Two for one!

I'll just start out by explaining that this is the first time we've had internet access for a little while, so I have two blogs prepared. Also, I have not checked the blog for a while either, so there will probably be some repeated information.

Blog one: Planes, Trains, and automobiles! (Written June 27, 2013 around 4 P.M. India time)

Up to this point, it's pretty much been just a bunch of traveling, with a few rests in between.  Sunday morning, I left home at 5:30. Then our plane left from Chicago at 8:30. Then we had about an hour-long layover in London, then it was back on another plane to Chennai, where we rested for a day. Then, after a day of small adventures with the beach and Indian food (which is actually pretty spicy, believe it or not), we took a train from Chennai to Nellore. There, we met with pastors from the BELC and the CLCI. Some came from pretty far away to see us!  And the welcome ceremony was phenomenal! They welcomed each of us individually and gave us gifts.

After the ceremony, most of us went to the hotel, and the Chennai team went back to stay with the Udes. This morning, my team (David, Becky, Nathan, and me) left for Ongole.  Right now we're just relaxing for a few hours, but we get to teach for the first time tonight. It's a relief to be done with most of our traveling!

Thank you for your prayers! So far, we've arrived everywhere safely. Tonight is when our real work begins.

Blog two: Teaching success!

Teaching our lessons for the first time went very well! My only regret is that I left in a rush and forgot my camera. The children were beautiful! Before we started, there was a small group of them sitting down, eagerly waiting and waving at us.  While everything was getting set up, they each came over and told us their names and we told them ours.  Then the children started singing for us into a microphone, which started to bring in more people. Then we sang for them too.  Then we taught our lessons, and the children really seemed to enjoy them, as well as the gifts we gave them afterward.  The best part of the whole thing, in my opinion, was how the group seemed to grow as the night went on.  Right as David was finishing up, it started to rain, which felt good after all the heat.

Again, I'd like to thank you all for your prayers! We are doing well so far, and we've got a lot of work left to do.

Jennifer Grabow