Monday, July 30, 2012


My time at Rising Star is coming to an end (but don't worry, I'll be having new adventures in Dehli!).  The realization of this has made me so so sad.  In some ways, I'm ready to be home.  But the majority of the time I feel like I've been here forever, known these kids my whole life, and cannot even bare the thought of leaving them.  
Family time tonight was so sweet.  Have I told you about family time?  Maybe yes maybe no?  Just in case I haven't... Family time is from 7:30-8:30 every night in the kids hostels.  I'm assigned to Emmy's house.  That's my "family".  It includes the house mom, Emmy, and 20 crazy crazy kids ages 4-12ish.  20 kids, 3 rooms (the size of some of your walk in closets), Jungle Book painted walls, tile floor, straw mats, thin blankets. No beds. Rarely a pillow.  To be honest, the first week here I dreaded family time.  To me it was just crazy, unstructured time. The teacher in me was going insane!  But once I got to know the kids, it has been the best part of my day.  When I walk in and they shout, "Yeahme!" I just grin.  Hearing them say my name and seeing how excited they are to see me makes me feel like a million bucks.  They all beckon for me to sit by them and the second I sit down theres 3 or 4 of the little guys sitting on my lap and another 2 or 3 climbing on my shoulders.  It never gets old. Tonight they were so calm as I was reading with them I was just trying to create little standstill moments, snapshots of them in my brain (cameras aren't allowed at family time, TOO distracting) so I could remember the peace, the love, and the unity in their little hostel.  It's gonna be hard to say goodbye to those adorable little faces tomorrow.  So sad.


On a brighter note-- If you can't tell from my posts, being here has been SO good for me.  I've had so many ah ha moments where I just feel so sure of who I am.  This past year has been really rocky for me and I think one of the lessons that Heavenly Father keeps trying to teach me over and over again is this... 


“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18). If we simply love God and love our neighbors, we are promised that we will overcome our fears.


When I was struggling this past winter with my health I remember my mom telling me that blessings come on the heels of trials.  At that point in my trial I was grouchy.  So grouchy. Weighted down. Semi-miserable. I couldn't see past the issue and how it was so inconvenient for poor little me.  I just wanted to be catching my plane to Hawaii already, not being a helpless sickie that kept having to get poked and prodded at while everyone else was sippin pina coladas on the beach according to plan. But now I see how many doors that trial has opened for me.  That whole trial that was so big to me for those 3 months or so now seems so far away and I really can count my blessings.  And it takes more than 2 hands! So many blessings!  Grateful that blessings do come on the heals of trials and that so many of my (ridiculous) fears have been counteracted with love. (And that says a lot coming from a person that doesn't like hugs!)
Also, the main reason I feel so attached to India and my experiences here is because every single day has pushed me so far out of my comfort zone and as my Bishop always says, "real learning takes place at the end of your comfort zone."  How true that is...

4 comments:

  1. Yeahme! I like that! Miss you ham. I know you'll be sad to leave but we are all happy to see you come :)

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  2. Brave = being scared out of your mind and doing it anyway.

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  3. Beautiful post Aimo. I'm do proud you're my sister, that's what!

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  4. Amazing blog and post! You inspire me to be better!

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