Kristen Arrives in India

Kristen came in this morning. She arrived early (5:30am). It's good to have another American around. Not that I don't love being surrounded by Indians, but having a friend that understands your accent, and background is really nice. We spent the day getting Kristen a cell phone and looking at houses. We found a really nice place that is very reasonable. We hope things go through with the landlord.

Everyone here is so kind and thoughtful. People go out of there way to help. They are willing to drop everything they have to help you out. I don't know how to thank them or to refuse them. They are so generous.

We went to the seminary graduation tonight at the ward building. It was fun to see so many people involved in seminary. They had between 20 and 30 people graduate from seminary. One of my favorite things about traveling is meeting members of the church around the world. They are so active and excited about the gospel. I have a lot to learn from them. I am excited to associate myself with these great people over the next four months.

Sunday with the Branch

Today was great. Sunday's are always awesome while traveling. I feel like I am back on my mission again. We went to the Hyderabad 2nd branch which we will most likely be attending for the remainder of the summer. It was wonderful. The members here are so committed and excited to be apart of the church. I miss that excitement. Uganda was the same way. The church was fresh, exciting, and adventurous. It's so pure and real. I really appreciated it. The branch has bent over backwards for us. They have been so kind and so helpful. I am amazed at how much they are willing to do.

We had dinner at the branch presidents home. His wife cooked us a delicious meal of Biranyi. It's a rice and curry dish that Hyderabad is famous for. It was absolutely delicious. We all sat around on a mat on the floor and talked about our families. They are such wonderful people. I love them already.

Hopefully tomorrow we will have a house to move into. It would be so nice to have something set up and ready when our volunteers get here.

It's Fun to Stay at the YMCA

Today was a long long day. I spent the majority of the night in the airport waiting for flights, going through security check points, and standing in lines. I arrived in Hyderabad around 3:00am but didn't leave the airport until 4:30am. I made it through customs and immigration thankfully. The woman at the customs desk was angry at another employee and simply looked at my passport and visa, stamped it and shooed me through. I have no complaints.

Hyderabad is enormous. It is similar to Kampala in many ways only much much larger. The city blocks stretch on and on. I started walking yesterday to familiarize myself with the neighborhood. I walked for an hour in one direction and then turned back. Nothing in the scenery had changed. Thousands and thousands of people with thousands and thousands of cars cramming through small streets lined with shops selling everything you can imagine.

I met up with Kumar, the elders quorum president. He was so kind and generous. He took me around town on his motorcycle to help me set everything up. We got my cell phone working after many hours of trying. He took me to an “American” buffet which really was delicious. After several days of airplane cuisine I was so grateful to stuff myself with good food. His friend Rajeev spent several hours with me helping me with understanding the currency, the customs etc. They are both so kind and helpful. I get the feeling from them and others that Indian hospitality is something I can expect throughout my stay here. I need to figure out how I can thank them.

I am currently staying at the YMCA. I got an air conditioned room (thank goodness) with a bathroom and shower for a few dollars. The room is a small step up from the multi choice, and the bathroom is similar to the one at the second hotel we used in Gulu. I can't complain. I have a secure place to store my things and a cool room to sleep. The YMCA is a happening place. Outside there are classrooms, meeting rooms, and a basketball court. There are hundreds of people outside roller staking, playing basketball, ping pong, running, yoga etc. It's a community hub.

Kristen is supposedly arriving in a few minutes. I hope everything with her flights worked out ok. I am so glad to be here. It will be such an amazing experience.

Hyderabad: Hot, Humid, Chaotic, Incredible

So the internet situation here has been more difficult than I anticipated. Due to recent terrorist attacks and threats in India, everyone is extremely paranoid. Every internet cafe requires a copy of your passport, cell phone number, and e-mail address. They don't easily let you use a USB drive to transfer pictures or documents, so my blogging has been poor.

However, I now have a decent internet connection and some time to share my experiences with all of you.

Where to start?

I arrived here in Hyderabad, India over a week ago. I landed in Hyderabad at 3am after a very long and complicated flight. As Mandy mentioned earlier I lost my passport in Chicago and ended up delaying my flight 24 hours. Luckily the airlines found it and sent it to me in Chicago. That was a very stressful afternoon. I left Utah on Tuesday morning and landed in Hyderabad on Friday morning.

It's been a wild ride over the past week, but I absolutely love it here. I've never experienced heat like this though... Hyderabad is in the middle of a record high heat wave. It's well over 110 with 70-80 % humidity. We are buying an AC today so that will help a lot, though the power has been in and out nearly everyday. I've been drinking between 7 and 8 liters of water a day and still feel a bit dehydrated.

The branch that we are attending (Hyderabad 2nd) is amazing. The church here is growing quickly. I love the members. They have been extremely inviting and helpful. I am excited to get to know everyone better and to spend time with them.

Tay Arrives in India

Though losing his passport set him back a day, Taylor was able to arrive in Hyderabad safely. Since then, life has been frantic as he and Kristen (plus Will) have been trying to get things ready for the new volunteers. They found a house close to the church and an internet cafe. They have also spent a lot of time meeting with potential partners for the summer. The branch members have been particularly hospitable and helpful. Two volunteers arrived on Saturday, and that's the latest that I've heard.

As for myself, I am counting down the days until summer. (It's 8.5 days, if you were wondering.) I still have a few things to wrap up, but I'm feeling ready to go.

I promise that this blog will get more exciting and even include some pictures in the near future, so stay posted. :)