"Work"

Currently in our house there are:  our 3 kids, our adopted son, 3 orphans from the school (staying for a month), an alcoholic (who somehow managed to sneak off and get fall down drunk the last time he came over, someone who stole from us the last time they were over, 2 teenage boys with HIV, and a few others.  We all ate dinner together last night and played Rook, and they all stayed over.  It was a blast.  The boys come over every Saturday night to do this.  And we love it.  Our house is bursting at the seams and we wouldn't want it any other way.  Everyday I'm realizing that the "work" we came here to do is disguised as real life, and real people.  It's much less about rolling up our sleeves and using a backwards shovel as it is loving this that are terribly hard to love.  Or just those that are forgotten and overlooked by everyone else.  Right now work looks like lots of dishes and cooking a huge breakfast before we all head off to church together.  And I think that's it.  I think we've found the most important work for our hands to be doing.  It's hard.  It's messy.  Sometimes very uncomfortable.  But this is how Jesus lived.  This is who he had dinner with.  This is who his crew was.  We are in good company.

Radio Silent

You haven't heard from us in a long time.  It's been radio silent.  *I know everyone is desperately awaiting an update from us. (*sarcasm font)  Basically our entire world was just flipped upside down, again.  In the last 2 months we have:  Been informed that Josh's pay has been cut, Moved from our furnished home to a new home that has zero furnishings.  Zero.  (Our kids have eaten their meals off the floor for the last month and a half like animals)  Hosted 2 separate teams from America, Not had internet for 5 weeks,  No communication with friends or family for weeks on end, Found out Josh will only teach 1 class instead of 2 - cutting his pay by half, Had our renters break their lease and move out of our home in Virginia, mourned the loss of a dear friend and mentor, attended an Indian wedding, attended an Indian Funeral, attended an Indian Memorial Service, been notified that our email accounts will be deleted while we have no internet access to backup our stuff, not homeschooling for 8 weeks because of no table and packing and unpacking, learned how to cook chicken curry by myself,  Been informed Josh now has 2 classes again - hurray.

Guys, I'm spent.  We have sheets over our windows for curtains and only 1 room with working AC in the 100 degree heat.  2 kids have thrown up in the past 24 hours.  It's hard right now.  I don't think its hard just because we're here.  Life is hard.  Parenting is hard.  Employment is hard.  Home ownership is hard.  Death and grieving are hard.  Those are true in any country on earth.  I don't think I have it worse than anyone else, I know I don't.  But right now as we continue to shop for ridiculously overpriced dining room tables and continue searching for a reliable and trustworthy AC repair guy it feels really bad.  We miss you dear friends and family, even if we are terrible at communicating that with you.

Please continue to lift our family up in your prayers.  We need each and every one.

Republic Day

 On Monday (January 26) we celebrated India's Republic Day. 

India has 3 National holidays, Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti.
Republic Day celebrates the day the Constitution came into force in India.
It is truly fascinating to me that India did not become independent from British rule until 1947.  1947!  This country is a baby at 66 years old.  We had a blast celebrating at the school.