We are finally here at Woodstock.
Today was my first shower in 5 days (ummm 2 days of travel & 2 days of camping 100 degree weather) that being said, the shower was like HEAVEN-even tho the water was freezing ;-) and let me tell you, that shower has made me feel like a million bucks :)-I was so filthy.
The students from Woodstock will arrive in 2 hours and so we have another 15 minutes down time, before go time.
Anyways, I have soooo much I want to write, but I think I have to wait until later to get into it.
It has been amazing, from the camping trip, holding and snuggling Anil & Sandeep for hours on that trip, to living on protein bars and water cause I am afraid of getting sick. (India is the best diet ever ;-)) and to times of prayer and worship with the boys, I don't ever want to leave.
This morning the boys looked panicked as we packed for Woodstock. They are so sweet. I've done really good so far in the being a cry baby department...last trip I cried from start to finish, this time I'm a little more composed. The health of the boys is getting a little better, we bought a bunch of medicine for them and they seem to be doing well, still coughing and runny noses, but that doesn't stop them from climbing all over me like I'm a jungle gym. I literally will have 3-4 boys crawling all over me at all times, snotty noses and all...and I wouldn't have it any other way.
That's all for now, I have a team meeting to get to.
I love you guys and miss you lots!
XOXO-Sarah
PS, I have soooooo many photos to share, I can't WAIT to post them all!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
leaving on the midnight train...
that's just what happened.
we landed in Delhi and it was 102 degrees...holy hot!!!
we were greeted by asish, girish and nixon (the guys that run the orphanage and girls home)
from there we boarded a bus and our first stop was the market. it was like nothing i've ever experienced in all of my life. talk about sensory overload. it was late, with the time change made it 4am for us...we walked around...hundreds of people, the smells, the colors, it was unreal. along with all of that came a rush of emotion, so exhausted, so happy to be here, so overwhelmed.
there were kids begging everywhere...and i did okay until this beautiful little girl walked up to me, tugged at my shirt and said "miss, miss, please only 10 rupes" and tears were streaming down my face. we were told before we got off the bus not to give them any money because then you would get swarmed, so having children around me that needed and i couldn't give, broke my heart.
we walked back to the bus and i had to just remind myself that God is in control. it was heavy.
then we headed to dinner and an indian restaurant where we had curry that was UNREAL.
after that, it was off to the bus station, to wait for 3 hours in 98 degree weather. no a/c, no breeze, it was one of those times where you have to think beyond where you are to where you are trying to get...all part of the journey. (disclaimer, i will NEVER ever complain about any public bathroom again. the restrooms, if you could call them that, were the single most disgusting thing EVER)
we finally bored the train, for an overnight trek to Deradun.
again, this train is nothing like Amtrak....it was well, it's more of an in person kind of story to share, but it was crazy. tried to sleep over the 6 hours, but it didn't work too well.
again, finally after what seemed like FOREVER we arrived in Deradun. There we loaded into Jeeps and headed up the mountain. 1 1/2 hours later we arrived.
Poor Kamu was so motion sick, we had to pull over for him :(
Anderson Islanders-think marina hill for 1 1/2 hours.
Hawaii friends-tantalus ain't got nothing on this drive.
anyways, by the time we got within 5 minutes of the orphanage i was bouncing up and down like a 5 year old on christmas morning waiting to open gifts! i was soooo excited.
we arrived and the boys were so sweet. so shy. and of course, the first one i see is Karan.
my heart melted as i hugged him and he said, "i missed you".
yesterday was jam packed full of events and with everyone being exhausted it was pretty hilarious.
we played a bunch of games with the kids, took them on a long walk around Mussoorie and bought them ice cream (which they loved) and then TJ, Kamu, Crieghton , Ben, Alex and myself went to Woodstock to take a look at our retreat facilities. (which are amazing!)
last night we came back together and everyone passed out early...
so now we are on day 2, and it feels like we have been here for weeks. i have picked up right where we left off with the boys, they are so sweet and spending time with them is amazing.
this afternoon, we are headed on a camping trip with the older boys from the orphanage, we are loading up 20-30 of us and driving 2 hours to go camp by "the water hole" i have no idea what to expect-hopefully no malaria ;-) (yes mom and dad, i have been taking my meds)
anyways, we will be back tomorrow afternoon after a crazy camping trip in the wilds of India...how crazy is that?!?!
As far as health goes, all the boys here are really sick, some just got out of the hospital. respiratory infections, colds and what not, so please be praying for them. so far, our team is doing pretty well, staying hydrated is key and lots of vitamins and hand sanitizer.
I will most more later, but so far, so good.
I love you guys lots and I so much more to share but have limited time online.
But I will post more when I can...
