Going Home

After church and lunch, we stopped at Babu and Shirley’s for coffee and treats. They live in the home that GV grew up in. It was fun to see family pictures on the wall and to see that Abby was feeling much better!

GV’s parents

Shirley’s family

stickers like these are very popular. Especially ones with Caucasian babies on them.

 

It was a long drive into Cochin to the airport and the traffic was quite bad due to construction of a new train system.

the building looked abandoned but I’m guessing it wasn’t

 

By the time we headed back to the good old US of A, we were exhausted. I was totally expecting to sleep most of the way. We hardly slept a wink. I guess I’m glad it didn’t take as long to get home as it did to get there.

There was some kind of snafu with our passports when we left Cochin, but it got sorted out (we didn’t understand most of what was going on) and we got on a plane headed to Singapore without a hitch. We even had time to shop for souvenirs at the airport before we left. It was the first time I’d seen souvenirs since we’d been in India.

an open-air garden in the Cochin airport in case you were tired of the cool comfort of air conditioning and wanted to enjoy the hot and muggy outdoors… ;o)

Our first stop was Singapore. Not as long of a layover this time but the airport was no less impressive…

It is like a upscale shopping mall, airport, and luxury resort hotel all rolled up into one…

all the shops I couldn’t even afford to pop into to look… ;o)

 

they had changed this display since the last time we were there

Then it was on to Tokyo, Japan…

the food on Singapore Airlines is amazing! But we still didn’t sleep much… :o(

a view of Japan from the air

  

They had the coolest foods in Tokyo! Like funky flavored Kit Kat bars and Cup o Noodles! ;o)

By this time we were so tired that both Rick and I fell asleep on the floor or on the seats at the airport waiting for our next flight to San Francisco. We didn’t sleep very well on the plane, however.

When we arrived back in the US, we waited in a very long line for customs where Chris got in trouble with the customs agents and had to get out of line to delete the pictures he took for security reasons. Then we revealed that we had rice in our suitcase and had to empty it out completely and get rid of it. Apparently rice from India is too dangerous to bring into the country. With our delay at customs we got separated from Rick. We were very thankful to meet up again at the gate for our connecting flight!

The first thing we wanted when we landed in Portland was a big juicy hamburger. So Dad and Mom took us to Red Robin to hear all about our trip. Hamburgers are delicious!

In hind sight, we probably just should have gone back to Mom and Dad’s and gotten a good night’s sleep instead of driving back home. It was all either of us could do to stay awake and I am sure that our guardian angels were probably keeping the van on the road. Although the house was empty upon our return (Zack was in Monmouth and Andy & Will were on the Great Escape) it was nice to find a warm welcome just the same… :o)

Tatum wrote the sign since she has the best handwriting :o)

      

Do they know us or what???

Everyone asks if we would go again… the answer? Yes!

We Left Our Hearts In India

The most powerful part of our trip to India was meeting so many fantastic people! They opened up their homes, showed unabashed appreciation, honored us like we didn’t deserve and worked so hard to make our time there even more special. What a blessed gift to pray for people on the other side of the planet and to know that they are also praying for you…

I wish I could remember everyone’s name (or even knew everyone’s name) but I know Someone who does!

Rick and the gentleman helping GV write his book

Dr Rick pulled all this man’s teeth at the clinic at Babu Paul’s

church members of Babu Paul’s church

Me and Neeangmai

waiting at our first clinic

a mom and her kids in Achinkovil

ladies in Achinkovil

this girl used to live in the Children’s Home and now lives in Achikovil and came to the clinic to see us

one of our brave young patients

local pastors and church leaders

I can’t remember this man’s name but he kept our biggest clinic running smoothly and organized. We also gave him rides to places multiple times while in Idukki.

Sindu is a young widow raising her two sons and running her own propane business

the guys relaxing after a hard day’s work

(Reji, Emmanuval, Chris, GV)

Pastor Michael and his wife and son

We had all kinds of cuties in the audience at our last Idukki clinic

some of these pastors traveled 60km just to see us

Abigail, Babu and Shirley’s youngest

Reji, Chris, Rick and I

Rick, Emmanuval and Chris

Rick, Vipin & Chris

Chris and some of his students

Abigail (again)

one of the girls’ wards at the Children’s Home

the proud owners on the opening day of their restaurant

 

Reji couldn’t wait for us to try the fresh coconut

the IEM cooks

Babu, Shirley and kids

GV’s sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Lizzie and Philip, and their youngest son. Rick was so excited to see them! They hadn’t seen each other since 1982!

the girls waiting for the school bus

Bible college students working hard early in the morning!

Reji gave Chris the tour of his office

I still miss seeing Kunjumol every day…

I am thankful for the privilege to have met these people and will never forget them!