The sun is back out and the temperatures are climbing!

Our evening EV programs are going well. We will have another one on Saturday and our last one on Tuesday. We will be packing up on Wednesday and flying to Delhi on Thursday. Since the Taj Mahal is closed on Friday, we will be seeing it on Saturday and then going straight to the airport for our 2 AM flight on Sunday. Maybe we will find Faith's bag in Delhi...

On Wednesday, we all divided into our "travel groups" and hit the night market. Needless to say, it was chaotic. I felt sorry for the boys in each group as there was not much for them to shop for. Today, we spent some time at a "handicraft store". Though the prices were higher, the quality was better and the team had fun spending their Rupees!

The team continues to paint (whitewash) the local churches and they have been so appreciative. In addition, they have been doing some gardening for the BMW students and staff.

We have taught the students a couple of action songs and a couple of dramas. In turn, they have taught us a couple of songs and a children's dance. The students have also attended our last couple of Bible studies. It has been a blessing getting to know them and their tender hearts.

We are planning on attending a larger church in Vijayawada this coming Sunday and then they will be providing lunch for the team. We will end our Sunday with the traditional Kraft Mac & Cheese dinner.

As a leader, I am not ready to let these kids go. They have been such a blessing to the leadership and have grown tremendously in their walks with Christ, made life-long friends, and they are so good at making us laugh. There has never been a dull moment.

The pictures are intended to tell our story: endless whitewashing, watching Paul and Raj chase a rat (outside of course, and the rat met his demise... and learning the dance from the nationals. There have been so many memorable moments while in India this summer and we are so thankful for each and every one of them.

As our time in India is drawing to a close, I am exceedingly thankful for everything we have been able to do in the community. We have painted four churches and two community buildings along with starting a garden for the Bible school students. We have also presented the Gospel message through music, testimonies, puppets and dramas six different times throughout our local area where we are living. I am so grateful for all of the opportunities we have had and am truly thankful that God brought this team together. - Ben

As we are entering our last few days in India, I am doing all I can to soak up every second of it. It has been kind of hard since our team has been faced with minor stomach issues, but thankfully, that all seems to be subsiding now. We had the opportunity to visit a night market the other day and it was such a good experience. I was a little stressed and overwhelmed at moments though. The BMW students taught us a national dance yesterday and what a great time we had! There was so much joy and laughter! My heart is sad and heavy at the thought of leaving this place in only a few short days. I love these people so much and I hope to never forget the days we have spent together here in India! - Halee

Dear Friends and Family, It has been raining a lot here in India which has come as a surprise as I was informed it would be their dry season...We have had a lot of EV opportunities which have been cool and we even got the chance to play volleyball with some of the nationals here. We have been doing a lot of painting, making all the churches and community buildings look spiffy. I miss all of you very much and I can't wait to see all of you at the end of the summer! :) - Simon O.

Hey Everyone! I have really enjoyed this past week in India. We have continued to scrub and paint various churches and a community building. I also got to experience my first "auto" ride today in a three-wheeled vehicle. I was a little nervous at first, but it was a very exciting ride! It's bitter-sweet knowing that we only have one week left, but I am excited to see how God will use our team these last few days. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers! - Faith