We have seen them face to face

On Saturday, February 13th, we left on an adventure. On Tuesday, February 23, we arrived back home. The only difference between those two moments in time, is that at the moment we left home we knew nothing, had seen nothing, tasted nothing, experienced nothing. But the moment we arrived home, our hearts were bursting with memories and a new love.A love that had secretly been unfolding itself in a space of ten days.

From the moment that we stepped into Visakhapatnam, friendly kindness enveloped us. Suneetha ( the un-boilogical mother to the children and overseer) grabbed my arm and squeezed me. Her head only came to about my shoulder. She smiled and greeted me with excited, broken English. Three of the boys ran beside us, dodging through other people and trying to grab our bags. The fresh smell of the Indian Ocean hung everywhere and people screamed as a political leader paraded down the sidewalk.

We squeezed our luggage into the tiny van, and jumped in. The boys sat in the back huddled on top of the bags. Smiles split on their faces like a ripe fruit and they grinned from ear to ear. Driving to the orphanage for the first time, was the rude awakening to how people, in India, drive. First off you are racing down the oposite side of the road, and secondly, you are dogding and weaving bobbing and honking. Dogs are crossing, people are hobbling, bikes are racing, three wheelers are warbling and giant lorees are plowing around you. ( A loree is what they call a semi.)I think I nearly squeezed Suneetha's arm to death one time, while we raced on the wrong side of the road and a giant loree blared its apporoach.

Seeing the orphanage was an incredible feeling. "It is real." "We really were a part of something amazing." Those are some of the awe inspired thoughts that swirled. When we got out of the car, 20 little voices excitedly shouted "daddy!", "ahka!" ( Ahka means sister in telegu). At least ten pairs of little hands grabbed my arm and dragged me into the little building. White teeth against dark skin, flashed at me in smiles and little pink tongues rolled, in excited words. WE had ARRIVED.

Written by: Shaina

In the picture, (from left to right) is Peter (13yrs), Solomon (13yrs), and Moses ( 11 or 12yrs).