Tuesday, January 12, 2010: The House of Grace

Sue Morrison and her daughters Jeanne, Carolyn and Julie, and Julie's daughter, Sophie, had connected with us in Kerala on Tuesday evening.  The family brought Sophie to Kerala to see Sishu Kshema Bhavan, the home from which Sophie, now 11, was adopted as a baby.

On Thursday morning, the now larger group of Pathways travelers boarded the bus to take us from Cochin to Arakkulam, Moolamattom in the Idukki District of Kerala and the location of Sishu Kshema Bhavan Arakulam - The House of Grace Orphanage, a brand new orphanage soon to be opened as a branch of Sishu Kshema Bhavan, the original orphanage.  The 2 1/2 hour drive took us into and over the mountains that follow the coastline of Kerala. We would be staying for two nights at the River Banks Madapparambil Resort, a beautiful tropical hotel set next to a channel.

After checking in, we met Elizabeth and Rajin Abraham, the brilliant couple that are overseeing the completion of The House of Grace and that operate and manage the original orphanage located in nearby Kanjirapally.  Elizabeth and Rajin are very friendly, very intelligent and  very dedicated to the cause of helping orphaned children.

We were greeted at the door with the traditional blessing, as sandlewood ointment was placed on our forehead and children from Sishu Kshema Bhavan put a garland around each of our necks.  We then went inside for the tour.

Grace planted the seed for the orphanage in 2002.  Land was selected and funds were raised.  Buildings were constructed on the original site twice, only to be destroyed each time by the communists who objected to the presence of the orphanage.  The current site is beautifully set in the mountains overlooking a channel. 

The building and grounds are immaculate.  If orphanages were rated like hotels, the House of Grace would be a five star orphanage.  All parts of the building have been constructed to be very easy to maintain and to be resistant to wear and tear. 

The House of Grace has not yet accepted any children since Rajin and Elizabeth are awaiting one more license that is expected to be a mere formality.  Children might be arriving within a few weeks.  It's expected that the House of Grace will house older orphans.  The facility will handle 80 to 90 children, but it will take a while to build the population to that level.

After touring the facility, Fr. Laird celebrated Mass to dedicate the orphanage.  He  blessed a wooden crucifix for each of the Pathways travelers.  Each Pathways traveler then inscribed a prayer and signed the back of the crucifix.  They would be placed in the orphanage bedrooms.

We then moved outside the building for the dedication and blessing of the Sophie Anasuya playground that has been donated by Sue and John Morrison, Sophie's grandparents.

Elizabeth then presented a beautiful plaque to Grace and Ralph to honor them for their substantial part in making Sishu Kshema Bhavan Arakulam a reality.  The day ended with a performance by dancers that treated us to an art form that is a mixture of Kathakali and traditional South Indian folk dance.  Kathakali is a 300 year old classical dance form which combines facets of ballet, opera, and pantomime and depicts stories from Indian epics.