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