From the Taj Mahal to Home Sweet Home
Some Sights of Delhi: Monkeys crossing the road, a camel walking down the road, a woman carrying a large pot on her head, the Taj Mahal, McDonalds, and a sign greeting me at the airport that spelled my first name as two words with a "k" in there somewhere...?
My oh my, what a few days it has been. Shall I start at the beginning? This past Wednesday I got up at 3am to drive to the airport in Kochin and catch my flight to Delhi. As we arrived we found out that my 6:30am flight had been delayed to 10:30. Later the flight was delayed until 11:10, then 11:40, then 12:00, and finally we left at 12:50 in the afternoon. Needless to say that was a long morning! I started off spending the first few hours watching people pay a guy to saran wrap their suitcases. Its a strange thing people in foreign countries do so people won't pilfer with their suitcases. Very strange. Then God answered a prayer!
At approximately 10:15 I met a sweet girl named Teresa from Bath. I was so bored and I was sitting at this hotel they had trucked us to for breakfast. She looked at me and said, "Are you ok?" (Say that with an English accent for the full effect). I laughed and said yes. She thought I looked lonely. So for the next three hours I joined her and her family. Oh, I forgot to mention that Teresa was 13, and her brother Alvin was 11! Haha, but they were so great. It was a real answer to people praying that I would be provided with the people and the help I needed on my journey. Because of her and her family I got through security and to my plane without problem. Without them I would have been so confused and bewildered. And then get this. When I get on the plane, my seat assignment was right next to them. Literally in the seat next to their family. Coincidence? I think not. God was answering prayers because they had planned to be on a plane a few days before but the flight had been canceled.
Then came Delhi which was a whirlwind. Two days, alone with a travel agent, traveling, eating at a beef-less McDonalds, seeing the Taj Mahal, sweating profusely at the Taj Mahal, and having my picture taken by strangers (but that was totally normal. There are probably one hundred cellphones in India with my picture on it. I don't know if it was my height or what. I never got used to that.) The Taj was beautiful. It really was incredible to be there, a place I only ever thought I would see in school books. It took four hours to get there and four hours back so it was a long day. When I finally got to the airport that night I had about 5 hours before take off, then a 15 hour flight, then 8 hours of layover in New York, then another 2 hour flight home. It was quite the journey. But I had the best seat on the long flight home with all the leg room in the world and a non-creepy seat mate. All of this thanks to the grace of my sweet Savior. I made it home safely, in one piece, and in the same clothes I had worn at the Taj Mahal. haha, it was quite a surreal experience to be home. I have never loved Georgia, country music, or clean restrooms and safe running water so much in my whole life. God worked in my heart in so many unexpected ways in India, and I am so glad, but the homecoming was one of the sweetest parts of the journey.
I cannot tell you all how much your prayers made a difference in this trip. Every day I could feel the presence of the Lord with me. Each thought I had was heard by the Lord and answered, even the smallest things. Even though I had many tiring journeys I never once got sick. Every need was provided for, and I know that this was because you all were faithfully praying for me each day. The power of prayer is huge and I am overwhelmed by the faithfulness of all of you, as well as the power I felt from your prayers. I can never express my gratitude enough.
Yes, this adventure is over, but the big adventure has just begun. If you stay tuned you will be able to read the adventure of traveling across the country with my dad, which should certainly bring about some funny moments, and then after that there will be lots of great things from my time in seminary in California. So stay tuned! And I am sure more great stories and thoughts are to come!
My oh my, what a few days it has been. Shall I start at the beginning? This past Wednesday I got up at 3am to drive to the airport in Kochin and catch my flight to Delhi. As we arrived we found out that my 6:30am flight had been delayed to 10:30. Later the flight was delayed until 11:10, then 11:40, then 12:00, and finally we left at 12:50 in the afternoon. Needless to say that was a long morning! I started off spending the first few hours watching people pay a guy to saran wrap their suitcases. Its a strange thing people in foreign countries do so people won't pilfer with their suitcases. Very strange. Then God answered a prayer!
At approximately 10:15 I met a sweet girl named Teresa from Bath. I was so bored and I was sitting at this hotel they had trucked us to for breakfast. She looked at me and said, "Are you ok?" (Say that with an English accent for the full effect). I laughed and said yes. She thought I looked lonely. So for the next three hours I joined her and her family. Oh, I forgot to mention that Teresa was 13, and her brother Alvin was 11! Haha, but they were so great. It was a real answer to people praying that I would be provided with the people and the help I needed on my journey. Because of her and her family I got through security and to my plane without problem. Without them I would have been so confused and bewildered. And then get this. When I get on the plane, my seat assignment was right next to them. Literally in the seat next to their family. Coincidence? I think not. God was answering prayers because they had planned to be on a plane a few days before but the flight had been canceled.
Then came Delhi which was a whirlwind. Two days, alone with a travel agent, traveling, eating at a beef-less McDonalds, seeing the Taj Mahal, sweating profusely at the Taj Mahal, and having my picture taken by strangers (but that was totally normal. There are probably one hundred cellphones in India with my picture on it. I don't know if it was my height or what. I never got used to that.) The Taj was beautiful. It really was incredible to be there, a place I only ever thought I would see in school books. It took four hours to get there and four hours back so it was a long day. When I finally got to the airport that night I had about 5 hours before take off, then a 15 hour flight, then 8 hours of layover in New York, then another 2 hour flight home. It was quite the journey. But I had the best seat on the long flight home with all the leg room in the world and a non-creepy seat mate. All of this thanks to the grace of my sweet Savior. I made it home safely, in one piece, and in the same clothes I had worn at the Taj Mahal. haha, it was quite a surreal experience to be home. I have never loved Georgia, country music, or clean restrooms and safe running water so much in my whole life. God worked in my heart in so many unexpected ways in India, and I am so glad, but the homecoming was one of the sweetest parts of the journey.
I cannot tell you all how much your prayers made a difference in this trip. Every day I could feel the presence of the Lord with me. Each thought I had was heard by the Lord and answered, even the smallest things. Even though I had many tiring journeys I never once got sick. Every need was provided for, and I know that this was because you all were faithfully praying for me each day. The power of prayer is huge and I am overwhelmed by the faithfulness of all of you, as well as the power I felt from your prayers. I can never express my gratitude enough.
Yes, this adventure is over, but the big adventure has just begun. If you stay tuned you will be able to read the adventure of traveling across the country with my dad, which should certainly bring about some funny moments, and then after that there will be lots of great things from my time in seminary in California. So stay tuned! And I am sure more great stories and thoughts are to come!
Comments
Post a Comment