The adventures of my life: India. Just as great the second time.

First I want to say "Thank you!!" to all of you who prayed and supported me and the team while we were in India. We could feel your prayers, and lets just say satan could hear them as well. This trip had its trials (of course). We had many plans change, bags missing, things "Lost In Translation", dehydrated teammates, trouble with airlines, long bus rides and lots of work to get done. But through it all God was there and He was faithful. There were a lot of kids and a lot of love to give, and we gave it. It was a fantastic trip!

To start it off lets go to the very beginning of my travels.... I left Sydney, Australia July 3rd to meet up with my team in Chennai, India that night so we could all catch the early morning flight to Madurai at 6:30 am July 4th. I got to Chennai and didn't see any of my team. All night they never showed up. So by 5 am I decided I needed to check my bag in and find my gate. I need to keep going! To my surprise one team member was there the entire time I was! We were SO happy to see each other. The only white people in the whole airport. :)

As we were boarding our plane our team started showing up. Come to find out they missed their international flight out of the USA and they came from all directions and different flights. We were still missing a few teammates. They had to stay back and figure out some flights that got canceled and missing bags. So by Monday night, July 4th, everyone was at Hope Mission Home. We still had nine bags missing though. The bags had needed dental supplies and children's ministry things. We started the clinics the next morning with the things we had and God supplied the needs everyday. When we were getting low on things, the bag with those things would show up that night.

By the end of the trip all the bags except one made their way to us. The last bag was picked up on the way OUT of India. It was our youngest teammates, Savannah's, bag. She was such a sport about it.

The dental clinic ran well. We saw all 180 kids. Cleaned all their teeth and pulled some baby teeth. Construction crew helped build a rock wall at the front of the orphanage. It looked really nice. They did a great job.

We had plenty of "kid time"! Lots of Games played, pictures taken, running races, hugs and kisses, nails painted, clothes mended, joking around and smiles. What a great time! These kids are great! What really touched me was the girls and how they played. They would play house. They had these little "houses" they made by some trees and they had dishes to cook up the mud soup and lay it out on leaves to dry. Just like any girl would. Kids are the same everywhere you go. Even if they grow up with hundreds of other "brothers and sisters" they still play the same. So cute!

We were able to go out and do our dramas and present the gospel message at two new churches Pastor Durairaj just recently started. The churches are right in the middle of neighborhoods, a perfect place for outreach. God did great things in the peoples hearts. One man was moved very much and he asked for prayer for his drinking problem and wanted to follow Jesus. It was really neat. God is moving in India.

Thank you all again! The kids asked me if I would be coming back in January and I said I don't know. I asked them to pray. So in broken english they would say "Kelsea mom. India. January. Come." While folding their hands and looking to heaven. I would love to go back and they could see their prayers answered. God willing....