tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11644273939657104812024-03-13T14:00:14.905-05:00My Lovely Little Bloga lovely little blog about my lovely little lifeKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-13099383064661751972012-10-22T16:48:00.003-05:002012-10-22T16:49:27.618-05:00Thankfulness in the wake of tragedyYesterday's tragedy was something most people watched unfold on the news. The horror of what happened yesterday affects everyone because as humans our hearts break when something so sensless happens. For me thought, this hit home. I have worked at Azana on and off for 10 years. I have many friends that work there, have celebrated a lot of my life's major events with them, and have considered it a second home. We have been through marriages, births, divorces, sickness but up until yesterday never death. Although I have not worked in the salon for the last two years I still know almost everyone who works there. It is a close knit group of amazing women so when something like this happens there is not one person who remains unshaken.
Everynight when I pray with Stella before bed I start by saying "Dear Jesus, thank you for this day.." Well last night I began the prayer with "Dear Jesus" but then could not get the rest of the words out. The three women who I knew personally's faces flashed before my eyes and I could not get the words "thank you for this day" out of my mouth because I thought, "how can I be thankful for this day?" But, in my pause Stella looked up at my face and said "thank you for this day...thank you that Ms. Lauren and mommy's friends are ok." And in that instance God spoke and reminded me that amongust the horror and tragedy that happened that He was there. That there were many miracles that happened yesterday. I was reminded that this was an evil act done by a man who was acting in a evil way. The emeny is out to steal our joy, he is out to make us bitter and angry. And, if we allow ourselves to be consumed by this anger, thi bitterness that he is winning, evil has won. The world lost 3 precious women yesterday, they were mothers and one even a grandmother, there is nothing that will ever take the pain of that loss away. We just need to trust that they are in a place now that is better than anything we've ever known on earth, they are in no pain, and there is only joy. I think it is so important to thank God for every single person who made it out yesterday, ever person who wasn't there that could have been. Often times when we experience such a tragedy it makes us realize how much we have to be thankful for. Please continue to be in prayer with me, for the victims family, mostly their sweet children, for the survivors who made it through a nightmare, and the rest of the azana girls who a suffering such a great great great loss.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-88859423658808049852012-04-08T20:48:00.001-05:002012-04-08T20:48:34.299-05:00Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-16622642436952033052012-03-16T10:52:00.001-05:002012-03-16T10:52:45.035-05:00Today is a day to be celebratedIn my own little world I would declare today a holiday and the name of this holiday would be "The Day I Could Fit Into My Old Jeans Day" I am so happy I could scream...which I actually did...and then I did a dance...and made up a song which went "I can fit into my old jeans! I can fit into my old jeans!" My kids even joined in, clapping and dancing, it was quite an ordeal. Now when I say fit into I don't mean squeeze into where all my fat it just pushed up and over the top, I mean actually fit into where you don't have to suck in to button your pants fit. I still wrestle with working out every day but today I will not because today I know that it's working, that all the pain and the constant state of being sore is paying off. Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-63499454242843472612012-03-01T20:05:00.001-06:002012-03-05T21:08:43.692-06:00Why am I doing this?I have just started my 8th week of the Insanity workouts, I only have 11 more workouts until I have completed the 60 day challenge. This is the first time I have committed to doing something to better by body and have actually followed through, that in itself makes me happy. When I talk about it most people ask how much weight I have lost or want to lose. This question made me start thinking about why i was doing this which again made me think about my constant internal struggle with my body image for the past 5 years. <br />
<br />
So I would like to share why I am doing this as honest and as crazy as the reasons might be this is why I am working out. <br />
<br />
Well before I started this I would spend most of my days with an internal struggle, I hated the way I looked but was not doing much to change it which in turn made me even more upset with myself. Now that I have started and even more importantly following through I do not have that constant self loathing and that is a great feeling. <br />
<br />
We live in Wisconsin so luckily for a good portion of the year we can cover a lot of our body up but there are some nice months here where you do need to wear warmer weather clothes and the thought of that used to make me want to lock myself in my bedroom and cry. Ever since my first baby I have become best friends with spanx and spanx and warm weather do not go well together. I will admit that I have worn spanx in the middle of summer just to try and feel a little better about the way I look. I DO NOT want to do that anymore! Its super hot and really uncomfortable! I know it will take quite awhile to get my stomach to wear I am even remotely happy BUT I hope that by this summer I will not have to wear spanx and look ok and I think I am getting there. <br />
<br />
My parents also have a pool and for the past 2 years I have only invited very few people to come over and go swimming because I am so self conscious about how I look in a swimsuit. I want to be able to invite people over and not feel like throwing up. I want to swim with my kids around other adults besides those in my "inner circle." <br />
<br />
About 8 weeks ago it clicked that I could do something about these things, that there was a very simple answer. I have just started this journey and I am expecting it to take a long time and a lot of work but I will get there one day.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-14232412976283370122012-02-29T20:42:00.001-06:002012-02-29T21:32:51.513-06:00Happy Leap DaySo I am one of those people who LOVES February 29th. I'm not sure when it happened but to celebrate I am going to tell you why I love it. To me it is a time to both reflect and look forward, the fact that this day only comes around once every four years makes it special. I think my intrigue started when in 2004 I found a letter I had written to Dan on February 29th 2000. It said "Happy Leap Day! Just think the next time this date rolls we might be planning our wedding" And, in fact on February 29th 2004 we were engaged and planning our wedding for that September. I remember thinking in 2004 as I was planning my wedding "I wonder where we will be in 4 years? I wonder if we will have a baby?" Fast forward 4 years to the next leap year in 2008 and we in fact had welcomed our first beautiful child into the world. This year that 8 month old baby who was just beginning to crawl is a 4 1/2 year old beautiful, sweet, hilarious girl. We also have a 2 year old crazy man who is so handsome and hilarious even though he doesn't talk near as much as his sister did at 2. This year I can't help but reflect on my past but also think about where we will be on February 29th 2016. This much I know, my sweet girl will be 8 1/2 and my baby boy who just turned 2 will have just turned 6 and will be in kindergarden. This is enough to make me have a panic attack but then I thought about how both my babies will also be in school full time, and now I really can't breath. I think about Carter who only says 2 words together today and how he will be a full grown kid, older than Stella is now! It's so crazy but also humbling. It makes me realize how precious this time is and how fast it will be gone. It makes me want to live in the moment and makes as many memories as I can during these crazy years. So Happy Leap Day friends cheers to the past, present, and future!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-33096108707234490272012-02-18T23:27:00.001-06:002012-02-18T23:28:57.898-06:00FAQ about InsanitySo, since I talk about my insanity workout journey I have had a lot of people asking me about it and I LOVE it! I love to talk about it and answer any questions. I thought I would write a FAQ post about it incase anyone else wants to know. So here it goes...<br />
