Flew into Hyderabad after our overnight stay in Dehli. We were amazed by how cool the weather was! One of the drivers who took us to our hotel said that we must've prayed really hard for cooler weather before we got there because it was unseasonably nice for that time of year. Hallelujah! Went straight to our hotel (which is not too shabby) and then went shopping for some authentic Indian clothes in order to "fit in" as much as this white- skinned, blonde-haired girl can:-) We then piled in our 3 vans and headed toward our first destination...a school. Now the driving here is literally indescribable. They drive on the opposite side of the road than in America, but not really because there are no lines and therefore they are all over the place. And they're going FAST! And there are tons of people walking, goats, water buffalo, motorcycles, cars, buses, rickshaws, and other cars on the road who are going as fast as we are. It.was.CRAZY!! It's only by the grace of God that we haven't hit anything or anyone and that no one has hit us! And the fact that I'm feeling okay is amazing! Thank you Lord!
Okay, so we got to the school and the children were sitting on the ground in perfectly straight rows quietly waiting on us. I couldn't believe how well-behaved they were! We did our hygiene/sanitation training (which included the water cycle, how to keep water clean, and how to protect our bodies against disease. Alicia and I did a whole bit on not pooping near clean water and making sure your hands were clean after you went to the bathroom and demonstrated how to wash your hands...it was enlightening and they all got a kick out of it:-) We got to pass out candy to the children once we were done and get our pictures taken with them. They absolutely LOVED seeing themselves on the camera. They wanted us to take their pictures over and over and over. I began to wonder how many of them had seen their picture before. I'm sure many of the homes don't even have mirrors...
We then went to a church where Pastor Daniel and his family live and teach and sing about the Lord. They had received a well that Neverthirst, Brookhills, & 4bserve sponsored and said it had been a struggle to talk about Jesus before the well was built, but the people in the village had been more receptive since the well was drilled. So neat to see how God met their physical need and in turn people turned to Him to meet their spiritual need. That the God of heaven (not many gods) provided for them and they give Him praise! Oh that we would thank Him for providing for our every overindulgent need in America!
We went to one last village where another well had also been sponsored and the people were waiting on us to come dedicate it! They garnished us with flower-wreath necklaces and you could tell they were just so, so happy we were there. So cool how God used our church to meet the need of that village...to hear their laughter and see their smiles was unforgettable. They also wanted us to take pics of them, but many wanted pics of us with their camera phones-lol! The partner here, Stephen, has been so good to usher us in and out...it's seriously like we're movie stars! HA again! On our way back we stopped to get Chai and use the "latrine" or bathroom. I took a dramamine for the bumpy ride back to town (this village was about 1.5 to 2 hours one way) and slept. We stopped at Dominoes and had pizza and breadsticks...not too bad, but not like in the good ol' US of A. God has been so good to me physically on this trip! Praise Him for no nauseousness, diarreah, dizziness, etc.!!! only by His doing too considering the flights, lack of sleep, and food options. I am so amazed at how He is working this all out...even down to the cool temperature:-) Thank you Lord for providing in this special way...in awe of You!!
