Before coming to India, I was asked to write an article on the comparison between Kalavai, India and Las Vegas. So here comes the article when I have been in India for a week.
Right before leaving for India, I celebrated Christmas with my boyfriend’s family who lives in Las Vegas. Of course, I visited the famous strip of Las Vegas, the brightest spot on earth and the paradise of luxury with the fanciest casinos, five-star hotels, and shops that sell products that only the richest group of people on earth can afford. It is a city of capitalism and materialism.
Here in India, in this tiny colony of Kalavai, India, the world is flipped to the other side, just like how this little town is on the other side of the earth from Las Vegas. Fancy hotels are replaced by three square feet thatch-roof houses where can live a family of up to five people. The entertainment of Vegas such as casinos and night bars are replaced by children’s laughter when they jump into the well to swim, roll on the grass, and chase each other. The day-dream for money is replaced by the genuine eyes of all the villagers that are full of thanks and love, and the hungry eyes of all the children that seek understanding and knowledge.
So many times, I feel my eyes tearing up by what I am seeing in front of me and the pure love I am experiencing. One thing that struck me the most was the New Year celebration two days ago. It was a celebration with games and gift-giving taking place on the evening of Jan 1st, 2011. A tree full of New Year gifts and lights hanging on its branches was set up towards the wall of the room. All of the gifts were extremely small, such as a plastic comb, a hand sanitizer, a balloon, or a little package of chai. However, when the villagers receive the gift, you can literally see the glimmering in their eyes and big smiles that express their deep appreciation and happiness. It reminds me of the gift giving on Christmas in the United States when families spend hundreds of dollars to buy a big gift for their children, but sometimes their children still feel dissatisfied either because the gifts are too small or they just do not know what appreciation is.
People in Kalavai do not have anything, but they know God’s love and give great appreciation to any help they receive. However, people in more developed parts of the world easily forget this great merit and often only know how to ask for more. These people in Kalavai really showed me the real concept of love despite of their poverty and unbelievably hard living conditions. If you could personally see a group of ten children running towards you, calling your names, and hugging you tightly, if you could witness men and women working together under the sun carrying sand and bricks on their head without any complaints, if you could smell the flowers that all the villagers put around your neck to express their love for you, then you would know and really understand the deep love that exists on this planet.
I am just so grateful that I can be part of this team, to experience what I have never imagined to be able to experience. This trip really deepened my understanding for God’s love and how I am able to make an impact for people who do not have what I have. We are privileged people, and God gives us this privilege for a reason. Now I understand how I can use what I have to make others’ lives better and more enjoyable. I will definitely participate in more mission trips like this in my life. If Las Vegas could share half of its light to all the poor villages of the world and transform its pursuit of money and luxury to pursuit of God’s love, wouldn’t the earth be so much more beautiful?
Posted by -- Jingjing
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