<br />
Q: what do you think of insanity?<br />
A: this is a tricky one to answer for me, let me state once again that it is the hardest thing I have ever done, it is pretty brutal in my opinion BUT I want to make a big change and I know without a doubt that sticking to this exercise routine will do that. So it's truly a love/hate relationship, lol<br />
<br />
Q: is it really hard?<br />
A: YES! But it is definitely "doable" I also like the fact that I have something to work on and I have been able to see my improvement.<br />
<br />
Q: how much weight have you lost?<br />
A: I am not weighing myself until I am done with the program. Personally I am more concerned with my size and how I look rather than my weight. When I started I couldn't even do 1 push up, now I can do several at a time. I know I am building muscle so if I am not losing a ton of pounds I do not want to get discouraged because I know I am building muscle.<br />
<br />
If you have any other questions please ask, I really do love it. This is a journey for me and talking about it to others make it so much more fun.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-82583552657230730502012-02-13T09:32:00.001-06:002012-02-13T14:04:05.985-06:00One Month Down!I have successfully completed my first month of the insanity workouts. I have never worked out so hard in my life, I am constantly sore and have now starting icing my legs at night. I feel like I am actually almost an athlete, lol. I always remember reading articles about losing weight where they say you need to work out 5-6 days a week and I would always think "that is crazy! who would/could do that?" Well now I have, yes I have worked out 6 days a week for the last 4 weeks. This alone is a huge accomplishment for me. I want to write about this journey to encourage everyone who has been where I was, in a constant state of being sick of how you look but not doing anything to change it. Trust me, if I can do it, you can. I hate working out! Even after a month I still hate every second of it. Every day I think "I don't want to do it, maybe I will just skip today." But I made a decision when I started this that for once I am going to actually give working out all I have. And although I hate every moment of it once I am done I feel great, not physically, physically I want to die BUT I am proud of myself that I can check one more day off the calendar. <br />
<br />
Here's a little picture of me at the end of a workout, I sweat like a man, it's not pretty. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefWf-8Eex-CQ0QjhlfGCNBkepYZ3T-Cj7zNPAi5g6hNh-HLZm_l2V511-RToZ3bIxrrE_VLWXOpI_48SxdIQ67UA3YhLs0GAAEKzVCLn3EmGW-UTopnWb2uVjFyvUhHFpG_keQlrWAL6x/s640/blogger-image-1330192766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefWf-8Eex-CQ0QjhlfGCNBkepYZ3T-Cj7zNPAi5g6hNh-HLZm_l2V511-RToZ3bIxrrE_VLWXOpI_48SxdIQ67UA3YhLs0GAAEKzVCLn3EmGW-UTopnWb2uVjFyvUhHFpG_keQlrWAL6x/s640/blogger-image-1330192766.jpg" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-56169926451118966722012-02-05T13:48:00.001-06:002012-02-05T13:48:07.981-06:00Day 7After we left and was done with our ministry time we had the complete blessing of being able to go and stay in a hotel for our last night in India. I didn't realize until we got to the hotel how completely exhausted I was. It was so nice to be able to decompress a little before we made the almost full day of travel back home. The rest of the trip was pretty smooth sailing...except when they almost didn't let us in the airport to go home...and then when one of our team members got very sick :(. God shined down on us again on the way home and once again almost all of us got a full row to ourselves on the plane ride home. When we arrived to Chicago I think it was possibly one of the best feelings ever. And then to arrive back home and get to hold my sweet babies in my arms, I could have not been any happier. I was then in a comma for about 2 days just constantly sleeping. I think once I was in my own home my body finally relaxed and I crashed. Dan said he was actually worried about me because I was sleeping so much lol. <br />
<br />
The trip was an amazing experience, I feel so honored that I was able to go and spend time with these wonderful people, that so many of them just lovingly welcomed us into their lives. I will forever be in awe that God called me to go and the journey I was taken on from start to finish. This trip stretched my faith and I was able to see and feel the presence of God like never before. I will forever remember the faces, sights, smells, and emotions of that trip. Thank you so much to everyone who supported me in this great adventure, it would not have been possible without every one of you and I will never be able to thank you enough. xoxo<br />
<br />
Here is a picture of me on the plane ride home<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtgNBersUQw-zIiKR29wyZIzQdAycN8urYEmA33jp5jmUIJvOe2oueSNjneh4Igo2mIYWQw2o_p0Sa_KPj-QNvg_UfjdpL7xrTI0q7OdO4A1virDnJlC-fxjBW_wJTw5N1Bgn3JPYi1wh/s640/blogger-image-1541054872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtgNBersUQw-zIiKR29wyZIzQdAycN8urYEmA33jp5jmUIJvOe2oueSNjneh4Igo2mIYWQw2o_p0Sa_KPj-QNvg_UfjdpL7xrTI0q7OdO4A1virDnJlC-fxjBW_wJTw5N1Bgn3JPYi1wh/s640/blogger-image-1541054872.jpg" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-75101471437147511892012-01-13T09:04:00.001-06:002012-02-06T10:15:55.529-06:00New Year, New Beginnings 2011 was a life changing year for me, I was tried, stretched, and blessed to much. I believe I grew a lot as a person and gained back some of the confidence I feel like I somehow have lost over the years. I am discovering who I am as a person again. I have come to realize we are always learning and always growing. This year I want to challenge myself and actually accomplish things. <br />
<br />
Something I have struggled with since having kids is my body imagine. I spend a lot of time thinking about it and being upset. I have worked out before and become discouraged after not seeing much results. This year with the encouragement and support of Dan we have set out on a body changing journey. We bought a very intense workout program called Insanity. It is a 60 day program where you work out 6 days a week. I am starting my 4th week this week and I have to say I am proud of myself. It is pure torture and I hate every second of it BUT I am doing it and sticking to it. I have set a goal to complete the 60 days and I am going to come hell or high water.<br />
<br />
Another change I have made this year is to really try and start cooking and by this I mean making real dinners, not just tacos, sloppy joes, or something out of a box. I am trying to make at least one new recipe a week and this will be my 3rd week of doing this. A couple haven't turned out as great as I hoped but most of them have! I am feeling a great sense of accomplishment from making a meal from scratch and not just throwing packaged ingredients together.<br />
<br />
So these are some of the challenges I have for myself this year, have you all made any and if so how are they going?<br />
<br />
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-50522822196368696682012-01-02T09:39:00.001-06:002012-02-05T13:34:15.557-06:00Day 6Friday was our last day of ministry in Kolkata. We woke up and got all packed up to leave the BMS. It was such a nice place to stay and I considered myself blessed to be able to stay at such a nice place.<br />
Here are some pictures of the grounds.<br />
<br />
After that we traveled fir the last time to the jewelry unit, which again was in "china town" here are some pictures of our ride there.<br />
<br />
We got to spend some time with the ladies and then said all of our goodbyes.<br />
<br />
