This morning we are in Vydjawada, Adrah Pradesh. By 9:30 am it was already scorching. We took a short bus ride into the heart of the nearby slums, unloaded from our bright purple AC Coach bus and stood in the alley not knowing what to expect. Our new guide, Emmanuel, led us briskly up and down sets of uneven concrete stairs, through very narrow walkways, around broken water pumps and under dangling electrical wires to a small, dark 6x6 room which turned out to be the home of 5 children. We all piled into the space, ducking our heads under the spinning ceiling fan. Emmanuel introduced the kids to us and asked us to pray for them. Two of the girls (ages 4 and 6) had just lost their mother to AIDS. A picture of her hangs on the wall. Their father, also HIV positive, works all day in construction, so they are mostly alone. Then Emmanuel dropped the news that these sisters, too, have HIV. They are the prettiest, sweetest girls. We got on our knees, they put their hands together and squinted shut their eyes, and we prayed. It was the only thing we could do and the most important thing we could do, all at the same time. When we climbed out of that room, we wiggled our way through more of the slums (to the residents' great surprise) to the very edge of the riverbed, where there is a small orphanage for about 25 children. The "river" is completely dry. Children were using the land to play cricket. It is also about a 50 foot descent to climb down from the slum's edge. Separating the river from the slums is a landslide of trash that doubles as the community bathroom. We were quickly surrounded by at least 50 dirty and curious children. They seemed fascinated by Mike, Mat and Adam. The group following me showed off their English skills in a little pointing game -- naming the colors of their shirts, the surrounding animals (dog, water buffalo, bird, eagle). It had to be over 100 degrees and we were all looking like we came straight out of the shower. The pastor of the orphanage showed us the 15x15 foot foundation where he dreams of building his church for this forgotten community. After spending a little time with the kids near the riverbed's edge, we climbed back up into the slum to an 8x10 patio. We introduced ourselves to the smiling children, prayed for them, and sang "Amazing Grace" in the middle of swarming flies and the stench of raw sewage. Then, in a matter of minutes, we were back on our purple AC Coach bus and in the heart of city traffic, all wondering what had just happened. This trip has been a birrage of surreal experiences, and we will not come back the same. Our hearts are broken for these people, but I pray that each scar we are experiencing builds up our faith. I just keep thinking that we have so much to learn about how to love each other. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we travel 4+ more hours today by bus. Please pray that we continue to be a unified and effective team, and that we can bring joy into these undesireable and unloved places. Megan, thank you so much for your letter to me that you sent with Eric. It really touched my heart. I love you, I hope you are feeling well, and can't wait to see you on the 26th! We hope to write again very soon. Love, Allison