Hello, my name is...

India is 10.5 time zones away. Between the 10.5 time zones and four flights, we had no concept of what time it was anymore, a refreshing, though confusing experience. We finally get to India after way too many hours of travel and get settled into the hotel. Hannah and Diane were my roommates; and yes, I introduced the comfy pants dance.

The next day the pastor and his wife and daughter showed us around. India is gorgeous! Humid, but gorgeous, and the Arabian Sea is beautiful! Fishing boats floated carelessly out in the distance as the waves crashed against the shore spraying ten feet into the air. The salty breeze made the trees dance to the rhythm of the sea. There were men sitting nearby fixing their nets and a boy rode by on his bicycle. Busses, cars, and motor rickshaws pass us and people stare out the windows at us. We must have been quite the sight, six fairly white girls, a girl who could pass as an Indian and a young guy and an older man all obviously American in our dress and lack of knowledge of the language (Malayalam... or some spelling like that) and customs of Kerala. It was pretty amusing watching people watch us.

We got to meet a few of the church leaders and translators before Pastor Royson and his wife showed us around the area and took us shopping for our dresses. I can’t remember what they are called but they are ornately decorated and beautifully colored.

That afternoon we meet in our teams and practice the Evangecube. For those of you who don’t know what this is, it is a cube with pictures on it to use as you present the Gospel. I got to work with Mike, a grandpa who really loves the Lord. He has a deep love for God and for the lost and God has given him much wisdom. I wish I had more time to learn from him. We then met with our translators and the church members we would be working with. I got to work with Samson and Suma. It was such a blessing seeing the joy on their faces and God’s love shining through them. Samson has a heart for the hurting and the lost and it was so encouraging seeing his and Suma’s faith and passion. Suma and I would just smile at each other because we had no idea what the other was saying.

That night Hannah, Joanne and I got to talk a little and get to know each other better. One of the great things about short trips like this is you don’t waste time talking about the things that don’t matter. You jump right in and talk about what is on your heart. It was so encouraging hearing from these ladies’ hearts and their stories.