Namaste!
Today has been awesome. We learned early this morning that ear plugs are going to be necessary for sleeping, because our windows are nowhere near soundproof and the sounds coming in are like New York City in the pre-Giuliani days. But we are so tired right now, I don't think sleeping tonight will be a problem.
Our hotel serves breakfast, so we all ended up meeting down in the restaurant this morning. After a group meeting, Sarah's sister David met us in the lobby and we headed out to what I thought was going to be the bank and the grocery store. This is why I decided to leave my camera in the room. I would totally regret this later on.
Actually, where we ended up going was to Baptist Church Hyderabad, where we were able to exchange our currency at a better rate. This is such an amazing place, and I can't wait to go back there. We got to interact with many of the children that attend private school there. They were so adorable, and proved that children are the same everywhere. They were completely intrigued with our white faces and light hair. And we were intrigued with them. We also got to meet Sarah's family, including her 7-month old niece, Jessica, who was sheer delight.
After exchanging our money, we headed out to the grocery store. Now, last night night I mentioned that the drive wasn't all that scary. It turns out that was because it was 2:00 in the morning. Today was terrifying. It's just like Thailand, and I'll never begin to understand how the traffic doesn't just constantly gridlock. It is mass chaos on these roads. One of the drivers said so far this year there have been 300 motorcycle deaths. Can you even imagine?
The grocery store was fun, and we were able to get some yummies for lunch from the bakery. For the next two days we will be visiting remote churches and we needed to pack our own lunch, so we were stocking up on water and lunch items. The store we were in was definitely geared toward the West, so things were pretty recognizable for us.
After we left the store, the girls all went with Sarah's sister-in-law, Esther, and mother, Eve, to a tailor shop to pick out our Indian clothes. I bought a beautiful dress that I can't wait to wear to church on Sunday. We all picked out either a ready-made outfit or material to be "stitched." I can't wait to see how Ashley's dress turns out. This trip took most of the afternoon, so by the time we made it back to the hotel we were all pretty wiped.
The sad part of India so far is the begging industry. We virtually can't be in public because we become instant targets. So our drivers have to take us wherever we are going, and we go immediately inside. It's sad, but necessary, because the beggers are relentless. And they're not just talking to you. They are touching you, coming up and knocking on the car windows, making it really hard to even drive around them. It is heart breaking.
Tonight we met with the elders of Baptist Church Hyderbad and enjoyed a nice dinner getting to talk with them. Sarah's dad is awesome. These people are so generous and kind and loving. It is truly a joy to be here with them.
Jet lag has seriously set in this afternoon, so I'm going to crash hard. It's 9:30 p.m. as I type. We have to be at breakfast at 6:30 in the morning so we can head out around 7:00. I think we're visiting 4 or 5 satellite churches tomorrow. It's going to be a long day, but I'm so looking forward to it.
As a group we are getting along really well together. As you pray for us, please pray that we will be able to maintain our unity and sense of purpose and flexibility as the days get long and longer. I'm so excited about what God is doing in our lives, and I know that makes us especially vulnerable to attack. Thank you so much for continuing to lift us up.
Until tomorrow...
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