Kari's Christmas Letter 2012

I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I last set foot on Indian soil. This morning I woke up with the faces of the precious children and dedicated teachers’ fresh on my mind. It brought tears to my eyes. I miss them so much. It seems like ages have passed since I last saw them all. Periodically Calcutta Mercy Ministries will highlight Project Rhino in one of their newsletters featuring pictures of the kiddos and updates on how the program is going which is encouraging, yet leaves me wishing more could be done for them. When I left India last year, God had provided me with the peace to come home and leave the program in the hands of the local staff and teachers. I felt that I had accomplished what I had set out to do which was to help establish the Project Rhino Learning Centers and share the love of Jesus while doing it. As many of you know, shortly upon my return to the states, the Lord answered the prayers of many by providing me with a nanny job. I am currently still working for the Clark family who quickly took me in as a part of the family. The youngest three are boys ages 2, 3, and 4 and the oldest two are girls ages 7 and 12. I love seeing their eyes light up when I pick them up from school, and I enjoy playing outside with them until the winter sun goes down. One day while I was having a conversation with the oldest child, she concluded, “So let me get this straight. You left teaching and India to come be our nanny. Are you crazy? Thank you!” Nothing motivates me more than feeling appreciated, so it’s moments like these that make my job incredibly rewarding. God definitely handpicked me for the Clark family for this season of their lives, and it feels good to know I’m in the center of His will once again. In case you haven’t heard, my boyfriend Ryan, moved all the way down from Colorado to Texas this past August to live nearby. It’s been great! He only lives 10 minutes away from me now, so we get to see each other almost every day. We have been dating almost a year too. The funny thing is we actually met back in college, but didn’t really know each other very well back then. When he started going to my church several years ago, I got to know him a little better, but just when I felt like I was starting to get to know him, he moved away to Colorado. We actually reconnected on Facebook, and the rest is history, or at least we’d have to sit down over a good cup of coffee for me to spill all the juicy details ;). Ryan also has a huge heart for India/Asia. Although I know this is where we are supposed to be for now, I feel certain God will call us back to Asia one day. Thank you so much for being a part of my life. I hope and pray that the Lord will fill you will his love and peace this holiday season. Merry Christmas everyone!

December India Update

Gathering all the Christmas gifts for the kids was quite an adventure. We had to run out and collect some large orders of additional gifts at the last minute, and God really gave us favor. We were able to buy all the gifts we needed which included one scarf, which will double as a head covering. My team explained to me that most of the girls would not wear the hat if we bought them one because they'd prefer to wrap their head as well as their neck with the scarf. The Christmas bags also consisted of two journals, three pencils, two erasers, one ruler, one pencil sharpeners, two pencil boxes, one pack of crayons, 1 bracelet, and four pieces of candy. During the Christmas Programs we were also able to give each child and parent a small food packet.

Last Wednesday we gave out all 310 gifts to our children at 3 different schools. It went really well and all the children were so excited but managed to wait their turns. I teared up at one point because I knew it was going to be my last day to spend with the kids before I went home. I'm sure going to miss them. Thanks again for all your prayers. I'm home enjoying Christmas with my friends and family now, and I hope you'll be able to do the same. Have a Very Merry Christmas!

October India Update

There's no better way to put your life into perspective, than to see it through someone else's eyes. This October I had a chance to volunteer for a week at one of Mother Teresa's Orphanages for children with disabilities. My responsibilities involved feeding, changing, and playing with the children. Some of the children were completely immobilized and unresponsive, while others were lively and interactive. My most memorable afternoon was spent playing a game that reminded me of hot potato. Instead of being out when a child was left holding the ball when the music stopped, it meant it was time to take center stage and dance. Since many of the children were confined to wheel chairs, I helped them glide, by spinning them around the middle of the dance off circle. As each child took their turn on the dance floor, we would chant their name, which brought a huge smile to most of their faces. One girl spun me so fast I thought I was going to wipe out! Loving on these kids was quite a wonderful and humbling experience. I'm hoping to spend a few more days at the orphanage before returning home.

As my time in India was drawing to a close, I felt the Lord tugging on my heart to stay a bit longer. After much prayer I felt peace about staying an extra month to finish out the semester strong. I'm really excited that I have the opportunity to share this Christmas season with my students! Each school will be putting on a little Christmas Program including Christmas songs and dramas. If we can raise enough money, then we can bless each child with some school supplies a scarf to keep them warm this winter. Please pray that we will have sufficient funds to purchase warm Christmas gifts for about 300 children. Thanks so much!

Note: The first picture is of my Tangra students dancing during a night of prayer and praise. The second picture is of me with my Tangra students. The third picture with me, covered by children, was taken at Tangra as well. (This is how most of my pictures turn out). The last picture was taken on a chilly day last January at Project Rhino in Kadamtola and shows the kind of warmth we are hoping to provide with the Christmas gifts.