Introducing A Big Island Life
12 years ago
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Me. I definitely win the stinkiest/dirtiest shoes contest. I don't even want to know what all is on these shoes. In fact, I am wondering if it is even worth trying to clean them, or if I should just throw them away...or maybe put them in a case as a souvenir. All I can say is that it was worth it. I would trade a new pair of shoes for running around in who knows what with 300 kids for 2 hours.
Quote of the day by the one and only Gladys Paul: "I am going to kiss the floor when I get home."
It is hard to believe we will be boarding the plane in about 6 hours. We had a special prayer service asking God to upgrade us to Business Class. Is that bad? We are already planning our first meal, so if any of you guys out there want to provide that meal for us we have one request: NO CHICKEN OR RICE.
Today was a good day. We woke up and went to church with Saju. The people are so into worshipping. They would sing the same sentence over and over again getting louder and faster until finally they ended by saying "Hallelujah" over and over again. That was the only way we knew the song was over because most of them were in a different language anyways. We had a good time. Mom about freaked out when Saju did one of those random "call on the Americans to speak". So of course, I got nominated to represent the girls. Bennett also shared, and then Dad gave the message.
Afterwards we went to Saju's for some chips and cookies (and Fanta of course), and then we headed out to Benju's house. We were so glad to be able to meet Benju's parents and see him before we leave. They were very sweet, and served us all kinds of Indian goodies. Dad really branched out there, I think he tried a banana. In India, a lot of the pastors and ministers like for you to visit their home and then pray for it as you leave. Benju's Dad had a cool vase on the table, and Mom and Dad commented on how cool it was. It was a vase made of Oxen horns. His Dad ran upstairs and brought us one back. We could tell he had taken flowers out of it. The people here are so giving...it's unbelievable.
Our buddy Shiva Kumar just met us for our last supper. He has got to be the nicest person on Earth hands down. He really worked hard to put our trip together and get all of our ministry opportunities lined up. I met him last time I was here, but never really got the chance to get to know him.
So we have had our last shower with our mouths closed tightly, last teeth brushing with bottled water, and we only have one last ride with the scary driver Sonny (Emily was convinced he was going to turn on us after all those terror alerts...he kept ripping us off needing money). Like I said, it is hard to believe this trip is over. It has been an incredible experience, and I will never forget all those hours spent running around with "slumdogs" and village kids. I will definitely miss the people, but I cannot say I will miss all of my bad shoe experiences. But, I wouldn't trade them for the world.
Quote of the day by the one and only Gladys Paul: "I am going to kiss the floor when I get home."
It is hard to believe we will be boarding the plane in about 6 hours. We had a special prayer service asking God to upgrade us to Business Class. Is that bad? We are already planning our first meal, so if any of you guys out there want to provide that meal for us we have one request: NO CHICKEN OR RICE.
Today was a good day. We woke up and went to church with Saju. The people are so into worshipping. They would sing the same sentence over and over again getting louder and faster until finally they ended by saying "Hallelujah" over and over again. That was the only way we knew the song was over because most of them were in a different language anyways. We had a good time. Mom about freaked out when Saju did one of those random "call on the Americans to speak". So of course, I got nominated to represent the girls. Bennett also shared, and then Dad gave the message.
Afterwards we went to Saju's for some chips and cookies (and Fanta of course), and then we headed out to Benju's house. We were so glad to be able to meet Benju's parents and see him before we leave. They were very sweet, and served us all kinds of Indian goodies. Dad really branched out there, I think he tried a banana. In India, a lot of the pastors and ministers like for you to visit their home and then pray for it as you leave. Benju's Dad had a cool vase on the table, and Mom and Dad commented on how cool it was. It was a vase made of Oxen horns. His Dad ran upstairs and brought us one back. We could tell he had taken flowers out of it. The people here are so giving...it's unbelievable.
Our buddy Shiva Kumar just met us for our last supper. He has got to be the nicest person on Earth hands down. He really worked hard to put our trip together and get all of our ministry opportunities lined up. I met him last time I was here, but never really got the chance to get to know him.
So we have had our last shower with our mouths closed tightly, last teeth brushing with bottled water, and we only have one last ride with the scary driver Sonny (Emily was convinced he was going to turn on us after all those terror alerts...he kept ripping us off needing money). Like I said, it is hard to believe this trip is over. It has been an incredible experience, and I will never forget all those hours spent running around with "slumdogs" and village kids. I will definitely miss the people, but I cannot say I will miss all of my bad shoe experiences. But, I wouldn't trade them for the world.
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I have been a slacker the past day or so on the blog. Please forgive me. The Indian food/atmosphere got to me a little. In fact, I stayed in the hotel all day today. Internet is bad today, so I will try and post some pictures tomorrow,
Quotes of the day for Friday:
Then, the men come walking out carrying another homemade goal. Now, they have 2 goals and the 10 basketballs we left with them. After the new goal was put up the monsoon season kicked in and it poured. We went in and sang songs and heard a wonderful story by Sister Emily :) We finally braved the rain and went back out and played and played and played. When it was all said and done, the Pastor held a little "goodbye" ceremony for us. The most incredible statement of the trip was when the Pastor said, "We are sorry we have nothing to give you but love from our hearts." WOW, and that is all we need.
