India Part Two

Saturday morning we met with some of Libby's faithful friends who had been prepping and praying for this special weekend and the women God would bring to this conference.  We met some American girls who are my age raising houses full of children just like mine.  God's called their families there to India to be the Salt and Light.  Their faith is like nothing I've ever seen.  Bathing their babies in water that will make them sick if it gets in their mouth.  Watching their kids play outside with the risk that a simple bug bite could cause all kinds of physical havoc on their sweet little bodies.  Just driving in Delhi with my kids would keep me on my knees.  I will never forget what I learned from Libby and the young moms I was blessed by.  They were real and their fears were the same as mine but they trust the Lord in a whole different way.  

We prayed for each lady who was on the list to attend the conference and were blown away with the diversity and faces He brought to hear His word spoken fresh from Gena.  I will never take for granted the ease at which Godly wisdom and teaching can be found when you live in America, especially the South.  Living in Doha has made me appreciate resources, teachers, ministries, etc.  But just the simple act of putting a Bible conference together in a place like India literally takes an act of God.  And of course He showed up and used Gena.  She taught on Biblical tools we can use in life as an expat and simply living your life to bring glory to God wherever you are. 

She really is one of the absolute best Bible teachers! 

 These are serious Rock Stars for Jesus.  They aren't living in Kentucky, Louisiana or Colorado anymore, that's for sure!

 Later that night we went with the Beaty family and enjoyed the most amazing India food!  Since moving to Doha, Nick and I have realized we love good Indian food.  Don't knock til you try the good stuff.

Beaty girls! 

 Classic!

The next morning we set our alarms and rushed off in the darkness with a special driver and minivan with A/C headed for what some consider one of the 7 wonders of the world....

The Taj Mahal

Gena and I slept most of the 3 hour drive which could be good and bad for sight seeing.  Our driver said we missed a lot!  Here's one sight we'll not soon forget...

 The Taj is located smack dam in the middle of the poor and dirty.  Literally just outside the beautiful grounds its back to the heartbreaking reality of India.  While it was disturbing and shocking to witness such poverty and filth it was once again humbling to see the joy people have in such harsh circumstances.

Our driver took us as close as he could.  Then we could choose to take a camel, horse or tuk-tuk to the gates of the Taj Mahal.  We opted out of our desert friend the camel and went for the horse.

 You can see the Taj just barely over the trees down the street. 

 

Inside the gate on the grounds.  The pictures below is of the grand entrance

 Unbelievable detail!  The Taj Mahal (translated: Crown of Palaces) is really famous for its white marble mausoleum built by an emperor in memory of his 3rd wife when he was devastated by her death during childbirth.  Her tomb is in the middle of the famous white dome.  The construction lasted more than 20 years.  Once up close and personal to the white marble and details it was very obvious why it took decades to build such a montrosity.  Another amazing feature is that the Taj Mahal is symmetrical in every way.  Pretty amazing!

 Walking through the main entrance and first glimpse.

  

Apparently we were there during the low season and "no one was there". 

Gotta do it...

 Amazing...each piece painted and sculpted perfectly inlaid to make the design.

 Looking back at the entrance

Last look before leaving the montrocity!

Back behind the horse again! Sweating just a little...

 We were so hungry for lunch and dying for some A/C but made a few stops first...

This was a place where they make replica pieces identical to the Taj Mahal marble design.

 

Also happens to be the place where I got suckered and bought a beautiful piece of white marble with the inlay stone to keep forever as a memory of our trip and seeing the Taj.  Gena has a way with her fellow shoppers.  Not sure if I would call it a good or bad influence.  She's persuasive and I'm glad she was that day! We both have something!  

 Next up...Agra Fort.  Wasn't on our list to see but our guide insisted and it was pretty fascinating.  Double walled RED fort and surrounded by a mote.  It also served as a palace.

  

View of the Taj from Agra Fort

 

 I couldn't help but take their picture.  The most beautiful thing about India is the color.  Everywhere!  The people and women wearing the most vibrant colors.

