Maureen reports the following....then check out the pictures below this post!!
"The PT team in India is doing well. Though we have only been here for four days, we have been in the clinic three days. The number of patients that we are seeing and treating is growing, and the clinic is bustling! We are working out the kinks in scheduling as we get busier, which is a wonderful problem. The students are doing very well...being creative, compassionate and flexible beyond all expectations in such a different environment.
Yesterday the girls played cricket with some of the young children. The kids appreciated having us play with them, and they taught us how cricket is played. Megan says now that she understands the rules, its a "whole lot more fun!" As it turns out, Karen is an excellent batter - just ask her!
The team was part of a very heartwarming story that has recently unfolded at GSM. There is a young girl named Vani who has been living at the orphanage for 7 years. She had slowly been providing details of a past that involved living with her parents in a village hundreds of kilometers away. She apparently was chased by thieves and hopped on a bus to Tirupati. The woman who helped her there brought her to GSM many years ago. As the details emerged about her past, Brother Henry sent people from the mission to accompany Vani as they traveled back to her home town. Vani and her mother enjoyed a happy and tearful reunion. On Friday, Vani and her mother and uncle traveled back to Puttur and GSM to thank Henry for his care. It was wonderful to see her back here again, even temporarily.
Friday night we attended prayer in the Ashram (chapel). Although many of the children are still gone for summer vacation, we still raised our voices in a LOUD and joyful chorus! Afterward the children and the team danced in a circle that grew to include all the children in the Ashram. It was a wonderfully big circle with Brother Henry in the middle celebrating with us!
Saturday we went into Puttur to buy material for saris, chuddidhars and some souvenirs. Mary was ever-patient as we made and changed our minds many times. Rachel helped the storekeeper by pulling the best choices off the shelves as he watched on. They were glad to see us come... and glad to see us go!
This week we are looking forward sharing our stories after six days of treatment in the clinic, a trip to Tirumala, and the Bone Setters Hospital in Puttur. The mission will become a bit more active as the rest of the children come back from summer break."