india - days 1-4 {mumbai}

HEY!!! Remember me?
I've been on a bit of a blog hiatus.
I may not even have any readers left!
If you're still here...thank you for sticking around.

I'm sorry I've been MIA as a blog reader as well.
I don't know why but since getting home,
I just haven't been motivated to do any blogging.
Please forgive me!
I think I'm back. :)

I'm ready to share about my trip to India.
I'm going to do it in shifts...because that's how my pictures are organized
and how my thoughts are organized.

Sunday June 17 - Wednesday June 20, Days 1 - 4
These were traveling days.
Things did NOT go "as planned".
Our first flight was delayed, so we missed our flight out of Chicago.
So Night 1 of our missions trip was spent in Chicago
at the Crown Royal Hotel. What?!
We finally got on planes (2 planes, 5 of us on each)
to Newark around 5:00 that next evening.
I was proud of our team.
I heard no complaining, no whining,
no one was grumpy. We all just rolled with it.

After Newark we had a 14 hour flight to Mumbai.
Once in Mumbai, our hurdles seemed to end.
In fact, we experienced several times where our
prayers were clearly and specifically answered
almost as soon as they were done crossing our lips.
We all were pretty amazed at God's faithfulness
and seeing Him answer prayer in that way.

While waiting for our flight out of Mumbai to Hubli,
we took a tour of Mumbai. We saw the Gandhi Memorial Museum,
went shopping, ate at McDonalds (that was an experience!),
did some walking and "mingling" with the locals.
We bought bananas from a street vendor.
I remember being hot and sweaty and thinking
"Indian people hate us.".

Gods are everywhere.
On dashboards of practically every vehicle.

Their names plastered across the top of every windshield.

Hanging over doors to businesses.

In the center of shrines under shade trees.

Everywhere.

Why? Because the people are desperate.

Desperate for hope.

Desperate for love.

Desperate for security.

Desperate for peace.

"This is what the LORD says--Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come--yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one." Isaiah 44:6-8.

(I am an open book...if you have ANY questions, PLEASE don't hesitate to ask me! I am happy to talk about anything...you will not offend me, you will not annoy me. I am an open book.)