Well, it has been an incredible journey. We still have one more day until we hop on the plane at 1:30 am. Hopefully we can sleep a little on the way home. It is hard to believe our trip is almost over. God has done some incredible things in Bangalore...and He is not done yet.
Quotes of the day for Friday:
- Gladys teaching a group of little girls how to play: "You shoot with two hands. If you don't shoot with two hands you don't make the team."
- Dad as we were eating chicken fingers at KFC and dipping them in salsa: "I am branching out a little."
- Dad once again holding the video camera as we were trying to take a group picture: "Ok, 1, 2, 3... MOVE THAT BUS"
Then, the men come walking out carrying another homemade goal. Now, they have 2 goals and the 10 basketballs we left with them. After the new goal was put up the monsoon season kicked in and it poured. We went in and sang songs and heard a wonderful story by Sister Emily :) We finally braved the rain and went back out and played and played and played. When it was all said and done, the Pastor held a little "goodbye" ceremony for us. The most incredible statement of the trip was when the Pastor said, "We are sorry we have nothing to give you but love from our hearts." WOW, and that is all we need.
Well, it has been an incredible journey. We still have one more day until we hop on the plane at 1:30 am. Hopefully we can sleep a little on the way home. It is hard to believe our trip is almost over. God has done some incredible things in Bangalore...and He is not done yet.
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Gladys quote of the day: "This place is disgusting. I need a mask."
Yesterday was a busy day! We started our day by leading a 20 minute chapel service at a girls school claiming to be Methodist. We sang 2 songs (they didn't know) and then Rojers shared the Gospel crystal clear. Afterwards we found out that the school is 95% Hindu! WOW! We also found out that even though schools are "Christian" schools, they still have to be careful when sharing. They usually just tell Bible stories and share real life applications. Only every now and then will they present "the Gospel". How about that? Just shows you how careful you have to be around here. I guess we were one of those "now and then" times. After chapel we just ran around a bit, and then headed out to the same school to play with their basketball team. We only had an hour, but we showed them a few things and then just played a few games and scrimmaged with them. In fact, Gladys was quite the superstar. We look to the other end of the court and she had a huge crowd of girls surrounding her. Apparently she made a shot, so they thought she was GREAT!
Last night we went out to another Compassion International Project. This one was located in the city area. It was a very nice church, and I believe it was 4 stories high but not very wide at all. We were stuck inside because of a big storm. We sang, shared, and played some games we made up with basketballs. I will tell you what, there is NO such thing as having a plan around here. It can get a little stressful at times, and then we are reminded that these kids don't care. They just want us there. You never know what you are going to get. Those kids were wild and crazy. It was awesome. I asked them if they knew a song and they said, "YESSSSSSSSSS". So we started singing, and they were singing a completely different song. We just went with it. It was awesome. That has happened quite a few times actually.
Afterwards we found out that the city has recently threatened to shut down the church because of too much noise. What is that all about? How can you quiet church? These kids were so loud, I am suprised they didn't come in right then. They told us we were fine, that they had shut all doors and windows. Apparently they do not complain about the kids too much, probably because the church is babysitting some of their very own!
Well, it has been a great trip so far. Hard to believe we only have 3 days left until we hop on a plane. We are going to make the most of these last few days in Bangalore. Who knows, we may never have this opportunity again.
Yesterday was a busy day! We started our day by leading a 20 minute chapel service at a girls school claiming to be Methodist. We sang 2 songs (they didn't know) and then Rojers shared the Gospel crystal clear. Afterwards we found out that the school is 95% Hindu! WOW! We also found out that even though schools are "Christian" schools, they still have to be careful when sharing. They usually just tell Bible stories and share real life applications. Only every now and then will they present "the Gospel". How about that? Just shows you how careful you have to be around here. I guess we were one of those "now and then" times. After chapel we just ran around a bit, and then headed out to the same school to play with their basketball team. We only had an hour, but we showed them a few things and then just played a few games and scrimmaged with them. In fact, Gladys was quite the superstar. We look to the other end of the court and she had a huge crowd of girls surrounding her. Apparently she made a shot, so they thought she was GREAT!
Last night we went out to another Compassion International Project. This one was located in the city area. It was a very nice church, and I believe it was 4 stories high but not very wide at all. We were stuck inside because of a big storm. We sang, shared, and played some games we made up with basketballs. I will tell you what, there is NO such thing as having a plan around here. It can get a little stressful at times, and then we are reminded that these kids don't care. They just want us there. You never know what you are going to get. Those kids were wild and crazy. It was awesome. I asked them if they knew a song and they said, "YESSSSSSSSSS". So we started singing, and they were singing a completely different song. We just went with it. It was awesome. That has happened quite a few times actually.
