Email: Sudie Niesen

Dear Friends,

My bags are packed, my goodbyes are said, and the taxi will come at midnight to take us to the airport. The time has come to say goodbye to Kerala.

The last months have been a surreal experience—trying to absorb the reality that I am, indeed, leaving. Yet it has also been the most valuable period of my YAV year. During June and July I have felt relationships solidify and have finally reached a point where I no longer feel out of place. It seems ironic that I have come to this place just in time for my departure.

July was also marked by one particularly significant event: It is with great joy that I announce the inauguration of Paitrakam Community Library! (“Paitrakam” means “heritage.”) As is the tradition in Kerala, we celebrated this new beginning with a small ceremony, including the lighting of the Vilakku (lamp) and an address by our chief guest, Professor K.K. Abraham. With the help of fellow YAV David Buco and the Christava Mahilalayam Public School, the Dalit community’s library has a growing collection of English story books and Malayalam magazines. Of course, this is only the beginning! I am so thankful for the way you have embraced this project—offering encouragement, spreading the word, and mailing boxes of books. Achen will deliver these upon their arrival and will check in on the library periodically. Though I will not be here to watch it take root, I will follow the library's growth with great joy from halfway around the world. For pictures of the library’s inauguration, visit my blog.

I’ve realized during this phase of closure that language is a truly inadequate means of expression. Words cannot communicate the feelings of gratitude, fulfillment, loss, and joy that I am feeling, nor can they describe how deeply a part of me Kerala has become. I think the impact of this experience will gradually reveal itself as I transition back into life in the United States. But right now it is impossible to conceptualize. It is hard to name the things I have left behind, the things I will take home with me, and the ways in which I have changed. This reflection lies ahead of me, but for now I’d like to share with you with the letter I read to the students at Christava Mahilalayam Public School during my final assembly there.

As a child, my favorite book was Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. It is the story of a little girl named Alice whose grandfather tells her there are three things she must do with her life: travel the world, live by the ocean, and make the world a more beautiful place. Of course, I do not solely credit Miss Rumphius with shaping my life ambitions. However, as a person who loves the ocean, yearns to travel the world, and has a commitment to facilitating change, I do strongly identify with Alice’s journey and the goals that guide her experience. When Alice Rumphius aims to complete her final task of making the world more beautiful, she does so by planting lupines throughout her community; my idea of beautifying the world tends toward other methods of planting seeds—through active commitment to social justice, advocacy for the marginalized, fostering relationships, and service.

The goals I share with Alice Rumphius are the same ones that led me to India. I came here fueled by a hope that leads so many young adults to volunteer service: the hope that I can make a difference. During my preparation last summer, I imagined a year in which I would contribute to the needs of India’s people. In addition to a 12-month supply of sunscreen, I packed hopes of helping underprivileged children and women’s groups take strides toward creating change in their communities. Yet, as I settled into relationships and this culture’s way of life, I realized that Kerala was changing me far more than I would ever change it.

When I arrived at Christava Mahilalayam Public School eleven months ago, a group of students welcomed me at the gate with excited smiles and warm “hellos.” This was the first of many displays of genuine hospitality, something I have come to identify as the most beautiful aspect of Keralite culture. Never before have I been in a place where people stop you on the street to offer a cup of tea, where children share their food with strangers on crowded trains, where families offer to buy extra beds so they can host you and your friends. Members of this community have prepared me meals at inconvenient times, come to school bearing gifts of chapathi and motta curry, and sent me home with packages of nuts to ensure I’m never hungry. You have presented me with gifts of flowers, escorted me to bus stops to see me home safely, and come along when I needed someone to translate. Most importantly, you consistently ask how I’m doing, and meet me with a smile. By welcoming me so openly, you have offered the most gracious gift a foreigner can receive: a true sense of home. These acts of hospitality have taught me so much about fostering relationships and building community.

In a few days, I return to the United States—a country that typically sees tangible results as the only measure of success. Just as I left with expectations about all I would contribute during my volunteer year, I imagine I will return home to many questions about what I accomplished. And while the achievements are important, the stories I share will be of a people who welcomed me into their homes, their communities, and their lives. Through your amazing ability to welcome the stranger, you have given me the tools to eventually achieve the third goal I share with Alice Rumphius—the goal of making the world a more beautiful place. But, more importantly, you have given me new eyes to see how much beauty already exists.

Thank you to all who have traveled with me during this experience. I have depended upon your encouragement and support throughout my journey and have loved sharing my story along the way. If you are interested in hearing about my re-entry transition, I invite you to follow my blog or give me a call so we can meet over coffee.

Peace and love,

Sudie