ITS BEEN TWO MORE DAYS

IT’S BEEN TWO MORE DAYS!!! (Monday and Tuesday) On Monday (and for the rest of our time here) we started the ‘HARD’ part of mission (the physical stuff) by learning how to clean... Indian style;) and in the  little boys home *hectic timez* we learnt how to mop the floors – with these stick brooms that double up as mops, together with some all-purpose-cleaner-powder and lots of buckets of water :D . We had cleaning and drying races up and down the floors with the clothsJ; we learnt how to wash clothes – using a bucket of water with some cloths-washing-powder and a hard brush to get all the dirt out of the clothes AND we’re painting the room on the top floor... definitely skills I never thought I’d be using learning, but will ALL go on my CV... J

 Its hard work,(not as hard as the 10k) but we take breaks and its uplifting when we get to play with the children after they’re  done with tuition (which they do in the morning) then they  go to school in the afternoon.... now THATS hard work.. ALL  DAY! Really good work ethic going on here!  We then go to the girls home to eat lunch *Good timez* (Anna’s been doing really well with trying all the curry – we’re proud) and after we’ve washed our dishes, we walk back to the convent and get three hours before our  *mission teachings*.

 Now before I move on, I’d just like to explain this walk to the convent, which for some is an easy task but for others – Oonagh, myself(Ama) ,Emily, Anna, potentially Hannah – this is a test of superiority.See, there are dogs... many, many dogs on the way to the convent, and there is no way of avoiding them because they are on all the roads leading to the convent. After all the lectures on how –dogs can smell your fear and if you look scared, they’ll come for you so we decided to walk in pack form using each other as protection. I now keep a large rock in my bag for survival proposes – God forbid the day one of us is walking, dogs start growling and none of us has a good enough stone to throw at them. Gotta be prepared. After Oonagh got chased yesterday,  the rest of us... or few of us with possible rabies-biting-dog issues were worried, nobody actually said it, but silent prayers went up about the walk we’d have to make. I mean, I don’t  know about you guys, but if Dogs were chasing me,in flip flops,  in the monsoon, where its all wet and slippery, and there are some tiny lakes going down roads to pass through – talk about obstacles – and then still having to make sure u don’t get hit by a motorbike/moped – I don’t know if I’d make it. So on our way back, there were NO DOGS:D:D:D... Thats Jesus right there! Working even in the little things!

In the three hours back at the convent, we have shower time; nap time; possible worship time; small groups time (kinda like hubs or pastorates – we do some reading on what it is to be in a community, what that looked like for the first Christians, etc) It is very encouraging when we open up to each other and talk about possible struggles, break throughs or theological questions. We then prepare the crafts for the kids (yesterday we had to create about 50 pink heart pouches within 30minutes) - *hectic timez* but in all of these stressful times  God is with us.He brings so much Joy and laughter  through banter, past mission stories, poo stories *hilarious ridiculous times* and open questions about our faithJ. After the three hours, we do our teachings. We alternate between the girls home, little boys home and older boys  home teaching them about Jesus. Yesterday we spoke about how much God loves us(even more than we love each other), and that when we show that love, we share, we care, we respect AND we talk to him – and he talks to usJ and then we have games e.g. “Under and Over” lots of cheaters during the first round in the little boys home, but after realising it meant points off their team, they were true sportsmen;) .Then we teach them songs:D:D the “Help-me-be-your-eyes-Lord-Jesus” song goes down very well:D:D:D especially the Jump part;) and yes, we Jump too;D coz its not weird anymore and you’re not breaking any cultural etiquette:D and then we go home, have dinner, swallow malaria tablets (except Emily who has to chew them! – still waiting for a break though on that one), while trying to keep in the  CLN’S good books (Cheeky Little Nuns). Last night, we made it JUST IN TIME for our 9 o’clock curfew!! Big thanks to Lucky for his fast but some what terrifying driving! Got to get back to painting the top floor. Be back tomorrow maybe! PEACE OUT !