October 13/13

Today was Sunday.  We got to treat ourselves to an hour of extra sleep.  We all got our fancy clothes on and it was so nice to have clean clothes and makeup.  We headed down to the home for Sunday School.  We are working on an extension for the Chapel so some of us got to sit under the open sky.  It is so humbling to sit and listen to the children sing.  After the Sunday School, we headed up to Subathu for a shop in the village.  A few of the older children came with us to help translate for us, even though most people can speak enough English for us to get by.  We did some shopping, and got Chocolate.  Not sure how Chocolate got to the top of everyone's list but we were all dying for some.  We had a look around and did some shopping.  It seems crazy, I have only been here once but I found it so easy to jump in and help out those who have never been here with their shopping.  Crazy what a little perspective change will do, or how just being one step ahead, can change your whole experience.  Lane got himself an army backpack, and we got a few scarves.  At 3:30pm we went into the old church for the church service.  A few people snuck in a nap, not us of course.  A Church service at 3:30pm in 30 degree weather, recipe for a nap.  Jaame spoke to us and it is amazing how the human brain can switch between English and Hindi to preach to us in both languages at the same time.  Jaame and Manju (the Bride and Groom) had come back with us to Subathu for the reception at the Children's home.  After the service we walked back to the home for the reception that was to start at 5:30, we arrived at 5:40, we waited for an hour, and then at 7pm the reception started.  Welcome to India.  At 7pm Jaame and Manju walked down the pathway with all of us standing on either side.  They were

beautifully dressed and smiling from ear to ear.  Both of them are graduated from Shanti, so they kind of grew up together, I guess you could say.  They met up in Delhi and that is how they ended up together.  So there was a slide show of both of them, while growing up.  It was so nice to see how everyone loved their older brother and sister.  There was even the joke about not being sure if Jaame and Manju were daughter, or sister in law, or what to the staff at the home, because they raised them from being kids.  The kids of course put on a great program, for the bride and groom.  There were gifts to hand out and then....Dance party.  I love their dance parties.  They are like nothing else you have ever seen.  Everyone was dancing and sweating, and we had a great time.  Then it was off to bed, for our very weary bones have work tomorrow morning,