8am- village excursion- pray over a future site for conference center for pastors meetings and support network.
Visit village drilling site to pray over a well being drilled.
Two hour drive from Vizag. One of the locals became car sick. Not used to longer car rides.
Starting to see the poverty contrast more the further we go.
The horn seems to be the most important part of the car.... Even in the country side.
Leave it to me to have to poop as soon as we get to a poor village with huts and no plumbing. (After a lengthy discussion...... "No"......... about how I don't feel comfortable going behind the back drop where my other team mates are sitting, or near the cow that was standing off to the side or even near the giant pile of hay with the chicken colony living in it and the 6 old men standing around I was able to convince them that I was a shy American and needed privacy. We jumped in one of the vehicles we arrived in and I was taken about a half mile away to sone trees near a rice patty field, I was past the point of caring when the driver handed me a bottle of water and pointed to the trees. I didn't even care about the crowd I was beginning to attract.......not sure where they came from.....)
First example of village development project. A bore well is currently in place, next step is purification, sanitation, bathrooms and sandals for all it's people along with medical needs, schools and crops.
After the service we were shown the church that the village worships in, it was nothing more than a tent structure with palm fronds covering it. It was very small but from it great things were happening.
Time truly stood still in this village.
When we came out of the little church it looked like everyone in the village was standing outside waiting for us to come out.
Now, if I haven't mentioned it yet let me just say that I seem to attract a certain amount of attention from a particular group no matter where I am here.... Debi gets the cute kids, Laurie gets the younger women, Kevin gets men and other pastors, Josh has teens to twenties, Randy has a good mixture and I get all of the...... Older widows, they just flock to me.
Funny observation- the little old ladies will come through the line for you to pray for them then they will cut back into line so you can pray over and over for them. Randy prayed over the same lady four times today.
When we walked out of the church this little old lady grabbed my hand and began to shove this clear jar with a yellow liquid..... Laurie noticed my panic and told me they wanted me to anoint them. I looked at her confused and panicked, thankfully, she explained....it's oil.
When we arrived in the village I had a bunch of questions and our local friends were having issues with the language.
I didn't notice a young pastor named John until he walked beside me and took my arm in his. As we walked toward the village he answered every question and cautioned me on where to walk (there are things that are done on the side of the road that you wouldn't want to step in)
It was really odd to me, every time I would start to get into a panic in the crowd John would be there to help whether it was an encouraging nod from across the crowd, a hand on my shoulder or to take my hand and casually walk me away saying " You have a good and kind heart." when a little old lady began to pull me toward food she was making he said, "Sometimes it's okay to walk away. You can't eat that."
I spoke with John for a while, I feel like I was supposed to meet him there, I am grateful for his help through a rough visit for me.
4pm - We stopped for dinner on the way back
6pm- made back to the hotel for rest and quiet.
8pm- back to Samuel's for church, then hang out on the roof speaking with our new friends and their families- this is my favrorite part of every day.
10pm- hotel to sleep.
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