The Chronicles of India

We made it safe and sound In the middle of India. When we first landed in India it did not feel like India. Everyone we spoke to spoke english. The signs everywhere were in English, everyone was just a lot tanner than us. After a few hours we boarded another plane to Vijayawada. Did I mention we boarded a propeller plane with 40 passengers? I thought we were going to die!!! Only 1 and 1/2 hours and we glided into Vijayawada and stepped off the plane and into rural countryside. We were greeted by Pastor Steeven, who is our host for the week, with a huge smile and a welcoming hug right away. We hopped on his bus and zoomed into town. Drivers in India sure do know how to swerve around each other. They honk every 5 seconds and speed through tight spaces and around motorists. It was definitely an adventure. We arrived at VIkasitha ministries with joyous faces and living greetings. They made us gorgeous flower necklaces and bouquets. They also prepared a lovely meal for us. Steeven gave us a tour of two of his buildings and shared his heart with us! The Buds (orphans) are absolutely beautiful. I don’t know if I’ll ever want to leave them! Vikasitha ministries is like am oasis in the middle of darkness. Their slogan: to share the love and show he light. Driving through town really demonstrated the extreme poverty that lives throughout the country. People were living in straw huts and abandoned buildings surrounded by trash piles. Water buffalo roam the streets along with the lost and broken. What Jesus is doing through this ministry is providing a safe haven for children who do not have families and equipping them for the future. Listening to th students sing such beautiful worship in th midst of poverty was overwhelming for me. How often do we complain about the stupidest things: work, school, food, friends, etc and turn those bitter feelings towards God? These people do not have families, they live in poverty and would be homeless without this ministry. All they have is joy and unending love for the Lord. Truly inspiring and gives me something to examine in my own life. God is good all the time. God is real especially in the midst of darkness.

‘Ello London!!! We arrived safe and sound 8 hours later and found refuge in the starbucks at London airport. Oh how I wish we had enough time to rush into the city. Seems like we walked off our first plane and onto the second. There was a sense of illusion about the place as if we weren’t really there! Nevertheless, I still found time to pick up a few post cards. I know I’ll be back. After having a tiny taste of Europe I feel as though I belong there. We got stuck on the runway due to bad weather conditions but finally are on our way to our second destination. We still have 8 hours to go and I have no idea what to expect.

Day One

Today seemed to start quicker than most. As I put some finishing touches on my packing I checked facebook one last time before I would be disconnected for the next 10 days. Seems simple to most but almost impossible for me if you ask my friends and family. If you have watched the news for the past month you probably heard of a traffic nightmate caleed Carmegeddon. Our team dreaded the worst. Surprisingly it was a breeze. We got to LAX in 40 minutes. I think Carmageddon should happen everyday. From then on everything was a piece of cake: Check in, security, boarding, etc. My anxiety level seemed at an all time low. That is until we walked on the plane. (For those of you who do not know i have a huge fear of flying). I found my seat and immediately felt the rush of fear sweep over me. Everything I worked towards seemed to be lost in that moment. I could feel the tears start to well up in my eyes and a lump started to form in my throat. Before i knew it water was streaming down my face. I was flooding myself with my greatest fear & i could not escape it. The only way out was to look it in the eye and walk through it. I started to list the people who were praying for me in my head. I reminded myself of the love and support I had received througout the day and the intercession that was taking place through my entire journey. Peace washed like a wave over me. The tears dried and the fear faded. I knew in that moment that i was being taken care of. As i sat there in teh dark, in the midst of my fear. I knew who is above all and is guiding me with His light. 5 hours to go and i’m clinging to the hope of Jesus. I forever rely on Him.

Namaste’