Good Wins

Hello Everyone!

This week has been a wonderful week because once again we had a holiday! Diwali!! Also, Sarah's parents came in last weekend and it was wonderful to have them around. Sarah's mother always gave us so many hugs and it was like having a real "mama's" hug as she called them. They brought us some wonderful treats from home and it seemed like it was a mini Christmas full of candy!!! It was a blessing to have a small reminder of life from back home and its always good to be reminded of home!!

On Saturday night Audrey, Meg and I went out to the national cultural center to see a dance show. The cultural center has a dress code so we all had to dress up! I enjoyed the dance show and the performers were really good. It was the national dance troop and its associates.

Work this week was easy and simple because we had a day off in the middle of the week. My favorite work story of the week comes from Thursday morning. I was walking to work and as I went to cross the street a motorcycle went to pass the bus at a rapid pace and I didn't see it because it was passing illegally and I had already looked once. All of a sudden I hear someone yell miss. I stopped and the bike just missed me. When I got to school I told one of my students the story and he said: "See miss, God be with ya, See, Good thing I pray for ya every morning". It made me smile. My students bring me so much joy and truth.

Diwali is the Hindu holiday celebrating the religious new year and also the celebration of light: Triumph of good over evil. The night before Diwali there is a motorcade along the sea wall and we went to Sarah's parents hotel to watch it from the veranda. We had a decent view and we didn't had to be in the middle of the chaotic crowd... I had already done it the year before! It was a good night just to relax, see the floats, and enjoy getting to know Sarah's parents a little bit more.

On Diwali day we spent most of the day with orphanage boys. At first the church next door had their church fair which we took them too, and after that one of the supermarkets in town had a party for all of the orphanages in town and we went with to help take care of the boys. It was a great day. I brought along my new camera and tried out some of the new features with the boys when we had free time at the orphanage between activities. :) I got some Amazing pictures... Also we went out that night with our friend Ryan, he brought us by some of his friends who feed us Seven curry - my favorite - and then "Sweet meats" which are not meats at all, but rather sugary treats!!

Wendell showing off his shoes after he asked me to put them on for him.... He is my baby!! :)

Audrey helping Sanjay put his shirt on right!

My make shift belt for Sanjay that was 2 sizes too big. :) Gotta be creative when you don't have much to work with!

Boys at the church fair

Wendell 

Lenny, Showing off for the Camera :) 

Adrian and I 

Boys being silly!

My new favorite picture!

Wendell tired at the party... 

a Diya which is lit on Diwali night in front of the houses

SEVEN CURRY, Ryan, Meg and Audrey

SEVEN CURRY - I love Hindu holidays!!

Megs first batch of seven curry

A house lit up with Diyas

Well I hope you enjoyed the pictures this week. And remember the meaning of Diwali - Good triumphs over Evil. Even though we may be in the midst of the battle, ultimately good wins.

Love,

Ashley Ann