My home in Mumbai

This is my fifth trip to India but the first time I've spent my time in Mumbai at the beginning of my trip. Due to some scheduling factors, this was the time I had to spend in Mumbai - one of my favorite cities in the world (or at least the cities I've visited.) But Mumbai is a huge city with a huge population! In 2011, the census reported Mumbai and surrounding areas had a population of over 20 million people. To compare, in that same year the population of Los Angeles was only 4 million. 

And I do not visit the entire city - all the tourist sites and experiences - I do the same things, eat at the same restaurants, visit the same spots. Call it comfort-tourism. All in a little part of Mumbai called Colaba. 

That's me in 2010 with the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in the background

Colaba is an international tourist destination - with the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel being a world-class 5-star hotel and a draw to the financially prosperous from all over the world. (I've never stayed there...) The shopping is good and the restaurants are amazing - lots of vegetarian food options and good for those of us who are watching our gluten. 

I shopped yesterday. This was the time I have to buy souvenirs for friends and family and gifts for myself. When I've traveled in October, I;ve done my Christmas gift shopping, but this time I will not wait to give gifts until December. The family and friends will have a second Christmas in July when I return! But I love to go into a shop and see if anything calls to me- yesterday I heard the call and purchased gifts for my friends and family (the character of which I will not disclose here) and some items for myself: a new kurta to wear, a new table cloth for my new table and some odds and ends. And I will determine if a few of the items I bought will be gifts to others or to myself. Let's just say I saw a lot of things that told me they needed to be in my new Walnut home. 

Here is an amazing blog post about shopping the Colaba Causeway. 

Today, I make the trip to Padhar. It begins with a flight to Nagpur this afternoon where I will be picked up by a driver from the Padhar Hospital and then he will drive me to the Guest House where I will spend the next almost 2 weeks. While there, I will visit the three schools we are working with, meet with teachers and administrators, try to work out our new pen pal program and do some fun things too. 

It has been nice to have a few days in Mumbai to sleep and recover from my jet lag. I am almost adjusted to the time zone. Woke up at 4:30 AM today instead of the 1:30 AM of yesterday! That's all for now, friends. 

Take a taxi ride with me

Driving through Mumbai

When you think you know where you're walking and then after a while figure out you've made a wrong assumption, you hop in a taxi and say "Fab India" thinking all drivers know where this popular tourist shop is... then he stops at a Naval Barracks and repeats something that doesn't sound like Fab India but looks expectantly at me, like this is where I want to be.. So I say "no no... Fab India!" Thinking this time he will miraculously understand, so he smiles and makes a U-turn, and after a moment I realize he's now just driving around the area... so as we pass the Taj Hotel, I indicate that is the place I want to be dropped off. 

And that is how I found out where the Starbucks is....

And now they are playing Jack Johnson and I am having an Americano at the Mumbai Starbucks.

Good morning, Mumbai!

I made it - survived a 11-hour flight from LA to Frankfurt, a marathon walk through every terminal of the Frankfurt airport, an 8 hour flight from Frankfurt to Mumbai- and survived with a positive attitude and some good humor. No flights were delayed or too bumpy, no travelers too cranky or too anxious, no babies too fussy.. all is good. Moreover I kept thinking, as I made my way through multiple airports and tried to sleep sitting up on various airplanes, of how fortunate I am. What a privilege to be able to travel across the world to do something I am called to with people I adore. What a blessing it is! 

By the time I landed, fetched my luggage, booked a pre-paid taxi and checked into my room, it was 3:00AM on Wednesday morning, but since I'd started my journey on Monday- somewhere amidst all the traveling- I'd lost Tuesday.  I have no doubt I will find it on the return flight, but it is a bit disconcerting. 

What's on the agenda for me today? To be determined... it seems my body wanted free breakfast more than it wanted sleep so I woke up and got dressed in time to enjoy my eggs and fruit and some masala tea. But I have a feeling 4 hours sleep will not sustain me for long, so I will hang out around the hotel this morning and try to get into town for some shopping. Plus, it has started raining, so that helps me decide to stay close. I have a full free day tomorrow and then I leave for Padhar on Friday. 

Overall, I am blessed, friends. So much so that as I greeted the hotel proprietor this morning, "Good morning, Mr. Singh!" he recognized me from my several previous trips, and he said, "Welcome home, Madam." 

Love Shows Up

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” ~St. Augustine

One of my favorite blogs is called “Diary of a Mom” (https://www.facebook.com/adiaryofamom/) and discusses the challenges of raising children, one who is autistic and has epilepsy. She asserts that just when you need it, love shows up. When you have a terrible day; when all seems hopeless; when the challenges are overwhelming, #loveshowsup. 

