Education day

The day started out with a morning prayer, announcements, etc.. The kids look so darling in their school uniforms. They wash them every night. The girls' hair is always meticulously done up with those gorgeous red ribbons. When the girls reach the age of 12 or so, they wear a band of cloth looping around the front. They do this for modesty purposes. The women are ALWAYS dressed modestly.

This is the library. Notice a lot of the shelves are empty! Still, they are so grateful for what they have. These kids are extremely smart! They speak English very well. Their reading and writing skills, I would say, surpass the skills of children at home, considering English is their second language. They are so willing to listen and learn. It was exciting to see the students catch on to the concepts I was teaching. With my first student I thought, "YES I'm getting through to him! Now Satish understands adverbs!!" I tutored seven children that day. Although at times the tutoring was a bit tedious and extremely hot, it was gratifying to feel I was making a difference! Time well spent!! These children are the future of India. What they learn here will bless many generations to come.

RECESS! We got to take a break from studies and play with the kids for awhile..

The kids call adult women "Auntie." They love to grab my camera and say, "Auntie, I take your picture!" I help them hold it and show them how.

This is Supa running her hands down my hair. She always has a huge hug for me. I can tell she is a very special little girl.

These kids are so fun. They really have a blessed life here at Rising Star.

After a couple more hours of studying we walked to lunch.

This is Pria. She latched on to my sister Denie from the beginning.

We have curry for lunch and curry for dinner every night. To be honest I have a bit of a hard time stomaching it! The curry is usually SUPER hot and I have no idea what's in it! Is it chicken, potatoes, a dumpling? Who knows! Sometimes we do get a side dish that's YUM! Taking the first mystery bite makes me a little nervous. While eating in India you only eat with your right hand, because your left hand is your dirty wiping hand, and you must remove your shoes first. The kids are always sure to remind me if I forget!

Little sweet hearts! All ready for prayers and bed time.

These girls are my buddies. We sit together during prayer time. They want me to sit as close to them as possible. I love it so much! We smile at each other and giggle the whole time. Even girls sitting far away from me will catch my eye, give me a big smile and mouth, "You take my picture?" There is such feeling of love and happiness there. I adore them. They all have amazing potential and a bright future ahead of them. I asked one girl what she wanted to be when she grows up and she said, "Maybe a doctor!" What a great answer. :)

Yay! I'm almost caught up on my blogging. More to come!