a time to be

This past week has been so filled with different things.. its hard to even go back and make note of them all. Ive felt extremely drained, and physically exhausted and Ive heard God speak so tangibly and Ive been really really busy too. During the week we were helping prepare for a youth camp that is going to happen this week in one of the slums. We spent our mornings writing out songs and preparing sketches and lessons (and learning more Hindi!) and our afternoons with really good team times. I did feel physically really not there and just done, but still my attitude was one of expectance. I was expecting to hear from God in a really real way - and boy did I ever! God spoke to me about many [really random] things, and through various people (thanks jess and tanah!) and to be honest I am still not 100% sure about it all and how it all links.. but God also told me very specifically that I will be coming back here to India. It was amazing to actually get a clear direction like that from God as for the past few years I have known up until this trip and that is IT. like nothing after I get home - all I know is that I am supposed to return to Calgary for some time but really nothing more than that no matter how much imagination I put into it. And I am actually okay with the lack of direction simply because there is nothing in my life that I am holding onto enough to scare me. But boy was it exciting to hear this from Him. I want to talk with one of the organizations that weve been helping with here and see what it could look like to come back for a year and work with them. I also really want to stay connected to the friends I now have in Pune and Mumbai and I think there is something about me helping to inspire them with the work that is being done in Delhi. Basically what I want to do with my life is inspire people with passion to DO and to empower them to be able to do something with that passion. And I think India is going to be the start of alot for me. I am also convinced that God is bringing me back home for some time for a specific reason and I think that the doors to be opened are just hidden from my sight right now - and that is part of the reason why I cant plan anything. Because I am not even aware yet of those doors. So I come home with expectance as well. And just as a side note I must say that I am getting ready to come home - even if it is another 4 months almost! I am missing people once again with force, but not just because I want "my friends" back and to be with my family again.. but I want to share all THIS with you guys. I look forward to the [many] conversations that are to come.

Mmm I got sidetracked.. I didnt finish off my week! On Friday we all went to the slum to help with a 'cleaning day' which basically consisted of us and about 20 volunteers (mostly young teenage boys) shoveling out the sewage ditches? I dont know what to call it. In the slum, all the sewage and waste and used water goes into these trenches or ditches or whatever they are called that run throughout the slum. They are about a foot deep when they are unblocked and are supposed to allow everything to run downhill to somewhere? outside of the slum area. I dont really get the architecture of it. Obviously this system doesnt work so well. SO we went in to clean it up. 70 people from the slum had agreed to help out but when we showed up, there were 15 of us and thats it. Eventually some of the younger boys came to help as well (and ended up being the hardest working of us all!) It was HOT and hard, disgusting work. But spirits were high. After we all ate lunch together and later in the evening they showed the Jesus film to whoever would come and watch. It was inspiring to see our friends putting so much into something with so little appreciation being received.

THEN on Saturday we had planned a party for the street kids with the NGO that we have been working with. It started out as an idea and turned into a HUGE celebration! We had a few people come from an art gallery to come and teach the kids about painting and colors, etc and then the kids each got to paint three different paintings. (the plan from here is that Cortney is taking these paintings back home to Calgary and sometime in early sept she is selling this art during an art show with 'Art for the Poor' on Stephen Ave and sending the proceeds back to the NGO) After this, and the spontaneous dance party that happened in the courtyard, the kids all got 'new' clothing and as much food as they could eat - we even got it catered for them! and to end the day off we had the opportunity to pass out shoeboxes to the kids from Samaritins Purse - Operation Christmas Child! I am so glad I got to be apart of that as for the past few years I have been helping sort through the boxes at the warehouse in calgary. It was so cool to get to help out with the delivery of these boxes! the kids loved it! I have really gotten attached to these children. I hope to be able to stay in touch with two sisters and kind of become a big sister to them when I go back home. Like sponsering them, but more than money. To keep the relationship alive and to pursue them with love. Little Pooja and her big sister Sangita. It is near impossible to 'pick' one kid to sponser.. but I would say that Pooja kind of chose me. I am glad that I have the opportunity to continue to do something in these kids lives even after I leave.

Now this week we are back to the university for our afternoons and mornings with the daycare with some of the street kids. We fly back to Belfast tuesday night! This week is the beginings of goodbyes. It is definately bittersweet to leave (but already I find myself thinking about next time..)

back to the familiar. somewhat.

We have made it back to Delhi- the whole group of us - safe and sound! Yesterday evening we said our goodbyes to the Mumbai group, and this morning we reached our home here in Delhi! It feels good to be back to the familiar. We know how to use the transport here and are familiar with the culutre moreso and even the language we can manage.. AND we got to see 'our kids' again - it was first on our list of to-do's! We now have the weekend to "rest" - which for us probably means MORE shopping, if I can handle any more! and lots of catching up on the computers! I think Ive spent most of my day today online trying to catch up. Hopefully more pictures will be coming your way soon. Monday we start up again, helping to plan/organize a youth camp in one of the slums. I think we are all rested and refreshed and ready to get working again. It definately felt like a different world in Mumbai, and in pune too. It really rounded our trip for us actually (and made my heart even more attached to this place!). Instead of just AMAZING ministry or just visiting and making great relationships.. now we have an awesome combination of the two. My heart is not only with the ministries AND the kids but now with FRIENDS and families here too. As I was saying goodbye yesterday I really felt strongly that it wasnt a final goodbye - I would definately love to come back. I dont know if it means leading a team and coming back for a couple weeks of ministry or to come back and stay for a good while.. I dont know. But I feel connected here. I should have seen this coming haha. I am so thankful for all the experiences we have had the opportunity to have here. Its been above and beyond what I could have imagined. And the hospitality we have experienced has been unreal. It really has made the difference. It was especially neat to spend time with people MY age that I really did connect with and just share my experience of this trip.. It was strange at first to have people looking to US for spiritual wisdom, but when we shared our lives with eachother we really saw that we are the same in so many ways. AND I have definately seen the difference and growth I have received from being apart of this DTS. It was good to just process that all with people my age I think - people that havent been on this journey with me especially.

And now we push forward for the final stretch. Only with His strength though, as I have well learned. Love and blessings to you all.