Branching Off

I decided to start my own blog! -Hillary

hillaryblaine.blogspot.com

Sometimes... Plans Change

Sometimes, our plans aren't God's plans...

Our plan: Stay in India, finish our mission, come home in March.

God's plan: Come home now.

We learned a lot. Loved a lot. Experienced a lot.

Now we are home, applying it all. Learning to accept God's plan.

Thailand (Journal Entry from Christmas Eve)

I am experiencing that moment!

That moment, you only see in movies and sometimes hear about.

The moment when you want to turn to those standing next to you and ask,

"Will you pinch me?"

Just to make sure I am not dreaming. Ah, yes, I am awake. And yet, living in a dream.

My dream has always been to visit Thailand...Eating the food, drinking bubble tea, feeling the warm air on my skin. To see the beautiful beach, meet the kind people, get a cheap massage almost everyday. :)

I am living my dream, my dream has come true!

The feeling is almost overwhelming. The instant I saw the airport I knew... I knew this was my favorite place.

You know that saying, "Heaven on earth?'' If this isn't even close to Heaven, I can't imagine what Heaven will be like!

Some of my feeling of excitement, comes from the feeling of being on vacation.

Traveling India, experiencing the trains and hotels, is not what I would call vacationing at all. Nepal gives the same feel.

We have been traveling (which has been amazing) but now, yes, deep breath, now I am vacationing.

I can see the tops of the buildings, because there is no pollution. I don't have to worry about conserving toilet paper, because one push of a button, and there is a roll at my door! I don't have to worry if there is going to be clean water everywhere I go. I can trust my hotel and taxi driver.

Oh this feels SO good!

I'd like to think that Thailand gets all the credit for the amazingness I have experienced, but I feel some of the credit goes to a little thing called "reverse culture shock," or maybe deprivation from many good things?

Being on vacation, experiencing such lovely things, makes me miss home.

Home is a true blessing.

Home has just about everything you can find in Thailand, but until I could experience my "dream place" for myself, I couldn't realize that home, actually has more.

Home has my mom, Whit, Jenny, and Alexis.

At this point, you could say I am homesick. Traveling is a good teacher I'd say.

God, thank you for sending me the ability to experience your world, and to learn from it.

I am blessed.

More Wonder from Traveling- Kati

I was not expected for the awe, emotion, wonder and love that the Taj Mahal offered me.

As I walked through two large arch ways and was faced straight at the Taj Mahal my breath was stolen from me with no warning.

I finally understand why it is part of the 7 wonders of the world. Pictures truly do not and could not ever capture the magnificent architecture, light, detail, and the plain blue sky backdrop of this amazing palace. I never thought a building could give me such feelings. I was caught off guard.

The large marble structure made of love. the 2nd greatest act of love. A emperor made 3 promises to his dying wife. the 1st being he would not remarry. the 2nd that he would always take care of their children and the 3rd that he would build a monument in her honor.

He fulfilled all three promises.

Walking through its large marble ceilings and walls filled with hand carved flowers, so many question ran through my head.

Did he know his act of love would reach the whole world?

Did his wife know what he was going to build?

How much did he really love her or did he do it because he had the money?

Did it take him a long time to think of what to build?

So many question that leave me in awe and wonder.

Maybe that is why they are called the 7 wonders of the world, because they leave you wondering.

This place was magical and eye opening. Any thing seemed possible. I never thought a marble building would have such an impact on me.

My Dad- Hillary

This trip has been so good for for my dad and me.

I am so glad he came.

He seems comfortable, and that makes me feel comfortable.

It finally seems like we have gotten the hang of traveling. I am a proud traveler!

My dad makes us laugh. From his gas, to his terrible friendliness to strangers (who are usually trying to rip us off). He is learning, slowly but surely.

He is so easy to laugh with, but even easier to laugh at... When he ate that chile, because he thought it was a green bean, I about died from laughter. He about died from pain.

The way he leaves something everywhere he goes, is unbelievable!

He has diarrhea, we actually all do, but he is so funny about his "explosions."

He is an extremely friendly guy. I never knew just HOW FRIENDLY he is. He attracts people everywhere we go, and he always tries to develop a friendship with them. I remember when we first took a walk with him down the village road, he was waving and saying hi to everyone that passed. It was inspiring!