Afterwards we found out that the city has recently threatened to shut down the church because of too much noise. What is that all about? How can you quiet church? These kids were so loud, I am suprised they didn't come in right then. They told us we were fine, that they had shut all doors and windows. Apparently they do not complain about the kids too much, probably because the church is babysitting some of their very own!
Well, it has been a great trip so far. Hard to believe we only have 3 days left until we hop on a plane. We are going to make the most of these last few days in Bangalore. Who knows, we may never have this opportunity again.
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The U.S. has issued a travel advisory for India. One of the major Indian terrorists has been set free, and there is a high threat for terrorism right now. Keep everyone in your prayers. Luckily, we are not doing any more touristy things, and those are the areas that are of main concern. We were already pretty worried after the AirFrance plane crash knowing we will be traveling AirFrance Sunday night. We know that all these things are just to divert our attention from the main purpose of serving Christ. Pray that we would put the fears aside so we can complete the work God has for us while here in Bangalore.
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.
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So get this: Just 4 days ago we were discouraged because nothing was going as planned. We had absolutely nothing on our schedule, and today we are JAM PACKED with things to do. We won't even be able to catch our breath. And we will finally be able to hold our basketball clinics in a school. Incredible.
Yesterday we went to a hometown 4-story Wal-Mart type building and bought some tea, coffee, curry (just kidding), and some other Indian goods. Funny thing is, they have deodorant in that place too! On the way to the "Big Bazaar" we passed a big ditch where men were working in uniforms. We heard a few days ago on the news about a 5 year old girl who was missing, and Shiva Kumar told us that that was the very spot she disappeared. After a heavy rain, they fear that the current swept her away. It was so sad, especially to think she was probably fetching water in the dirty, trash filled creek or trying to get a bath.
Last night we went back out to the same Compassion International project and the kids were waiting for us anxiously (we were late...Indian Flexible Time as we call it). Kids followed our bus up to the church and others watched from their homes. We drove up and spotted a basketball goal! Nothing like a goal you get from Wal-Mart but it works! For 21 US dollars the pastor bought a rim and a net. They then made a backboard out of wood and a pole out of bamboo. You should have seen the kids out there; acutally, you should have seen the adults! I think they had the most fun. We drew a crowd out there (even a herd of oxen came to watch). It was unbelievable. It is amazing how much God has done these past 2 days with these kids, and to think we have only spent 4 hours with them all together.
Now, for something even cooler: They loved basketball so much they are going to put up another goal for Friday. So we will have an outdoor full court homemade basketball facility (if you would call it that). I can see future Indian NBA stars in the making...I just hope they remember us when they strike it big...and I hope the cows and oxen don't knock the goals over.
There is absolutely no way to explain everything that is going on here. But, that is not unusual. Because God is so indescribable. His thoughts are higher than ours, and His ways higher than our ways. We don't know why everything was falling apart at the beginning, but we do know that He was in control and had everything planned out for us whether we believed it or not. Maybe He wanted us to know that we didn't need the elaborate basketball clinic plans I spent days planning in order to make a difference in peoples lives. Maybe I am the only one who has stepped in poop twice because God wants me to lighten up on my OCD-ness (just kidding). But how in the world does it keep happening to me? Bennett said because they step over it, not in it. Oh well. Either way, we are loving on a lot of Indians and learning a lot on this trip about India, ourselves, and God. Isn't that what we came for anyways?
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Well, we haven't gotten "leid" yet, but the Pizza Hut count is up to 2. Yesterday was a great day. Em and I woke up and went for a walk. There is a park near our hotel with a huge lake in it. However, we could not find the entrance, so we were just looking at it from the street. I spent most of the time waving off rickshaws. I am getting the hang of this Indian head bobble thing, I do have Indian cheekbones after all. But I will say, crossing the street is probably the most challenging thing to do. It is similar to playing Frogger in real life. We did have a minor crisis while out: I stepped in poop of some sort. I didn't know it until I was back in the room pumping up basketballs. I got a whiff, and Mom blamed it on Em. How dare she (sorry Em). I spent about 30 minutes cleaning my shoe and take pride in saying I have the cleanest shoe in India.
We then headed to a hometown Botanical Garden to walk around and chill. But the highlight of the day was going to a Compassion International Project in the slums. Think: Slumdog Millionaire. From the time we started driving down the dirt road people were staring and kids were walking beside our bus. There were about 300 kids in a small church building. When we got there we did a mini service with singing (by yours truly...and I CAN'T sing), a short story (by Christina) and then Dad shared a little. We then split in 4 different directions for games. We had a group in the building, a group outside under a concrete carport, and 2 groups in a dirt field. They didn't have a goal, but we played basketball anyways bare foot and all! I think the funniest part was having to dodge the rickshaws and bikes that kept driving through my group. Or maybe it was seeing Gladys trying to teach the little boys how to pass and dribble...did I mention she doesn't really know how to play?
