Okay okay okay. I know I’m not very good at keeping you guys updated on what my life looks like here on the race!!! Here’s a little recap of my month in India…
We went to a western church where the worship and sermons were in English, which was so refreshing. We got to help serve in the cafe and on the welcome team one Sunday – super chaotic but also VERY fun. Oh, and I learned how to make my own latte so I’m pretty much a coffee guru now.
After church the first week we tried to grab a tuktuk home since it was just a 10 minute drive… wellllllll one hour and multiple phone calls later, we finally made it back. India is forrrr surrreee a shame/honor culture, so if your driver didn’t know where he was going he would never admit it to you. You’re just along for the 105 degree ride home no matter how long it takes.
We partnered with an organization that takes care of children of all ages with special needs. I wasn’t expecting to learn so much from those kids, but WOW they rocked my world. My favorite example is when I was trying to communicate with one of the Ayahs about lunch, but she didn’t speak English and I surely don’t speak Telugu. One of the boys at the home came across the room to help me communicate with the Ayah (auntie) and ended up translating a full conversation for me. It was in that exact moment that it hit me…the entire country and the culture he was born into see him as useless because he had a physical handicap, but without him I would have been helpless in that situation. The Lord blesses each person with unique gifts and abilities and the boys at this home just so happened to be so intelligent and blessings to us, bilingual!
We also got the opportunity to take some of the younger, more mobile kids for walks or outings to the mall. Below is a picture of sweet babes S and A at the park. They were so spunky, full of life and sass, and AGAIN bilingual at just 3 and 4 years old. Children goals!
When we went to the village closer to the beach, some of us ventured out to find traditional saris! I was leaning towards a dark green, but the woman behind the counter insisted that orange was the color I needed…so I went with it! This is my year of saying YES.
Last but not least. At the end of April we moved into Kathmandu, Nepal where we’ll be spending month 5 of the race. With that brought the biggest change of the race so far…team changes!!! I’m no longer with my lady gang Young Royalz, but have transitioned onto a SICK coed team. Keep your eyes peeled for an intro blog where I’ll introduce you to the hilarious, spunky, joy filled group of humans that I get to spend the next 4 months with. Here’s a lil sneak peek…
Thanks for taking the time to hear what I’ve been up to lately! I can’t thank y’all enough for the love, prayers, and financial support you’ve given me. My cup runneth over!
Until next time… xo
