The first day in India after our trip out is a long and hard day, especially for people who haven't experienced India before.   Our group left right on schedule.  O'Hare was almost as crowded as the Bangalore Central Railway station.  We were smoothly en route to London when somebody on our plane got REALLY sick.  As a result, the pilot had to make a detour to Montreal to drop the person off (not literally).  We couldn't land with all the jet fuel that was on board the aircraft, as a result, we had to jettison off the extra fuel from the airplane.  It was quite an interesting sight to watch liquid being shot out of the wings of a jet.  If the pilot hadn't told us about it ahead of time, I'm sure we would have been a little concerned.   So, Montreal ended up being an hour long endeavor.  We had to refuel and after the medics were able to take the woman off the plane, we proceeded on to London.  Fortunately, since our layover was over 5 hours long, we still made it to London with plenty of time to catch our connecting flight to Bangalore.
     The rest of the journey was smooth as well.  I was proud of our time because, in essence, they had taken 2 back to back 10 hour flights!   We are officially now on the other side of the world.  It was easy to be up in the morning but the afternoon sapped us of the initial adrenaline rush.  I was glad to finally get to bed around 8:30ish or so last night.   We packed a lot in yesterday.  The girls got to get clothes stitched for the second leg of our tour.  The guys got to play some cricket.  Also, there were motorcycle rides for everyone.   So all in all, it was a 72 hour day (or at least it felt that way).
     We are going for a walk in a bit after which we head out to an orphanage to visit with some kids and play with them.  Tomorrow, we are off on a safari.  We also have to lead the youth group tomorrow night at the church here.  So lots to do..but we'll keep you all updated!  Thank you again!  We love you all!  :) 

Its 8:15 AM right now.  Katy is getting ready to head to church while I am, as usual, checking up on emails and cricket scores.   We are mentally in India while physically present here in the US.  Our living room is now being used as a temporary "packing" room.   We have suitcases, gifts, clothes, books, music, and just about every other thing strewn everywhere.  It really isn't a mess, just a little chaotic.  It's almost as if we are trying to finish this puzzle...make all those pieces fit into these two boxes.   The last couple of weeks have been interesting.  When you are leading a group, weeks prior to departure, you begin to get goosebumps thinking about all the fun you will have, all the relationships that will form and all the adventures we will be a part of.  However, the last week, just prior to getting on the plane, you begin to wonder about last minute stuff.  Katy and I have been running around getting things set up.  It is not just the things that you need to take with you but it also involves what you leave behind.  We have lined up some wonderful people who will care for what we leave behind, and we will have wonderful people help us in India when we realize that we have forgotten something essential!  Still, it can be a tad harrowing.
     Our flight leaves on Tuesday night from Chicago.   We hope to be there with at least 3 hours to spare (factoring in the traffic in Chicago).   Once we all sit in our seats on British airways and buckle in, I think you will hear a collective sigh of relief!:)  We are so very excited!   Please do keep us in your prayers and please do keep checking back!