Wow....this week was pretty incredible!
We went down to Chennai to see the incredible Elisha Daniel (previously Exley) and hang out for a few days...it was good fun
But before I tell more, I have a miracle story

Let me just start out my explaining that on a train, the squatties are basically a hole that opens up right onto the tracks- you can actually look down and see the tracking going
So I have three words for you
Cell Phone
Pocket
Squattie

yes, my friends, that's right
My cell phone went down the squattie; it was very sad
But what can I do? Jump off of a moving train? Oh well
I prayed "Lord, if you could do a miracle and get the phone back, that would be great!"

The next day, somebody made a call to Angel on our cell phone
What!?!?
He works near the train station and offers to bring it to us
Wait, come again
So Elisha's husband, Prashanth, goes to meet this guy to get our phone back
They were thinking it's a pretty sketchy situation and he could try to makes us pay a ton of money
But we gave it a go
We gave Prashanth 500 rupees (about $12) to thank him for returning the phone and prayed a lot

Prashanth came back with our phone and then told us that the guy wouldn't take the money
Are you serious!?!?
It turns out that this guy's dad works for the train company- he found the phone on the tracks in pieces and picked them up, then brought it to his son
His son put them together, turned it on and it worked (it had fallen at least 6 or 7 feet onto metal train tracks!!)
Then he called a number in our address book- not even the first one or the last call we had gotten
Incredible!!!

I couldn't stop smiling...I was soo happy
Praise God for that miracle- not only that it was found, but that it was found by an honest person
There aren't many of those these days, especially not in this country
It was such a blessing!!

The rest of the weekend was spent hanging out and having phenomenal conversations- I've really just missed the fellowship so much
We had a great time of worship
Went to church 3 times!!
Took a bunch of autos all over the city
Had more great conversations
Ate a lot of good food
Met some really cool people
Had more good conversations- hey, it's 4 girls, we talk a lot!

The Lord challenged me a lot this weekend
It was good, but stretching at times being in a completely new place
This weekend was definitely a turning point for me
Things I have been praying for a believing for are going to happen
I loved it...every second

I cried a lot when we left....

But we're going back in December!!

A few weeks ago I was giving a quiz in my 5^th grade class and it occurred to me: I really love living in India!

I thought I would share a few reasons why:
1. I can read and know how to pronounce names like Raghupatti Venkataratnam Naidu…and I can know why he is important
2. I have classes with up to 43 kids- I know ALL of their names and can actually tell them apart, which was a huge struggle at first
3. I eat with my hands ALL the time.
4. I am able to use random Telugu words when I talk to people
5. I am able to sing quite a few Telugu and Hindi songs
6. If I have bugs in my hair, I just go to the hostel and sit while the girls pick them out J
7. I love walking anywhere at any time during the day and there are at least 10 kids who say hello and are genuinely happy to see me
8. I can fall asleep to the beating of drums every night and be reminded that there is a battle for people’s souls
9. I can live in a place where Christianity or being saved is not something taken for granted
10. I LOVE the smiles of the girls when we hang out with them and especially when we bring the camera…their eyes sparkle

I could think of more…but 10 is a pretty good number, so I’m going to leave it at that.

Conclusion: I love my life and it’s going to be soo hard to leave!

Side note: Pray for the families of the people who were killed and injured in the bombings in Delhi- that hope would come and fear would not consume that city or this nation.

I haven't updated this things in forever...
it's funny, when I was at Teen Mania, I updated it every other day
Sometimes once a day
Now a distant memory...

These last few weeks have been very interesting ones
Bringing my heart back to where it should be
Actively pursuing the Lord
                             Not just passively living life
                                                         Experience life

My time with the Lord these last weeks has been sweet
I'm learning a lot
He is revealing Truth

Rekindling the fire that once raged within my heart
It was fading
I'm learning to let go
Let go of things that aren't meant to be mine
Knowing when the end has come

Learning how to learn from other people
Not being so critical, just learning
Being disciplined with my time
Not sitting idle

The last few weeks, I have been slowly moving out of my passive nature
Gaining new perspective and insight
Really, working on my heart
I want it to reflect the Lord
To be pure
To desire only Him

I've been fighting this week
I have a fear that seems to consume me
Whenever I get excited about a new step
Or start to make plans
I'm so afraid that the Lord will take it out of my life so that it won't become an idol
Really, I think about it all of the time
I have a hard time praying for things that I really desire
Sometimes, I feel like even the desire itself is wrong

I applied to Moody Bible Institute last week
Believing God that I'll be exciting
It has all the things I"m looking for
really, it would be a perfect fit

But I get scared
Don't want to plan too much
Or get too excited

I have to constantly fight the lie
My God is GOOD
He is FAITHFUL
He is LOVE

He tells me that if I delight myself in Him, He will give me the desires of my heart
And He was the one that places them there to begin with

So I continue to fight
I won't grow weary
I simply trust
And wait

And know...