India

I am in India! Oh my goodness..talk about a dream come true! I do ask one thing of everyone back at home. Prayers. Lots of prayers please! I am doing independent travel all around India with a backpack and no real plans. Tomorrow a friend and I will catch a plane from Cochin up north to New Delhi( cross country). From here we will eventually find a way to overnight it to Varanasi to the Ganges River (17 hrs away). The next night we will find another way to Agra to see the Taj Mahal (another 14 hrs). The next day we will find a way back to New Delhi to catch our returning flight to Cochin where the ship is. In all honesty, I am terrified. I am so scared. I had a nervous breakdown last night after the pre-port where they tell us everything that can go wrong. My friend who I am traveling with, Ashley, reminded me that God will not let anything happen to us. He will be with us the whole time. Also, she said "time to grow up!" I really feel like this is the first time that I will ever be completely on my own. In all of the other ports, I at least had the comfort of a "home" just a cab drive away. This will not be the case. Also, up north there is still a lot of inequality for women, and they do not speak English as much as in the South. It is also fairly close to Pakistan. I will not have a toilet for the next week, only a hole, and I will not have a shower either! Regardless of all of this...I am so excited! This is real. REAL LIFE. Love you all, see you as a changed person! If I can do this, I can do ANYTHING!!!! :-)

The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. - 2 Thessalonians 3:3