Although we realize that we
threw “normal” out the window when we came on this trip, life in India is
beginning to feel somewhat, well… normal. We thought we’d share a glimpse of
what that looks like for us here at Shishya.
Shishya Home was started over
30 years ago by Ken & Frieda McRae, friends of Amanda’s family. Both Ken
and Frieda came to India on the “hippy trail” back in the 70’s, ended up
finding Christ, finding each other, and devoting the rest of their lives to showing Christ’s
love to the people here. Today, a loving community consisting of a home for 35
boys and a school that serves over 500 children from the surrounding villages
is clear evidence of God’s grace and decades of selfless labor.
We are privileged to join
this community for our six weeks here in India. We live on the bottom floor of
this house, with five other volunteers as our neighbors.
The campus is on a farm,
and everyone has his daily chores to keep things going. It’s amazing to see the
hard work ethic and lack of complaining that these boys have developed at such
a young age. This was especially evident during the wheat harvest, with
everyone working extra long hours, both morning and night, for three weeks. A
special thanks to Jeff & Ade for the end-of-harvest chow mein party!
We have especially loved jumping
into this Shishya family and, in particular, interacting with the boys…
swimming…
play time…
lunch time…
We have also continued to host small groups of boys at our home, to spoil them with a good meal and to spend some more intimate time together.
Last night we celebrated
Ashutosh’s birthday with paneer, cake, and lots of laughter. With four hungry
teenage boys, we were lucky to have any food left in the house at the end of
the night!
We are finding that hospitality
is a tangible way for us to use our gifts to serve together. And as we seek to
encourage the boys and staff here at Shishya, we ourselves are greatly encouraged
along the way.
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