Being in India for long term, simple things like waving to passing people, start to fade.

I want to be ALIVE!

I want to leave India after six months, and still be reacting to things, like it was my first day in India, everyday. I don't want to become numb to the fact that I am doing God's work, experiencing moments after moments of a lifetime.

I love my dad.

He is aware of his weaknesses, he seeks change in himself, he is a committed follower of Christ, he cares about me. ALOT.

He loves home, more than I could imagine. He is seriously friendly, every time I leave him he finds a friend. He likes to plan ahead, but is terrible at it. He can adapt, just slowly.

He is just. Pure. Loving.

Dad, I am so glad I got this opportunity to finally get to know YOU.

Nepal -Kati

Captivating.

It reveals itself to the world in such a unique way. From the bustling lively city, to the serene quiet majestic mountains.

Nepal captivates me.

It's city invites me in with a warm "nameste" (hello). Even if the person behind the greetings motives are to get me to buy some trinket, the sound of this foreign word reminds me that I am in Nepal... A foreign country.

The trinkets, scarfs, Northface goods, and all the organic green hippie culture captivates me, invites me in. I love seeing people around me who are enjoying the same things I am. Watching Hillary barter with the store keepers to get the right price makes me smile. It reminds me that in America I can't do this. I can't get a Northface vest for 20 some dollars. I love the feeling of getting that price you want.

Lost?! not an option. I love feeling like this city is my own. Like I know every crack and corner, every store and coffee shop. I like people depending on me to get them were we need to go. This feeling captivates me .

Traveling up to the temple on top of the hill surrounded by the vast city of Kathmandu, while being surrounded by laughing monkey's. Captivating.

Monks in prayer, showing their devotion to their religion. Following the sounds of chanting mantras echoing through the temple walls leaves me captivated.

Sunrises in the Himalayas takes my breath away as the sun slowly reveals each peak one by one. This leaves me leaves me only one thing to do... Pray. Thanking God for this creative, lovely, pure, majestic, captivating scene.

Small villages, children bathing outside, small goats, hilltop terraces, and the company of good friends to make me laugh leaves me smiling ear to ear. My smile becomes captivating to me.

I hope to one day create a place as captivating as nepal has been for me.

Thank you Nepal.

Our Great Adventures Continue...

We are now in the middle of our travels. We started off out of Andhra Pradesh, India up to Delhi by train. Our first train ride was 37 hours, which we thought was only going to be 24 hours (that was exciting). We then traveled to a city near the border of Nepal which took a 12 hour train ride. We arrived at 3am in Goraktpur, and had to wait two hours until the city came alive.

We ended up making it to the border, don't worry we didn't sneak across...It took us 1 full day of driving to finally make it to our destination, the city of Kathmandu, Nepal. We have been having a great time, filled with roaming the streets, exploring temples, listening to monks chant, and bartering (which Hillary has gotten quite good at).

We also just got back from the mountains where we got to watch the sunrise across the magnificent Himalayan Range. It was amazing! And yes, we did see Everest. Now, we have two more days of roaming the streets and finding new sights to see in Nepal.

We will write when we can! We miss everyone!

So Young but so Wise. -Kati

Last night some friends from the school took us on a walk to a near by village that we had never been to before. Our friends took us to one of their friends houses.

They showered us with love, food, and drinks.

Kids from the village came and surrounded us, as we sat underneath the cool sky.

Hillary's dad (Paul) pulled out his camera and started to take pictures of all the children.

There was one little boy who was sitting in his swing that Paul took a picture of. Paul then showed the little boy the picture. The little boy immediately started to talk very fast, with excitement in his voice. We could not understand what he was saying though because he was speaking Telugu. We were all surprised at this four year olds talkative nature.

We quickly asked our friend to come over and translate for us.

According to this little boy, we had very white skin... and he said so did he.

He then went on to tell us that our hands were beautiful and so were his.

This little boy is so young but yet so wise. He saw that we were not that different at all and that we are all beautiful.

He was seeing us the way God sees us... all the same.

Do I fit? - kati

Have you ever tried to fit in, either at school or home?

I know I have.

