God is so good.

He often reminds me of that in the most personal of ways.

I haven’t done much international travel and organizing, successfully meeting my flights and arriving in India unscathed was/is one of the parts of this trip I am most concerned about.

God knew that.

I liked my shuttle bus (which I took from south Jersey to Newark Airport) driver the moment I saw his New York Yankee’s cell phone holder – I liked him even more when he told me about his family, listed all the towns in India he knew (in hopes of finding a mutual destination), carried all my bags into the airport, walked me to the proper check in desk and showed me which paperwork I would need to rebook a shuttle home from the airport.

A second blessing came in the form of the desk clerk who checked me in. This kind Indian man asked me my reason for going to Chennai – and his face lit up when I told him I was going to work at an orphanage. It so happens that he used to drive Mother Theresa and the Sister’s of Charity around Calcutta to visit their various orphanages. After he had uttered twelve “God Bless You’s” (I started counting around the sixth time) he let me go and I successfully boarded my plane.

The flight from Jersey to Heathrow (where I am currently sitting!) was long but uneventful.  The staff of British Airways were the most pleasant I’ve ever had. I couldn’t sleep at all; both excitement and not being very tired so I watched The Spiderwick Chronicles (very odd) ate a few bites of something that was once a chicken (very questionable) and got through the first six pages of “The Problem of Pain” (VERY superb

Pray I am able to rest on the next flight; I’m tired enough too now and don’t have to worry about a fast transfer on the other end. Pray also that I take advantage of all the opportunities that God has given me to show His love – I’m so tired that I feel like I might be missing some (which in reality I probably am). While waiting in yet another line I prayed that God would help me see people through His eyes; beyond appearance, beyond personality but looking at their souls in light of eternity. I want to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading but also want to rest in the knowledge that I am not responsible to save each person I meet (or in fact any person I meet!). As always there is a balanced view. Pray I rest in the grace of God and remain available (even in the midst of exhaustion) to His use.

More to come, cheerio! (I heard that word used today in its country of origin!)

It hit me yesterday.

I was standing in Aisle 5 of Dollar Tree buying tuna fish.

While I was debating whether I wanted my tuna in cans or little bags it hit me, full force, that I’m not going to be eating this tuna in the States.

After 12 years of waiting and much prayer I am India bound on Monday at 9 pm!!

I will be spending the weeks of June 16th through July 28th serving in Chennai, India. The entire process of preparing for this trip has been a journey of faith. I met the women who founded the orphanage two years ago and have remained in contact with her daughter. After much prayer and thought I decided to set aside this summer to spend in India.

Then the planning began.

Now six months and many, many lists, forms, emails, money, applications and prayers later I am set with a visa, passport, plan ticket, finances and supplies – including protein in the form of tuna fish; I went with packets instead of cans – more squishable for in the suitcase corners.

I’ve started to write this paragraph 8 times (no exaggeration!). I knew when I started writing this blog that I wanted to spend a large part of trying to express how grateful I am for the many, many people who have supported and encouraged me in my preparation for this trip. Even when I was just thinking about it I couldn’t find words to say and apparently that is still the case.

The financial aspect of this trip was something I was so concerned about all semester and the perfect chance for God to stretch my ability to trust – my little rubber band of faith all of a sudden had to fit around a telephone pole of need (I’m a super visual person that word picture helped me). I am so humbled by God’s faithfulness in this area which proved itself over and over again through the generosity of my friends and family. I don’t have a thank you card enough or enough kind words to say to express how grateful I am for your willingness to support me. God has surrounded me with people to pray, listen to my excitement grow, calm me down in moments of stress and help me with the millions of details and questions I had. So THANK YOU, thank you, thank you to all of you guys who are supporting me financially, upholding me with prayers.

Please pray that I would go with an open, flexible attitude and a servant’s heart. I know that there will be difficult and painful things to process pray that I will remember to trust God’s sovereignty. Pray for opportunities to share the love of Christ; the language and cultural barriers obliterate “traditional” approaches to sharing the gospel (such as the ever handy John 3:16 method so pray for creativity in how to share and for a heart sustained and empowered by God’s love – I think that can be the greatest testimony and is something I can only achieve by a work of the Holy Spirit.

The orphanage has wireless internet (not something I’d even thought about in connection with orphanage work in India so I will be posting updates and pictures here over the next six weeks.