I can't believe that we're actually on this plane. We've traveled nearly 200km from Nellore to Chennai to battle traffic jams and a flat tire that left us stranded on the side of the highway for over 1.5 hours.  But we made it, like God said we would. We made it by the skin of our teeth.  We flew through the parking lot, through security to get on the last Indigo Airlines bus to the plane. Right after we boarded a general announcement  was made that all have boarded the plane. So we will finally be ale to eat again, after a long and hot day. The 2.5 horus of peace should do me some good. Our day was pretty light except for all the time we spent rushing. We were able to sleeping a bit before going to the graduation ceremony. What a joy that was! About 65 graduates, including Pastor Kumar's eldest daughter. Many were there thrilled we were there, let alone that they were graduating. Many asked for photos with us and we were more than happy to do so. I thought I would be a spectator at this event and sit in the back, but to my surprise I was fully involved in the graduation, including turning the tassels of the graduates' caps and placing the hoods on those who received doctorates. It was fun and I felt honored to be included. I wore a purple robe and matching cap. To say it was hot is an understatement. But it was fun. My parents and Ms. Naomi Walker received honorary doctorates  I accepted her degree...and the 5 lbs. of floral garland that hung on my neck on her behalf.I have to make sure I send her the photo. We had no time after the ceremony to sit and enjoy or relax. Pastor Kumar's eldest daughter had a Henna tattoo on her hand that I admired. She said she would do place one on my hand, but I had to leave with the group to get to the airport. We packed up from the hotel and headed East.

        

We made it to Nellore. The train trip was another amazing sight. We traveled pass a small village of thatch-roofed huts, some of the most adverse poverty that I've ever seen.  If I could have snapped photos I would, but the double-paned, yellow-tinted and scratched windows haven't worked well for photography. We passed more farms, salt harvesting farms, tobacco, corn, and rice patty fields. The wear of this trip is showing in my semi-swollen right ankle.  I know I have to drink more water and stay off my feet when possible.

        

We were up early, around 5am, to catch our first of 2 trains to Nellore. I was able to get my first window seat on the train and view the Indian countryside. Massive hills in the distance and sugar cane, grape, and rice patty fields along the track. Simple living, yet hard living. People digging through trash heaps, farming the land, washing clothes in muddy water and laying  them out along the land to dry. As beautiful as it is to view and admire (the simplicity of life) I don't think I would want to live it. There is a trade-offin the difference in lifestyle. Maybe it's the hardness, the struggle, of the poverty side of Indian life that gives the people such a hunger for religion. Seems that most people belong to one religious group or another. Everyone searching for an answer.

        

Anakapalli is not nearly as poor as Rajamundry seemed. It was evident a the train station and riding along the streets to the hotel. Compared to the other hotels, the hotel here seemed upscale, with a large lobby, elevator, European toilets and showers with hot water. The sheets and bedding looked clean as well. The upgrade was noticeable in the $8/day charge. Our train was late so we arrived at meeting later than expected. My dad preached for 1 hour and then ordained the Pastor. The church people were so sweet, honoring the Pastor with many floral garlands and seeking blessing from him by kneeling at his feet. The women were all so interested in my camera and asked that I take their picture. They were eager to shake my hand and speak. As has become customary, we had lunch at the a church member's home. An upset stomach stopped me from eating what looked and smelled like an incredible lunch. A few pieces of chipatti and Sprite was all I could handle. The Pastor's family also lived in a nice home. It seems that the families of the Pastor's do well financially compared to the surroundings. We went back to church and my father did a second 2-hour sermon. Afterwards, many came up again and asked for prayer. Elder Blunt, my mom, and dad prayed and I captured it on film. Again, the intrigue of my camera captured those near me.  They wanted prints of the photos, so I think I will get them printed and sent to Uncle. I'm thinking of putting together a package of various things, including hard candy and the photo prints. 