After saying our goodbyes we headed downstairs to wait for the bus. The floor level of the building is used for the slum school and when we went down Therese got to see all of the school children. They were the cutest things in their little uniforms. They came up to us and wanted to shake our hands. We didn't realize we would get to spend time with them but this was another unexpected highlight of the trip. The kids were so precious and so happy. They were so happy to be in school learning. It made me realize how vital these programs are, how an education is the only way to break the cycle of poverty. By this one child getting an education, it will create a snow ball affect and change the course of the whole family and especially the generations to come. It was a true a blessing to be able to spend time with the<br />
<br />
These picture are of where we stayed<br />
.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xo4tfqudPNTzjLMKSB6xgs2ADluK9jcVDD9r0UmkvuvtrImOwRE0dUctebHKKm7Xjwo7eZk3IdBmZh_vJe8hwdJ0ux4FHtnUOOjE5XEqkAzUAAUUtq8P1ODbwHDJeSwV2yYQ1E0L8gua/s640/blogger-image-997255939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xo4tfqudPNTzjLMKSB6xgs2ADluK9jcVDD9r0UmkvuvtrImOwRE0dUctebHKKm7Xjwo7eZk3IdBmZh_vJe8hwdJ0ux4FHtnUOOjE5XEqkAzUAAUUtq8P1ODbwHDJeSwV2yYQ1E0L8gua/s640/blogger-image-997255939.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmPQ9wS6Y7FjQDmq5ev_AFTaYCYqLICm5kJzrnSn8YjxcPeJLpO6AOhaXvhihzl-NjJiLKa-iuFuyWcHkCRTla-giJtj80xqNGRwm5EEu6kVzLoUNw2VKPPSl_-hCQPSZpOWjNRrCOJtk/s640/blogger-image-850373751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmPQ9wS6Y7FjQDmq5ev_AFTaYCYqLICm5kJzrnSn8YjxcPeJLpO6AOhaXvhihzl-NjJiLKa-iuFuyWcHkCRTla-giJtj80xqNGRwm5EEu6kVzLoUNw2VKPPSl_-hCQPSZpOWjNRrCOJtk/s640/blogger-image-850373751.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyf6nVs3D7U8l4Iu2ELuP_iQ5AvAE3pJTXakRd-jC-sayl-kZZZ3FsNCOWTthBzuibTQtiQsA8EqRWiSOLRnFlcRtoLTbLgK1fQGZ1ar8fbZ0VU7CGQlshGRtMcAUBL7__lcUJ641no0zO/s640/blogger-image--1791730236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyf6nVs3D7U8l4Iu2ELuP_iQ5AvAE3pJTXakRd-jC-sayl-kZZZ3FsNCOWTthBzuibTQtiQsA8EqRWiSOLRnFlcRtoLTbLgK1fQGZ1ar8fbZ0VU7CGQlshGRtMcAUBL7__lcUJ641no0zO/s640/blogger-image--1791730236.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-bzzSKLLBP4eCEA9bDPWm5wGUEfnPyRV0lQouQiUq3g9dVCPerLHQpbaOF62C6WyucqPTUJ7yI56VOIakbXRRqF8ID0TwnXS-_tIhGAKCiClip4oA5CGByJDjf8VYyT9UbKaPwnznbe8/s640/blogger-image--1782564875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-bzzSKLLBP4eCEA9bDPWm5wGUEfnPyRV0lQouQiUq3g9dVCPerLHQpbaOF62C6WyucqPTUJ7yI56VOIakbXRRqF8ID0TwnXS-_tIhGAKCiClip4oA5CGByJDjf8VYyT9UbKaPwnznbe8/s640/blogger-image--1782564875.jpg" /></a></div<br />
<br />
Here are some pictures of the beautiful children from the slum school<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-5_ARLP3wH3bLvHT7J3JEPYGIBXZi7I3jiZISqERwBxYO-TNHcZMtNm-2xkE4Jmdw8WL7OE7EGUPfBV54LAih6tHgj0LTvlvO6xl2E1SfCFBBU6N3vQz7adpEOBDn03wi-YCWX_P9_f4/s640/blogger-image-1214856041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-5_ARLP3wH3bLvHT7J3JEPYGIBXZi7I3jiZISqERwBxYO-TNHcZMtNm-2xkE4Jmdw8WL7OE7EGUPfBV54LAih6tHgj0LTvlvO6xl2E1SfCFBBU6N3vQz7adpEOBDn03wi-YCWX_P9_f4/s640/blogger-image-1214856041.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQXbSuUGdBOiUewBbf3e3vpoLjIZeKbhvRtD6NRyl3gLs9_bzXQnE0GcPVPxhl282qmtDHPxMLV-vwIPPwOHSg9a6xBUA-cHAS7oQhQSOkJqhlki8RHN7nvxYGub0ItVEQzwikkL5nxbT/s640/blogger-image-1116250725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQXbSuUGdBOiUewBbf3e3vpoLjIZeKbhvRtD6NRyl3gLs9_bzXQnE0GcPVPxhl282qmtDHPxMLV-vwIPPwOHSg9a6xBUA-cHAS7oQhQSOkJqhlki8RHN7nvxYGub0ItVEQzwikkL5nxbT/s640/blogger-image-1116250725.jpg" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-15136499996150317772011-12-23T09:12:00.001-06:002011-12-23T09:12:38.004-06:00Day 5 - The heart of the matterOn Thursday we once again split our team in half with half going to the brothels and the other half going to the jewelry unit. This would have been my day to go to the brothel but because of how everything played out I opted not to go so that I could return to the jewelry unit to discuss a long term project with them. Ms. Tammy and I were honored to be able to present our idea of a bracelet that they would make there in Kolkata ship here to the states so that we could in turn sell it here and then return all the profits back to them.<br />
<br />
It was an amazing meeting with Ms. Tammy, myself, Kaitlin, and Ms. Monique. This is where I felt I was in my element, creating, presenting, getting people excited, this is what I love to do and I believe why God called me on this trip. We were able to look at all their beautiful semi precious stones and as a team picked out 9 different colors for the 9 different bracelets we would love them to make. We hope to have the "Navaratna Project" bracelets here in the states by spring. If you would like updates on this line, if you have a blog, store, or group of ladies you think would love to support this amazing cause please leave a comment and I would be happy to keep you posted.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-91994704171137544702011-12-09T16:36:00.001-06:002011-12-09T16:36:11.658-06:00Guest Blogger- An Afternoon in the BrothelsI am so excited to have my first guest blogger and am overjoyed that it is someone who I respect and love so much. Deb is one of the 9 of us who went on this trip and personally was one of my rocks. Deb has one of the most beautiful and loving hearts. She is also funny and sassy. I am blessed to know her and have her in my life.<br />
<br />
As I stated in the previous post our group split up on day 4. I really wanted to share the experience that the other group had with you all as well so I asked one of those ladies if they would like to share their experience and Deb stepped write up offering her account from that day in the brothels from her personal journal. I hope you all enjoy this beautiful account from Deb's point of view.<br />
<br />
"Today we traveled to the Red Light District where the brothels are located. Our guide for the day, Chandra, was a bold Christian who prayed for our Muslim taxi driver and gave him a brochure for the A/G Church. Pastor Noel was amazed and said it was dangerous to do that. Chandra knew many ladies in the District and introduced herself to everyone she had not met (and of course encouraged them to attend church!). She took us to the home of a “Madam” who is paid a fee for rent and for each customer every girl sees per day. The madam’s mother was 80 years old…very frail. She was a follower of Jesus and asked us to pray for her knee, which was swollen. Praying for that sweet, dear lady was an experience I will never forget. She didn’t speak English but looked into our eyes with great love and understanding of the prayers we prayed for her. She pointed to a poster of Jesus she had taped to the wall.<br />
We met the son of the madam. He had just married a Hindi girl the week before, and is a Christian. He has attended Bible College and has a vision to start a Christian church in the Red Light District. We prayed for him and his wife and also his sisters-in-law. We sang a few worship songs and he played his guitar. We encouraged them and enjoyed their company. When entering the homes, we removed our shoes and sat on the floor or bed. This home had two rooms and a sofa so we sat on the sofa. This was considered luxurious. There is no air conditioning in any of these homes and the heat and humidity is stifling. Lots of sweating going on…<br />
We crossed the “Holy River” on a primitive wooden boat for a small fee. There was very little water…more of a filthy stream. The smell of human waste was so strong that I had to fight not to cover my nose and mouth. There were actually children playing in the sludge and men “bathing” in it.<br />
When we crossed over, we saw temples and shrines to the various Hindu gods. People were burning incense, bowing down and placing flowers in front of the idols. There is a huge temple named the Kali god temple. Animal sacrifices are still made here daily. The blood pours out on the ground and live goats (not for long!) wander around. Kali is the god of death and destruction—this is what Kolkata has been described as: the City of Death and Destruction. <br />
