India is AMAZING!

Hello all,
A Story for you...
Life in India has been quite intriguing since I last emailed all of you. It has rained a lot more and, because of this, enjoyable experiences have come our way. One night, some of my team members and I were in a cab returning from dinner at the Blue Sky Café on Sutter Street, a place about 10 minutes from our hotel. The rain had started while we were eating and continued for a while after. Well, because of the rain, the traffic was very backed up and the narrow streets didn’t help either. Adam Carpenter, the Focus International Director at Azusa Pacific University, who had come to visit us and see how we were doing, had a flight that night and time was running out for him to make his flight as we, Jenna, Cori, Mandy, Adam, Katie and I, were all sitting parked on the street while it was pouring outside. All of us decided to walk in the rain back to our hotel so that Adam could make his flight on time. What an experience that was! Most of us were soaked. There were many puddles and I was trying not to think of everything that surfaced the ground. Overall, the experience of walking in the rain was fun and unforgettable. Oh and...I have segment of our time sitting in the cab recorded. Ask me to show you when we come back! It's pretty cool!

The Homes...
Working at the homes, Daya Dan and Kalighat, have been very good. I have grown to really appreciate all my students, Rakesh, Justice, Sumedh, Sudan, and Rahul. They have a ton of potential and have a great deal of energy. It is going to be sad leaving them this coming Sunday, the 7th of June, as this day will be my last day working in the homes. Working here has reminded me of exactly how much we have in the states when it comes to school supplies, teachers, facilities, and more. Regardless of their situation, these students are a happy bunch and I am honored to have spent time with them.
Koligat has been a great experience. Shushume’s wound on her leg has gotten so much better than it was before. The wound covered the majority of her leg and, now, it is inches wide. Praise God! Another woman named Mary always has a positive spirit and I get excited to massage her arms with cream and converse with her. It is such a delight, aside from the pain and suffering, to find such joyful people in this home. The ladies are so lovable and nice.

I found a cool place...
Throughout our walks in the city, I came across an Armenian College. I know, shocking, yet so GREAT. When I first looked at the gold print on a large blue gate I, at first, thought to myself that I must have read it wrong. Surely enough, when I read it again, it really was an Armenian College. I was excited to find such a place in India. Because of my busy schedule, I had one opportunity to visit this college and, unfortunately, no one was there; they were all at a picnic that day. I am hoping to visit once more before I go.

One last thing...
Ok so, many of you know that Haera does not handle looking at wounds very well. So, since I am in India and had the opportunity to assist in a wound clinic, I went about facing my fear of looking at wounds or blood because I feel faint and nauseated when I did so. It's all in the mind...
I walked into a wound clinic and watched my teammate, Mandy, an amazing roommate by the way, do some wound care and then went ahead a started taking care of wounds myself! It's is so a God thing! I love conquering fears!

Until next time...
-Haera