Dear family & friends, greetings from the roasty-toasty land of India! Delhi has decided to imitate the climate of Death Valley, however we are doing rather well despite the drastic change in our environment. In fact I think we are getting acclimated quicker because the duration of our play times with the kids has increased. The more we can stand the more they want to play! I have learned how to play the incredible game of Cricket! All the students say that I look like some famous cricket player…it’s really only because I’m taller than they and I have a pale face! Cricket seems to be the favored game by all, young and old alike. So when they finally understood that I was telling the truth that I don’t know how to play they were astonished! Today in fact was our first experience. The thing the students enjoy more than anything is when Willie & I learn new games from them and play with them. It’s really fun especially because they are so competitive! They like the fact that I don’t just let them win and that I really “get into it” with them! They really love to pit Willie & I against each other. A new game that they taught us is called “kabati”. I guess this is a common game that Indian children play, kind of like how we have “tag” and “hid-n-seek”. This one is difficult to explain but pretty fun. They have a dividing line like a hose, between two groups of kids. When one kid crosses the line to the other side he attempts to tag one of his opponents and get back to his side, or at least touch the dividing line, all of this is while he is saying aloud “Kabati-kabati-kabati” as fast as he can and over and over again all in one breath. One breath is the key, because if the opposing side can catch or tackle him and hold him back just long enough for him to run out of breath without him touching the line or his safe side then he is out. So it’s really fun because I play with a different tactic than they do. I like to see how many students I can carry back to the line, only it’s not that easy and they’ve learned to each tackle a different part of my body at the same time! Usually I get dog-piled! Anyhow it’s a fun game but the heat can take you down much faster than the kids.
Well many of you may now know that I was accepted to the University of Louisville School of Medicine. It’s been nearly 3 weeks now since I heard the great news and many of you may have wondered how I reacted and how I feel now. It’s actually very funny how it all happened and still some of my family thought I wasn’t very excited. Let me set the stage for you. It was Friday morning and I was still not completely acclimated to the time difference and so I hadn’t been sleeping well. Pappa (Daniel Raj) pops his head in our room at 7am and asks me if I can give the messaged this morning to the teachers. This is the last day of our long week of Summer Camp VBS, and now I had a half hour to prepare a “sermon” which I’m not acquainted with doing in the first place! So I get to the school, prepare the keyboard and my guitar for a couple of songs in the event that I draw a blank while talking and need to have an impromptu time of song! :) There are now about 60 teachers all waiting for the service to start and so I begin to play the keyboard only to feel the phone vibrating in my pocket. I quickly give the phone to Pappa Raj because I didn’t immediately recognize the number. That was humorous because he couldn’t understand who was on the line so he hands it to Willie, who then stands up and says it’s for me. I told him take it for me and that I couldn’t speak. He keeps insisting and so I finally take the phone and hear dad on the line, so I quickly ask him if he can call me back in an hour. That was funny! He emphatically told me that was not an option! So in front of all the teachers, the room has now gone completely quiet except for the sound of my short responses to dad’s comments. I ask him what was so important and then he tells me that I had been accepted to med-school! I was shocked, excited, unbelieving, confused, not fully comprehending, and embarrassed. So I tried to explain to the crowd what just happened, but that only made them more confused, the excitement fell on deaf ears! :) So I finally had to walk out of the room and ask Willie to take over. It was weird because I didn’t know how to respond at the moment. The best way I can relate it is that it simply didn’t register. I know this would happen, because it’s the way that I usually respond to huge things like this, I have a less than acceptable reaction and then over time it really begins to sink in. I told Alison that night on the phone to try to understand this about me, and that my reaction (lack –thereof) was only intensified by my being in India and all of the emotions that I had been dealing with, as evidenced by my previous blog entries. It’s true my reaction was quite blah. However because of how God has been working in my life and the things I was realizing, my life, my plans, and entry to school was not the most important thing in the world. In that room alone were people with needs greater than anyone I had ever encountered in all 27 years of my life! And I was asked to speak to them? What did I have to offer them? How could I speak to them and give them encouragement on leaning on the Lord for their needs and tell them to trust in God through their pain? And these were the teachers, to venture beyond the walls of the school would expose the needs of countless others. Thus I think you may be able to partially understand that even though this was an answer to many prayers… truly a dream come true, something I’ve been working towards for over 10 years without the certainty that it would happen…that my perspective had been completely turned upside down. However there is a flip side to this experience, that is it has made me even MORE excited about using this commission in Medicine as way to serve the Lord! My prayers during my first week in India had become quite specific regarding medical school and to have them answered in such a way only after being in India was quite providential! I am certain that God wanted me to undergo this Indian Transformation before he would give me an answer to if, and where I would go to school. I needed to be reminded that this life is not about me and my own dreams and desires but about Him and how I can use my talents, time, and life for His purposes. I am filled with gratefulness that I have been chosen to attend med-school. It’s really exciting because I’ll be minding my own business and it will come to me, “you’re going to medical school when you go home!” WHOA! Yeah, then my stomach will drop and I will say it out loud to Willie, “dude, I’m going to med-school!” Then he says his typical, cute, funny saying, “dude, I know! That’s crazy!” So yeah, I’m excited! It’s just been a different path for me to reach the same level of excitement that Alison and my family felt for me the night they found out :) Well I need to go now, Willie has been finished for quite a while and is sweating for me, I mean waiting for me (I wish he could sweat for me!) The A/C is usually really nice in here at the café but tonight it went out and so now typing feels more like trying to pin down watermelon seeds than pressing specific keys!