Whether we like it or not, it is part of our human nature, to attempt fitting into our surroundings.

I have tried to be like my sister. Do the things she does. Try to wear the clothes she wears, go where she goes.

I have tried to fit in at school. Play the games kids play, wear the clothes my friends wear. Talk with the newest lingo.

Trying to fit into this world can be really rough and exhausting.

Everybody is trying to find their part in the big puzzle.

A couple nights ago 4, 10 standard girls and dean Lalitha came over to our house to enjoy a nice evening of cooking and just hanging out.

We cooked most of the evening. They taught us how to make the most wonderful, flavorful food. Each ingredient had a special part and was meant to be in the mix.

They taught us traditional Indian dances. Coordinating your head with the rest of your body can be very challenging. Each move was precise and had a purpose.

The like to laugh and joke a lot, which is pretty much saying the opposite of what something is. For example: "Kati you have such dark skin." With each joke, there was love behind it.

We ate, we talked, we laughed, we joked.

With these girls I did not have to try to fit in. Even though I am completely different from them, they brought me in with open arms, accepting me exactly how I am.

They did not make me feel bad for not doing the traditional dancing correctly. They did not make me feel like I had to impress or work to fit in. I just simply fit.

I use to think that life had to be about finding your place, fitting in.

Now I realize that you already have a place.

I now have the opportunity to make the people I encounter feel the same way I felt with those girls... That trying to fit in is overrated, because you already do fit in.

Random Happenings

Here are a few random happenings in India:

1. Have you ever been flipped off while being greeted? Well we have...

2. Every man in India has a mustache. MANHOOD!

3. While we were sick, we were told it was because of "bad eyes" (or jealous eyes), so to fix our sickness they put salt and chile in their hand and performed a ritual on us.

4. Everywhere we eat, we can count on enjoying a few ants in our food or drink.

5. In America, girls are always touching. In India you can't keep the boys from holding hands in class.

6. With such limited access to supplies, we find ourselves googling "home remedies" for just about everything.

7. With such limited access to hobbies, has left our wall with dirty footprints... handstands!

8. No baby diapers in India, we have both learned that the hard way!

9. We thought we had outgrown "pinched cheeks", we were wrong.

10. Our students pretend not to understand English.

11. Have you ever stopped a school bus full of kids based on your nationality?

12. Cooking,cutting, eating... on the floor.

13. Monkey's charging us on a normal grocery run.

14. People talking to us and insisting we understand Telugu.

15. What most people would call a " a quick grocery run" takes us around 2 hrs.

16. We can never get more than one item at one place.

17. We sweep the bugs out of our bed before we sleep, sometimes we're too tired.

18. Seeing men going to the bathroom on the side of the road...normal. It's when we get to see their bare butt that we get really lucky!

19. Our newness never runs out. The kids love us everyday all day, just like day one.

20. Showers every 5 days...That's on a good week.

21. People ask us what we ate for breakfast everyday. It is like saying "hello."

22.Our clothes and our dishes are never fully clean.

23. We bathe with a bucket of cold water, hence the showers every five days. We hold out as long as possible.

24. Every time we go to somebody's house we are guaranteed a cup of tea. We are way past our "three cups of tea". :)

25. We dance a lot. Thinking about trying out for the new hip Indian music video. We are still discussing...

26. We can't get enough of Ramone from the Proposal.

27. Never have to worry about too many options for meals.

28. We have gotten pretty good at pretending we like things, or hiding things in the trash.

29. Rice bellies are coming along nicely, thanks for asking.

30. Everyday, the experiences never get old...How could they? We are in India!

I'm a Fighter-Hillary

I'm a fighter, I'm tired of fighting now...

As I was meditating today, I noticed I was holding on to a lot of things, a lot of things that were bringing me down. I don't want to take care of these things anymore. I don't want negativity to be living in my thoughts anymore.

I get so bothered when someone wants to feed us. I turn into something I don't want to be. I become negative, and then it ruins my moments I could be enjoying next to my best friend, next to the ones showing me love.

Kati inspires me every time we eat somewhere, because she is so kind right off the bat, she acts like the fact that she is going to walk out of the house with a "rice belly" as a great thing.

That is what I want!

