India calling....!

If you are good friends of ours you no doubt would have had an e mail about the following but now the news for the world is as follows....!!:

We have decided to go to India for 5 months in 2008!! Probably early April til late August/early Sept. We have received all the approvals we need (from my work and school) that they are happy for us to do this (a major feat in itself!) and now we start to look at some of the detail - the scary bit!!

I know it's a year off yet but there is so much to do and , as I say we didn't want you to hear about this the wrong way.

Our plans so far are as follows:

Why the change of heart?:

Well in many ways I don't know. As you know I have been keen for some time but not so much for Sarah. You may or may not know we have been doing lots of stuff for lent and one of the things was not having TV for Mon - Thurs. Well I guess that gets you talking and we have spent lots of time talking about life, future, family etc.

As we were talking about where we go next in our lives the selling of the house came up. We realised that we have a year (2008) with no big school, commitments (Sats etc), no house (if we didn't buy another straight away, no debts and an opportunity (in my new job) to take a career break in a way that I would never have been able to to in the old job.

I think, for Sarah she would say the main change of heart came when we looked at going for 5 months in 2008 with no ties and then coming back to Hereford and 'starting again' - new location with new house (in catchment area for Esme's next school) etc etc. Something just seemed to click and she said 'I think if we are ever going to go to India for a time that 2008 is the time to do it..... In many ways I gave up a long time ago now feeling that this would happen. It almost seems the lees I have mentioned it (and I stopped after we all came back from India from that time there) the more she has thought about it. I am truly was/am gobsmacked!!!

Dates:

Leaving 4th April (ish) and arriving back 2nd September (is). 5 months exactly is the plan

House:

We were always looking at selling the house late 2007 anyway and wanting to look at getting in catchment area for Es's new school. We plan to sell in Oct/Nov this year if we can find somewhere to stay until late May 2008. We have a number of friends that may be able to ask. This is a crucial part of the jigsaw.....

When we get back we would look at either staying again at friends in the immediate (for 2 months or so) and looking urgently for a house.

House wise in India - big thing I guess. This is going to need to be Raj's thing to help us on. We will rent I am sure. Something smallish but adequate. No idea of costs etc yet

Work?:

Work have been amazing considering they have only just given me this new job but they have said I can have all of my holiday allowance so it means I just (!) need to take 85 days unpaid leave....And straight back to the job when I come back - amazing!!

As for working in India, well this bit is to be sorted out yet as it's very Early days. I am assuming that most f my time would be working with Raj at the crucial stage of his new Charity. It's at a stage where I really feel I can be of use. It may be that in the first few weeks I just do 2/3 days a week to adjust and then work up to full time - not sure.

There may well be other options too with Oasis India and others (Provision India) that I have worked with before. Bottom line is I really want to work with street kids/slums in some way or other so that will be the focus..... Lots more to look into here but no doubt there will be plenty to do

Kids:
They would have missed some of time we will be away from school due to school holidays and we reckon that they will miss a term in total of education. The school think it's great as the education they will get there (in the round) is going to be great for them.

Sarah is keen on home schooling the kids for the time we are there. We know the teacher for next year well and will be able to be e mailed out stuff whilst we are out there so that's good

Is it God?:

Well this is the biggy and the one we want to ask you to pray with us on. You will know that I have 'felt it right' and wanted to go for sometime now. I have always had a sense of 'going somewhere as a missionary' since I was a teenager BUT we just need to know that this is right and, as I am not in a good place faith wise at the moment feel very 'exposed' about making a decision like this. On the other hand people make major decisions all the time - sometimes they involved God and sometimes not ( i.e do all Christians ' ask God' if they should get a mortgage - something that is one of the biggest commitments you will ever make!)

So please pray for us on this and give us your wisdom. We will soon speak to some friends here that we are accountable to and see what they say. Bottom line is this is not a flash in the pan idea - it's been brewing in me (and us) for many years....

We do desperately want to 'be right with God' when we do go though. This is essential as much of what I will do with be kingdom work and I want to be where I need to be - Please pray……

We plan to use the blog to follow our journey between now and when we go and the to tell you all that is going on when we are out there....

In the mean time here are few pics from India to get you to remember us.......