Life in India

View from the slum in Baina

Namaste!

Time flies in India! It's already the end of my third week here. We've had a slow start with our work, but we are finally in the full swing of things. Here's what my weeks usually consist of:

SUNDAY

Church in the morning- We've been going to two different churches of some of the base staff. It's so fun to experience church in India and be able to worship the same God as one international body.

Team meeting in the afternoon- We use this time to pray, worship, and to talk about the past week and the upcoming week.

MONDAY

Brila Preschool in the morning- Myself and three others help teach at a preschool where kids from the slum in Birla attend.

Baina Clinic in the evening- Four of us go to the Baina slum to speak to the women of Baina and to give out milk to them.

TUESDAY

Brila Preachool in the morning.

In the Birla Clinic's single room

Neighborhood in the afternoon- All of us feel that it is important to build relationships with the people in our neighborhood. The guys play cricket and talk to the older neighborhood guys (about 10-20 years old). The girls walk around talking to people outside their houses (and are sometimes invited in) and play with the neighborhood children.

WEDNESDAY

Team meeting in the morning.

Neighborhood in the afternoon.

THURSDAY

Birla Preschool in the morning.

Small group in the evening- This is just a time for the guys and girls to separate and get into a smaller group setting to discuss anything that we need to talk about or that's on our minds. Girl time is often a nice refresher.

FRIDAY

Neighborhood in the morning.

House Visits in Baina or Birla Clinic- The team splits into two groups. One group goes to Baina and visits people in their houses and talks to them. The other group goes to Birla to speak to women and hand out food. The groups switch locations every other week.

SATURDAY

View of the Birla slum

Free day- We usually spend our free time shopping in the town of Vasco or the state capital of Panjim and soaking up the sun on the tourist-filled Majorda Beach.

What's listed is just the planned activities that I do. There are often times when we have free time and choose to go build relationships with people. The days are full, but it feels like there is a lot of down time as well. We spend lots of time together with not a lot to do, so we often have to get a little creative. The team is creating a bond that naturally comes from spending so much time together in such closed quarters.

It has been such fun living in India and learning how to be a part of this culture. As a result, I am now close to becoming a pro at bartering and the Goan bus system. I'm getting lots of exercise from all the walking I do and my legs are getting toned from using the squattie pottie. But the food is so good and cheap that I can't stop eating! We have rice and curry twice a day, and I have yet to get tired of it. And I love trying new Indian snacks and goodies at the shops in Vasco. I'm now used to squeezing onto buses so full that Indians are literally on top of each other and close to falling out of the door. And so many people now know of us that they tell us what bus we need and when we need to get off even if we don't ask for their help! :)

Thanks for reading through my long descriptions of just some of my life here in India! There's so much I want to share, but just too little time, words, and space to write it all. Please keep this beautiful nation in your prayers!