a lot of moving

The last couple of weeks have been crazy and I haven't taken the opportunity to blog, so sorry! On Sunday September 30th the team and I had to say goodbye to southern India and the wonderful community of friends, neighbors, shoppe keepers, tailors, and co-workers we had there.  We had such an exhausting, but more importantly, wonderful time during our stay at Ashraya Mission. We are SO blessed to have been there when the six lovely ladies finally moved into the home. We hope to have left a lasting impression of the love of Christ on the people we built relationships with in that quaint but bustling town. I will never be able to adequately summarize our 6 weeks spent working there. It was truly a very special time for all of us.

After our tear-filled goodbyes we headed straight for the airport (a 6 hour drive btw) and we were off to Bangkok for a bit of a holiday. We spent a few days in Thailand and a few days in the enigma of Laos.

After Thailand and Laos we headed back to Delhi to get reacquainted to our home away from home, Asha Mission. Those children are simply indescribable and precious. I will most definitely be blogging about them all more in full later.

For the next four days, though, we are taking Hindi lessons in northern India. You've probably never heard of Landour, India.. or perhaps you have. It's a beautiful little Himalayan town built into the side of the mountains. We trudge up and down the steep paths to and from class. We love it here.

I hope I have been able to sum up these last two weeks well. There are dozens more photos and stories to tell, which I may or may not keep for my memory only. For now I am tucked into my bed with a pair of recently purchased woolen booties keeping my toes warm.

Until next time, nameste.

8 days

As I type this we have 8 days left here at Ashraya Mission. This community is so wonderful. It's much more rural than the crowded streets of Delhi. The weather here is beautiful, hardly ever reaching 85 degrees. The market is close, and all of our friends and the staff of Ashraya is even closer. There are so many things I will miss about being here. The girls of Ashraya, of course. Getting to know them over the past two weeks has been so wonderful. Even though we don't speak the same language, living with a person and bonding with them over such things like dancing and teethbrushing together brings you close. We took the girls to get icecream at our favorite soda shop in the market last week and they had SO much fun. They could hardly contain their excitement as we rode to the market in auto-rickshaws.

A few other things I will miss about this cozy town:

Looking out the office door while working at the desk and being greeted by the neighborhood kids.

Hanging out with this little nugget. For those that don't know, this is Blessy. She was abandoned at a nearby train station. The Christian community here has taken her in. She lives in the orphanage up the road. She has so much personality and spunk. She is the coolest baby in the world.

Helping Yallawa in the kitchen is always fun. Although sometimes we make messes. Well, I make messes. The other day we were making coconut chutni. I plugged in the blinder (without the top on the mixer) and the machine was already switched to the On position. Chutni pieces went everywhere.

This is how we get our milk. The dude comes by every other day and pours us fresh milk into our designated milk bowl. The word for milk in Kannada is "dude". So, we call this guy the Dude dude.

These are just a handful of things that have become comforts of our home here, but our work is not done. On September 30 the team and I head to Thailand for our fall break then we're off to Delhi after that for the remainder of the internship.

8 girls, 1 bathroom

With the exception of having female roommates in college I have never known what it is like to have sisters.  I have three brothers, two older and one younger. It always baffled people's minds when they find out I'm the only girl with three boys in the family. “What's it like?” they ask. It's just normal for me, totally used to it. Dirty bathrooms, smelly laundry, bro' talk... the usual. A little over a week ago 6 girls (ages 12-24) moved into Ashraya Mission, finally! We all call each other sisters, I love it.

The eight of us (KB and I, and the 6 girls) share one bathroom. We manage to keep it all clean-ish. KB and I are woken up every morning anywhere between 5 and 6am to shouts of "Katie Sister! Hannah Sister! Good morning!" Sometimes we aren't as enthusiastic to be waking up.

With this many females hustling and bustling about the house, clean up time is over within minutes. There are many chores to be done though- COOKING, sweeping, mopping, and laundry just to name a few. They girls are eager to pitch in- they outwork every American I've ever met. They have sewing and school lessons from 10am-5pm everyday. They never complain, or at least I don't think they do. Did I mention KB and I speak  no Kannada and the girls speak no English? This provides for some very interesting and hilarious interactions.

Although sometimes it can be very frustrating.  I have had to move my homework time from mornings to late at night, hoping the girls will get to sleep so I can concentrate. That's the only complaint I would have if you twisted my arm.

I wouldn't change it for the world, though. Meeting and living with these girls is my favorite gift God has ever given me. We all prayed SO hard for them to get to Ashraya Mission, and we have been living with them for almost 2 weeks now. They have each been through so much. All but one of them have witnessed their mother die. None of them know who their father is. Many of them have worked as prostitutes or as laborers to support themselves, their siblings, and/or their children. None of them have graduated from high school. But don't let this fool you. These girls are learning to dream big. Three of them are working towards applying for a nursing program in about a year, and one girl wants to become a police officer. How great that these girls are thinking beyond becoming seamstresses.

I have learned more from them than I could ever hope for. Always work hard, laugh hard, dance and be silly, be open and honest, don't be ashamed about your past no matter what it is filled with, and be thankful. They are each so thankful for Ashraya Mission, and I am thankful for them.