358 Days

This is the number of days our family has lived in India. As we come up on one year living on this side of the pond, it has caused me to be contemplative. I have been thinking about the things I have learned, how I have changed, how I thought it was going to be, and the reality of it all. I wish I could pull up all the details of the last months, but then there just wouldn't be enough time.....So here it goes (in no particular order).

We now live in a 3 bedroom flat (apartment) with a living room, kitchen, and dining room all contained in about 1100 sq. feet. We live on the second floor, which is really the third floor because the first floor is called the ground floor and there is no elevator. Our oven sits on top of the counter and it is big enough to hold a 9x13 pan.

We have a puja (poo-ja) room, which we use as a storage closet. Puja is the Hindu form of worship. Most homes and stores have areas set aside for idols and as a place to worship them with food, incense, ringing of bells, and chanting.

All of our outlets have an on/off switch and it is not at all unusual to get a shock when typing on the computer or plugging in a cell phone. We have a stabilizer hooked up to all our A/C window units to control the effects of fluctuations in electricity.

I have learned to write, read, and speak in Hindi (and the learning still continues on). Hindi is not based on the Roman alphabet, so it was starting all over again like a kindergartner. And let me say....that is what I sounded like most days.

I gave up Coke last May (my only source of caffeine) and it felt great; at least for 12 months and now I am back to indulging in one can a day. Sometimes Coke is safer than water. Oh well....

I now know what it feels like to try and function in 115 degrees.

I am surprised by the things that I can easily live without and by the things that I miss.

I buy our veggies and fruits from a guy selling them on a cart and buy groceries from a "store" that is the size of some walk-in closets in the States.

The veggies we have are roma tomatoes, white potatoes, red onions, okra, green beans, green peppers, garlic, green hot chilies, carrots, sometimes green onions, zucchini, spinach and lettuce, and several other things that I have been unable to identify.

The fruits we have are bananas, apples, watermelon, mangoes, oranges, grapes, pineapple, sometimes kiwi and strawberries.

I have not worn shorts outside of my house a single time.

I have seen the Taj Mahal, one of the great man-made wonders of the world, and it is truly magnificent.

I have not driven a car since last June and only ride in an A/C car on special occasions.

I have experienced the joy and extreme gratitude of seeing a significant reduction in my husband's migraines as a result of having heart surgery. I have also experienced the heartache of watching my children have headaches and normal life struggles.

I have experienced the peace, comfort, and strength from my heavenly Father like no other time in my life.

My incredible surprise at meeting others living here on mission from Australia, Korea, South Africa, and New Zealand. They are great people and we love hearing them talk.

I have experienced great fulfillment and contentment in counseling others who are here serving in this harvest field called South Asia, helping them to become whole as they fulfill God's purpose in their life.

I have walked underneath a stopped train to get to the other side of the tracks near our house, all the while praying that it does not suddenly move, causing me to perform some kind of Indiana Jones stunt.

Finding that I appreciate the order of American culture.

Disciplining myself to be thankful for my journey when I find thoughts of people, and places that I miss creep into my mind.

I have found the joy and wonderment of Pinterest and experienced the frustration of not being able to try out some things on Pinterest without the convenience of Hobby Lobby, canned crescent rolls, variety of cheeses, and rotel.

I have found myself in a place where I do not belong, while longing for my home in Heaven, wanting to see as many as possible from this nation around the throne.