Bread.

Last night we took yet another friend to the airport. :( I love having people come, but man is it hard to see them leave. It is getting a little easier though since we can now say "See you in 4 months" so I'm thankful.

Oh and I just couldn't allow Bread to go without a little parting gift of pink eye. And here I was bragging about not sharing it with the boys. Well, I guess I spoke too soon on that one. What a way for him to start back to college tomorrow, right?

Goodbye Breadly! We loved having you here.

 **Remember you're visa is good for 6 months so come back any time

This morning we woke up to Joe's cell phone ringing. Apparently our landlord didn't appreciate the waterfall coming down the staircase so he called Joe to unclog the drain on the roof. What a way to wake up...

It rained a ton! I mean so much so that the neighborhood kiddos were swimming in the park out in front of the house. (I took a video to prove it. I'll have to post it later though)

So with a raining, cooler morning, and me being a little under-the-weather (first pink eye, now stomach virus) Joe decided to make some homemade bread for us. It was/is amazing! Doesn't it look so yummy? He's the best!

***My Hubby updated his blog with pictures from his new camera! You'll have to check it out :)

The Boys Are Back In Town

The boys have actually been back in town for a few days now, but I just couldn't resist that one being the title of this post.

It was so nice to have my hubby home. Did I mention it's way more fun to be the patient when you have someone here to take care of you. haha He's been taking good care of me. He's been cooking and cleaning for me (because he doesn't want my germs on anything) He even took me to the doctor! The Dr. was super nice and encouraging, but did state that it was viral so that  it would just have to run it's course and Joe would probably get it.  But, Praise the Lord, neither one of the boys have gotten it yet!!! I think that's due to everyone praying for us and all the germX I've been using.

Anyway, I wanted to post a picture from their journey to the holy city. They had an incredible time meeting and learning from some very amazing men! I think I'll be hearing stories from their adventure for a long time to come :) It was definitely a memorable trip for both.

Pink is my favorite color

So thought I'd give an update on my eye ball, or should I say eyeballs!!

Apparently my left eye felt neglected from all the attention I was giving to my right eye, so she too decided to join in on the festivities.
Needless to say, I don't think those drops that I hunted down are working.

Joe and B get back in a few minutes. Boy are they in for a surprise. haha

I think a trip to the eye doctor is on the "program" for today. (Indian's always like to have a program instead of a schedule.)

warning: this picture was taken this morning after a warm compress allowed me to get my left eye open. It's a little scary.

Thankfully today the Father has given me a sense of humor about it all.

A New Day, A New Plan

Talking with my family on skype last night, I was telling the all about my plan for while the boys were gone. They went like this:
Today I was going to go down South, have some important meetings, see some friends, eat some yummy food, and hopefully spend the night with some friends.
Tomorrow we are supposed to have another meeting early in the morning so I was planning to already be in the South for it.
blah, blah, blah.....

All that changed when I woke up with this....

pink eye!!

Where in the world I got it? I have no clue

So my day hasn't looked anything like what I expected, but I'm thankful. Instead of going along with my own plan on my own strength, today I had to stop and pray for the Lord's help, guidance, and provision. He provided rickshaws, a knowledgeable pharmacist, and the proper medicine (apparently its hard to come by considering it took 11 different pharmacies) for my leaky eye ball!

Thankful for the simple reminder that I need the Father's help in all things, that I can't do it on my own.

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:34

Double Roti

Less than 5 days after our family left, we found ourselves holding a sign waiting to welcome yet another guest from our hometown. As ashamed as I am to admit it, the sign I was holding was a homemade, back of a receipt, written while waiting, kind of sign... But with or without a fancy sign, we found our guest. (side note: it's not THAT difficult to find each other. We kind of stick out. Let's just say I think it has something to do with the pale skin.)

Bread, or "Double Roti" as we like to call him in India, is 13 days into his travels here and seems to be loving life. He's done awesome getting over jet lag, eating crazy foods, meeting new national friends, and even adapting (maybe a little too well...haha) to the display of friendship.

Before I show you what I mean when I say "display of friendship", I should first state that I myself witnessed none of these encounters personally, but my hubby however was the one who caught it all on the camera.

Secondly I should state that national guys ALWAYS hold hands. It really is just a sign of a true friendship. You should ask my husband about the first time a guy interlocked fingers with him. Pretty funny stuff.

Anyway.
Bread doing what Indian men do best....

I'll be anxious to see if he takes this one back to the states with him. Knowing him... He probably will!

On a more serious note....
We've loved having him here, especially my hubby! His fresh eyes for the city and the people are encouraging. Joe's had the opportunity to give him the glimpses into our lives and time here that we just can't give through the blog or photos. They've visited temples, mosques, and guruwara, and a lot of the college campuses. Speaking of college campuses, Bread is getting college credit for his trip here!

