DAY ONE - THREE
The Last Day and Return Home
Heather:
We woke up bright an early on Sunday. Mac and I were both excited that there was plenty of bacon at breakfast. We are both bacon-lovers. The hotel's breakfast was consistently amazing. We were never disappointed. I am not a coffee drinker, but I was told even the coffee was good. I can say that in my opinion, the breakfast tea was outstanding!
First, we went to a local Church. The service was amazing. We stopped on the way to church to visit the site of a series of local self-immolations. It was so sad, but we learned that these acts of desperation on the part of college students had incited a major series of social changes. I pray still that their deaths were not in vain. We also had the opportunity to interact with some Indian women who sold nuts from baskets they carried on their heads. It was very impressive.
Mackenzie:
It had looked as though we would be early, but we still arrived at the church a little late. When we entered the service we were seated in chairs (of which there were a limited number). It was an honor. When we first arrived, there was a worship band playing. Despite the church being what Pastor Paul lovingly called a "Slum Church" they had a basic sound system, keyboard, guitar, drums, and a microphone. Interestingly, the bad play on the stage (all male) but the female vocalist sat amungst the congregation while she sang. Heather thought it was remarkable to hear Indian style singing raised in praise. Their vocal techniques, according to Heather, are very different. I thought it was cool.
Then the pastor gave a perhaps five minute message followed by another five minute introduction of angel house and our team. Many in the congregation turned to look at us, and I felt a little awkward.
Heather:
I was so glad it had occurred to me to wear a dress with a scarf as the women wore their heads covered in church. I was ale to give my scarf to Melissa, the one female member of the team who would be speaking in the service, which made me glad, because I think she felt far more comfortable matching their cultural norms. She was an incredible speaker with an incredible story. I found her story, both the part she shared there, and the rest which I had learned on my trip, more inspirational than she will ever know. Gabe was to introduce us, and Tommy and Melissa were to speak.
Mackenzie:
While there, our group gave a small presentation about ourselves and how excited we all were to be able to have an influence in India. Phil asked permission to speak as well. We were a bit nervous due to the break in the plan, but his story was amazing as well. I was glad I didn’t have to speak due to my inability to speak publicly, but those who did speak shared wonderful words of inspiration to the congregation. I learned things about the group that put the rest of the trip into perspective for me. Looking at the trip from their point of view, I can see how life changing it would be.
The team members shared their experiences of being called to help India, from the loss of a loved one moving them, to hearing the literal voice of God, to God re-arranging their priorities, all the stories were inspirational. Looking at it from my own point of view, I could see a need that needed to be filled and since I may not be the best at sharing love with complete strangers (the kids, and adults with them), maybe I could help get people there who could?
We left the church after the service had ended. Heather bought a Bible in the language of the particular area though I do not know which that was.
Heather:
The language was Telagu, I'm not sure I've spelled that correctly. The Bible was beautiful, and I was excited to have it. My family has a Korean, English side-by-side Bible given to us by my Korean exchange sister Hae-Lee. We treasure it, and I know we will treasure this gift the same way.
And then we went to eat at the pastor's house.
His home was lovely, although, can I just say, using the bathroom was a nightmare. For the ladies at least. His wife cooked for us, and the food was delicious. There wasn't much that was not spicy, but what I was able to eat was amazing. I thanked her profusely. And we got to have more soda. I don't even really drink soda in the US but I was so grateful for it. It was a little taste of home. Even at the hotel we drank almost exclusively bottled water!
We returned to the hotel for several hours to pack. I rushed through everything and got done exactly five minutes before we had to leave. I delivered the hats to Pastor Paul to give to the Angel House in the mountains, and I told him I had gifts for the angels in the house my parents had dedicated in May with my little sister.
We left the hotel mid-afternoon and headed to the official Angel House office in India. We got to see the tables with all the houses on them by date, as well as a map of where all the Angel Houses are. All the Angel Houses are in one Indian state, but Pastor Paul told us that they were working with the government to open up two more states to Angel House.
There were photos on the wall of all but about five of the Angel Houses opened ever. It was inspiring. My parents and little sister were in maybe six pictures, I was so touched!
And, in an awesome surprise, Pastor Paul had brought in the pastor of the house my parents had dedicated (Gallipolli) to meet me personally and accept the gifts. I gave him a letter I had written to the kids as well as the gifts my parents had sent. I knew he had driven a long way for it. I got a picture with him and thanked him profusely. I don't think he understood a word I said, but I was so grateful to him for taking so much time out of his busy schedule.
Mackenzie:
Then we made our way to the pastor’s house for dinner. It was quite an amazing experience. Traditional home-made Indian food. This was the dinner where cultural observances were to be upheld. That’s what they told us anyway. Once we arrived, I learned those cultural rules were not as much enforced. We talked with the pastor and his wife and children for quite a while. I learned more about India and what Angel House is doing there. I joked around with the new friends Heather and I had made. One of whom, that I had come to know rather well, Dan, our driver and friend, would have to stay in India.
