India Trip 2009

By Johnnie Hitchcock, aged 14
Before I went out on my trip to India I didn’t know what to expect, we received a warm welcome. As soon as we got off the plane it was like the UK’s summer temperature and then on the journey to our first hotel we were almost hit several times by cars pulling out of the junctions! Marshall, one of our Compassion leaders, just sat there laughing at us because he was used to it and we were all scared stiff!
My family sponsors a child called Sandeep and when in India I realised that £21 a month is not a lot of money considering that with it a child gets to go to school and have a meal each day.
I asked the lovely Bronwyn, another of our Compassion leaders, if I could sponsor a child as it really struck me as to how much poverty these people lived in. My parents give me a small allowance each month and I wanted to use some of that money to help others. Luckily Bronwyn had taken some children's profiles out with her for the project 314 we were visiting the next day. I was introduced to a cheeky faced boy called Gokul. 10 minutes later I went to find him to show my Mum who he was and I found him whipping his friends through the grates in the windows with his t-shirt. My mum and I just looked at each other and laughed... a perfect match!!
The next day I gave him a football donated from my school, only then did I realise that Gokul had never had a football before in his life let alone the boys in the school. At that moment he became extremely popular as they all surrounded him wanting to play. It really struck me how I take things just like a football for granted.
The things that I have taken away from this trip are the memories of everything and the friendship of Bronwyn and Marshall. Also I have learnt to accept what I have, not complaining that I don’t have the latest games etc, and to be grateful for things like food and the comfort I live in. I want to look back and remember in my mind what I saw and experienced before making decisions in the future.
Thank-you guys for opening up my eyes.