Monday, August 16, 2004

I finally found a nose ring that doesn't hurt to wear!

I guess I should write the last of my journal entries from India.



Monday-9:30 am India

We all spoke at Devotions today. The girls were awesome to listen to. They really have gotten so much out of this trip. Susie is ready to come back and we haven't even left yet. She loves these people so very much.

I am very excited to be going home. I love it here, but home is where my heart is and I am ready. I feel much better today which is good. Everyone else is as well I think. I just realized that Hailey's birthday is right when I get back. I will have to plan a special day for her.

I feel as though there will be a lot of change awaiting me when I get home, all of which is in God's control.

It is almost time to shower, then have lunch, then have henna done, and it is off to the train. The girls still have one last game as well.



Tuesday- 9PM Delhi

We left Damoh at 6:30 and our train was late, so we sat in our cars while we waited for it to arrive because if we were to get out, we would have created a huge crowd, and it wouldn't have been safe. There were all kinds of people staring at us anyway. This child kept knocking on the window to get our attention in an attempt to beg for money. Those moments are always so hard to deal with. I just wanted to reach out and help, but knew I couldn't.

While in the cars, we were guarded by about thirty men from the mission. Crazy. Then when the train came, we were ushered to the section we were to get on and put into first class sleeper cars again. We passed so many people just laying on the ground as though they just live right there at the station.

Our trip was 13 hours and I had to use the squattie many times which sucked. Most of us slept well though. We awoke about an hour out from our destination. We sat and watched out the window as naked children living in trash went by, as well as people living in mud huts, or just right out in the open air. Cows and pigs roamed around, people bathing or quatting. Maxin told us that there are around 60 million people just in Delhi alone! Less then half are middle class.

We all seemed comfortable with walking from the train to our awaiting SUV to take us here to the Y. Funny that we became so comfortable in Damoh, and yet so many people keep staring and gauking at us. I guess we could never really blend in.

We had time to freshen up a bit and then it was off to shop. First we went to "Central Cottage Industries Emporium" which is a huge mall type of place where you pick what you want, get a receipt, then they take the items down stairs to package for you. When you are all done shopping, you go down to pay at one place, and then just go with your receipts and pick up all of your stuff. It is a very cool system I think.

For lunch we ate at McDonald's! Sad isn't it? The place was packed with people, and we ate chicken burgers with cheese. I didn't feel so well after that but we came here to rest and I started to feel better after a while.

After our rest we went to a place called Delhi Haaut and it was fricken HOT there! It is an outdoor mall, and full of little places to shop. We tried and tried to spend our money, but couldn't seem to spend it all. Then I told Maxin that I wanted to get my nose pierced. He looked at me in surprise and said"You really want to get your nose drilled?" I told him not if they really use a drill!

He took us through some narrow streets to a jewelry shop where I bought a nose ring. Then I was told that the owner didn't do piercings, so we went on through some more of the narrow streets and approached this man standing on the corner with a brief case. He whipped out a piercing gun, marked my nose with a pen, and Bing, bang, boom it was done! I've been drilled!!!

It was sore for a while, but feels good now. I have been putting some antibiotic ointment on it to make sure I don't ge infected. Let pray about that shall we?

After that we went off to dinner. It was the best Chinese food I have ever had! Then, the girls mentioned that they were out of disposable cameras and wondered if there was a place to get one. Shireesh went to get them one, but returned and said that there was a camera shop around the corner that we could go to after we were done. After dinner, and ice cream at 31 flavors!, we went to the camera shop only to realize that the owner had closed about an hour prior and waited for us to get there so he could open up just for us! Then the girls ended up buying cameras they could keep for about $10!!! They were in shock that the place opened just for them. We all were. Then we realized that our driver had been with us all day and never left our car!

I feel so very blessed to have had all of these experiences. Did I mention that I saw one man getting a hair cut right on the street, and another getting a shave? Crazy!

Tomorrow is sight seeing day, and then off to the plane. I am excited to see my family and share the blessing I have been given.


---Well, that is it for today. I have one last entry to write, but will save it for tomorrow. Right now I must get to work. I hope you have enjoyed this. I love that I can read all of this and be brought right back to the moment. India is really a mystical place. God is so evident there. I want to love people like they loved us.

No comments: