We're Coming Home!

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

Jeremiah 29:11-14 

-T

Serve-Trevor

On a Thursday, towards the end of March, we received a surprise Facebook message from Jeff and Zach that they were going to come down and visit us for the weekend.  The Gilbert boys have been spending the year at a hospital in Nuzvid, about 11 hours away from us.  That Friday morning we looked out our window to see two Gilbert boys walking into our campus.  Just like Brooke’s mom and my mom, Vara and Prem treated us to yet another feast at there house.   For those of you who read this blog, you may be seeing a common trend.  Vara and Prem have blown us away with their hospitality and kindness towards us, and our guests.

The weekend found us feeling a little more American.  We watched movies, played games, and even made brownies.  The principle’s family also had us over for a meal.  Brooke, Sid, and I eat pretty much anything here in India with the exception of meat.  Zach and Jeff on the other hand are true risk takers and had some chicken during the meal.  It’s kind of like playing Russian Roulette when you eat meat over here and unfortunately Jeff and Zach got shot this time.  The 10 hour bus ride between where we live and their place can be not so fun in general, but with upset stomachs, from what I hear from them, hell about describes it.

The fact that Sid, Brooke, and I along with Zach and Jeff Gilbert all ended up in India at the same time, yet alone in the same state of Andhra Pradesh is pretty crazy.  Brooke, Zach, and I were all high school classmates and Jeff and Sid also went to UCA.  It has been a huge relief even just knowing that there are really 5 of us in this together, and when we get together and share stories and frustrations with the culture over here it is interesting to see how similar some of our situations really are.

In case we hadn’t gotten enough Zach and Jeff time, April 4, a Wednesday night found Sid, Brooke, and I on the ten-hour night bus headed to Nuzvid.  This entire year, Ramana has been telling us about his “native place” in great detail and wanting us to visit.  The date finally worked out and since his native place is decently close to Jeff and Zach we decided to go check out their life at the hospital.  We arrived at the Nuzvid hospital where someone showed us down a hallway where Jeff and Zach’s room is.  The air conditioning greeted us as walked into their room, we’re slightly jealous but we can just say we’re more hardcore J.  Zach made us breakfast and then lack of sleep/no sleep that you get on Indian buses caught up with Sid and I and we passed out on Zach and Jeff’s beds.  While we slept Brooke got her nursing on and watched some suturing.

The next day Sid, Brooke, and I rented some rockin hero cycles for an hour (3 rupees each, 6 cents, pretty much broke our wallets.)  Jeff and Zach had bought bikes earlier in the year.  On our fixed gear bikes the five of us biked through Nuzvid and off-roaded through the mango fields, which took some serious talent.  We said goodbye to Jeff and Zach and began our journey to the famous native place.

The bus ride took about three and a half hours, the first half of which was spent standing.  In a side note as I type this you would think I just did the work out off the century since sweat is dripping down my face and body, nope just sitting here typing.  Anyway, Ramana met us at the bus station and the next segment of our trip consisted of a motorcycle ride.  We piled on two bikes with all our luggage and began a motorcycle trip out into the country.  It was dark so we couldn’t really see the landscape but we could tell we definitely were not in the dry fields we were used too.  When we arrived in Ramana’s village, Kaleru, a huge banner greeted us along with many of his family members.

Ramana (Middle) and
His 2 Brothers

We spent the weekend in his village.  Experiences included sleeping on the floor, folding every blanket we could find to try and create some sort of mattress, pumping water into a bucket to bathe three times day since it is more humid and sticky there, drinking coconut water, and providing the entertainment for the entire village.  One afternoon we walked around the village to just look around and by the time we came back to home base and sat down a group of villagers, children, and old ladies, had gathered and just stared at us.

