Some times the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about!

For JoDee

3:00 am Monday

I woke up and quietly said “Are you up?” Jane answered “yes” We tried to fall back asleep but couldn’t. We got up, and climbed into a warm shower. We commented to each other on how easy it was to get clean and I thought about the bucket and picture that had been our bath for the past weeks. Shaved, and went to my closet and flipped a switch and noticed how instantaneously the light responded. I picked through my neatly folded stacks of clean laundry and thought about my new friends and cried for a moment. I ironed my shirt put it on and wrapped a freshly washed red plaid scarf around my neck and remembered the old man on the street I bought it from. I can recall thinking that I might have over paid for it, now it is price-less to me. And I cried again. I gathered my things for work, my camera, the back up of the pictures I took, and my new bicycle seat, a gift from Jane. And with a kiss I was out the door and off to work. Driving into work the road was quiet. I didn’t use my horn once. I thought about the motor rickshaw rides into our village and the faces that greeted us upon our arrival and I cried again. I stopped off at Maverick for a morning hot chocolate and the machine was out of order. It felt a little bit like India and I chuckled. Climbed back into my car with a new bag of jerky and cried again. I’ve gone through the two weeks worth of emails sitting in my in box and re-read a bunch of the posts the kids made from India. I looked at the “just one picture” pictures saw the faces of our teens and the faces of the children and cried again.

I am sorry that I do not have the ability to better share what I am feeling and help you to understand why simply flipping on a light or a putting on a red plaid scarf will bring me to tears. Just know that when I began this journey so many months ago I was told that I would fall in love with my village, with my teens, with the people of India and with the children we taught. I had no idea I would fall so far and so hard.

Thank you JoDee. Thank you Robert. Thank you Eden

All our love,

Jeff and Jane

A Gift from India

It is hard to find the words to describe the whirlwind of the last 17 days. Amazing, Incredible, Surreal, Unexpected, Exhausting,Rewarding and Joyous come to mind instantly, but - maybe I’ll try by picking a few that we have all become a little bit more familiar with over the past year.

Integrity - “ Great leaders do the right thing, even when no one is watching” and let me tell you “everyone” ( well not quite all 1.5 billion people of India ) but everyone we came in contact with was watching “everything” we did. There are watchers, there are listeners and there are doers, and I have never been more proud of what these teens have done and how they exemplified integrity.

Vision & Courage - “If I have seen further, it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants” Sir Isaac Newton - For the teens, it takes a tremendous amount of courage and commitment to travel and teach in a foreign country. For the parents, there is a great deal of uncertainty about sending your children off to make a difference in world. I am grateful for all of the trust, support and sacrifice that all the parents, spouses, children and others have offered in making this trip an overwhelming success. It does not go unnoticed and this experience could not happen without you - so thanks for cheering us on in so many ways!! There are also countless hours of behind the scenes preparation that takes place and I am thankful for those that do so much to make this expedition not just a dream but a reality. No matter how much you prepare or think you are prepared... in India you never know what is just around the corner, it is often unusual and unexpected. Our teens were able to deal with whatever India threw at them and maintain their vision and clarity of purpose.

p.s. - “ It is a normal day in India!!”

Inspiration - I can imagine few things more inspiring than seeing the light in people’s eyes as genuine and lasting friendships are formed. Our expedition was very aptly named “Prakash”!

Service & Learning - Two of my personal favorite projects while in India were:

1. Placing the bricks and continuing to build on the “Pathway of dreams”
2. Painting the classroom, shutters and trim at the school.

I know these were both physical acts of service and probably the longer lasting and more effective service was done through teaching, learning, lifting the spirits of the children and giving them hope of a brighter future. Sometimes it only takes a little spark.

Forgiveness & Gratitude - I had many opportunities to practice and witness both of these virtues come into play on our trip. I would not always choose to use them in the same sentence but here goes... I am extremely grateful for the patience, understanding, flexibility and forgiveness that was shown one to another on this trip. Everyone let the seemingly “little” inconveniences or irritations slide right off their backs and worked extremely well with the “fluid” Indian time schedule. Little things did not turn into big things and hence the big things never happened. Everyone was amazingly helpful and considerate, for this I am truly thankful!!

By the way - here is a picture of the tiger I saw...

