Jaem Saves the Day
May 10th
When the MacBook meltdown happened, there was a quick scramble to figure out how to get the back-up computer that we had left in Delhi up to Chandigarh so we could continue offloading footage from the cards. Paul and Sue East, whom have been hosting us here and have been a tremendous help with our inter-country travel, worked out someone to transport the new MacBook for us. Jaem is a former graduate of the Shanti Niketan home who made that 8-hour drive to us with only a couple hours notice. What a savior! God is providing for us in so many ways; praise Him!!
Expect the Unexpected
May 8th
As we partly expected — things have not gone as planned. Since the media team first decided to set out on this adventure last autumn, we’ve continually been surprised as we watched plan after plan get crumpled and crushed. For most people on a tight schedule, the slightest turn of events might throw them into an uproar, but I think that the past month’s events have prepared us for certain minor calamities. For example at 5am Monday morning, we arrived at the airport only to find out that our flight to Kulu had been cancelled and nothing else would fly us there that day. There were no freak-outs, no red faces, not even raised voices — just a calm and cool collective decision to put a 180 on our five-day itinerary and head to Chandigarh instead, where we planned to visit the Shanti Niketan Children’s Home after Dar-Ul-Fazl.
Through all this, we found out that Mia had not been able to keep food down for the past few days; she was very weak and took advantage of every flat surface we came across to lay down on. She pushed through and on our two-hour twisty mountain drive from the Chandigarh airport into the region of Himachal Pradesh, she was able to get a bit of fruit down and started to feel better. By dinner time, she was feeling better and eating again. We are at the Shanti home filming a side project to the documentary for Child of Mine. As we were getting ready to offload footage onto the MacBook we brought with us, it had a meltdown — thankfully the back-up is coming from Delhi tonight and it won’t have any affect on our progress. What a blessing and more assurance that God is in control of everything and knows far more than we can plan for!
Please continue to pray for the continued relationship-building that needs to happen in order for this project to be successful and for continued patience as we will possibly incur more of these little obstacles.
About Town
May 6th
Here are just a few shots Ryan took while we shot some B-roll around Delhi today. We met with Mia briefly later in the afternoon; she has been feeling sick for the past few days, so please pray for her. We are all scheduled to fly together to Manali first thing in the morning for five days and I am so looking forward to a break from this 100+ degree weather.
We Have Arrived
May 4th
After seven months of waiting — the Media Team has finally arrived in India. Praise!! I have to say, it feels absolutely unreal; when a trip gets postponed for so long, part of you wonders if it’s ever going to happen. It wasn’t until we were off the plane and walking towards Customs that I was finally able to feel butterflies of excitement; we have arrived — and without any complications.
For having travelled nearly twenty-four hours and jumping 12.5 hours ahead of our time zone, I can speak for us all — we’re a very spry group. Fully awake and eager to get out and start exploring Old Delhi. We stepped out of the airport at 7am local time and were greeted by one of our hosts and the most wonderfully warm overcast morning. Upon arriving at our guesthouse, the air was filled with the scent of spiced chai — nothing at all like “an assault to my senses” as many people have warned about. I suspect that we will have that experience at some point, but I’m glad for the lovely welcome.
Now we repack the gear for all the local travel we will be doing. After we have lunch, we’ll meet with our hosts, Paul and Sue East, for our first on-site production meeting. Tomorrow, we’ll be meeting up with Mia and shooting about town before we head to Manali for five days. Please pray for Mia, as she has come down with an illness, and prayer for us as a team, that we would continue to adjust well to the time and climate changes.
Photos curtesy of Ryan.
Media Team Reconvenes
Mar 26th
It is official — as spring has sprung in Vancouver, so too, it has in India. We are looking forward to the snow melting from the runway in Leh that had prevented us from journeying any earlier. The Media Team trip that was supposed to have taken place last September is now scheduled for May and we couldn’t be more excited.