Hello from INDIA!!!

Wow, I am actually here!! Sorry it took me a few days to update this, but we have been going goin going non stop since we arrived...I will try to update you all quickly with what all we have done...

So our trip started off great with running into the Baylor kenya team in the dallas airport only to find that we were on their same flight to London! It was great to travel with Amanda, Mel, Ben and Jamie for 8 hours to the UK. ha...the flight was smooth execpt when i woke up 5 inches from the women next to me breast feeding her newborn....good times. We finally arrived in Delhi late that night and took a taxi to our hostel. Leaving the airport I was immediatly blasted with a wave of heat and interesting sights sounds and smells....It reminded me a lot of kenya at first...We made it to the YWCA where we were staying...very nice place. AC!! praise the Lord!

The next say we woke up and went to some different temples... we went to a Hindu temple and a Hare Krishna temple...I have never really been around that before and I was a little uncomfortable at first...i felt like a major outsider, but it was really cool to see the different (and sometimes bizarre) ways other people worship. Later that day we met with this man named Thom Wolfe. He and his wife live in Delhi and he specializes in teaching about world relgions. He was very kind and very knowledgeable. I wish I hadn't have been so jet lagged becaus all of his information was very interested, but i had trouble retaining it all! HE had a team of college students from Flordia (near west palm beach...dont worry i threw out the stuart connection meg) they were in Delhi for 3 weeks working with some churches there. IT was cool to talk with them and here about what they were doing and what they were struggling with already.

The next day we visited a muslim shrine...to get there we had to walk way back into this slum like area...as we started walking further in we had to remove our shoes and as we handed them over to some random guy i was sure we would never see them again...we kept walking through the market place barefoot (it reminded me a little of Kibera in Kenya, so being barefoot was a little intesnse) we finally made it to the shrine and went it. There were people everywhere walking around the tomb. Only men were allowed inside so Marco and I went in and go to see the inside. Again i felt very out of place but it was cool to see. AFter that we got to go shopping for our indian garb. IT was actually pretty fun...got some cool stuff...i feel like i look the part now (ha not) After that we went back and met with Dr. Wolfe again and listened to more of his lectures...very interesting, but a bit over my head at times.

After that we took a taxi the airport and flew to Kolcuta. Janet warned us that the poverty here would be like anything we had ever seen. It is so hot and full of despair... The YWCA we stay in here is not quite as nice and has NO AC! ah! This morning we had our first interaction with the street beggars and children. We went to bought some kids KFC and talked with them for a bit...they were very fun but it was so sad because there are people EVERYWHERE that need help. After that we walked around the city (got lost) but it was good to get acquainted with the city and then we went to Mother House, which was mother teresa's home and minstry. THey werent taking visitors at the time but we are going back tonight and tomorrow.

Ok, i know this is super long and will try better to update this more frequently. The trip is already been very trying and emottionally draining but it is great. I feel like God is moving but i am not quite sure how and where...I am excited to see where else he leads me. We are here in Kolcutta untill sunday then off to Nepal!

Love you all soooo much and thanks for the prayers and comments
PS sorry for all the typos and mispellings...no spell check on this comp !!!

Love God, Love people,
Matt----))