- Little known fact, the Royal Bengal Tiger is almost as elusive as the Sasquatch but not quite as elusive as a good nights sleep while in India with 23 amazing high school students and 6 incredible adult leaders, all of whom I am lucky to call my friends!

“It is a gift from India!” and one I will always treasure in my heart.

Chad

Change in Flight Times

The flight from New York is due to arrive 30 minutes early. The current estimated time of landing is 10:42pm. See you there. It could still change. Also, keep in mind that even after they land, all of the teens have to go to the bathroom and look all cute and handsome. To get 34 people to do that takes awhile. It is usually about 30 minutes after they land before we see their smiles.

Dear Indian Market Squatter . . .

. . . please give my phone back.

Sarah

One Final One!

Well we have made it! These past weeks have truly been the most amazing weeks of my life! I have learned so much about myself but also about everyone else i am with, we all have become so close and I really am going to be being with everyone. If I had the chance to do this again I would in a heartbeat, the only thing I regret is that I didn't take that many pictures of everyone! I know that everyone has taken some amazing pictures and I know I will see them all on Facebook but I will not be able to look back and see what I really did. but this really has been such a great experience and I know that none of this could happen with out our great leader Greg Stewart! Thank you everyone that has helped me get here and I promise i lived it to the fullest!
By Sean

Like Beef?

I had a Baconator at a Wendy’s at the airport and it was delightful.

-Andy

I'm surrounded by things I have missed. by Nathan Hogan

Nathan Hogan

Right now I am sitting in JFK eating Wendy’s, surrounded by things that I have missed for so long. Air conditioning, good food, flushable toilets, cleanliness. It feels like I am on a different planet after being in India for two weeks. I look around me at all of the luxuries we have in our country, and I am barraged by a mixture of emotions. Happiness for finally being somewhere familiar, sadness after leaving India and realizing that this experience of a lifetime is almost over, excitement to see my family and friends, and guilt and almost anger. I feel guilty for having enjoyed such an easy life after seeing the difficult conditions of people who I have grown to love, and anger when I look around me and see commercialism, and people so obsessed with themselves in nice clothes and buying as much as they can, obviously oblivious to the children who have basically nothing that I was with only a matter of days ago.
I remember one bus ride, where after being glued to the window, unable to take my eyes away from the unbelievable scenes that were flying by outside the window. I saw pitiful people lying on the side of the road in rags, and the look in their eyes told all of the pain and sorrow they had felt throughout their lives. Long after the bus had passed them, I sat in shock wishing I could do something for them.
With the plight of these people still fresh on my mind, we continued driving. Still unable to tear my eyes away from the scenery, I looked up and saw a billboard with a photo of the Statue of Liberty, and the sparkling skyscrapers of New York in the background. It looked to me like a magical land of perfection, and I was taken aback. Even though I lived in the same world and had even seen almost that exact view before, it looked completely different with the slums of India in stark contrast below it.
With a few more hours on the bus, I had a lot of time to contemplate the experience I had just had. This experience has given me a new perspective on life. Before, I was like the people I am now among in this airport, selfish and living a life where I took everything I had for granted. I now realize that halfway around the globe, there are people who live lives that I can still only imagine, even though I have had a taste of what they experience as a flew by them and looked into the dark filthiness of their huts and into their eyes. I cannot ignore that now. For the rest of my life, I will live with these people always in the back of my mind. The thought of them will play a part in every decision I make. I will never take anything for granted again, and I will make my decisions so that I won’t feel guilty because of my selfishness.

Back on American Soil!

Hey all, operation Prakash has made it back to America! We are currently at JFK airport and everyone is filling up on American food. If I can get someone to blog I will but all the teens say they will be home soon enough that you don't need an update. Oh well I tried! See you at 11:15ish!
Greg

December 3rd! Flight Info

Currently your teens are scheduled to arrive in Salt Lake on Delta Flight #0795 at 11:15 PM from JFK.

We will keep you updated if there is any change in the schedule. You never know!

10 best things about tiger camp

So as Chad and I were having our straight shave at the Hotel Taj Bengal, awaiting our sauna, massage and steam bath treatment I was thinking about my ten favorite things about Tiger Camp.

