Friends, it has been an exciting and eventful week; let me tell you! I currently have a couple from Ohio staying here until the ninth, and we are holding a four day VBS starting tomorrow. Their names are Rick and Karen, they are in their mid 50’s, they are very nice and full of energy, quite quirky and fun to be around. It’s been fun getting to know them and leading worship with them. I thank God that they are not as exhausting to be around and “take care of” as some of my former guests, and that they have heart for God and for India.
I’ve had two very traumatizing incidents involving animals and the cruelty done to them this week. The first was with frogs: now I normally am not all that excited about frogs, I have no problems with them but I don’t exactly love them. On Tuesday the girls caught some frogs and were playing with them; no big deal. They then tied a rope to the leg of the frogs and started swinging the frog this way and that! I was very disturbed and tried to explain that they were going to kill the frog if they weren’t careful, but they just smiled at me and nodded. They then started to hit the frog against a wall… over and over and over again! When the frog was barely alive (and in a lot of pain I’m sure) they swung it around their head multiple times and then let go! It flew over the wall and hit the road very hard; if that didn’t kill it, it at least injured it severely! I screamed and just stood there with my mouth wide open, so sad at what I just witnessed and all the girls just laughed at me! That just made me mad! I didn’t think I was all that into animals but this was just cruel, I don’t understand how they can sleep at night!
Incident number two had to do with a snake… John Uncle called Arun at about 10 am on Saturday saying that there was a large snake outside their house that needed to be taken care of. Arun and the male bible college students hopped on their motorcycles and went over to have a look. Turns out the snake was a cobra… and it was a BIG one (about a yard long). They broke its spine and then put it in a bag and brought it back to the Home to show everyone. They took it out of the bag and messed around for a little bit, using sticks, the cobra was still alive but couldn’t move (but it could still bite if you got some body part near it’s mouth). Arun then smashed it’s head a few times, and then decided it would be fun to pull its fangs out… yes it is still alive (again the snake must have been in so much pain, how cruel)! Then they played some more, hit it a few more times, placed it in another plastic bag and burned it alive, plastic bag and all! I really wish they would’ve just killed it outright and made it a little less painful, but whatever! What I’m really bummed about is that they wouldn’t let me skin it and eat it! I’ve always wanted to try snake, and Bear Grylls tells me it’s good, but Shobba didn’t think it was a good idea… maybe next time?
On Saturday afternoon Shobba insisted on dragging me along to the salon with her to get a facial and have my eyebrows done. I really didn’t want to go cause I’m in India and don’t care how I look (plus I don’t like spending money on luxuries I don’t need), but she really wanted to take me to go, so I went. I was expecting to get my eyebrows waxed and tweezed like we do in America, but I was wrong, I got them threaded! Yep that’s right they used thread to shape my eyebrows! I don’t really know how still but it was crazy cool, I really don’t know how it works so I can’t explain it, but you can find it on Google and Youtube ( I would highly suggest looking it up, it’s crazy). I then got a facial, which included a back, neck, and chest massage, which I wasn’t expecting… little bit awkward, that’s all I have to say! The facial was nice and relaxing but I’m sure they put many creams and chemicals on my skin that aren’t natural and will not be good for it, but it’s over now. All in all my massage, facial, and eyebrows cost me $4, that’s pretty awesome!
Laxmi and Arpita, two of the older girls from the home, came back from their “mission” at another hostle (helping out and learning to be good workers) and are now working at the Home, instead of being children at the home. I met them for the first time on Saturday (right after the snake incident but before the salon) and it’s been fun connecting with them. They are both very funny, and they love the Lord a lot, I’m excited to continue to get to know them.
The Bible College had it’s last exams on Saturday and the students went back to their villages today, it was really hard to say goodbye. They all say they are coming back for the wedding on the 15th, but once someone goes back to their village you never know if they are coming back (sometimes parents or other family members will force them to stay and work). I pray that I see them all again, and would love your prayers in this as well! I really love all the students and getting to know them has been fun. There are many great memories I have with them, and I want to create more!
Everyone is finished with their exams except for the 10th grade girls, and they have their final exam tomorrow and then they are free! They have been studying hard for months, and I pray that their hard work pays off and they pass all their exams with good marks! They wont find out for another month or so, and I pray that they can relax and enjoy the break and not be too worried about their marks. Because summer has officially started almost all the girls are going home to their villages on the 10th, and I’m very sad for this day! I wont see them again until I return from Kenya on the 5th of June (that’s almost two whole months) and I don’t know how I’m going to live without them for that long! I think that it will be good to have a break, but I’ll miss them so much, and the home will be very quite and boaring without all the smiling faces, laughing children, and kids running this way and that, I’m sure it will feel very strange.
The next big thing on the agenda is the wedding on the 15th, TEN DAYS!!!! Munjula and Balesh are getting married ( I think I’ve mentioned it before) and everyone is very excited! This will be my first Indian wedding, and I bought a sari and shoes special (I’ll be sure to post pictures soon, no worries). I’m very excited for the wedding, and think it’ll be very fun. Please pray that everything comes together, and that there aren’t any big problems (often times the bride and groom will be four or five hours late and everyone just waits for them to show up).
In other news, my nephew Aidan just lost his first tooth yesterday, YAY AIDAN! And plans are looking really good for Kenya, please continue to pray for my travels, and all the details to fall into place.
Thank you for your support and prayers, God is good! It’s a good week to be remembering what He did for us, and how amazing He is! Happy Palm Sunday!