Our A/C went out so we are having slumber parties in Mamma & Pappa's room! :)

Willie Is my new singing partner! Notice my cool outfit! it's called a "corta", i don't have any better pictures of it.

The kids love, LOVE my camera, and they love America so they wanted to pretend they were on a "ramp". L--> Purnima (my star student), Mamta (other star student), Krishna (not quite in the star catagory, but still a student)

The boys had to do it too! Sikander, Santosh T., Moshin ( my translator)

Our new Indian "Cycle" They don't know what a bike is.

Having fun with a group photo.

The die hard students. A great group.

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Nesa, Bency, & Nayana, are our lunch mates. They eat with us every day and we have so much fun making them laugh!

Sikander was so proud of this photo! They love to practice marital arts, though they have never had any instruction.

Sunil

Santosh S.

Donations for Guitars in India...

Hi everyone! This is Alison again, on behalf of Barak...

The school that Barak & Willie are serving at in India (see Barak's blog entries below) purchased several guitars for the kids to take lessons by using funds that had previously been designated for something else. This, coupled with the high cost of building a suitable storage unit for the guitars, has totaled $5,125.00 in costs that were originally intended for other uses at the school. This school mainly serves children who are very poor and live in the slum areas of New Delhi, and so Barak and Willie would really like to be able to cover this entire cost through donations and support from friends and family back home.

If you would like to sponsor one guitar, the cost is $62. Or please feel free to make a donation of any amount... it is all greatly appreciated and will go directly towards the cost of these guitars for the school!

Simply make checks payable to"Friends of the Good Samaritans" and write "Guitar Fund" in the memo line. Please mail checks to the following address and you will receive a contribution receipt:

Friends of the Good Samaritans, Inc.
P.O. Box 328
Stanford, KY 40484

On behalf of Barak, Willie, and all the grateful children at the Good Samaritan School in India, thank you so much and God bless you!

(Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions: alisonkorock@hotmail.com)

Maybe There's Indian In My Blood!

heLLo AgAIN!
Wow, it's wierd how time can go so fast and so slow at the same time!! It's only been 2 full weeks since we arrived and it feels like we've beeen here for months :) I miss Alison!

Teaching has been one of the greatest learning experiences i have ever had! I have always known that you can learn in any situation however i didn't know that when you are given the charge of imparting knowledge to those considered "simple" that you are truly the simple or "small minded" one! That the teacher (me) becomes, without question, the student! I have been forever blessed by the opportunity to share my love of music, and specifically the guitar, to these very, VERY grateful children. Understanding has not always been the most faithful attender in our classes, but desire to learn comes early and stays late every single day! I am very excited and extremely impressed by how much the students have learned in one short week of instruction! I have been joking with Willie & others that I have been putting these kids through a "Musical Boot Camp"! This joke is not too far from the truth. I have been very firm and strict in enforcing good behavior and cramming as much information into every session as possible! I have had to be hard nosed at times, just imagine 25 guitars all out of tune and all being strummed (actually beat upon) at the same time! Then try to regain control of this class. If even one person out of 25 decides to get that last measure banged out, then you cannot continue! But now they all understand and they have a lot of respect so that even when they are all in the open courtyard area practicing if i request with hand motions that they stop playing they all stop. And those that are tardy in their obedience are chastised by their class mates!! Now we just have to work on their respect for Willie! hehe ....it's too funny, when I turn the class over to him for Crafts or games and walk out, it gets a little out of hand.

So we finished the first week and there were some changes made. We had 30-35 students, however there were 10-15 that were not interested, to young, or simply misbehaving. So the Manager made the decision to limit the class to those above the 5th grade. This was a good decision because we had come to find out that the younger ones were coming for free baby-sitting, and those that remain definitey come to learn. We now have a consistent 22 students, all are large enough to hold the guitar properly (this was a big problem with the smaller children), and have a fair understanding of English even if they can't speak it.

