Today has been my favorite day so far! I got to go to a small colony nicknamed Moot (don't ask me what the real name is because I have no idea), which started out with about 30 residents. Now there are only seven people there, I think. We were supposed to be on the medical team today, but none of the patients have open wounds except for one, so it was pretty much just a big party.

The bus ride took about an hour and a half (and on the way we saw MONKEYS!!!) winding through several small towns and villages, and we finally bumped our way down the road until we got to Moot. I had been wondering a little bit about how I would feel being around people with such severe physical disfigurations, but once I stepped off the bus I felt perfectly fine. They are such beautiful people, and they are individuals just like us. Even from the few hours I spent with them, I noticed distinct personalities and felt a strong love for them.

The person who made himself known the was Jai Raj (meaning "victorious king") or something to that effect, and boy his personality certainly reflected his name! He heartily welcomed us and at once told us he wanted to dance, and dance he did. We had brought an iPod along and he taught us some sweet Indian dance moves! At one point he saw my sunglasses and wanted to try them on. I let him try them on, and he said "Superstar!" Yes, he was quite the superstar.

The others came out and some joined us in dancing and clapping. There was one old man we affectionately named "Wheels" because he got along by pushing himself on a little scooter-type thing. He has no fingers left and his legs are all gone, but he had what looked like sandals strapped to his hands so he could push himself around. The residents there LOVE games! Some people played Jenga and checkers, while a few of us set up a long row of dominos so Wheels could knock them down. He loved to do that, and every time he did he would do a wind up and knock them down with a loud happy noise.

Another thing that amazed me was the incredible things these people could do, even with their little stumps of hands. For example, I sat on a cot that was made all of rope by one of the guys in the colony. It was very impressive and looked like it would take a lot of strength and effort for anybody to make, especially one without working fingers!

The longer I stay here the longer I realize that the people are affecting me and my perspective as much as (or more than) I am affecting them. I learned a lot from a beautiful woman named Surrosha today. Like the other patients, the physical ramifications of leprosy were readily apparent at the first sight of her body. She was extremely teeny, with one leg and maybe one part of a finger left. Her left eye was sunken in. She showed us her tiny abode and began telling her story through a translator who had come with us. It breaks my heart to see what she has been through. Surrosha used to be very beautiful, she said, with long black hair that almost touched the ground. She got leprosy when she was ten, however, and married when she was fourteen. (Actually, she married Wheels). Sadly, her husband mistreated her by beating her a lot. She no longer lives with him, although obviously they still live in the same colony. I was brought to tears, though, as I spent more time with her and learned of the tremendous compassion she has for others. The government gives leprosy patients the equivalent of about 6 dollars a month, which they can use to buy food or other necessary supplies. (Obviously it doesn't last very long). But Surrosha uses part of that money to buy crackers and other little snacks to feed the birds. She also takes care of two cats! She said that sometimes she goes a little hungry, but it is worth it to be able to take care of the birds. Surrosha's compassion goes further than that--even though she never talks to her abusive husband anymore, she still gives him tea or whatever she has prepared because he can't take care of himself. I think that says a lot about the woman she is. It broke my heart to hear that Surrosha compares herself to a one-winged bird. She said she gets so bored, and no one comes to visit her. Although she has a t.v. she isn't even able to enjoy the shows she would like to watch because Jai Raj has taken it over and only watches what he wants to watch. Surrosha, myself, and two other girls were sitting in her house for a long time. The translator had gone to talk with some of the other people, so we resorted to talking with gestures. It was amazing to see that we could still communicate, even though we could not speak Tamil and she could not speak English. She told us through her gestures a little bit about her life, making slaps against her face and kicking her leg out. Then she ran her finger down her face like a tear and put her hands together like she was going to sleep. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that she must really be hurting and lonely, but not really able to do anything about it. She is a woman of great faith, though. One corner of her room had pictures of Jesus Christ plastered to the wall (as well as a picture of some birds). She gestured to Him a lot, and said that she would love to go to church but can't, so she prays there in her room. The four of us spent some very tender moments together, and when it was time to say goodbye she gave us each a kiss on the cheek. As I returned the kiss, I wondered how many times she has been given that sweet assurance of affection. Victims of leprosy are rarely even looked at, and a kiss is absolutely out of the question.

It was extremely hard for me to say goodbye to the people of Moot because I know I will probably never see them again. I know that Rising Star has had a great impact on their lives, however, because Jai Raj told us that the residents no longer have to go to the city to beg since their needs are taken care of by our organization. I don't think I will ever forget those amazing people at Moot! Before I left I said goodbye one more time to everyone, even the "Superstar" Jai Raj. Then we piled in the bus and took the long bumpy ride back.

That experience in itself made my day, but when we got back to the campus we got to enjoy a dance presentation by the school children. They wore these colorful little shirts, and seemed so excited to show the school all they had learned that summer. They were all SO ADORABLE!

After that we got a wonderful thunderstorm. I haven't seen water pouring from the skies with such force in a long, long time. We volunteers were back at the hostel, and had a great time playing in the rain. It felt so refreshing and I loved how we got to bond a little better.

We had a delicious dinner and then I got to go help my little girls with their homework. Every time I go there I love them more and more. I am still having problems remembering all their names, though, so I feel a little twinge of guilt. I got them to write their names, so now I need to take some time and study the school roster so I can pick them out! Pray for me! Haha.

Well, I'm about ready for bed, but I just want to say that a day like this lets me know this is absolutely where I'm supposed to be. Everything feels so right, and I am learning so much. I love India!