The pastor there was incredible. In fact, after we were finished with games we went back in and sang another song led by Willy (William Gordon who stayed with us for a month in September). While the kids were lining up for supper, Mohan tells me that the pastor wants to put up a basketball goal for the kids so we can teach them how to play. How about that? A basketball goal over here is really expensive. I cannot remember the exact price. But, it is a luxury just to have one. No wonder we haven't seen many around. They will only get a backboard and rim, and then they will make the pole out of Bamboo wood. A basketball goal in the slums, incredible.
We are so excited that we get to head out to the same project tonight. The kids were precious. We were sitting in the middle of them and all they wanted to do was rub your arms and touch your face. They wanted to make sure we were real. Honestly, they just like you to be there with them. They don't care if we plan elaborate games and activities. They had the most fun when Rojers and I were running around giving them high fives and making them scream. It is so exciting to see how everything is coming together. Thursday and Friday morning we are almost positive that we have a basketball clinic lined up at a school with a basketball goal...WOW! Keep praying that will follow through for us.
Loving on these kids is amazing. All they want is love. And don't forget: God is faithful!
We then headed to a hometown Botanical Garden to walk around and chill. But the highlight of the day was going to a Compassion International Project in the slums. Think: Slumdog Millionaire. From the time we started driving down the dirt road people were staring and kids were walking beside our bus. There were about 300 kids in a small church building. When we got there we did a mini service with singing (by yours truly...and I CAN'T sing), a short story (by Christina) and then Dad shared a little. We then split in 4 different directions for games. We had a group in the building, a group outside under a concrete carport, and 2 groups in a dirt field. They didn't have a goal, but we played basketball anyways bare foot and all! I think the funniest part was having to dodge the rickshaws and bikes that kept driving through my group. Or maybe it was seeing Gladys trying to teach the little boys how to pass and dribble...did I mention she doesn't really know how to play?
The pastor there was incredible. In fact, after we were finished with games we went back in and sang another song led by Willy (William Gordon who stayed with us for a month in September). While the kids were lining up for supper, Mohan tells me that the pastor wants to put up a basketball goal for the kids so we can teach them how to play. How about that? A basketball goal over here is really expensive. I cannot remember the exact price. But, it is a luxury just to have one. No wonder we haven't seen many around. They will only get a backboard and rim, and then they will make the pole out of Bamboo wood. A basketball goal in the slums, incredible.
We are so excited that we get to head out to the same project tonight. The kids were precious. We were sitting in the middle of them and all they wanted to do was rub your arms and touch your face. They wanted to make sure we were real. Honestly, they just like you to be there with them. They don't care if we plan elaborate games and activities. They had the most fun when Rojers and I were running around giving them high fives and making them scream. It is so exciting to see how everything is coming together. Thursday and Friday morning we are almost positive that we have a basketball clinic lined up at a school with a basketball goal...WOW! Keep praying that will follow through for us.
Loving on these kids is amazing. All they want is love. And don't forget: God is faithful!
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It is about 7:30 am here and we just finished up eating breakfast. Yesterday was a good day. Dad met with the guys from India, and us other folks headed out on rickshaws to Commercial S treet. We were afraid about shopping on our own, but we sure did get it done! We bargained with the best of them. Emily could get whatever she wanted with that blonde hair. Actually, we were thinking about just letting her walk down the street with a bag of basketballs and attract a crowd...that might work! While shopping, we would pull the old, "We will tell our friends about you if you give us 40% off". I am not sure if they actually believed us or what, but they gave us the deals and sent us off with their business cards. We also would say, "This same elephant is 150 rupees down the street! I have his card!" That worked as well. So if any of you blog readers out there are planning a trip to Bangalore, I got some shops for you. I came back bragging about our deals to Uncle Mohan (the big dawg over here in charge of the Indian missionaries), and he said, "So, you are getting the deals and hurting our economy at the same time". I said, "That's right...now we are in the same boat." Gotta love Uncle Mohan. It has been awesome having him here with us.
One of our rickshaw drivers said he would wait for us to finish our shopping and take us back. So we did some shopping, and looked behind us, and he had been following us the whole time. It broke our hearts...one rickshaw ride from the hotel to Commercial Street is 20 rupees, which comes to less than 50 cents. He spent the whole morning following us for 50 cents. Wow, just shows you how much people can get by with around here.
When we got back, we went to a Thai restaurant near the hotel. The food was AMAZING and they treated us like royalty. Bringing us washcloths to clean our hands, putting food on our plates, etc. They even brought out the cake we got for Dad with a candle lit on it, and they had decorated it with their own flair. That really made Dad feel special. You can see it in his eyes...he loves the attention! He needed a little pick me up. As of 2:30 yesterday (before we went to lunch), we thought we had nothing to do all day. That was such a disappointment. It has been great to visit and look around Bangalore, but that really is not what we came for.
Luckily, something came through at the last minute. God doesn't leave you hanging. At 3:30 we hopped on a bus and headed out to a Compassion International Project, and pumped up basketballs on the way there with a foot pump (we didn't have a needle until then). We had an incredible time. You will not believe the conditions these people live in. We had over 300 kids, and we had a BLAST. First, we split into about 3 groups and played with them. There really wasn't an open area to play, so we had them passing and dribbling in the streets. I had about 50 of the younger girls and one basketball. They don't care, they just like having you there. No need to entertain. We then headed inside and sang some songs, told/acted out a story, and then Dad shared with them a Bible story.