#10 A big hive of bees outside the Cobabe’s cottage. It was huge, thousands of bees. The tiger camp staff said, “Its ok. You don’t disturb, they don’t disturb.” That makes me feel better. (Also the real life food chain going on in the drop ceiling above my bed. Something is getting killed up there.)

#9 Ringing a bell whenever anything important is going on. A piercing bell, you can’t miss it. It could be tea, a tiger movie, a walk to a village or maybe a dramatic play about a tiger goddess.

#8 Late night card games in the watchtower and card games on the boat. Listening to the teens telling each other how much they have loved their experience or how they don’t want to go home.

#7 Push up challenge. So the teen boys started a little pushup game. Whenever you said the word “mine” you would have to do 10 pushups. Some adult leaders and I sweetened the challenge a little and added the word “like.” I never realized how many times I said “like” especially like when there are like a bunch of like teens around. I’m sore today.

#6 Baby crocodiles lying in the mud, fiddler crabs and monkeys. Our translator Abivjeet asking me if I got to see all the mud today. He thinks it’s pretty funny we don’t see any tigers only mud. The guide got pretty angry with him.

#5 Pork and beans and something that tasted much like tuna oatmeal for breakfast. Yummy. Luckily for the great little bananas.

#4 Scalding hot water delivered in a big silver bucket to your hut on demand. A hot bucket bath shower. What more could you ask for?

#3 Bonfires with eucalyptus leaves and other spices burning as you watch folk dances and listen to songs.

#2 Listening to our guide Naranjan Raptan tell his story of survival when he and his uncle were attacked by a tiger. His uncle threw himself over Naranjan and saved him. His uncle didn’t make it. Then listening while Chad told it again in English.

#1 Enjoying a little down time with some great friends.

Greg

She is My Sister

I was blessed with a tremendous experience while in Baruipur, West Bengal. In the village schools and the day boarding school, it is not difficult to establish an emotional connection to any number of the children. They are so willing to open their hearts and make room for us and we come with the intent to find room in our hearts for them.

They eagerly anticipate our arrival and as the week goes on, the welcoming committee grows larger and larger. As every day passes, you become less concerned with the shower in a bucket, the ants in your bed or the complete lack of privacy. You wake up looking forward to the next moment with your new found friends.

In my village school, I made a very special connection with a group of girls in their early 20's and 30's. Soma, Bianca, Pimu and Namindar were a bright spot in my day and I couldn't help but smile and feel uplifted each day as I arrived and they greeted me with a beautiful grin.

As my teens ran the education groups, these girls would sit by side and fill my time with questions about life in the United States and attempts to teach me Bengali. By day three it was clear to me, upon departing, my heart would ache the most for these girls. They were now my dear friends.

On several different days, at different times, I would cry when considering the thought of leaving or how I how I could successfully communicate I loved them dearly with such a prominent language barrier. Each time they would see my cry, they would adamantly grab my face, wipe my tears and say, "NO crying. Happy." We would giggle a bit together, but sometimes I would have to excuse myself because I was overwhelmed by my emotions.

Our final day at the village school came and I was not mistaken, departure was extremely difficult. These beautiful women, who had encouraged me to maintain my composure all week broke down and sobbed as they thanked us for making their dreams come true. My heart feels heavy when I think about never hugging them again, but my heart also feel joyful when I think about what my teens taught them and the increased opportunities for success and happiness they have pushed them towards.

That evening a number of the mothers of the village students, women from Nishta and one women in particular whom I loved, Namindar, came to Nishtha to perform a spritual ceremony to thank our group for what they had done for Nishtha as an organization and each of the schools. Namindar lost her composure when she saw me in the audience and walked toward me to give me a hug. I laughed a little as she fell apart and grabbing her face I said, "No Crying. Happy."

When the ceremony was over, Namindar brought Mina, the women who runs Nishta over to introduce me. Namindar and Mina spoke back and forth in Bengali for a time and I was completely in the dark. Mina then looked at me and said, "Namindar has no sisters. She says that she loves you and you are her sister."

Namindar is my sister and I love her too. So, what makes more sense than to travel the world to help make her life a little better?

