The place my heart resides...Vietnam

I'm not really sure what my definition of home would be, or what has to be present in order for me to feel like I'm home, but one thing I do know is that I always feel like I'm home when I go back to Vietnam. Maybe it's the fact that I know my way around the big cities, or have watched a good number of the street children grow up, or have lived in the orphanages , or maybe it's because it's where my little sister is from. I'm not really sure, but what I do know is that I love the smells of Vietnam, the food, the culture, and most importantly the people. They treat me like family welcoming me into their homes. They've shown me what the definition of generosity means.

I've been on many trips to Vietnam. I went with my whole family when I was twelve, with my mother when I was fourteen, with a group of teens when I was fifteen and sixteen, with my mother and two siblings when I was seventeen, with an older and younger brother when I was eighteen, and by myself when I was nineteen. I can really say that I know the culture...I know the do's and dont's. I know some of the language. And I know a lot of the people.

Some of the different things that I have done on my trips are traveling around to the tribal villages, visiting leprosy colonies, taking toys to children in the poorer hospitals, doing hard labor work in orphanages, reaching out to the street children and taking them on fun "field trips", spending time loving on the orphans and doings crafts and taking them to water parks, developing relationships with college students, volunteering in a cafe that employed street children to rescue them from the corrupt street lifestyle, teaching english and cooking techniques, and living in orphanages doing all that I can to help (mostly in the baby houses). I could keep going but I will spare you.

One reason I am able to keep going back is because my parents have started a non-profit organization in Vietnam called Homes of Love. We have established about a dozen homes all over the country of Vietnam that rescues at-risk-children. Most of the children are from poor tribal families, children of prostitutes, orphans,etc... They each have their own unique story. We have rescued around 90 children, and I love to go back and see them. They are my family, and I love them with all my heart. If you want to know more about them check out on their website. It is truly amazing. www.homesoflove.org

Indian travels post 4

We might be 10lbs lighter, but we did make it home alive. Thanks for all of your prayers and support.

Indian travels post 3

We finished up our time in CALCUTTA. It was very sad saying good-bye to all of the children. Some were crying, and they threw us a little gowing away party. It was hard to leave, but we were both looking forward to our week of traveling and rest. We are now in the city of Jaipur. It's pretty much the desert. There are camels, elephants, cows, pigs, chickens, peacocks, and monkey roaming the streets. It's incredible. We have been here for three night so far. Sadly to say we have both been VERY VERY VERY sick. Jenny was sick the first night, and recovered by the next morning. I got sick the second night, and I am just now starting to recover. I don't think anything could be worse than to be sick overseas without anyone to take care of you. You name the symptom and we had it! We both thought we were going to die, but we took care of each other and made it through. We are staying in a beautiful palace, and actually paying less.

Today was a great day. We were able to go into a village and experience village life. We rode a camel, and danced with all of the beautiful women. They all love to dance here, and were not hesitant to pull us into the middle to dance with them. The all sang and clapped as we tried to dance the india style way. It was beautiful. I"ve never seen so many people wearing so many bright colors. We have also been able to go to many beautiful temples, including a monkey temple. There were hundreds of monkeys jumping all around us. well we both can't wait to be home, and thanks for your prayers, especially while we were both so sick.

We also got the wonderful experience of jumping on a train...not really knowing if it was the right one....to go and see the wonderful Taj Mahal. It was so beautiful. The pictures don't show even a fraction of how beautiful it was. We are both getting really tired, and ready to come home!

India travels post 1

HELLOOO....I am alive!!! We have been going none stop. It also took a while to find interent. It' s crazy here. The poverty is undescribable. That's all this city is. I've already seen children STARVING, people dead on the streets, people walking around with far stages of leprosy, and so much more. I have a huge respect for the women in this country because I have never felt so degraded in my life. We are staying in an area with no foreigners, so we already stick out like a sore thumb. This country feels like it is 75% men and 25% women. It's unreal. Also NO ONE speaks english. Everytime we get a taxi or on a bus we have no idea if we are really going the wrong way....its kinda scary, especially at night. Now that I am getting to know all the children around here, and they refer to jenny and I as auntie.... All the children that we are getting to know live in the a slum right behind our room. I would love to go back there, but I know it's going to completly break me. I can't even seem to take pictures of the poverty. It's too bad. Jenny and I are exhausted tonight. We worked witht the children from 10-7. They are so needy. They all seem to be COVERED in scabees, have huge bellies from malnutrition, lice, and scarf down food and water when we give it to them. I believe some of the children have actually "lost it" in their heads from their living conditions. I just found out that more people are dying from starvation in india then that live in Africa....if that puts it into perspective for you. I have yet to make it to mother theresas home yet, but hopefully wednesday. Jenny and I have made two friends, they actually go to auburn, WAR EAGLE, and we had dinner at their place last night. They are great, and are working at MT home. We also met a bunch of guys that have a ministry on the railway system. They said we could come along, but said it was really dangerous :) I can't wait. All the guys that started this outreach are pretty big guys so im not real worried. I need food and water so...keep us in your prayers. It's hard work, and a really hard sight to see.

