Hello everyone!
I am writing you from New Delhi, India! The week has been full of transitions and getting into the swing of things! Next week my team of fourteen girls will split into smaller groups and each go to our separate ministry areas.
This week all of us went to each site to get a feel for things we will be doing. We have visited three leper colonies and three orphanages. The leper colonies are hard to describe. It’s really just a neighborhood of families. My highlight in the leper colonies was the first one we visited on Tuesday. The people are so friendly and loving. They got out mats for us to sit on and served us chai tea. It was better than any Starbucks chai I have ever had! J
The three orphanages were a good experience as well. The one I will be working with is small and has fewer than twenty children. To welcome us, the kids put on a program that involved dancing to Hindi techno music! It was so cute! I’m not exactly sure what all we will be doing there, but one of the things we will help with is teaching in their school. I’m glad they are young children though, because as I witnessed at the other orphanages, these kids are brilliant! I hope I will be smart enough to teach them! It is so encouraging to see that they are getting a good education!
The days this week have been long and tiring, but I think we will all continue to adjust a little bit at a time! It seems like we spend a lot of time simply driving to and from places. But believe me; car rides in India are anything but relaxing! It’s impossible to explain the chaos of the roads. There are cars, buses, bikes, rickshaws, motor rickshaws, people, and of course, cows all over the roads! It’s like a constant roller coaster ride! I love it!
Something that helps our team keep our focus is evening times of singing and reading the word. We also spend a lot of time talking to the father. It is quite an adjustment to learn how to all live together in the conditions we are in! But we are doing fine and will continue to stay focused on the reason we are here.
I miss you all and hope that you are all doing well.
<3 Sarah
2.10.08
Hey guys!
I am wrapping up my second week in India! This was our first full week of ministry and I think it went really well. Some highlights of the week included the relationships we started to build in the leper colony. Things were a little bit awkward at first. I’m starting to see that the way we minister to these precious people is so backwards! Instead of serving them, they love to serve us. And I must confess I find it a little hard to be grateful sometimes when I’m offered my fourth glass of chai and offered yet another portion of mysterious food. But I am trying to learn to be appreciative!
Due to some illness [thanks to the mystery food…] I was only able to spend one day at the orphanage this week. The majority of the day was spent with the staff while the kids were at school and/or taking naps. I got to know two young girls named Peru and Rama who help care for the children. They are so sweet! I’m really excited about getting to know them.
Today is Sunday, and I preached the sermon at church! How crazy, right? Every Sunday we kind of have to be prepared to sing, preach, lead Sunday School or whatever. We just kind of get put on the spot. But at least when you are speaking with a translator it makes your message twice as long! J