Sarah

Here Comes The Sun by Callie

I know we chose the name for our expedition for a reason so I wanted to talk about the different ways I’ve experienced Prakash (light) while we’ve been here. I don’t know if that really makes a whole lot of sense, but hopefully it will. When the kids lit up when they finally understood something. It’s so cool because with some of the kids they were confused or didn’t understand for a while, but you could tell how excited they were when they finally got the concept we were teaching. When the kids lit up when they answered a question right or said the right word on a flashcard. When the girls would light up as soon as we got to the Day Boarding School. The dinky flashlights at tiger camp that I used instead of trying to stumble around in the dark and almost run into my bed. Light has been shed on me as well. I’ve learned so much while I’ve been here. I’ve learned that I should have a more optimistic attitude and I’ve learned that complaining gets me nowhere fast. It’s reinforced the leadership skills I’ve learned throughout this year. One of my favorite days in the village school was when we were able to hand out school supplies. Those kids were so happy when they got a box of crayons or colored pencils. They lit up then for sure. This one is gonna be cheesy (I guess it all kind of is). I’m usually the first one asleep so I’m “out like a light” every night. Clever, yeah? All the other YMAD kids and the adult leaders have been lights in my life. I’ve looked to them as examples and as people I can go to with anything I need. Which is awesome. When we wave to little kids on the side of the street, their face is the epitome of joy and light. It makes them so happy that someone would care enough to simply wave to them. Finally, the last thing I want to talk about is the smiles. A smile can spread so much light, and like I said before, I’ve been smiling for literally the past week and a half. And other people have been smiling and all this smiling has brought so much light and joy into my life. When I get back to the United States, I want to spread that light even more. Really quickly, these are the top five things I miss: My family, my friends, my mom’s cooking, my bed, and ice. Loves from India! :)

It has been an amazing couple last days

Hi Mom, Hi Dad, Hello everyone, I can not believe I’m going to be home in three days. It went by way to fast and I loved every second of it. I’m going to miss India and my YMAD family. I hope we are all going to stay in touch and be friends. It has been an amazing couple last days. We had stuff to cry about and laugh as well. It was way sad and hard to say good bye to so many awesome girls that I fell in love with. I really do hope that I have made a difference. I will never forget the faces of the little girls that were having so much fun while I was teaching them. They gave me a better perspective on life, my education, and my relationship with my family and friends. During this couple of short weeks I have learned many lessons that I would never learn anywhere else. For the last couple of days we were in tiger camp, looking for tigers..... zero were seen while we spend about 15 hours on the boat. Now we are on our way back to Kolkata and I’m getting really sick from the smooth ride... well we got about 4 hours on this bus so I better get used to it. I miss you Alicia and Neil and I can’t wait to see both of you. Mom we need to have some serious snuggle time. Love you and I hope you still remember that I’m coming home this Saturday. Love, Inna

Saying Bye To India.. by Emily

Saying Bye To India..

Teaching the girls at Nishtha was an amazing and rewarding experience but it was nice to spend the last couple days in India just hanging out with the team at Tiger Camp. Tiger Camp is a resort where you stay in little huts and try to see the endangered Bengali Tiger. From Kolkata we took a bumpy four hour bus ride and then a two hour long boat ride to get to camp right on the Bay of Bengal. At tiger camp we went on long boat rides searching for tigers during the day. Even though we didn't see any real tigers we did see alligators, deers, and lots of monkeys. Last night we saw the local drama about the legend of the Sunderbans. Even though it was in Bengali it was still cool to see how different our cultures are. Its going to be hard to leave such an amazing place that I have learned to love so much. Just coming here for two weeks has changed my perspective on so many things. The people of India have been such examples in my life and have taught me so much about being happy with what you have. I already miss the Nishtha girls and saying goodbye to them has definitely been the hardest thing I have had to do here. This group of teens and adult leaders is amazing and we have worked so well together. Although I am excited to come back and see my family, I will miss everything about India. See you soon!

