After a
relaxing yet eventful few days in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Heide and I finally
began the journey we have been anxiously awaiting for the past few months. We said our goodbyes to Father Bob and other
friends, and boarded our first flight from Detroit to Newark.
At the airport in Detroit
We then flew from Newark to Mumbai where we
stayed the night in the airport before boarding our 6am flight to Kolkata. Overall we spent about 36 hours in airports
and on airplanes before reaching our destination. We tried to make the best of it (Heide
handled it a little more gracefully than myself) but the jetlag wasn’t treating
either of us very well. We drank lots of
coffee, tried to take power naps in random places, and talked about the days to
come.
$200 worth of rupees.... roughly 9600 :D
We finally
arrived in Kolkata at about 9am. We were
exhausted but ready to take on the day.
We successfully managed to get out of the airport without being bothered
too much and we made it into a taxicab.
The taxi ride to Seva Kendra was about 20 minutes long and quite
eventful to say the least. There don’t
appear to be any sort of traffic laws here but the locals do an excellent job
of weaving in and out of traffic without getting into an accident. Heide and I wouldn’t last five seconds if we
had to drive in Kolkata.
We arrived
at Seva Kendra and were extremely happy to finally be at our destination.
Our room is very comfortable and I know we
are going to enjoy living here over the next ten weeks. Everyone here is very friendly and the food
is fantastic. Even though we were
exhausted and a little culture shocked, Heide and I couldn’t help but smile. We are so thankful that we made it here
safely and we are so grateful towards the people who made it possible for
us. I won’t pretend to know what the
following days will bring, but I do know that Heide and I were brought here for
a reason.
We know we can’t take India
out of poverty single-handedly, but we can try and add to the love that is
already here.
Heide, I see you're rocking the CUP shirt! Seva Kendra looks great now that the building is finished! Perhaps you can give us a short video tour of the grounds? God bless!
Toilets...in the shower... WHY HAVEN'T AMERICAN'S ADAPTED?? Glad you guys made it ok, but, you did look sweaty and gross at the end, so, work on that :). Goodluck, and have fun playing with clay, or whatever they do for fun over there. Love you all (Sorta, mostly Heide) and don't die.
Wonderful to see a glimpse of your journey and hear that you made it without a lot of hassle. The area behind you in the photo at Seva Kendra looks very nice. The spread of cash makes it look like you are rich. Of course, compared to some of the locals, I guess you are! Stay safe and do good! R&M
Okay, as your MOTHER, I'm all over the teeth-brushing and the sweaty-gross-need-a-shower issues... But as your Mutti, I am so relieved to hear and see you both are safe and cared for. Watch for God. His face, His provision, His protection and His hands will guide every moment. You are His - wherever you are. Blessings and JOY as you go about His business this day. And, don't be embarrassed to be weak or in a slump... The changes you two are going through right now will need some time to process. We will all understand. Include us on the whole journey, so that we can lift you up when and how you need it, Girls. I wrap my heart around my two Adventurers!
I'm glad to see that you both made it safe to india, I hope you both have an amazing time there your always in my prayer.
ReplyDelete-J.B.
Heide, I see you're rocking the CUP shirt! Seva Kendra looks great now that the building is finished! Perhaps you can give us a short video tour of the grounds? God bless!
ReplyDeleteYay CUP shirt!
DeleteToilets...in the shower... WHY HAVEN'T AMERICAN'S ADAPTED?? Glad you guys made it ok, but, you did look sweaty and gross at the end, so, work on that :). Goodluck, and have fun playing with clay, or whatever they do for fun over there.
ReplyDeleteLove you all (Sorta, mostly Heide) and don't die.
Sincerely,
Elaina's McBffl
Wonderful to see a glimpse of your journey and hear that you made it without a lot of hassle. The area behind you in the photo at Seva Kendra looks very nice. The spread of cash makes it look like you are rich. Of course, compared to some of the locals, I guess you are!
ReplyDeleteStay safe and do good!
R&M
Okay, as your MOTHER, I'm all over the teeth-brushing and the sweaty-gross-need-a-shower issues... But as your Mutti, I am so relieved to hear and see you both are safe and cared for. Watch for God. His face, His provision, His protection and His hands will guide every moment. You are His - wherever you are. Blessings and JOY as you go about His business this day. And, don't be embarrassed to be weak or in a slump... The changes you two are going through right now will need some time to process. We will all understand. Include us on the whole journey, so that we can lift you up when and how you need it, Girls. I wrap my heart around my two Adventurers!
ReplyDeleteLoved the video--it was like being there with you! Getting there is such a HUGE thing--like accomplishing a moon shot! God bless. We're praying!
ReplyDelete