God has been so good to me and giving me ideas and ability to convey the difficult concepts involved with basic guitar music theory. I didn't come to India with an agenda or specific curriculum. We purchased a basic "Easy Way to Guitar" book that i use as an outline and spring board to other concepts. One example is that of strumming. This is one of those things that when you know how to do it, it seems so natural and when you play a strum pattern you expect the student to just get it! But they don't! Not even one of them. So i had to develop a method of diagraming and dissecting the art of strumming that could be explained on the chalk board. It's cool because Willie is learning right along side of the kids, and he acts as measuring rod for the effectiveness of my teaching. After i was able to break the strumming down to it's necessary parts and introduce different aspects of timing, they TOTALLY got it! Some of the kids understood it so well this way that i was able to draw any variation of strum pattern and they could play it! That was an amazing experience! There are definite times or experiences that occur while teaching that can act like a reservoir of fuel which keeps your fire of excitement for teaching burning bright and strong. Standing there in front of 15 students who finally understood (my english and the concept) and played in time me, was simply amazing! And the smiles they would give to me when i got excited and clapped while saying "bahoot acha" (very good), were some of the most beautiful smiles i have ever seen!

The determination of the children is very inspiring. We start early and it is very hot yet they come every day and stay late.

7:30am - sing and learn new songs and pray

8:-9:00am - Group I Music class, Group II computer class

9:-10:00am - Crafts, games, or large guitar class

10:-10:30 am - break, snack

10:30-11:30 am - Group II Music class, Group I computer class

11:30-12:00pm - Review

1:00-3,4,or 5pm - personal practice and tutoring

It's amazing how many students will stay late and want to continue to learn. One Wednesday one the most enthusiasic and fun students, Santosh T. brought his "mouth organ"or Harmonica and asked me to teach him how to play. We were the last ones to leave the school, then he would joke to me in his very broken english, "I stay 24 hour, you teach me! haha." He is a real joy, he never stops smiling even when he doesn't understand a word you are saying! Wait, i take that back....ALL the children are extremely competitive and they get so angry if the other team is cheating. It's quite funny! I tought them to play "ultimate frisbee" minus the frisbee :) We use a tennis ball. But on one game i wasn't paying very close attention, i was sipping my indian tea (hot tea) while trying to refferee, it was nearly 115 f and as i was trying to sip without burning my tongue the blue team had discovered that passing the ball hand to hand was the easiest way of moving up the field without dropping the ball! LOL. I didn't see this and so when i saw the touch-down catch i called a point. But the red team was indignant! They were chanting "DEY CHEAT! DEY CHEATING! HE IS LIAR! HE IS LIAR! " I couldn't help but laugh! Anyhow Santosh is wonderful student and he loves to learn, he attempts to translate for me in class. Some of the other children don't like this becuase even though they cannot speak english, many times they can understand it better than Santosh! So when he translates they rattle off in Hindie protesting his interpretation! This is so humorous, but i still have him or someone give a translation becuase at the begining of the class i told them that this was not only a Guitar class, it was an English Class, Music Theory Class, Guitar Class, and Hindi Class!