-EMILY HUNTSMAN

The Eye of the Tiger

The chances are really good that your teens will never see the eye of the Tiger at the Sunderban Tiger Camp. However they will see monkeys, deer, birds and maybe an alligator or two. They are there relaxing and trying to recover from the intense pace and experience of the last week. They all had an amazing time with the children in West Bengal. I am posting 2 websites for you to look at to get a better feel of where the team has been. First, I am posting the Nishta Website. They have been sleeping and eating at the offices of this small humanitarian organization. They have been working with the girls in the Nishta's Day Boarding School. http://www.nishthasisterhood.org/ The second link is to the Sunderban Tiger Camp. http://www.sunderbantigercamp.com/ They spend several hours a day touring the rivers in Sunderban. It is kind of like a mix of the Jungle Cruise in Disneyland and the African Queen. They have zero internet here, so, there will unlikely be anymore posts, unless they have some down time at the airports along the way home. We think it is important for them to have a few days to process their experience before they head back to the United States. We have heard from the leaders that your teens have been amazing. Thanks for being great parents.

JAYNE'S BEST DAY EVER!!

Hey there, today was not our typical day of joy and love. Today was the day of tears, can you believe it came this fast? Yeah.. neither can I! But you have to wait to hear about it because I decided to write about Sunday first. Yesterday was our Cultural Exchange. It began with the miracle of sleeping in! Eventually we arrived at the DBS where everyone met in the prayer room/temple. The program started with us taking a yoga class, then a few solos by some of the school girls, a duo by two of the translators from my village, another solo or two, then we did our songs and dances and it ended with a....nice... modern piece and each of the cultures singing their National Anthems!

After the exchanges we had a crazy dance party to Indian Pop music! The girls went absolutely wild. They clapped and cheered after every song, even if it was cut off early. Let me tell you, that room was blasted hot! A lot of us were whimpy and had to go cool down outside but those girls were jammin’ away the whole time! We turned on some of our pop music but that only last for two songs because the girls didn’t enjoy it as much.

What a crazy time! Later we stopped by Mimi’s(our Nishta representative) before a shopping trip. They gave us some.. Indian food that I don’t know how to explain, it’s like spicy potatoes with a crusted crust over all of it. It was tasty! But my mouth was on fire. Now comes the best part of the whole night. After breathing flames, they gave us..ICE CREAM and boy was it delicious! It was butterscotch and it was the most delightful thing of the whole trip.

Next we went shopping. Let me tell you the reasons I don’t love shopping in this joint.. 1. Because it’s super busy, like Time Square. 2. Because the roads are little and every second is a near death experience. 3. Because all of the stores are blowing hot air instead of cold and 4. Because I hate shopping without you mom! (How am I ever going to grow up?) So I bet you can guess I didn’t purchase anything, but some of the guys got cricket bats, some people got jewelry and I don’t know what else! Walking along the streets and alley ways at night is the most terrifying thing for me, but everyone else is brave so it’s okay. That’s Sunday.
MONDAY: The day of tears. We started by going to our village schools. We spent our time playing games. I was in charge of the parachute which the kids absolutely adore even though they can’t do anything too special with it. The only problem was after they’d lift it up and down so many times half the kids would have dust in their eyes, mouths and up their noses! They all went crazy over it though. At the village school today I also got to jump rope for the first time in ages.. I struggled at first but improved after a few hops but I did learn that jump roping isn’t one of my best talents. We ended our village visit by handing each of the kids some gifts and going on one final home visit. No more raw coconut and puffed rice! (I probably shouldn’t speak too soon.)

Next we arrived at the DBS for the last time. Girls were already crying when we showed up! We ate our lunch and just hung out with the girls until their lunch time. We all have hena on our hands or feet now! The day went by fast because soon their lunch time came, and after that it was time to say bye. We took pictures and met in the prayer room where every single girl in that school broke down. I held up just fine without tears until my bud Mithu came up to me with wet, puffy eyes and then it was my turn to cry along with the girls. Who knew it was possible to fall in love with these kids in one week, language barrier and all? They were all so accepting and full of love. They were constantly bringing us candy and little gifts, even when they have so little. It’s amazing how important we were to these girls. When I got out of the flooded prayer room, I found the highlight of my trip, Sudip. Of course he was going around like a little hoodlum and had really no idea what was going on. He softened my mood for a minute but when I picked him up the tears started coming back and he looked at me with his big eyes, made one of his pouty faces, kissed my cheek and nodded his head, “no, no, no.” He wouldn’t let go for a while and when he did I rushed to the car to make things easier. Soon enough he appeared in the car! Before he got pulled out I said, “I love you!” And he says, “I love you!” back in his little voice. Cute kid.

