Why Not?

my german teammates are pretty awesome.
i started to notice that they said the phrase "why not" quite often.
at first, i was kind of annoyed by it.
now, i love it.

it's a constant reminder to me,
the ever-doubting cynic,
to just say yes and enjoy.

in other news,
life here has been pretty amazing.

it hasn't always been easy, but it has been great. 

for recap sake, here's what's been going on the last month. 

nini and i went to Jodhpur.
it's known as the blue city.

night trains, lots of walking and exploring, 
and a bollywood movie with new friends. 

it was a great time away.

we also took another trip,
but this time, to the mountainous town of mussoorie.
hiking through villages and
a visit to sir george everest former home were on the itinerary.
i loved the clean air, the presence of clouds,
and the chance to watch the sunrise over the mountains.

when we took a break from traveling, we did some work.

well, kind of.

 

chai breaks with the paper

 best street food i ever ate

 posing for pictures because we're foreigners 

 visiting the delhi house's other learning center next to this

and learning about my role there

 special food for thanksgiving!

 a trip with our ashram family to some sites around delhi

nights on the veranda chilling and debriefing

selling the guys' jelwery at the german embassy's
annual christmas market

going to a hindu wedding

 goofing off in the clinic

 using a selfie stick

spending some great times with some awesome families.

this month has also been hard. 

in my time here, eight patients have died.

so many times, the patients come to us a bit too late.

they are only with us a few days before they pass.

but i am so glad they come here and are able to hear of Jesus.

watching so much death is really hard.

my medical mind wants to know how and why
and i want to fix it.
but honestly, there's no way i can.

God has called me to something bigger:
prayer and faithfulness.
to pray without ceasing for the men who come through here.
for their health, for their souls.
to be a faithful servant of the King,
to put others before myself and to speak of Jesus often. 

it's really that simple.
please, join me in praying for the men of the ashram,
both for their physical and spiritual healths.
 

i mean, why not?

ten on ten: welcome to india

so it's technically the eleventh here, but eh, who cares.
i thought a ten on ten post might be a good way for y'all to see a bit of life here.
so away we go!

first off, breathing class

 breakfast of champions

 prepping to dress some wounds

 waiting at the bus stop to start my journey into delhi

 then transfering to the metro

(please note the selfie)

 my view at the registry office for three hours

 not getting ripped off by the rickshaw drivers is my fave.

busin on the way home

 our third roommate

 

it's pretty here sometimes.

today was pretty great.

taking two hours worth of public transportation by myself was quite the victory.

but today ends with a heavy heart.

one of the patients died tonight very suddenly.

we aren't entirely sure the cause, but it was very hard to be a part of.

sadly, this is often life here. 

seemingly preventable diseases lead to early and frequent deaths.

even more heartbreaking is that so many die without the knowledge of the King.

please take the next few moments, days, weeks to lift up the people of India with me.

linking up:

cincerely,

cindy

clear eyes, full heart

i feel like the last two months i've really lived up to my blog title.
well, i guess just the crazy part.
the whole "white woman" thing kinda sticks with you.

anyway,
it's been a crazy two months.
and i'll recap maybe not so quickly.

my sister got married.

it was a crazy weekend full of laughter,

 

special moments,

 and, most importantly, dancing!

at the end of september,
 i moved out of my apartment and home

for the past three and a half years.

it was definitely a bittersweet time.

i'm back living with my parents.

who knew i'd be 28 and living at home.

weird.
{i'd prefer not to have this photo documented}

the giants made it to the world series!

i really love post-season giant's baseball.

i spent a week in socal visiting some dear friends.

after a month and a half of battling,
i finally got my visa!
i think the phrase "best day ever" might actually apply.

i've worked my last day at the VA for a while.

it's been my home away from home for the past four years.

i'm still blown away about how the Lord got me there,

but that's a story for another day.

 the giants are playing in the world series!

did i mention that?

packing.

trying to prioritize your life into two suitcases that 

weigh less than fifty pounds is proving a challenge.

i leave for india in SIX days. 
unreal.
i haven't really had much time to process it all.
in all honesty, some days i feel totally 
unprepared for all that lies ahead.

the tv show friday night lights came up recently,
specifically the famous words of coach taylor:
"clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose."
i know it's completely cheesy
and completely out of context, 
but i think i have a new way of looking at this phrase.

my eyes are clearly fixed on the 

task set before me and on my prize-Christ.

my heart is full with support and affirmation 

from those around me, and full with 

the promises and love of the Lord.

i can't lose. 

romans 8:31, 37-39 says this:

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

a bit of a stretch, i know.
but i don't really care.
every girl needs a theme
and this is an obvious contender.
 
i probably won't post again until i'm in india,
and then i'll really live up to that crazy white woman thing.
so we'll see ya then!


cincerely,


cindy

 

12 days off

i love my job.
i really do.
but when they tell you that you "have" to take 12 days off,
you say yes please.
and make the most of it.
so here's how i did just that.


 

my coworker hooked me up with some wicked 

awesome seats for a giants game.

we even got to see where they do some of the KNBR radio shows!

 

went to chico with my sis
and saw some pretty skies.

we also stopped in sonoma on our way home.

wine country is the best country.

 

had family dinner.

i really love these people.

so so much.

 

threw a bridal shower with the very talented kim

for my very beautiful sister

 

complete with a mimosa bar,

 

personalized recipe box,

 

and homemade lemon scrub.

such a fun day!

 

 then my sister and i left on a jet plane...

 

...to the land of dry heat and sunspurts.

 

arizona, i think i love you.

we went shopping for flopping hats,

took selfies by the pool,

and got gussied up for a nice dinner.

i even got to see two of my favorite people from joshua.

so grateful these friendships stand the test of time!

 

We headed back to the bay
and did a little mug swap prep!
i really love swappin.
and muggin.



Ellen had another shower
and it was so lovely to hang out with these awesome peeps.

all in all, it was a really great {almost} two weeks.
going back to work today has been a bit rough.
but thankfully i got by with some help from my coworkers
and their obsession with donuts.

the next time i have this kind of break,
i'll be on my way to india!
so crazy.
so awesome.
crazy awesome.


cincerely,


cindy