        

We spent the day in Rajamundry. The town seemed a lot poorer than Hyderabad and the contrast was very noticeable. No large buildings. No "metropolis" feeling to it. After arriving at about 6am by overnight train, we went to an inconspicuous hotel in the heart of the city. The staff was very hospitable, answering the call button within seconds. As I've seen throughout this trip, the people have gone out of their way for us. There is no hot water or shower in the rooms so we're washing the old fashioned way...with a bucket. So, for the Americans, the hotel staff heated buckets of hot water for us in order to wash more comfortably. We put in our request nearly an hour in advance. Amazing...they actually heated water for us. I felt a bit of discomfort in asking, though I desperately wanted some sense of comfort. But sometimes it's appropriate to look at things in perspective. 

        

We're on a train headed to Rajamundry. The four of us, and Pastor Joshi (Uncle) are on air-conditioned sleeper car and will be traveling for 9 hours. My dad is scheduled to teach at the Bible college in the morning. We had church this morning and it was such a blessing. The Reddy's added a second floor to their home to accommodate the extra space for the church. Sunday school children were downstairs and taught by Deborah, a 19-year-old college Indian student at an Australian university. Adults were upstairs. We were honored again with lilly and rose garlands. The are such sweet people. Auntie asked if I would like to take pictures of the children and teach them an American song. I taught "Shake the Devil Off." I was also given an opportunity to give a testimony. I spoke of how God healed me of cancer. Though they didn't know much English, and Deborah translated in Hindi, "Cancer" seemed to be a universal term. It was noticeable when mouths dropped open. Deborah explained that most people don't understand that cancer is curable. The kids seemed to genuinely like me and warmed up to me after a while. After church they were all smiles and wanted to be in photos. They also taught me a song in Hindi. Being in India has taught me a lot about differences in culture. After meeting a pregnant woman on the train and asking about the sex of the child, Uncle told me it is illegal to know the sex before birth and the doctor will be penalized. Dinner was a challenge. Auntie kept our plates full of food, but tempered down the curry to our satisfaction. Not eating or not eating more was not an option. I like being here. The people stare and stare hard. Sometimes a smile breaks the ice and sometimes it doesn't . I think I won over the kids at the Sunday School class. But I realize they act just like Americans who see a foreigner. We all pre-judge. I often wonder what their perception is of us as Americans....we're all rich?...meticulous about our health?...disloyal to family by not caring for elderly parents? I like it here. The rest of the sleeper car is going to bed, so I guess I will too. The births (beds) are crammed and stacked 3 high on each side with 2 additional births on the opposing wall. I am on the second tier.  It is 11:50 am back home.  There is a train attendant who doesn't seem to like me. Oh well. Let him keep staring.

        

It's currently 1:35pm EST and we're in our hotel getting ready for bed. It's just after midnight on Sunday, February 14th and this  is actually our first time going "to bed" since we arrived. Our flight out of Mumbai went without issues despite the heavy security, triple-screenings, and guards with AK-47's. We landed, late, in Hyderabad at about 5am Saturday morning. After checking into the hotel, we decided to get back out around 9am for breakfast. After drive time from the airport, that was only 3 hours. We freshened up and headed back out. Our initial drive in the city didn't show the true magnitude of poverty that I've seen today. Hyderabad is a cramped city of concrete buildings and a lot of people. Lots of abandoned buildings, heavy pedestrian traffic, and its fair share of homeless/beggars. The one thing that surprised me was the high level of security in the country. You can't even walk in the airport without a reservation. Even the KFC has a metal detector (airport style) with a security guard. Jewelry stores have guards with AK-47's. That seems to be the gun  of choice here. I started to wonder how these people move forward with such a heightened sense of security. Then after a while I stopped noticing it, I guess just like they did. We had a vegetarian style breakfast. Let's just say I was still hungry when I left the table. I knew then for sure that I would lose weight. We did a bit of shopping and I just about bought the store. I bought a pair of gold earrings for $160. I received 2 ankle bracelets of pure silver from Auntie. She is such a sweetheart!! I absolutely love them and the jingle when I walk. We visited a museum of Indian art collections. I bought 2 saree's  and some other clothes as well...boy I am jet lagged and TIRED. I'm completely on Indian time and exhausted when it should be the middle of the day. After a day of shopping we went to a church service and it was incredible! They gave s fresh flower garlands of lilies and roses as a way to honor us. The people are friendly, smiled, and seemed to genuinely want us there. We were fed food and Indian coffee (yum). We snapped photos and went out for a light dinner. I like Hyderabad. It took  a solid day to get use to it. It's a city of 8 million people. Tomorrow is church and a train trip to Rajamundry, more shopping, and an ordination service.

