On the up side of things

So it's looking more and more like we will be returning to NZ probably in September but I cannot say that as an absolute yet. We have gone through some days of tears and frustration and a mixed variety of emotions. I was watching a slide show of photo's of our time here at Kollegal. It was on a big screen with all the girls from the home and I must admit that I felt a bit teary at the thought that our time may be coming to an end sooner than I thought.

I do not regret for a minute the time here in India. It has been hard at times, in fact, it has been very hard but I have also had some of the best times and experiences of my life . I look at the places we have been, the people we have met and the great privilege that we have had of being immersed into a culture so different from our own. I have seen and lived in the city life and the rural life of India and have discovered that it's the villages that really stir me. It has changed me forever and I would give up everything all over again if we need to. I do not regret that we will only have a 2 bedroom flat to go back to and no work for a while until we get sorted. I don't regret that money will be non existent for a while because we used all of what we had to come to India. And do you know why I don't regret it..... because I know we gave it our best shot. I know we have impacted lives and been taught so much ourselves. We are taking with us a rich new outlook on life and the biggest thing I see is that we have options before us and that is something that so many people here do not have. We can start over and although it might be tough for a while, I know that we can get work and slowly get our lives sorted again in NZ if that is what happens. I don't have the western expectations of wants anymore and I hope that remains and I don't fall back into trap of wants over needs.

Our kids have had an amazing experience. One that has given them outlooks and opportunities they could never have had in NZ. The girls  have been involved in teaching, getting up at 5:30am to milk the cows and then again in the afternoon. They have met people from all sorts of back grounds. They have seen poverty and had the joy of giving, They have seen palaces and great history. The boys have taken it all in their stride and spend the days up trees, making huts, catching bugs while Jax spends his days making mud pies and being completely filthy all the time. All the kids have had a taste of another culture, living in community, eating different food and adjusting every time we move. Hats off to them, they have been amazing and I know it will impact the rest of their lives.

So it could be a busy time of packing again soon and working out the ins and outs of what we do from here practically. It sounds like I have given up on India but I am ready if we get the chance to come back or if circumstances suddenly change but right now I have settled on the fact that returning to NZ seems to be where we are headed right now and then lets see what happens from there.

Small update

I have also found out that Baby would require a visa issued and registration done here in India as well or it will not be allowed out of the country. So the procedure looks like this.....

1. Baby is born
2. Register baby's birth in India (not sure how long this will take)
3. Apply for Indian birth cert once we have registered (not sure how long this will take)
4. Apply for NZ citizenship (20 days)
5. Apply for passport (10 days)
6. Wait for Documents in the post (?10 days max)
7. Apply for visa here in India (not sure how long this will take)
8. Apply for registration (not sure how long this will take)


So it is quite a procedure which would usually not be a problem apart form the pain of paper work, but, our spanner in the works is that we do not have time on our hands due to our expiring visas at that time. Not sure what they would do with a new born not allowed to leave the country and parents that have to. Surely they would have to give some sort of extension for a while. It is sounding like leaving early might be the way to go but we have a wedding of some very special friends here in India and I would be so sad to miss it. There is still time for the Business things to have some amazing miracle happen, That would solve all the problems.

Mmmm?

What to do? There are many issues that we are having to sort through, many questions we need answered and a boost of faith would not go amiss either. Basically we are not sure quite what to do right now.

God seems very quiet and we have some decisions we need to make soon. The biggest thing right now is that the time baby is due and the time frame we have for getting baby registered here in India for birth and a birth certificate issued and then applying for NZ citizenship and a passport for baby is going to be a tight squeeze if we are going to have to return to NZ again in Jan or early Feb to re new visas again. We called NZ today to find out time frames for their part and found it would be over a month before we get the passport back in our hands and we have no idea from the India side yet. The other issue is that if we then find that the US$25,000 came through at the last minute and we could apply for a visa extension here, we would need our passports here in India and they also require them in NZ for the baby( they want the original documents). Mmmm, tricky.

So our other option is to return to NZ to have baby so that there are no issues with time delays for passports but it would mean we would need to leave here in September  due to flying restrictions in late pregnancy. Then comes the decision of where to stay and for how long etc etc. We have a flat we could move into but at the moment it is our only source of income.

 We are seeking God for answers and direction and are waiting to see what answers we get in the next few weeks. I’ll keep you posted.

Returning back

Most of the girls have returned from their holidays. There are tears from some and some are happy to be back. I must say that after visiting some of the girls in their villages, I feel I have a bit more insight into their lives and how much this place is helping them and it also spurs me onto how much difference I can make in these kids lives. It is sad to see kids saying goodbye to family, knowing they will only get to go back to their village in a years time. No matter how tough situations are, home is still home. I am loving my return home hugs and letting them cry on my shoulder if they need to. It doesn't take long though and the smiles return.

