"T.I.I." stands for "This Is India"
This has been my catchphrase lately... I feel like you'll get the meaning
I've grown more familiar with the wildlife here and I truly do feel like I am on the discovery chanel. Cockroaches literally the length of my index finger. Those three-horned dung beetles you see on T.V. all the time. Grasshoppers that have blue and yellow stripes (Mom, you would have been FREAKING out). Water buffalo (I hope you think of the Veggietales song when you hear that, cause I definitely do). We caught a random turtle and now it's our pet, though we disagree on the name: some call him "ToTo", others agree with me that "Leo" (after Leonardo, my favorit Ninja Turtle) is the better pick. Lizards. Thousands of flies. Pigs. Cows. Goats. Chickens. Dogs and puppies. I gaurantee there will be more. Heck, the FIRST day I got here I walked up to Heera and he pulled a bird out from behind his back that he had caught... handed it to me, and was the first time I held a bird. It definitely attacked me haha. But seriously, the cockroaches... I hear all the time how big they are in some places... those AREN'T exaggerations.
but, hey... T.I.I.
So, I forgot to blog about this in my last blog. The science fair we went to last week. One day, Veer told me to go hop on the bus with the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th graders. So I did. Our destination was a state level science competition. It was rather interesting. I had a lot of the "security" (who looked like boyscouts) telling me to do things. I just politely responded "Nahee Hindi (No Hindi)" and then went my way. One persistant boyscout grabbed me by the arm as I turned around and pulled me to the side. This kinda made me mad. I kept it cool though. When, he spoke some harsh words to me, I kindly (okay, maybe I said it more like he was partially deaf or mentally challanged) "NAHEE HINDI". Puzzled, he responded, "Nahee Hindi?"And I replied, "Haaaa" (in a "thank you captian obvious" tone of voice). Then one of the teachers from EMS came up and started yelling at him. I wasn't bother by security for the rest of the day haha.
But, hey... T.I.I.
However, there was one persistant student at the fair from another school. I think he has seen one too many American movies, cause he spoke fairly good English, but seemed to drop the F bomb every sentence. For example he would say "these are my ****ing friends and they dont speak ****ing English." He was nice, and spoke good English, I just don't think he knew exactly what the word meant.
but, hey... T.I.I.
Two days ago Veer and myself (and three of the orphans) were headed to a prayer meeting. On the way, Veer got a call from Blessy saying Jeremiah got burned, badly, but more on that later. Veer dropped us off and shouted, "Ethan, take prayer!" as the car peeled out. Great... See at these prayer meetings someone is suppose to share a message and it's usually Veer. Well, now I had to, but I had nothing prepared. So while they were singing their two worship songs I was frantically searching through my Bible to find a message. Then the time came for me to speak. I told Sagar who knows some English to read the verses in his Hindi Bible. After, I started speaking the short message I had put together. It didn't take long for me to realize none of them even understood what I was saying (and I was using the simplest English I knew). So, I concluded and said "Let's pray" and started to list off everything we should pray for (as was the job of whoever was leading), but again they didn't understand me or the multiple things I named. In fact, there was a large response from everyone when the word "Jeremiah" was said. They all repeated, "Ha, Jeremiah, ha, ha." (Ha means yes, no they weren't laughing). Then I said "Okay, let's all prayer together" but again, they didn't understand. Typically we would all get on our knees and pray outloud together, and it would be rather powerful. However, only two of the orphans understood me and no one else, and those two boys didn't translate. So, It was me, Sagar, and Shivam praying but as they realized no one else was praying their prayers grew to a whisper, which means I was the only one praying now... Not a problem, right? Well, the group gathers to PRAY as a GROUP, so ya... it kinda was. Then I said Amen and that was it. Veer talked to one of the men who was there later that night. That man said prayer went like this, "we sang, he spoke, and then we prayed for only Jeremiah." Success.
but, hey... T.I.I.
If you don't wanna hear nasty details of Jeremiah's burn, skip this paragraph.
Now for Veer's part of the story, he sped home and took Jeremiah to the surgeon and had him bandaged and drugged by the time I got back from prayer. Apparently, he was "dancing" and knocked over a pot of boiling water... burning his knee and foot. Suresh tried to wipe of the hot water with a towel... he wiped off layers of skin instead. That's not the story I wanna tell. My story is about yesterday (the day after the burn). He had to go back to the surgeon to have his bandages changed. I went with Veer and Jeremiah. We went inside. Not the operating room a surgeon should be in by US standards. Not the surgeon you would picture either (this one was wearing short shorts for one little example). So the surgeon laid down newspaper (for sanitary purposes... yeah, I know... newspaper). Jeremiah laid down. The next part is hard to describe. As the doctor began removing bandages Jeremiah started screaming, crying, and kicking in pain. I was now given the task of holding down his legs. (Sidenote: you guys know that one scene that's in 80% of war movies, where theres a soldier who has no medical training that's in the wrong place at the wrong time. The medic tells him to hold the guys hand, or put pressure on the wound... all the while, having to watch the surgeon did out a peace of shrapnel or a bullet or amputate a guy's leg. I can think of a great one in Band of Brothers. Well, though it obviously wasn't THAT bad... I felt like that soldier during this next part.) So where was I? Ah, I was holding down Jeremiah's legs and the doctor got to the gause (gauze? forgive me... idk how to spell that). The gauze was stuck to the burn, yes, stuck. The peeling off of the gauze was hard to watch, but it got harder. After unwrapping the knee and foot (and much resistance from Jeremiah), it was time to apply the medicine. The doctor poured some liquid on the burn that seemed to bubble and fizz and then he poured something that looked like very thin blood on them. Jeremiah again, began to kick and scream in pain. The burn itself was deep and fleshy. Veer said it was 60% worse the day before. So, now comes the really hard part for me to think about: the dead skin. There were two boils on his foot that the surgeon punctured to let the fluids out. The the extensive amount of wrinkled, dead skin on Jeremiah's foot at the be, literally, PEELED off and cut away with scissors. Though I was awful for me, Jeremiah didn't feel a thing (thankfully). Have you ever seen someone peel layers of skin off of a person, to reveal the pink flesh that was hidden underneath? No? I wouldn't recommend it. I'm kinda sick talking about it so we'll move on. Then the doctor bandaged him up, gave him two injections in the butt (more resistance from Jeremiah), and then we went out way.
But, hey... T.I.I. right?
Oh, and if you are wondering Jeremiah is fine. Yesterday morning he waltzed (yeah, like walked on his burned foot) right into the office and asked me to help with his bandages. He did all of this with a smile on his face. We do have to go to the surgeon again tonight, and then again tomorrow but after that he doesn't have to go back for another 10 or 12 days, so that's good! He's not in pain, only when the surgeon is doing stuff (ironically). So don't worry about him.
So, that's all that I have for ya today... keep Jeremiah in your prayers for swift and painless healing, and Tia cause she is still having diffuculties talking and moving...
Love and miss you guys!
-Ethan