Probably one of my favorite parts was their dinner time. Everyone jumped up and pitched in. Mom, Em, Christina, and Gladys walked around helping the women serve (see their food in the picture above). We then passed out Dum-Dums for dessert. They loved the suckers. It was incredible and such a humbling experience to see what a typical afternoon for these children is like. We were also able to encourage their leaders just by spending time talking to them and even just sending a smile their way. We did have one major incident while we were there: Mom had to use the restroom. Not once, but twice. Talk about an experience...but you will have to ask her about that one.
India is great, but we are still praying that God would send opportunities our way. This is not an extremely open country, so going out on the streets talking about God would get us in trouble. Which means we have to find areas where people can come to us and be brought to us. We are still praying...and still hopeful. Even if it is hard to believe, we know it is all a part of God's plan.
One of our rickshaw drivers said he would wait for us to finish our shopping and take us back. So we did some shopping, and looked behind us, and he had been following us the whole time. It broke our hearts...one rickshaw ride from the hotel to Commercial Street is 20 rupees, which comes to less than 50 cents. He spent the whole morning following us for 50 cents. Wow, just shows you how much people can get by with around here.
When we got back, we went to a Thai restaurant near the hotel. The food was AMAZING and they treated us like royalty. Bringing us washcloths to clean our hands, putting food on our plates, etc. They even brought out the cake we got for Dad with a candle lit on it, and they had decorated it with their own flair. That really made Dad feel special. You can see it in his eyes...he loves the attention! He needed a little pick me up. As of 2:30 yesterday (before we went to lunch), we thought we had nothing to do all day. That was such a disappointment. It has been great to visit and look around Bangalore, but that really is not what we came for.
Luckily, something came through at the last minute. God doesn't leave you hanging. At 3:30 we hopped on a bus and headed out to a Compassion International Project, and pumped up basketballs on the way there with a foot pump (we didn't have a needle until then). We had an incredible time. You will not believe the conditions these people live in. We had over 300 kids, and we had a BLAST. First, we split into about 3 groups and played with them. There really wasn't an open area to play, so we had them passing and dribbling in the streets. I had about 50 of the younger girls and one basketball. They don't care, they just like having you there. No need to entertain. We then headed inside and sang some songs, told/acted out a story, and then Dad shared with them a Bible story.
Probably one of my favorite parts was their dinner time. Everyone jumped up and pitched in. Mom, Em, Christina, and Gladys walked around helping the women serve (see their food in the picture above). We then passed out Dum-Dums for dessert. They loved the suckers. It was incredible and such a humbling experience to see what a typical afternoon for these children is like. We were also able to encourage their leaders just by spending time talking to them and even just sending a smile their way. We did have one major incident while we were there: Mom had to use the restroom. Not once, but twice. Talk about an experience...but you will have to ask her about that one.
India is great, but we are still praying that God would send opportunities our way. This is not an extremely open country, so going out on the streets talking about God would get us in trouble. Which means we have to find areas where people can come to us and be brought to us. We are still praying...and still hopeful. Even if it is hard to believe, we know it is all a part of God's plan.
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Gladys quotes of the day:
1. "Why do they have so many steps around here? It is hard enough to walk as it is and they gotta throw steps everywhere!"
2. Trying to get a bargain in the Jewelry store: "Sir, 200 rupees. It is my birthday. I reaaaallly like them. Please, I am really nice. I like you."
Today we woke up (too early of course) and watched the Sunfeast World 10k come right by our hotel! How cool is that? It was on TV and all. Then we headed out to a pretty big church in a nicer area of Bangalore. It was probably one of the quietest and calmest churches I have ever been to. I don't know how they can sit so quietly for so long! I am used to my hour long worship. After church we ate at KFC (thank you Jesus) and then did some shopping. We actually didn't buy a whole lot. We started on commercial street (more westernized stores) and then headed out to a much wilder and crowded market-type street. That was a little overwhelming and we ended up cutting our shopping short there. So here we are, lying in the bed after a long day of sweating and bumping into people. It is pouring down rain, with high winds and thunder (it is monsoon season after all). We are actually waiting on Pizza Hut. Can you believe this is my first Pizza Hut experience this trip? For those of you who are not aware, last trip we had Pizza Hut 6 times.
But anyways, we ran into a major road block today. It's India, after all. Before coming to India, we had planned for 3 basketball camps daily in 3 different schools. Well, all 3 of those have fallen through. I cannot tell you how devastated I was. I have looked forward to this since we last came 2 years ago. We came halfway around the world with 3o basketballs for basketball clinics, and now we are not going to even need them. As strange as this may seem back home, that is often how it is here. A lot of times in India they don't follow through with things no matter how official it is or how big of a commitment it may seem.
