With Christmas around the corner, I feel there is so much to catch up on from the last 3 weeks since our last post – we have struggled with the internet and found little time in our super busy schedule – no excuse I know! The fact is, Malene and I are almost set to leave our ‘home’ here and we haven’t even told you all about it yet!
Being ‘kicked out’ of the hospital was one of the luckiest, most fortunate of things to have happened to us since coming to India. It meant we would find the kindest most generous and warmest family – the Gills. Their open hearts and pure loveliness welcomed us into their home and we have spent a very happy 4 weeks there….I just wish we had met them earlier!
It’s a very special feeling when a family open their home to you, offer you food and water and a place to sleep…but here, it’s on another level. The food is wonderful, and the company is even better. We will greatly miss our nights of playing chess, talking with each other and generally laughing the evenings away. From Malene and I, we would like to say a huge thank you for being so amazing, our true Indian family.
As for Christmas, we’ve got a feeling, this year is going to be rather special. My village church back home has very kindly donated some money to be used for the children here, and I must say, it goes a long way in India. The original idea was to get the children (probably just the older ones) some new stationary as their current equipment is holding them back. It turns out, with the most generous of donations, that we can afford to buy a pencil case, 2 pencils, a rubber, a sharpener, a ruler, a pen, a full set of colour pencils (x12) and a blank paper book for all 40 students! It really will be so wonderful to give these gifts to all the children – especially as I will be dressed as Santa…photos to follow.
This Christmas will most definitely be all about giving. Giving back to the children and our Indian family. Saying a huge thank you for all the love and kindness they’ve given us over the last 4 months…
We will cherish the memories we have made together with you and you will always be in our hearts.
Merry Christmas!
Our travels through Asia 