Again.

So it made me curious and I counted 6 days in the past four weeks since we've been home from India that I have NOT had either a cold, a cough, a sore throat, fever, or the stomach flu. I think that's a new record for me! None of the children have even been that sick... but currently Trey and Vivi have fever and colds/coughs. (Which is what I have had since Thursday.) Sure makes me thankful for GOOD HEALTH! Such a blessing!

So onward on the India pictures....

Visiting a slum. This experience is one I feel like I still haven't fully processed... I'm not sure how long it'll take, and I kind of hope it's something I never "get over". 

The ministry we were with began a day school in a slum 7 or 8 years ago. In the last 2 years, most of the slum population (like 70%!!) has came to Christ and dedicated their lives! This is amazing!! Although the likelihood of their lifestyle ever being able to change is small, the people we met were some of the most gracious, welcoming, kind people we have ever had the privilege of meeting! And their JOY was positively radiating! What an experience!!

Most of the homes in the slum are made of woven sticks and/or tarps. Many are no bigger than the size of my dining table. Most cannot be stood up inside of them. None have running water. Rats sneak in at night an nibble on the children's toes... so they have to get good at kicking in their sleep, or the rats could take off whole toes. It's a surreal experience stepping inside of them, however, as they are absolutely SPOTLESSLY clean and organized!! Every single one if these peoples' earthly possessions are neatly lined up and stacked. They spread a tarp or blanket down over the dirt floor in a couple of the homes for us to sit on. And the PRIDE AND JOY on their faces just from having us duck into their homes.... something I'll never forget, and one of the MOST HUMBLING experiences of my life. 

A slum is owned by a slum lord. The slum lord rents the tiny plots of land the homes cover to the family for a price. He has the power to send in traffickers whenever he so desires, so if the children are alone while the parents go to the rock quarries to work, they're liable to taken. The school has given the children the opportunity not only to not have to be child laborers and earn an education, but it has given the children a safe place to be while the parents are gone. Because the 5-7 year olds are often left to tend the babies and little children, they all just come to school. The school children often do their lessons while holding their younger siblings on their lap! It's truly incredible!! 

The teachers that teach in this particular slum are AMAZING!! Their names are Srikanth and Mamatah. They're a married couple, and Srikanth also pastors the church on Sundays. They have no children of their own, but they love and care for all these precious slum children as their own. Neither of them were from a slum, so it's been an incredible dedication for them to serve here. What an example they are!!

Here they come!! I wonder what they're thinking about having Americans here...?!

Sooooo shy!!!

Always with the flowers... :)

Sam explaining how the school came about...

The children LOVED the handclap game... See my little buddy with the yellow flower? Her name is Shideesha. Oh.... that child... I have thought of and prayed for her every single day since leaving there. What a precious little soul...

Handclap with Hannah!

This is inside Shideesha's house.... it was one of the bigger ones. Both of her parents have dedicated their lives to the Lord and been baptized! I'm so honored to have met this family! Caleb is showing Halli they have a fan!! :)

Rakish and John... I could tear up just thinking of them. Jesus, hold these precious children in the palm of Your hand.... 

Hannah found a DARLING little baby!

Teaching a song

You can see the two school huts in the background with the sign...

Sam asked me to pray for the children... Truly cannot express the honor this was.

Passing out fruit snacks... they weren't sure what to think! 

<3

We also passed out Tootsie Pops... that was pretty cute! None of them had ever had a lollipop!!!

My little buddy, Shideesha.

Bryant was an attraction wherever we went!

Darling little girlie

When Caleb discovered it had chocolate in the middle!

:)

This is Raju. He was born with cleft lip & pallet... Sam and the ministry had arranged for it all to be fixed! Raju now can smile! He's precious!!

Shideesha and her family in front of their home (dad's at work) Her siblings are Hope, Caleb & Joy.

Imagine in the rainy season when it rains for 3 months straight.... I can't even.

You can see we were quite the... attraction! :)

Trey playing ball with Sangit and Laurel- special friends we met.

So much more to process...