There'll be love, love, love wherever you go

I am finally given access to the internet! Oh man, India is intense. I think that I would rather die than have to drive a vehicle here. Let me recap:

My flight landed on Friday night at 11:45 PM in Mumbai and I went through customs very swiftly. I was amazed. I got outside and saw hundreds of Indian people waiting for friends and family to arrive plus at least 50 signs with names on them, so I had to go through and scan all the signs for my name. I see a little scruffy Indian man holding my name and I point at him and he follows me around the gate and brings my bag to his small taxi parked in the back of the lot. He tells me that another boy is coming in at 1:30 AM and we have to wait for him, so I fall asleep in the back of his cab until they both come. Introductions, Bryan is the taxi driver, Joel is the boy from the States (I can't remember which one at the moment) but he's been in Germany the past year or so with YWAM. The drive to the campus is 2 hours and even though it's 2:00 AM when we leave the airport there are tons of people in the streets driving, walking, riding. The rickshaws are parked in long lines with drivers waiting outside or inside their small vehicle to take someone somewhere. If I had been driving that night I would have gone home reporting I almost got into 156 accidents, but that's the way they drive here. They honk their horn almost constantly, but it's a polite thing here. It's like saying excuse me, same goes for flashing their high beams. It was crazy. Absolutely crazy. I got to my room at 4:00 AM and went to bed. I was the first girl in my room. My first night in India I was all alone in an unfamiliar place with strange sounds outside my window.

I woke up around 10:10 AM, got dressed and went downstairs (my room is on the third floor, I will have amazing thighs and butt when I come home) on the way down I met a few DTS students. I walked outside only to really find no one and so I walked around the building I am staying in trying to find the offices or someone who was on staff. Everyone I talked to was a student. I made my way back around the building and found a man named Jonah who was staff! Finally! He asked if I had met the SBS staff yet and I said I hadn't then he told me lunch was at 1:00 and I was sure to see one of them there, so I went back up to my room and once I got there had somewhat of a melt down because I'm in this strange place with no roommate yet and I had no idea where anything was or what time anything was at! I wrote a desperate journal entry all about how I just wanted to go home and maybe India isn't for me. After calming down I re-read what Jim Reck told me before I left. He said that I was like Peter stepping out of the boat to walk on the water with Jesus. He was terrified and it was really uncomfortable out on the water, but he knew that he could do it with the help of Jesus and even when he did fall Jesus caught him and held him up. That was very comforting and a perfect time to remember it. I think Saturday morning was my sinking into the water moment, one of many I'm sure I will have here, but reading some of God's promises helped pick me back up.

I ended up going to lunch at 1:00 and met a few cool people there. Christian who's from the states and has been here since January doing a DTS and now another school, then there are a lot of people I cannot remember their names because they're Indian names and quite hard to remember for me. I did finally meet one of the SBS staff named Shivu. He seems like he is a very funny guy. After lunch Joel and I were going to meet up at 4 to walk into town to find the internet cafe, but upon meeting we found out we had an SBS meeting at 4, so we went to that and I was able to meet all the SBS students who are here so far. Three guys and two girls. There are supposed to be two more girls coming in my room, but I think maybe only one of them is coming from the UK, but not until tomorrow. We also have these three guys from the states who are going to teach our first three weeks of SBS. It's like the first 3 week Seminar or something. They're all really cool and it was a relief to have more Westerners in my midst. I met the school leader, Prabha who is awesome, and another staff named Hudson. We took a tour of the campus so now I vaguely know where everything is here!

My first walk into town happened Saturday night. It's a small town, but very crowded and a little intimidating to walk on the road, even more intimidating to cross the street. There's a cool coffee place that's fairly new in Lonavala called Coffee Day. I spent most my time there since the internet cafe was closed at the moment. I was talking with the three guys from america who are facilitating our first three weeks and they completed their SBSs in Montana, which is the one I was originally looking at. They all hated school and studying and one of them hates reading just as much as I do, so I felt less worried about getting my work completed. The one who hates reading also procrastinates as much as I do too. I feel confident that I can do this, and I do know that it will be completely different because I actually desire to learn the Bible, unlike classes in school that are required.