        

Getting on this plane was more of a challenge than I thought it would be. My connecting flight to Charlotte was fine, it was getting out of Charlotte...with my bags, that was the issue. My original flight to Newark was delayed twice and by 2:30, the newly scheduled 4:10pm flight didn't look feasible. Thinking ahead, I mentioned to the US Airways agent that I had an international flight leaving at 8pm out of Newark. She suggested going to the Continental counter and checking in for my international flight. Doing so prompted Continental o suggest taking their 3pm flight to Newark. Doing so nearly guaranteed that my luggage would not follow me. It was either no luggage or no trip to India. So I risked it, and landed in Newark at 4:35pm. I soon found out my original US Airways flight did leave Charlotte...with my bag headed to Newark. The logistical nightmare was about to end, after waiting for the US Airways fight to land, retrieving my bag from baggage claim, rechecking it for Mumbai, getting through Newark security, and finding my family. It was  a long day and by 7pm, I was at the gate and ready to go for the 8:20pm departure.

        

It's the night before my departure and I'm having problems getting settled. It's midnight and I'm still up and alert. I was able to finish my work at the office and get Tyler to his father. I will miss him. I've already prepared his room for his return, with fresh sheets and neatly made bed. On my way back home, I thought about the church I went to on Sunday and decided to go by to see if anyone was there. It was 10pm and I could hear the congregation responding to the preacher from up the street. I sat in the back and listened to what sounded like the tail end of a prosperity sermon. I gave an offering and left. It just felt good to sit in a church. As I walked back to the car, I looked at the shot-gun houses that lined the narrow street. I looked at homes that we consider to be poor: tin roofs, houses set on concrete blocks, run-down wood siding. It's a clear night tonight and you can see the stars so clearly. I realize tonight that I am blessed, blessed more than I realize at this point in time. I'm sitting in my king-sized bed with my laptop, typical for any given night. I know there is nothing wrong with having this life. But I've allowed myself to become ignorant of a larger reality. My reality is the exception and not the rule compared to the rest of the world. And tomorrow, I will begin a journey to see just how different my reality is. I will immerse myself in the Indian culture. I'm thankful for the experience and will begin journaling my experiences by pen....See you in 12 days.

        

I'm not sure that I can capture my thoughts about the trip to India. We leave in 3 days and I'm finalizing my preparation. I have no idea what to expect. My dad mentioned that he's bringing a bag of toys, presumably the children at the orphanage that my father's church supports. I did budget to take money for pure giving. I'm praying that the Lord will show me a need that I can address and fulfill. I know that the need there is great and to do one small thing isn't a drop in a bucket.  But I can't dismiss the overwhelming urge I have to help. I'm praying that my efforts will be guided. I did pick up a journal that I'm taking with me. I plan to do a lot of writing and transcribe my thoughts to the blog when I return. A good friend bought me the digital camera that I wanted, so I'll be taking some great photos (and possibly videos) of the trip from beginning to end. I'll do my best to get another entry in before I take my first flight Thursday morning. I counted and now realize I will have 10 flights over the 13 day trip. Please pray for us. Pray for our safety and that the we will hear from the Lord.