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

just One Picture! VII