When the day started, my village group told Stewy that next year they shouldn’t tell the teens when their last day with kids is and one night say, that was the last day at the schools, we’re going home tomorrow (or to Tiger Camp, whatever applies) so that they don’t have to experience the day of sadness because goodbyes are the most difficult experiences! Especially when you know it’s coming.

Don’t worry, we’re stoked for Tiger Camp!
(Sorry this picture is blurry, but that’s Mithu.)

Love you, miss you!

Jayne Verhaaren

LESSONS LEARNED

Today was truly a bittersweet day. We had to say goodbye to our girls and it was so incredibly sad but I am happy to know that we were able to do what we could to help them and have so much fun with them. They are beautiful and funny and so so sweet. I realized that even though we were the ones who came to India to teach these kids, they taught me more than I could ever imagine. They showed me what is TRULY IMPORTANT.They taught me LOVE. They taught me the importance of being KIND to EVERYONE. They taught me PATIENCE. They taught me to APPRECIATE all I have in my life and to RECOGNIZE how GOOD my life is. They taught me how lucky I am to have a GOOD EDUCATION. They taught me how to find happiness from WITHIN. They taught me the impact of a SIMPLE SMILE. They taught me the importance of seeing the GOOD in others. They taught me how to LOOK PAST FLAWS and see everyone’s TRUE BEAUTY. They taught me how to LAUGH carelessly. They taught me how to LIVE IN THE MOMENT and to EMBRACE THE NOW. They taught me GRATITUDE. They taught me how POWERFUL the heart is. They taught me to appreciate the amazing PEOPLE in my life. They taught me how to be BRAVE. They taught me ADVENTURE. They taught me that no matter your circumstance, there is GOOD ALL AROUND. I am so blessed to have been able to cross paths with these girls and to learn so much from them. These girls are truly a source of PRAKASH (light) in the world.

-Emma Gochnour

Live in the Moment

So I know that 10 days into my travels is a little late to be telling my family this but for the record, I MADE IT AND IM SAFE! I have had the most amazing experiences here I can’t even begin to describe it. My battle against spicy foods is now over, I have learned how to shave my legs without cutting any of my twenty four mosquito bites, and I have accepted the fact that i have to share my sleeping quarters with spiders, lizards, mice, and flies. Oh and the children here are amazing too! They are all stunning! Their eagerness to learn is truly motivational and I feel i have learned so much from watching these children. Even though the people here are all a lot smaller in size then me I look up to them. They are so happy and welcoming. I had the amazing opportunity to visit some of the homes of the kids in my village school. As soon as we approached their one room huts we were welcomed with open arms and offered coconuts, rice, guava, and anything else they could offer. Even though we had just met these families they already loved us and told us we were welcome in their homes anytime (I might have to take up that offer.)

Today was a bittersweet day. We had to say goodbye to the children knowing we will most likely never see them again. It was amazing to me to see the bonds that were made in such a short amount of time. These children were so willing to open their hearts for us and in return the friendships made were unforgettable. I will never forget little Snigdah, Baby Das, and Rima Ray from our village school and Sampa, Sumona, Purnima, Konka, and Roni from the day boarding school. They will always have a place in my heart. As a gift i made them all matching bracelets as well as one for me so that we will always be connected.

Tomorrow we leave for Tiger camp. Even though i am very sad to leave Nishtha and our village I am excited to embark on our next adventure. Being here in India has taught me to live in the moment and appreciate everything life has to offer.

Mom and dad: I miss you guys so much and am so thankful for the life you have provided for me. You have taught me that i have the power to make anything out of my life and i am so thankful for that perspective. Thanks for always being there for me even when i am being a grumpy teenager. Love you guys! I am who i am today because of you!

Emily: I hope you are having fun in Arizona :) :) :) I am so proud of you and the way you have handled yourself this year. You have no idea how much i look up to you and strive to be just like you. Your not only my sister but my best friend!

Mayzie: I hope your still keeping the family company while im gone. Despite what mom says she really does love it when you sleep on her bed.

Friends: I don’t know how i would get through my highschool years without you guys. The girls here have taught me about the power of friendship and have made me realize that i should never take a good friend for granted!

