Author: Bruce Patty Bauman

From Asha home we drove to the GS home in Lonavala, where many of the little ones eventually will transition to. GS Home is home to 130 kids and has been in operation for 12 years. Today we met some terrific kids and saw the results of years of being in a loving, stable, family environment. One of the first

A little after noon we walked in a tiny apartment where 9 sets of big brown smiling eyes peered up at us. The Asha home (house of hope) is the first step toward transitioning little ones from living on the streets to eventually landing in a permanent childrens’ home. The amazing staff, the joy in the kids faces and the

One of the dreams of Comforter team is to teach trades to young people in the red light district so they can have an alternate way of earning a living. One of the team members is very gifted in the Indian art of Mehndi. Henna (natural dye) is applied to the skin and worn for special events like a wedding

Shocking doesn’t even come close to describing the red light district of Pune, India. In this tiny neighborhood there are about 6,000 prositutes. In the entire city there are an estimated 200,000. We wondered how do these young men & women get trapped in this terrible lifestyle. It was disturbing to hear that often times a father or brother will

We began our time at the Rescue & Restore house with the kids singing and sharing about their lives. One of the highlights was the amazing energetic Indian dances the kids did for us. One of the older girls choreographed the dances, and we got a taste of the beautiful culture of India. It was a wonderful time to be

Late last night some more of our team walked out of the terminal in Bombay. It’s great to see them and we have a busy day planned for today. Check back tomorrow for an update on our visit to the childrens’ home today. We’re taking the kids shopping for shoes!!

We had quite an unexpected surprise yesterday. We met a young lady who grew up in one of the childrens’ homes Streams of Mercy supports in Pune. I knew this lovely girl when she was a young teen, and was amazed to run into her unexpectedly. She is now 21 years old and attending an early childhood education program at

We walked in the lobby to meet our dear friend who runs the AIDS orphanage here in Pune. Her face was grim & she looked as if she was about to cry. Fighting back tears she said one of the children in her home passed away today. This is the terrible heartbreaking tragedy of working with children who are HIV+.

What an amazing first day! Today we went to a transition shelter for kids living on the streets of Pune. This house is a “first step” towards getting them off the street and into a permanent childrens’ home. The staff give them a structured environment, show them what it means to live in a family, and prepare them to start