One thing I think is lacking all round is encouragement. There is a lot of trying to bring kids up to a standard and therefore a lot of telling what they are not doing and not much praising for what they are doing. I think it is the same for the staff. I am making a point of looking for the positive and starting to encourage more. It has also made me look at my own family and I realise I do the same thing with my kids. Not enough praise, it's so easy to see and point out what they are doing wrong and forget to point out the good things. It's something for us all to work on. I have seen amazing responses from staff and kids when I praise them, they actually don't know how to cope with it.

We had a tough day the other day just thinking over options for what we do and how we plan for next year. Will we still be here, planning versus faith. It's just the not knowing that can be hard. Not knowing year to year if we will be here or not. I would love God to put aside his last minute answers and just give us a bit of an idea. I know he has it sorted but I wouldn't mind him just letting us in on the plan a bit :)

We have no baby stuff, this does not worry me so much but I don't want to get stuff here only to find we are on our way back to NZ. So I am thinking porta cot will be the way to go and clothes. That should be about all we need . Other stuff is really just surplus and hey, we could always have baby in bed with us (shock, horror) Sometimes you just have to work with what you have and it may not be the usual way you do things.

So it's things like that that have been running around our heads. I am not stressed by it but I would like to make some decisions. If only money grew on trees then there would be no hassles, visa issues would be solved, flights taken care of etc etc. But for now, I have resolved that I will give my all to where I am now and the time I have here, however long that may be. I could sit and worry about what the future holds and ruin the here and now or just get on with things. I love it here, even when there are ups and downs. There are precious kids here who need love and anything I can offer, my own kids included.

Villages

I think I found my true love in India. This is what it is all about to me. Going into the villages where life is tough, where they have heard the gospel but are still coming to grips with there being one God and so just adding Jesus to the wall of gods. It's about seeing needs of people, loving them, encouraging them and praying for them. It does not seem to matter what religion they are they want you to pray.

These are the people who slog their guts out every day with sore backs, aching feet, heat stroke, little food, small houses with 8 living in them on mats around the walls so they don't get wet when the roof leaks. These are the people who smile as if everything is ok even though they are the ones putting in all the work so that we can have cheap rice on our tables, silk wedding gowns, cheap cotton products. Because lets face it, we all like a bargain and we get the bargains by suppliers getting these things from the poor old farmers and workers that have barely enough money to feed the family. But you know why they smile, because they have a job but at the same time I have seen the tears of those that can not get education for their daughters, the anguish of parents that feel helpless to give to their children what they know would help their future or to feed them enough. I have seen the beaten wives who's husbands drink because they can't cope with not being able to provide for the family, its a no win situation. This is where we can make a small difference in a few peoples lives. To give the opportunities to help educate, feed, clothe, shelter their daughters when they cannot, or give hope to those girls that have no parents, one parent, abusive parents, drunk Dad's. Love, love, love is the key.

I have had a few days of traveling by boat, bus and auto to visit villages, seen amazing hospitality, always a fruit juice and a biscuit from everyone even though they do not have much themselves. I have had mats rolled out and made to have a sleep, the pillow being an old bag stuffed with cotton. We have been fed a meat curry and rice dish where I have no idea what meat it was but it had stomach lining and all and I ate it because this would have been such a huge sacrifice for them. It was tasty mind you. The houses we were in were kept so clean and tidy, even the ones where it was just a one room brick place with a patchy roof. There is a sense of pride in the home and a thankfulness for what they have. The villages are beautiful. The people are beautiful.

I looked around these places and once again was reminded of what rubbish we fill our homes with in the west. So call needs that are really wants or comforts. Everyone sits on the floor here, eats on the floor. Usually there is one bed and one cupboard that contains all clothing for the family and their bedding that gets pulled out at night with mats on the floor. They have some cooking pots and utensils and that seems to be all that is needed. Wow, these guys are amazing, incredible and I really admire them. Life is hard but they get on with it. I am so thankful I have had this opportunity and privilege to be let into these peoples lives. I pray they all come to know the blessing and abundance of God.

People in the west don't really like to hear this stuff, it's a bit unsettling that maybe they have too  much. I speak to myself here as well. If we had to return to NZ, we would have a 2 bedroom flat with 9 of us living in it. By western standards people would be feeling sorry for us but over here it would be luxury.... flip, it has a bathroom and running water, hot water at that. I believe God wants to bless us abundantly but what does that look like? Does it look like western standards of opulence?  Would I be satisfied with a small flat? I think I would now than if I had not visited these villages. Life lessons are always the best. I don't think it is about bringing yourself to a level of poverty but lets be happy and appreciate what we have. I have a roof over my head, food to eat, time to enjoy life. Lets stop moaning about the little things and give thanks for the here and now and what we have been blessed with. We have been more than abundantly blessed.