Day 14

India Time: 12:35 AM (July 9th, 2013)

CST: 2:05 PM (July 8, 2013)

Waking up this morning without hearing, "Good Morning, sister!" and going a whole day without making Solomon laugh or Pastor Jyothi say "No problem, sister," has me in withdraw mode.  However, it was fabulous to walk downstairs this morning and meet up with the rest of our team!  It was fun to spend a day catching up and hearing their stories!

Today, we stayed busy.  It was nice to have a day of distraction and relaxation after the intense two weeks we've just had.  We spent time at St. Thomas Mount, shopping, going to the beach and amusement park, and rounding out the day with a really nice dinner.  It was a great cap to a fantastic time in India!

Our first visit of the morning took us to St. Thomas Mount, a shine/pilgrimage site marking the martyr of St. Thomas.  There's a great view from up there and we were able to see most of Chennai from where we were standing.  Among other things, there is a worship center housing numerous Catholic relics at the top of the hill--Definitely interesting to see!!

From there, we headed to Cane and Bamboo, a store that sells gifts and crafts made by impoverished women.  And while I picked up a few souvenirs, it was really interesting to just look at the thing that had been made and how well they were displayed.  We had another bigger store that we stopped at as well, and I'm amazed at all the ways they depict their idols; in glass, in wood, in stone, in pictures, in carvings, in sculptures!  We also spent some time at the local mall.  It was very interesting to check out the different stores, including what's in fashion in India, what music they listen to, and how they make their sales.

After changing and dropping stuff off at the hotel, we headed to the beach once again.  This beach was housed at an amusement park, so we got to check out a few Indian rides as well.  The rides were fun, but probably would not pass a US safety inspection.  We spent a lot of time trying to get Pastor Moses to come on rides with us since many of the BELC pastors joined us for our hours at the beach and park.  While we were at the beach, the boys played kabadi ("over the line").  They split up into teams and each took turns crossing onto the other team's side.  If they were able to drag another man over the line back to their side, they got a point.  If they got stuck on the other team's side, that team got a point.  It was really entertaining to watch, and apparently, Pastor Moses played professionally!

We had a nice quiet dinner at Bella Ciao, a beautiful outdoor authentic Italian place.  We had a great time telling stories and catching up.  From there, we went back to the Ude's apartment where we climbed up to the top of the roof for a devotion led by Matt.  It was very peaceful, and nice to have the time to catch our breaths and reflect before diving into the rush of London tomorrow.  

We leave for the airport in less than an hour, and it's hard to believe that now we're actually saying goodbye.  I've had such an amazing time and know that I have been changed in ways I can't describe.  I'm already trying to come up with what I will say when people ask about India at home.  What do you say after such a comprehensive experience?  How do you show people India without them being here? What made India so phenomenal can't really be brought home in souvenirs or pictures, and I can only hope to do it justice.  India was nothing I expected and more than I ever could have imagined.  Did I have a good time?  Good doesn't even begin to describe it.

~Becky Haddad