LOVE!
we landed in Delhi and it was 102 degrees...holy hot!!!
we were greeted by asish, girish and nixon (the guys that run the orphanage and girls home)
from there we boarded a bus and our first stop was the market. it was like nothing i've ever experienced in all of my life. talk about sensory overload. it was late, with the time change made it 4am for us...we walked around...hundreds of people, the smells, the colors, it was unreal. along with all of that came a rush of emotion, so exhausted, so happy to be here, so overwhelmed.
there were kids begging everywhere...and i did okay until this beautiful little girl walked up to me, tugged at my shirt and said "miss, miss, please only 10 rupes" and tears were streaming down my face. we were told before we got off the bus not to give them any money because then you would get swarmed, so having children around me that needed and i couldn't give, broke my heart.
we walked back to the bus and i had to just remind myself that God is in control. it was heavy.
then we headed to dinner and an indian restaurant where we had curry that was UNREAL.
after that, it was off to the bus station, to wait for 3 hours in 98 degree weather. no a/c, no breeze, it was one of those times where you have to think beyond where you are to where you are trying to get...all part of the journey. (disclaimer, i will NEVER ever complain about any public bathroom again. the restrooms, if you could call them that, were the single most disgusting thing EVER)
we finally bored the train, for an overnight trek to Deradun.
again, this train is nothing like Amtrak....it was well, it's more of an in person kind of story to share, but it was crazy. tried to sleep over the 6 hours, but it didn't work too well.
again, finally after what seemed like FOREVER we arrived in Deradun. There we loaded into Jeeps and headed up the mountain. 1 1/2 hours later we arrived.
Poor Kamu was so motion sick, we had to pull over for him :(
Anderson Islanders-think marina hill for 1 1/2 hours.
Hawaii friends-tantalus ain't got nothing on this drive.
anyways, by the time we got within 5 minutes of the orphanage i was bouncing up and down like a 5 year old on christmas morning waiting to open gifts! i was soooo excited.
we arrived and the boys were so sweet. so shy. and of course, the first one i see is Karan.
my heart melted as i hugged him and he said, "i missed you".
yesterday was jam packed full of events and with everyone being exhausted it was pretty hilarious.
we played a bunch of games with the kids, took them on a long walk around Mussoorie and bought them ice cream (which they loved) and then TJ, Kamu, Crieghton , Ben, Alex and myself went to Woodstock to take a look at our retreat facilities. (which are amazing!)
last night we came back together and everyone passed out early...
so now we are on day 2, and it feels like we have been here for weeks. i have picked up right where we left off with the boys, they are so sweet and spending time with them is amazing.
this afternoon, we are headed on a camping trip with the older boys from the orphanage, we are loading up 20-30 of us and driving 2 hours to go camp by "the water hole" i have no idea what to expect-hopefully no malaria ;-) (yes mom and dad, i have been taking my meds)
anyways, we will be back tomorrow afternoon after a crazy camping trip in the wilds of India...how crazy is that?!?!
As far as health goes, all the boys here are really sick, some just got out of the hospital. respiratory infections, colds and what not, so please be praying for them. so far, our team is doing pretty well, staying hydrated is key and lots of vitamins and hand sanitizer.
I will most more later, but so far, so good.
I love you guys lots and I so much more to share but have limited time online.
But I will post more when I can...
LOVE!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tokoyo, Japan
We made it!!! After a crazy flight. Well the flight wasn't too crazy, but the landing...well that was another story. The landing here in Narita, Japan was probably the CRAZIEST landing Ive ever experienced.
But we are here. In one piece. Thank you Jesus. And for the record the parts of Japan I've seen so far (although not much) it looks just like the Pacific Northwest. It's chilly...mid 60's and I love it!!
I got to spend the evening with Aya, which was just the icing on the cake...(she took a train 2 hours and a bus to get here. and she brought the new boyfriend, whom I am very pleased with ;-)...such an awesome time!)
Now, we have been awake for nearly 24 hours-and no-i did not sleep on the plane :(
we are crazy delirious...Kamu, Elise & I just played an awesome game of BEAN BOOZLE!!! (if you've never played, I highly suggest it) and now I am finishing this post and gonna crash out.
Our flight leaves Japan tomorrow at 11:45am-and i have no idea what time that makes in anywhere else in the world...this time change stuff is soooo confusing. anyways. i will have my phone service once we arrive in Dehli after our 9 1/2 hour flight. Then we arrive in Dehli around 5pm (with time changes) will meet up with Asish and Girish (our awesome friends from the orphanage) and head to dinner, after dinner we head to the train station and hop on our overnight train ride to Dehradun...I think we arrive there at like 6am. Then load up in taxis and head the 1 1/2 journey up the mountains to my boys! I am sooooooo excited!
Once I'm there I will be able to update everyone again.
Keep us in your prayers.
Specifically for me, I have a HUGE fear of getting sick again. Tonight I have a little bit of a sore throat, so I am praying that I stay 100% I am drinking emergenC and taking all my vitamins, so hopefully after some sleep tonight I'll be good as new. And I'm just exhausted.
