Today we escorted some of the students to the dentist. We each had a buddy that we were in charge of.
My buddy's name was Sarathi and he is 7 years old. He was quite nervous to go the dentist and he started to cry when he saw the little drill tool. He made sure I would stay his side the whole time. It was pretty cute that he wanted me there but sad to watch his eyes well up every time they picked up the drill.
He made it through and we played in the waiting room for a very long time.
We eventually got back and had play time! Soccer!! Scored a goal and our team won!
I also had the chance to watch Life Dance perform. This is the school's dance team and it is incredible. Shaun Perry is a Broadway dancer and he started a program called Promethean Spark. It is a dance program that teaches life lessons. He has this program in many countries including India and Kenya. He leads these kids in dance routines and teaches them things like goal setting and teamwork. The best part about Life Dance is that they are amazing and they travel around and perform. This gets Rising Star's name out there and teaches the country of India about Leprosy and the effects of the social stigma. I watched them practice their "Leprosy Section" of their routine and it brought me to tears. The children were asked to picture a Leprosy-afflicted person from their colonies that they know personally and make dance moves to mirror their actions. It was incredibly sad and powerful that these children know the everyday effects of this debilitating disease. The song is by David Archuleta who is a big supporter of Rising Star.
This is a link to their performance last year but they are 20x better now. The main dancer boy is named Joseph and he is a wonderful young man and a beautiful dancer. I have a friend going to see them perform in Bangalore this weekend so I hope I can get a video of their newest performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOs_cLlKEUw
That night we taught each of our family houses about dental hygiene and the boys were a lot better for us tonight. They are starting to warm up to us a bit. I have one boy who lives in the family next door who wants me to draw something for him each night so that he can learn how to draw and then he has to paint it for me. I drew a lion for him.
It was a long but good day. Things are going great here but I can not believe how fast time is going. I have been here 2 weeks and I have loved it! It is hard and hot and tiring but I am learning a lot and serving others - while also playing with kids. What could be better!?
We eventually got back and had play time! Soccer!! Scored a goal and our team won!
I also had the chance to watch Life Dance perform. This is the school's dance team and it is incredible. Shaun Perry is a Broadway dancer and he started a program called Promethean Spark. It is a dance program that teaches life lessons. He has this program in many countries including India and Kenya. He leads these kids in dance routines and teaches them things like goal setting and teamwork. The best part about Life Dance is that they are amazing and they travel around and perform. This gets Rising Star's name out there and teaches the country of India about Leprosy and the effects of the social stigma. I watched them practice their "Leprosy Section" of their routine and it brought me to tears. The children were asked to picture a Leprosy-afflicted person from their colonies that they know personally and make dance moves to mirror their actions. It was incredibly sad and powerful that these children know the everyday effects of this debilitating disease. The song is by David Archuleta who is a big supporter of Rising Star.
This is a link to their performance last year but they are 20x better now. The main dancer boy is named Joseph and he is a wonderful young man and a beautiful dancer. I have a friend going to see them perform in Bangalore this weekend so I hope I can get a video of their newest performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOs_cLlKEUw
That night we taught each of our family houses about dental hygiene and the boys were a lot better for us tonight. They are starting to warm up to us a bit. I have one boy who lives in the family next door who wants me to draw something for him each night so that he can learn how to draw and then he has to paint it for me. I drew a lion for him.
It was a long but good day. Things are going great here but I can not believe how fast time is going. I have been here 2 weeks and I have loved it! It is hard and hot and tiring but I am learning a lot and serving others - while also playing with kids. What could be better!?
