five on friday

1. WE FOUND A HOUSE! In our 11 years of marriage, this is the 6th time Jason and I have moved, but it is worse than any of the others combined. I can't adequately explain how insane it is to set up a home in India. It deserves a blog post of its own. We hope to be sleeping there by Sunday evening, but nothing is for sure here. The good news is we really like our house, the boys have TONS of kids to play with, and we've met some very nice neighbors. I have so much to tell you about, but I'll save it all for a day when I'm not so tired and worn out from the Indian moving process!

2. We bought a scooter. Lack of transportation has been a big hindrance for us in the last few weeks, so we are hoping the scooter will alleviate some of the stress. I've actually learned to drive it. It's harder than I thought, but I'm not one to be outdone by my husband! :) And just so you know... our entire family has successfully ridden the scooter at the same time! India brings out parts of me that I didn't know existed!

3. Guess who we saw last weekend in Delhi? Our new puppy! She should be arriving by train to our house on Sunday evening. I'm not sure who is more excited--- Jason and I or the boys!

4. I've always had a fear of my children falling. I'm terrified when they are high off of the ground, and I'm probably overly cautious at times. But after reading this blog post, I was reminded why you can never be too careful! Despite the knot in my stomach after reading it, it really has a happy ending!

5. Jason's sweet grandmother met her Maker this morning! I'm sure this is just one of the many times that being far away from family is going to be tough. We are so thankful that she is no longer in pain, and that she is resting with Jesus eternally! What a precious place to be!

five on friday

1. We are packed, our bags have been put on a truck, and we will be boarding a train for the first time today! I've never had the pleasure of riding on a train, so I'm not sure what to expect. I'm hoping it exceeds my expectations. We will arrive in Bhopal on Sunday. Let the house hunting begin!

• This is not "one" of the "five on friday." It is merely unsolicited advice. Since we packed all of our things on Wednesday, I spent the last two days making do with what remained in the house. While I was cooking some cookies on Thursday as a gift for someone, I realized my trusty spatula was on a big truck headed for Bhopal. Using my ingenuity, I scanned the house for other objects that might help me carefully remove my warm cookies without leaving them malformed. Guess what I used? An nice handy index card. I have to admit that it not only worked, it was better than my spatula. I'm sure they make some fancy-schmancy contraption to remove cookies that costs lots of money, but I'm quite a fan of my index card! That was free information by the way!

2. We've spent the week trying to explain to our househelper in Hindi that we were moving. At one point, I think she thought we were just taking a vacation. Yesterday, however, she was persistently asking us something. We called a Hindi-speaking friend to to help translate. Kumlesh was just simply requesting that give we HER a gift in honor of US moving! Her forwardness paid off. She is the proud owner of a new outfit! Just one of the many new customs we have to get used to!

3. Honesty is another quality of the people here. Last week we were spending some time with the owner of our house. He commented that Jason and I had become very HEALTHY since arriving in India. I used to like him. (After I find a house in Bhopal, I intend to get UNhealthy. If and when that happens, I'll let you know.)

4. I started reading a series by Liz Curtis Higgs a few weeks ago. I finished the second of three a few nights ago but was devastated when I realized Kindle didn't offer the third book. Guess I'll request it in a package from the states. The books are set in Scotland and the language has a definite Scottish tone to it. This may sound crazy, but after reading two of the three books, I keep finding myself wanting to speak Scottish. Words like "ken" (to know), "tae" (to), and "verra" (very) keeping wanting to burst out of my mouth. Add that to my new Indian-English accent, and I'm beginning to have trouble understanding myself.

If you are interested in reading something great, here are the books:

1. Thorn in My Heart
2. Fair is the Rose
3. Whence Came a Prince ( I warn you... it's not on Kindle!)

5. Speaking of new terms and languages, Max has recently started referring to Jason and I as "Daddy-O" and "Mommy-O." I'm not sure I love this. And who taught him this? Crazy kid.

five on friday

1. We move in 7 days. This will be our 9th time to change locations in a year. Once we arrive in Bhopal we will begin looking for a house. I'm trusting that God has the perfect home all lined up as we begin life in our new city.

2. We've promised the boys a new dog. Here's a quick picture of the sweet puppy we will most likely adopt! She's a "pughasa"- a cross between a pug and a llasapsa. I have two little boys that can't wait to get their hands on her!

(On a side note... how cute is that aqua door behind the puppy?)

3. You know times have changed when Jason starts surfing my Pinterest page! I've caught him checking it out multiple times. It humors me.

