Today we took a little day trip to a town called Mamallapuram. This is usually done on Saturday but we are doing dental screenings tomorrow so we switched days. It was a great adventure to be able to walk the streets, shop, eat at a local favorite restaurant and see another part of the sea surrounding India. We got back just in time for a few minutes of play, prayer time and dinner with the kids.
Before I get to the pictures, a little Q & A.
Q: What is the relationship between Rising Star and the leper colonies?
A: 70-80% of the students at Rising Star come from homes with leprosy affected parents. Although the children do not have leprosy, society rejects the entire family unit. Rising Star offers a life-altering opportunity to these children. At their parents request, a child is placed within a Rising Star home where they receive the life necessities they would otherwise go without. This placement greatly reduces their chances of contracting leprosy and creates a promising future for these children. (taken from www.risingstaroutreach.org)
Once a month they hold a day where parents come to visit and play with their children. Beyond that, for about 4 weeks in the summer the children go home to live with their families. Upon their return, and throughout their stay at Rising Star, they are given medical care and proper medications to combat any illnesses they may have been exposed to.
Q: Why isn't Faith posting on the blog?
A: Because she is asleep by the time I can turn on the computer! She has been religiously writing down every detail of this trip in her journal and says she doesn't want the pressure of knowing people will read what she writes. I asked her what was something she wanted to say on the blog and she said this..."All I want to do is pack up our family and friends and move here."
Here are some highlights of our day:
We were inside a shop and Erin left her drink sitting on a table right outside. We looked out and saw this monkey jump down on the table and so I grabbed my camera to take a picture. Within a second, the monkey grabbed her orange soda and took off with it up the pole and on to the roof - never to be seen from again! You can barely see the orange bottle in the next photo. It was crazy funny.
Before I get to the pictures, a little Q & A.
Q: What is the relationship between Rising Star and the leper colonies?
A: 70-80% of the students at Rising Star come from homes with leprosy affected parents. Although the children do not have leprosy, society rejects the entire family unit. Rising Star offers a life-altering opportunity to these children. At their parents request, a child is placed within a Rising Star home where they receive the life necessities they would otherwise go without. This placement greatly reduces their chances of contracting leprosy and creates a promising future for these children. (taken from www.risingstaroutreach.org)
Once a month they hold a day where parents come to visit and play with their children. Beyond that, for about 4 weeks in the summer the children go home to live with their families. Upon their return, and throughout their stay at Rising Star, they are given medical care and proper medications to combat any illnesses they may have been exposed to.
Q: Why isn't Faith posting on the blog?
A: Because she is asleep by the time I can turn on the computer! She has been religiously writing down every detail of this trip in her journal and says she doesn't want the pressure of knowing people will read what she writes. I asked her what was something she wanted to say on the blog and she said this..."All I want to do is pack up our family and friends and move here."
Here are some highlights of our day:
Faith getting custom fit sandals
We were inside a shop and Erin left her drink sitting on a table right outside. We looked out and saw this monkey jump down on the table and so I grabbed my camera to take a picture. Within a second, the monkey grabbed her orange soda and took off with it up the pole and on to the roof - never to be seen from again! You can barely see the orange bottle in the next photo. It was crazy funny.
Lunch was at Moonrakers. It was delish.
Faith ordered a "lime soda". They brought her a glass with fresh squeezed lime juice, a bottle of soda water and a jar of sugar. She mixed the drink and then noticed some floaties. Ants. Ugh.
The beach was incredible with all the fishing boats - I've only seen things like this in pictures. The colors here are amazing.
The sewage running into the sea not so much.
And the most beautiful thing I saw today: HAPPY KIDS!!
Your efforts to document this incredible experience are priceless to us! Faith's desire to pack up family and friends and move there confirms that this trip will be life changing for her. Our prayers are being answered! I'm looking at the clock and see that Aaron will be arriving in a few short hours. Sharing the next week with him will be even better than the first week. Please give him our love and let him know we've prayed for him multiple times as he also made the trek across the world. Again, "Long trip, part of gift." All our love, Nanny and Papa
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