Chennai India

Hey Everyone!

I'm currently in Chennai India writing this blog update in an internet cafe. I still can't believe I'm here it's absolutely amazing!

As soon as our plane landed I started to cry. Not because I was scared, but because all my life I have dreamed of going to India and I finally was there! When we got off our plane and walked through the airport there were idols in different corners. The guy who looked at my passport as I went through customs looked at me like I wasn't welcome.

Everything is so colorful. Everything has a smell. The smell of India is curry, jasmine, human sweat, and feces. The river that runs through Chennai is almost like a giant sewer. All the sewers leak into the river so when you get close to it it doesn't smell so pleasant.

My first morning waking up I heard voices down below and laughter. I looked out of my window to see a family cooking breakfast right there on the street. As soon as I got my breakfast I went out of the roof to eat. I saw a cart being pulled by oxen. There is an alter right next to our building that is used to burn dead bodies. At night a loudspeaker blares out a prayer summoning the muslims in the city to pray. This is like no place I've ever been.

We went shopping yesterday for traditional Indian clothing. It was during the Tamil New year festival so it was jammed packed with people. Our guide and translator Anbu rented a bus for our entire team and we went for a drive not that unlike Mr. Toads Wild Ride at Disneyland. Indian drivers are insane! Families of 5 will pack onto one motor bike and weave in and our of traffic. Cars use their horns every move they make, they never signal, only use their horn. And roadsigns are merely suggestions.

When we parked we had to walk a few blocks through the biggest crowd i've ever been in. It was insane. A mom holding her half starving child was begging and kept motioning that her child was hungry. Two little boys were completely naked and begging. A woman touched my hair and started chanting at prayer. It seems like she thought I was an Avatar or something.

All the girls bought two Sauwas each (probably spelling that wrong). The sales girl spoke extremely broken english and some of us ended up getting the wrong size. After we were finished with our purchases she wanted a picture with all of us so security guards blocked off an area and a huge crowd of people stared at us while we got our picture taken. It was like we were at a zoo and we were the animals. I think some people who stared at us had never seen a white person before.

That is just a taste of India. It's beautiful in it's unique way and I love it. I can't wait to start ministry. I love and miss you all. Next time I'll try to write more but I'm on a limited internet schedule. Please pray for my team as we start our ministry. Please pray for our health. And please pray for wisdom in this place like none of us have ever been.