This Week at a Glance

We have had an amazing and busy week! We started out on Sunday having church with some sweet friends of our that have an orphanage. Worship was wonderful. I actually understood some of the Kannada that was spoken there! The songs are also becoming very familiar.

On Monday we had language class and ate lunch with a national here that we worship with on Thursday nights. He and his wife are a blessing to us. She taught me how to make a sweet desert that I love here. I will try to make it next week and post about it!

On Tuesday we went to a small town about 2 and 1/2 hours away. It is a place where they use to mine gold. There are thousands of widows here because of this mine. Most of the husbands died from lung diseases. There are piles of black rock that is filled with cyanide. The cyanide is in the water and in the air. In the culture here widows are looked down upon and often cast out of the communities. We have met a man whose father worked for the mines and died also from it. He and his wife live here in our city and have a huge burden for these women. Every month they provide them with rice, Dal and oil. They give them our message too! We went and shared testimonies with them and helped distribute the food. Savannah and Caleb were so sweet to give each of these women a hug. Caleb got a few kisses too! It was a special blessing for to be loved on by children. The ladies faces would just light up.
We ate breakfast that morning around 8am and it was past three oclock before we got anything to eat. I had brought snacks for the kids but they were in the car. Around 2:30 Caleb began to melt down on me. He was so hungry as was I! I reminded him that this hunger we were feeling is something these women feel all the time. It was truly a humbling day and I came home with my heart broken and burdened for these women. One women came up and was sobbing. She began to tell us that all of her children have rejected her and will not let her come to their homes because she has become a beliver. She said, " I have no one." I can't even imagine the pain that she must feel in her heart. I know that when I am hurt, lonely or sad God's Word comforts me. The reality is that this woman can't read. I am still trying to process all that I experienced that day. I have weeped several times and cry now as I type this.

Wednesday we just rested from Tuesday's trip. I was able to eat lunch at a place called Leela's Palace. All the ladies from our company got together and enjoyed each other!

Thursday (today) we have just run around and are getting things ready for our cultural immersion we are taking this weekend. We will leave tomorrow and travel for 5 hours to the house of a national friend's mother and sister. I will spend all day Saturday with the sister at her school she teaches at and Shannon is going to see some different ministries. It will be like camping as Shannon said! We are really looking forward to spending time with these precious ladies. They only speak Kannada, so we will get lots of practice in!!!

I will return in 3 days with stories and pictures! I also will post pictures of our trip to the Gold Mines. Blessings!!!