We are leaving to come back to the states in about 7 hours. I am sitting in a run down cyber cafe in Mumbai trying to reflect and capture what God has been able to do through our small group of 8 people. I say 8 people because our friend Veer has been with us every step of the journey. He left us early this morning to go back to his family, but before he left we spent some fantastic time in prayer. We talked about God, the trip, orphans, and pastors. One particular story sticks out in my mind...

Apparently, we had a silent 9th member of our team. His name is Thomas. He was our Indian bus driver for the past week. Veer told us that he and Matthew were talking yesterday (they were always talking during the long drives. What they were saying, I did not know at the time) and Thomas was commenting on how different our group was from the other "Americans" that he had driven around. I am paraphrasing Veer's comments "They are different because they don't just talk about things, they go out and do them. They work from sun-up and well into the night. They don't just give some toys to the orphans and leave, but they pray, tell bible stories, and spend their time and money with the children. They are an encouragement to the pastors and these children" Thomas was proud to be a part of our group. At first he was very quiet and did not interact at all, but i think as he saw the heart of God in what we were doing he was drawn to it. We never said anything to him, but we could see him getting closer and closer to the action as we went along. By the time we hit the last orphanage in Tenkasi, he was in the middle of the fray, playing catch with the kids, smiling and laughing out loud. It is a testament.

I don't say these things to compliment our team, (although they certainly deserve it) but rather to glorify the One that has changed our hearts and given us the grace to carry out His mission. I am so grateful to have been given the chance to be a light in this place. By God's grace, the team has been able to go out and:

Purchased computers for the children in several of the orphanages
Bought several thousand pounds of rice and other food
Helped buy 57 pairs of shoes
Bought clothes for the boys and girls
Bought school supplies, textbooks and materials
Bought a cow for an orphange near Angamally (as far as i know, an i58 first :)

In addition, we have given out a lot of financial support to the orphanages who so desperately needed it. These are just a few of the things we have been able to give out as we have visited the kids. We will post the full list when we get back! It is amazing...

Thanks again to our team back home. You might not have been able to make it on this trip, but we knew you were here. The blog was a hit, and we will continue to use it in the future. Without your support and your prayers, we could not have done what we set out to do.

All for the Glory of God who makes it possible.

-eric