Ramana’s brothers, friends, and extended family who live in that village treated us like royalty.  Pumping water for ourselves was not an option, no mater how hard we tried, suddenly another sets of hands were always on the pump helping us.  We were made meal after meal, always provided with a chair if even seen standing for a moment.  Satish and Buny, two of the boys even massaged our calves and shoulders. Sreenuvas, one of Ramana’s friends would wait while we ate entire meals, just so he could drive us the 5-minute walk back to where we were staying.

Many awkward moments occurred, as we were always the center of attention, for instance eating a meal while five other people just serve you and watch you eat.  But after almost 7 months, awkward has become normal and we just look back and laugh.

The countryside of Kaleru was absolutely beautiful.  Green rice fields spanned until the horizon dotted with coconut trees and divided by canals and rivers.  Ramana’s descriptions of “water free,” “native place, very nice,” and “coconuts free,” had turned out to be completely true.  Well actually the coconuts are just free at night when they sneak into the trees to pick them. Haha

We traveled back to Vijayawada to catch our favorite 10 hour bus.  Jeff and Zach made a one hour journey and meet us there for one last meal together.  We took Ramana out to eat and he and Zach shared some chicken biryani.  It’s crazy to think that they next time we see them will be in America.

Our trip to Kaleru was definitely an experience.  We lived in a true Indian village for a weekend, there are no tourist sites out there, it was just everyday life.  Ramana was like a father proud of his three kids.  The villagers and his family, though they had never met us, spoiled us to no end.  Their happiness was visible through their service.   Kaleru taught me a lot about service.  And someday I hope to be able to serve as these people served me.

-T

Toto, We're Not in Vempalli Anymore-Trevor

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In February you would have found me crossing out the days on the calendar impatiently wanting it to just be the 23^rd  already!  The morning and afternoon of the 23^rd seemed painfully slow.  But finally the Brooke, Sid, and I piled into the van with Ramana and headed to Cuddapah.  When my Mom stepped off that train it was hard for me to believe that she was actually in India.  Just like when Brooke’s mom Tina and Debbie had visited, the next few days consisted of feast after feast of incredible Indian food and showing my Mom all around our Indian home, the school, and villages.

On February 25 my Mom and I took and overnight train to the city of Hyderabad, the capital city of the state of Andhra Pradesh where we joined Jeff and Zach Gilbert and their parents. I turned 21 in Hyderabad that day, and while in our hotel, Helen, an incredible Indian lady who lives in Hyderabad with her husband, showed up with a chocolate frosted banana bread cake.  Brooke and Sid had made me a blueberry muffin in a mug the night before I left.  This was definitely a birthday I won’t forget.

Hyderabad was really interesting, the population is 40% Muslim so combined with the arid environment and calls to prayer echoing through the city it often felt like we were in the Middle East.  It was also much bigger than I expected, being one of the biggest cities in India and actually made up of two twin cities, Hyderabad and Secunderabad. We then traveled to Shimla, the mountainous capital of Himachel Pradesh, where I was reminded once again what it actually feels like to be cold. Next was Jaipur, the Pink City, Agra, where us three boys did some serious damage at McDonalds, and of course we saw the magnificent Taj.

We visited two places I had not been to while driving between Jaipur and Agra.  Close to Jaipur, off the beaten path was a Monkey Temple tucked up in a small valley.  The pools of water there are considered holy so we were able to watch everyday people perform rituals, wash colorful saris, and bathe in the holy water. Then close to Agra again off the beaten path in the small village Abhaneri we visited the Chand Baori. The 9^th century step well that is one of the deepest and largest step wells in India. It has 3500 narrow steps in 13 stories and is 100 feet deep. 

Northern India was gearing up for the very famous festival Holi while we were traveling so it was cool to see baskets of colored powder around Dehli.  Some Holi water bombs were also dropped on the rickshaws we were riding in through the city.  When we stopped for dinner some pre-celebrators were already covered in powder, their faces bright red, pink, and purple.  I can’t imagine what it is like in Dehli on the actually day of Holi when everyone lets loose and the colors and water begin to fly.

