Spring must be early this year

Saturday Kendra, Wendi, and I drove out to Indiana. We stayed in Leo that night and went to Bluffton in the morning.

Alyssa took us out to eat and then we pretty much went back to their house and crashed. At least I did. The other girls did a lot of laughing but I was having trouble understanding the jokes. I don't know if I can still blame it on jet lag but I was so tired.

On Sunday we were in Bluffton church for Vince and Breana's wedding reception. That place is huge. I hadn't seen her in so long. It was so nice to get to see her and finally meet her husband. The reception was lovely and she looked absolutely beautiful in her dress.  We got to talk to her and Brittney for a while in church too. I'm so glad I was able to be there.

We left the reception early and headed home.  After a minor detour ;) I arrived home safely and headed back to school.

So, another friend married and...

Saturday morning I got a phone call. Brooke is engaged! Yah, I know, I'm just in that stage of life.  It should be a lot of fun though. She is engaged to Cory Wagenbach from Oakville, so now I will have two married friends to visit when I go there. :)

I'm so excited for her. She is so sweet.

Here are a few pictures of us.

Florida! :)

Brooke not being so sweet ;)

Chicago

So, its only January and I already have two weddings to go to and there have been a whole bunch more engagements as well. I thought this didn't start until spring, when "a young mans fancy turns to love..." or something like that. These guys are jumping the gun and I'm not sure I like it. :)

In Christ

~Michelle

Random Things on a Rainy Day

Being back in school isn't very exciting.
I started classes last Wednesday and they seem to be more of the same old thing.

oh. I am in one really fun class. Figure skating... :) We've learned some really fun stuff like how to spiral and do lunges. I am so sore.

Jet lag hit me pretty hard. I think I'm finally getting over it. I didn't think it would last this long.

So, I've learned this week that I should have invested in more umbrellas before I came down to college. And, I am so glad I bought rain boots.
A yellow rain coat would be so cool.

My family is getting a puppy! :) yay.

Its January and there are bulbs coming up in the landscaping here. strange.

It's still raining.
In Christ
~Michelle

I'm Home!

After two 10-11 hour flights, a 5 hour layover in Frankfurt, and an unplanned layover in London I am finally home.

I was awake for over 48 hours. And 35 of those were the same day.

My internal clock is going crazy.

I'm skipping class today. Tomorrow I head back to school.

In Christ
~Michelle

Day 18- Last Day

This was my last day in India. In a few more hours I'll be heading off to the airport.

I finally rode in a rickshaw today. It was scary.

