A Trip to the Taj

Months ago, when Sue and I began making our plans to come to India, Sonny realized our time here would overlap. He made us promise that we would save a day to go with him to the Taj Mahal. A trip to the Taj with Uncle Sonny? Absolutely. We knew it would be memorable and we'd been looking forward to it all along.

We met early in the morning on Thursday for the 220 kilometer drive to Agra. As is typical for this time of year, Delhi was eerily silent in the thick fog. We piled into a hired car for the three hour drive. Usually the fog lifts mid-morning at the latest, but not this day. It was unusually persistent and driving was slow in places. We finally arrived in Agra around 11:00 and made our first stop at the Agra Fort. It's an impressive fortress, sitting on a promontory just across the river from the Taj. The pair of ancient buildings stand as silent monuments to a world of power, wealth, passionate love and familial vengence. All the necessary elements for a gripping story.






One of the best views of the Taj is from the fort. Not on this day, however. Though the sun was breaking through the clouds, only the outline of the white marble dome and minerets could be seen across the sandy riverbed. It was still majestic, though wearing a whispy mantle of white draped through its columns, towers and around its massive dome. Just before we went to lunch we'd gotten word that the Taj was closed to the public for a few hours because of a visiting delegation of VIPs. Somehow the driver had found out this information while we were wandering through the fort enjoying the scenery. We headed to a restaurant for a bite of lunch while we waited for the Taj to reopen.

We would have about 3 hours to wait, and around 5:00 the public was admitted. Until that point, we were not allowed to enter the ticket office but were kept behind a gate in a holding area. Once the office opened, there was a stampede unlike anything I had ever witnessed. Sometimes you hear about athletic fans storming the gates at a soccer match or black Friday sales at WalMart. We were smart enough not to be at the front of the pack but watch it charge ahead. Sonny pushed his way through like a cultured Indian gentleman. Nicely, politely, but with great determination.

There is something unusual about viewing one of the best known sites in all the world. It feels both like an old friend yet very new all at the same time. In the waning hours of daylight, the marble exuded an icy coldness especially in the encroaching fog.




As the evening drew on, the white marble was shrouded in inky darkness.


Pulling out of Agra, the fog began to settle in again. The drive was slow in places, coming nearly to a standstill on occasion. We all knew that what was typically a three hour drive would likely be much longer. We were ready to settle in for a slow journey. We had no idea. Around 10:30, traffic came to a complete stop. We sat for a few minutes and realized that cars were turning off their engines. Word moved from car to car that there was an accident ahead blocking the road. How long would we be there? The driver stayed attentive while the rest of us slept off and on. I woke somewhere around 1:30 and asked where we were. We had moved 5 kilometers in the past three hours. We weren't even half way home yet, and there was no hotel to pull in and spend the night. We were committed to finishing our journey to Delhi. Our driver pulled into a restaurant along the way for a cup of tea. He was told that a milk truck had hit another truck running it off the road, then jack knifed and completely blocked both lanes of traffic. A crane had to be brought in to remove the wreckage before traffic could move again.

We finally arrived at home at 5:00 in the morning---nearly 24 hours after we had gotten up the day before. At the end of the adventure, we stopped to pray, thanking God for bringing us safely home and for keeping us kind and loving to one another all along the way. We sensed His presence and His peace in the midst of a very trying situation.

We're reminded again of God's sovereignty in all things. Whether delayed in waiting to see one of the wonders of the world, safety on the road, navigating through unpredictable and difficult weather or treating one another with grace and peace in all circumstances, God's presence was obvious. I'm convinced that He put us through this for a reason, and we're still discerning that purpose. But for now, thank God with us for His presence and His peace in the midst of so much uncertainty and danger.

Church . . . rickshaws . . . and endless conversation

We're finally taking time for a blog post here. It's Tuesday afternoon in Delhi and we're having a wonderful time with our friends, Arvind and Karisa. It's a delight to see them here, in their own home, starting life and ministry together as husband and wife.

Sunday morning we worshiped with our Indian brothers and sisters at Delhi Bible Fellowship. For me, it was wonderful to be back with friends I had met a year ago. Sue loved being in a church that she's heard about and prayed for for years. Arvind has really grown into his role as senior pastor of the church, and Karisa is growing into a gracious pastor's wife. The congregation is growing and maturing as a body.

Monday, we headed into Delhi for a look around the city. We felt a bit like tourists, just getting a feel for this place where our friends live and work---seeing India through their eyes. We smashed into the subway with thousands of others people and emerged in Old Delhi, with its mazes of narrow alleys, Hindu temples, and Delhi's largest mosque. I am still amazed how rickshaw drivers thread their way through narrow alleys filled with carts, people, bikes, and motorcycles.

Everywhere we turn, we are reminded again of the needs in this part of the world. The sounds of the Muslim call to prayer echo out over the city. As we emerged from the subway, the clanging of a bell in front of a Hindu temple gets the attention of their god and announces the gift of a faithful follower. The pungent smell of incense rises to the heavens along with empty prayers. And the press of people everywhere we turn. Beggars grab our arms as we walk along the sidewalks and knock on our windows as we stop at red lights. Sue and I have often found ourselves in situations like these over the years. The one question we often ask each other is, Where do we even start to meet all the needs?

In the midst of walking, riding, eating and experiencing, the conversation has been endless. It's a delight to talk with Arvind and Karisa about life and ministry and dream about the future. In the midst of tremendous need, we're grateful for a God of hope who is alive and at work.

Pray for us this week as we not only spend time with our dear friends, but as we have opportunity to meet with others in the church as well. We want to listen well, encourage from the Word, deepen friendships, and honor Christ in all we do.

3 Flights, 3 Continents, 30 Hours

Just a quick post here to say we've arrived. It's noon on Saturday here in Delhi. Sue and I left our home in Brea at 7:30 on New Year's Eve morning, flew to San Francisco and caught our flight to Frankfurt. Best we can figure, we rang in the new year somewhere over Greenland---but we're not really sure. We had four hours on the ground in the Frankfurt airport, which was all we experienced of New Years Day. Then on to Delhi where we landed around 2:00 a.m. January 2. It was wonderful to see Arvind and Karisa's faces around 3:30 and finally crawl into bed at 4:00. We slept hard until 9:30.

Ok, major shout out to Karisa. Because their car is so small, Arvind and Karisa had to drive two cars to the airport to pick us up. Karisa's a pro! Through heavy traffic (yes, even in the middle of the night) pea soup fog, and right hand drive, she handled it like a pro! Arvind and Karisa are doing well, have a very comfortable home, and the conversation has already been fun and encouraging.

More later . . . but for now, praise God with us that we are safe, travels were unbelievably smooth, and we feel rested and ready to make the most of our time here.