A full day in Berhampur

I apologize for being MIA from the blogosphere lately. The two weeks before Christmas I did a lot of traveling and lately we have been busy with all the Christmas festivities. I have so much to share from my travels. As I see new places and meet new people I continue to fall in love with this country. But one of the things I like most about traveling here is coming back home to Jeypore where I feel like a member of the family. Watching seven precious children become so delighted and excited to see you is a great feeling.

I want to share some photos from our trip to Berhampur, the second largest city in Orissa. We met some amazing people as we visited different missions in the city. The Missionaries of Charity, (the order of sisters founded by Mother Teresa), have a center where they take care of orphaned and abandoned children, the mentally challenged, and serve as a medical dispensary. We also visited a leprosy colony outside the city. While they live there, they are able to work in the gardens and grow their own produce. Another mission we saw was a home for deaf and mute children. They are clever, perceptive, and full of life. Finally, we visited a home for physically challenged girls. This was all in one day and it was a lot to take in. I continue to be humbled by seeing others' suffering and how they continue to live joyfully without complaint.

My first time seeing an elephant walking in the street among the traffic. Awesome.