won't you be my neighbor?

Good neighbors are standard in the South. I've been fortunate to have some of the best growing up and as an adult. But I wasn't sure what to expect when I moved to India. Let me assure you... Mr. Chawla, his wife, and son, did not disappoint! [One day soon, he and I will reach a new height in our friendship and I'll ask to do a photoshoot of him (kidding) but for now you'll just have to create a mental picture of him in your head.]

On Wednesday we moved in to this beautiful home.

We live on the top floor. No one currently lives on the bottom floor. Our portion consists of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living area, and a dining room. It only lacked one essential element when we moved in... an AIR CONDITIONER! This is where our neighbor comes in!

As you might imagine, India has its' own way of doing things! From what we understand, the man that owns this house doesn't live in this town. So, he hires a property manager, or Mr. Chawla, to handle situations that might arise with the house while he is away. On Thursday, Jason went over to inquire about an air conditioner, but our neighbor couldn't see him until his "afternoon bath was complete." So when the time was right, Jason went over to his house. Fully expecting some traditional Indian chai (tea), he served Jason a cold Coca-Cola and a Washington apple (with salt and pepper on it!) I stayed home to watch the boys but within a few minutes, our neighbor proved to be an answer to prayers!

Pretty soon, an auto (see picture below) pulled up with an air conditioner loaded in the back for our house.

If you know anything about India, you know that timely deliveries are unheard of! As soon as it was unloaded, the workers began installing it and stayed until it was working that evening. Jason also came back home with more good news. Mr. Chawla insisted we needed a house helper so he set us up with a sweet lady who comes EVERY day to our house to clean. Our neighbor has also taken quite a liking to Max. He took him home that afternoon and brought him back with a tin full of chocolate! He and his wife insisted that the boys call them "Grandmother and Granddaddy" in Hindi.

I don't know about you, but where I'm from, that is hospitality at its' finest! This sweet family is such an answer to prayer. I can't even begin to tell you how much they have helped us adjust to life in India! I'm super proud to call them our neighbors and I can't wait to get to know them better!

***Below are a few other pictures for those who might be interested!

Here is a picture of Mr. Chawla's house. It is across the street from our house:

This is the house directly across from ours. We haven't met this family yet:

This house is across the street as well. Jack enjoys playing with the little boys who live here:

Here's a picture of one of the boys who lives here. Our boys have already spent lots of time playing with this little guy and his older brother! Thank goodness he speaks a little English!