We were introduced to a few more young prostitutes. They have beautiful smiles and they are quick to laugh. I think in my self-exalted American attitude, I believed that I would step in and see their suffering and make some grand gesture to lift them out of their “situation”. I imagined they would beg me to save them from this lifestyle. I expected weeping and sorrow. James 1:9 NCV "Believers who are poor should be proud, because God has made them spiritually rich. "<br />
James 1:10 NCV "Those who are rich should be proud, because God has shown them that they are spiritually poor. The rich will die like a wild flower in the grass. " God showed me in this moment that He loves each one of us equally and that people are really not very different, regardless of where you live. Ephesians 2:18 MSG<br />
"He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through Him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father." We all suffer, but we all find joy in our lives. We all long for something more….we long not to be lonely or sad or afraid. In the end, God is the only “thing” that truly satisfies our deepest needs and longings. This was yet another lesson in humility: God was showing me that I am no different from my Indian sisters or anyone else in the world. This trip was not about me…<br />
We sat crossed legged on the bed –the only furniture in the room. This, of course, is the bed where these young women earn their income. They insisted on giving us cookies and tea. They have so little but are anxious to share the little they have. They all ask how old we are, do we have children, etc. They want to know about us and want to practice their English with us. In the early afternoon they need to sleep because they are awake all night. Each girl entertains 10-25 men per night. 5-10 minutes per customer. Again, their lifestyle and way of earning a living seems so sad yet we feel their hope; their dreams for a brighter tomorrow. So we hug them, kiss them, pray for them and say goodbye. We pray that God's love touches them through our prayers, and the people God places in their lives. We pray that we will see them again one day and that they will experience the Truth of God's love and salvation through Jesus Christ."<br />
<br />
Here is picture of gorgeous Deb (and this picture was taken in NYC, not Kolkata, lol)<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_WZhYrDYYqeBv115urX1S52g2St_FGrJLYhPfee6cz8adB6DON9I5FOwz5bev0ksGNCYPX5JMl4gPT3EjxeIshEdUJTFv4HKBD8y-K1uuTSrX-FhGZZaMnxRYcGacD9cJZtZL1HUVZqG/s640/blogger-image-935105378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_WZhYrDYYqeBv115urX1S52g2St_FGrJLYhPfee6cz8adB6DON9I5FOwz5bev0ksGNCYPX5JMl4gPT3EjxeIshEdUJTFv4HKBD8y-K1uuTSrX-FhGZZaMnxRYcGacD9cJZtZL1HUVZqG/s640/blogger-image-935105378.jpg" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-86765675025457478722011-12-04T22:02:00.001-06:002011-12-08T15:53:53.358-06:00Four Precious JewelsOn day 4 the group split in half with 5 of us going to work with Ms. Monique's jewelry ministry which I will call "jewels" since they make jewelry and the other 4 went with a member of the ministry to the brothels. I was in the group of 5 who went to meet with the ladies of jewels. We traveled to an area called "China town" where the jewelry studio is located within a large building which used to be a tannery. The building has many great ministries in it which includes a slum school during the day as well as the jewelry studio and a couple of other things. Below are some of the pictures of the drive through China town. When we got to the building which was HUGE and went inside, we traveled up some cement stairs and traveled down a hallway until we reached a beautiful glass door. We stepped inside onto wood floors into a very bright, beautiful, brand new modern studio space. We walked in to see Kaitlin, Ms. Monique's intern sitting on the ground with 4 Indian women. They all immediately stood up and created us with smiles and warm embraces. We all introduced ourselves and joined them on the floor where having praise and worship time. We sat in this beautiful room and listened to these women sing worship songs in the native tongue. It was an extremely moving moment because although we could not understand the words they were singing it was almost as though my souls new what they were saying. You could feel the Holy Spirit in that room and it was so strong it brought most of us to tears. I remember thinking to myself in that moment how honored I felt to be there, that God had chosen me to travel half way across the world and how similar we were to these women. We all love the same God, He created each of us in His image and I couldn't help but think how pleasing that worship session had to be to Him. <br />
<br />
After our time of worship and devotions we were able to work with them and help teach them English. We went back and forth asking each other questions. The four women were so sweet and loving to us and were so happy we were there. We were the first American women to come work with them so they had lots of questions for us. It was a great time of fellowship just sharing our lives and stories. After that we ate lunch and then they started working on their jewelry. They were extremely focused and a lot different then the chatty ladies we had just spent time with. They were all silent and very involved in their work, it was so nice to see how serious and determined they were. It was an amazing day just getting to know these awesome women.<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplqctdzJs4iH-p9VrOOhqpyEb0mtVU_Fh1t1gFAkaXt4uI-NTwbfhtADSI65FkgyuQ0Yw7-PzNonqDD0hqh0-08pgV6EWo_7acYonRSf6kP_74fKYoFyJSTPNKHqOtVYpC80OReKba4lp/s640/blogger-image--135878037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplqctdzJs4iH-p9VrOOhqpyEb0mtVU_Fh1t1gFAkaXt4uI-NTwbfhtADSI65FkgyuQ0Yw7-PzNonqDD0hqh0-08pgV6EWo_7acYonRSf6kP_74fKYoFyJSTPNKHqOtVYpC80OReKba4lp/s640/blogger-image--135878037.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo7aR6msKeISkAHPoneVTNOVQqp0laBjnd7opje98D5YeKVD2e-6GY4V3prOw3f_HfHC9VE2LKNbMtBKZ6BzurGnUq_QZN_cazvWHSP_FrsC5Chq55p9aRFjKAYeRfnqCSZekdB03C-TX/s640/blogger-image--1391206052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo7aR6msKeISkAHPoneVTNOVQqp0laBjnd7opje98D5YeKVD2e-6GY4V3prOw3f_HfHC9VE2LKNbMtBKZ6BzurGnUq_QZN_cazvWHSP_FrsC5Chq55p9aRFjKAYeRfnqCSZekdB03C-TX/s640/blogger-image--1391206052.jpg" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-33570127497835026762011-11-28T22:53:00.001-06:002011-12-05T12:07:46.157-06:00"The Accident" Day 3 Part 2After our wonderful experience at the feeding program we all got in cabs to go to eat at a cafe in the "hippy" part of town. Ms. Monique told us there are a lot of Europeans who come and stay in that area and that they have some cool cafes and shops. So we all loaded into cabs and went on our way. My cab arrived there first, then the second cab arrived not to long after. We sat there for a bit waiting for the third cab which contained Noel, Tammy, Heather and Ms. Monique. We were all deciding on what to order when the burst into the cafe exclaiming "You will not believe what happened! We were in a cab accident and had to get out and run!" So basically what happened was they were in a slow collision where no one was threatened of being hurt but right after the collision happened their cab driver got out and started pounding very aggressively on the other cab's trunk and yelling. It was at that moment that one of them yelled "GET OUT!" Tammy was the first to exit the cab and when she did standing right in front of was a man. Tammy said she thought it was going to go one of two ways at the point. Thankfully the man was very kind and said to Tammy "you will be fine" and he passed her along with the other women to a man standing on the sidewalk who stood in front of the with his arm out in a protecting manner. Once they were away from the accident scene they began to see the mob form and decided it was time for them to get out of there. Although it was a scary thing to be involved in thankfully no one was hurt and we actually all laughed really hard about it. We still do :)<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyts6_t0gespxd-zTmsorw5BZ45ZwMEDsn3IwtOSnrtDY34Y_eIkJPaAYRKfec73femlB6PccrGwLVovw4JJyq31NKI32smmRWROwb_FNZKRAuwjJyY8H7AYdQXrxp7qkaswfWmDl1Ruu/s640/blogger-image-479428376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyts6_t0gespxd-zTmsorw5BZ45ZwMEDsn3IwtOSnrtDY34Y_eIkJPaAYRKfec73femlB6PccrGwLVovw4JJyq31NKI32smmRWROwb_FNZKRAuwjJyY8H7AYdQXrxp7qkaswfWmDl1Ruu/s640/blogger-image-479428376.jpg" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-7125195119179156482011-11-28T10:26:00.001-06:002011-11-28T22:55:57.345-06:00Preface to Day 3 - Part 2 From about the first second we arrived in India Deb kept talking about how she read in one of her books how bad the driving is which turned out to be completely true. She also told us that if a driving accident occurs anyone at the scene is at fault. She told us that a mob would form and they will pull people out of the car even if they are passengers and beat them up. This sounds crazy right? So Deb asked Noel who replied without hesitation "oh ya, that's totally true." So sweet Deb kept telling us if we get in a car accident we need to get out and run. It started to become almost a joke and we all laughed about it....<br />
