Friends and family, I'm almost home! Its hard to believe that the trip is nearly over and my time at my ministry sites has come to a close. This past week I have begun to read my journal entries from the beginning of the trip and they have allowed me to see the extent of the amazing work that God has done in me while I have been here. Some of you may know that during the beginning of the trip I really struggled to feel anything for Inida or for the people who I was ministering to. During the first month I cried out to God telling him that I would rather have my heart torn out and left here when I leave than never love this counrty. Well I am now a living testimony that the Lord answers prayer lavishly. Though the pain I have felt leaving those I love has seemed consuming this past week, I know that it is in reality an amazing answer to prayer and I am so grateful. I am leaving a piece of myself here, but I know every person I have said goodbye to has been left in the loving, merciful, faithful hands of the one who truly loves them. The ache I feel is a constant reminder to pray, one which I would not want silenced. And so as I close my India trip I wanted to write a last prayer for you to partner with me in praying.

My Beloved Jesus,

Lord I love you so much. Thank you for taking out my heart of stone and allowing me to feel what your heart feels for the people of India. Thank you that you revealed to me the emptiness of my own love and the vast measurelessness of yours, and that you filled me with the latter to pour out onto those I was with. Lord, as I come home, my heart feels like it is in many broken pieces, please take those pieces and make them into something even more beautiful, something that can bring you glory until you brake and reshape it again. Father, as I ache for those whom I am leaving I bring them to the foot of the cross and place them in your outstretched arms. I know that you love them more than I could ever imagine. So Lord...

For Sidappa, please contiue to pursue his heart that you may capture it with the joy of your salvation. I know that you alone can heal his broken body and spirit, and no one wants to see that happen more than you do.

For Sunita, please Lord may she know you as the perfect lover of her soul, who laid down his life for her. Lord whisper to her promises of your faithfulness and your eternal life until she responds in surrender. Woo her Lord, captivate her heart with your beauty and adoration and let her know that she is worth all of it.

For Sapna, please Jesus be her protector. Lord, when she seeks to fade into the gray walls of Emmanuel and disapear from sight, seek her out with your gentle, relentless pursuit and let her know that you see her and are not displeased. Let her know that she is beautiful in your sight, and even when everyone has left her, you still remain. You will never leave her nor forsake her becuase you love her.

And Lord for all those who have remained unmentioned for the list is far too long (praise the Lord), I give them to you Jesus, to protect, to pursue, to love. May they know your saving truth and live in your limitless love.

Amen

Just a reminder to all our supporters and families, we are once again having communication on Sunday instead of Saturday. The East Coast girls are communicating on Monday.

Remember the time differences when we call... so you will be hearing from us early in the morning on Sunday.   

Also remember us in your prayer as we will be going to our orphanges for the last time on that Sunday! Thanks to everyone and we can't wait to hear from you all!

Hey guys, hope all is well in the US of A

a little reminder, we have 21 days left

Ok, this time I wanted to tell you guys about Kannappan, otherwise known as Indian Santa Claus (because that's what he looks like).  I met Kannappan over a year ago when our team last spring was the first ever to visit his leper colony, Tikkri Border, and my summer team got to know him very well.  He used to feed us biscuits and finger paint with us.  We always thought that he was just such a happy man, even sometimes silly (perhaps 'jolly').

When I came back with this team I really desired to laught with him again.  A few weeks ago at the leper colony, I got pretty sick and in the agony that I was feeling physically, I cried out to Jesus, begging Him not to leave me.  Before I knew it, Kannappan had taken his cot out of his house and on to his porch along with his pillow and had me lay down.  Even as I vomited on his porch, he held my head and rubbed my back. The entire rest of the day he sat closeby, on his doorstep, watching over me.  Jesus hadn't left me that day, He was sitting right by the cot, on the doorstep, greatly resembling Santa; and as painful and as embarrasing as tha day was for me, it strengthened my relationship with Kannappan so powerfully.  Only a week later, while visiting this leper colony, my leader Julie was feeling pretty sick.  At first I was afraid the lepers thought that getting sick at their leper colony had become an American trend, but soon enough, Kannappan gently guided Julie to his cot and turned on a big fan over her as she slept.  Just like the week before, Kannappan stayed with me by Julie's side and instead of fear or anxiety or discomfort that Americans usually have about illness, all I could see was gentleness and understanding in this old man's eyes.  This must have been pretty humorous to Christ- that I would have the audacity to think that they would uncomfortable with our illnesses--they know sickness and disaese- they know pain and hurt, and if anything, these instances only drew us closer to the lepers, teaching them that we are human too, and we also get sick just like them.

