Tuesday 7 February 2012

Home from our Jan 2012 trip to India




Last week we arrived home from our latest visit with Sunama and the children. We stayed in Chennai for 10 days, spending each day with the family.

It was wonderful to see how the five children have grown. Fareeda is now 14 and Zeenath has just turned 5 years old. Zeenath is as cheeky a character as Jaan Basha was on our first visit!


All of the children are now speaking well in English as well as their native Tamil, as their school teaches the students in English. This put communication on a whole new level, as we could chat without having to work our way through charades and guesses.

The children are all well, happy and we were told that they are good students. Fareeda is now in high school and hopes one day to be able to further her education in Australia. We told her to continue as a conscientious student and we would be happy to support her future goals.



We had a one-day trip to Pondicherry as the children were on a school break for the Pongal festival. Everyone (except me and the driver ... and at times I wasn't so sure about the driver's state of alterness!) fell asleep in cute clumps of people on the way there.





We then enjoyed celebrating Pongal (the harvest festival) with the other children at The Ashram. The day after Pongal, it was great to see all the local cows decorated to join in the celebration, with painted horns and bells tied to their horn tips.

We then bid a sad farewell to everyone, but with promises of letters and photos to follow.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great update, I always wonder how your family is doing.

Anonymous said...

Hi Julia, Barry and BIG family, I read your blog every so often. It always gives me joy to read of the healthy growth of all the children and now young adults both in Australia and India. It must be exciting to see them grow and especially exciting now that the children in India can communicate in English. Sadly I was a relingquishing mother in 1970 who has been truely blessed to be reunited with my son. He and his wife and my little grand-daughter are now very much part of our family. A happy ending for me too. looking forward to your next exciting episode.

Amanda said...

Thank you for such an amazing and moving story. You truely have a wonderful family and opened my heart to my own options to have a family.

Anonymous said...

Hi. I absolutely adored reading your book so much so that it is now over due to the library by a year and a half :) Its only now that i am completing a uni assessment task on cross cultural competencies that I can fully understand some of the aspects of your journey. I smile knowing that all your kidies are happy and healthy. well done. :)
Emma

Humaira said...

Hello Julia, I have read your book when it first came out and been following your blog ever since! Your story really inspires me and I know that one day I want to adopt as well. Most people i know who have adopted always chooses the youngest, smartest or prettiest babies, but after your book I know the true meaning of giving a family to an orphan. It would be great if you would post a bit more about our elder children from Korea and India.

Anonymous said...

Hi Julia
i really admire you for adopting more children even though you had two children of your own. you have a big heart. after reading your book i saw your web site address am glad to see the updates. not only u have helped the children but made their family as your own an helped them to be educated which will be useful for them in future. AM GLAD all children are doing well. god bless you n ur family

Anonymous said...

I have only recently read your story and its a wonderful one with a wonderful outcome and future. I was inspired by so much kindness and understanding from you and Barry to undertake such an enormous but joyful life. Thank God you all found each other.