Third day......first half....

3-12-05 12am

Things are going well.... I will write later. (I think people started talking to me.)

6am

We're now settled into our rooms, each team has slit up and we're going to rest for a few hours. To my surprise I'm in the 10 people team and we're going to South India and will be trying to help the most- affected land regions. I didn't think i was going to be on this team because I wasn't a guy. The good thing here is that everybody who kinda formed a clique has been removed from their group. I like the people who are in my group now.
This is such a different and amazing place...Everything is different here, I'm trying to soak everything up. We drove about an hour to our hotel and the driving is crazy! The people honk loudly each time they pass somebody so everybody is honking. There are so many beggers and children in tattered clothing all over the streets. They stare at you so long and hard that you have to turn your eyes. The eyes of the India children are so large and glassy, I've always seen them on tv but never up close. Also today, there was a young girl, about 2 or 3 dressed in what looked like a wedding dress, a small one, sprolled out on her stomach by an airport. Her father stood by. Our guide informed us that the believers here in India said that when the Bible said that Satan fell out of heaven he landed in India. He told us that tomorrow we will see what he meant. Yet, he added, he always noticed a certain joy that these people have. I wonder what joy they must have?
Now that I'm here in this country and I have so much to observe, I have little time to care about the others around me and what they say and do. I had a nice conversation with Hannah in the car ride and Jess seems to quiet. I pray now that God will break all of our hearts so that we can be used by Christ.
Another thing I forgot to add about this trip is that the India people worship cows, and the cows are free to roam the cities, and if a car hits one of the cows, they could be tracked down and killed for such an act. There are three major religions, Muslim, Hinu, and shinti i believe. I can't remember what each one represents though but each is greeted in different ways.


What I have learned: Keep your focus on people who don't affect you in any way. That is keeping yourself self-less. My mind and thoughts are on the people of India....

I Thess. 3:13 - I want to live holy and blameless, completely out of darkness. Every realm of self I want to be out of. Take me away from all that is selfish within me.

3-12-05 7:30am

Wow, this is really embarressing. I guess everyone is dressing really normal. I feel like a total idiot. Its ok though, I'm dressing like the people from here anyway. I will be working a lot though, i should have brought some more work shirts.

" Lord help me because I am becoming frustrated..."




There is a lot more that i wrote this day! Yet this is enough i think for now! It amazes me how much i remember seeing but with no words can i express what I felt. I think i was sort of in deniel when i first wrote it, and in great un-understanding if I can use that word. There were so many distractions that I had already in the first beginning of the trip, and thats why I say that I learned more after the trip because I was able to have the time to reflect on all that I saw and the little I was able to experience.....