At the entrance to one of the local temples

Right now "the boys" , as I like to refer to them as, are on their way via train to a holy city for a few days. I'll be anxious to have them home and to see all the crazy pictures from this little adventure!

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds." 

Hebrews 10:24

Wacky Wednesday

So one of the things we've learned to say is "Only in India" after seeing, smelling, or tasting something crazy. Sometimes there is just no other way to describe it.
Just thought I'd share with you today an "Only in India" moment we actually snapped in a photo.

I'm guessing the truck took the turn too sharp and ended up on two wheels, pinning it perfectly under the bridge. We didn't actually see the incident so who knows what really happened.
Maybe the driver was dodging a stray dog or a rickshaw or a beggar.
Probably not though. Probably not that exciting of a story.
Anyway, while Joe got out to snap the photo he noticed a group of guys over on the sidewalk, just chilling out like it was no big deal.
So in Hindi he asked, "What happened?!" and the guys just laughed it off.

Only in India...

Majestic Mussoorie

Psalm 29:4 "The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic."

Has the Lord ever allowed you to go back to a particular place to show you His majesty? 

I had that experience while my family was here. We took them to the mountains to the same place we studied language, just weeks after arriving to this country. I was excited to take them back to the place we grew to love in the six weeks we lived there, but I had no clue what the Father had in store for it.

Sure I enjoyed introducing them to and having chai with our teacher, feasting on homemade chocolates and chocolate chip pancakes, and walking the ever beautiful Camel Back road with them, BUT the best part was reflecting on the Father's greatness over the last year and a half.

When I was up in the mountains last year, I was.... timid, fearful, overwhelmed, over emotional, stressed, excited, second guessing, homesick etc. I was all over the place with my emotions. Questions like "What in the world am I getting myself into?" ran through my head multiple times a day.

I knew that I was called to be here so I just was clinging to the promises that I knew were true... Like 1 Thess. 5 24 "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." 

and

Psalm 126: 5-6 "Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest."

This time in the mountains I felt like a completely different person. Sure my hair might be shorter and I may be wearing different clothes, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a change that only the Father could do in my heart. He's turned all my second guessing and questions into confidence and answers. The Father has proven himself in my life. He's introduced me to a culture and people that I love. He's proven that I can still know my sweet nephew and niece, that have both been born since we've been gone. He's proven that He alone is worthy of my worship and praise and he's turning those tears into shouts of joy! God is so good!!!! 

Here are a few photos from our time in Mussoorie with the family:

***Disclaimer: my husband went on this trip. We did take some great pictures together, but unfortunately they are all on B's camera in the states. Kind of a problem.

The city.

A beautiful walk on Camel Back Road

"Ummm guys, I think I've got some new friends following me!!"

After being so sick, we finally had Daddy well! 

Our view on Camel Back Rd.

How I introduce B all the time "This is my twin separated by 7 year." 

haha

Joe took this one before heading out for an early breakfast with an old friend, Mo. It reminds me of just how relaxing the mountains really are. (Not necessarily those beds, but the rain on the tin roof)

"Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?"

Ex. 15:11

Thailand

Our beach.

It all started last year when my family began planning their trip to India. As they were planning, Mom and Dad began talking about taking a little mini vacation to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. I started doing some research for them about different locations for their little getaway, but they decided to skip that part of the trip and stay with us the whole time since our time together was limited.

 Fast forward to May of this year. Joe and I had spent some time in conversation and felt like a getaway from this land we've learned to love was in order.
 So I called the family and said," The Futt's are going on a short vacation and we are deciding when to go. You can come with us, or we'll go after you leave. Either way, the Futt's are getting out for a short time."

 After much convincing (haha) the family decided we'd use the time in Thailand as a celebration for Mom and Dad's anniversary, Brant's beginning of his senior year of High School, and the Futt's sanity.

One of the islands we stopped at while snorkeling.

 The trip couldn't have started any better. Somehow all of us got bumped to BUSINESS CLASS on the airplane. (I've never done that before!) It was amazing! On our four and half hour flight we had 25 movies to chose from, a reclining chair with foot rest, and a legit quilt. We took pictures of it, but they are on Brant's iPhone so I can't post it. darn.

 We had a short layover in Bangkok. I didn't mind though..... First taste of beef in over 6 months.

During our 5 night stay in Phuket, we...
rested. relaxed. laughed our heads off. rode scooties. drank starbucks. ate mango sticky rice. played mini golf. saw the Big Budda. fell in love with pineapple shakes. ate banana roti. snorkeled. acquired crazy "tan" lines. took pictures. played games. ate tons of Thai food. laughed. took showers with amazing water pressure. endless ac.  etc......

Big Budda

Banana Roti

Mango Sticky Rice

Happy 35th Wedding Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!

The Futt's enjoying our little get-a-way!

Brant in his element.

I could go on forever!

It was a much needed relaxing vacation for all, and I think we'd all agree it was a success! Did I mention we laughed a lot?!