Second Day- Vellore, India

Thank you to everyone who helped and supported us in our journey here!

A few of the girls singing to us after the ribbon cutting.

Continuing with our experience, they gave us a huge welcome ceremony with dances to both traditional and western songs. It was nice to hear a bit of home. The kids are extremely talented! We’ve had limited success trying to learn the dances, but the kids love it when we try. On Monday, we got all fancied up with saris and dhotis and flowers. The Sisters were very pleased. We were honored to cut the ribbon at the kitchen dedication ceremony. The previous group saw how rusty the kitchen at the convent’s high school was, and our group raised the money for the new kitchen this year, while the alumnus Al matched what we gave. They were even able to renovate the bathrooms for the kids.

I definitely appreciate ATMs way more now back home; in India, they are only filled once a day, not Sundays, and have a max that you can withdraw because they regularly run out of currency, not to mention difficulty with foreign cards or small tears when exchanging money.

A kid playing with one of the toys we donated. 

Later we got to spend a lot more time with the kids, and we brought out the chalk and Twister game that were in our individual bags. We couldn’t hand it out fast enough! The kids are wonderful, and their enthusiasm and kindness with us is really beautiful- they have fully embraced us, literally and figuratively! They love to teach us how to dance and they all have so much energy! We taught them the Macarena and they picked it up so fast- we have some pros in our midst!

Today we also visited the Golden Temple! We were not able to take pictures because that is prohibited, but it was truly an experience. People stared, children shook our hands, and some people said, “Hello.” It was interesting because no one finds being stared at normal, so we constantly reminded ourselves that most people were just curious. I’m sure as we continue this journey we will experience much of the same reactions.

After returning from the temple, we were able to play games and hang out with the kids some more. Jimmy has even referred to himself as a crane, as he constantly lifts kids up! It was a really fun day today, and tomorrow we have to be ready at 5:30am! Our days are long, but they are filled with so much love and energy from the kids and the Sisters.

We have now figured out how to blog consistently and will be posting a blog every day. Thank you for sticking with us and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!

~Cathy and Morgan

A preview of our bedrooms. 

The group decked out, embracing the culture!