Day 1, Take 2

Vanakkum from India! I see Liz has beat me to the punch with blogging for the day... nonetheless I must share with you my thoughts. (feel free to reference her pictures though) :)
After arriving in Chennai in the wee hours of the morning, the team was able to get a few hours of much needed rest. At noon we reconvened and went to Spencer Plaza for some lunch and midday shopping. Since I slept right through breakfast, I couldn't wait to dine in at Pizza Hut, one of the few "American delicacies" available here in town. Happy to see a familiar friend, I downed four pieces of pepperoni pizza and a mango/banana smoothie before we hit the mall in search of authentic Indian wear.
Prema, our fearless leader, took us into each of the shops where the attendants pulled out sari upon sari in a vast array of beautiful colors: from sunset orange to emerald green to champagne chiffon- the options were endless. But mind you, Prema wants only the best for her American friends, so she wasn't afraid to haul out of the store when she deemed the fabric too "nasty" or the the service too "rude" for her taste. However, I couldn't keep my eye off a soft creme sari, bordered with pale pink, adorned in gold and strewn with glistening thread. So much so that in our sudden rush out of the shop to get to our next destination in time with Prema denouncing the poor service, I slipped the man at the counter a couple hundred rupees and ran away with my precious sari at a "10% off student discount."
Feeling sheepish for purchasing a sari from a seller that Prema deemed less than hospitable, I didn't boast too much about my stunning new addition to my wardrobe. In spite of the ordeal it was to buy this certainly overpriced 7 yards of fabric, I look forward to wearing my new outfit to tomorrow's church services and New Years Day festivities.
After the exciting rush I got from my first Indian shopping experience I couldn't wait to see what was in store for us next. Riding shotgun with Raj through the bustling streets of Chennai where the rules of the road are merely suggestions and the honk of a horn is more of a greeting than the American expression of rage - we made our way to St. Thomas Mount.
St. Thomas is my father's namesake so I was incredibly excited to go to the place that knew the presence of this Holy man. Here we were able to reflect upon why we traveled half way across the world, sacrificing our time, money, and sleep. Jen put it aptly when she said that St. Thomas, a man who timidly journeyed to India to proclaim the Resurrected Christ, was simply taking the next step that God had called for his life and that we are continuing the work that St. Thomas lived and died for long ago.
We saw the "Bleeding Cross" that St. Thomas carved, which later became the site of his martyrdom. We saw the well that St. Thomas drew life from - a rock from which water still sprouts to this day in a an otherwise dry land. Lastly, we saw the cave in which St. Thomas spent many months in solitude trying to escape the persecutors who would eventually take his life.
I am both humbled and comforted when I remember that St. Thomas was first Doubting Thomas, the man who had to touch the wounds of the Resurrected Christ before he could say "My Lord and My God." I am the first to admit that I have had my fair share of doubts in my faith journey, but God works in miraculous ways and He always reveals Himself to His people. I know and see God everyday in the rising sun, the smile of a passerby, and through all the relationships He has woven into my life. The visit to St. Thomas Mount reminded me that God used to and still continues to work through His people in a very real and tangible way. I think I speak for the Team when I say we are ready, willing, and excited to go be the Hands and Feet of Christ and show God's LOVE to the people of Kalavai!

Blessings Upon You in the New Year!
~Victoria