India Trip Part Deux Update!

Confession time.  I haven't been updating about India Trip - The Return to Hyderabad because A) I've been quite busy.  For reals.  AND B) because I'm a little conflicted about how to approach this trip when talking to people.  Let me explain.

The first part of the trip is a knock-down-drag-out MISSION trip, loving on little kids in the name of the Lord for a week while their mamas are at a Women's Conference.  It's going to be hard and absolutely amazing.  I might even see some kids I know from the villages from January!!  This plan started before I even left Hyderabad in January.  Edgar was telling us about the conference coming up in September, and he looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Some of these women aren't able to leave their children at home because of their unbelieving husbands who resent their devotion to the Lord.  So we will need people to care for the children." Boom.  I was in.  Aaaand I need funding for this part.  Only about $255 more and I'll be totally funded!  Praise the Lord!  But I have less than a month to round up those funds, so I'm excited to see how He provides just in the nick of time :) 

The second part of the trip is also God-inspired, just in a different form.  Jared and I will be traveling to Bangalore to meet and hang out with folks that he lived and worked with when he lived in India.  We will visit non-profit organizations run by Christ-centered people who are focused on meeting the needs of Indians day in and day out.  Jared will be talking with the folks he's worked with for several years about what kind of a future may be in store for him.

Jared has very deliberately (and ridiculously charmingly) invited me along for that part of the journey because we fancy each other quite a lot, so our futures may bump into each other in a more permanent fashion at some point, which means I need to know what we'd be in for!  We have no idea if, whoa, living in India is part of our future.  All I know is that we both have a heart for that country, so we're going to check it out.  And I have a new camera, so I want to take some gosh darn pictures in India.

We'll also be taking some day trips to palaces and tea plantations around the area (yes, tea plantations.  Be still, my beating heart.  Have I told you all how much I love tea?  It's a thing).  I'm excited that I'll have time to explore the beauties of India this trip!  In January we were on a tight schedule (wake up, buses, medical camp/kids camp, motel, sleep) so we didn't get to do much exploring, and now that I'm pretty much in love with and committed to India, I'm excited to get to know her :)  There will be more pictures from this 19-day adventure than I will know what to do with.  There's your warning.

So, since this is a multi-purpose trip, I'm very deliberately only raising funds for the ground costs for the week of the Conference.  I've been saving and penny-pinching as much as I can for the rest of the trip, and my parents have CRAZY generously paid for a significant chunk of the plane tickets.  I've been encouraged by my mission-minded loved ones that I do not need to deprive any called person of the opportunity to support Christian missions, so with that beautiful mindset, I extend that invitation on to you.  If you want to join me on this journey, email me at colemortimer@gmail.com. 

I am, however, asking for PRAYERS for the ENTIRE trip.  If you'd like a detailed list of things to pray for, you've come to the right blog post:

- That GOD would be glorified through the conference and children's ministry
- Travel safety
- Unity of the entire group at the conference
- Funds
- Spiritual preparedness for the team (India can be a spiritually oppressive place)
- For the Christians in India - they are persecuted, especially in the northern states, but also in the southern states (where we'll be).  Pray that their trials only strengthen their faith, and that the Christian community there will grow despite the hardships
- For Edgar and his team as they plan and execute the details of this conference
- For Jared, praise that he is faithful, and prayers for his next steps
- For Amanda, my children's ministry co-leader from Ft. Worth, that she would be strengthened and encouraged, that God would reveal what's next for her
- For Cathy, my children's ministry co-leader from Memphis, that she would be prepared and at peace, that we three work beautifully together with the kiddos

Thank you for reading, being even remotely interested, for praying, and for supporting me in this.  I'm so excited about this trip.  It means missing almost 3 weeks of work and again facing my fear of throwing up (don't drink the water, be careful of the food), but all that and so much more is worth it for the experience to come!