48 Hours

It's hard to believe, but tomorrow (the 27th) is my last full day here in India. The 28th we prepare to leave. My flight doesn't actually take off until 1AM on the 29th, but I'm just going to count it as the 28th I think because I don't plan on sleeping before my flight. I fly through Brussels and Chicago again I think. If all goes as planned, I should be back in the U.S. by dinner time (considering all the time changes and stuff). Crazy. Mom, if you're reading this, please let there be white seedless grapes and ice-cold 8th Continent chocolate soy milk in the fridge. I've been craving that stuff since I got here :)

Katlyn, Shannon, and Andrew will actually be flying out around 4AM the 29th to spend a week in Italy debriefing with other teams from Bryan College.

I don't know how I'm going to say goodbye to everyone here in Chennai -especially my team. They've been my life for the past 2 1/2 months. We've shared this incredibly blessed experience together constantly growing, teaching, and learning from one another. We've become brother and sisters. And in about 48 hours I'm going to say goodbye to them. This isn't even to mention the fact that I'll also be saying goodbye to everyone here in India and Word for the World. But frankly, I don't even know where to begin to process that one just yet.

So, after the Word for the World national leadership conference, the team and I have been mostly just stationed in Chennai. We pilgrimaged (ha drove) to the St. Thomas cathedral and to the St. Thomas mound - by the way, pictures will go up once I'm really able to get back on fb for long periods of time. Augustine and Sharon-akka took us to Sparkies one day for lunch. This is an American-style American-run eatery! Turns out the people who run it are actually from Iowa! Annnnd they were out for the evening. Sooo instead I talked with their manager from Cleveland - where my aunt is from! What a small world - which reminds me! Most of the vehicles here automatically play a tune whenever they're moving in reverse. I think this is for safety reasons, but that's beside the point. Of all the tunes in the world to choose for your vehicle, why "It's a Small World"?? That and the Titanic theme song. This just cracks me up. I love it :)

While we were eating at Sparkies we ran into the head of the IJM headquarters office here in Chennai. He invited us for a visit the very next day and we were able to attend their morning bible study, talk to the interns, and participate in what turned out to be a 2-ish hour presentation from some of the major leaders in the areas of social work, law, PR, and advocacy. It was fascinating, and those who know me might realize just how much this visit meant!

Last Sunday and Monday we traveled to two different leper colonies in Chingelput (about two hours south by bus). These leper colonies were different from the leper hospital and the crowded leper colony we experienced in Pudicherry. The Chingelput colonies were actually more like villages out in the foothills were lepers and their families (that is, the few family members still with them) survive off of street begging in the bigger towns nearby. We gave the service messages and did a youth program at these colonies, and at the second one we got the opportunity to visit two houses and pray and speak with the lepers there. We met one man who had been one of the first lepers converted in his village/colony. He spoke about 7 languages (seven!) including French, English, Tamil, Hindi, Maurati, annnnd some other stuff. It seems like a lot of people I meet here are fluent in several languages. Most of the time I can barely speak English so I am simply amazed.

The rest of our time here has been spent at the house. We've helped out with a little bit of filing for Word for the World, and every morning the team leads the employee bible study. I've really just been trying to enjoy what little time I've had left here with the boys, the family, and my team. As many of you might know, sometimes it's difficult for me to sit still in the same place and just relax without something to do to keep busy. At school and at home I'm always running around doing things, talking to people, and the like - and I love this! So it has been hard sometimes when I haven't had anything to do - especially because so much of this internship has been kind of action-packed and we had all gotten used to doing ministry and such this way. But God's really been teaching me how to be content just existing in His good grace and He's surrounded me with these beautiful people. So, even though these past ten days have seemed really long in some ways, I still see that God has continued to teach me and mold me into something better through my time spent here.

And now it's time to leave. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this. I'm going to miss these people and these places. I'm never going to forget anyone - I never do. But I'm excited for the future and the ways I know God is going to challenge me and work through me back home. I'm ready to take India home with me, I'm ready to take all these experiences, memories, and lessons learned back with me. I've been blessed to find another home and another gigantically huge, vibrant, passionately beautiful family through the Christian ministry in India. And now I need to return to the ones I love in the U.S. and let this blessing shine into their lives.

God needs to humble me.

I need to grow smaller and He needs to be magnified.

My heart must fall in love with Him.

Through His strength alone this will be only the beginning.

Right now I don't know where my path back home will lead or what other adventures God has in store my for life. God hasn't exactly shown me where my journey will take me, but He has has taught me how to take the next step.

Please pray for:

God to be glorified in your life and mine.

What more can I ask for at this moment?

:)

- Jenni