We spent the morning and some of the afternoon doing some last minute souvenir shopping.  I hope I have room in my suitcase.

~~~~~~~

So, I got some sad news this morning. (your Saturday evening) My great-aunt Frieda died. :(
I'll miss her sweet "Don't cha know" and Frieda buns.

Hopefully the next time you hear from me will be Monday evening from the comfort of my own home. 

In Christ
 ~Michelle

Day 17- We finally meet

I could scream. I had such an amazing time this morning.


I was picked up at 10:00 this morning (half an hour late but, what did I expect here?).  It was so surreal.  Two women and a young girl walked up to me in the lobby and asked "Michelle?"  So, I met her right then and there.


It's crazy. After the roller coaster ride that I went through to get here, I finally met Revathy.  There is no other way to say it. God's timing is absolutely perfect.


When we got in the car we exchanged gifts.  I gave her a journal, a picture frame, and a few other little things. She gave me a necklace she had made for me. (I don't wear necklaces but, in this case I did. I didn't want her to be hurt.)

We drove to her house first. Three weeks in India and yet I've never seen anything like it.  We parked on the street and walked. We walked down alleys turning here and there. Little kids half dressed ran all over. Women begged for food, for money. The alley was covered in litter and ran with dirty water. The men stared at me. Deep in this section of  Chennai is a tiny little 10 x 10 apartment where Revathy and her grandparents live.
Here we stopped for a while. It was a beautiful experience. Neighbors began asking questions and the women with me explained. They explained Compassion and I'm sure they mentioned Christ. I hope someday they remember and find themselves on their way to church.
I met her grandmother and grandfather and a few of her close friends. We sat on her bed and drank mango juice for a while.  And they all laughed at my poor attempts to speak Tamil.

Nandri- Thank you
Vaṇakkam- hello
Eppaṭi irukkīṅka? - how are you?

Here we are in her bedroom.

The coordinator then took me to her house where I met her mother-in-law, her sister-in-law, her husband,m his cousin, and his nephew. They were all very excited to see me.

Revathy had brought along her favorite saree and she made me put it on. You don't want to know how many pins I had stuck in me so that it would fit. I am slightly taller and wider than the typical Indian girls. they laughed at me when the shirt wouldn't button and told me I was getting over weight. :)

They also kept gasping at how pale I was. sigh. I really tried to get some sun this trip.



Anyway, here I am in Revathy's Saree. :)

 We went shopping together for a while and bought each other little gifts.
From there I went and visited the Compassion project school. I met some more of her friends and a bunch of really cute little school girls with their hair all done up in pigtail braids. I was honored with a Compassion India backpack given to me by the head mistress.
And then we ate lunch together. We had rice, spicy fried chicken, spicy cooked cauliflower, and an egg omelette. It was amazing as usual. 
   

Revathy outside of the school.

Then, I had to say goodbye. They dropped me off at the hotel. We hugged each other goodbye and then she was gone. I wonder if we will ever meet again.


This whole experience (sponsoring Revathy, coming to India, studying here, the ups and downs of trying to set a visit date, and finally getting to meet her) has been the most wonderful experience of my life. There are no words to describe how blessed I feel.
God's timing is perfect.

And, Please, if you have not yet, sponsor a child.

In Christ
~Michelle

Day 16- Heading back

Well, today we said goodbye to our friends at the Sunshine hotel and headed back to Chennai.

Before we left we took a few pictures with the hotel staff. They had put up with a lot the past few weeks and made us amazing food any time of the day.
 

Ok, I have to preface the next picture with an explanation. Before I left for India Jake texted me this: "Just don't come back from Mumbai with a singing dancing tech. support guy."

Anyway, It made me laugh. So, when the hotel staff were asking for pictures with us I couldn't resist.

This is for you Jake. :)




Hehe. :) I think his name is Abas or something....



 We left the hotel around 9:30 and made it to our hotel in Chennai by 6:30.

Today I had a few more setbacks with my sponsor child visit. But, Praise God, I have now talked to the coordinator on the phone and I will be picked up tomorrow morning at 9:30 to spend  the day with Revathy!

Thanks for your prayers. I truly appreciate them.

In Christ

~Michelle

I also added more pictures below.

Another set of pictures

They aren't the best at spelling



Kari and I



my class



me and my roommate



Indian toilet :)



Cute little boys :)

 

Me and a little girl who knew English well enough to translate for the boys



How they do this is beyond me.

Maybe this is why there is so much honking.

That's it for now!

In Christ

~Michelle

Day 15- sunshine

I am going to gloat here for a bit about how wonderfully sunny and warm and beautiful it is here....:)

ok. Anyway.
Today, I finished up my project and presented it in front of the students and teachers. They said I did good so, I guess I'll believe them.

The rest of the day I spent in the glorious sunshine reading Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier. :)

In the evening we went to yet another Pongal celebration at a school, watched the girls dance and sing, and ate amazing food.