Hannah Young

Scott's bad 'A' blog

Greetings from India!!! WOW this week has been the greatest adventure of my life! Starting from day one when we left Utah to our day one in India was a long journey. However i was welcomed with a face full of snot from a goat, and a horn in the butt from a cow. Besides the animals, the people here are very kind and greatful with what little they have. Throughout the week we have gone to our villages in the morning and taught the coolest little kids who are eager to learn. Afterwards we go on our village tour and visit many homes. Its crazy to see how a family of four can live in a home the size of my bedroom and be as happy and giving as they are. Every family welcomed us bringing out a chair or mat to sit on, a blessing with a plate of puffed rice, coconut, and some other food I'm not sure the name of. Cars not being able to reach it, we got to take Rickshaws through our village. The older boys favorite thing to do is play with their Lattu’s. Lattu’s are a top made our of wood with a nail through it. they get it to spin by wrapping a string from the bottom to the top and throwing it holding on to the string. Yesterday was our Cultural exchange day. We wore our nice pair of clothes and the girls were decked out in their finest as well. First they preformed a lot of different dances for us which was very cool to see and very different from anything we have in Utah. After a few of their dances, we got up and sang and danced a few numbers for them and then they finished off with a few more. After it was done, we had a huge dance party with all of the girls! It was a little difficult to dance to Indian music at first, but after a few songs we all picked up a few new dance moves and it was a blast! Today was the day we had to say our goodbyes too our villages and ours girls at the school! The hardest thing for me was to say goodbye to Shrabanti who is one of my favorite girls at the day boarding school as well as Rosita and Purnima! I didnt think i would cry until Shrabanti started to cry and asked me if i would be coming back tomorrow. Im getting very excited for the rest of this week. Tomorrow we leave for the Tiger Camp which is going to be awesome! Im excited to go bartering again on the streets in Kolkata and get some sweet stuff! Anyway, im excited to see ya’ll and am eager to get a nice juicy steak!!! Scott Jeppson

The hardest day yet

Today was the hardest day yet. We had to say goodbye to the children in the schools. After only one week of getting to know them I am completely devastated to leave. I have built this amazing friendship with them. They are the cutest, most loving kids in the world. I wanted to take most of them home with me. The day started out with us going to my village school. This is a younger group of kids, ages 3-10 and they are a mix of both girls and boys. We did not teach today. Today was all about having fun and playing with the kids. The little boy that I fell in love with was named Sajeep. He is the cutest thing I have ever seen. He totally loves me. He has these dark long eye lashes and the sweetest smile. I will miss him a lot. The village school did not fully understand that we were never coming back. I guess it is kind of a blessing because we did not have to deal with that hard goodbye. But I hope they don't come into school all disappointed this week. We are the best thing that has ever happened to these kids. We were told my a adult teacher that we were like the Disneyland to them. That was the sweetest thing I have ever heard. After we were done at the village schools we moved on to the day boarding school girls. These are all girls ages 6-14. They all knew that today was our last day together. It was so upsetting. But we made our last day count. We all played games, took pictures, and passed out gifts. I gave a teddy bear to my favorite girl Sarika. When it was time to say goodbye everyone was crying. The saddest part was the girls bawling and asking us not to go. I probably gave a hug to every single girl at least once before we left. Mongola, one of my other favorite girls was sad to see us go. She gave me so many hugs and told me that she loved me.

But the saddest goodbye was with Sarika. While I was hugging her I never wanted to let go. She was crying so hard. I have never had someone cry so hard in my arms. I was a wreck. I knew at some point I would have to, so I looked down into her crying face and I said “I love you with my whole heart, you will always be on my mind, and I will miss you.” I then gave her a hug and a kiss and walked away. I did not look back because I did not want to see her crying for me. I was already a mess. I hope she will be ok and she will do something great in her life. I want her and all the girls to have a better life than what they have now. They deserve so much yet have so little. That is why we came. To change their lives. I know for a fact we made a difference in their lives and they definitely changed mine. When we got in the cars all the girls were on the roof of the school waving and saying goodbye to us. They sang us a song while we drove off. You could also hear them all crying. It was such an emotional day. I have never felt this way before. It is so hard to describe my emotions. I just know that I am so happy I came on this trip. It felt so good to help other people and make them happy. It was great to be the Disneyland. -Holly Christensen

Just One Picture! VIII