Mysore & Goa Trip Update

It was a tiring fortnight with lots of travelling as we covered a distance of nearly 2000 kms.
The kids had their share of fun and it was perhaps one of their most treasured school holidays so far.

We want to thank you for your prayers as it’s been invaluable. Here’s an update: YES, it’s a bit long, but thank you for praying. It’s an answer to your prayers that sees me write this update:

a) MYSORE TRIP:
The trip to Mysore went well. There were 13 students & 5 staff. It’s been a while since I taught in a YWAM set-up and it was like a ‘re-entry’. I taught on James, but being in the format of a PREACHER’S WORKSHOP, I spent most of the time teaching them how to put together a Topical Sermon. At the end we did a specimen on HOW TO PUT TOGETHER A SERMON from bits & pieces, approaching it from a topical perspective and using the scriptures (especially from James for this teaching) to bring in relevant application. The students enjoyed this but the challenging part for them was the preaching in class for 12 mts. the following day. It was a nervous beginning for some of them, but they thoroughly enjoyed it. We listened to 13 sermons on that day … some were very challenging and inspiring.

While I was teaching, the kids were having their share of fun playing and making new friends. One afternoon we took them to the zoo - Theo was fascinated with the animals which he had only seen on pictures or on TV so far. Tryphena had been to the zoo a couple of times and she savoured showing her little brother the different animals.
One of the words Theo mastered during this time was MASSIVE. The tigers in the zoo were really huge and he overheard us use this word. And since then anything ‘big’ in his eyes, he had to use the word ‘massive’, including the food in his plate, especially when he didn’t want to eat.
And that was one word we had to hear the rest of the time, as he kept repeating over and over again for various things.

b) CHURCH RETREAT:
Upon return from Mysore, we had a whole day church retreat. It was a long and tiring day. I shared a bit on meditation, which I am so inclined to, and we had some time meditating on the scriptures as a group. The feedback was motivating.

c) TRIP TO GOA:
The next day saw us on the road, as we were headed to Goa – a drive of 650 kms. through the windy, dirty & at times on decent roads. It took us 16 hrs to cover that stretch, which we paced over 2 days.

UPDATE ON CARMEN’S MUM:
We were blessed to see Carmen’s mum in good health, recovering very well from her hip surgery. The wounds are healed and she is a bit mobile, with a walker. There is a maid full-time to attend to her. But we were surprised at how fit she looked – it won’t be long before she is up and about. Thanks for praying with us.

The kids had a blast here, visiting the beach every day. I was not of much help with my prosthetic leg as I couldn’t get into the water, but Carmen was around the kids watching them while they played in the water.
The sea had turned really wild and every day we kept reading in the newspaper that tourists were drowning in Goa. The place where we were, there were 4 lifeguards on duty. In spite of that, one of the tourist had drowned just a week before we got there.
Theo and Tryphena also enjoyed a nice horse ride along the coastal area on the beach (check out the 4 video clips down below). Theo just loves horses, but so far he was scared to even get closer to it (though he talks a lot about it!) … but this time he was brave enough to sit on one. He enjoyed it so much and went for a 2nd round too … and he keeps talking about it.

RETURN TRIP:
On our way back, we stopped in one place where an Indian Navy warship (used to launch missiles), was kept on display for the public. It was a great experience to go inside and check out what it feels like to be on the inside of a ship. There were some wax statues of the crew, which looked so real. Naturally, the kids stayed clear from the crew!

A NARROW ESCAPE:
We saw the hand of God in answer to many prayers, as we nearly collided head on with a tractor with no headlights on our way back, which was coming on our side of the lane in spite of the dual carriageway (it was well after dark in the evening with a slight drizzle and intermittent showers).
I couldn’t see it coming, as there was a car in front of me and a van ahead of that. But I guessed something was not right when the van in front, swerved to the left right after overtaking a huge truck (which is quite strange, as you don’t overtake and jump lanes right in front of them at that speed). And before I realized there was this tractor coming towards me stuttering along (and I was doing almost 60+ kms.) and it was like 15-20 ft away from me.
Praise God, the big truck to my left was alert to what was happening and moved a little to his left, allowing me that little bit of space between him and the oncoming tractor.
That was too close for comfort! Skipped a few heartbeats then!

We were driving right through that day to finish our journey in one day – it took us about 13 hours to reach home – but we are glad to be home now, safe and sound.