Hey guys, nice to see you back here at the start of a new adventure!
You see, as you've probably guessed from the title of this post and the previous post, if you managed to read that, I'm heading to India! As I'm writing this, I'm about halfway along my journey to Delhi, hunkered down in Heathrow waiting for them to announce which gate I need to go to for my flight in about an hour. I'll arrive in Delhi around 11 local time on Wednesday, rest for a little bit, maybe see part of the city, before heading by train to meet up with Mid-India Christian Mission. I'll be there for a month of service, working with kids in orphanages, playing with them and teaching them English, maths, and science. You can read about the three main purposes in my last post. If you're at all interested in donating to help support, here's the a nifty link for you:
This post isn't so much about simply informing you about the trip. No, this post, and blog, is really meant to let you know more about what is being experienced, what thoughts are floating around in this noggin, and to maybe reply to some common questions that I think people might be having.
I'm not even in India yet, so my thoughts about it are limited. Makes sense.
Put plainly, I have no idea what to expect and that makes me a little anxious for what's coming up. I've been told by a lot of people that I need to take precautions against being robbed, which only adds to the anxiety. Be praying for that peace as I get closer to my goal.
Next: Questions! And really, I only have one question that has been asked of me often, both by myself and those around me. "Liam, you announced this trip 6 days before you left? You're just publicly asking for financial support?"
*Note, this was paraphrased and usually only consisted of, "how's funding going with so little time?"
That's a fair point. And frankly, that's been the cause of a lot of anxiety and dread for the past... well for a while now. Here's the deal: I messed up. I misunderstood. There was a good amount of miscommunication. But I had already given a general time frame to the organization that I didn't want to keep pushing back. I decided that, regardless of whether my church's missions committee was able to meet with me, I would go. That meant looking at my own bank account, seeing some of what I had set aside for student loans, bills, and expenses, and understanding that I could use that. I will continue forward with the trust that anything I need for after this trip will be refunded. Thankfully, my church generously agreed to help with some of the cost, and some donations have come in from others.
So there you go. That's my one answer to the one question. I'm guessing more will come. I'm guessing more thoughts will come. I know God will put things on my heart, and I'm excited to share those with you as I continue forward in faith.
As the Brits, those lovely people around me, would say... "à tout à l'heure"