On the 6^th of March we left Dehli for Singapore via Kaula Lumpar.  Now Singapore would be a shock to someone visiting straight from the US, but after living in India, you could say Zach, Jeff, and I experienced some major culture shock.  Just the award-winning airport was an experience and the ride to where we were staying.  Compared to the roads, or should I say lack of roads in India which consists more of potholes, zooming 70 mph or so on a smooth Singapore freeway felt way too fast to me.  Being able to drink water straight out of the sink felt so foreign.

 The subways were spotless and shiny, everyday cars consisted of Ferraris, Mercedes, Aston Martins, and Bentleys.  I’m sure Zach, Jeff, and I looked like serious tourists as we stood on street corners with our mouths wide open, pointing at every nice car driving by.  The city is seriously spotless.  I’m pretty sure I couldn’t have picked a place more different from India if I tried.  We would get tired trying to count the iPhones and Ipads in one subway car.  At night the city is even more impressive.  The massive three towered hotel, the Marina Bay Sands, looks out of this world as lasers shine from the top across the city.

Transformers the Ride!!

Janae Rose, one of my best friends flew in from Thailand to spend a few days with us.  Zach, Jeff, Janae and I got to spend a day at Universal Studios Singapore.  Our minds were blown as we rode the movies, The Mummy, Jurassic Park, and launched Battlestar Galactica roller coasters that twist and loop around each other. And last but not least the world premier of the 4D Transformers ride, I have never been on such a complex ride as we were sprayed with water, felt heat on our faces as rockets were launched towards us, and fell off a skyscraper.  You could say that I was in heaven.

My Mom and I were able to visit the lush botanical gardens and much of our time was spent just walking around the city and waterfront looking at the architectural marvels of the city.  We ate some incredible mangoes, and the Gilberts also introduced me to an amazing fruit called Mangosteins. Just like India, words truly cannot describe Singapore, it is a place you have to visit to experience.

The Incredible Marina Bay Sands

The 10th of March found Zach, Jeff, and I saying goodbye to our parents and rushing off to the metro.  When I say we almost missed our flight check in, lets just say the entire counter was shut down and the last two workers were shutting down the last few computers as we frantically ran up and asked them to check us in.  I guess getting stuck in Singapore wouldn’t have been the worst thing. 

After flying all night we arrived in Chennai in the morning.  It was weird to retrace the exact entry steps through customs that Sid, Brooke, and I had made months ago as we began our adventure.  The airport looked a whole lot less intimidating in the day this time than it did when we arrived at 3 am. Zach, Jeff’s and my trains left 10 minutes apart that evening.  The plan was to do some sightseeing in Chennai that day.  That didn’t exactly happen for me, we found a Café Coffee Day, India’s closest thing to a Starbucks, and we crashed in the back corner.  You could say I was slightly exhausted.  I found out it is definitely possible to sleep smashed in a coffee shop chair.  Zach and Jeff ventured out later to see some sites.  I agreed to stay in the shop and watch all our baggage, 12 hours in a coffee shop, new record!!!

I said goodbye to Zach and Jeff and began my solo trip back.  Sleep was a little rough that night as I kept worrying that I was some how going to miss my station and end up in who knows where.  After an auto ride and a bus ride I was walking through the gate of our school once again.  A very groggy Sid unlocked the door and let me in. It was great to see Brooke and Sid and the next few hours were spent sharing about the trip and one incredible bucket shower.

This was one extraordinary trip.  The Taj Mahal was still just as impressive and Dehli still puts the CRAZY in crazy.  Singapore was more visually stimulating than a Peter Jackson movie, but getting to spend time with my Mom, the Gilberts and Janae (and well maybe Universal Studios, haha), were truly the highlight of my trip. Now my life here in India, the school, our Indian family, and the kids will be more than just pictures to my Mom.  She was able to experience some of what I experience and meet some of the people who have joined my family.  And Mom, I know you read my blog so thanx for coming all the way to India to see your son and for taking me to Singapore. You're the best!

-T