Nana and Pop

We looked forward to their visit for weeks. Planned out what we would do, eat, where we would go. Finally, they were on their way---my girls didn't believe they would ever get to our house! We waited and waited. Madelyn and I got up at 5:15 and waited on the porch for them to pull up. They didn't get to our house until 5:45, which was an eternity for an almost 5 year old!

My throat was lumped with excitement as I watched Madelyn run to her Pop, then Nana! It was a very happy reunion. Lots of hugs and kisses. Surreal for them to actually be standing in our apartment in India. After 7 months of Skyping, they were with us! The morning they arrived was full of opening suitcases and large containers full of surprises and gifts. I was most excited for the coffee and snacks, Justin too. The girls got tons of fun treats, but were most excited about the snuggles with their beloved grandparents.

We did so many fun things while in our mountain city. We took them from shop to shop, restaurant to restaurant. We went on a boat ride, rickshaw rides, scooter rides. They ate tons of Indian food dishes, as well as Tibetan. We cooked, shopped, laughed, took tons of pictures. We celebrated Madelyn's 5th birthday with a fun party including pink cake, balloons, streamers, etc. We were able to introduce them to all of our neighbors and shop owners/workers. It was wonderful for them to see where we live, what our lives are like, and who we are spending time with.

After several days, the time came for us to leave our perfect weather, mountain city, to go to hot Delhi. We arrived at our hotel after a good 8 hours of traveling, and were disappointed with the conditions we found. We took three rickshaws across town to the hotel attached to the 3 malls. When I walked into our room, I actually cried, for many reasons. I will list them now:

1. Bathtub
2. Instant hot water
3. Soft carpet
4. Flat screen TV with English channels
5. Fluffy, soft, princess-ish beds
6. Pack-in-play for E
7. Wireless internet
8. Fancy bathroom
9. Extremely clean
10. As if I stepped out of India and into the U.S.A.

My in-laws are some of the best people I know. They have done nothing but support us, love us, spoil us, pray for us, etc. The time we spent with them in Delhi was precious. We did a lot of shopping, eating out, and hanging out. Justin and Keith were able to go sight seeing around Delhi on one day, which was a lot of fun. There is no telling how many cups of coffee were consumed by the 4 of us. We are some coffee drinking white people :) Oh, and I got a bomb haircut, as did the girls. Shhh, don't tell him I told you, but Keith got a pedicure and foot massage/wash for $10!!!

We enjoyed having the time of our lives with them, in India. I think they loved it here. They were brave, adventurous, flexible, gracious, and well...themselves. Man, I love those two.

As we said our good-byes...there were many, many tears. I thought that I would fall apart when they left. I thought that I would fall into depressed mode--though I'm not prone to it. God is always faithful. He comforted my heart and reminded me of our glorious calling--one that I'm honored to accept. As hard as it will be to say good-bye every time, I am reminded that a worker must not put their hand to the plow and look back. They must stay focused on the task, pressing on to what lies ahead. The harvest is white---He has sent---we have gone---and we are anticipating wonderful things.

Thank you God for blessing our socks off with Keith and Andrea visiting. Thank you for giving us such supportive prayer warriors as parents/in-laws. Thank you for the fun times we had, the great memories we made. Continue to protect our hearts, the hearts of our kids. May we keep our eyes fixed on you, precious Lord. Confirm in all of our hearts that we are in your mighty hands. We love you more than anything and choose to follow you alone, by your grace alone. May you be glorified by our lives. May many in India come to know you as the One True God. May we be a part of that, somehow.