Seventh Day: The Sabbath Day, A Whole New Experience

Thought from Sunday: If you do all that is perfect and right, but have not love, it doesn't matter.  LOVE is essential!

Top 5

* Church was wonderful, can I just say that I loved it?  I really did!

The church building - beautiful, no?

Nusly, Marilyn and I stayed for all three hours and that was exactly what I needed, especially that last hour.  The lesson in Relief Society was President Eyring's talk from April's conference, "Mountains to Climb", and those women were amazing!  They were down to earth, very real about life, and so inspiring and encouraging toward each other about holding onto the gospel, to the scriptures and to the Lord.  During the lessons in the 2nd and 3rd hours of church, several personal messages, which I really needed, came to me.  He is so good to me, to each of us, and it has been neat to better recognize His the strength He gives me and has been giving me while here.  This is the rich life.

* Being dressed in a sari/saree for church!  It was really fun, and was thanks to the house mothers that I ever got into this loving outfit.   Wearing it was a cool experience, and hot.  How do these beautifully dressed Indian women do this all the time??  :)  Amazing.  Please excuse me, there are a number of similar pictures on here with me in the sari...you'd think one would be enough, but no, I have no shame, and since it is probably the only time I'll wear one for the next good bit of my life, I got a little camera happy, and feel this need to share with you all :)  Mostly, I just can't decide which I like best.  It's such a pretty outfit!

In front of the church's sign in Tamil

* Bus ride home – It took us about two hours to get there and over three hours to get back because we rode in the bus with one of the House mothers and the kids who attended church, back to their hostels/schools.  It really made me think and one, appreciate our nice van and the AC, and two, appreciate the faith, dedication, and diligence of these people to ride in that van/bus all the way to and from church...in the heat, and in the humidity, and do this week after week.  I wish they could have our van, but still, that is so much time - and it humbled me to remember my very short distance I travel to church...and reminded me that I really can be on time if I can be on time to church that's 2-3 hours away!

* Dinner with the kids - I love sitting on the dinning hall floor with everyone, eating rice and curry.  It just feels so good and happy.  These kids, when you look into their faces, you see such good kids that are each so darn cute and also trying to make it here in the school/with their friends.  Anyhow, it was neat eating with them and feeling so much love for them and from them.  They all wanted to tell me a story - all at the same time, but each was an individual story and they wanted my attention on them - so funny trying to do that!  Makes you a little crazy in a funny, sweet way :)

* Evening time with my family...loooved it and felt a special love for them.  I never want to leave them, just realllly love them.  We colored again, and they were all just so sweet.  Man, when they are kind to each other, they are such so good and melt my heart.  When they are punks to each other, that's a fun little challenge ;), but for the most part, these kids look after each other, despite their huge streak of competitiveness :) out on the playground or in any game I've played with them in their hostel.  For the most part, they act like one big family of brothers (we have about 15+ boys in my family).

Yes, one final picture to document this momentous occurance of Becky wearing a sari.  Man, these are beautiful outfits.  I so loved wearing it, but after wearing it out in that heat and humidity all day, I'm even more in awe of all the lovely Indian women who wear these so often!  Thanks for looking at all these pictures :)