Peace out!
Caitlyn

Indian travels post 2

funny story: jenny and i were walking on the street, and we litereally almost got stoned by this little old street lady digging through the trash. She was def. a little crazy, and just randomly started running toward us with a stone. Luckily we started walking a little faster and she stopped coming after us ahhhh!!!

jenny and have seen and done so much this past week. We finally made it to Mother Teresa's house of the destitute and dying. It was very hard for the both of us. Everyone was so sick and frail. When we first arrived we were quickly taught how to wash all the clothes and dishes. Once all the dirty work was done we were encouraged to love, comfort, and sit with the elderly. I didn't really know how i was emotionally going to handle this challenge. I sat down with a very very frail elderly lady, and someone gave me lotion to massage her body. She just sat there and looked at me with thankful eyes. The second thing i was asked to do was feed a women that was probably just a few days away from her death. I litereally thought i was going to run out of that building. The whole time i was feeding her she was just crying in pain. I tried to do everything i could, but I couldn't help her. It was so hard for me. A lot of the elderly women just sit in their beds and beg for money because thats all they did their whole life so thats all that they know. Jenny seemed to do very well with the elderly, but i know it was emotionally very hard for her as well. I think I held jenny's hand the whole way home so that i wouldn't cry. I don't know how I would have done this trip without her by my side. I've seen poverty all over asia, but this is a whole new form of poverty that I have never seen or heard of before.

Right before we left Mother Teresa's on the first day I also witnessed one of the elderly pass on. All the nuns gathered around, and prayed over her. To be completely honest with you after we left the house of the dying I never wanted to go back, and believe jenny was feeling the same way, but the more we thought about how wonderful all the other volunteers were, and how beautiful the sisters were I found myself getting excited about returning. The nuns are incredible, and completely filled with the joy of christ.

Yesterday was another Very intense day for us. We went back to the mother teresa house, and it was crazy. The work never seemed to slow down, but i think that was good. I'm really enjoying spending time with the elderly now. They are becoming more real to me now that I am starting to develop relationships with them. They have a sense of Joy that I didn't realize the first time I visited.

We worked at the house of the dying from 8-12 and than at 2 we had the oppertunity to go to the railway station. This is where some of the poorest people in the entire world live. First, we went to a clinic and treated all who came in. I almost threw up when meeting our first patient. The first guy we saw was a man that had a bandaged heel. When they cutt the bandage off his heel it was half eaten away by maggots and worms. I've never seen anything like this EVER. One of my friends, mickey, then took me into the railway system to actually look for dying people to bring into the clinic. It was CRAZY. So many people just starving to death. We were able to rescue one man and we took him to one of mother teresas homes. I'm pretty sure that he was in the later stages of T.B. He was so sick. I could see every bone in his body, and every time we moved him he would cry out in pain. He was also coughing up a lot of blood. When we got him outside of the station he kept pointing to the grass. Jenny and I decided to try and pick him up and lay him in the grass. After we did this he had a huge grin on his face and sprawled out like a little boy feeling grass for the very first time. It brought tears to my eyes. I wonder how long he was actually trapped inside of the station? Jenny actually was able to take him in a taxi to the center. She said it was unbelievable just to see how thankful he ways. He was probably days away from dying, maybe even hours.

When she went with him, I got the opportunity of taking an orphan to the hospital. He was obviously very sick. After the doctors did a lot of tests they told us that he had a huge whole in his heart and the chances for him living were not good. Mickey and I decided we wanted to bless this child in some way so we asked him what his favorite restaurant was, and hes responded "KFC". So we took him to KFC where he ordered fried chicken and mashed potatoes :). There is so much sadness in this country. I wish I could do more!

so pretty much everyday is filled with new and very eventful experiences. I wish I could tell more. God is very evident in this place, and i can def. feel his protection everywhere we go, especially when we cross the street hahah i think we have almost died atleast 100 times. We are still going strong, and I know its only by the power of the holy spirit wahoo...keep us in your prayers we are seeining alot and i know its stretching the both of us.