Our first official White Rainbow Project trip was a complete success! Joining us this first time were Pepperdine University students, Brianna, Austin and Sid and Palomar College student, Danielle. Cynthia was happy to greet us at the widow's shelter known as Ma Dham, as she had been there a few weeks in advance of our arrival. The weather was hot and there were lots of interesting bugs in our rooms at night, but we did not let that distract us from our main goal of ministering to the widows. We spent most of the mornings cleaning the rooms and bathrooms of the bedridden widows, gaining their trust and showing them kindness. Even though we could not speak their language, we were able to communicate with them perfectly as LOVE needs no translation. It was the best part of the trip!We also visited the Bajan Ashrams (the temples where the widows chant) in Vrindavan. That was almost like watching a scene from the movie "White Rainbow". We saw thousands of widows there, chanting for hours. When some of the widows would fall asleep, the matrons of the ashram would hit them with a long stick. The men in charge were not happy when we wanted to interview some of them and let them know about Ma Dham. It is shocking to see how these women continue to be exploited. Some were so old, they could barely walk. We were also surprised to see many young widows, some with young children. One girl in particular had such a sad face. It really made an impression on us and we all vowed to help raise awareness and funds so that more of these women can come to Ma Dham and escape the cycle of abuse and neglect.
We are planing on making our next trip in November during Thanksgiving break. Won't you join us? It is definitely a life changing experience!
