Through it all
By Emma Carmichael
Something that really impacted me on this trip was meeting Arun. He is a 16-year-old boy who left his family over a year ago to get a better life, home, money and stability for him and his siblings. But did not take much if anything at all. Vickram Singh saw that he was looking for a job and hired him to work at the canteen. Little did Vickram know, Arun also needed clothes, food and a place to stay. The kindness and generosity not only Vickram but the whole village gives to Arun is so inspiring and uplifting.
Over the last two weeks, I have gotten to make a very special connection with him despite the language barrier between us. We would make so much naan together. He taught me how to roll the dough, start the fire on the plate machine, make chai and so much more. When I first met him he was very shy and reserved, not only with me but my whole team. But getting to spend every day with him in the canteen made a friendship and bond that will be in my heart forever.
All in all, this trip has changed my life in so many different ways. Spiritually, I feel like I have seen so many different religions and how kind and welcoming people are in India. They invite you into their home, show you what they believe and why they believe it. Standing strong in my faith is very important to me and is something that I need to get better at, but meeting so many different people these last three weeks have taught me to be confident and stand firm for who I believe God is.
This trip has also changed the way I look at the world and what people have on the other side. Being only in the United States for 19 years and never getting to see a different country was hard, but to have India be my first was amazing as there is so much to see. This could include poverty, homelessness, pollution, farming, cooking, etc. It has put into perspective how much I can be thankful for having family and friends who love and care for me, a nice house with a roof, food on my plate and so much more.
I believe this trip can change my future for the better, as I am now able to recognize more of what others are going through on the other side of the world. But I have also made connections that I know will last for a lifetime. I hope to use the trip to benefit me in the psychology field and better work with patients, getting down to their eye level and really diving deeper into their story and what makes them them.