Seven weeks... holy cow (hmm, in light of the fact that we're going to India, that phrase just dawned new meaning as I typed it!). Anyway, only seven weeks from now and we'll be on a plane to Central Asia. Wow.
Update On What We'll Be Doing
It's still a bit vague... or rather we have a fairly loose agenda. In part, that's the culture... people are more important than a timetable (oh, but I DO love my watch!), but in part it is by design - our goal is to go and meet the needs of the local church, not to make up and impose our own agenda just for the sake of having one; therefore, and our job it to show up and go where the local church asks us to and as the spirit leads. That's not to say that there isn't any plan at all. Aside from being available to the local church, we'll also be visiting a slum and spending a couple of days taking orphans to the zoo.
To share a bit more about our zoo outing... originally our plan was to visit the orphanage and to love on the kiddos there. However, the pastor that we are working with cautioned that this was no longer a good idea. "Bad people" watch the orphanage. Whenever the orphans have visitors like us, they assume the children have been given things and harass them. It's a case of "when helping hurts". He therefore recommended we take the children off the premises and do something fun with them. So, it's been decided that we'll take the kids to the zoo... a place that none of them have most likely ever been before. I have to say, I'm pretty excited to see their faces as they take in all the animals in person. 
I checked a kids book out from the library with pictures of India in it. I've been reading it to the girls and pointing out the similarities and differences. We talk about how mommy and daddy are going on a 2 week trip and that they can't come, but that they get to spend the whole time at their cousins'! So far, I don't think that Naiya really gets it, but she is excited about staying with her cousins, so that's a good thing.We've had some amazing friends come together with us on this initiative as prayer and financial partners. THANK YOU! Prayer-wise, we can use it, both during this preparation time and on the trip itself. Prayer is a powerful thing. Financially, we've raised about 1/5th of what we'll need. Back when we were just thinking about whether or not we should go on this India missions trip, God and I had a conversation. I was worried that we wouldn't raise enough support and God essentially told me, "Kelly, you can not go, but then you'll never see how I can provide all the funds for you." So, I'm holding God to His Word. He wants us to go, then He has to make a way. And what a fun idea He gave me to help...
...I was talking with a friend about a local race coming up in November that Adonai might run in, and she asked what the cause was (since it costs money to enter these things) and I didn't know. She said in passing that we could do something like that to raise money for the India trip. And it got me to thinking. And as the hamster ran on his little wheel in my mind, one thing led to another and we are now hosting... An AMAZING RACE.
Check it out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=186081708128794
I think it's a super-fun way to do a fundraiser and am really excited about it, although it's requiring a lot of planning (that's where the prayer support comes in please).
I grappled with trying to phrase my response and it really came down to one word, "Significance." I don't know what or how, but I know that God is going to use us going on this trip to be something significant. I can't say if He'll give us a full-time calling while we're there, or if in five years from now I'll look back and share an anecdote with someone and it will have huge impact. I only know that God didn't just tell us we COULD go, He told us that when we go, He'll doing something significant. And I am so excited for whatever He has in store.
Thanks for being a part of this journey!
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