Where to begin? I flew out of JFK on January 1st. We switched planes in Doha, Saudi Arabia, and arrived in Hyderabad, India on January 3rd. It was about 18 hours in flight time but with the time change we definitely lost a day in the air (Kim- and you thought losing two hours going back to Texas was bad).
It is hard to believe I have only been here for a little over a week. People weren’t kidding that this will be the longest year of my life. India is amazing. I came here not really sure what to expect for it to smell and for cows to be roaming around.
• Parts of India do smell, since folks here find any way or ground a good place to pee. Every time I see ‘water’ on the ground, I can’t help but wonder if it is water or urine as I take a big step over the little puddle.
• I haven’t seen a cow yet. Water buffalo roam the streets (that’s where they get their milk).
The food has been amazing. We eat with our hands, and they don’t use napkins, so it is not uncommon to use your pants as a napkin…I feel like I’m right at home. We are currently at Mercy and Grace Orphanage in Vijayawada, India. There are about 200 children from grade 1 to grade 10, I believe. They speak a lot more English than I expected, but it can still be difficult to communicate small talk with them at times. However, when it comes to their love for Jesus, there is no misunderstanding.
Yesterday we all got groups of 8 kids and had time to do whatever with them. We talked some and they tried to teach me one of their favorite songs (which I butchered due to not being able to pronounce the words AND because I can’t keep the rhythm). But then we prayed. Rajish came over and translated some of the girls’ prayers, so I could hear what they were praying about. These girls were between 7 and 9, and their prayers to our Lord were just beautiful. They have such a big heart and such a love and trust for Jesus.
The best part of my day is just seeing them smile and laugh. Every time they smile (which is often), you can see Christ shining through them.