4. Our church, East Heights Baptist Church, sent us a HUGE box a few weeks ago. We made a video for them in appreciation for their generosity. Check it out:

5. One of my favorite times of the day is bedtime. The boys BEG to read the Bible each night. We've finished several Children's Bible Story Books and The Jesus StoryBook Bible. We have just recently started Long Story Short. If you have kids that are a little older and need something to think about when you read the Bible with them, this is the book for you. It's simple enough that Max understands, but it allows us to discuss deeper things with Jack. Their desire to hear the Word before they close their eyes makes my heart smile and encourages my own walk with Christ! What a great way to end our day together!

party animal

My mother retired several months ago. I thought we sufficiently celebrated her accomplishments in all her years of service.... until I met Mr. Pachhi.

This morning around 8:00 I heard Jack downstairs talking to a man. I sent Jason down to check out the situation. He returned with Jack in tow, along with an invitation.

The man downstairs introduced himself as Mr. Panchhi (pronounces Pon-chee.) He explained that he had recently retired from the bank and tonight he would be celebrating his retirement. He kindly invited us to his party, despite having NEVER met us prior to this morning. What was even more ironic was the fact that we didn’t hesitate to accept.

Only two questions remained: Number 1- What time did the party start? and Number 2- What were we required to bring in honor of the celebration? We answered the first question by calling the phone number on the invitation.... the party was to begin at 8:00 PM. And the second question was answered by our language teacher. He told me that it was customary to bring flowers but also something that would last, like a decoration. Being that I've never been to a retirement party in India, we did the best we could on a gift... flowers, a pot, and some fancy soap. It's the thought that counts, right?

Eight o'clock almost never came. Just as the boys were tiring out for the day, it was finally time to head out. With everyone dressed and ready, we were out the door a few minutes after 8:00 PM ready to party.

Although I read the invitation, I still had no idea what to expect. And even if I had some expectations, they were way too low for what we experienced. IT WAS SO FUN! There was live music, a guest appearance from "Bobby Cash," dancers, videos, food, and much more!

Apparently when I got dressed for the evening, I put a note on my forehead that read: "I'm a white girl with NO rhythm. Please ask me to dance so that I can humiliate myself!" And all those sweet people at the party were much obliged to invite me on the dance floor!

By 10:15, the boys had had all the fun they could muster up, so we gave Mr. Panchhi one last "Congratulations!" We said our goodbyes to a few other neighbors, but one neighbor begged us to stay and have dinner. Dinner was being served at 10:30 PM! Unfortunately, all our boys were interested in were counting sheep so we had to turn down the offer!

I walked away with a few thoughts tonight. First, Mr. Panchhi throws a great party. Second, I now know to hire a babysitter for the next party so that I can stay out all night. And last, I may have missed my opportunity with my mother's retirement, but I'm fully armed to help my dad step into unemployment when he's ready! I know all the tricks of a retirement party now!

Please check out the video of our evening. I was in fact the only white girl at the party, so if you see me on the video, be gracious. I already told you I have NO rhythm! :)

Untitled from Sarah Marlin on Vimeo.

five on friday

This week was marked by a few "first-time" happenings-- of course, that shouldn't surprise me. India is full of new things!

1. We had our first injury in India this week. Jack pushed the huge metal gate a little too hard, and it slammed into his forehead. Luckily it didn't require stitches, but it offered a little excitement in our day!

2. Yesterday, I heard Jason and Max outside and I went out to find this:

Evidently, Jason spotted an injured bird in the grass. Our house helper didn't think looking at it was enough. She grabbed that blessed bird from the grass and brought it upstairs. The boys just looked at first.

But Jason couldn't leave it at that. Despite the fact that this animal was probably suffering from some awful disease, Jason had to touch it.

And somehow he convinced Max to reach out and pet the poor bird.

Touching him wasn't enough. Jason had to hold him.

After all the drama was over, I went back in to cook supper. From what I hear, Jack went out to take part. While he was holding the bird, he somehow managed to take flight and was gone. Here's hoping you survived, little birdie! Thanks for the entertainment.

3. I've had the opportunity to take several new forms of transportation since arriving in India. Our main mode is an "auto."

We also occasionally take the "vikram." This is a public mode that is much cheaper than an auto.

But this week, I tried my hand at a scooter. It's the most popular "vehicle" around here. Our language helper, Sara, took me riding.

The boys took a turn, too.

I'd definitely get one when we get settled. It was really fun. Not to worry though-- I'll be investing in four of these!

(Apparently we broke open the red kool-aid on the day this picture was taken!)

4. We also went to a new park this week. It was called "Deer Park." From what we understood, they had a playground and live animals. Both were true. There were deer, birds, and several other animals.

