Follow Ramesh's Journey

Today was the team’s first day of rest in five days, and it was well deserved. Lynne and Bertha completed some shopping, Chris ran some errands and set up some more media interviews. The media in Kamloops have been wonderful, so there’s lots of interviews to be scheduled. After washing the support vehicle, Doug and I traveled to Salmon Arm and visited with an old family connection.

“The roots of the past are deep in the present.“ Reverend David Pritchard of Whitehorse said this to me some time ago, and it really hit home today. In Salmon Arm, B.C. I had a heartfelt visit with an 86-year-old man named John Sayer. As many people know, my adoption into Canada was a lengthy process. A conversation Mr. Sayer had with then-Minister of Immigration Lloyd Axworthy quickened that adoption process significantly. John had volunteered at the orphanage - Families for Children - in India and worked with me prior to my arrival in Canada. John confirmed with Minister Axworthy and Sandra Simpson, the Canadian founder of Families for Children, that I was an intelligent little boy who was definitely adoptable. John shared a story with the minister that I pulled out a pen from his pocket and started scribbling with it. It’s amazing how things happen in life.  Who would think that a child playing with a pen would help influence such a major decision? Thank you John for all of your assistance for bringing me into the country. It was great to visit with John, his wife Anneke and his two daughters Judy Holman and Jacquie Lowndes. John shared with me stories about how I would play at the orphanage. This was truly a memorable day for me I wanted people to know that the roots of the past are truly deep in the present.