Greetings from Coimbatore, India! We arrived here a little over 3 weeks ago and really “hit the ground running” so to speak. Saying good bye to our families was hard on all of us, but we were brave and managed to do it without too many tears. Our 32 hour trip went well. The kids were amazing and we received several compliments from other travelers on how well behaved they were. My weak stomach did not fare well, but all in all we did good. The 6 hour layover in Chennai was long, but the kids were able to sleep on the luggage for some of the time which helped. It was an amazing feeling to step off the plane in Coimbatore. We were also excited that all of our luggage (12 suitcases, 2 carry-on’s each, and one stroller) all arrived as well.
The sounds, sights, and smells of India are enough to put your senses into complete overload. We are definitely a novelty to the people here and are often watched as I am sure people are trying to figure out who we are and why we are here. We found a house a few days after arriving and have been able to find most of what we need. The kids were so happy to have their own house again and have enjoyed exploring our neighborhood and making new friends. Homeschool is in full swing and so far going well.
Our greatest joy thus far was meeting the children at the Children’s Homes here in Coimbatore. Currently there are two groups of children living at the campus here. There are several other Impact Homes located throughout India. The kids here are absolutely delightful! We have enjoyed talking, playing, and singing with these precious children. They are so full of joy that you would never realize the painful and traumatic backgrounds each of them come from. We ask hat you join us in praying for these amazing children. Brian has jumped right into work and has already completed one major project. Our next big project is putting together profiles for each of the kids here in Coimbatore as we would like to do a Christmas Angel program this year so we can purchase some clothes and toys for the kids for Christmas. Brian will be leaving on Friday to travel to Bangaluru for 4 days. In November he will travel up north to Bihar to do some work at one of the Impact Children’s Homes. There are 140 kids who live there. This trip will be a two and a half day train ride each way. Please pray for traveling mercies for Brian on each of these upcoming trips as well as for Jessica and the kids who will be at home. In November Jessica will begin teaching English twice a week to the students at the college and is really looking forward to getting back into the classroom.
Again, we want to thank each of you for your support both financially and in prayer. We are thrilled to be working here in India, and know that it is because of your faithful support that we can do so. We finally have inter-net access, so please email or Skype as we would love to hear from you all!
Sincerely,
Brian & Jessica Johnson
