Friday and Saturday Update

Sorry, that we have not yet been able to update you on our travels, but all is doing well. We arrived in India on Friday morning at about 4:00am which was 2 hours behind schedule. The airport was covered in so much fog that the pilot was unable to land the plane and had to circle for a couple of hours. The silver lining is that we were one of the first planes to land and we were able to get through customs very quickly.

We were greeted at the airport by 2 gentlemen that work with Truthseekers and then took us to the YMCA where we are staying. The traffic and the driving were crazy. I can only wonder how much crazier it is later in the day and not 5:00 in the morning. Think “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” without the track and with cows roaming the roads.

After checking in, we took a short nap and then got up at around 8:30am for breakfast and to check out the city. Breakfast was simple: eggs, toast, and cereal. Then the adventure began. Without a map or a clue, we began our walking tour of Delhi. Our tour included: a guided tour of a Sikh temple, the local shopping area, McDonalds, and an introduction to life in Delhi.

Many times, we had to step around people sleeping on the sidewalk, ignore the beggars who would follow for what seemed like a mile, avoid foul smelling areas and try not to notice the children and adults using the restroom where ever they needed.

Toward late afternoon, we returned to our rooms, played some card games, ate dinner at the YMCA (again this is where we are staying and our meals here are included at the YMCA restaurant – which isn’t bad), and then settled in for a good night’s sleep.

Saturday morning we went to breakfast and met many of the other participants on the trip (we were the only ones to arrive early on Friday – all others came Friday night or early Saturday morning). Saturday has been our orientation day as we learned a lot more about the footwashing project and our role in this specific Kingdom work. Tonight (Saturday) we loaded up on a bus with the other participants to go shopping for local clothing. The girls in general were required to buy culturally acceptable clothing to wear at the footwashing events and most of the guys chose to buy Indian shirts, but were not required to as most of the Indian men wear “western” type clothing.

During our orientation, we spent some time taking a journey of prayer for the people we will meet and also for the way that God will speak to us. During our time of prayer, we journeyed and read through Psalm 40. If you have the time, please read the Psalm and join us in praying for this event.

You can learn more about the footwashing event by reading the blog entitled “Footwashing and Caste Reconciliation.” This is the letter that we will be giving the people at the footwashing events.

Thanks for all of the emails. They help to brighten our days and keep us connected to our families and friends that are still at home. Please keep them coming!

“I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard me cry. He lifted me out of the pit of destruction, out of the sticky mud. He stood me on a rock and made my feet steady. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to my God. Many people will see this and worship Him, than they will trust the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3