Hello from Chennai! I think I'm finally getting over jet lag after getting a great night's sleep last night in my room in Matt and Vanessa's apartment. I have to say that I am so grateful for an air conditioned bedroom! It is very hot and humid here; not unbearably so, but enough to keep us sweating. I am still probably the whitest person around but hopefully by the end of the trip the Indian sunshine will gift me with at least a bit of a tan. ;)
Before we arrived in Chennai, I experienced my very first plane ride. Most people back at home reacted in surprise/amusment, shock, or pity when I told them my flight to India would be my first flight ever. But really it wasn't bad at all and I enjoyed it. I needed to ask other mission helpers some questions initially as I was navigating airport procedures for the first time, but everything from security to boarding to immigration and customs went very smoothly. My traveling companion for both flights was Jennifer and we both shared our appreciation for a good British accent and found great pleasure in just listening to our flight attendants talk. :) I did experience a stomachache from the Indian plane food, which I had to laugh about because I hadn't even set foot in India yet and already felt sick. Thankfully I felt much better after settling into Chennai and eating some of the real delicious Indian food here.
Food in itself has been a fun adventure! We have enjoyed trying new things at the restaurants. Becky H already did a great job describing our restaurant experiences. I had the "blue dot" smoothie which was super yummy and refreshing but the mystery of just exactly what the dots were remains...someone suggested mulberries. Melanie's walnut smoothie was one of my favorites as we sampled one another's drinks. And Nathan had his own great adventure as he took on the "4 minute challenge" and attempted to devour a huge burger, fries, ice cream, and coke to win 1000 rupees. He put up a good fight but had to surrender to the meal in the end. But on the bright side, he actually got to savor the rest of his food. :)
Yesterday morning we woke up bright and early to leave for the train station so we could make the almost 4 hour trip to Nellore for the welcoming ceremony. There were so many people at the station and I was glad to have Pastor Todd to guide us to our train. Some of us bought donuts and sweet buns for breakfast before boarding the train. I made my first impulse purchase of the trip and bought a "magic picture book." I'll let the description on the book speak for itself: "there is a film paper in the book, keepthe black film paper flat in front of black & white picture and movingslowly to one sides, then you will find the pictures are moving, it is full of magical." I got a tiger one, though the man selling them made it hard to decide between tiger or elegant but I wasn't quite up to trying to make a deal and get two for a lower price. :)
We were greeted by the pastors when we stepped off the train in Nellore. They gave us a beautiful welcoming ceremony. They gifted us with beautiful shawls, flower garlands, necklaces, and bright banners with our names and pictures. We enjoyed their photoshop touches to our photos. :) The pastors did some prayers and singing, and read us a beautifully eloquent message. The words touched my heart and made me feel so honored that God called me and blessed me with the opportunity to meet Christian brothers and sisters in India. My favorite quote from the message was "a flame without heat, a rainbow without color, and a flower without fragrance are like a church without missionaries and volunteers. By coming here to India, you have added an extra heat, color, and fragrance to our churches. Your wonderful visit to our churches is just like a flame casting the light of God's love into the darkness of India, a rainbow of mingled colors shining amid the storms of life and giving promise of God's blessings to our members and children..." Wow. How can one not feel loved, welcomed, and valued after words like that? The ceremony is something I will remember and cherish forever.
They served us a delicious meal with huge servings that kept me full for the rest of the day! We had rice, chicken, curd, fresh mango, and ice cream. Nothing was too spicy and they kindly gave us spoons and forks to use, but by the end of the meal most of us had decided to try eating with our hands and get the full experience. :)
After the ceremony, groups 1 and 2 checked into a hotel, then we had a prayer and goodbyes before Andrew and I headed back to Chennai where we will be staying most of the time. Andrew sat up front with our driver and enjoyed a long nap during the hours of driving back. I tried to sleep but ended up taking in the sights and sounds of India and exhausting my camera battery. Traffic in India deserves an entire post of its own, but let me just say that a horn honks just about every second and staying in a lane doesn't really exist...I will have to post more about my experiences as a passenger in the car and rickshaw taxis another time.
I was very happy when we finally arrived at the apartment. I went to bed fairly early, although first Vanessa patiently and kindly helped me as I came scurrying down the stairs in panic over my camera which had decided to completely die while charging.I think my photos are still on the memory card, but praying that the camera comes back to life so I can capture the rest of our trip around India and London.
I am about to go downstairs for a devotion with our team before Matt leaves go teach the pastors this morning. Andrew and I stay here for now, but will be going to teach our first lessons to the children later in the day. I am a little nervous but mostly excited to meet the kids and start our work. Thank you for your prayers and encouragment as we go through this incredible journey. GOD IS GOOD!
Becky McKenney
No comments:
Post a Comment