Yesterday, Saturday 5-26-07, we went sight-seeing. I always have mixed emotions about going on these adventures, because I almost always get car sick! The traffic and driving conditions are like nothing you have ever experienced! There is not even one place in America that can compare to the driving here in Delhi! All i can say is WOW! So it's really hot and the pollution is so very bad that when we go for more than 15 minutes i just want to get back to our appartment.
However the most difficult thing for me is dealing with the beggars! So many times i don't know what to do! It's so, so very heart wrenching to have a child come up to you at a stop light and ask for money or food. Sometimes I haven't had any money or food, then there were times when all i had were large bills. The people who take us around seem to be unaffected by it, but can hardly bear it. We had just come out of this place called "Red Fort", which was absolutely amazing but we didn't have our camera, and three children came up to us, they quickly realized that Willie & I were the only ones that would even look at them. We had paid 100 Rs. a piece to walk through this place and coming out all i had were 100 Rs. bills which is like $2.50 US and we were going to anther place which required payment and so i didn't want to give them this bill. The boy was trying to sell us post cards, but there was this girl that looked about 10 (yet she could have been a malnourished 17 year old) and she was carrying a very small baby. We were waiting to be picked up by the driver and so for nealy 10 minutes which felt like an hour this girl begged to us, and the boy would not give up on the post cards! He was actually very very funny, maybe that's why he wouldn't leave us alone, because he kept making Willie & I laugh. He spoke english very well and when he could get us to buy is post cards he tried a humorous technique. First he was asking for 100 Rs. / post card booklet (he had 7 varieties). Then after a while he was offering all 7 for 100 Rs. ! Then he came back and with his cute accent and a smile he said, "ok, special deal for you, 1 post card for 1000 Rs." And he kept raising the price rather than bringing it down and this only made me laugh more. Finally Anand (our driver) arrived and i couldn't stand it, so as the girl followed us into the very busy street all the way to the car i gave her the 100 Rs. bill that i had. I gave something that time, but i can't tell you how many times I have had to walk by or ignore, or say no to those begging. Only two weeks and i can feel myself changing, when you have to pass by those in need without giving aid you begin to "get used to it" or become calloused to it. So i guess i can understand how those who have lived here all thier lives could pass by without a glance, but i think it will always gnaw at me. In America it's different. Sometimes it's easy to ignore those that pan-handle because they have options in America that they choose not to take advantage of, they want to live a life of drugs and sin, or they would rather do their own thing,even if that's begging, than be under another person's authority. But here! So many don't have another option! Some may perhaps, but here there is a poverty that is true and absolute, not self imposed or the result of poor choices and sin! So i ask the question, "how do i deal with this?" Do i carry large amounts of small bills to hand out everytime i leave the house? Are my prayers for these people worth anything if i have done nothing to ease their pain? Why was I chosen to be the one who gets to pay the man with out shoes and only one shirt tohis name 50 cents to peddle me & Willie back to our appartment where we can turn on our air-conditioner and sit down to a warm meal with a cold drink? It's absolutely amazing how selfish and ungrateful i have been, and even continue to be! Seriously! What do I really believe will give me true fulfillment, joy, and happiness? Francis has been hitting the nail on the head! We, I, Americans, are the rich man Jesus spoke of! How hard it is for the rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, surely it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle! My prayer now is that as I live my life I use my talents, my simply being an American, my wealth for the glory of God rather than wholly consuming it upon myslef and that which i desire. Please pray for me, that what i am experiencing, the struggles of emotion, heart, and soul, truly will be my Indian Transformation!

I miss Alison, I miss home, I miss pasta, I miss burritos! Oh, and i miss ice in tea (although i think part of my transformation is that i will be drinking hot tea in place of coffee!).

Love to ALL!
BJ

Uncle & Auntie Raj have now become "papa" & "mum". They are definitely our Indian parents! They have decided to learn the guitar mum's quick learning has been a competitive motivator for papa! :) They practice every night, sometimes even after i go to sleep.

This is the blue team. We were playing games and i couldn't keep track of who was on each team so i had the office buy two rolls of ribbon- Blue & Red. From left to right and down: Nousha, Moshin(best student and great translator), Sagar, Santosh S., Krishna, Purnima, Jay, Hanz, Sunil, Santosh K., Mamta, Vivek, the last 4 are no longer inthe class.

The red team! Tepan, Santosh T. (Mr. Enthusiasm), Sagar P., Sagar R., Jebesh, Nassrulla, Yoshan, Saurav, Gulshan.

This is what the kids call the Lobby. This is where i have them practice after class, they can spread out and there is usually a constant breeze (hot) and they can all practice separately.

Santosh T.

This was Friday, these 5 children practiced for nearly 3 hours straight of their own accord. I kept asking if they wanted to quit (i was exhausted) and they would say it was ok. They were here in the hall because the wind began to blow so hard and there was something burning nearby that you couldn't open your eyes in the Lobby area and when they stood up all the chairs blew out from them! :) Yet they continued to practice!

We only had the camera for our first to places of sight-seeing. This was at the Pilar, i don't remember what it was called. Some king wanted to make the tallest tower in all India, it took the lifetime of 3 kings to complete.

These are pictures in the ruins around the tower.

Willie the Giant.

The intricate carvings on every pilar and on every wall were mind boggling!

I'm supposed to be leaning on the tower :)

We could have gotten an even better picture on the other side of this massive structure but the workers got mad at us. there were windows on the sides that were near the top that we could have climbed up to, oh and there were green parrots flying around inside!

This is standing in front of the presidential palace and looking toward what is called the "India Gate", the small arch far off in the distance directly above the yellow line.

Here is at the India Gate. It was funny there are so many people trying to get Willie & I to buy things from them, you can't view anthing like this without getting bombarded by these people selling everything from fresh cucumbers to post cards. There was a man selling these toys that you shoot with a rubber band into the air and then they twirl as they parachute down. I told him no, but then after he walked away i thought i would buy one for each student. When i asked Nessa to aks him how many 25 would cost there came out of nowhere another man selling the same things. The first man got furious and when he told me 200 Rs for 20 the 2nd man offered 20 for only 100 Rs.! and a fight nearly broke out! It was crazy he started throwing punches! So i told the first man to give me 25 for 200 Rs.

This one just cracked me up! If you don't get it, I'll pray for you!