The York India Trip

Greetings all, from the unrecognized MVPs of the trip Moitaiboss (shaved head), Naitai (giraffe) and Dani. We are down to the last couple days of our trip and are moments away from having to say our goodbyes to everybody we’ve met. We have made lots of friends, especially Moitaiboss, and we cannot walk through the orphanage without hearing “DK Brother” or “Dani Aunty” or… “What’s your name?” The past couple of days at FFC have been very busy, as we are all trying to squeeze everything in before we go home.

Although our arrival in India was only three weeks ago, reminiscing on all we have accomplished during our stay makes the memory seem distant.** From our first impressions at Ideal Beach Resort to our more recent experiences at FFC, we have been left with a collection of memories that will last us a lifetime. We jumped right into the numerous projects that awaited us at FFC as soon as we arrived. Some of the first projects included organizing all the donations that the York community generously provided and delivering them to the orphanage’s different locations. We worked with the babies, toddlers, and even sat in FFC’s grade one dance class when the Dance Master came to visit. By the end of the trip, we have all become Dance Masters. Two murals have been painted: one in the Special Care play room and another in the brand new baby room that we have refurbished.*** Shout out to Brigitte, who woke up at the ungodly hour of 6:30 this morning and worked diligently throughout the day to complete the mural before the babies moved in. Unfortunately, we did not manage to remove the turpentine fumes from the room and some of us have felt the effects more than others.**** Meanwhile, the kids at GPS have managed to dig through rocks and assemble a new playground for those living in the settlements.

Here at FFC, we just took a break from the blog to eat dinner and share our final round of Roses and Thorns. For those unfamiliar with Roses and Thorns, it is an opportunity for everyone to share the best and worst moments of that day. However, Roses and Thorns tonight provided more of an opportunity to reflect on the trip as a whole and what each of us has gained. As a group, we have all strived to experience every component of life at FFC and have lived by the motto “no regrets.” Tonight, we were able to appreciate what we have learned through everything we have accomplished. The word “orphanage” took on a new meaning when we took a step back and realized that the kids here, our new friends, are extremely fortunate to be provided for by this extraordinary organization. To see them so happy made us realize the impact FFC has on their lives. We can only imagine where some of these children would be without their home here and we all are extremely proud to be a part of it.

That being said, a bittersweet atmosphere lingers among the group as we prepare for our departure. We have learned to call Podanur our home and, while we are excited to see our families, leaving the community we have become a part of will be tough.

Love,

Dmitri, Aidan and Dani

P.S. Parents, we are arriving Friday afternoon at 1:30, terminal one. Please don’t forget!

** As Dmitri would say, “Despite the fact we arrived only three weeks ago, the memory of it seems to get farther and farther away as more and more memories are instilled upon us as the trip goes on.”

***As Dmitri would say, “We are now leaving FFC with two new murals: one in the Special Care play room and another in the brand new baby room we have refurbished.”

**** Dmitri: “YARP!”

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Hello from GPS!

We are finally bringing you some photos of our activities at the school and the settlement. As stated in the last post, internet is often very slow or unavailable due to bad connections or daily government imposed blackouts, but we’re happy to finally give you a chance to see the GPS side of life. We have been spending time with the students in the mornings teaching letter sounds and number recognition. We are all impressed by how much they know and how well behaved they are! They love reciting all the English songs they know – and they know many! At the settlement, we have begun building the physical playground structure. Doug, Mike, Jack and Mr. D went to the settlement this morning with the playground engineer to put the pieces together. Allie, Anthea, Anina and I spent our day working with the kids at GPS and rode the bus with them to the settlement at the end of the school day. When we turned the corner to their settlement we pointed to the playground and were completely unprepared for the squeals of excitement that erupted from the bus. It moved us close to tears to feel their joy. The playground will be complete tomorrow afternoon. On Thursday, Sunbeam, our GPS contact, is arranging a little celebration. The GPS kids will be dressed in outfits that we purchased with donation money and we will all go to the settlement and gather at the playground for the official ‘opening ceremonies’. It is hard to believe that we are that close to the end of the trip. Enjoy the photos. We are looking forward to seeing you all soon. Hello 3F!!!

Ms. Faba : )

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