We had a fun day today. This morning I worked for awhile in the library and then traded with Sam. In between shifts we walked to Papa John's and ordered 16 pizza for the mission home. When we got back I set up the volleyball net with Avinash (he came home early from school with a stomach ache-it didn't last very long once he saw us playing outside). Sam, Maung Hang, Avinash and I played volleyball for awhile and then the other boys joined us. I was sweating profusely but it was totally worth it. While we were playing the children came home begging for sweets as usual. I gave them a biscuit (cookie) and then we all played until lunch time.

After lunch all the foster home children loaded up in the car and we drove to the mall. Sam, Reny and I took an auto rickshaw. Wow was that an experience. I highly recommend it to anyone that comes to India. I took a video of it for anyone that is interested. We took the children to a bowling alley/arcade. This was a first time experience for the majority of them. Ester told me when we got home that it was the first time she has ever been on an escalator. I took some of the girls to the restroom and had to laugh because they didn't know how to use the toilet, turn on the sink, or how to get the soap and towels. I was really cool to experience that with them. When we got home most of the children were car sick, so we just relaxed for awhile. The pizza were delivered at 7:15 and we all sat down together to eat. Avinash and Benjamin (from the foster home) packed away the most pizza I have ever seen. I think they had six pieces each.

I have to preach tomorrow so I better go over my notes now. It's 10 o'clock. Help me Jesus!

Good Night :)

We made contact with the missionaries acrossed the street today. They are from Texas, and have been in India for the past 4 months. They say that they will stop over on Sunday.

Sam and Alex are feeling much better today. We went to a chinese restaurant called Chung's for lunch. I ordered Dragon rolls with garlic sauce and Chicken Koithai. Mine was a little spicy, but then I tried some of Sam and Alex's spicey chili chicken and prawns. WOW I was sweating and all kinds of red. On the way back from the restaurant, we saw a small boy (maybe 6 0r 7 years old) naked from the waist down and squatting to do # 2 on the side of the road. I've seen poop in the road before but I always blamed it on the millions of wild dogs around here.

Our picnic plans for tomorrow have been canceled. We were supposed to take a trip to Mysore and spend the day with everyone from the mission; however, it is supposed to rain a lot that day and apparently there is some kind of strike going on that is blocking our root. It was decided that the trip will be postponed for the children. Instead we are going to hopefully take them children to a play center in Bangalore. Afterwards, we have planned to get Papa John's pizza for everyone and just have a funny day of playing. We went to the Metro and purchased a grill, sodas, chicken sausage, chips and KitKat bars.

A lot of the plans for this trip have fallen through. The beds still are not finished, the library data tooks several days to fix, the Mysore trip was cancelled, and so was the pastor's conference do to rain, illness and a wedding. It's kind of a pain but at least it has been fun with the children and the Bible college students.

Daily observances

Rain water collection system

More rain

Today was another really rainy day. I worked in the library for several hours. Sam was out of commission all day today. He went to the Doctors with Alex and they blamed it on the weather. If you ask me that's old school medicine. I think he only came out of his room 3 or 4 times to day. He said his whole body is aching like when you have the flu.

I went on a walk with Ester today. She was very excited because she said she never does that. She only goes out when her brother Samuel comes home. When I asked her why not she said it was because she has all she needs at the mission, and because she is too timid to go by herself. I have really enjoyed spending time with her on this trip. She showed me her room today. There were a few pictures of animals on the wall. Ester said that dolphins are her favorite, and sometimes she even has dreams about them.

The children were mad at me this evening because I wouldn't give them any "chocolate" (all candy is considered chocolate to them). They hit each other a lot and they interupt a lot. I told them if they behaved they could have some candy, and they failed miserably. Hopefully tomorrow goes better in that department.

For dinner, Reny showed me how to make Masala Dosa (which is my absolute favorite) and I showed her how to do steak over an open flame. Steak without steak knives is kind of difficult to eat.

I walked the children to school this morning. We left at 8:20 and had to walk several blocks. When we got there I felt like a zoo animal on display. Everyone, children and parents were staring and trying to discretely point at me. That is a really strange experience. Yesterday I pick the children up from school and they wanted me to meet all their friends and take pictures of them (I took a few). Now they want me to come everyday (with the camera). They also have their begging tactics down very well. They hit me up for everything we passed on the way. A man selling toys and balloons went by and Sanju asked for pretty much everything on the cart.

The library software was fixed yesterday, so Sam and I got to start inputting data. We did about 50 books plus stamping the books we brought. Sam and Alex are feeling ill. Their symptoms seem like cold/flu symptoms. Hopefully they will get better because we are supposed to be taking the children on an all day trip to Mysore on Saturday. They are really excited.

It rained off and on all day today. We only got to play outside for about 1 hour. The frizbee that Sam bought seems to be a big hit. Two of the children picked it up really fast (Miami and Raju). My prayer is that tomorrow people will be feeling better and the rain will only last from the time the children leave until the time they come home. That way we will let them burn off some energy.