These two took my breath away. I stopped in my tracks and turned around to take their picture.

  

Seriously...I could have taken her with me. 

 

 Finally food!! We had plans of going to the only 5 star hotel for lunch, just to be on the safe and cool side.  You can't play around with raw food or water in India.  BUT our driver insisted on a certain place for lunch and told us it could be trusted.   Gena had teaching behind her and we were just hours away from flying back to Doha so we went for it.  We took the risk to enjoy the experience.  The food was absolutely amazing and the restaurant was full of tourists. 

 Not totally sure but I believe we had fennel seeds and sugar after our spicy lunch.  Apparently it helps with fresh breath and digestion...which was much needed after all we consumed! 

Next up was a stop where a man (well entire crew) were making rugs from start to finish.  Really interesting because he was tying each and every knot by hand. 

 Hello yarn!

 And hello cows in the middle of the road.  I was little nervous about the standing water...eek!

We drove home and arrived back in Delhi just before sunset.  Our driver was so excited to show us the bats on our way! No seriously look at the stinkin bats!!!  NO THANKS! 

 We drove straight back to Libby and David's house which is located basically on the school campus and the American Embassy.  And just outside the gate, we're talking about a totally different world from what's beyond that property.  And by that I mean slums.  The real deal...slums of India.  Unlike anything I've ever seen or probably will see. I am standing the parking lot of school taking a picture of what's across a small street.

And these little precious faces were waiting just outside the car when we drove up.  Looking so similar to the family I had back in Doha. 2 boys and sweet little girl.  Never to be forgotten.  Changed forever from what we witnessed.

The Beatys!  What incredible hosts.  Gena and I were pampered by staying with them. The Beaty Hotel rocked and would get all kinds of great traveladvisor reviews! Amazing food, private bedrooms and personal tour guides! 

 We finished up our long day with a girls dinner out to eat at the restaurant at the American Embassy.  Good ol American food but not without our last tuk-tuk ride! Home again home again...with cobras of course! 

 

The trip to Indian was unlike anything I've ever experienced.  I've never been so overwhelmed.  All of my senses were in over-drive.  It took days to process what we saw and witnessed as friends, tourists, Americans and Christians.  I'm still asking God what I am to do with all of it.  It was just so much.  Too much dirt, too much poverty and too many people living in the most awful conditions imaginable.  Not to mention what we didn't see that goes on behind closed doors with children and women being sold into prostitution.  

 I'll never forget it.  I am ever so thankful for the blessing of my time with Gena and Libby and what God's continuing to teach me since being in Delhi. May I never forget it.  Please pray for the people of India and those that are there to Love them.

India Part One

Well after a very very long blogging break I've got to catch up.  I'm horrible with details and remembering things so I gotta get going or I'll forget fun stuff and memorable moments, but mostly little specifics that mean more than a picture can tell.  Plus the whole idea of this blog is to share with our family and friends far away plus preserve these days and moments in time for our kids to treasure one far off day from now.  So....here it goes.

Just after traveling to Dallas for my mom's surprise birthday and then coming home to celebrate Georgia's 2nd birthday I was off on another plane ride to the one and only place called India at the beginning of May.

Some of our dearest Doha friends, the Beaty's moved to Delhi about a year ago because of a job change and a great opportunity for them to work at the American Embassy school there.  Libby got involved with their church and as usual God took her willingness and He's using her to do some amazing things.  Libby asked my treasured friend and mentor Gena to come speak at a Women's Conference in Delhi and I couldn't miss the opportunity to join her!  So we took off for the colorful country of India to encourage, pray for and learn from these women who call Delhi home!

Wow...we were in for a treat!  We left Doha very late at night and arrived in Delhi very very early in the morning.  Libby's husband, David picked us up from the airport. We had insisted that we could get ourselves a cab and make it just fine.  But being the gentleman that he his, he came and picked us up with a driver.  And were we EVER so grateful!! Oh my goodness!  It was dark when we landed and drove to their house which was probably a good thing but it was even better to see David's friendly face and have him escort us to his house.  

