Weekend get away

It all started with a 2 hour ride to Chennai, 2 hour plane ride then a 5 hour drive to our hotel! I am glad we all wore our genie pants because they are so comfortable. It was worth getting the weird stares.

As we drove it was surprising how the sites never get old and I am always amazed at how these people get by from day to day. I almost felt guilty when we pulled up to the nicest hotel ever! It was so beautiful and I was so relieved I got to sleep on a soft bed. I have so much respect for the Indians and how they sleep on mats. My back was already screaming at me after only 2 weeks.
This trip we woke up at 5 am to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise but to our surprise a sunrise never happened. We couldn't figure out if we were to late or the pollution in the air just covered the sun. The Taj Mahal was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen in my life. I could not believe I was there looking at it with my own two eyes! We had a tour guide explain to us everything about it and its history. There is the most gorgeous marble inside and a particular piece of marble lights up when you put a light to it. I could not believe a man had built this just for his wife. The time and effort that was put in this took a very long time. I was so glad I got to see one of the 7 wonders of the world.



As we drove we passed the Presidents house and many other neat historic sights. We had the opportunity to walk through one of the oldest temples in India. The intricate designs in these temples are amazing to look at. We drove through a very popular market place and I had never seen so many people. I am learning how to bargain and can now realize when I am getting ripped off.


The driving here is absolutely insane! I used to get nervous driving in Utah but now I will be so calm after what I have seen here. If I cross the street I can most likely expect to die because nobody will stop. Thats a lie, if it was a cow they would stop! ha One thing about this trip that shocked me was how many children were beggars on the street. I had seen slumdog millionaire the movie but it gave it a different meaning once I experienced it for myself. These children look so haggard and will not take no for an answer. I was told they are beat to look this way and have been taught this is the only way to survive. Once you buy something from them they continue to ask you to buy more. We found a PIZZA HUT to eat at that was a sit down restaurant. Might I add that I had the biggest smile on my face the whole time. Pizza had never tasted so good. The sad part was that these kids sat outside the restaurant until we were done eating to beg for more. Matthew gave a mother fruit and she was so upset that it was not money. I told her to put her children in school because the government pays for it and unfortunately she didn't like that either. It is so sad to me that these kids don't know any better and have been raised like they are.
Later that night we went swimming at the outdoor pool which felt so good after a long day. The hotel grounds were huge and very green. We enjoyed a nice Indian dinner after in the basement of the hotel, with live Indian music. I have still not become used to the idea of having to just guess what the menu is saying and hope that it tastes alright, but I haven't striked out yet. I just look for any sentence that has the word 'Masala' and it has always tasted good. Throughout our trip we made different stops to places where different things are made. We saw where rugs are made and the factory where everything was. Watching the man make these rugs on a loom was so fascinating. He worked so fast and efficiently. These rugs were gorgeous and the time it takes to make one really made me appreciate a good rug. The next stop we visited was a marble shop where they carve everything into different designs out of marble. The tools they use here take so much time and is such tedious work.
Just call me Princess Jasmin because I rode an elephant! It was such a fun experience to climb on such a beast and it was sad at the same time. The owners of the elephant kept poking it with a sharp knife and you could see where it was bleeding. I tried not to focus on that but instead smile at the lovely art that was painting on the elephants face instead ha. We only walked around in a circle but at least I can say I have been on an elephant before!


Today was hands down my favorite day and that was because we were able to go to church! It was like finding a home away from home. This church building was very nice and the members were so sweet. We got to meet the missionaries and luck would have it I knew one of them. We stayed for sacrament meeting and it was fast and testimony today. Many were in english but others were not. One man bore his testimony and even though I couldn't not understand the language or had any clue what he was saying I felt the spirit so strongly. He was crying and I began to cry also. It occurred to me how neat it was that we can all speak a different language and grow up in different cultures all around the world but the one thing that brings us together and helps us understand each other is the Holy Ghost. I felt the Holy Ghost through him and he moved me in a way that I felt that I understood his testimony. Another little boy shared a story in english and began to cry about how grateful he is for Heavenly Father always being there for him in his life. I learned so much from these people and loved how the gospel is what brings us all together to form a common foundation. A lady shared how much she misses the temple and wishes they would get one in India. I forgot how privileged I am to have so many around me and hope that I will never take this blessing for granted. For me it was rewarding to see the light in these peoples eyes and i felt so rejuvenated after the meeting.

After this we began our long journey back home where I had another opportunity to share my testimony and how I feel about the church with a volunteer who is with Rising Star. This made a great ending to the whole trip!