So after staying up late last night frustrated and afraid that we have wasted a trip, I prayed and thought about the true reason we came. We came to minister, and basketball just happened to be the tool we chose to use. God can still use us to minister to the wonderful people of India. In fact, we happened to run into a white guy at church today who has an orphanage with 800 children. So we are working on something there. We are just praying that God would throw things our way. We know He is in control, and we are willing to do whatever it takes to reach the people and make a lasting impact these last 7 days we are here.
So all you blog followers out there (all 3 of you), we would love for you to throw a little prayer out there for us. We are a bit discouraged right now, but we know that it will all work out for the good.
Romans 8:28
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
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It is 5:45 am here. Sleeping in is not too easy in a different time zone. Yesterday we took the long trek to Mysore with a few stops on the way. Here are some higlights from the trip:
- We first stopped at the place where Tipu Sultan was born and died. He was a famous ruler in India. He had a palace and everything. We didn't take the time to read about him...but that is what Google is for.
- Then we stopped at another place where 3 rivers meet. It was a mini-market. We got to see people bowing down to a snake god, bathing in the river, and riding on homemade rafts.
- Our next stop was at a famous Catholic church. The outisde of this church was incredible. We kept getting shushed and nearly kicked out though because Gladys was talking (and we are white and easy to point out). We will blame it on the native.
- For lunch we stopped at a hotel and had some Indian grub. Not too bad, but I will say I tried what Emily and Bennett had and I definitely felt it coming out my nose and probably would have breathed fire if I tried. I miss McDonalds.
- We pulled into the Sandalwood emporium and watched the guys make some incredible things out of sandal wood. I mean this stuff was amazing. The only bad part is, the emporium makes tons of money off these talented men, and they make nearly nothing. We also walked next door to a clothing store. Nissi told us it was too expensive and you cannot bargain with them...so I decided to wait.
- Bennett then was shown how much he is truly worth. We got pulled over by the Indian police sitting on the side of the road. They charged us 100 rupees because they saw Bennett in the front seat. What they do is, during road blocks they pull you over and will let you pass for 100 rupees, or they will find some reason to fine you. The men stuck our money in their pockets and laughed.
- We made our way to the top of a mountain to see the whole city of Mysore. We took pictures, but they cannot do it justice. It was awesome, and had great views of all the palaces and different "neighborhoods".
- Our final desination proved to be the wildest. We went to Mysore Palace. The palace in itself was beautiful. But we immediately were bombarded with beggars, and being pushed and shoved in line. India at its finest. Rojers did some bargaining, and Gladys just egged the men on leaving Rojers to deal with them. Indians like pictures with Americans, especially with Emily and Bennett. They loved the blonde hair, and also how tall they are. They were wild about Big Mama Ghandi, as one lady looked to Mom and said, "Ma'am you are so cute!" I just about fell out on the ground right there.
Let me tell you a little about our dear friend Gladys. Gladys was born and pretty much raised in India until she was nearly a teenager before she moved to the US. Her husband, Rojers, then came to the US at the age of 21 or so to marry Gladys in their arranged marriage. But anyways, Gladys has been our source of entertainment and you would never believe she used to live here. A few examples. While waiting in line at the palace she yells, "These people are so unorganized and disgusting". Example two (probably my favorite). While waiting on the van, we were surrounded with people throwing things in our face to buy. Gladys was fed up and yelled, "Debra I don't hear anyone, do you see anyone talking to me? Is there someone beside you? There is no one here, we are ignoring them." She is a mess, and even said, "I cannot believe I was born here and act like this!" Wow, there are too many stories to tell. She had quite the bathroom experience, but you will have to ask her about that.
We actually got in a little "road rage" or more like "parking lot rage". We were waiting to get out (probably about 10 mins or so) and a group of young Indian men in front of us were tired of waiting so they got out and were just going to leave their car there. Our driver pretty much said HECK NO and honked his horn off. They didn't respond so he put the car in drive and bumped into two of the boys as they walked between our van and their car. After a little yelling and still not wanting to give in, they moved their car. I wish I had a camera...I cannot even describe in words right now what was going on.
So we definitely got to see a lot of the Indian way today. It was great. We actually were walking around the palace when a guy looked at our Indian friend Sam (he had on a Georgia shirt we gave him) and said, "Go Georgia". Come to find out, the two guys are working in Bangalore and live in Lilburn. They live two miles from the Paul family who is with us. How about that?
So now we are getting ready for church and maybe a little shopping. I love going to church in India. They worship so freely...it is incredible. Looking for one last pump me up before the real work begins.
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Well, after only about 2 hours of sleep last night, we woke up and drove to the zoo at 8:30 am (only 30 mins later than we were supposed to). At the zoo we looked at all the animals (what else do you do at a zoo), and then we took the "Grand Safari". In the safari we rode around on a bus with about 30 people or so through a gated area and looked at bears, lions, tigers, white tigers, and other incredible Indian wildlife. We had a blast! The only downfall was the hot bus ride we shared with many people who just have not learned how incredible products such as Secret and Axe are.