As I prepare to leave for India tomorrow I am reminded of all the love that has shown up for me: from people whose monetary gifts made my trip possible, to those who have supported me with prayers. The ways that you have helped me to get to this point proves that #loveshowsup.

And now I reflect of the words of St. Augustine, I feel so fortunate to be the love that shows up for the children of Padhar and Panchsheel. But that is how love works, I suppose: your love travels with me so that I can share it with others. And in that way, #loveshowsup.

Adventures in Packing

I am in the midst of packing for my trip to India. Yes, it is eight days away, but much of my week will be spent at Annual Conference in Redlands, so I need to be ready sooner rather than later. My packing list is particular to my experience in India, so I thought I’d share some of the interesting things I pack:

The ladies in the Guest House, making chapatis.

1. Instant Coffee -  particularly Starbucks Via. While I am in Mumbai, I can find coffee, espresso drinks, strong and rich, flavorful American/European style coffee. But in the village, it is harder to come by. While I stay in Padhar, at the Guest House of Padhar Hospital, I am well-taken-care-of. The ladies cook me three meals a day and make me awesome masala chai with black tea, but no coffee, unless I bring it with me

Shopping at the corner stall.

2. Laundry detergent - The Guest House has a great basic, no-frills Wash Machine and I love to use it. This year I am packing my own detergent, since- in the past - I have spent much time looking for and purchasing laundry soap at the corner stand. This time, I am ready.

3. Gifts - I pack gifts for my friends and those who host me, and this year, I am bringing gifts for the teachers at the schools we are working with.It is a small gesture, but just a sign to let them know we are thinking of them and appreciate their work.

4. My whole medicine cabinet - luckily I stay at the Hospital and all my friends are nurses, doctors and medical personal, so if anything happens I am covered, but it is comforting to be able to reach into my bag of tricks to take care of the small stuff.

5. Since it is the beginning of Monsoon season, I bought a new rain jacket. But after looking at the forecast, I think I need to seek some advice on what to pack.

12 days to go.

I leave for India in 12 days. It is amazing to think that with so much to do, in twelve days it will be done: 

• what needs to be packed will be packed, and if not can be done without or purchased in India
• what needs to be done before I leavewill be done, or can be paused until I return.
• what needs to be purchased or prepared will be… or will not be.

It will be or will not be. And all that is okay. 

This is my fifth trip to India, my second as the Director of Friends of Padhar Schools. Each time I’ve traveled to India, my sense of call is renewed (this is what God wants me to do) and my passion for this work is strengthened (this is what I want to do.) Each time I go I am reminded that we are all connected to one another in this one human family and that our lives are intertwined.

What is different about this trip:

In 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2015, I have traveled in connection with the trip of the Friends of Padhar, Germany, a team of medical professionals who work on a collaborative project with the medical professionals from Padhar Hospital.  This time, our trips happen at different times of the year -mine in June and theirs in October. I will miss the German team, seeing their good work and catching up with my good friends from my church in Hamburg.

This is the first time I will travel in June, instead of October, and the weather is different. Apparently I will be traveling with the Monsoon rains, so I expect it will be much wetter than my previous trips. In preparation, I’ve ordered a rain jacket. And I am ready to get wet.  (I’ll keep you updated!)

Other than those known differences, there are a multitude of “unknowns” yet to be discovered. For me, one of the joys of traveling is experiencing those new discoveries -whether they be new foods or shopping adventures, new friends to visit, new opportunities to be involved in. 

I am grateful to all those who’ve supported this work and look forward to being able to show and tell you about Padhar.

Why I go.

Why go to India? Why travel by plane for 22 hours to a small town in Central India called Padhar?

The short answer is: home is where the heart is. My heart is in the third world. (I don't like that phrase, maybe I should say the 2/3's world - two-thirds of the world lives in poverty.) Anyway, part of my heart lives there.

In 2003, I went to Nigeria with a delegation from the Cal Pac Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and I faced it in person for the first time. I felt God and God's people hanging on to me, encouraging me to stay. In fact, the leader of our group later told me, "I didn't think we were going to get you on the plane home..." If I didn't have obligations, responsibilities and loved ones back home, I may have stayed. I certainly wanted to.

I cried on the plane ride home, knowing it would be a long time before I returned. This conviction is in my core - to be with the people of the 2/3 world in their joy and in their struggles.

So what should I do when the 2/3 world is calling? The only response is to go to where my heart is. Each time I return to Padhar, I feel like I am home: the people seemed familiar, the cities exciting and breath-taking and the village of Padhar is a refuge from the craziness of the Western World. This year,  again as director of Friends of Padhar Schools, I am able to stay for a while, and determine how our organization can help the students in the village. For that I am truly grateful.

धन्यवाद (Thank you.)
Krista Givens
Director, Friends of Padhar Schools