Over the past few weeks, I've been finding myself wanting to send most of my time with Kannappan.  As much as he still is the 'jolliest' leper I've met, I have been seeing more and more a side of him that resembles a father- my heavenly father.  About two weeks ago, as we were leaving, I asked our driver, Ajay, to translate to him my gratitude for everything he ad been doing for us sick Americans.  I told him that he had become like a father to us.  When Ajay translated this, Kannappan's eyes lit up with joy and he pointed at me and exclaimed: "DAUGHTER!".  I nodded in agreement.  As I've spent more time with him and looked through his few family photos, He's even made efforts to ask about "Esu Musee", or Jesus Christ, even though no one has told him that I or anyone on our team are believers.  Perhaps as much as I see Christ revealing himself to me through this amazing man, Kannappan is beginning to find his true maker and the Father who loves him in me.  That is my prayer.  Please pray for Kannappan, my Indian father, that he would come to know His father, whether through me or anyone else the Lord decides to send to him.  I feel like him and Jesus would get along very well.

O, and don't worry, Dad, you haven't been replaced...I just missed you so much that the Lord had to give me an Indian dad so I could get by until I see you again.

Tomorrow I will say goodbye to Sidappa, the leper who has the most powerful effect on me, who is now deaf and dying.  Please pray for him, and for me, that I'll be able to get through it.

I love you all, and you are in my daily prayers,

unitl next time, Annie Auntie

As we get closer to the end of the trip, it is difficult not to think of the goodbyes we will soon have to say. Difficult as it may be, reality is that I must go home and may never see some of those that I've made connections with again.

            
         Our team has been given the opportunity of coming back to India again in December for Christmas to bring love, joy and presents to our friends here; many of us are considering the idea.

            While teaching my 7^th grade boys at the orphanage, I brought up the

possibility of seeing them in December if our father opens a door for me to be able to come back.

                   "Aunti, I will not be here," Suraj said.

"I will probably not be here either," Gifty added.

            After some questions, I learned that the children who are not "true" orphans (children whose parent(s) is/are still alive) go home for the summer, back with their families for a summer breakIt seems that many children who go home this summer will try to convince their parents not to send them back—especially after the way they are being treated by this new administration. Many of them are at this orphanage because their parents cannot afford to keep them at home, and send them mainly for the education. At that, I realized that I may never see some of the people I met on my trip again.

                        "So you mean that I will never see you guys again," I asked.

                        "In heaven Aunti. We will me again in heaven," Suraj said while pointing a finger to the sky.

Because of different events going on this month, we had to make changes to our schedule and will be moving our next communication day. So don't expect to hear from your girls until March 30 and 31. East coast will be calling on Sunday morning the 30th and the West Coast/Canada will be calling the 31st. Just wanted to let you know so you don't worry about us!!!

With love from India,

Cassie and the Sector 8 Girls

Baby Asha appeared at the orphanage three days after her birth. I heard so much about her from my team members, but I hadn't gotten to meet her personally. I visited the orphanage for worship on Sunday and I was finally able to meet her. She is beautiful, but that's not the only thing that is special about her.

            As I held her, I felt compelled to ask how old she was. "Sixty nine days old," was the response I got; and she was born around the same time the team had arrived in India. That's funny because we got to India around MY birthday! So you must know how this story ends. Baby Asha shares her birthday with Vikki-Aunty. How special is that?

           Asha means hope in Hindi—so true. Holding Asha in my arms last Sunday made me realize how much hope is in her. To some she may be considered an untouchable and illegitimate child, but G has his favor over baby Asha. He has brought her to a place that will instill in her the spirit of life. Her name truly fits her because she is hope; hope for the salvation of many more Indians who will be touched and changed by the seed she will plant in them. So you see my friends, this is where all of your financial and prayerful support has gone. It has allowed me to touch the hope of the salvation for the generation to come.

