God is mindful of every people

Since my last entry a great deal has happened. I have become good friends with many of the kids at the school and have become concerned about their well-being and health. The more I talk with them the more I find out about their homes and their lives. The other night I was talking with one of the little boys, Syra, and he was telling me that he often had nightmares about the thieves coming to get him.

I asked him, “ what do the thieves do, do they steal?”

“No” he said, “They come and take small children and smash their heads into the wall until they bleed, I am scared of them.”

“Are you scared they will come here?” I asked.

“No” he said, “I feel safe here, I like it here.”

That night I could not sleep. The pain of these children is real, whether from leprosy or the streets of India they have experienced more suffering than I will ever know. In some small way I hope that what I am doing is helping, and you know what, I think it is. Since my teenage years I have been a firm believer of the healing power of the arts, especially dance. And since teaching here I have been able to witness first hand the healing power of this art. When I teach they are all very happy, I respect the kids and in turn expect their respect, it needs to be a safe environment where the kids feel safe and willing to try something new.

Since my talk with Syra we have become good friends and despite the difficult things he has experienced he has big dreams and high hopes. When you ask him where he wants to go to school one day he will quickly respond by telling you that he is going to go to Harvard University to study either English or Art. The other night he came and showed me his sketch book and I was very impressed with some of his drawings. Each night I meet with him to help him with his homework, when he is finished I ask him to teach me Tamil, he drills me with the words and will laugh when I say a word incorrectly, but he is patient and we are good friends. I am grateful for friendship in all shapes and sizes. “…God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in...” Alma 26:37