And that was my last day in Madurai. Tomorrow I leave for Chennai.

I'm going to miss the hotel staff here. They are so chivalrous. I think American men, including my brothers, *cough* could learn a lot from them. :) Seriously though, they are almost pushy about the way the will open that door for me. I can't even get into a van on my own. The door is opened and closed by the driver.

So, if anyone is ever in Madurai, I fully recommend the Meenakshi Mission Hospital Sunshine Hotel.

In Christ
~Michelle

Day 14- Things about India

Today we visited a Women Entrepreneurs, WE, meeting. The name kind of explains it. It was also kind of boring.
The main goal is to empower women. We in the U.S. have a different idea of what that means. There were a lot of questions that we thrown about today that frustrated me.

So, here is a little rant about our cultural insensitivities.
1. Indian men run the household. Indian women submit to their husbands.

It continues to bug me that we assume the women feel oppressed because the husband plays such a large role in their lives. Sure there are overbearing husbands and the women don’t have as many rights. But, not all of their husbands are that way and that is what the women are used to. That is what they expect. Some even are grateful that their husbands take such a strong role in the family. Why is this such a foreign concept to us? arg.

2. Marriages in India are arranged by the parents of both the man and the woman.

 It also frustrates me to hear some people talking like it is the craziest thing ever and that it encouraged domestic violence and a life of misery. Once again, this is their culture. They don’t expect to marry into complete bliss and wonderment. Unlike our fairytale ideals they actually understand the realities of marriage. That’s why their marriages last longer than ours. I think we should learn from that.

Oh, and they actually try to get back together if they have a rough spot in their marriage. Isn't that just ghastly! (sarcasm intended).

bah. I should write a book. or become president. :)

Anyway.
We did a lot of interviewing and research for our project today. Have I ever told you how I feel about group projects?

Oh, while we were interviewing more women I met an adorable young girl. Her name was Uma, she was in 6th grade, and she knew how to speak English really well.  All of the kids had just gotten out of school and they were swarming us, asking questions. She would translate for them.  She tried to teach me how to say the word 'friend' in Tamil but I messed up horribly and she laughed at me. 

Speaking of which...I made a fool of myself today. Lesson learned: never try to clime over a rope fence in a skirt. sigh. The poor doorman had to watch the whole incident without laughing. And then he had to fix the fence because I snapped the rope in half. The good news is that my newly purchased glass bottle of orange soda survived the fall without spilling a drop! :) 

Tomorrow, I present my part of the project and then I get the rest of the day off. No touring, no homework, and no interviewing.
I think I might sit in the sunshine. :)

In Christ
~Michelle

Day 13- eye opening

The trip is winding down. I can’t believe it.

We visited the Thiyagam Women’s Trust. It provides jobs for disabled women.  They find women who are physically disabled and teach them to sew or work with computers. After they train the women, they send them back home so that they can run a business out of their own home. We were able to visit both sights.  It was so interesting. Some of the women have no legs and others just have stubs but, they are able to sew amazingly well. 
Depending on ability they also train some women who are mentally disabled.  We had translators so, we were able to speak with the women and ask questions. One thing that stuck out to me was how they translate mentally/physically disabled. They say “differently abled.” Of all the pc ways to say it, I actually like that.

We also visited a domestic violence shelter and counseling center. There is so much stigma here regarding marital problems and seeking help in any way that when it gets to the point that the woman actually goes for help, the stories are horrible.  They actually use the terms domestic violence and torture interchangeably.  After hearing the stories, the term women’s empowerment takes another meaning entirely. It’s not about silly women’s rights; it’s about keeping them alive.  

And then we worked on our projects. We met with our groups and discussed our projects. We are starting to form an outline and condense our information.  What ever it ma seem like we actually are studying and working hard.

I'm starting to realize why they told us to bring flash lights. The power goes out randomly. It happens all of the time and no one knows how long it will last. When the power goes out, so does the air conditioning and it gets hot fast.

There are only five days left on this trip. It flew by.

In Christ
~Michelle

Day 12- long and loud

I guess bad days do come here too.

Forget schedules here. If you try to live by a schedule you will go crazy.Like me.
Everything happens an hour later then planned. So, somewhere you have to make up for lost time and then you are scrambling around like crazy.
We were late to a meeting this morning and then late getting back to the hotel. So, we didn't have time for lunch. Then we were late leaving, so, we would have had time for lunch, which made us late to the eye clinic. We didn't have enough time at the eye clinic so, we didn't get to see anything. The buses didn't come on time so, we could have had time. Then we were late for the evening program that lasted way too long and we were way late getting back from that. uhg.