            Aren't you glad you have allowed G to use you in such a powerful way? I sure am.

hey guys...it's me...all is well here, just wanted to shout out to some people:

Andrea: I called you (i'm pretty sure it was your voicemail) from Rajamani's phone yesterday at our leper colony and left you a message...I hope you got it...he sent you something in the mail last week and is waiting to hear if you get it...try calling him from your phone...if you can't reach him, he will try again at a better time (evening for you, morning for him). He's very VERY excited.

Anyone who has promised to sponser children at Asha: I don't know what's going on, but they aren't getting your support money, and they NEED it...just a reminder, you cannot send it to Asha House, only to Alli's church in tennessee, which if you don't have the address for you can get from Andrea. They're trying to raise 2 million dollars for new land, and it doesn't help that they're spending the little money they have supporting the kids you promised to support...so get to it!

Anywho, I wasn't sure what to share with you, a lot of things have happened in the last few weeks, so I'll just send this with a devotional i journaled to the Lord on tuesday the 11th. It was after reading Luke 12:

How I have fooled myself into believing that I understand you, Lord. How I have heard your words and to myself claimed to comprehend them. You are still a mystery- unsolvable in my weak human mind. Your thoughts are not my thoughts, your ways are not my ways. And the more I seek you, the mystery only deepens. O fathomable indescribable unearthly, unfarmiliar, trasnscendent, divine love- more vast than the infinate universe, stretching farther than the east is to the west, o mysterious force that keeps the stars apart- I have fallen for you. Come to me now, for I am in love with you and cannot breathe without you. You are my soul's sufficiency and this is my simple devotion: that over and over and over and over again I will seek your lovely face. I will chase after you and follow you wherever you lead. I am yours for life. And I lay my life- all of my desires, my passions, my plans, my skills, and talents which you have given me, my insecturities and fears, my failings and the hidden secrets within me, all that I am- down at your feet. I bring my fragrant oil and my tears, O King, and the whore that I have made myself to be will wash your feet and kiss them for it is there that I find healing and restoration. Master, I am your servant that waits in eager anticipation through all watches of the night for your footsteps outside the door. I will trust you and wait upon you. Father, I am your orphan. Take me in and forgive me, protect me, clothe me in your righteousness and feed me with your soft whispers, bathe me in your grace and nourish me with your love. I am yours and you are mine, I am yours and you are mine.

Anywho, please remember to pray for the 2 million that Asha needs for land...and I will write again in two weeks.

Laura:)

So I decided to share with you guys some things that I or my team has experienced that we affectionately have termed TJI(that's just India). Please ask me about these more later so that I can elaborate on them. Most if not all of them have hysterical stories that go with them…

TJI…                                                    

·        When the driver leaves your taxi for no reason and show up ten minutes later and starts driving as if nothing happened.

·        When you miss your turn and back up in a traffic jam.

·        When you start saying good morning to the five cows you pass on a ¼ mile walk down street.

·        When you see fields and fields of cow poop used as "fuel".

·        When the Indian Army becomes in a routine traffic stop.

·        When you name the mice in your house after fictional villains.

·        When you scrape the mold off the bread so you can eat the rest of the loaf

·        When you walk half way to the market to find a rickshaw driver that will take you for a fair price.

·        When bartering for fruit becomes a fun activity.

·         When you're thankful for cold showers.

·        When just stepping out your front door draws a crowd of admirers.

·        When seeing a dump truck on two wheels does not even faze you.

·        When you wonder why there's only one person on a motor cycle.

·        When seeing white people makes you supper excited and is reported about during team time.

·        When the horn and your bus plays a song.

·        When your bus stop is the side of the highway.

·         When one car to a lane seems like a waste of space.

·        When you see a person using a laptop of a rickshaw.

·        When car horns don't even faze you make you feel as though you did anything wrong.

·        When guys holding hands means nothing other then their friends.

·        When finding lice on your scarf means nothing more then "oh I should kill this"

·        When traffic laws and red lights are only suggestions.

·        When you don't even need an alarm clock just listen for your neighbor throwing up.

·        When you eat food off the floor in desperation for one meal and then eat enough rice for a year in the next.

·        When you face plant every day because you don't know how to walk in a skirt and go down steps at the same time.

·        When falling in sewage down not faze you anymore.

Okay so those are really funny and have brought me a lot of joy, but then there are those moments that I personally have called TII(this is India). It can be those moments that I realize the poverty of this country or the level or faith that these people have or… well here are a few examples.