<br />
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-904406211434846782011-11-20T21:17:00.001-06:002011-11-22T17:17:08.045-06:00Day 3 - Part 1Tuesday started with us going to the AG church. We took an amazing tour of the church, school, and hospital. We learned a lot about the church's history and the difference they have made and are continuing to make in Kolkata. <br />
<br />
One of the things that we learned about on our tour was the feeding programs they have that take place in 8 different spots in Kolkata every day. We saw where the food is prepared and it was simply amazing to see how large the pots and burners were. One of the places that they serve food at is right across the street from the church. We were so blessed to be able to go and see how it worked. They have an amazing program where they give one member of a family a card with their name on it and how many people are in their family. Every day they come they get a day checked off. The same people work at the food stations so they develop relationships with these people, they get to know them by name. If they don't see someone for a day or two they start asking others about them to make sure everything is ok, they truly care about these people. It is also amazing to me that they give them the amount of food they need to feed their whole family. This is the only food these people will have all day. They receive rice as well as a cereal and curry so it is a well balanced and nutritional meal. <br />
<br />
We went outside just as they were getting ready to serve lunch and they asked if we would like to help serve the food. NO words will ever be able to describe the experience I had there that afternoon. I can honestly say it was one of the most moving moments of my life. I will forever feel so honored that I was able to serve food to these beautiful people, I will forever remember their faces. I truly felt in that moment that God was using us to His literal hands, by feeding His beloved children. There were the 3 most beautiful older women who came through the line as I was serving and I laughed because they were yelling at all the young kids who were acting a little rambunctious. There was a young boy who was probably around 13 who had a huge scar from the corner of the left side of his mouth that reached all the way up to his left ear. There was also the prettiest little girl who was probably around 10, she had the biggest smile and told me "thank you" in English. She had on red earrings and I told her I liked her earring and her smile got even bigger. The thought of that day still stirs such strong emotions, I am crying as I write this. I am just so so thankful for such an amazing experience.<br />
<br />
"Feed the hungry,and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon."<br />
(Isaiah 58:10 NLT)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-70882257887800588092011-11-19T00:04:00.001-06:002011-11-19T00:04:36.427-06:00I know....I know I have to keep going, keep telling my story and I want to... It's just that I keep going back there, seeing the faces, hearing the sounds. And it's hard to describe the love and protection you feel, for these people, for what you were able to be a part of. I want to respect all of that and to do it justice. These precious people, many of which I will never know their names, their faces are imbedded in my memory. I stay up at night thinking of them and my heart aches for them as I live in my comfortable world, a world so far from theirs. I pray continually and feverishly for them, that one day, on the other side of this life, I will see their faces again.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-75594597138398262092011-11-09T08:34:00.001-06:002011-11-09T09:14:25.208-06:00Math Makes My Head HurtAnother funny story I wanted to share from our trip was our experience at western union. You see I am right brained, I like to daydream, create, dance, read, and write. I do not like to do boring stuff like math and money conversion doesn't even make sense to me it literally makes my brain hurt. So, day 3 we went to western union and got a conversion rate of 1 american dollar to 48.5 rupees. Ummm 48.5? What am I supposed to do with the .5? I instantly started to panic. My head was spinning and my brain started to shut down. I eventually decided that I was going to just pretend that it is $1 to 50 rupees, and that would make it a little easier. So I handed the man my $60 and he hands be back all these rupees with 100 and 500 on them, I started to sweat. My sweet friend Heather who used to be an art teacher so our brains work the same way pulled me aside and said "does this make sense to you?" "No, I don't even know if I got the right amount back" I said. So Heather and I stood there in Western Union with our rupees and tried with our right brains to figure out a left brain problem. I think most people would have thought we were crazy and at one point Heather even said "We ARE smart, this is just not our thing." We eventually figured it out after repeating it over and over to each other. Heather had the genius idea of separating our rupees into $10 american equivalent stacks so we could quickly know about how much things were costing us. There were several other times were the two of us had to convene to figure these types of issues but luckily we had each other, the two little right brained artsy fartsies. <br />
<br />
Here are Heather and I, should looks beautiful as always and I look like a hot mess.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3eekfWWae8hF3o5pOjMxTFVjhhWFCIjZX-3pt1BJDaQRRKwqvjm8M_OCAzS5XLa6SZ7I-8cSXqDioa8dFZnR1iiWS7TkQ3Q_AKZ8_whpMI0SuHTpersON_cR4esEELlLqEg5AxKqE-NWd/s640/blogger-image--1556398617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3eekfWWae8hF3o5pOjMxTFVjhhWFCIjZX-3pt1BJDaQRRKwqvjm8M_OCAzS5XLa6SZ7I-8cSXqDioa8dFZnR1iiWS7TkQ3Q_AKZ8_whpMI0SuHTpersON_cR4esEELlLqEg5AxKqE-NWd/s640/blogger-image--1556398617.jpg" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-12591408398001006612011-11-08T08:57:00.001-06:002011-11-08T09:19:08.965-06:00Large White American WomenAlthough our trip was extremely humbling and life changing there was never a shortage of laughter. I mean have I not mentioned 1,000 times how awesome the 8 women I went with are? So I am going to share some of the funny stories too.<br />
<br />
