As you all know Brandon has been in Churachandpur, India since Friday. He's spending some time with the children who live at Happiness Home and hoping to explore opportunities for improvement of the living conditions there. In doing this, he's become close to the children. At first they were so shy with him but if you know Brandon you know he cannot bear someone to feel uncomfortable around him. (If you thought you really loved your spouse, send him off to care for children in need for a few weeks... you can't imagine that kind of love... but more on that later!)
There are kids of all ages, all backgrounds, all literacy levels... 24 of the children there don't speak languages that anyone else can understand. Kim Kim is deaf and has never been exposed to sign language. Nancy (4) lost her father and was brought to Happiness Home by her Mom who is HIV+. The stories of the children have been as equally upsetting as they are inspiring and I hope to share many of them here but today we want to tell you about Ruby... Brandon sent this for me to share with you guys...
"I am sitting in a room built from mud and bamboo, watching 71 children who are infected with one of the most crippling diseases of all time. What you would expect is sadness, sorrow and self pity. In front of me though, I see a girl who is 18 learning to ride a bike. There is a 15 year old girl pushing her. She doesn't know that most kids already know very well how to ride a bike at 18, she only knows that she is finally getting to ride one and this makes her very happy. I can see the smiles and hear the laughter. It's a joy that is devoid of the worries of yesterday.
There is music coming from the building next to me... some boys with a guitar, singing, laughing. I recognize the one playing the guitar because of what he's wearing. This is one thing that has helped me to know who is who and to remember their names. You realize that they look the same day to day because they are wearing all that they have. One set of clothes for playing, one for school or church. They play a beautiful melody and several sing along. They are great singers.
If I stop here, we have a place that is hard, but doing well. We have children who are lacking, but doing okay. Unfortunately this is not the whole story. Unfortunately there is a lot more to it than this.
Ruby's Mom died of AIDS, she has two siblings, Diamond and Benjamin. Diamond is 12 and Benjamin is 5. Their dad struggles with substance abuse issues to the point that he cannot care for his children. He is also infected. Ruby has spent the last several days barely able to get around because she is so sick. Benjamin is infected as well.
Diamond is not. Some of their family members came and asked for her to come live with them so that she could help out. This was working until they found out she was not allowed to go to school because of her connections to infected children. So instead of going to school, she was forced to work. Finally she was able to come back to Happiness Home to be with her siblings.
Ruby doesn't know where she will end up in life, she doesn't know what will happen when her siblings are old enough to leave. Ruby doesn't know how they will make money. Ruby doesn't know who will accept her... Ruby only knows one thing.
Today, Ruby knows she is happy because she is learning to ride a bike."
Diamond, Benjamin and Ruby
Thank you so much for taking the time to read, thank you so much for your compassion...
If you feel inclined to give you can do so through PayPal with the email address bphappinesshome@hotmail.com
There is also a GoFundMe here.
XOXO
Brandon & Miranda
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