Since my breakdown Saturday morning things only got better. I am very thankful for that. By the end of Saturday I was thinking that I could see myself loving it here. The weather hasn't even been that unbearable. I mean I guess it is getting into their cold season, and I'm glad I brought my blanket, I almost didn't. It is needed at night. By the way, here's how I sleep at night: First there is a sheet of plywood, the size of a twin bed. Next, there's a mattress on top of that. Lastly, the mattress is one inch thick. No joke. I'm totally not exaggerating. It is like I'm sleeping on a piece of wood. Also, I did not even think to bring a travel alarm clock. I am in desperate need of one of those.

For meals so far we've had curry every time. Well, it's maybe not all curry. they have different names for it all. I call it curry because it's a sauce you put on rice, and for breakfast we have chai tea and it's amazing. Food with breakfast also, but one morning it was good rice stuff and the next it was white bread with jelly.

Saturday and Sunday were free all day days, and I wish I knew what to do with myself then cause I pretty much spent it sitting in my room writing and reading before all I was able to read is the Bible.

I actually do regret not bringing my guitar. It's going to be hard to give that up for nine months. There is a guitar here, but it's missing a string. I just might lose my callousses! How awful will that be. More like how painful is that going to be when I come home and start playing again. There's also this worship band, or just "band" here called 24/7 and they led worship Monday morning. They had a guitar that maybe I could use if I got to know the owner very well!

Monday was our first official day of class. We had orientations all morning and afternoon, then our first SBS lecture at 3:30. Our schedule for the first three weeks is somewhat like this:
Monday - 7:30 breakfast, 9:00-10:00 campus worship, 10:20-1:00 lecture, 1:00 lunch, 1:40-3:00 work duty, 3:30 - 6:30 lecture, 7:00 dinner.
Tuesday - 7:30 breakfast, 9-1 lecture, 1 lunch, 1:40-3 work duty, 3:30-6:30 lecture, 7 dinner
Wednesday - 7:30 breakfast, 9-10 campus intercession, 10:20 - 1 lecture, the rest is the same as other days
Thursday - same as Tuesday
Friday - same as Wednesday except it is just SBS class doing intercession.

Not a whole lot more to tell than that for now. This is a lot of information for one blog entry!

Sorry I haven't taken any pictures yet. I will hopefully this week and post some up soon. We'll see.

Love you all!

Please pray that God would provide an opportunity for me to leave the country for Christmas or in March after 2nd quarter so that I can re-enter the country and obey their visa guidelines of a maximum stay of 6 months at a time.

New York, New York, I'm leaving today

Here I am in JFK Airport in New York. I have 4 hours until my flight leaves to Mumbai. I tell you what, this airport seems crazy! I always imagined a New York airport to be top of the line, but this seems a little ghetto even though I've only seen one area of it. I wish I had a longer layover here so I could taxi it up to see Ground Zero and Times Square.

Let's recap my day so far, shall we? I woke up this morning at 8:00 AM and took a shower. Afterward I went into my bedroom to put all my carry-on things into my carry-on bag and upon opening my wallet I discovered that my Passport was missing. I have kept my passport in my wallet for the last 9 months pretty much! I never take it out, I had no idea where it had gone. The time was approximately 9:00 when this happened. My mom, Grandma, and myself searched high and lo, I made phone calls to people and businesses it could have fallen out at. Nothing. I then walked past the kitchen table for the 20th time this morning and noticed a pile of receipts, the very receipts I had in my walled with my passport. I picked them up and there it was! A little dramatic, I know, but praise the Lord it was found!

