Okay...it's a rainy Saturday morning, but we're here, safe, happy, and thrilled to be in India! Fun fact so far: Josh Melton was spotted getting upgraded to business class for FREE! He flew the three hour flight from Dubai to Delhi in the lap of United Emirates luxury. He said "My experience was rather nice, especially the cheese plate, the warm nuts, the lemon wedge in my Coke, and the ample foot space." The rest of us were cozy and close in coach, but we had movies and each other to keep us entertained (sadly, no warm nuts). Gonna try to get some sleep in before we head off the visit the local chapter of the Interal Justice Mission.

Fun fact so far: Josh Melton was spotted getting upgraded to business class for FREE! He flew the three hour flight from Dubai to Delhi in the lap of United Emirates luxury. He said "My experience was rather nice, especially the cheese plate, the warm nuts, the lemon wedge in my Coke, and the ample foot space." The rest of us were cozy and close in coach, but we had movies and each other to keep us entertained (sadly, no warm nuts). Gonna try to get some sleep in before we the visit the local chapter of IJM!

Almost home!

They are in the final flight from Dubai to LA, it's a lovely 16 and a half hours so the in-flight entertainment will be everyone's friend!

Parents, please check the arrival status of Emirates flight #215 coming from Dubai to LAX. It is currently scheduled to land at 12:50pm on Sunday. Remember they will go through customs at the international arrival terminal. Please be on time to greet your weary traveler!!

Coming Home!

We're about to board our flight from Delhi to Dubai, and the students are getting excited to go home! There's been lots of talk about In-N-Out, Starbucks, Coffee Bean (for Hannah), and sleeping in our own beds.

Taj Mahal

We started out at 5:30 this morning and, despite some rain, reached the Taj. Mahal a mere five hours later! Thankfully the rain let up by the time we arrived, and we were able to spend a couple of rain-free hours walking around the grounds, soaking in the architectural craftsmanship and romantic history of the Taj. Austin said that he found it to be "elaborate, meticulous, and romantic while still structurally intelligent." We're now heading back to the Shanti Home to rest before heading to the airport early early early tomorrow!

Shanti Home!

Yummy breakfast, relaxing showers, and feeling ready to do some serious damage at the Delhi shopping center. Parents, don't expect much money to return with your kids after a very successful day of bargaining with local vendors. A fabulous lunch at a beautiful 1900 British colonial restaurant, then back to spending rupees! As usual Shanti Home doesn't hold back on our super fancy dinner complete with props and curry galore. Clean, full, exhausted, and ready to sleep in luxury. Early morning trip to Taj Mahal tomorrow.

Back in Delhi

We've officially arrived in Delhi and are in buses on the way to the Shanti Home! Breakfast, naps, and (yay!) showers are on the agenda for the morning. Avonlea said, "It was super fun to experience the train with all my friends, but peeing was a little bumpy and I low-key fell over." Hannah said, "The train was a really cool experience, and I'm glad we did it!"

In a sea of teary faces, we said good-bye to the boys at the home....after, of course, one last dance party! We are now on a bus headed to the train station, where we'll be riding first-class overnight to Dehli to continue our adventures tomorrow.

The kids spent the morning visiting a local school, where they participated in what was perhaps one of the largest games of duck-duck-goose known to man. Then we had lunch in town at the Hotel Grand Continental before heading back to the boys' home. Then it was water-balloons, bubbles, and cricket for the rest of the afternoon. It's evening time now, so we'll have to see if we have our nightly pre-dinner dance party, but, needless to say, we're all sad to be spending our last night here!

Happy Birthday Ali

It's almost dinner time at the boys' home. We've had a sweaty but fun day of playing soccer, frisbee, and, of course, cricket. At lunch we celebrated Ali's 17th birthday with balloons and Nutella and singing! Then Ali, Soroush, Morgan, Cayley, and Josh taught the boys how to dance Gangham style.

With the boys!!

We are officially settled at the boys' home! From the first moment we arrived (after a looong car ride), the boys made us feel welcome and excited. Their enthusiasm (and our own) got us right into playing games and making friends....and we may have burst into a spontaneous dance party.

The Ganges River

We just finished our morning float down the Ganges river, one of the holiest places in all of Hinduism. The kids saw temples and religious ceremonies as the rising sun cast a rosie glow over the mirror-like waters. Michael said, "My thoughts about this river are way too complex." Sam "thought it was really cool. It was interesting to see how everyone came together at the river. Some people were there doing their salvation thing, but other people were just doing their chores."

Varanasi

We arrrived safely in Varansi. We'll be heading to bed early tonight so we can be on the Ganges river by six a.m., then it's finally off to the boys home!

Church visits in Delhi

After a much-need night of rest at the YMCA, we've spent the morning visiting Delhi churches where Ali, Annie, Evie, and Austin shared their stories with the churches. Heading back to have lunch, then we'll be hopping on a plane to Varanasi. Ashley had this to say about our morning: "I really, really enjoyed it. I thought it was cool to go to so many churches on the other side of the world that knew the same God as we do and were so excited about it."

Namaste! We are back at the YMCA after a long but wonderful first day. After some very short naps this morning, we went to the International of their office, we went to lunch with some of the staff members and learned more about their personal journeys. AND we tried carrot pudding for the first time...and Alex was a HUGE fan. (Seriously. He loved it.) Then we went to the Missionaries of Charity founded by followers of Mother Theresa (this specific house focuses on helping orphans get adopted). We sat in on the kids' dance class and Alex, Austin, Avonlea, and Hannah joined in and learned some moves, but Soroush was the charmer of the day--by the time we left, he had a string of boys literally following his every step! Dinner and some team bonding time is on the docket for tonight. More adventures as we visit churches tomorrow morning....

India!

Fun fact so far: Josh Melton was spotted getting upgraded to business class for FREE! He flew the three hour flight from Dubai to Delhi in the lap of United Emirates luxury. He said "My experience was rather nice, especially the cheese plate, the warm nuts, the lemon wedge in my Coke, and the ample foot space." The rest of us were cozy and close in coach, but we had movies and each other to keep us entertained (sadly, no warm nuts). Gonna try to get some sleep in before we the visit the local chapter of IJM!

We've arrived in Delhi, safe and sound! It's three...

We've arrived in Delhi, safe and sound! It's three a.m. and we're about to go through customs...more details to come!

The team is in Dubai, getting ready to board their flight to India! I am sure they are tired but excited for their next destination!

We're off! Thank you parents for all your support and enthusiasm this morning!