Heather:
The food was amazing. It was way too spicy for my stomach (I have GERD) and I prayed the whole time I would be OK. I wanted to be polite, and it was really really good, despite being too spicy. I had already been sick from how spicy food was once on the trip. When I tell you it was a miracle, because I didn't get sick, you're gonna have to take my word on it. But suffice it to say I can't eat a bag of Doritos in the states without my stomach acting up.
I really felt I hit it off with Pastor Paul's wife. She was amazing and really inspirational. I resolved to keep in touch. We gave gifts my parents had sent out to her, Pastor Paul, our driver Dan, and their three daughters. Elayna, my little sister, who had gotten along famously with their daughters, had sent three necklaces. She had one just like it and told me to say that whenever she wore it she would be thinking of them, and praying for them!
Mackenzie:
We finished dinner, and made our way back out to the cars. The pastor would not be escorting us to the airport this time, so we bid him farewell and left. Heather cried, twice. Poor thing. It was a long trip back to the airport. City life in Hyderabad was lively at night. People crowded the streets as the lamp posts lit their way. We arrived at the airport and began unloading our things. Once everything was out, we began saying our goodbyes. Heather and I wished our temporary driver, who had recently proposed to his girlfriend and was planning a wedding, luck and I turned to find Dan, whom I now considered a true friend. He said good-bye to a few people and then walked up to me. We shook hands and wished each other well. The others finished their good-byes and soon enough we were back in the airport awaiting another flight.
We got caught up at one of the terminals (because signage was bad as well as the security guards, and both sent us back and forth for a good twenty minutes) but eventually we made it to Mumbai. Once we landed in Mumbai, it wasn’t long before we had to board our flight to Amsterdam.
Heather:
I had chosen to wear Indian clothes for the return trip. Namely because no one had told me we would have so many opportunities to wear American clothes, so I had not brought enough of them. I received many complements on them, however, and I think they even sped my way through security. One of the guards said I "looked lovely in my Indian dress."
In the airport I picked up an Aerobar. A type of candy they do not have in the United States. It is quite good.
Mackenzie:
As we went through security the guard put the metal detector on my stomach. It beeped. He went over my stomach again, it beeped again. He asked me to lift up my shirt. So I did, feeling rather humiliated. I chuckled as he put the detector on my bare stomach and watched it beep again. He looked at me confused. ”I don’t know man; it did this the first time we landed…” I replied laughing. He chuckled and let me through. I heard another soldier with an automatic rifle laugh, weird. We boarded our flight to Amsterdam. I was excited to be going back to familiar ground. Heather was sad to leave. I couldn’t help but feel bad for her, she has a huge heart and it’s amazing to watch her work with the kids, showing them love and telling them about Jesus. The flight was boring as usual. I did some homework, watched a few movies, and talked to Heather. Eventually we landed in Amsterdam where once again we had a short layover. The security was remarkably nice though.
Heather:
I agree, in fact, one of the officers remembered Mackenzie and I from our first trip over. Security in Amsterdam was great. One of the officers was even messing with a cranky guy, trying to get him to cheer up a little. We left one of our group members in Amsterdam, she was taking a direct flight to her state instead of transferring in Detroit. I was sad to see her go, she had been a great addition to the team.
Mackenzie:
I had been talking with one of the security guards as he checked my bag. When I got up to the lady who took my plane ticket, I realized I had shifted it in my pocket. I\ laughed, apologized and said, “Sorry I’m really tired,” she laughed as well and in an almost motherly way responded with, “Oh that’s ok! Get some good sleep on the flight ok?” It was the last flight of the trip. I was coming down with a cold, the air was dry and cold. We flew over Greenland and eventually over Quebec. I began to get restless as we flew closer to Detroit. With only a couple minutes left, I looked out the window and saw the Michigan morning horizon. Not that it’s that different from any other horizon, but it still made me feel back at home. We began descending, and as we got lower and lower, eventually I could see Detroit metro airport below us. We landed and exited the plane. We said good bye to the group leaders and made our way through to get our bags and use the restrooms. I walked in and for the first time in my life was excited to see an actual toilet. We are spoiled in our first world country. After that, we walked through a couple of doors to the arrivals waiting area, and there stood my parents waiting to pick us up.
Heather:
Mac and I were both excited to be able to use a drinking fountain. His family picked us up at the airport. I was pumped from the trip, but Mac seemed to need to decompress. I was exhausted but really happy. We went with his parents to Leo's. It was refreshing way of getting back into American culture. But when we left Michigan it had been about 50 degrees out. Now it was 15 and it was a rough transition. Especially since I only had the two sweatshirts I had brought on the trip and not a winter coat. Going home was troubling for me and cathartic for Mac. We are both very different, but we both had an amazing time. I am already looking into fundraising to return, being in India was one of the most amazing, defining experiences of my life.
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