Next was the fun task of dropping off my camera at a friends because it had died last night in the middle of a photo shoot with friends I won't see in awhile. My friend quickly drove to Best Buy to attempt swapping the camera for a new one because it obviously just sucks the life out of batteries, but she came to the airport with the same, broken camera and informed me I must call a number when I'm in India and they'll tell me the nearest place I can bring it to either fix it or replace it. So, I'm out of a camera perhaps for a while.

Now on to more observations and feelings.

I cried when I left! More so when I was saying goodbye to my Mother. Once I go through security I was fine with an almost teary spot mid-flight. After landing I had to try to find the ticketing counter which could have been easy, but I of course made it hard. I found Air India way at the end of the rows and rows of rows and rows of TV screens and check in agents. I got in line only to realize I was the only person there who was not Indian. A little taste of the intimidation I know I'll feel when in India, but I felt pretty okay actually. I just smiled to myself and wondered if I would be the only white girl on the flight later. I'll have to let ya'll know.

So far, so good. It still hasn't hit me that I'm going to India for 9 months, but it will hit me perhaps around month 4.

I still need money to survive and plan a trip outside the country only to re-enter AND pay for a return ticket home. The ticketing agent asked me if I was staying there forever. I simply told him I couldn't afford the return ticket! Ha cha cha.

Well, I'm back to eating my airport food court sweet and sour chicken with Lo mein noodles. Fairly okay for food on the go.

Are you strong enough to be my man?

Sometimes I don't trust God. Sometimes it's hard to trust Him and have faith that everything is going to work out fine even though everything seems absolutely impossible even for Him. Nothing is impossible with Him, this I know very well. Why is it so hard for me to trust Him this time?

I should not have gone to the bank today. I don't know what drove me to go there or how I ended up talking to a banker. I hate Wells Fargo. I hate banks period. I hate that money controls people, even myself. I am sick of money taking place of more important things in my mind. It's all I can think about, and I'm trying to be present here and now, but right here, right now I'm sitting at Dunn Bros. and have nothing else to do except work on my finances. I don't know what to do! Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray. That's all I've been doing. I still don't feel at peace. I know I need to be persistent, but sometimes I don't even like to bring it up because it puts me in this zombie state where I just zone out and stare off into nothing with dollar signs in my eyes. Last time God miraculously provided. Why would this time be any different? I am not even worried about paying for school and travel expenses there. Want to know what is most nerve wracking financially for me? Paying for my credit card either before I go or while I'm gone. I need $1,827 extra dollars just so that I can make my monthly credit card payment and sponsored child payment. To God that is nothing! Can't it just rain money for today? I'll pick up only what I need I swear.

This is a very humbling time in my life right now. I absolutely cannot do this alone.

We're going to lift our voice in victory

I am somewhat relieved because I heard from a dear friend that I don't really need Malaria pills. He stayed in India for one year and never had them. I'll just have to pray that I don't come in contact with Hepatitis A or B. If anyone knows of where I can get cheap or free vaccinations that would be a huge help!

I am, however, very stressed out about money. This is an on and off, rather touchy subject in my life at the moment. I won't go into details, but I will just say that I need a lot more money than I have. I leave in one month. I need approximately $4,000 dollars in the next 31 days. If there's anything you know of or need me to do. Walk your dog, clean your house, eat your food, watch your kids, run your errands, play music for you, record your favorite TV shows.

I need to make a phone call about a farewell show I hope to play sometime in the upcoming weeks. If you know of a venue for that let me know! Otherwise I'm just looking for local coffee houses or something.

My nerves are on end and I am on the short end of my fuse. I am almost done with work which is a relief, yet terrifying because no income means no money means scary.

Leaving on a jet plane

I bought my ticket to India yesterday. That's right, I said ticket to India. I got a one way ticket! Scary? Not really. I couldn't afford a round trip as they are around $1700. I know God will provide the money needed to purchase another one way ticket home.

