Nagpur, Maharashtra - 5th Feb 2011

Today much of the day was taken up by the ICYM National Council Meeting where most of our team was involved. Towards the end of the meeting, everyone had a ‘sharing session’ where the team members got up and shared their experiences so far. It was a lot more interesting than I had thought it would be coz though we’re on this journey together, the same experience is felt differently by any 2 people. The insights, the lessons, the tastes, the sounds.. It was beautiful to hear the experiences of each and in so many cases, where we had faced struggle of some sort, how faith persisted and increased and how it served as a source of comfort and hope was truly inspiring.

The time in Katappana at the hospital after the tragedy (15^th Jan) was very unique for all of us. We never thought we’d encounter anything like that.  But the way we were able to grow stronger by sticking together and collecting our strength and sharing it was a profound experience for all of us.

I remember sharing how in most of Kerala and Karnataka, wherever we had a program and we were served a meal, they had such an amazing system for cleaning which was environment friendly. There would be four tubs of water kept one after the other. You’d dip your used plate into the first one which would clean off the surface, then take it out and soap it. Then dip it into the 2^nd tub, which would somewhat wash off the soap and then dip it in the 3^rd tub. By the time it reached the 4^th tub, your plate was clean. And this system was used for washing at least 150 plates, before you’d need to change the water. It was sooooooooo awesome! I really appreciated the ingenuity of the whole practice.. And just think how much water is saved by it. I wish we could adopt it all over the country.

Sister really appreciated what happened in Mysore, when we were supposed to leave early morning at about 4am for Mangalore. We get message at 10:30 that there’s a bandh the next day and we have to move immediately instead. Most had gone to sleep, but within 10 minutes everyone was down with their luggage and ready to hit the road. No complaints.

But that’s not the half of it. We reach Mangalore to be greeted by a bike rally and hold some really awe inspiring sessions there despite the bandh. We didnt encounter any problems in travel through the city either. The entire visit is smooth.

It’s times like these where our faith is strengthened and so is our unity as a team. Sticking together, praying, moving forward.. Everyone reflected on that today.
Plus, it is important to take stock of your experiences. It shows how far you've come, how much you've grown and learnt, and it helps you move forward with optimism and a fresh outlook. You end up realizing how little it takes to change you, and just how much you've changed.

That is a very beautiful and profound thing.