Ready for INDIA!!

It's finally here! Our team is leaving Saturday morning for India! I am SO EXCITED!!! We leave Austin at 10 a.m. In case you were curious about the time difference, New Delhi is 10:30 hours ahead of Austin. So when it is 6:00 am in Austin, it is 4:30 pm in New Delhi.

We are scheduled to arrive at 12:30 a.m. Monday morning in New Delhi and are planning to be at school Monday morning! Hopefully I'll be able to sleep on the plane!

Our team has put together a variety of crafts, games, songs, Bible lessons and devotionals to do with the kids, with the realization that we have no idea what to expect once we get there. We are just planning to be totally flexible and go with the flow. One of the days we are going to put on a carnival for about 100 kids so that should be really fun.

Thank you so much for supporting me financially to go on this trip! I have been totally blessed by how God has provided for me. I have raised over $2,500! (My goal was $2600 so that is awesome!)

While we are gone, I have a few prayer requests for me and my team.Your prayers are VERY appreciated!!

Journey
India is FAR. We will be flying from Austin-Houston-Frankfurt-New Delhi. That's about 17 1/2 hours of flying time with about 9 hours of layovers.  Please pray that I would be able to sleep on the plane and that I would sleep well once we arrive so that I will be alert and energetic when we are at the school!

Our Team
There are seven on our team, including Katie and Maureen from my community group. Please pray for unity among our team, that we would work well with the staff in India, and that we would be humble and culturally sensitive during our time there. We will be visiting some families of children who attend the school, who live in extremely poor conditions, so I just want to be really respectful during our visits. Also, please pray for our health. (I had food poisoning in China once and it's an experience I hope to never repeat!)

Ministry
I truly believe that God has a reason for me going on this trip. I don't really know what that is, so please pray that God would show me whether He is calling me to serve here on a more long-term basis and if so, how. And if not, how I can use this experience for future ministry.

I will be in New Delhi July 23-29. That morning Katie, Maureen and I will fly to Cochin in South India. Maureen's parents have a house in Kerala and happen to be in India during our visit. so they are going to pick us up and show us around for a few days! We will be able to stay at their house which is a huge blessing! I have heard this area is beautiful so I'm really excited. We fly out of Cochin the afternoon of Aug. 1, arriving in Austin the morning of Aug. 2.

I am so grateful for this opportunity! I promise to take lots of photos. :)