On Day 3 of our trip which I wrote about in my last post I mentioned that we went and had lunch at a cute little tea place and then shopped in a really nice outdoor market. We were all looking for some Indian clothes, specifically tops. Well, we noticed quickly that for the most part they weren't sized in S,M,L they were all numbers and weird numbers like 42,44...what do those numbers even mean? You couldn't try anything on so you pretty much just guessed and hoped for the best. We were at one shop looking around saying things like "oh I like that, that's cute" when out of nowhere the owner of the store walked up to me and said "we have your size, BIG size" with a big old smile on his face. He looked so proud that his store had material large enough to fit over all my white American flesh. I wanted to cry and politely followed him the the BIG size section. But don't worry, this was not the first or last time one of us would be called large. The day before someone told a girl on our team they didn't recognize her because she had gained so much weight and on our last day when we were at another clothing store the store employee told another lady on our team that they had big sizes for her. Let me mention that both these ladies are very thin, I would be happy to look like either one of them. So it pretty much became a joke about how huge we were, we definitely did not leave India with a good self image of ourselves, that's for sure.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjax7vV_1E6exHKbXlDO-YIAnNk_CPvFTlrF9HHopgirJB1CytBj9tpV-MFUrVVjfTNpH6Q4OBOrso5Hv4f8pjSWvPNEmMaD69soGwN3kX9zqPi3JOypz14tZGtE01MxjI1X4XAW74ljQCs/s640/blogger-image-1782163328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjax7vV_1E6exHKbXlDO-YIAnNk_CPvFTlrF9HHopgirJB1CytBj9tpV-MFUrVVjfTNpH6Q4OBOrso5Hv4f8pjSWvPNEmMaD69soGwN3kX9zqPi3JOypz14tZGtE01MxjI1X4XAW74ljQCs/s640/blogger-image-1782163328.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpJaCW5U5O4HQsW0qEXFRibiQrSPN0xivaJdZNVOJ3g0xVvygqNvNKipiZ1t4mMUceFiYapP3LUW8dpQWoKBipYD6hEyE99V2-0ri7ZX-jgUKv1KHnWt__eDzeERuXvkAXwTZZXqsfL7E/s640/blogger-image--267570038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpJaCW5U5O4HQsW0qEXFRibiQrSPN0xivaJdZNVOJ3g0xVvygqNvNKipiZ1t4mMUceFiYapP3LUW8dpQWoKBipYD6hEyE99V2-0ri7ZX-jgUKv1KHnWt__eDzeERuXvkAXwTZZXqsfL7E/s640/blogger-image--267570038.jpg" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-85842430020885888782011-11-02T19:37:00.002-05:002011-11-02T22:32:44.646-05:00Hope in the middle of death and destruction - Day 3One thing that we learned about Kolkata was that the name Kolkata comes from the Hindu goddess Kali and the original name for Koklata was Kalikshetra, meaning the place of Kali. Kali is the goddess of death and destruction. So we never really wondered why this place was so heavy, emotionally, physically, and spiritually because it was named after death and destruction for goodness sakes. With that being said it was very easy to see death and destruction when you looked around and it was simply overwhelming to bare most of the time but on day 3 we saw hope right in the middle of this city of death and destruction and that hope came in the form of some of the most beautiful children you could ever imagine.<br />
<br />
Monday, October 17th<br />
Monday started out with us going to Western union to exchange our money, and that story I will share another time, lol. Next we went to a very nice outdoor market where it was not crowded whatsoever. We had tea and ate at small cafe in the market and did some shopping. It was extremely nice and relaxing. Next we took an hour long bus ride which took us out of the city into the country (which up until that point I didn't realize they had) to the most beautiful childrens home. When we arrived there the silence was almost deafening in comparison to the city. The air was clean and I think we all took a huge breath of the clean air. There was green grass and so much SPACE! We walked down the gravel driveway around a random cow and up to this beautiful home. When we entered the gate we were greated by the home's mom and dad who are a married couple who live there permanently. They were the sweetest people, they were so excited for us to be there, they told us that the kids had prepared a performance and we would be the first people they have ever done it for! They also told us that they kids all got brand new outfit in anticipation for our visit. The dad gave us a tour of their home, the boys and girls rooms, their room, and the roof top area which is where I took some of the pictures below. In addition to the house mom and dad there are two other women who live at the home permanently. Out of respect to the children I am not going to share the specifics of their situations but basically these children are taken out of a life which is filled with drugs, abuse, and little to no food and they are brought to this home out in the country to live until they are adults. Their parents can call as well as come visit once a month and the parents have given them to this home willfully. They recieve an eduction, food, love and a safe and loving home. So after a quick tour we went to meet the children. When we walked into the room they were all standing their in the sparkling new clothes with the biggest smiles you have ever seen. They were so proud and held their heads high. They all said "HELLO" with their thick accents when we walked in the room. We took lots of pictures of them and then they started their performance. It was just precious, they recited bible versus and sang songs. Then, each of them stood up and told us their name, age, and some of their favorite things. The children ranged from 4-12. The 9 of us all stood up as well and told them our names, age, and favorite things. After their performace we went out to the courtyard where they had prepared a pinic snack. We served all the kids first and then ate with them. They all wanted their pictures taken and were are bunch of hams. After we were done eating we presented them each with a backpack that had a handmade blanket courtesy of Pam and her amazing team of women back here at home, a tooth brush and tooth paste and a little McDonalds toy. You would have thought it was Christmas, they were all so excited. It brought tears to my eyes as I thought of all the blankets that sit folded in my kids closets that they use when the one they are currently using has to get washed and don't think anything of it. To these kids their very own blanket and tooth brush was a true gift, it was something of their very own. Each one was different and we asked if we should put their names on them and the hosue dad said "no I am sure they will remember which one belongs to who" with a smile. This home was such a place of love and happiness. I did not feel sorry for these kids, they were so incredibly loved and taken care of. The house mom and dad loved them unconditionally as if they were their own biologically children. After we hugged and kissed them good bye and all of us women shed a lot of tears we got back on the bus to return home.<br />
<br />
As our group talked that night we were all so moved by the hope that the childrens home brought. How in the middle of this city, with all the poverty, dirt, trash, immorality, false idols, curruption and lust there is such an imense sense of hope and that the hope comes from these chidren. We all strongly felt that these children will be the ones to change their city and we felt honored to have been able to meet and spend time with them. Matthew 19:14 come to mind when I think of them <i>"Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."</i><br />
Oh how God must look down on these precious children and smile at his creation. They have the heart of Jesus and you could it in their eyes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnQMLiMEhDER8Zels2qb8RYn1UXQCsQ3AZ0vd4SEdOcPQ5ipx2xPuO8BLxy57VTh0csRAoG535-Idwe7u4T5l2rhFRRqmDREjUUJWSACAJBbyp86RZ4hY2ZMetNegparszemr5q36eKzQ/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnQMLiMEhDER8Zels2qb8RYn1UXQCsQ3AZ0vd4SEdOcPQ5ipx2xPuO8BLxy57VTh0csRAoG535-Idwe7u4T5l2rhFRRqmDREjUUJWSACAJBbyp86RZ4hY2ZMetNegparszemr5q36eKzQ/s320/014.JPG" /></a></div>Driving through the city on our way to the children's home<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiseT7j0wfwPFIWXAGaUCFEK6lazahXXTFL5KIK7Is6g_leYLxrtOW7YvEL5vW7qrlJwRyvlgpE5rHjVg5-5MWKVLTB7yi_CZJGUqjDwP26tmbnKoQVQl9gdt875PYabO5KlqhO5vFddMF/s1600/041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiseT7j0wfwPFIWXAGaUCFEK6lazahXXTFL5KIK7Is6g_leYLxrtOW7YvEL5vW7qrlJwRyvlgpE5rHjVg5-5MWKVLTB7yi_CZJGUqjDwP26tmbnKoQVQl9gdt875PYabO5KlqhO5vFddMF/s320/041.JPG" /></a></div>A picture of the courtyard at the children's home taken from on the roof top patio<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWSWwFfbFUL258UaUJcGJWCCwjq6gSV_LorwjbYYIj4W_dPsRp2-f73HCWh7olq9uCMkuAjoFiZGhHsfIx2S8eFVl8JT58loVICvQ-jyJ0nhQX_kvCikIrjRoAn3csWE3QTW2S6MmSQSp/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWSWwFfbFUL258UaUJcGJWCCwjq6gSV_LorwjbYYIj4W_dPsRp2-f73HCWh7olq9uCMkuAjoFiZGhHsfIx2S8eFVl8JT58loVICvQ-jyJ0nhQX_kvCikIrjRoAn3csWE3QTW2S6MmSQSp/s320/043.JPG" /></a></div>The view from the roof<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOE5N751LxEf35ltbNb58ed73Ga-mHNx7JtxSOqkVOw-64lzw6huJ6fZzRB6d3trq9COCyT8Chm1OaPCVI1uL_vP-RnrciSoMv0qjkRHdc3zGG2wubLf9GdE4ntDgBiFkzOz_QzccIAva3/s1600/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOE5N751LxEf35ltbNb58ed73Ga-mHNx7JtxSOqkVOw-64lzw6huJ6fZzRB6d3trq9COCyT8Chm1OaPCVI1uL_vP-RnrciSoMv0qjkRHdc3zGG2wubLf9GdE4ntDgBiFkzOz_QzccIAva3/s320/044.JPG" /></a></div>The kids when we first met them, all so cute!