A new dilemma has risen. I need to go to a travel clinic to get some shots and Malaria pills before I go to India, BUT I do not have health insurance, so it is going to cost between $300 and $500 dollars! How ridiculous is that? I hate this country's health care policies. For real. Just because I am going against the grain and not going to college or university I cannot be on my parent's health insurance policy! I cannot afford to pay for health insurance! I hate the way this country has to work sometimes. I am hoping that since I am technically going to a university I can be on my parent's insurance, but who knows.

I didn't get that medical testing job. They discontinued the test for the rest of this month. I was told I'd be the first one called for the next one, but if it is not within the next 47 days I will not be able to partake in it! I am not worried about this medical testing business because my friend's sister has been doing it for awhile, and it's a legit clinic that has been around for awhile.

I have a lot to think and pray about in the next month. This weekend I am going to my cabin for a day or two to spend some much needed one on one time with my Creator and Father. Pray for me this weekend if you think about it. I hope to hear God's voice and be comforted in this time of extreme stress.

It's the sounds of science

I might be in a medical test group! Sounds funny, but it pays $2,000 dollars! So, if you read this before Tuesday the 19th, pray that God would give me this job. I would have to take a medication for a week and then they'd perform some tests on me and ask me a lot of questions I think. I'm not positive, but I'll find out more next Tuesday morning and let you know!

I'm not unfaithful but I'll stray

I spent more money yesterday than I should have and it was on meaningless things! I bought a grass skirt that happens to be too small for me anyway! I can't even return it because I opened it I think. Oh well, I get paid again today and it's going to my car insurance and credit card.

I have eight days left with my wonderful family of five that I nanny for! You probably have no idea how excited I am, yet sad all at the same time. I am very excited to begin a new chapter in my life and hopefully leave child care behind. Don't get me wrong, I love kids more than a lot of things in this sick world, but I can only do this for so long! It's nice knowing I won't be making a career out of child care. I'll just basically have it as a career when I have my own children some day, but they'll be mine and everyone says, "It will be different when they are your own children." We'll see how right my friends and family are. I wish sometimes I could give birth to a 17 year old. That way I have them for one year and they already think they know everything and can feed their self AND can drive wherever they need to go! Needless to say, I'll be out of a job in three weeks. Which brings me to another point. I have tried a few times to get little odd jobs or second jobs, but they always end up falling through! The first time I was sure I had the job and they suddenly send me the dreaded post card because they're too much of a pansy to call me and tell me in person that I didn't get the job. There was also the phone book delivery job which I only had to attend the informational meeting, grab the books, and go! The unfortunate part is...I couldn't find the building the meeting was in! I drove around Coon Rapids for 30 minutes looking for this building and honestly could not find it anywhere! What is the deal? I personally think God wants me to fully rely on Him for the tuition and all other costs of this new chapter. It's hard for me to fully grasp, but so far He's been good to His word so I can't help but relax and trust Him to bring it all in in the next month and a half.

Last night I went to a newish Indian restaurant in Maple Grove called Curry Up. I've been there a few times before. I am so glad I love Indian food. Anyway, as I was leaving one of the owners asked how the food was and I told her "excellent, as usual!" and also mentioned that I would be going to India in September for nine months and then for the next 20 minutes she was telling me all about Pune which is where I'll be staying, and Mumbai which is the nearest large city. She told me what to expect and what to wear and all this amazing advice! She also told me to come in again if I have any more questions before I go and she would love to help me as much as she can, and she said that she has family in Mumbai and Pune and would gladly give me their contact information so I can talk to them if I have questions while I'm there, or if I just want someone to show me around! It was a HUGE confirmation and put my mind and body a little more at ease about going. I'm falling more in love with the people of India and I haven't even left yet!

Please pray that people start sending in support. I sent out the letters a few weeks ago and have only received one back so far. Also, there should be a coffee shop coming up within the next two months where you will be able to see me perform some songs and purchase my CD for India!