India

India February 2013

This is LEAP Foundation’s 11^th visit to Damoh India to the Central India Christian Mission and Bal Bhavan (Children’s Home).  This visit will include surgery for cleft lip and palate and pediatric surgery.  Our team has 37 people from all over the US, many from Dallas but also other cities.  Many of the team members have been here before.  Our journey started two days ago and included at least three flights and a bus ride; some people had an additional flight.  In previous years, the team traveled from Delhi by train for 12 hours, but the roads have improved so that it can now be a two hour flight and then a several hour bus ride.

We were welcomed at the airport with flower garlands and also at CICM where the shrieks of happy children fill the air!  We have felt like we have been eating since we left home – several meals on planes and airports, and then we stopped for a meal on the bus ride and had a meal at CICM.  There has been lots of yummy Indian food; some of it spicy and a big chocolate cake!

We arrived at our destination and have had several hours this afternoon and evening to play with the kids, eat, relax and unpack before our work starts tomorrow.  We will have breakfast and then church with our hosts and then go to the hospital where we will see patients for evaluation and also set up our operating rooms.  We were told that there are almost 300 patients waiting for us to evaluate.

Time for a good night’s rest!