This morning we were greeted with cooler temperatures thanks to the rain and thunderstorms from the night before. The thunder here is pretty strong. With every flash of lightning there is a loud crack of thunder that rattles the windows.
All the students showed up to breakfast wearing their Vision polo shirts. The teachers and Tim wore Indian clothing that is traditionally worn to celebrate special occasions. Tim selected the shirts for the men and had the women's outfits measured to personally fit Lily and Amy. After breakfast, we all walked 15 minutes to Kotumba, a home for handicapped women. This was the place where we held the closing ceremony and graduation. Kotumba helps the women maintain a healthy and productive life and also gives them a job making jute bags (which were given to the students and teachers) and other items. At the entrance of the home, colorful tile is inlaid in the cement floor to form an ornate sapling with branches and leaves which is the trademark of Kotumba. The entrance also has an open courtyard with a stage for the choir to sing.
The graduation ceremony was well planned out. We sang five songs and Tim presented his vision and hope that the choir ministry would grow and be able to make a greater impact touring various cities in India and spreading the gospel to the unreached. On an personal level, the school served to help each student realize their untapped potential and give them hope that with God they could achieve anything that they set their heart and mind to. A lot of them came to the school without any training in singing and after a few days were able to sing 10 different songs. Usually it would take a group of singers many days to sing as many songs. The teachers then passed out the certificates to their students and the rest of the time was spent taking group photos, selfies, talking and enjoying the cakes, crackers and coffee.
We then made our way back to the center and then sent both sets of students off to their homes.
The schedule for the next two days will be more relaxed. For Sunday, Tim will preach at New Life church where the teachers will sing a couple of songs. On Monday, the team may go out and do some sightseeing or light shopping in the afternoon before they leave to fly back to Los Angeles at night.
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