The heart is blessed;
It is in giving-not seeking gifts-
We find our quest. -Anon.
Well, now that I've finally gotten over the depressing bit about leaving India, I've got some mood to blog about my absolutely wonderful trip that lasted for 10 days and became a life changing experience for me. So, you guys can stop pestering me about not blogging okay? ;)
It's beautiful over there. People find Paris a beautiful place because of the eccentric buildings; some people find Hawaii a beautiful place because of the nice clean beaches and the scenery; some people find Egypt a beautiful place because of the endless yet wonderful deserts. I found India beautiful because of everything they had there. I didn't get a chance to see the Taj Mahal or any other famous tourist spot, but I was given a wonderful opportunity to meet the people there, taste the most authentic Indian food, learn the Indian traditions and even walk among disorganized and dirty streets. It's not the cleanest and most hygienic place in the world, but it's the most beautiful country I've ever been to in the past 16 years of my life.
My 11 team members and I were in the state of Kerala; literally meant as the Land of Coconuts. Most of you might not know where Kerala is, well fyi it's down south of India, further down south from Madras/ Chennai. The weather was hot there, but it didn't stop any of us from enjoying ourselves while doing God's work. Generally, the people there were really friendly and honest, even the businessmen. We knew they weren't ripping us of our money because they had price tags on each of their products and still they allowed us to bargain for a few Rupees less. The food there was delicious, and clean enough for the 12 of us not to fall sick in any severe way due to food poisoning during the 10 days that we were there. They have the best fruits and though the whole state is filled with trees after trees of coconuts, nobody sells coconuts in the streets; but coconut drinks are a formal way of welcoming guests, according to Kerala's traditions.
Best ever mamak food!! Some of us were pretty sick of eating Indian food three times a day for 10 days and decided against eating anymore mamak food in the next 6 months or so. But I guess even then, eating mamak food won't ever be the same again for me. The Roti Pratta they serve there is the best you can find, their Tandoori chicken is like paradise and even their Chai/Teh Tarik is overwhelming in flavour. I'm tempting you guys now aren't I? But, I must continue!! Their curry spices are majestic! You'll never be able to find anything else like that anywhere else!!! They serve ice creams for dessert too and it's also the best! Have I talked about their fruits? Who knew bananas came in the colour red?? It's much more delicious than yellow bananas, and as a bonus...it's double the normal size too!! They also have sweet bananas that come in the size of your index finger!! Super cute!! Not the size of my finger though, my finger's too small! =P Besides that, their coconuts are awesome too, and the flesh of the coconut is smooth and soft!! Yumm!! Lastly, they have the best pineapples in the whole wide world!! The people there eat pineapples everyday with their lunch, and sometimes they replace pineapples with bananas.
-imagine this in your own backyard, beautiful yeah?-
The Team
I was blessed to be able to work with the best team on this mission trip. There was no one less and no one more in our team, it was perfectly knitted together by God. We didn't really know one another so well before the mission trip, and we're all from different cliques of friends...but everything turned out so well. We got along perfectly all throughout the 10 days of our mission trip. Best of all, I feel like we've become a very close knitted group of friends, like a family even. So close, that my team is part of the reason I'm missing India so much as well. But it won't be long now before I get to see all of them back in Melbourne!! Yay!
Children and Medical Ministry
I could show you more pictures!! I'll post up lots more as soon as I get them from Eugene, promise! I can be a qualified Pharmacist! ;) So-called. For one, I know that Panadol is actually called Paracetamol, there's another pain killer called Diclofenac, and anitbiotics are Amoxycillin. Lots more-lah, but you get the idea. LoL...I've done check-ups on people with a stethoscope! Sort of. But I couldn't hear my own heart beat! LoL. Not heartless-lah Meanie!! I could probably extract a tooth for you if you want it done for free!! LoL...I've watched Ling Earn inject anesthetic, use a screw-driver to loosen the tooth and a plier to pull, not just one, but 2-3 teeth out. I learned lots this trip, and I'm so thankful to God for giving me this chance to go and do His works.
The children are beautiful people, with real big hearts. It was officially, my first time taking over the whole Sunday School on my own. Well, not literally of course, God was with me and I had a few of my team members to help me out; but it was my first time taking control of the whole thing. At first, I was a bit unsure about what to do but I know that God was there to help me and I really enjoyed myself just serving God and teaching the kids. It's so fun to see them getting so wonderfully happy and content over the smallest things, and it's such a joy to teach them because they really appreciate everything you do for them. For all those of you whom I've spoken to about India, you would have heard me say that these children's smiles are like a blinding light from heaven, and I'll show you what I really mean when I get all those pictures of them...
Until I went to India, and came back with all those good memories, I cannot agree more with the quote by Anon which I have attached above.
Goodbye
Saying goodbye after 10 days was really hard, for all of us even. It took us all awhile to leave the orphanage, took us a while more to say goodbye and awhile more to let go of the children from our arms. A much longer time, to get them out of our hearts and minds, only God knows when they'll be erased from our memory. Saying goodbye, to the children, to the good food, to the beautiful coconut trees and to the people was just so emotional for all of us. Though none of us bawled our eyes out, we could just feel the sadness in each of our hearts, which was too deep to be expressed by tears.
I'll show you some of their sunsets which I managed to capture. Those were rare moments because we usually worked, or at least enjoyed ourselves while working until it was dark.
And another on my last day there.
Beautiful isn't it? How can one not fall in love with that place huh? It was quite hard to take this last picture because we were in the bus on the way to dinner and it was moving super fast, but the colour of the sky turned out anyway.
Now, after saying goodbye to one beautiful place, and too many beautiful people, I need to say goodbye again to my friends in Malaysia; and of course, goodbye to my summer vacation. Am I excited to go back to Australia? In some ways, yes; in some, no. LoL. Anyhow, I've pretty much enjoyed my stay here in Malaysia but it's about time's up for me to get back down to earth where real things matter.
Au Revoir
I should go now, and I shouldn't hold you, my faithful reader, back from your own life any longer. ;) Take care and God bless! I love you.
Love,
Audrey.
Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say. -Exodus 4:12
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