I have never been off the North American continent in my life so what I saw and felt would all be new experiences to me.  Our trip itinerary had us flying from XNA to Minneapolis, then on to Amsterdam and then into Bombay.   As I was going through the security check at XNA I realized that I was going to a place in the world where some of the people would not like me because of my nationality. I prayed for peace in my heart and God reassured me that I was going to India to do His work and that I would have nothing to worry about. At that point the excitement of the adventure I was about to embark on kicked in and I was ready to go.  When we arrived in Bombay, we were greeted by Kiran’s brother Abhay and his cousin Pradeep. As the introductions were made I heard Kiran speak in his native language and I realized then that I was an orange in a barrel of apples and that I needed to stay close to Kiran, (he is an apple you know) or I would be lost.  

I was amazed by the amount of people that were outside the airport at 1:00 in the morning. We loaded up in a SUV type vehicle and it was at this point that I experienced the most amazing ride in a vehicle that I had ever had in my life. The only way I can describe it would be “controlled  chaos.”   There were literally hundreds of auto rickshaws, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, and various animals traveling on a street that wasn’t any wider than a two lane highway. I couldn’t tell you how many times I cringed, closed my eyes and braced myself for the inevitable impact during that 20 minute ride to our hotel. I thought to myself that caffeine was over rated, a 5 minute ride on these streets was equivalent to at least 2 pots of strong coffee. When we got to the room and got settled in I told the guys,(well I told Kiran and he told the guys) that I was  going to take a shower, it was at this point that I found out that  hot  water was a luxury that I  would not have while I was in India. The next morning we booked our flights to Aurangabad (after another 2-pot ride) at the domestic airport.

We arrived at the Aurangabad airport and as Kiran , Abhay, Pradeep, and I walked out of the airport we were met by what I would describe was the greatest greeting a person could imagine. The children of the orphanage had made necklaces out of fresh flowers and as we were introduced to each of them they would put their handmade necklaces around our necks and shake our hands and say “welcome uncle.” The people that were outside the airport must have thought that Kiran and I were some kind of celebrities, with all the attention we were getting.  We loaded up and drove to the old orphanage house and Kiran decided to hand out the gifts we had brought for the boys. I think they knew they were going to get some presents because the look on their faces was the same look I had seen on my own son’s face every Christmas morning.  As Kiran opened the first suitcase the whole room grew quit and as we handed out the packages to the boys the noise level gradually increased as the boys opened their gifts and became excited about all the new things they had received. There was an overwhelming feeling of joy and happiness that rippled through everyone in the room. I felt myself many times welling up with tears as I watch the genuine joy that God ,(through all of  us) had brought to these boys who in the past had zero hope for surviving in the world they were living in. As the evening progressed and the boys were given their jackets and their pillows you could see on their faces a sense of peace that they would not have to concern themselves with their past  anymore. They knew that in God’s hands their future was unlimited.

The next few days we concentrated on getting the new building ready for the big move. Every morning Kiran and I would walk to the old orphanage to eat breakfast, and as we arrived there the boys would greet us with a hand shake and a good morning greeting. During this time I noticed how well the house father Satish and his wife have organized these boys daily routine. They would get up, put their bedding away, take their baths (outside I might add) get dressed, eat their breakfast and be ready for school when the rickshaw arrived to take them. Can you imagine getting 16 boys ready for school, feeding them, and keeping the whole house in order? I would go bananas after the first week, but Satish and Monika do it every day. They are truly gifted in this area.

When the boys come home from school, they change into their “play” clothes, they only have 3 sets of clothes, and they play games outside for awhile. During their play time I noticed some of the boys sitting on the floor reading the Bible trying to discern what the verses were telling them. I knew at that moment that God had plans to expand His kingdom in Aurangabad.  After play time the boys come inside for praise and worship. It was awesome to see these boys sing praises to the Lord, some of the songs in English, with so much enthusiasm and intensity. You could tell they were truly worshipping God.  After praise and worship Satish would read some verses from the Bible and the boys would listen quite intently. You could feel the love that Satish has for these boys and you could tell the boys love him the same way. Some of them call him dad.

Kiran and I logged many walking miles between the new and old buildings during my time there. The one thing that stuck out in my mind was just how many animals were on the streets. On our first walk to the old orphanage I saw cattle, buffalo, pigs, goats, dogs, and even a deer with a collar around its neck. This was basically the same scene every time we went walking. The animals were not afraid of the people and the people treated the animals like other pedestrians. They even knew when to get out of the way of traffic and they knew what side of the street to walk on. It took me 2 days to figure that out. 

We spent one whole day getting lights and fans for the new building, there are no Lowe’s in India. It took me about 4 hours to install the lights and fans. It would have taken me longer if it wasn’t for all the help Kiran’s nephews and Shalish gave me.  We hired a carpenter to help build the bunk beds and I can safely say the boys would not have any bunk beds without him.  To get the lumber for the beds you have to go to the lumber yard with the exact dimensions of the boards you need and then the lumber yard cuts them out of the trees they have on hand. We explained to the carpenter what we were trying to build and he came up with the perfect design for the beds. He went with us to order the lumber after he calculated exactly what boards we would need.  But that wasn’t his greatest skill. He hand crafted the bunk beds using hammer and chisels and built bunk beds that would last for a hundred years. I was amazed at the workmanship of this man.  After we got the carpenter started on his project, Kiran and I focused our attention on purchasing the refrigerator and washing machine.  That meant another trip into town. We found the appliance store and Kiran began negotiations on the prices. I gained some respect for the Hindu religion during the purchases of the appliances and the lumber. Both businesses were Hindu owned but when they found out that these purchases were for the orphanage they gave us very respectable discounts.  

The house mother Monika had not been to see the new building yet due to all the responsibilities she has at the orphanage. She arrived early the day of the inauguration and when she walked into the kitchen and we showed her the washing machine her eyes started to well up with tears, I’m sure at that point she realized that the days of washing clothes for 20 people using two buckets of water and a stone were over. I could tell they were tears of joy by the big smile that was on her face.

The day of the inauguration had finally arrived and every one was busy getting things ready for the big event.  We had around 2 hundred guests show up. There were guests with Hindu backgrounds, Muslim backgrounds and Christian backgrounds. The common thread that drew us all together was caring for these orphaned boys.   We received donations from all backgrounds during the inauguration and it warmed my heart to see this.

When the boys arrived at the new building and we told them that this building was their new home and that it would always be there for them, I think they realized just how great God can be. We asked them who they thought provided them with this home and they all answered in unison Jesus Christ. Here come those tears again. 

There are many more things that this orphanage needs to continue to provide a home that will always be there for the boys. God can do it and we can help.  Our wonderful Lord does a lot of his work through people like you and me. He touches our hearts with the desire to help our brothers and sisters and always provides a way for us to accomplish His goal. Our responsibility in all of this is to just listen to Him with our hearts, to have faith in what He is telling us, and then to act on that faith.