Day One.....

Well after a grueling 12 hours to Ghangzhou China, a delayed connection and another 6 hour flight, we made it to Delhi ! My expectation of landing in a chaotic, dirty, crowded loud airport was instantly erased as we walked off the plane. The airport was the complete opposite- very organized, modern and quiet. After checking through customs my instructions from my contact at the organization we are volunteering for said " exit gate 6 someone will meet you at the coffeemore coffee shop". Sounds pretty reassuring right ! Well of course no one was there to meet us and a little bit of panic mode sets in, but you just deal with it. So I reluctantly pulled out my cell phone which I was against bringing in the first place, but I admit now it solved our problem and our ride was standing a few feet away from us with a tiny sign with our names. A dark drive into the streets of Delhi, the streets to my surprise look very clean, with the odd cow roaming the streets. Honking of horns, motorcycles with several people on them, bikes and people on foot all filled the streets. As we headed to to the city of Faridabad, this is where we will call home for the next while. The streets start to show signs of pollution, scattered garbage and small shacks constructed of basically anything that could create shelter. We finally arrive at our home stay and are greeted by Shree, his wife and two sleeping children. An amazing family that founded the slum school for children and host a handful of volunteers. Today we woke up enjoyed a hot cup of chai (YUM) and made our way to the slum school. We are not really certain where our volunteer program is now but for today it was at the school not the orphanage. We are welcomed by a dozen 3-5 year olds with sparkling smiles and curious eyes. My heart melted. I cannot describe the feeling of being in front of a group of young children that without this school would be roaming the streets of the slums being out to work to help contribute to the families earnings to live. But Shree and his family out of the kindness and vision to create change allows for these children the opportunity to learn. An inspiration that makes me question what can I do to make a difference? The happiness they hold is nothing like I have ever seen.....and they have nothing, absolutely nothing. I could write pages and pages about the emotions I've felt today but i think I am still taking it all in. I'll leave it with two quotes I over heard today. One regarding the slum school: "It's not just the money we need, it's the people the interaction the relationships with the children that make a difference". How amazing is that it really puts into perspective how important interpersonal relationships are in our lives and that money is just money it doesn't define happiness, success or life. It's the experiences and interaction we share with each other, learning, connecting, sharing, teaching, love and knowing the impact you've learned from them and the impact you've made on them. Lastly, a quote from a man on the street "Everything is possible in India". Leaves me with goosebumps.