Day 1-3
Well what can I say we made it! God has been so good to us in so many ways and has shown Himself to be in complete control of every obstacle we face. All are flights went very good and everyone made it thru customs just fine. While we were waiting in Frankfurt, Germany for our next flight most of us got to go out on the sidewalks and take some pictures and breathe some German air! :) When we arrived in Hyderabad, India I think it was quite humbling already for a lot of us to see the living conditions in just the airport. But it was a good awakening for us. We then got all our luggage and met Brother Lanka outside of the airport where he had some really cool three wheel cars take us to our hotel. There we rested and took showers until our next flight into Vijayawada. Upon arriving in Vijayawada we were greeted with beautiful bouquets of flowers by some of Brother Lanka's friends. We felt very honored to be in their country! We had a very nice bus ride back to Brother Lanka's home where we were greeted by children on both sides of the driveway laughing and clapping their hands. The love and joy they showed was like no other. This is when the tears started to flow! God's presence was there! Brother Lanka and his wife presented a wonderful breakfast for us and then we got to sleep for awhile before the chidlren from the home came over and serenaded us with singing and scripture reading! During the evening we surprised Erika with a cake and singing and candy for her to share with the children. It was very neat to see the way they celebrate special occasions! On Wednesday morning we woke up around 4-5 o'clock only because our bodies our still getting used to the time change! Well I am not sure how many surprises others have been having in their rooms, but when I was done showering I came into the bedroom to find water all over the floor! And Jo and Jason being the smart people they are figured it was my shower water that had drained in from the porch! Grr... not the greatest way to start the week but it adds to the memories! After breakfast we headed to a smaller village where we prayed and sang in different homes. Some of the people we came in contact with were Christians but a lot of them were Hindus. It was very humbling to walk thru this village and see the living conditions of these people. I knew I had a lot to be thankful for at home but this just confirmed that! After visiting about 20 some homes we headed back to Brother Lanka's to eat supper and get a little refreshed. The weather is quite sticking and warm, but is a whole lot better than freezing temperatures back in the states! :) After a wonderful meal of rice and sweet and sour chicken we headed into town on the bus to visit a church! While there we got to worship with the villagers and Pat and I got to share a bit of what God has laid our hearts! Brother Lanka was there to translate for us and then our group sand a couple of hymns during the service also! We are now back home and ready to head to bed! We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow with a medical clinic that is about a 3 hour drive away from our house! Thank you to all who are praying and checking in on us! We feel your prayers and are forever grateful! We apologize for not posting sooner, for we are having some technical difficulties with our blogspot page over here! Listed below is a list of things for you as friends and family to pray for! Thank you! 1. As far as health conditions go there are some of us who are feeling a bit under the weather. Specifically Jo is feeling some sickness from the food and the heat. Jason is really losing his voice and we are just praying that God can heal each need. 2. Merl Byler from the Abbeyville Mission lost his brother in a tragic accident recently. Please pray for comfort amongst the family and the church as they are grieving this loss.
Shouts outs from the group:
Marita would like to do a shout out to Laura! Laura wherever you are Marita is thinking about you. Kara would like to say hey to everyone at Mast Trucking! I can't say I am really missing those log books yet! :) Until next time God Bless, Kara Schlabach | 
So I am taking advantage of that! lol! 