I want the kindness and love to enjoy the moments that I am put into, and I want to leave the worry and the negativity at home. I am tired of fighting the things I can't control.

I am starting to realize I can't control life as I know it anymore.

I am learning that I just need to LET GO.

Stop the worry. Stop the negativity. Stop the sadness. Stop fighting.

I am ready to let go of my life, because I don't have a choice in what moments God puts in front of me. Now, is the time. Now, is where I realize... God is in control.

Words of Affirmation are GREAT!

You know what is so great about friends?... They make you feel REAL GOOD!

We have a friend...Let's just call him Jacob. Here is a poem we wrote for this random guy we like to call Jacob:

You don't like words of affirmation,

But we couldn't resist the temptation.

Sorry the last entries are somewhat the same,

how could we kill the affirmation flame?

We can't help but laugh when you are around

there is always a giggle, even when you don't make a sound.

On a scale from 1 to 10, you're a twenty!

And as far as muscle goes...You have plenty.

Hungry you always are,

You like to use an etch-it sketch when riding in the car.

We can count on you saying it like it is.

You are some kind of serenading, writing whiz.

We enjoy the late night skype chats,

We love the idea of best friend tats.

Even so far away...

You still have the capability to make our day!

Kati and Hillary

Roomates!

I like to look at friends as God's gift to us!

I mean, friends are there through the tough times.

They are always there when we need a good laugh.

Friends are the people who help inspire us.

This is exactly what Hillary is to me.

Throughout this whole process, I have learned so many things from Hillary.

She has opened my eyes here in India to many different things, that my eyes had been closed to for so long.

Hillary is confident in herself and she has learned to LET GO AND JUST BE! By her letting go and just simply being, she helps to make everyone who is around her feel comfortable. She has opened her heart to others and now she is able to touch other people's hearts.

She embraces who God created her to be and she lives each day with a purpose of serving him.

She shares her love with everyone she meets in India, and her love for God is even more evident.

She IS a Woman of God.

Thank you Hillary for just being you!

Rainy Days

It's rainy season. Sometimes life calls for a rainy day. A day to stay inside, a day to wish it was sunny, a day to lay around moping, a day to be cold. Or you can take a rainy day and turn it into something magical. A day to hang up your umbrella and step outside, a day to feel the rain on your face, a day to jump through puddles like a small child, a day to dance, a day to expect rainbow!

The rainbow that I have put in the sky will be my sign to you and to every living creature on earth. It will remind you that I will keep this promise forever.

~Genesis 9:13

Our New Baby Brother

Meet Blaine Torta . He was born on November 7, 2009. He is our new baby brother, son of amma and nana.

A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on.

~Carl Sandburg

Slow Down - Kati

Fast. Break a glass. Quick. Stub a toe. Rush. Spill juice.

Ever since I was little this how my life was lived. You could say I lived in the fast lane, no time to stop and smell the roses.

My parents always told me "SLOW DOWN!" whether I was putting dishes away or walking through our house.

I can almost always count on knocking something over when I go out to eat. It is not because I am clumsy I just want to do things efficiently and fast... even though it might cost me something being broken or myself being injured.

Miss Elisabeth is the children home mother. She is a very loving lady. She was diagnosed with polio when she was six and has a very difficult time getting around. Her steps are very small and usually include breaks when venturing any where on campus.

I have had the honor of helping her a few times get her where she needs to go. In the process of helping her we have to go REALLY slow. At first I was not very good at helping her, she would say the o so familiar words, "Slow Down."

Then one night I was walking Miss Elisabeth to a program, and I then realized the beauty in taking my time. I was able to look at the stars which I don't do all that often, but absolutely love and adore. I was able to take a deep breath in and pray for a moment.

I have realized that you can slow down and still be efficient.

My new challenge is to slow down and smell the roses, gaze at the stars, listen to a friend, pray and just simply enjoy the small things around me. Maybe in taking my time, I will save a few glasses and stubbed toes.

God has created so many extraordinary things and people around us to enjoy daily.

Why rush?

Mom and dad you are so smart! If only I had listened to you sooner.

Halloween in India...

Halloween in India is just not the same...

We went through most of the day not even realizing that it was Halloween.

