We're Here!

We made it to India! 

   We're here in Delhi at a nice hotel with air-conditioning, wireless internet, water and soda in the mini-fridge, a flat screen TV, and super fancy bathroom with a shower. 
It's almost like we're in the US still, until we step outside of our hotel and hear the languages of Hindi and honking that are spoken on the street, and see the amazing way that cars and rickshaws can make five lanes out of three lane streets. 
   So far, the easiest thing to notice is how much we totally blend in with this society.... NOT! From our blonde and reddish hair to our white skin to our American accents, people can assume that we don't quite belong. In just less than a day of being here, we're already able to see the advantages that having a male, and/or local Indian presence would bring to our team. Being two American girls in a third-world country is a little bit intimidating. But not to fear! Here's where our hope comes from:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Ps 27:1

"For the Lord is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!" Ps 84:11-12

And how can we not already see the presence of God and his blessing on us who trust in Him when...

• God answered our prayer for favor while we were still in XNA in Bentonville by providing a sister in Christ to be at the United Airlines counter - our extra checked bag went through FREE OF CHARGE, not to mention the fact the bag was nearly 10 lbs overweight!

• Courtney and I got to spend most of our layover in Frankfurt reading Exodus and other passages while discussing how God hears and rescues the oppressed, provides ultimate freedom through Jesus, and has anointed us through our relationship with Jesus to proclaim liberty to the captives! (Luke 4:18-19)

• ALL 7 of our checked and carry-on bags made it from Arkansas to India on time and undamaged!

• We made it to our hotel although we weren't quite sure if our taxi driver knew where he was going... there was quite a language barrier (if only we knew Hindi!)

• Our hotel and the staff are so nice and we feel safe here :)

• We went on a short excursion to the Dilli Haat (a market in Delhi) and ate some yummy food there. We made it back safely, and the food is agreeing with us. Yay!

It's easy to look back on the past 3 days of traveling and say: "Thank you, Father!" He has truly protected us and given us everything we need. 

We will be flying out of Delhi to our final destination tomorrow morning at 11am India time, which is 1:30am Arkansas time. 

We are so grateful for the prayers and support. Please keep them coming!
Love,
Sydney