Day 11 Going Home ~ Oct. 21st

We are about an hour from landing and I just saw that mass hook. 

Now we're flying over Boston.  We are all so ready to be home.  We've been flying since Saturday afternoon Columbia time.  It's currently 11:30 PM in India. We are all tired, some of us don't feel well and one's mom was put in a coma last night (or yesterday afternoon for those in Columbia); it was midnight for us. 

Please pray for each of us as we finish our journey home.  We are eager to see our families.  But, I also want to make connections with those I met in India. I'm excited about building friendships with those we met; whom I may not see again until heaven.

Our team is bonded from this experience please pray for them by name.

Eddie Coakley (our pastor and leader)
Tom Yang (our Kentucky guy)
Brenda Willis (our Nona)
Kristine Hoskins (our optimist)
Julie Brown (our sweet spirit)
Donna Hutchison (our free spirit)
Myself (our sensitive spirit)

Brenda was introduced as grandma to the children as she became our Nona too. Kristine always saw the good side of things. Julie's smile just made things sweeter. Donna's independence and eagerness to share the Lord with others is to be praised. Tom, our Kentucky, was the perfect fit for our group and has become a good friend. Our leader and pastor, I could not be more thankful to the Lord to have Eddie has my pastor and gracious for this trip to get to know him better.

Thank you all for you love, prayers, and support.

I'll be updating with pictures and more information about trip once a get home.

Day 9 Agra ~ Oct 19th

We finally arrived in Agra about 5:30am after our bus was an hour late. It was a nice bus, but the driver honked his horn the whole way.

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but the driving and rodes are CRAZY here. There seems to be no rules; they drive on the left side and there is many forms to travel in (walking, car, bicycle, motorbike, bicycle rickshaw, motorbike rickshaw, horse rickshaw, taxi though very different than what we know). There are people everywhere. Even though they drive on the right, they drive all over the road and honk to let others know that they are passing or to get out of there way. I'll try to post some pictures we when I get back.

We got to hotel amar about 6am and slept from 6:30-9:30. We met at 11 went to lunch and had a grilled cheese (it did taste a bit different and there is a high chance it was goat cheese). The Taj Mahal was closed today, so we went to Agra Fort, a marble and Persian rug place and watched them make. We vusted a few other other places. 

The most exciting us we are sharing the Lord with our tour guide, Monika. She was able to receive a New Testament Hindi bible tonight from AJ.

We're going to the Taj Mahal in the morning early, so good night!

Day 10 Taj Mahal & Delhi ~ Oct 20th

We arrived at the Taj Mahal around 8am and toured with pur guide, Monika.  It was beautiful, we had a nice cool morning. I could not tell you everything about the Taj Mahal's history, so here is a link:

Taj Mahal

Before we left I gave Monika a Living Real Magazine and Donna prayed for her.  She said her family was very interested in the bible we gave her, therefor she didn't het a chance to read it.

We left Agra about 10:30 for Delhi. It took about 3 hours. We ate at KFC again (first and last lunch in India). I am soooo ready for some beef.

We arrived at airport at 8:30pm and said our good byes to AJ :'(  bittersweet!  It was an amazing experience to worship with brothers and sisters in Christ on the other side of the world and share our Faith with others. AJ is truly amazing and a strong man of God. 

Day 8 Pizza Hut ~ Oct. 18th

Eating at Pizza Hut!  Very good and taste just like American pizza. 

Our bus leaves around 9:45pm and we'll have a 7 hour ride to Agra.  Please pray for I haven't been feeling well today.

Not sure when I'll have another chance to post.  We are supposed to visit the Taj Mahal but I read somewhere that they are closed on Friday, so we may have to see when we get there. 

Day 8 The GAP Foundation ~ Oct. 18th

I had a good nights rest after an adventuresome walk through the streets of Lucknow.  As soon as we started walking two 'beggar children' a girl around 6 or 7 and boy about 4 followed us for about 20-30 minutes and just pecked, yes literally pecked at us for money. It broke my heart to just to keep walking and ignore them.  They finally gave up, not sure if they cannot go beyond a particular point or what. We walked a long way and saw everyday street life with these shops on the side of the rode; clothes, food, instruments, jewelry, shoes...oh and also cows and goats.  We rode a motorized Rickshaw back to the hotel and that was an experience.

*****

It is currently 8am Thursday here and 10:30pm Wednesday back home in Columbia. Crazy that I'm on a different day. 

Today we are going to the GAP Foundation Office to service children of closer villages that will arrive by taxis, bikes, etc. We will be doing the same crafts we did with the other villages; and they'll receive their gifts.  We will also give 20 bikes through a donation from our church to the young men AJ disciples. 

For Lunch Snelata, AJ's wife has prepared us Byrini Chikan (not mispelling~ that's how they spell Chicken).  So we will visit with them.  

For Dinner we plan to go to Pizza Hut!!! Then we will board a bus around 9pm for Arga.. and our mission portion with AJ will be done.