The eye clinic was cool. They are one of the largest eye clinics in the world, mainly performing cataract surgeries. They also manufacture the lenses that they implant in the eye. It was really cool but, like I said, we didn't get to see much.

The evening program was a traditional Pongal celebration. Pongal is a thanksgiving-like holiday that falls in January and runs for about three days.
It was more dancers.  They did the same dances as the previous  dancers but they weren't as good.  We did get to see a guy ride a flaming unicycle. The music that they played along to the dances was so loud that I had to plug my ears the whole time.
And then, they lit off fire works.  They were the closest I have ever been to fireworks in my life. I could feel the explosion. They were so loud. My ears still ache.
I guess it was fun in some ways. They would set them off when we didn't expect it and videotape us as the whole crowd would scream and jump. And, we each got a sparkler. yay.

I also got to watch my first cock fight. Its a tradition at the Pongal festivals to set roosters and goats against each other. I might have been the only one who wasn't whimpering about the poor roosters...Actually, I might have been the only one who thought it was cool. Am I a horrible person?
They also brought out two bulls and I thought they were going to fight...but they didn't.

It was fun in an odd way. Mainly because, after the annoyance, I will have stories to tell for years to come.

Anyway, sorry for whining. Thanks for your prayers. I truly am blessed.

In Christ
~Michelle

a few more pictures

So, here are some more pictures of last week.

My group and some of the women we have interviewed.

traditional indian dance

more food off of a banana leaf

lepors at the lepor clinic

two sweet old women with leprosy

some of the men

An old temple in the middle of the river. There are a lot of wild horses around the temple. 

Our drive up to Kodialkanal mountain.

one of the many small towns along the way

the lake up in the mountains

Creepy monkey ready to attack



Beautiful view while the fog is lifting from the mountains

 Aren't you jealous? :)

In Christ
~Michelle

Days 10 & 11- In the Mountains

About a 3-4 hour drive away from Madurai is a small-ish mountain range. We drove up to mount Kodaikanal for the weekend and spent time sightseeing along the way.

The drive into the mountains was crazy. They do not tone down their driving at all. The roads are narrow and steep and there are rarely guardrails. I am so glad I do not get car sick.
It was so beautiful. The road winds up through the mountains overlooking a beautiful valley and lake. There are waterfall and streams. The roadside is covered in bushes of wild lantanas and huge blue morning glories. The towns along the way are built into the mountain and the open green mountainsides are covered in small terrace farms.

It was definitely chilly there and it is their winter but, they dress in scarves, hats, gloves and sweaters.  It was probably only 60 degrees.
We went to a nearby lake and spent some time wandering the shops. Some people went horseback riding but, I didn't think it was worth the rupees.

 In the evening we ate supper around a bonfire.  I was feeling a bit down. (everyone was drinking, the food was late, I didn't feel comfortable being there, the idolatry of India was making me feel sick, I was tired etc...) Well, I happened to pray and as I looked up I noticed across the way on another mountain was a small church and on that church was a cross in bright red light. I looked at the cross.
 

About an hour later, the food finally came, and as I got up to get in line one of the girls asked me if I was a Christian. One thing led to another and I came to find that I am not the only one.
There are three other Christians on this trip. (out of 60 people)
We all got together and we sat and talked for hours.

Today, I got up early and listened to a sermon.  Once again, I was feeling slightly down that I couldn't actually be in church.  So, I went outside onto the hotel's balcony. From there I could see one of the other Christian girls down below praying.  The fog was lifting from the mountains and a breeze brought a song to my ear. "Hallelujah, Hallelujah Amen. Gloria, Hallelujah..."
The church I had seen the night before was holding a service. I stood there and I listened to the preacher preach. I have no idea how far away the church was but I could hear every word, and though I couldn't understand it, it was so comforting to hear.
Anyway, Lets just say I have never felt prayers as much as I have in the past few weeks. Thank you.

Late morning we made our way down the mountain sight-seeing along the way. It was really foggy out so their wasn't much to see. But, there were monkeys. Tons of them and they were scary. Seriously, If you had anything on you that looked like food they would chase you down and snatch it from you. 

The drive down was just as beautiful as the day before. God's creation is so amazing.

In Christ
~Michelle

Day 9- Leprosy Asylum

Yup. I got to visit one today.

First of all- there are four different types of Leprosy. One of which is extremely contagious most commonly spoke of in the Bible. Here they have the bacterial kind, spread by droplets. It is contagious but only to those with extremely poor immune systems. It is also treatable.
Most of the people at the asylum have been cured and the rest are taking a TB-like therapy to become cured. But, there is no way to heal what the leprosy has left them. Most are missing fingers, toes, patches of skin, eyes, ears, and noses.
