इन्देपेंदांस!!!

India’s National Anthem

Jana-gana-mana adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vihata
Pujab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchhala-jaladhi-taranga.
Tava shubha name jage,
Tava shubha asisa mage,
Gahe tava jaya gatha.
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

Composed by: Rabindranath टगोर

सुच इस लाइफ.

I worked so hard again today,
And taught a widow macramé.
Ever busy was our day,
Just barely finding the time to pray.
I thought myself into a headache today,
So thankful for His promise to stay.
It rains and pours for hours each day,
Still they’re thankful for a sky so grey.
Together, we laughed so much today,
My belly now sore from what she did say.
Her and I, we’re like sisters today,
We’ll be together, come what may.
My daddy cried for me today,
Silently on my bed I lay.
I hurt someone badly on this day,
I’m a human, it’s just our way.
My sweet mum kissed my cheek today,
I felt it softly from miles away.
They’ll love me forever, everyday…
Though I’m unworthy, I silently say.
Mistakes I made aplenty all day,
Perfection is lacking, I’m beginning to fray.
Still I’ll try tomorrow and the next day,
To follow His wisdom and obey.
I know God molded me today,
My shape coming together from that big heap of clay.

He gave us hands...

I have always loved hands. One of the first things you see a baby do is lock their tiny fingers around their mother and father’s hand. As a child, the times I felt the safest were those times spent wrapped in my daddy’s arms or walking down the street with my little hand engulfed in his huge palm and work roughened fingers. To this day, when I‘m feeling down, I want nothing more than to feel my mom’s hands rubbing my back. Probably one of the most endearing scenes is that of a couple holding hands, so happy and in love.

We do so much with our hands…we work, we create, we write, we express emotions, we show others love or hate depending on our decisions, we live. They are, in my opinion, one of God’s greatest creations.

One day this week, when I was finished teaching, I sat on the floor and played with a four year old girl named Suman. She didn’t speak to me, but slowly became comfortable and offered a shy smile from time to time. I looked at her dusty little hands thinking to myself how utterly adorable this child is. My camera was laying on the floor next to me and glancing at her hand holding mine, I decided I absolutely needed to take a picture of the trust that tight little grip represented. I hope you enjoy the photos…..♥Nebin

"How beautiful the hands that served."

Let it rain....Let in Pour

The season is monsoon season……That means that air that use to make you feel like you are in a oven, now is cool and wet. When I say wet I mean wet. Through out the night you will hear it, through the day you will see it, and when you need to go out, you will feel it. Our journey to the widow’s home and school has become very exciting, we have to make our way through the mud slide that once was a road. We walk through the mango garden like usual but now we skip through big puddles or small ponds on random bricks. Sometimes you can’t even see the bricks. Just this week, someone passed us and said, “ better rinse off your feet I just saw someone going to the bathroom there.” Oh the weather in India. But as the rain steadily falls I am reminded of a song which I don’t know the words to but one part goes, “ Let your fall…over me..” This song means let God’s rain fall over us….SO as it rains and rains and even though it is muddy and wet, I give thanks for it and hope that is cleansing this once hot and dry land.

Back to school, I see.

Rule #1: Work hard and do your very best.

Rule #2: Respect your teachers.

Rule #3: Play nicely with eachother.

Rule #4: Eat your fruits before break.

Apartment:sorry it got a little messed up

The view from the top

These are the two beds: Left is Nebins and Right is Mine
The other side of the room: As of Thursday, the couch wasn't there..

Walking up to our roof....and then you see two doors to the left
The left door lead you to the bathroom, living room, and kitchen, the right leads you to the bedroom

Some might question, “What does Nebin’s and Jessica’s room look like?” Well over the past week, without even talking about it started to clean and rearrange our room and whole flat. Even though we didn’t add or buy anything extra, we began to feel like it was more “ours”. It is funny what changing a bed from on side of a wall to another will do. Since I am excited about the changes I thought I would give you a photo tour.
Peace and love
Jessica

This is the veiw from outside the doors

Not quite Siamese twins...but almost.

What does one do when your family and friends are on the other side of the planet?

How would someone go about living in India for 9 months without previously knowing the people they stay with there?

I'll tell you how...you put two crazy girls together and call them team mates and hope everything works out...

Thank the Lord that for us...it works.

"So you knew each other before coming here?" they ask us when we introduce ourselves. Sometimes we explain that we attended the same church, yet before January 20th barely saw each other. Other times we just look at each other and give a little laugh and answer, "Weeellll...sorta."

It's been nearly six months that we've been together and looking back at the first day we started this journey, it is almost funny. We've come from knowing only each other's names to reading each other's minds and I could not be more thankful for such a good friend to live with here in India.

There are days since being here where I have felt downright miserable and days where I would love to simply see my family. But being here with Jess is the next best thing. She has become practically like a sister and no matter how tired or grouchy we are...we manage to get along and even have a good time.

And now that more people know us...the question isn't "Did you know each other before." Now if someone sees us and the other isn't around, it's "Where's your other half?"