This last weekend I joined with our church youth group to tackle a very worthwhile and rewarding project. We journeyed about a hour east of town into neighboring Noida to the Saikripa Orphanage to help them prepare for an exicting and momentous event - a wedding! Actually it will be two weddings for girls that were raised by "Autny Anjina" (as she is known by all of her children) who are now adults leading productive lives. They were in need of help to beautify the otherwise gloomy and run-down rooms where the little girls live. The weddings will be held in these same rooms, so we came to do our best to make them look good.
हम अनाथालाये को गाये और उसके दीवारों पर रंग किया. दो लेर्कियाँ थोड़े समय पर शादी शुदा होंगीं - उनके लिए इतने अदभूत होगी !
It was hot, sticky, and crowded, but the kids were in great spirits. The walls had to be sanded first, and then the dust had to be removed as best we could. We prepped the rooms for painting and got down to work painting a pretty pink picked out by Aunty. About half way through the job we were running out of paint, so I took a few of the boys and we headed to the nearby market to get more. It was tough to find the right paint and color, but I was able to use my Hindi to work out the details. It felt good to put some language skill to practical, hands-on use on the street!
It was humbling to see what few possessions these little girls had. At the same time, it was very reassuring to me that there are many good people in India working in a devoted way to tackle the poverty and suffering that is so wide spread here. It was a great experience for my son Z and I to join with local Indian kids and work with them to improve their community. There were a couple other Ex-pat kids (of our friends the Seiperts, who live at the embassy), and after spending the day sweating it out together, we had some great chats reflecting on the privileges we take for granted in America. We will definately make this type of service a regular part of our plans. It may not make much difference in the big scheme of things, but it feels great to accomplish a few small things that bring big smiles.
ये काम करके, हम जानते हैं कि हमारे जीवन मे भुत अशिशे हैं.
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