Count your blessings. Count them one by one. Today I’m thankful that the water wasn’t out for long. We have an amazing Maintenance staff here that helped us out right away.
I have a number of different posts started that I have a hard time posting because so much has happened and its hard to sum it all up.
We’ve taught, observed, learned, experienced, gone through every emotion, and smelled the best and worst in Mungeli. Right now it’s hard to explain everything and that’s why blogging is so helpful in examining and dissecting your experiences.
I’m continually dumbfounded by how privileged I am to travel and to come to India. I’ve embarrassed myself quite a bit by asking so many ridiculous questions here. I’ve stopped asking people where they would like to travel because it is so difficult for them. To travel outside of India is almost completely out of the question for most. Traveling inside of India is more manageable but still very difficult for most.
The state we are in the lowest ranking state on the human development index in India. But it’s all very confusing because most of the staff at the hospital are not from the area. I think some are a little offended when I ask if they are from the area.
Grace and I have been making IDs for the school children. It’s been a large task but its been very helpful for us in understanding the demographics of the area, because the forms we receive have quite a bit of biographical information about each family. My heart sank when I saw the average yearly income of most families was less than the amount of money I had withdrawn from the ATM when I got to India.
It’s not common for americans to come here. We get stared at constantly. I’ve had many pictures with strangers who approach me. Entire families will stop us so that they can have a picture of their children with Americans. It’s all very comical at first but I find myself a little annoyed when people randomly stop me just for a photo.
Please be patient with me as I try to get all these things into words because it’s all so different.
I’m amazed with the work that Christian Hospital Mungeli does here and hope that they continue to be so open to foreigners coming to experience this part of India.
iackerman12 