The faces I see everyday

Every day I am unable to forget that I live in another world. Even in my house I hear the sounds of men screaming about vegetables for sale in Hindi or the constant sound of horns honking! This reminds me everyday why I am here. For me, that is a great thing. I see life go on in America and wonder how many times I was reminded of the "main thing". I know the focus was there, but often there was no daily reminder. I am so thankful.  Now in those days where I feel my heart longing for my American home, my head is asking...will I ever be the same as when I left? Will I ever be able to see things as I use to? Deep down, I already know the answer.

May your burden be light

"Come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden; and I will give you rest."

I see a physical picture almost every day of what it looks like to carry a something very heavy uphill for a very long distance...a burden, if you will. They get paid to carry this....and mostly they go alone. Miserable job! May we never forget why we were created, why we are here. Not to spend our days carrying heavy burdens, but to bear one another's burdens. For in this, we find a deeper understanding of Grace, Freedom, Love. May we keep the main focus of our lives Christ and Christ alone and not give Satan room to entangle us in the burdens that life can place before us.

Visit from Home!

The Lances come for a two week visit. They will be here another few days. We will spend them in the Delhi heat as we shop and go to the Taj Mahal before they head out. Here are some pics of the fun we have had so far!

A year already?

One year ago, we boarded a plane that would take us on a journey to change our lives forever.  I'll never forget the day we left Memphis, TN. We stopped at Kyotos to eat our last meal in country. (still think that was the best decision ever!) We went with our families to the airport and our flights got changed so we had little time to say goodbye. We had never been to this country and had no idea what to expect. We were not prepared for the change that would take place in our lives. Here are some of the memories we will never forget:

• Our first Indian meal. One sweet little boy was sick from jet lag and threw up all over the table! Rough and Unforgettable!
• The first time we were surrounded by children begging for money. Broke our hearts and we will never get used to it.
• Our first time in language school. This was when Levi got so sick and ended up in the hospital. It is also the time where his heart was truly broken and a deep love for India that came from the giver of more than we can ask or imagine.
• The first time we came to Shimla. We were overwhelmed with our new home and had no idea where to buy anything! We found ourselves sitting inside for 2 days trying to figure out what to do.
• The first house we ate at. We were not prepared! Now I take a ziploc in my pocket to every home. (just in case)
• The many days being taught "how to do life" by nationals 
• The week that the language started coming together.
• The first time to share our favorite news in Hindi.
• The first time we taught a large group. We were so nervous! Now it comes as second nature!
• The first time I went to the special needs school. Now I feel at home there.

We praise the Father for new experiences and now seeing them as common. We can honestly say the first impressions were not very good. We look back on those days and laugh as our hearts have completely changed. We are filled with the knowledge that our Father who sent us here had some changes to make in us before we could fulfill his purpose. We see those changes very clearly. Some came easily, some were very difficult, but all of them were much needed. 

Refocused

Sorry for the lack of pics lately. I will post some soon!

We are back from a couple of weeks and enjoying time with our in-laws. I must go back a few weeks, however, and update on our lives. We had gotten news that our closest friends/work partners here in Shimla will be moving about 8 or 9 hours away from us. They leave in June. For some reason, this really broke us! We've been in India for a year in July with no break and the cultural wear and tear tends to take its toll sometimes so we thought we just "had to have a vacation". We've been saving vacation days up and thought we would use them this summer or "perhaps we won't survive".

Our supervisor realized we were struggling and sent us to visit a friend in the North East. We did some work with them for about a week or so and found just what we needed. We live in a hard area to do the things we do...this area was totally the opposite. It was so open and easy, and we found ourselves refreshed. We also were able to really connect with these new friends and as we dug in the word together, we refocused. Then in between cities, we found ourselves at our friends house where we laughed hard, unloaded, and encouraged one another on. Thanks Futterers! What we thought we needed was a vacation, but our Father knew that we really just needed to refocus, get back on track, and know....deep, deep, down that He is in control and is doing all for His glory and our good!

Where do we find ourselves truly satisfied? When He is being glorified. When we get off focus and find ourselves broken at the idea of being lonely, ect. He has to remind us...all for Him, all to Him, all about Him. And this is where we find ourselves again. Praise Him.

When we really need to go home...

It seems that the past few weeks have been such a struggle for us. We find ourselves longing for home. Today we got to watch Blind Side and felt like we were right there back at home as we laughed and I cried and talked about...well, MY dreams to take in every kid in Memphis and Levi tried to change the subject! :) We went down a road that we try to avoid as we talked about everything that we love back home. Then I went upstairs to get ready for church tonight. As I was digging through my closet, I found some Bath and Body Works glitter lotion and some new makeup that I packed before we left the states. So now I smell, look AND feel like I could walk outside this house and see everyone I know and love!

Of course, I will see many that I know and love when I walk out of this house in a few minutes. I will speak a different language, wear different clothes, and even approach these people a lot differently than in the states. But the love we have for them is the same and that is what makes us thrive, even through the times where our Mississippi homes are calling our names! Thank you Lord for giving us a beautiful day to celebrate where we are from and for giving us a heart for where we are. We are very thankful.

Need a little grace these days

I'm having to pray for a lot more grace these days. Our country has been experiencing visa problems and we are seeing so many of our friends leave the country while we are being asked to stay. It is so hard not to compare our situation with others. It is a dangerous road to take...the journey of comparisons and we have been convicted by the Lord to avoid it at all costs. But I must admit that we are tired, a little worn down, and pretty stressed with new decisions and responsibilities coming our way. At times I feel that I should not desire a vacation that the desire shows my shallow attempts at living overseas. If I were "hard core" I could handle living here for many years without leaving. We love it here, love our friends, our neighbors, and our life...but lately we have been quick to snap, quick to get frustrated, and in need of a lot of grace.

Levi's parents are coming in close to 2 weeks. We are thankful for God's providence. He knew we needed this time to unload and just have parents to love on us and comfort us.