Home sweet home

I know, I know - you're all thinking...is Mumbai really THAT boring that Jamie can't think of anything to write about? Is THAT why she has failed to update us?

Well, my friends. THAT is hardly the case at all! In fact, Mumbai is so the opposite of boring that sometimes I have difficulty deciding on which one of my adventuresome tales I should share! And then, by the time I settle on one I remember that I still don't have the Internet in my apartment, that it's really late and that I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open. I hope my procrastination and lethargy has not caused you too much undue suffer.

Since my last, and only previous update, a LOT has happened - so I will be providing you with some short snippets of the past few weeks and then I promise to be better about updating you as my life unfolds :) Thank you in advance for your grace!

At the beginning of February, I had the pleasure of hosting 35 members of my family from Crossroads (my church in Cincinnati) for a week long justice trip in Mumbai! This is the same trip that I took last year! Needless to say, I was super excited for them to come; not only because I was going to get to see some of my closest friends from home, but ALSO because I just knew they were in for a life changing experience! I couldn't wait to show them around MY new city and see how it impacted them in the process.

Some highlights from that ah-mazing week:
-Visited my favorite aftercare home TWICE! It was so good to see my beautiful girls again. I have been praying for them and dreaming of our reunion for a year! I could dance to bollywood music, give hugs and hear the words "Jamie didi" all day for the rest of forever and I would be perfectly content!

-Worshipped with Crossroads every morning (after loading up on croissants and french-pressed coffee from the Hyatt)! I SO needed that familiar connection with the Lord everyday. One of the things I miss most about the U.S. is the style of worship I'm accustomed to WITH the people I'm accustomed to worshipping with - I got BOTH of those desires fulfilled in one week. Cha-ching!

-Saw numerous people become radically transformed into full-on justice warriors that exuded the love of Christ and the HOPE of our Father in the most glorious of ways. God moved in Mumbai that week in a way that I had never felt before. It was truly "Kingdom come".

Though, I was sad to see my family go back to Cincinnati after their week in Mumbai - I was also very glad to get back to "normal". You see, while they were in town a lot of other things were happening too. Most notably, my roommate and I moved into our new apartment!

We got news the week that Crossroads was here that Amanda - my original roomie, was not going to be joining us in Mumbai at all. My initial reaction was not of devastation (which I had been gearing up for), but of relief. I had a feeling during training week in D.C. that Amanda might not come to Mumbai. I didn't like that idea so I tried putting it out of my head, but the Lord's will be done, right?! Amanda is embarking on a separate journey (potentially to Cambodia or Rwanda) and I could not be more proud and excited for her!

Alexis (my new roommate and love of my life!) and I moved into our new flat the same week that I was busy running around with the group from Crossroads. It's a lovely little place complete with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen and living room. We have a few balconies as well and a lovely view of other apartment buildings in our neighborhood! As soon as we are finished decorating (that is the fun part!) I will send pictures! A BIG thank you to our supporters- we would not have such nice accommodations if it were not for you! We want our flat to be a place of rest and relaxation for us and so far it has done the trick!

The third, and quite possibly, the BEST thing that has happened in the last few weeks is that I have found a church home :) After my week-long honeymoon with Crossroads (is that weird?) I started feeling like God wanted something different for me in terms of community so I started praying about where I should be worshiping. On Friday, during my small group, the girls and I decided that we should try a house church we had been hearing about called Avatar Church. Not only did it have a cool name, but it sounded like it would be a really neat experience.

"Really neat" doesn't even begin to cover it! OH. My. GOSH. Perfect FIT. Since it's a house church it's really intimate. We arrived a few minutes late (which if you know me at all almost caused me to have a heart attack) and were welcomed by the sounds of an acoustic guitar leading worship to the tune of a familiar song. The sermon was just what I needed to hear. After the service, every single person made their way to our group to say hello and engage us in conversation. I felt completely at home. When it comes to connecting with my God, I am all about feeling at home...and I am certain that He led me to Avatar so I could feel that again.

Oh. and get this. Avatar is all about coffee! I'm not even kidding. This is what their program says on the back "New here? We love stories and we love coffee. If you are new, we would love to meet you and hear your story. Expect a call from us!" [insert picture of coffee cup here].

Whaaaat! Are you kidding me! I found the Indian equivalent to Crossroads! HALLELUJAH! I mean. Come on! JESUS YOU ARE SO FREAKING GOOD, MAN! I LOVE YOU! AH! After church, the interns and I went out to lunch with a bunch of people from Avatar (after we had hung around and had coffee of course) and then later in the afternoon, my roommate, Lexi, and I went down to South Bombay with some of the guys to relax on the lawn at the Indian Cricket Club and see to a comedy show at the Tata Theatre!

So there you have it people! I feel very settled here now. I have had a dose of home from my Crossroadians, I HAVE a home to live in, AND I found a new family to share in fellowship with <3 It is all good in my neighborhood!

Love,

Jamie didi

ps: Sorry there are no pictures this time. I need to upload some and will attach them very soon! Thank you all for the love, prayers and support!