Hello India

Hey everyone! Thank you to everyone who came out to my sendoff. I am blessed to be supported by such encouraging family and friends. Thank you! It’s great to be able to update you all on my trip thus far. Currently it is about 3pm on Sunday, April 18, as I am writing this blog update in my room. (Note: I do not have internet in my room. I simply write it first, then copy+paste the entire entry.) First of all, I’m sure EVERYONE is curious.. It’s hot and humid. There are times where it’s nice and breezy here in Bangalore, but it’s about 80+ degrees when I’m sleeping. My room doesn’t have any cross-ventilation so it simply heats up like a sauna during the day. Haha. I only wish I could ttae-me-luh.

It’s been a long journey here to India with an 18hr layover in Korea. We decided to go to Myeong-Dong to kill about 12 hours and fill up on some last minute bomb Korean food. (interruption: as I’m writing this, some house is blasting Timbaland. HAHA!) It was fun just relaxing, eating, and walking around the city before we get down to the nitty-gritty. The food is simply amazing. The one thing that blew my mind wasn’t the street food, it was this little waffle creation filled with chocolate (I’m guessing nutella) and honey. Oh Ma Gawd~! Yes, it brings out the inner fob in me. HAH!

After arriving in Bangalore at 8:30am, Sat, James and I changed money, ran some errands, put up our mosquito nets on the windows, and settled in. My welcome gift was a bee’s nest up in the electrical socket of my ceiling that I taped up like crazy. I waited for them suckers to leave the room to go find food and while they were gone, I taped the entire hole up. Slowly one by one they would hit my window confused at why they couldn’t get back in. Then an hour later they just left and never came back. HAHA!! Edward 1 point, Fear 0.

Sitting here, I’ve returned from two morning church visits/encouragements and wow, God is amazing. In a nutshell, I was so blessed and encouraged (although I’ve been to the same church before and done the exact same thing last year) by how excited the locals are in their churches. Every time I witness their passion, praises, and prayers, I think about how crazy and awesome it’s going to be in heaven as all the God’s children of different backgrounds, languages, cultures, etc praise God together.

Later today, I’ll be joining the few students @ Asia Evangelical College and Seminary (AECS) for evening worship. Majority of the students have gone home for their vacation time, but I am still very happy and exited to see familiar faces once again. Probably tomorrow I shall begin teaching the St. Paul School students as well as the few remaining AECS students.. lucky them! HAHA

The sugar in my blood from the candy is making me more prone to mosquito bites. haha 

IN KOREA:

Mr. Waffle Man making his famous waffles. BEST JUNK FOOD EVER!!

Big Woman=Big Taste=Big smile. These korean dishes are BOMB!!

IN INDIA:

For tradition sake: James and I eat our samosas at the mumbai airport

Picked up by the AECS students: Aaron and _______ (tbd)

"to look fear in the eye" means to close up a bee's nest with gorilla tape

my room or shall I say.. my free personal sauna

James in his miserable 75 degree room with plenty of ventilation. hahah!

Leg exercise = squats. If you're curious, we wipe with our hands (no toilet paper)

the first dinner @ Abhiruchi with Missionary James, his wife Susan sam-ohn-neem, and Pastor John

amazing local church worship with such passion and purity

one of the local churches we visited on sunday

Prayer Requests:

1. For the gospel of Jesus Christ to be made known through James and myself, but also through the local church, the students of AECS, and the missionaries here in Bangalore. 

2. For my health and safety.

3. For the work I will be doing here: teaching english to the AECS students, teaching gospel studies to the St. Paul School students (when classes resume), and the aid that we will be providing for the missionaries here (translating, administration, planning, etc)

... there is soooo much more, but I'll ask those prayer requests with other updates on what God is doing in Bangalore, India.