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeOYtZOhaUT-O2sRqc6bEFpnXYIr30Urh4NgCqH-PMRAYm9wNBLZ3XE-k_RC4OXcC5A-mvuA0Nc0BYgB8UOhx_OUybfwouylaNwv0PuBP2edu52sFOBhz7FDdHUbuYbalMF29YD2l9hYP/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeOYtZOhaUT-O2sRqc6bEFpnXYIr30Urh4NgCqH-PMRAYm9wNBLZ3XE-k_RC4OXcC5A-mvuA0Nc0BYgB8UOhx_OUybfwouylaNwv0PuBP2edu52sFOBhz7FDdHUbuYbalMF29YD2l9hYP/s320/055.JPG" /></a></div>All of the kids with their goody bagsKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-21715745477432280442011-11-02T13:44:00.002-05:002011-11-02T13:47:31.126-05:00Pictures from the first 2 days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw5IqdoPiDTOKiWb8KEygTY8_cQwdJPg70jB9XUXcixlwRmiebA39ozECIf7foV3xLmWAl2hQxSNQ_p8MHxpojmuI5oEWbzWLpW9kSArvFWsvjpOyStoYH9jodnGHGSmcj7BPBXQlFiED/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw5IqdoPiDTOKiWb8KEygTY8_cQwdJPg70jB9XUXcixlwRmiebA39ozECIf7foV3xLmWAl2hQxSNQ_p8MHxpojmuI5oEWbzWLpW9kSArvFWsvjpOyStoYH9jodnGHGSmcj7BPBXQlFiED/s320/001.JPG" /></a></div>This was when we walked out of the Kolkata airport, I don't know if you can tell but all those white specks by the lights are bugs<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5_cBFbbGdH9fF2pq5mz0PCxbbhkCMG94GPvPaOum8huR3R4hbH722bmpxT0WX1-sk2qqab2pQO77rdJjtnZmsC8rJtDgbaXVuCUdAfjami0bXxLKz4XQni5Engfa3L4G7U1Vwg_sITAz/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5_cBFbbGdH9fF2pq5mz0PCxbbhkCMG94GPvPaOum8huR3R4hbH722bmpxT0WX1-sk2qqab2pQO77rdJjtnZmsC8rJtDgbaXVuCUdAfjami0bXxLKz4XQni5Engfa3L4G7U1Vwg_sITAz/s320/004.JPG" /></a></div>Here is Eva singing at church on Sunday<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ji-5HkJXi6eFT__qrWnIst4m67qu6wMgzNekA7jXZqwVvJsZWtPJDeZbljQWS3bNsEv7D7-pJm8H9WGPEoKW8Bjn_FKLrzWDNo0y8xdGsop7rw8C95D5WHo-kHRX-423juj64pRVUrnA/s1600/035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ji-5HkJXi6eFT__qrWnIst4m67qu6wMgzNekA7jXZqwVvJsZWtPJDeZbljQWS3bNsEv7D7-pJm8H9WGPEoKW8Bjn_FKLrzWDNo0y8xdGsop7rw8C95D5WHo-kHRX-423juj64pRVUrnA/s320/035.JPG" /></a></div>Here is an example of the trash, it almost looks like leaves but remember they don't have fall, that is all trash.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXa1N1lH1HvpPcidvvp8XBiMPzhbFhfM1g5NglFa1nznBVDQsCJjbJWIM9e4cpZmWzuDxrNZTymx16w9sP1EgiX4upzLTpjomAIdtd5ULvRlibXkQrDL0M_wetRI-NLaJdlOtLBuZ3BeL/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXa1N1lH1HvpPcidvvp8XBiMPzhbFhfM1g5NglFa1nznBVDQsCJjbJWIM9e4cpZmWzuDxrNZTymx16w9sP1EgiX4upzLTpjomAIdtd5ULvRlibXkQrDL0M_wetRI-NLaJdlOtLBuZ3BeL/s320/006.JPG" /></a></div>This is the place we had lunch at on Sunday, see the drastic difference from the picture above?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-87109269227069349732011-11-01T09:56:00.002-05:002011-11-01T11:05:58.832-05:00Day 2 - God's GraceSunday, October 16th<br />
<br />
This was our first full day in Kolkata and this is when I feel like it is going to get hard for me to try and describe things and do it justice. I hope I can do a decent job so that each of you can get a look into what we saw and experienced. So here goes nothing...<br />
<br />
Sunday was a day that God completely showed up and granted me so much grace that I am still humbled by it. God knew exactly how much I could handle and it is amazing how He placed me and guided me that day.<br />
<br />
The day began with myself and my roomates Amanda and Eva getting picked up by Ms. Monique and her family to go to church. We got picked up because Eva was singing and we needed to get there early so she could practice, the other 6 women walked to church later and met us right before service. We attended one of the english services. English is 1 of 8 different language services they have, I find it simply amazing that every Sunday the word of God is being taught in 8 different languages on one campus. After church we took a taxi to a local restaurant. This was the first time we rode in a taxi and we quickly realized a couple of things. There are no traffic laws. This means that you drive on which ever side of the road you want, you do not have to stop at red lights if you don't want to, you go whatever speed you want aaannnnd you beep your horn constantly. <br />
<br />
Thankfully we got there safe and sound. We had to walk about half a block to the restaurant and this was the first time I had actually experienced being out in public on the street. This was a side street so it was not that crowded by Kolkata standards but by our standards it was packed. I noticed that we stuck out like a sore thumb and thought that I better get used to it because there was nothing we could do to help it. We walked past people sleeping on the street, people working, people socializing, and lots of trash... trash everywhere. So off that street we stepped into a beautiful restaurant, totally westernized and modern, the contrast was unsettling. We had a great lunch and then left to walk to a nice restaurant that sold chocolates. On the way we saw several small monkeys on ropes that looked like they would attack you if given the chance so we all stayed far away. When we went to get back into cabs to go back to our the place we were staying which is called BMS there was a small boy who came up to us to ask for money or food. We knew this would happen a lot and we prepared for it but I don't think it matters how much you prepare yourself, it is always hard and it always breaks your heart. I was the first to slide into our cab and slid all the way to the opposite side. It was myself, Amanda, and Eva at the other door. Eva's window was open and as we sat in the cab waiting for what seemed like hours but was probably only seconds that little boy stood at Eva's window with his hand resting on the window saying "please Auntie" and then motioning that he was hungry. The moment was overwhelming and it would be the first of many. I felt so helpless, I knew we could give him money but so often kids are used by their parents to beg for money and then the parents use the money to buy drugs and alcohol, not food. So we knew we couldn't give him money.<br />
<br />
We returned back to the BMS and got to rest for a bit before we returned back to church for their evening young adult service. It was an amazing service, I think we were all touched. <br />
<br />
At the end of the day as I was processing the days events it was evident to me how much grace God had granted me that day. First He allowed me to be picked up that morning versus walking, the women who walked to church that morning had a much different experience that than I did. Second, by God's grace I got into that taxi first so I was not the one how had to sit face to face with that little boy who hung onto our cabs' window. And lastly God completely shielded my eyes from something almost every other women saw and I think God knew it would have been too much for me. As we were standing waiting for our cabs, when the little boy was begging a couple feet away there was a very small baby, probably only 3 months or so the other ladies said just laying on the street. Many of them cried later when recalling that image, it was the low for the day for many of our group and I somehow completely did not see it. One of the hardest things for me to still come to terms with are the children and babies that we saw on the streets.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-33743281161708751802011-10-31T17:03:00.002-05:002011-11-02T13:29:08.520-05:001 1/2 hours on a bus + 18 hours on a plane + 3 meals on a plane +another 1 hour bus ride + a 10 1/2 hour time difference = India Day 1Friday, October 14th<br />
<br />