The latest major leprosy breakout was in the 70s, though there are a few cases each year in India, so, most of the people at the asylum are over 50. Once they have the disease the deformities keep them stigmatised by society and they remain in the asylum the rest of their lives.
There are a few young couples and children. It was so sweet to see. In one case the woman contracted the disease while they were still engaged. She gave him the choice to break the engagement but, he chose not to and moved into the asylum with her.

Anyway, we spent a long time talking with different people and touring the area. There are rows of apartments, a meeting shelter, a workshop, and a kitchen. Its all spread out campus style and they do a good job of keeping it beautiful.
The residents were wonderful to talk too. I can't even describe the thrill in their eyes as we put our arms around them and took pictures. It was so beautiful the watch a toothless, fingerless, old woman laugh in delight as she showed  us around her home.


It was just wonderful.

In Christ
~Michelle

For Jenny

TahDah....

Me in my saree.

Are you happy now Jenny? :)

Day 8- more of the same and a lot better

It just seems to keep getting better here.

We continued our research/interview project today. I love talking with the women. They are so sweet. Today as we sat on the ground ants crawled up my skirt. I jumped up in a hurry and was flapping around laughing. The women all laughed along with me. Or at me. From then on, the women squished any ants they saw.  It was wonderful to be able to communicate without the barrior of language.

We also observed a telemedicine center.  The nurses and a patient were on our end and they were able to consult with a doctor over the internet. Blood pressure, heart rate, and something else could be seen or heard by both the doctor at the hospital and the nurses in the room. It was so cool.

From there we went back to the hotel and got ready for the evening. Most of us dressed in traditional Indian clothes and I finally pulled out my Saree.  The evening was a lot of fun. We watched more dancers and ate amazing food. The food seriously was so good.

We were fed off of banana leaves again and ate with our hands. I’m still not very good at it but I did try valiantly.

The night was so beautiful it was warm and the sky was clear. We watched the sun set over the mountains and the stars come out.  Who knew India could be so beautiful alongside such depression.

In Christ
~Michelle

A few pictures

the Pacific ocean, Chennai

Meenakshi temple Madurai

Bats. the trees were full of them too. 

Monkeys!

the scenery of southern India

rice harvest

cute kids :) they were following us around.

a woman showing us how she is repairing the wall.

a group of women drying a bread like food

Elephant! :)

This is what happens when a bus collides with a tractor pulling a wagon.

Like I said, the traffic is crazy.

This is all I could get to upload but, it pretty much brings you up to date. As you can now see, I am having a wonderful time. :)

In Christ

~Michelle

100

This is my 100th post. Just thought I'd throw that out there. :)

In Christ
~Michelle

Day 7- Heavy

We visited an HIV clinic today and spoke with women who had been rescued from the sex industry.  We also spoke with women and boys who are still currently in the business. It was so sad to listen to. The women had basically been forced into it by the needs of their children and the pressure from friends. The boys were so messed up.  

The women cried as they spoke about their experiences.  Their husbands had either left them or died of AIDs after passing it on.  Some had sent their children away so that they did not have to live with the reality of who their mother was.

This was one of the saddest most amazing interactions yet.

...

We went to a school/orphanage for lunch and spent a little time with the kids.  I know I’ve said it before but, they are so cute. We taught them how to high-five and they loved it.  Some of them can speak a little English and they are able to ask our names.

I love the kids and I wish I could spend the rest of the time with them.

This evening we went shopping and I finally bought a few souvenirs.  I also bought myself a shalwar kameez. I'm pretty excited.

*as for pictures- the Internet connection is really slow here I'm trying very hard to get a few up.

In Christ

~Michelle

Day 6- random

India is great.  The weather was awesome today.

One of the girls on our trip had raised money for one of those animal gift organizations (i.e. World Vision, Heifer project). Today, we went to the goat giving ceremony.  It was amazing to see the community. Different families in the community had received goats in the past and they, and those they had passed goats on to, had improved their lives drastically.  The women receiving goats today were so excited. 

From there we visited more microfinance places and interviewed women for our project. I loved being able to actually speak with the women.  Though a lot got lost in translation, they had so much to say and were so willing to speak.

In the evening we went to a dance recital.  It was a traditional Indian dance form danced by a man.  I mean no disrespect to the culture, but it was really boring.  At least they fed us.

I have some time so here are a few random things.

Indian Bathrooms-

Here they are squat toilet. They are basically a glorified hole in the ground and surprisingly they are easy to use and not that gross.  The hotel we are staying in is much Americanized so, thankfully, it has a more western toilet. They still don’t use toilet paper. I am very glad I packed some. Thank goodness for the Boundary Waters, I’m kind of used to this.

