INDIA MAY 2014 Travel Days

Saturday morning met me with overwhelming emotions and confusion.  

Mark Gower and I were the only two of the original group of six who were able to schedule an oversight trip at this time to honor Gary Tate and to assess the potential future participation of GCR mission committee in India.  We arranged for Ray McMillan from Canada to accompany us on the trip. Ray has had over fifty years of missionary service in India and knows the culture and most of our works very well.  He will be able to help us discern culture and tradition and to set up supervising boards to oversee incoming funds and make visits between our future trips.

We had completed visa applications online mailed off our passports by the first of April.  Although the process was slated to take up to ten business days, by last Sunday we had not received the passports.  Ray left Monday and flew from Calgary over the Pacific to India. He was scheduled to meet with some of his contacts in New Delhi and Guwahatti before our arrival.  Tuesday evening we both had them in hand, so the trip was a go!

Friday night my mother, who had been in and out of the hospital and rehab for over two weeks, developed pneumonia.  She had been scheduled to leave rehab and return home on Saturday.  She was rushed into ICU unable to breathe.  Sheri, my sister, told me Mother had insisted that I make the trip and for her not to tell me about her going to ICU.  Through the night her condition seemed to worsen and I was advised not to travel.  I re-packed my car for a trip to Dallas.  I contacted Mark, Ray McMillan, church leaders and Indian contacts to let them know Mark would travel alone.  Then my sister sent me a text video of my mother from her ICU bed telling me to get on the plane and make the trip.  (My car is still packed with "Dallas" clothes in my garage in Odessa.)

Arriving at the airport at 8:30, Mark thought I would be giving him the Indian rupees I had exchanged for hotels and travel expenses.  I think Connie was the most pleased that I was already checked in when they arrived!

Our trip was long.  Everything flowed smoothly, but I used 97% of my cell phone power in the texts, calls and emails in airports...Midland to Houston to Newark to Delhi.  It was not until I reached the hotel in Delhi that I received further word from my sister and brother who were with Mother.  On top of the pneumonia she had another flash pulmonary edema episode!  She remains in ICU, but is in stable condition again.

Mark and I were glad to be met at the airport by the hotel shuttle.  Once on our floor and into our rooms, we quickly contacted home and settled into a comfortable clean repose.  I think my sleep was actually three two-hour naps, but we are refreshed for our Monday morning flight to Guwahatti.  We will meet Ray at the hotel and later visit in the home of Ragav Ray today.

Follow along with our visits as we live ten and one half hours in your future for the next two weeks!