The 9 of us met at church, said good bye to our families and jumped on a bus headed for Chicago. It was not easy for me to say good bye and I am not going to lie to you and tell you that I did not hysterically cry for a couple hours the night before declaring to Dan "I am going to die, I am going to die!" because that would be a lie. You see I completely hate to fly, I have medication for it and the thought of having to be on a plane for around 18 hours total made me want to throw up. I was not scared about going to a foreign country where I would stick out like a sore thumb, I was terrified of the flight. Our senior pastor's wife Tammy later told me she knew as long as she could get me on the plane she knew I would be fine, and she was right. But I got on the plane telling God every step of the way that He called me to do this so He better not let me die on that plane. So I got on the plane and before we even took off we were able to spread out due to it not being a full flight so already the favor of God was upon us. I don't know how but somehow the first 16 hour flight didn't seem to take that long. We then landed in Dehli which is an extremely nice airport. They even have a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf which I have not had since we lived in Las Vegas so I was super excited. We then boarded our plane for Kolkata on which none of us were seated together. Luckily I sat by a cute young girl and her mom. I passed out on that flight and slept almost the whole way. When we arrived in Kolkata we got off the plane right onto the tar mat which was no big deal to me. We got into the baggage claim area and all got our luggage right away, praise God. We went through customs without a hitch and met Ms. Monique and her husband Stew who we would be working with all week, she greater us with a warm hug and complimented us on how great we all looked. We all laughed but at the end of our time realized that that was probably the best we did look all week. We walk outside to get on their bus and we were smacked in the face literally with thousands and thousands of bugs. They were everywhere, in out hair, down our shirt, in our mouthed if we opened them, EVERYWHER! Ms. Monique said she had never seen that before, we must have been lucky. When then took the bus for about an hour to the place where we would be staying for the next week. We went to our rooms which were extremely nice. There were 3 of us to a room, the rooms were very clean, had a fan and air conditioning, and our own bathroom with hot water and nice "western" toilet. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSwGWOWuYTpUhsgtB5k7rRMpxOCliz-4HCoIrPiBxb66od_44t3rrHxRU8O8RvlRZKLrVuOPGCK9rt_8mj0X9d0PPvxEL_ct_K9g7XXVJbwLThGGKH_0BOFSZJSKsuVl1qpOJCZFD8BpZ/s640/blogger-image--623766261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSwGWOWuYTpUhsgtB5k7rRMpxOCliz-4HCoIrPiBxb66od_44t3rrHxRU8O8RvlRZKLrVuOPGCK9rt_8mj0X9d0PPvxEL_ct_K9g7XXVJbwLThGGKH_0BOFSZJSKsuVl1qpOJCZFD8BpZ/s640/blogger-image--623766261.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPEPLeDZ9yO3UG68qamaf7e_wXbbvCqWe6jPD0SUKPob-7hl8SWx0chTz2ZO35wfuO0MJz6H2RBF_X4K5EFxzt-mlsDdPz3z15VQ0EbrioUSZnYCYezXgaQOpYhxrwolOGKn8SGfO-luB/s640/blogger-image-483868081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPEPLeDZ9yO3UG68qamaf7e_wXbbvCqWe6jPD0SUKPob-7hl8SWx0chTz2ZO35wfuO0MJz6H2RBF_X4K5EFxzt-mlsDdPz3z15VQ0EbrioUSZnYCYezXgaQOpYhxrwolOGKn8SGfO-luB/s640/blogger-image-483868081.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90QEb-6Aw0xFkPaloPYxrJrH9OFvzUqdrLfNLKBhvtsSjr6q4aGu9cc9O0xrqszsOs4jtVsT0kqP9SRtjRqe0qx4d-GIhkhapC0-uJaJR5hpYexp14CurWsKLorHwhZAXdzt8nfhk58Ps/s640/blogger-image--1864171095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90QEb-6Aw0xFkPaloPYxrJrH9OFvzUqdrLfNLKBhvtsSjr6q4aGu9cc9O0xrqszsOs4jtVsT0kqP9SRtjRqe0qx4d-GIhkhapC0-uJaJR5hpYexp14CurWsKLorHwhZAXdzt8nfhk58Ps/s640/blogger-image--1864171095.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRlW8x2ju9vZm7g48Gxif62lo769VfHOeYKMlnvChQGsKfzoBRL4x6KR_R9eCSVzV5qa0nY9HCgc_W_E09ndDQ-qfq8fYx0UGW16_NztjZzJ8eoEtYT9peOMWpD-gOSFv60BmiH6EN-Dd/s640/blogger-image--838156769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRlW8x2ju9vZm7g48Gxif62lo769VfHOeYKMlnvChQGsKfzoBRL4x6KR_R9eCSVzV5qa0nY9HCgc_W_E09ndDQ-qfq8fYx0UGW16_NztjZzJ8eoEtYT9peOMWpD-gOSFv60BmiH6EN-Dd/s640/blogger-image--838156769.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuRgYrJgpEO9-nmrNyZPaC9tKjRzBZwK489-YMrSecxLin_es3NStUMYZYTIXF_pGBY-8UG0Yv-E0KSJlBlpSVp1iC71gLBW4GhXf5JsaBYwvCoVH_SCBKdYkdena2go5mTTxG0Wov93q/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuRgYrJgpEO9-nmrNyZPaC9tKjRzBZwK489-YMrSecxLin_es3NStUMYZYTIXF_pGBY-8UG0Yv-E0KSJlBlpSVp1iC71gLBW4GhXf5JsaBYwvCoVH_SCBKdYkdena2go5mTTxG0Wov93q/s200/001.JPG" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-70427378619774906662011-10-30T22:47:00.001-05:002011-10-30T22:48:53.285-05:00When are you going to blog about it?So I have been back for a week now and I can not tell you how many times I have heard "I want to hear about your trip! Or when are you going to blog about it?" and I so want to share it, every moment with everyone. What I didn't expect when I got back was how long it would to me to recover and process everything. I have been so jet lagged I have felt like I was in a comma for the last week. So this is my promise, I will start blogging about my trip tomorrow. There will be a lot of posts because this trip was not something you can just write a blanket blog post about. Some of it might be hard to hear about as it was hard to see and experience but some of it will also be funny, because how can you not have hilarious moments when you travel with 9 awesome women? But I promise to share it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164427393965710481.post-34242734332305568312011-09-29T13:14:00.000-05:002011-09-29T13:14:44.660-05:00The Sixth Sense<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjR2nnDHqY6M1svjiqCQM_mlSNfeEIvJ1co8vLDkOG9g3QEyhyziqxDjHuD8c5s_-2QEodVIWcejHBSoiMiu-1o0rLEoXf0NKsqdRSi-KS8NSYYzf9-n-avf2eAIMjOPpNKYEihds1wTHd/s1600/sixth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="84" width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjR2nnDHqY6M1svjiqCQM_mlSNfeEIvJ1co8vLDkOG9g3QEyhyziqxDjHuD8c5s_-2QEodVIWcejHBSoiMiu-1o0rLEoXf0NKsqdRSi-KS8NSYYzf9-n-avf2eAIMjOPpNKYEihds1wTHd/s200/sixth.jpg" /></a></div>Do you all remember this movie? If you didn't see it, the sixth sense is a movie about a little boy who sees things most people don't. In this famous scene he whispers "I see dead people." It was a pretty scary movie but most of us do not see these things so it's completely fictional. However, I am lucky enough to live with two people who do, and when they do they wake me up and scare the crap out of me. <br />
Let start at the beginning. Dan is one of the worst sleeper in the world, he constantly sleep talks and sleep walks. Even better than both of these qualities is when he wakes me up in the middle of the night suddenly to tell me "Someone just walked past our bedroom door!" Now this is enough to scare the living daylights out of anyone right?!? At first I was so scared, "WHERE? WHERE?" I would say. Then I got smart and realized that he was talking in his sleep and infact there was no one in our house. I still get awakened from time to time with a frantic husband who claims he just saw someone in our house, and it's awesome (insert scarasm here). But now, I seem to have won the jackpot because not only do I have a crazy husband but he must have passed some of his crazy genes to on our daughter. Tuesday night Stella was sleeping in bed with me when I woke up to her laughing. She was sitting up in bed looking towards our bedroom door. I asked "what are you laughing at?" "Lucy" she said. Well I know for a fact Lucy was downstairs with Dan where they were sleeping on the couch. Then all of a sudden she quickly layed down, put the cover over her head and said "there's someone standing right there!" NOT AGAIN, I thought. I knew it wasn't Dan because I could hear him snoring and Carter still sleeps in a crib so I knew it couldn't have been him either. This time I did get scared so I bravely jumped out of bed and turned on all the lights. There was no one there and when I turned around Stella was out cold sleeping. So if anyone ever wonders why I have a problem sleeping, this might be the answer, because I live with not only 1 but 2 people who see people who aren't there. Don't be jealous, I know I'm lucky.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110522397399829252noreply@blogger.com0