HAPPPPPY EASTER!!!!!! What a glorious day!!! On top of celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord I cant help but think that 3 weeks from today John, Anthony, and I will be landing in Kolkata, India. BAH. I think my fellow travelers can agree with me that the closer that this trip gets the more and more knots we feel in our stomach's every time we think about leaving. Knots aren't necessarily a bad thing, but like always the reality of the trip is becoming so real, its terrifying. I am BEYOND excited for the experience that the Lord has in store for me this summer and that is what is keeping my excitement so strong. Without the excitement and the support I have been receiving from everyone, it would be a lot easier to give into the "cold feet" feeling and run in the other direction. But I am convinced more and more everyday that this is where God wants me for the summer. Slowly but surely the terrifying thoughts of the unknown will become moments of joy and experience the love of Christ through the hearts of my soon to be friends in India.
Every time I come home we are always running around and collecting things that I will need for the trip. This past Easter break we went to a traveling store and exchange a good amount of American dollars for India Rupees so that upon arriving in India I will be able to get a taxi from the airport to our hotel and will be able to afford food for a few days until we figure out where and how to exchange the rest of our money. I cannot lie.. with the exchange rate I feel like a rich fool carrying around all these rupees.. but in reality $1 = 44 rupees.. Just feels like a lot of money.
On top of exchanging money this break, my parents surprised me with a hiking backpack that I will be able to live out of this summer. We have all decided that bringing only one backpack is a good idea instead of worrying about checking bags and having to deal with huge suit cases all summer long. So we are going to try and live out the life of simplicity and bring the bare necessities. So all that I will use this summer is going to fit in this nice new back pack! On top of the backpack I went out and purchased a rain jack. Most people when they think of India think of very very hot weather (which is MORE than true... its is currently 95 degrees in Kolkata today) but I know that I never thought that India was a place that experience monsoon weather... Welp! You guessed it! We will be traveling through Kolkata right in the middle of monsoon season! I think that calls for a rain jack..
Here's to starting Malaria pills tomorrow and beginning the part of the adventure that involves hallucinating, and having crazy dreams. HA!
Thank you again for all of the support and prayers. Please, if you have prayer intentions that you would like to be prayed for at the tomb of Bl. Mother Teresa, let me know.
On top of exchanging money this break, my parents surprised me with a hiking backpack that I will be able to live out of this summer. We have all decided that bringing only one backpack is a good idea instead of worrying about checking bags and having to deal with huge suit cases all summer long. So we are going to try and live out the life of simplicity and bring the bare necessities. So all that I will use this summer is going to fit in this nice new back pack! On top of the backpack I went out and purchased a rain jack. Most people when they think of India think of very very hot weather (which is MORE than true... its is currently 95 degrees in Kolkata today) but I know that I never thought that India was a place that experience monsoon weather... Welp! You guessed it! We will be traveling through Kolkata right in the middle of monsoon season! I think that calls for a rain jack.. 
You are truly an amazing woman, Pam. I had no idea about this journey until I got back on to Facebook. I wish you all the best this summer, know that I will be praying and thinking of you often. Thank you for being such an incredible friend to look up to.
ReplyDeleteAll my love,
Maddie