Our last full day in India!

Whew! Today was VERY busy. We conducted a 3 hour training session for several orphanage staff members and professionals from the daycare for MR students. The orphanage staff included 2 social workers, the superintendent, the pediatrician, and 14 teachers! We were very impressed with their interest and feel their support will be very beneficial to the success of the home programs we designed.
After our training and lunch, per our request, we visited a school for hearing impaired children (Preschool to 4th grade). THIS WAS AMAZING! The WORTH program is a non-profit program (the only non-profit in all of India that has surplus!!) that is funded by revenue obtained via plastics and other products manufactured at the school. The manufacturing lines (ONLY) employ physically impaired and hearing impaired individuals from the community! We love that concept!!!!!! And, since Teresa is partial to the Hearing Impaired population, this visit was very special. During this visit, we were really hoping to find adequate educational placement for some of the boys at the Ranipet boys' home. Although WORTH was not appropriate for these boys, the superintendent had some better ideas. Thomas and Ruby were very excited about this, as were we. It appears that networking is very important here in India!
Here is an interesting concept (and this is VERY simplified, so forgive me if I mess up)...the woman who established the daycare for MR students is married to a local congressmen (they aren't called congressmen here, but Ruby and Thomas told us he is equivalent to a state level congressman). She invited us to her home for tea tonight! It was such a huge compliment to be invited into her home and she was a wonderful host!
Ruby asked us a very interesting question on our way back to the hotel this evening. What will you take from your experience in India? We each had very different answers:
VIKKI said, "Stepping out of my comfort zone is very important to make a difference in a child's life. I always put my kids first and yet there was this opportunity to touch the lives of many other children. Others should remember that we are so blessed and that we should embrace an opportunity, take a leap of faith, and step out of our comfort zone."
SHANNON said, "We have actually helped a culture and not just a child. Even though we may have a higher education level, others who are not as lucky as us still have a hunger for knowledge. A moving moment was when the orphanage pediatrician (and the superintendent) extended his gratitude to us for training the boys' home staff. The pediatrician said he recently bought a book on speech and language development to increase his knowledge in this area, as pediatricians in India receive no formal training in speech and language development." By the way, between the pediatrician's and the superintendent's appreciation, both Vikki and Teresa were crying before it was even time to say goodbye to the boys!
TERESA said: "I have a whole new appreciation for understanding the difference in our 'value' to children/parents/caregivers in India versus the US. It has been very humbling that we have a gift to share....a gift that I normally take for granted. While we have been in India, I think that we have been reminded how well we fit in the field we chose and that we are truly appreciated for the work we do on a daily basis."
More pictures from the Ranipet boys' home and Hope House girls' home coming soon! Please pray for a safe return flight!