Blurry pic but at least you can see how tiny the van was for our first Delhi ride!

 We slept for a few hours and then we were up for lunch! Libby invited her friend Clarissa to join us.  Clarissa's next expat move is to Doha so we were all fast friends and SO look forward to her living in Doha with us.

Clarissa, Gena and Libby at the American Embassy school.  We were waiting on Libby and Clarissa's kids.

 

 Me and Libby.  Seriously this school campus was beautiful!!

International schools are so unique and have specific personalities to them. This school is located at the American Embassy and is fully staffed by all Americans. 

 

Hava is Libby's oldest child.  Sweet little thing.  

 

Near campus there is an awesome coffee house called the Upper Hand.  Incredible ministry run by Godly people doing great stuff for the Lord.

 

After a tour of campus we were home for an early dinner and then out for a girls night! 

Bollywood BABY! 

Just like the movie, Slum Dog.  If you haven't seen it, you should (for many reasons).  The singing and dancing is unreal.  The Bollywood show we saw was exactly the same only it was all in Hindi.  We loved it.  No cameras were allowed inside the theater. I took a few iPhone pics outside.

Gena and I with a freaky character who had nothing to do with the show.  Still not sure...

  

Friday we were out the door in a tiny little car headed for a slum tour.  On our white knuckle ride we saw all kinds of things...lots of tuk-tuks, make shift barbershop on the side of the road, a young man urinating with no shame and too many little kids on crazy motor scooters.  Gena and I were constantly surprised. 

Out of the car and on to the street. The slums actually.  We met up with a small group to take a walking street tour to witness some of the most unsightly scenes in Delhi but also see the good things that are happening. Change and awareness is slowly making its way. 

There are no words to describe the trash and dirt. This man is digging through it to find something worthy to him..

 Salaam Balaak Trust is an organization taking children off the street and giving them the basic needs to survive and then the tools to be a professional.  We walked the streets and inner city areas where kids are forced to live due to the horrible conditions.  The tour guides were children who once lived and worked on the street.  Our guide was 18.  His parents lost him at a huge festival when he was about 4 years old and he never saw them again.  I still can't get my head around that idea.  In order to survive he went to all extremes.  Selling drugs and/or glue is common but he had the desire to be different plus the opportunity provided by Salaam Balaak.  He's now applying to colleges in the US and hopes to study at an American university.  His english is constantly improving because of these tours, which helps and makes him very educated compared to the majority of India.  Its organizations like this that are popping up since people are now more aware of the extreme conditions.  The Slum Dog movie was the beginning of a great movement.  There's still no way to describe the sights, sounds, smells and tragedy of what we saw and what is really happening in India. 

  

We stopped at a center where boys right off the street could come for health care and to begin the program.  No cameras were allowed.  And good thing I was wearing sunglasses.  The tears were running down my cheeks.  Boys just like mine but filthy dirty and without any hope for life to be different. After more walking and seeing the New Delhi Railway Station (yikes) we ended our tour at the boy's education center.  Precious boys who I must believe God has in the palm of His hand. 

 A few more glimpses of New Delhi.  Then we were back in the car for another crazy ride!

After we refreshed our minds and bodies it was on to colorful shoppin at Dilli Haat in Delhi.  So fun!! Wish I had bought a lot more. Beautiful shoes, bags, quits, jewelry, clothes...all for next to nothing! 

 

Clarissa hosted the Friday night session for the women's conference in her home. Gena spoke on Godly parenting.  Amazing!

Boone's Birthday!!

Hands down the hardest thing about living so far away is not being present for special days like this!  My sister and very best friend had her 3rd little precious on April 29th.  While I hated not being there, it was such a gift to be apart of it all via amazing technology while the rest of my house slept during the middle of the night.  We used FaceTime right after little Boone Watkins Hall entered the world.  With tears flowing I was able to see that precious little red head join our family.  We kinda think one sister and 2 brothers is AWESOME!  We love you baby Boone!

Sweet mama and sweet sister!