We finally decided that we needed to celebrate this holiday, even if India was not celebrating.

We got out our masks that our dear friend sent us, an elephant and lion how perfect right?

So there we were, a lion and elephant laying out on the mattress we brought out onto the porch. Our Amma and Nana soon joined us. We even had our Nana dress up as an elephant. We explained what Halloween was, and how kids go around to strangers houses and ask for candy.

We even went trick-or-treating... with each other. ha ha.

You would be surprised at how many Halloween parties we went to. We were a hot item. We skyped one party to the next. We even danced a little. Our costumes were a hit. What can we say? We are party ANIMALS! ha ha.

Don't ever underestimate our ability to celebrate.

Might not have been our typical Halloween night, but it sure was fun!

Just another memorable evening in India!

Peanut Surprise

It was just our typical day in India, or so we thought...

After staff worship Kati and I had some free time, so we decided to get in our morning walk.

As we were walking outside of a village, we were stopped and called over by some friendly villagers. They were working in a field off the road picking ground nuts (peanuts), and wanted to share some with us. So being the kind people that we are, Kati and I joined them in the field.

As they fed us peanut after peanut, Kati and I decided to get down on the ground and help them work. We would grab the peanut plant out of a pile and pick the peanuts off.

I went to grab another peanut plant, saw something black, and felt a quick sting. I stood up quickly in shock over the pain. The pain started rushing through my finger, then my wrist, then my arm, and up to my shoulder. I immediately burst in to tears from the unbearable pain.

Noticing we were a mile away from the school, I didn't think I was going to live. I knew scorpion bites were very dangerous and I was very scared. Meanwhile, Kati was looking at me confused as to what just happened. She was afraid that I had been bitten by a cobra, because she had not seen what stung me. Through my tears I told Kati I had been stung by a scorpion. So Kati decided to send us running for help.

While we were running, it was only a matter of time until Kati stopped a motorcyclist passing by and threw us on the back of the bike. The man asked to see my finger and began squeezing my finger to stop the poison from spreading. He dropped us off at the school and we ran into the compound to find help. Immediately I was thrown into the school van and rushed off to get help.

We arrived promptly at the nearest doctor. The doctors office was a hole in the wall that was very run down. I was nervous by the way the place looked already, but then when he decided to give me a shot... I FREAKED out. I tried to refuse the shot, because of all the warnings of needles in 3rd world countries, and I did not see him take the needle out of a package. Kati sitting by my side reassured me that I had the choice of the poison spreading through my body or a small chance of HIV...

I chose the HIV...

No just kidding, Kati saw the man open up the package the needle was in.

She held my hand and told me it was going to be alright.

After the first two shots, the pain started to subside. My finger and arm had already swollen up to their max capacity. Unfortunately, that is where the shots and the swelling just began. He sent me home for a couple of hours with two needles and medicine. If you are wondering what the two needles are for, this is where all the fun begins!

Not only was Kati my hero, but she also got to be my doctor...

She had to give me two more shots in my butt.

Really, its not funny, even though we were laughing.

It was a long painful day, with lots of emotion, scare, and shots, but I walked away ALIVE with an experience I will never forget.

Dear Followers...

Sorry we have not written in awhile. We have been moved out of our house temporarily while Maranatha works on a project. We are leaving tomorrow for Ongole, which is a town about 5 hours away. We will be gone for about a week, helping start a school! We are doing well and having a great time.

These past few days have tested our adaptability skills to new situations. We are growing more and more patient everyday, and God is giving us so much room to grow. It has been an amazing experience to get the chance to meet the donors of this school. It has inspired us to really be involved in missions even more in our lives, and to embrace the opportunity that each one of us has to help. We are blessed.

Change is good for the both of us and in this change we need a daily reminder on how to start our day, so we wanted to share with you what Max Lucado has shared with us: "Each Day I Choose" by Max Lucado

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I am free to choose.

I choose Love.... No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose Joy.... I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose Peace.... I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose Patience.... I will overlook the inconvenience of the world. Instead of cursing the one that takes my place, I will invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for the moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose Kindness.... I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose Goodness.... I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose Faithfulness.... Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose Gentleness.... Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be on myself.

I choose Self-Control.... I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my Faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.