Day 7 Ashrafnagar ~ Oct. 17th

We finished our last village about 2pm. I just cannot believe that part is done.  We have met all these people and you want to know their names and story.  The mothers wanted to be involved just as much as the children.  A few did speak some English.

Afterwards we refreshed then dragged the guys to the mall to get gifts for family and friends, Then we went back to Royal Cafe for dinner with 10 of AJ's disciples, which is a huge treat for them. I truly believe he's a modern day Jesus.  He goes to these villages to share God's word. He will travel and stay will them in the village. He lives off a forth of my monthly income. It is so humbling to be around and watching him interact with these young men.

Day 6 Ghandhinagar Village ~ Oct. 16th

Today had as much different feeling. I felt something spiritual when we arrived...nit sure if it was God with us, the villagers, the men leading the music (believers) or something else.

It semed very rushed, though I was hand painting instead of doing bubbles, but others had the same thought.  There were many the spoke some English because they went to public school.

After the village we went to visit two Hindu temples.

Then back to royal cafe.

Day 5 ~ Oct. 15th

What timing.....

My 'You Version' Bible chapter to read today was Romans 5. I amazing is that after Eddie preached about it yesterday.  Here's is the verses from Sunday's service.

Romans 5:1-8 NIV
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Day 5 Souiran Village ~ Oct. 15th

We arrived at the village around 10am. A few believers from the GAP Foundation were there singing Christian songs to the children.

Brenda and Kristine played the parachute with the kids while the stations were set up. We then had the kids make tissue paper flowers, hand paint, stamp print faces, bubbles and color fans with a picture of Jesus with the children that said in Hindi 'God loves the little children'. We ate lunch then gave them our gifts that the children at Trinity put together.

My reflection:

I'm not sure if I can explain what the village was like in words. First, the hardest thing was not being able to communicate. I wanted so bad to make a connection with the children and their mothers.

Everything went very well. I can feel the holy spirit, because even though we are tired He has helped me persevere through.  He has helped keep me from being too hungry so I can focus on loving the children.
God is so good!

Day 4 AJ's House ~ Oct. 14th

After church we took AJ's daughter, Christina, to the mall to get a dress. Had a drink at McDonald's, then had orientation with the translators. Afterwards, we went to AJ's house for dinner.
Snelata, AJ's wife, made fried chicken, veggies, rice & soup. It was very good. They only eat meat once aa. month so it was a Huge treat.  We Skyped our church, Trinity Baptist Church, but apparently the connection was choppy therefore no one understood us and Micah said that we had already learned Hindi.  The language is very hard to understand and pick up.
We enjoyed our time with AJ's family. I was able to talk to Wes and Jacob when we got back.

Day 4 church ~ Oct 14th

After a wonderful night's rest we got up and went to Calvary Church, a church that AJ first preached at 12 years ago and will visit at times to preach.  Afterwards, we visited with the family, whose father and grandfather were the preachers, for about 2 hours.  The son is now the preacher after their father past last year. We enjoyed their company extremely. They gave us refreshments and we sang songs in Hindi and English. It was a wonderful time in fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters.

Eddies sermon was on Romans 5:1-8.  He talked about Paul telling believers that we rejoice in our faith in Jesus Christ even during our suffering because our hope is in Him. He talked about even though we may seem different (Americans & Indians) we are the same and we all suffer. Turning away from God or worshiping something else (alcohol, food, idols, another religion, etc.) doesn't end your suffering.

Your Faithful Follower,
~k

Travel Day 3 ~ Oct. 13th

We're in India! And we get to see AJ. I know that he is extremely excited....

It's been a looonnnggg day...when arrived at the hotel around 9:45am. Refreshed, met with AJ and the went to get some lunch. Of all places Eddie chooses KFC. it was hood and we even got a tour of the kitchen.  Then we got our clothes at the mall, went to a Muslim temple, rode a rickshaw, saw a new temple made of marble, and saw a ghot (spelling unsure, but its where the burn their deceased ones the send them in the river).

We then came back to eat dinner at hotel. Now I'm ready to crash!

Your Faithful Follower,
~k

Travel Day 2 ~ Oct. 12th

It's hard to believe that it's morning back home...my watch now set on India time says 9:00pm. We still have about 2.5 more hours until we land in Delhi.

We competed our first devotion discussion while in Zurich. We all agreed that the Lord is teaching us patience as we travel, to be still in the moment and grow with our sisters and brothers in Christ. 

The Lord is helping me put my life verse into action. Be still and know that I Am Lord. Psalm 46:10. Some of you may sympathize that when raising young its hard to be still, especially two active boys! I look forward to the slower pace of life and leaving this behind that hinder my time with the Lord...we will witness some of the most simplified lives in the villages of Lucknow.

PS. I'll try to include time in my post because I'm having a hard time trying to post when connected to WiFi. Therefore, ill write as I experience, but you may be reading it later or several post at once.

Your Faithful Follower,
~ k