Author: albert

more random ramblings….

angel, marcella, and i stayed with a host family. one of the manav sadhna folks (suresh), his wife, his 1.5 year old son, and his mother live in a small apartment on the 4th floor of a building. they welcomed us into their home and immediately said, please make this your home. you are no longer guests, you are part of the family. they cooked for us, talked with us, showed us their wedding pictures. their little son, Satu, was so adorable. they’ve taught him to clench his fist and yell out a cute “YESSSS!”. anything we needed, they provided for us. it was overwhelming. they had relatively little, but gave everything with open arms.

there are many people who try to help and do service for others. we helped a couple of german fellows who were constructing a shelter out of bamboo for people either waiting to pick up their kids from school or who are just walking by.

some of the best things that i have seen is how everyone inspires each other. supun, angel, and i helped with the re-building of pravin’s house in the slums. we did fairly simple tasks, moving bricks and sand for mortar. but thru these small acts we were able to make a fairly large impression, i believe. when we needed to unload the bricks, it would have taken much longer to carry them person by person. instead, when neighbors saw what we were doing, they were inspired to help make a human chain that moved the bricks like a conveyor belt.

and the generosity from manav sadhna and nirali and everyone is just amazing. we haven’t payed a single rupee yet for our accommodations and almost all of our meals. they have taken care of a lot of the transportation. they have connected us with unbelievable opportunities for service. and at the same time, they have their own programs working this whole time, educating the children in the slums, providing food and health aid for them, etc. but they don’t make the children dependent on them. instead, they educate them and teach them usable skills for vocations.

on a random note, the music, song, and dance in india is amazing. everyone sings and dances, and they do it without hesitation or embarrassment. rather, it is done with pure joy and heart. i will never forget their voices and spirit.

albert

hey all,

hopefully this message will show up on the blog without a problem. there is so much to describe that it is impossible to include everything. first off, i am doing fine. i have been able to make many of the little adjustments that i need to in order to function out here. i am sure i will be repeating some of the things that others have described, but you’ll just have to deal ;-).

there are 16 or so of us here, working with the folks at manav sadhna (spell check?). let me tell you, these guys are wonderful. the things that they do for the people here and not to mention for us btc’ers is amazing. this is unlike any other trip which i have taken. normally i get to visit another country and learn a little about how it operates, how the people are, etc. but on this trip, we really get to see into the hearts of the people, and there is nothing but pure love.

a few tidbits of my experiences:

yesterday, we spent the day at a blind school for kids. i have never spent time with blind people, so this was my first experience. i know that a lot of people with special needs just want to be treated normally, but the funny thing is that i did just see them as normal. these were normal kids who liked to play and sing and talk and hang out. they all had smiles on their faces and did all of the same thing other kids do. by the end of the day, it didn’t make a difference. in fact, these kids have adapted so well that they can play cricket!

the thing that i have learned the most about india is how wonderful the people are. we have had people welcome us into their homes, essentially complete strangers, and let us stay overnight while they also fed us. it is impossible to repay the kindness that we have encountered. but we try. the whole concept behind Be The Cause and manav sadhna is about the cycle of giving that is created by a single kind act.

and i have seen its power. we walked around, handing out little cards with simple messages to “smile”, or “be the change”, etc. one night. people first met us with a bit of suspicion, trying to figure out what we were selling. but when they realized our message was simply one of kindness, we were met with smiles. one person even returned our card with his own positive message written on the back: “there is never a wrong time to do the right thing”.

never mind that there may be poverty here. the happiness and love in this country is simply overwhelming. i hope to take back a little bit of it to the states and plant the seeds there. it will be hard, but making one small difference will be worth it.

sorry for the rambling, but i think it will stay like that ;-). ok, let’s see if this one will post. then i’ll try another.

albert