Blessings, and an Update

"O Light that followest all my way

I yield my flickering torch to Thee

My heart restores its borrowed ray

That in Thy sunshine's blaze its day

May brighter, fuller be"

~ George Mattheson

Tomorrow I board the plane bound for India, following the Lord's leading. There is no doubt in my mind that this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. It still feels so strange right now, surreal even. Today at church the elders prayed over me. I felt so loved and blessed by everyone -- people flooded me with hugs, heartfelt words, prayers, and donations, more than I ever expected to receive. Jehovah Jireh ... He indeed is my provider!

My little girls Hannah and Naomi were at church today too, with their parents Danny and Avy. Thankfully they're too young to understand that I'm going away, which makes the goodbye a bit easier. They were so cute. Naomi was in her daddy's arms but when she saw me, she instantly reached her hands out and I took her into my arms. She's the cuddliest baby I know and likes to curl her little body against me and rest her head contentedly on my shoulder. It's amazing how at only sixteen months she recognizes and knows me. Her words and babbles sound like this: "Oh!" and "Ada, ada, ada."

Hannah, 2 years old, still calls me "Eesee." Her big dark eyes just stare up at me from her little brown face (she's shy in big crowds of people). Her black hair is long enough now to be put up in a ponytail. Both girls wore matching red and white striped dresses which made them look like little candy canes. I'm going to miss taking care of them. So many countless hours of diaper changing, bottle feeding, playing, reading stories, cooking, wiping up messes, singing them to sleep ... all in all so wonderful.
And I can't wait to meet all the precious Indian children at the Home! What an amazing privilege to teach them and take care of them, meet their needs and just love them, love them, love them with God's great big love!!

Here is a little update on what's happening with India. Lord willing, I'll be arriving at the airport in Bangalore, Karnataka at 1:30am on January 12/11. Raju and Joyce Mathew, a missionary couple who run an AIDS clinic in Bangalore, are going to meet me there. I'll be taken to their house for rest, and then we will all take the train to Salem, Tamil Nadu, where the Mathews are attending a camp meeting for 3 days. Salem is a smaller, beautiful city where hopefully I can rest more before heading to my final destination. Right now it looks as if it will take a week to get there.

These were not my original plans, but God's thoughts and ways are higher than mine (I'm so thankful for that!) It may have been just part of God's sovereign plan to move me out of Bangalore so soon. I was originally hoping to visit the AIDS Clinic run by the Mathews, but we are heading to Salem almost immediately. Recently I watched a news report about current terrorist threats from a Pakistani group in Bangalore. We can never quite know exactly how God shelters us from harm and gives us refuge under His feathers (Psalm 91:4).

There has also been an opportunity for me to visit another orphanage, besides CMML, while I am in India. The state beside Tamil Nadu, called Kerala, which runs along the southwestern coast, has a home in Thrissur called "Rehoboth." I don't know a lot about it except that they run a girl's home, boy's home and Bible college. At some point during the trip, I am interested in visiting and helping out in any area needed, if God so leads. My main focus and time spent in India however, will be at the Home in Tamil Nadu.

I will try to write a little more tomorrow before I leave. Until then, thank you everyone for your prayers and support -- they are blessings from our Heavenly Father!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17).