India anyone??

Okay, the much awaited blog post (this is for you mom).
I find it difficult not only to find time to write, but to find things to write that are worth writing. Life in Thailand isn't much different from life in America. I wake up, go to school, work a little after school, eat dinner, go to sleep, and do it all over again. It's pretty cool doing it on the other side of the world, but life goes on like normal. There's not much of interest to write.
BUT since I did just get back from India, I guess I can fill you in on that. Our semester ended October 15 and we had the last 2 weeks off, so I went to India with 2 other teachers. We stayed at Asha Mission . This was my 4th time back to India and my 3rd time to Asha Mission. If you go back to my posts from last year you will see some from there. I am always excited whenever I get a chance to go back and see the kids. There are 32 now.. 4 more boys just came a few months ago from the leper colony. We just did the usual, get them up at 5am, have prayer time, get them showered, get dressed for school, eat breakfast, and head to the bus stop. Then devotions, breakfast, and teaching the 4 new boys that stay at home. 12:00 we go pick the kids up from the bus stop,change clothes, play, eat, afternoon prayer time, homework, play, night prayer time, dinner, read the Bible, and go to bed (usually on the roof!). I was only there for a week. It was sooo short, especially when I have no idea when I'll be able to go back, but I'll take what I can get. They have all grown and changed so much in the past 10 months. We celebrated birthdays, did crafts for homework, and bought new flip flops. My Hindi improved a ton, but unfortunately now that I'm back in Thailand all I can think of is Hindi. Oh my.
After 1 week at the orphanage my friends left to travel and see the sights and I flew to the NE part of India to the state of Assam. My dearest friends Amanda and Jessica were there volunteering in a hospital that they will both more than likely work at in their futures. Amanda and Jess were 2 of the 4 girls I was with last year. They are incredible and such an encouragement. I only saw Amanda for a few hours in the airport because she was returning home after being gone for 10 months. Jessica and I got to spend an amazing week together catching up and encouraging one another and just relaxing in the amazing countryside of India. We hung out with the student nurses and visited patients. We even went on rounds a few times!
The time passed much too soon, and it was time to come back to Thailand. India will always have a special place in my heart, but coming back to Thailand was like coming home :) I know without a doubt I am where I am supposed to be.
I only have a few pictures, because it's difficult for me to take pictures and be there playing at the same time, so playing won out most of the time, but here is what I have:






Here are some pictures of the girls who I spent 3 months with last year... some of the most amazing girls I've ever met! I wish I had a picture from this past trip, but these will have to do.




Here are the 2 pictures I have from Assam. It really is a beautiful place, full of tea farms and rice fields!




Now we are in high gear for Christmas. It might seem early, but we only have 27 school days before Christmas break, and there is soooo much to do! The Christmas program is a HUGE deal here, and each class has several performances to do, on top of decorations and costumes and parties. There's no Thanksgiving holiday here, so there's really no reason to not listen to Christmas music. I've been in full swing for a week now, and plan on making snowflakes to hang throughout our apartment and make wassail and Christmas cookies and I've got a line up of Christmas movies we are going to watch :) I'm sooo ready for Christmas!