Watching and waiting

so yesterday and today have been pretty slow days. The software which Alex purchased for the library project is not working so we didn't get to do any work yesterday; and now we are waiting for the IT guy to fix it. When the children are at school there is not much to do around here unless there is an assigned project. I guess we should have been slower with the rain water collection system. Hopefully, the man will be able to fix the error and we can get to work in the afternoon. At 2:30pm I'm going to walk with Rajan to school to pick up the kids. Hopefully, I will get some good photos on the way.

Sam gave his mini sermon today to the Bible college students. It seems to have gone over well because he had a good conversation with the professors and one of the students (Ester) afterwords.

Foster Home Children

Faster than a speeding bullet!

So I'm pretty sure most people know or have at least heard how crazy the traffic in India is... Well, yesterday took that to a whole new level. Alex and his wife Reny took Sam and me to the METRO which is a wholesale store similare to BJ's or SAM's Club. The first time we went we got all the way to the store, which is on the other side of the city, and Alex got a phone call. It was only then that we remember we were supposed to be back near the house for a baptism in the Nepalese church. We drove through the city like mad men to try and make it on time. Mind you traffic does not stay in there own lane and everone tries to out run the other, so you can only imaging the dodging and weaving we had to do. The horn is used constantly here. They start honking at about 6:30am and don't stop until midnight. Alex might want to start a competitive driving career. LOL

The baptism was very nice.

There were 5 people that had decided to give there lives over to Jesus. Two women, one man, a twelve year old girl and a boy of about the same age. I'll admit it; I got a bit teary eyed. Sam and I both said how cool it was to share in that experience. The baptismal was a cross shaped pool that was set down into the ground. The service was conducted in Nepalese but the no translation was needed. The man actually spoke english so we got to here Pastor Rei pray over him.

After the baptism, we went home and played with foster children some more. Then finally went to the Metro in the evening. The carts were bumper to bumper. I told Sam we should have brought one of the Word Cup horns so we could navigate the store a little better. We decided to purchase some strawberry ice cream for everyone at the Agape Mission, which meant we had to do some competitive driving on the way home from the store so that is wouldn't melt all over the car. Needless to say I was very happy to be out of the car when we finally got home. Whew.

Sam did his testimony for church today. He did a really good job and I'm pretty sure most everyone could understand him. I tend to talk too fast. After church we played with the children and watch some Indian Cinema.

Today Sam and I will be working with the Bible college Men. We will be up on the roof putting cement blocks around the water tanks. Alex says this should take a few hours.

On Saturdays, the Foster home children have a half day of school and then free time for several hours. It is 7:40am right now and they will be leaving for school shortly. Already this morning they have done a chapel service @ 5:00, did all there chores, ate breakfast, cleaned up from breakfast and pressed their uniforms for school.

As soon as I figure out how to put photos on here, I will.

This morning Sam, Alex and I walked his youngest Son, Benjamin to preschool, and on the way back a saw a crow eating a rat. It was kind of gross. Also this morning there were a bunch of salt drawings outside of homes. Alex (who is the pastor and founder of Agape Leprosy Ministry) says they do this as a Hindu tradition or as an exercise to help their backs. I was able to get Sam back today for making me sit with Benjamin and his soiled pants. Alex decided we will start doing the devotions with the Bible college students today and I volunteered Sam. hahaha

Well...we are finally here! We got in @ 12:15am and then proceeded to wait at baggage claim until 1:45am This means we didn't get to our hotel until 3:00. Sam and I went our rooms and then both came back out to see if the other had toilet paper in there bathroom. Thank goodness I packed some kleenex. I awoke this morning to the sounds of some obnoxious birds, a dog barking, and HORNS HONKING. This was @ 7:00am. Sam and I were able to wave to the children before they left for school and then Alex brought over breakfast (masala dosa and something sweet) After, we went with Alex to pick up his youngest, Benjamin, from nursery school. We had to go take him for his hepititis A vaccine. OUCH! poor little guy. The best part is while we were waiting, Benji (as he calls himself) proceeded to urinate on the floor. Oh the freedom of being 2yrs. old. And guess whose lap he sat on the way home. :)

If you want a super pick me up, you should just ask J. Shaw (the younger) to pray for you. Apparently, he was driving with his mother and talking about the India trip when she said we should pray for Julie. J's response was "we should go to her house and pray WITH her now" What a blessing that boy is. If only I could have his obedience to God. Hopefully, I will take a lesson from him on the trip.

So, there is less than 24 hours before my trip departure. I'm going to Bangalore with a fellow church member, Sam. We will be helping/hugging kids @ the Agape Leprosy Foster Home. The plan is to give daily updates and hopefully photos to give everyone a little taste of our trip. I'm excited to see what God has is store for us.

God Bless the readers of this blog. AMEN :)