The First Week of Many

Namaste,

I write this to inform you that my first week in India has just come to an end. It is hard to believe it has only been a week. Mainly because I have done and seen so much in 7 days that I can hardly keep it all straight. Wow..only one week?!

I am beginning to realize that I will not be able to fully share my experiences with you. Unless you were experiencing this with me, it is impossible to relay such a different and unique culture that is now my everyday life. However, I can give you an idea of what I am experiencing through words and pictures (once I figure out how to actually post pics on here).

I arrived here last Monday and basically jumped into a lifestyle that is the complete opposite of what I am used to.

*small town to big city
-so far so good.
*farm house (with a lot of land) to an apartment flat
-they have a very nice place.
*hot and humid climate (typical summer in Ohio) to the rainy season in India
-this resulted in a cold which i am still dealing with.
*eating meat to eating all vegetarian food
-but man, they feed me so much here.
*helping around the house to having helpers do everything
-this is a tough one, but it is the culture and so I try to respect it from both angles. they are like part of the family too. we all joke around and we have established what I can do to help as well (even though its nothing like having chores back home).
*devoted Christian home to a strong Hindu home
-this was the hardest and will continue to be a challenge. I already feel lonely at times because of this factor. but God is my refuge and I look forward to finding the church full of other believers in the body of Christ.

interesting facts are...
1. No one knows I am from the United States cause I blend in so well. As soon as they learn I am an exchange student they treat me so different.
2. We must take our shoes off before entering a home, doctors office, hospital, (basically everywhere except stores and restaurants).
3. Everywhere we go (including homes, businesses, and schools) I am offered pani (water) and chai (tea)
4. The people I meet love it when I try to say something in Marathi (this is the language they speak where I am at) but I am getting better at common phrases. With time I hope to "wow" them.
5. The culture is SO laid back (I don't even know how to elaborate on this).
6. My host dad is the president of a company called  "NIMA" (Nashik Industries and Manufacturer's Association) and he owns a fiber glass making company.
7. My host mom is a social worker with the "Inner Wheel Club" (like Rotary for women).
8. My host brother (Harshad, age 21) is studying Indian government in New Delhi.
9. My host sister (Devyani, age 16) wants to be an architect.

My favorite thing so far is riding in the car. The destination does not matter because when going through the streets, there is always a sight to behold; something new, something different. I see a lot of the culture this way.

I am looking forward to starting school after this week! I have already done so many fun things but a routine will be cool.

These are just some random things that people wanted to know. I have so much more to share and I will when I get more time to just write. PLEASE email me with questions so I know the kinds of things you want to hear about. Reach me at superstar4thelord@yahoo.com I will then post the answers in my blog posts. I can have no communication with anyone personally until September 21st though.

Keep me in your prayers. God has already shown Himself to me so much. Love to my family back home!

Chloe Anna

Somewhere Between What Is Known and What Is Yet To Be

As I sit in the living room of my old, farm house in West Lafayette, Ohio, I cannot help but take it all in. It is hard to think that in less than a week, this will all be gone (well for about year at least). I remember being a little girl and dancing around this room. Now I will be studying dance at a school in India. I think about dressing up in my mom's saris (Indian dresses) with a dab of lipstick on my forehead and bangles up both of my arms. Pretty soon my closet will be full of Indian garbs and I will get to "play dress up" quite often. I reminisce of when I would sit on the floor and listen, as my mom would speak Hindi on the phone with her mother. Within a few short months, I will be speaking on the phone, in Hindi, with my mother (hopefully).

This Sunday, August 21st, I will say goodbye to my family and get on a 15 hour flight to India. I've known for months that this day would come, but now it is actually happening. I think this is the first time it has hit me, and it hit me right in the face, haha. Am I really going to go live in another country for almost a year!? Well according to the title of this blog...I suppose I am. I would say I am super stoked about this or in other words, REALLY excited! I cannot wait to begin this adventure and create new memories.

However, right now, I am not thinking of what is to come. I am pondering on what has already come. I am reflecting on the events and the people that have brought me to the place I am in right now.

I cannot begin to thank my family enough. The Lord has blessed me, I mean truly blessed me, with my family. My parents have set for me, a true example of  following Christ. Now, I am going to follow Him all the way to India. My older sister, Kayla, is constantly encouraging me to "Place myself in the means of God's grace." Now, His grace is going to carry me through this new season of life. Addie, my little sister, loves telling me to follow my heart, probably because that is where God is. Now, my heart's compass has directed me to Rotary Youth Exchange and I couldn't be happier. It will be hard to say farewell to them, but it is time to go out and give the world the very things that my family has given to me.

While the changes that I will experience are vast; the memories I have are tightly held. While the challenges I will face are unknown; the excitement ahead is crystal clear. As I go on this journey independently; I am still fully dependant on God.

I will miss the familiarity of this place, but I look forward to finding a new place call familiar. So as I sit in the living room of my old, farm house in West Lafayette, Ohio, I cannot help but take it all in. For very soon, the adventure will take me in.