Yesterday's visit to Sevalaya was heartwarming and inspirational to say the least. An organization that began just as an orphanage has now grown to serve 30 plus communities and thousands of people day in and day out. Spending time in the school was my particular favorite portion of our day there. Being able to meet and interact with the children was amazing. The first class visited was full of 3 and 4 year olds that spoke no English. This room made conversation difficult, but the smiles on their faces showed excitement of our presence there. Watching them do their daily routines the children appeared well taught and very well behaved in the school setting. The teacher showed us some of the work they had done and I was amazed at the finger paintings of the alphabet and numbers they had completed and how well done it was for children being just 3 and 4 years old. The next classroom my group visited was full of 13 and 14 year olds. Walking in the room was quiet as they were working on a reading exam. We entered the room quietly trying not to disturb them and that silence was quickly broken by the children asking questions and wanting pictures with us. After a few minutes of trying to keep the class focused and continuing with their reading exam the teacher realized it was a lost cause with us in the room and allowed us to interact with the students. Immediately the children swarmed each of us wanting to know our names and began bombarding is for pictures. Once they got pictures from us the biggest smiles came across their faces. Being in India I have seen that the children are thrilled to see us walk in a room. Seeing the joy on their faces brings warmth to my heart, a smile to my face and tears to my eyes. Coming into this trip I had no idea what to really expect in India. Francis had explained to us, but I was still coming in completely open trying to expect nothing and see what happened. In doing so I have been pleasantly surprised. The country had amazed me. It's a beautiful place full if gorgeous individuals with big hearts and lots of talent. My experiences at Sevalaya yesterday have left me humbled and speechless just like many other adventures endured on this trip thus far. The culture in this country is rich. The history is deep. The future is bright.
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