TII…

• When I pray that a dying leper know my Fathers love.
• When your believing driver p**ys every time he cranks the car.
• When the children who have not been held in a while let you hold them and I secretly get to pray over them.
• When I get the awesome chance to explain my Father is not a g*d he is the G*d.
• When sitting with 4 girls making friendship bracelets for 3 hours makes my day.
• When you can't understand a word said during a Sunday morning service yet you leave filling fed and refreshed.
• When the children singing worship to the king in the orphanage, drown out the train coming by.
• When I'm preaching in a service.

I feel like I could go on for ages! But I just wanted to share with you as many things as I could! Thanks so much to everyone for pr*ying and I can't wait to fully share everything our Father has done in great length.

This past Sunday I came to an amazing realization on my way to church. I realized that though I long for my American home daily, I have found three places in India where I truly feel "at home." 

Lajpat Nagar - Our Leper Colony

There truly are no words to describe how this place has become my home. My little corner in the back of our colony has truly captured my heart. I usually spend my mornings with Sadappa, the Leper who I first grew a relationship with, sitting in his box with him. My times with him are a blatant juxtaposition as they both capture my heart and tear it to pieces. Here is something that I wrote while I was there a couple days ago:

As I sit here watching Sadappa sleep, I know that there is no possible way that I can make home understand this place, or this man. I wish that they could, but there are some things in this world that there are no words for.

There are no words for…

The distinctive smell of his box. Urine, filth, rot, and decay.

The look of utter despair etched into his face, his countless wrinkles telling the sad story of his life.

The helplessness pain I feel. The unquenchable longing to do something… anything.

The struggle I face when I realize that reading scripture over, and praying for, a deaf man is the only way that I can help.

The desperation I feel for him to see Jesus… even in me.

However, over the months that I have been here, my ministry to Sadappa has spilled over into a ministry with his family. Particularly within the past two weeks, I have grown so close to his daughter-in-law, Sunita, and she has opened her home and her heart to me. Each day that I am there more of her heartbreaking story is revealed and I feel so privileged to be entrusted with not only her friendship, but some of the deepest sorrows. However, my greatest joy with Sunita has not been hearing her story, though my heart truly rejoices every time she confides in me, but it is in her wary questions about what I believe. And though they are few and far between, I have treasured each one and pray daily for Christ to put a hunger in her heart and a longing for the peace and love which I have.

Emmanuel - Our Orphanage

I can not explain the joy that I feel every time that I receive an unguarded smile or a loving embrace. Seeing these kids slowly open up to us one day at a time has been a joy and a privilege. Initially, any word from us would result either in being completely ignored or in a fearful retreat. However, one day at a time Jesus has faithfully chipped away at their mile high walls and the little kids who used to hide behind them are beginning to peek through. Teaching, which (sadly) used to bring groans of resignation and dread from me, now brings a seeking for new approaches and gratefully I have finally accepted the four hours a day of teaching as normal life. Bouncy balls, chalk, little journals, and games have transformed drudgery into enjoyment. Praise the Lord.

Pastor Lalmani's

Every Sunday, we have been given the option of going to four different churches. The first Sunday here, I chose to go to the Slum Church and have gone no where else since. Though the rest of our team has faithfully rotated through churches, I haven't been able to pull myself away from Pastor Lalmani's family and their church. How it is that I can sit through a 3 hour Hindi service, understanding nothing, and still feel spiritually fed, I have no idea. All I can say is our God is amazing! Aside from the amazing church, the pastor's family has stolen my heart. He has 3 daughters (Glory, Gracie, and Ruth) and one son (Sam). I love them. Gracie is teaching me to dance Indian, Glory is going to teach me how to do henna this Sunday, and I am looking forward to painting with Ruth. Sam is our faithful translator and is hilarious. Each of them has graciously welcomed me into their home and their family and I love them.

So those are my three homes away from home. It amazes me how I can love these homes so much and still ache for my American home more with every passing day. Both emotions grow stronger as the trip progresses and I know that the storm that will come when the two fronts meet on our departure date is going to be unlike anything I have ever experienced. But God often is found in the midst of a storm, so I am trusting him and seeking to live, letting the day's own troubles be sufficient for the day.