The bathrooms are normally connected to the shower and completely tiled. Most showers don’t have curtains so the entire bathroom gets drenched each time you shower.

Driving-

Motorcycles are the most popular form of transportation here. It is not uncommon to see an entire family on one motorcycle. A child or two sits in front and then the husband. The wife sits seated sidesaddle behind him with her feet on a running board. She is normally holding a baby. And occasionally the fourth child sits on the running board. Motorcycles are also known to be great for transporting goats.

Traffic is ridiculous.  Lines don’t really mean anything at all.  Vans will pass buses side by side with motorcycles while swerving into oncoming traffic.  Our van drivers laugh at us because we scream quite frequently.

Clothing-

Women wear one of two traditional outfits. The Saree or the Salwar Kameez. The Saree is a long piece of fabric that wraps up into a dress over one shoulder. The salwar kameez is a long tunic and baggy pants.

If the woman is Muslim she wears a saree and wraps the end that drapes over her shoulder up over her head as well.

I feel like we are constantly moving and doing here yet, we never know when or where. Everything is spur of the moment. Thankfully, the evenings are open and I can relax.

I can't thank you all enough for the prayers. I'm having a wonderful time. :)

In Christ

~Michelle

Day 5- Microfinance

Sunshine! :)

It’s warm and sunny here and I think I’m getting some color.

Today we visited microfinance organizations and a few businesses run by women who have taken out loans.  It was so interesting. 

For those of you who do not know- microfiananing focuses mainly on women because they take care of the children and the home.  An organization gives a lone of $20 or more and helps them build a business. As they pay back their loan they also pay into savings. So, they are learning how to save money and they are building a source of income for their family.

We visited a group of women who made small flour patties to sell to restaurants and another group who made baskets to sell.  It was amazing.  Just seeing the loans in action and how it really does bring people out of poverty was so cool. 

In the afternoon the kids got out of school. As we drove down the street kids waved and shouted at our vans. When we got out they  mobbed us asking for pictures and practicing their English.  they would ask us our names and how old we were.

We were also able to watch a group of women harvesting and drying rice and as we were leaving a neighborhood we were surprised with an elephant.  Some of the girls actually got to ride it but,  I was content staying on the ground.

That's all for now but, there is a lot more coming. :)

I'm loving it here.

In Christ

~Michelle

Day 4- coconuts monkeys and bats

The day began by sleeping in and spending time at the hotel relaxing.  It’s Sunday, as well as New Years day. We didn’t have any plans until 2:00 so, I listened to a few sermons.  Everyone else slept in later than I did- results of the night before- so, I got the living room area all to myself.

In the afternoon we loaded the buses and drove into the mountains.  We stopped at a school that some will be studying at these next few days. They gave us each a coconut to drink from and eat.  I’m still not sure if I like it or not.

We left the school and drove to another temple. We weren’t actually allowed to see the temple because we are foreigners but, we were able to experience the water temple.   Near the top of one of the mountains was a small pillared building. There were steps leading up to it and long lines from the bottom of the steps up to the temple. Inside, there were steps leading down into a small spring-fed pool about two inches deep in water.  Practicing Hindus entered from a different direction and got doused by a water fall. The rest of us entered and splashed our faces with the ‘holy’ water. It actually felt really good. It was an extremely hot day and I was covered in bug spray and sunscreen. Mountain water is nice and cool and clean.

When we exited the pool we joined another line that led to man burning incense. People were wafting the smoke and praying to an idol. We were expected to do this as well.   When it became my turn I walked past the man without even looking at him.  I will let them put a dot on my forehead as a sign of cultural respect and I will walk through the temples like a tourist doing only what is respectful but, I will not take part in idolatry.

The temple was surrounded by monkeys and bats; huge bats that fly around in broad day light. They filled the trees.   The monkeys ran all over, in and out of the temple,  begging for food.  They were creepy.

My feet are so gross. With all the taking off of shoes and walking around in temples and on the road where dogs, cows, monkeys, and humans have been, they are stained with dirt. It’s a good thing I’m used to being barefoot on a hog farm. The city kids in the group can barely stand it.

The last thing for the day was a light show at the Madurai palace. The light show was basically shining different colors of lights on different sections of the palace along to music. It was boring. But, the palace was really cool.  I loved the architecture (once again, so cool stone columns and arches… ).

Anyway, that was it for the day.  Things around here are gradually getting more normal. The driving doesn’t scare me as much and the lack of time table…well, it still annoys me…but, I at least expect it.

In Christ

~Michelle