I was asked to be the team admin for this trip, which is great, but a lot to keep in order. Every connection, every flight, every check point, customs, immigration, forms, addresses, phone numbers, pass ports, boarding passes, planes, trains and taxis...it's a lot and i REALLY want to keep a positive attitude. I am choosing now even in the midst of exhaustion to keep my attitude in check, but it is not easy at all.
Okay, that's it from now. I will post again when I can from Mussoorie!
I love you all!!!!
PS: Watch the other blog- http://www.teamfaith.blogspot.com/ for photos and more updates. also a bunch of photos have been uploaded on Alex's, Ben's and Kamu's facebooks if you want to see our photos so far of this crazy journey :)
Good night..I think ;-)
But we are here. In one piece. Thank you Jesus. And for the record the parts of Japan I've seen so far (although not much) it looks just like the Pacific Northwest. It's chilly...mid 60's and I love it!!
I got to spend the evening with Aya, which was just the icing on the cake...(she took a train 2 hours and a bus to get here. and she brought the new boyfriend, whom I am very pleased with ;-)...such an awesome time!)
Now, we have been awake for nearly 24 hours-and no-i did not sleep on the plane :(
we are crazy delirious...Kamu, Elise & I just played an awesome game of BEAN BOOZLE!!! (if you've never played, I highly suggest it) and now I am finishing this post and gonna crash out.
Our flight leaves Japan tomorrow at 11:45am-and i have no idea what time that makes in anywhere else in the world...this time change stuff is soooo confusing. anyways. i will have my phone service once we arrive in Dehli after our 9 1/2 hour flight. Then we arrive in Dehli around 5pm (with time changes) will meet up with Asish and Girish (our awesome friends from the orphanage) and head to dinner, after dinner we head to the train station and hop on our overnight train ride to Dehradun...I think we arrive there at like 6am. Then load up in taxis and head the 1 1/2 journey up the mountains to my boys! I am sooooooo excited!
Once I'm there I will be able to update everyone again.
Keep us in your prayers.
Specifically for me, I have a HUGE fear of getting sick again. Tonight I have a little bit of a sore throat, so I am praying that I stay 100% I am drinking emergenC and taking all my vitamins, so hopefully after some sleep tonight I'll be good as new. And I'm just exhausted.
I was asked to be the team admin for this trip, which is great, but a lot to keep in order. Every connection, every flight, every check point, customs, immigration, forms, addresses, phone numbers, pass ports, boarding passes, planes, trains and taxis...it's a lot and i REALLY want to keep a positive attitude. I am choosing now even in the midst of exhaustion to keep my attitude in check, but it is not easy at all.
Okay, that's it from now. I will post again when I can from Mussoorie!
I love you all!!!!
PS: Watch the other blog- http://www.teamfaith.blogspot.com/ for photos and more updates. also a bunch of photos have been uploaded on Alex's, Ben's and Kamu's facebooks if you want to see our photos so far of this crazy journey :)
Good night..I think ;-)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Trust & Listen
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do,
everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.
Proverbs 3:5&6
(the message)
18 hours to take off and I'm holding onto this scripture with everything in me.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya Tomorrow...
Approx 36 hours and we will be flying the friendly skies. I can't believe it.
I am excited as we pull together to get everything set for saturday. Tonight, I meet up with my wonderful friend Sharon for some sister time before I leave. Then it's off to meet Ben to get the remaining details covered. It is crazy to me that this time 2 weeks ago India wasn't even a fleeting thought. But following Jesus...well you never know where He's going to take you.
I dreamt of the boys last night. I cannot WAIT to get there and just hold them and love on them. I am so grateful for this opperunity to be able to go for the second time. Wow.
Also, on our layover in Narita Japan, I will get to have dinner with my best friend Aya!
How great is that?!? It's like a little bonus to an already AMAZING package.
Anyways, i'm starting to ramble so i'm gonna cut this short.
*big deep breath*
I am excited as we pull together to get everything set for saturday. Tonight, I meet up with my wonderful friend Sharon for some sister time before I leave. Then it's off to meet Ben to get the remaining details covered. It is crazy to me that this time 2 weeks ago India wasn't even a fleeting thought. But following Jesus...well you never know where He's going to take you.
I dreamt of the boys last night. I cannot WAIT to get there and just hold them and love on them. I am so grateful for this opperunity to be able to go for the second time. Wow.
Also, on our layover in Narita Japan, I will get to have dinner with my best friend Aya!
How great is that?!? It's like a little bonus to an already AMAZING package.
Anyways, i'm starting to ramble so i'm gonna cut this short.
*big deep breath*
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
All things India
Okay, here I am.
India is 3 days out.
There is so much to do, so little time.
I am exicted.
I am nervous.
I am busy.
I am confident.
I am trusting.
I am going.
I am going to India.
I am going to India in 3 Days.
Here we go Jesus.
India is 3 days out.
There is so much to do, so little time.
I am exicted.
I am nervous.
I am busy.
I am confident.
I am trusting.
I am going.
I am going to India.
I am going to India in 3 Days.
Here we go Jesus.
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