lights.

Things are winding down as we have returned to Dehli. Today in our team meeting we went through every day of the trip and what was experienced, accomplished and felt. It was incredible to recount the details of each day, and be filled in on all of the things our b-team saw while away. 

There are a mix of emotions among the ten of us, mostly discussion on how to convey the stories of our travels with the weight they deserve. 

Our final week in India was spent at a children's school in the slums of Dehradun. It was an eye opening experience for us because we physically felt the needs of the kids--their affection and desire to be around loving bodies. We could not walk down the hall without being bombarded with handshakes, high fives, asking for pictures, signatures of our "Hollywood name". They are starving for attention and love, and we were so blessed to be able to give it to them. It is one thing to emotionally sympathize with the circumstances children on this level of poverty undergo; but it is an entirely new feeling when you add the physical aspect to it. To have a true understanding, you must have both. 

Our program was structured in such a way that the seven of us on the a-team took on the role of teachers for the week. The first four periods of class we spent in the courtyards with a group of students from five to eleven years old. We read stories from the book of Daniel with a corresponding activity like coloring and crafts. Then after lunch, we would classroom hop for the remaining four periods; sharing the same story, but followed by discussion, as the students in these classes were older. It was an honor to be in this position, entrusted with the responsibility of taking over an entire class as if we were the instructors. We took respectful ownership of the school for five days and it was fully encouraged.

Throughout the week we were broken up into pairs and taken on a tour of the neighboring slums which was a different experience for each of us. The day we walked, my partner and I felt hopeful with the work our ministry has been doing in this particular slum for the last fourteen years. A lot of the housing has been built up with brick and wood and there are paved roads where mud used to be. Dehradun has a total of 105 slums, this one inhabiting 5,000-6,000 people, a third of which are children. Of those children, about half are in proper schooling. 

A lot of Raven and Lily goods were being prepared for us to take back to the U.S. and it was pretty cool to see the workshop in which that takes place. 

The b-team has finished all but one small part of shooting for the documentary and feel passionate about the things they were able to capture traveling all over, as far as ten kilometers from the border of Nepal! They spent the last few days in Mussoorie, overseeing a youth camp run by friends of our church. Their days on the road were extremely ambitious and adventurous; God's hand made swift moves to direct the three of them in the exact spots they needed to be in order to aide and influence others.

We took the train back to Dehli last night and have returned to the first home we stayed in upon arriving in the country. It is currently the Diwali Festival of Lights all over this region, so we have been surrounded on all sides by the sound of blasting fireworks. The city is covered in strings of lights, a sweet parting gift and certainly symbolic to those of us who view life through that lens. 

Tomorrow evening we fly back to Los Angeles (Sunday morning for you), please pray for our safe return. We all miss our respective friends and family so much...thank you for taking the time to follow us on here. More to come post trip.... ::Sara