India: Part 3

Tomorrow at 3:15 our flight out of Kansas City will lift off and we'll be on our way to India. We'll land in Dehli about 24 hours later, spend the night and then get back on a plane the next morning for the flight to Siliguri. It will be Friday afternoon in Siliguri when we arrive, and although that is where most of our time will be spent, we won't stay in Siliguri on Friday night. We will do some sightseeing and spend the night in a lodge a couple hours north of Siliguri.
On Saturday morning we plan to take a ride on an elephant! That should be exciting! I have no idea how you "climb up" on an elephant, but I'm pretty sure we won't step onto its trunk and let it lift us up. (I've seen that in movies but I'm hoping that isn't what they do for tourists!) There will be pictures when I get back.
I am also looking forward to seeing the completed Immanuel Aademy. The last time I saw it was a year and a half ago when it was just barely more than a hole in the ground. Now it is complete and ready for its first students. Our job on this trip is to provide additional training for the teachers at Immanuel. This is an amazing opportunity and I am constantly aware of what an awesome experience and responsibility it is. Why God has blessed me with such an opportunity, I don't know. But I do know that each time I go and work with these teachers I come away with so many blessings and with a heart full of gratitude for the opportunity.
I am also very excited that we will be able to participate in their opening ceremonies. There is an inauguration ceremony on Tuesday before the first day of school on Wednesday. We will also get to be at the school as the students come in on the first day and watch everything start to take shape and see teachers and students begin their relationships and routines.
On Saturday we leave Siliguri to begin the trip back home. And while we'll all be tired and ready to come home we will also be sad to leave our friends from India behind. That is always the hardest part.
However, much has changed since I went to India for the first time six year's ago. Communication vehicles like Facebook have made it much easier to keep in touch. Through Facebook I can see pictures of my friends and share pictures of my family and myself. We have even used the chat feature to have real time conversations. It is truly and amazing technological world we live in.