After the safari we had to waste about an hour and a half before we could ride the elephants. So we wasted some time looking around, and testing our cultural limits (aka public restrooms). We finally made our way down to the elephants, and let me tell you THEY WERE MONSTERS. I have never seen an elephant as large as one of the ones we saw today. Granted, I am not an elephant expert or hunter by any means, but I have seen some in my lifetime. While waiting by the elephants we laughed at the monkeys as they took food from people and fought over it amongst themselves. A little while later, the elephant keeper (I guess you could call him that) brought the monster over and let us pet him and dodge his trunk (no joke). Much to our dismay, he told us there would not be elephant rides today...apparently elephants need days off today. Let's just say he took a personal day.
So our first day in India was great, and we have not even began the fun stuff: working with the students and people. We were finally able to experience the true India traffic today, and also get a huge taste of culture. We saw cows roaming the streets, people digging through mounds of trash, and Muslims participating in their daily prayer time. There is so much going on in India at once...it is incredible. I love this place. I love the car rides and looking out the window at all the people. I love talking to them and learning about their culture. I cannot wait until we actually get to interact with the people and teach them how to put a ball in a hoop.
Sorry to disappoint all of those who were looking for Bennett's elephant ride video, maybe we can get him up on a camel tomorrow. We are exhausted, and are hitting the sack early to get ready for our last tourist day tomorrow. Then the real fun will begin!
After the safari we had to waste about an hour and a half before we could ride the elephants. So we wasted some time looking around, and testing our cultural limits (aka public restrooms). We finally made our way down to the elephants, and let me tell you THEY WERE MONSTERS. I have never seen an elephant as large as one of the ones we saw today. Granted, I am not an elephant expert or hunter by any means, but I have seen some in my lifetime. While waiting by the elephants we laughed at the monkeys as they took food from people and fought over it amongst themselves. A little while later, the elephant keeper (I guess you could call him that) brought the monster over and let us pet him and dodge his trunk (no joke). Much to our dismay, he told us there would not be elephant rides today...apparently elephants need days off today. Let's just say he took a personal day.
So our first day in India was great, and we have not even began the fun stuff: working with the students and people. We were finally able to experience the true India traffic today, and also get a huge taste of culture. We saw cows roaming the streets, people digging through mounds of trash, and Muslims participating in their daily prayer time. There is so much going on in India at once...it is incredible. I love this place. I love the car rides and looking out the window at all the people. I love talking to them and learning about their culture. I cannot wait until we actually get to interact with the people and teach them how to put a ball in a hoop.
Sorry to disappoint all of those who were looking for Bennett's elephant ride video, maybe we can get him up on a camel tomorrow. We are exhausted, and are hitting the sack early to get ready for our last tourist day tomorrow. Then the real fun will begin!
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Well, we finally made it. Actually, we made it at about 2:30 am Indian Time and 5:00 pm US time. We jumped in the bed for a quick nap, and here we are at 6:30 am getting ready for our first day.
So, flying for 18 hours is NO FUN. From Atlanta to Paris, I don't think any of us slept at all. I couldn't get comfortable, couldn't find anything I wanted to watch or read, and basically ended up with my head on the tray in front of me waiting out the flight. Considering we got to Paris at about 3:30 am at home...this was not good. About the "misplaced passports". Dad likes to act like the trip organizer that he is, and so I randomly made fun of him and yelled "PASSPORT CHECK" about 45 mins before we landed in Paris. Of course, Mom gets frantic, "Do you have mine." Long story short...it was no where to be found. In the meantime Dad and I are laughing so hard we cannot control ourselves (remember it is approximately 2:30 am at home), so Mom is convinced we are hiding it from her...and we are not. But we knew it had to be on there somewhere because she could not board the plane without it. Unfortunately (just kidding), she found it and was able to continue on to Bangalore with us. Dad and I offered to leave some cash with her while we headed on out to Bangalore.
One thing I have learned so far: PARIS AIRPORT STILL STINKS. Literally, and figuratively. It is very unorganized, the signs are not helpful at all, we had to go through security again because apparently we could have snuck something from the terminal in Atlanta to the terminal in Paris, and there was a seating area that would only hold about 1/20 of the people that were supposed to fit on the plane. So yes, it stank as well--from the plethora of perfumes you could sample to the lack of deodorant...you get the idea. Also, I am convinced that the people in Paris just don't like us, and don't care too much when we don't know French. But that is ok, it is their territory.
In the meantime, as we were boarding the plane to Bangalore, Mom and Dad ended up in front of us in checkout (Mom is good about shimmy-ing her way to the front), and then the rest of us kids ended up in a different line. And we truly found out that patience is a virtue. Unfortunate for Mom and Dad, the rest of us were asked if we minded being upgraded to "Business Class". Minded, are you kidding me? Who wouldn't? So we took one for the team and let Mom and Dad sit in the back. I will tell you I felt completely lost trying to figure out the gadgets and menu. But it was an awesome experience and blessing after the miserable flight before.
