I went, I saw, and I lived to tell about it!!! Hooray!!

So in a matter of two weeks I went from skiing in the snowy himalaya mountains in Manali to swimming in the ocean in Paradeep. Let me explain.

About 2 weeks ago Pastor Danny says something like "hey, you guys haven't traveled at all since you've been here." Literally 3 hours later we were on a 14 hour bus to Manali...alone. They told us it was going to be cold...so okay we threw in a pair of socks; it was hard for us to believe that anywhere in India could be THAT cold, we had been sweating non stop for the last 8 weeks. Well, we get there and what do you know...ITS SNOWING!! I can't explain to you how exciting that was. We were cold and wet but we didn't care because atleast we could breath! It was beautiful. There were mountains as far as you could see in every direction. We were really proud of ourselves for being able to get around without anyone to help us. In Manali they have hot baths...like natural spring baths. It was really cool but we didn't go in. Also, we even got to go skiing! I'll put up pictures later because what you are thinking right now is what skiing is like in America...which is not what its like in India. haha We rode horses up a mountain and had tea with eskimo tibetan indians at the top...we even got to go into a monastary. What an experience! We were there for only 3 days but we enjoyed it.

So then we get back.
And find out that we are leaving for Orissa the very next morning. The kids at the children home were not happy with that. But we unpacked and packed again and were on a train less than 24 hours later. We went to 4 places in Orissa; Balangir, Rourkela, Paradeep, and Bhubaneswar. There are 125 different dialects in Orissa...needless to say the little Hindi we know was basically useless. I'm pretty sure we spent over 100 hours on a train when you put it all together. We went to another wedding in Balangir, and it was probably one of the funnest times we've had this entire trip. Weddings last for 2 days, and this was the first time we got to see what happens on the first day! In the morning there was a ceremony and then after everyone goes to the bride's house for lunch. After the sun goes down everyone comes back to her house for a procession from her house to his. Its so sad because this is the first time the bride is leaving her house and she's leaving everyone she loves to go live with her husband in a place and with people she barely knows. It's a very emotional moment and the family cries and cries. But as soon as the drumming and music starts the mood completely changes. This is when the dancing begins. All the weddings guests danced the 3 kilometers between the 2 houses...it took 3 hours and 45 minutes. And they would not let us stop dancing. It was seriously the best workout of my entire life.

In Rourkela we stayed at the church's other children's home. I know its probably getting redundant when I say that the kids were adorable. But let me tell you!! :) They were really shy. They were all living in Pastor Paritosh's house. 11 kids. Because there weren't enough beds for everyone, they all slept on the floor - even Pastor Paritosh and his wife! They could stand sleeping in a bed when the kids had to sleep on the floor. That couple was really amazing. They took us with them to some of the villages they were ministering in. These villages were so remote we had to walk through the bush to many of them. There were witchdoctors and voodoo and really creepy stuff you think doesn't exist in real life...well it does. On our way to one village I picked up a bracelet that was on the ground and put it on my wrist...the Pastor's son, Jason, nearly flipped out at me. He took it off me and threw it away. He said that the people practicing witchcraft put spells on things like that and leave them for people to pick up...yikes! There are some villages with only one Christian family in them. They need so much prayer and encouragement. One family we visited had been outcast by the rest of the community..they weren't even allowed to get water from the local well! On the way to one village they told us that the people there still practice human sacrificing...great! How do you encourage people like that? "Hey, you hang in there and try not to die for your faith...I know how you feel???" What would they think if they came to America? I'm embarassed by how much we take for granted, how much I take for granted. Forks people, we have forks! And soap! And water that won't cause tumors! And lights! And towels! Towels! And most people have a bible even if they're aren't Christians! And they can read it whenever they want without a witchdoctor doing mantra on them to try and kill them and their family...So I just told them that God loves them, that they are precious, that He is thier father, their husband, their best friend, their king. I mean, that applies to all of us, right? Whether we are living in a village, or going to the next business meeting, its something we all need to know. Not just to hear, but to KNOW. Its the reason they don't mind facing a spiritual and physical battle every single day. No one fakes being the church kid here. Its real.

ALSO i went to the beach and it was sweeeeeeeeeeet.

You'll see more of the trip in pictures I promise!

Keep praying! 2 more weeks! I can't believe it!

Love, love, love! -Kate