So, we made it to Bangalore. And PROPS to Bangalore--the airport has changed drastically. It looks great (maybe not smells great) and was very organized. About the "Swine/Swiss Flue", we had to get a thermometer stuck in our ear. If we had a temperature, they escorted you off. Luckily, we were good. But I did seen Swine Flu spelled using "FLUE" and "SWISS" instead of "Swine" on the official documents we had to get filled out. Only in India. I also loved how on the back of our customs card Karnataka titles it, "Increidble!ndia". WOW, talk about pride in your homeland.
Once we got to the hotel, we had about 4 hours to "nap" until we had to start our day. To be honest, that was actually some quality rest time. It was great. We woke up at about 5:45 am to the sound of a gong-like beating. Being the ignorant child I am, I thought it was some religious prayer time. That is, until the sound had no rhythm and started to sound more like a person beating on metal stairs. As you will hear often: That's India....and I LOVE IT. I love the spontaneity. In the meantime, we just decided to start our day a little bit earlier.
And here we are, preparing for a day of "tourism". This excites me beyond belief. I cannot wait to see what Incredible!ndia has to share with me today. I can't wait to see the streets in the daytime action , with people running stop signs and cutting each other off. I am sure it will be AWESOME.
One last thing...we were so excited to jump off the plane and see our buddy Benju. We thought were not going to see him! It was an AWESOME surprise! So, all you prayer warriors, pray that Benjamin would see the light and decide NOT to study so much for his exams so he can hang out with us (is it okay to pray for that)?
Check back later for a video of Bennett riding an elephant...I promised him I would post one for the world to see.
So, flying for 18 hours is NO FUN. From Atlanta to Paris, I don't think any of us slept at all. I couldn't get comfortable, couldn't find anything I wanted to watch or read, and basically ended up with my head on the tray in front of me waiting out the flight. Considering we got to Paris at about 3:30 am at home...this was not good. About the "misplaced passports". Dad likes to act like the trip organizer that he is, and so I randomly made fun of him and yelled "PASSPORT CHECK" about 45 mins before we landed in Paris. Of course, Mom gets frantic, "Do you have mine." Long story short...it was no where to be found. In the meantime Dad and I are laughing so hard we cannot control ourselves (remember it is approximately 2:30 am at home), so Mom is convinced we are hiding it from her...and we are not. But we knew it had to be on there somewhere because she could not board the plane without it. Unfortunately (just kidding), she found it and was able to continue on to Bangalore with us. Dad and I offered to leave some cash with her while we headed on out to Bangalore.
One thing I have learned so far: PARIS AIRPORT STILL STINKS. Literally, and figuratively. It is very unorganized, the signs are not helpful at all, we had to go through security again because apparently we could have snuck something from the terminal in Atlanta to the terminal in Paris, and there was a seating area that would only hold about 1/20 of the people that were supposed to fit on the plane. So yes, it stank as well--from the plethora of perfumes you could sample to the lack of deodorant...you get the idea. Also, I am convinced that the people in Paris just don't like us, and don't care too much when we don't know French. But that is ok, it is their territory.
In the meantime, as we were boarding the plane to Bangalore, Mom and Dad ended up in front of us in checkout (Mom is good about shimmy-ing her way to the front), and then the rest of us kids ended up in a different line. And we truly found out that patience is a virtue. Unfortunate for Mom and Dad, the rest of us were asked if we minded being upgraded to "Business Class". Minded, are you kidding me? Who wouldn't? So we took one for the team and let Mom and Dad sit in the back. I will tell you I felt completely lost trying to figure out the gadgets and menu. But it was an awesome experience and blessing after the miserable flight before.
So, we made it to Bangalore. And PROPS to Bangalore--the airport has changed drastically. It looks great (maybe not smells great) and was very organized. About the "Swine/Swiss Flue", we had to get a thermometer stuck in our ear. If we had a temperature, they escorted you off. Luckily, we were good. But I did seen Swine Flu spelled using "FLUE" and "SWISS" instead of "Swine" on the official documents we had to get filled out. Only in India. I also loved how on the back of our customs card Karnataka titles it, "Increidble!ndia". WOW, talk about pride in your homeland.
Once we got to the hotel, we had about 4 hours to "nap" until we had to start our day. To be honest, that was actually some quality rest time. It was great. We woke up at about 5:45 am to the sound of a gong-like beating. Being the ignorant child I am, I thought it was some religious prayer time. That is, until the sound had no rhythm and started to sound more like a person beating on metal stairs. As you will hear often: That's India....and I LOVE IT. I love the spontaneity. In the meantime, we just decided to start our day a little bit earlier.
And here we are, preparing for a day of "tourism". This excites me beyond belief. I cannot wait to see what Incredible!ndia has to share with me today. I can't wait to see the streets in the daytime action , with people running stop signs and cutting each other off. I am sure it will be AWESOME.
One last thing...we were so excited to jump off the plane and see our buddy Benju. We thought were not going to see him! It was an AWESOME surprise! So, all you prayer warriors, pray that Benjamin would see the light and decide NOT to study so much for his exams so he can hang out with us (is it okay to pray for that)?
Check back later for a video of Bennett riding an elephant...I promised him I would post one for the world to see.
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