I found it ironic that this little guy was locked up. Right above him, there were families of monkeys swinging freely in the trees. These things are EVERYWHERE in this city. Bless him! The good news is no one will steal his bamboo pole.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) would be sadly disappointed in this place! :)

Jack spotted the large pool when we first arrived. He couldn't wait to see the "hippos." I had to break the news to him that the only living organism in that stagnant water were millions of mosquitoes carrying encephalitis!

The boys had a great time on the playground after we looked at the animals. The equipment is OLD-- reminds me of what I grew up with, but the boys didn't seem to mind. They even had a few pieces of equipment that were new to us.

5. Other random tidbits from the week:

• We found out we are moving to Bhopal at the end of this month. We are looking forward to getting our own home!
• My househelper finally convinced me to let her give me a massage. Turns out India really means "full body massage." I'll spare you the details, but before we do the massage thing again, I'm going to brush up on my Hindi and learn to say: "Back, legs, and arms ONLY!" :)
• I was a little bummed that all of my US friends were off for Labor Day until I realized we had a three day holiday this week. I'm not sure why we had a holiday, but I'm not complaining!
• When we get to Bhopal, we've promised the boys a dog. We've been researching possible breeds. We want a small, inside dog, that doesn't shed too much, doesn't bark too much, and is kid friendly. The dog doesn't need to be too small--- I don't want the kids to kill it! Any suggestions???
• I'm dying for a caramel cake. Anyone have a recipe that they've tried and know is good that they'd be willing to share?
• It's been almost 3 weeks, and we still have 5 fish. I think I'm beginning to figure this fish thing out!
• This morning while skyping with a friend, I saw something walk up our stairs out of the corner of my eye. Being more interested in my conversation, I didn't stop to look at it. A few minutes later, that "something" came back down my stairs. The "something" was a very large MALE monkey. Thankfully, he scurried off pretty quickly. In the future I'll take note of strange things moving up my stairs!
• If you don't have one of these, I'd highly suggest you purchase one! Eagle's Nest Hammock

inevitable.

It's a fact. Rain is inevitable. Some days are marked by a soft summer sprinkle, while others are beaten down by torrential floods full of thundering and lightening. Last week during one of the season's many monsoons, I couldn't help but think of the symbolic meaning of "rain" in our lives. And oddly enough, the similarities are shocking. Some days are marked by small, insignificant rains (or troubles), while others are characterized by life-changing storms (or struggles) that make or break us! The question is not whether these rains will come... the question is what do you do with them?

When the rain first rears its ugly head, we often feel like a fish out of water. We're not sure what happened, what we should do, or where we should go next.

We flounder around, helplessly reaching for quick answers and solutions. When those don't cure the problem, nothing seems more appropriate than a tantrum.

But don't be discouraged. I think a good cry is important. It's okay to get down, overwhelmed, and stressed, but you can't stay there forever. At some point, you have to take your eyes off of the rain, and focus on the solution.

So how do you overcome the rains of life? You start by rolling up your sleeves and getting busy.

Nothing comes from dwelling on the negative. We have a slogan at our house dedicated to school work: "Do your best, and forget the rest." The same can be true for problems. You are responsible for your actions. You cannot meditate on things that are beyond your control.

But occasionally, you face a nagging problem that just won't go away. It may seem as if something is dragging you down with each step you take.

For such extreme cases, you may just have to rid yourself of things that keep you from moving ahead.

But don't stress about what others will think of you. Get back in the game and finish what you started. You weren't put through such trials to impress others.

When those inevitable rains come, always remember that "two are better than one." Count on those people that were perfectly placed in your life to see you through the downpour.

One day... before you know it... you'll see a bright light peering through the clouds. As the sun breaks through, you'll look around and smile. Because you'll realize that you not only sang in the rain...

but you danced in it as well!

One of my favorite sections of scripture is found in Romans, chapter 5, verses 3-5:

³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

It is my prayer that when I run into trials-- when you run into problems-- that they strengthen us. I hope when we look back from the other side that we are proud of our endurance. I don't ever want my problems to walk away with a victory. Never the less... our struggles are inevitable. The question is not whether these rains will come... the question is what do you do with them?

five on friday

1. I know they say "Milk does a body good," but frankly, I don't like the stuff. In India, we have two options for milk: #1- We can get it straight from a cow, or #2- We get it in boxes from the store. I've been pretty adventurous since coming here, but I haven't quite figured out the "fresh milk" process. And because we typically only cook with milk, we use the shelf milk out of the box. I've never tasted it, but it must not be too bad. At least someone in this house is starting to like milk!
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2. I knew better. Fish were a BAD idea. We started with 12. As I write this, our tank is home to four happy fish and one that is well on his way to a "white porcelan heaven." It's starting to stress me out.

3. We got the biggest package EVER this week. Our sweet friends at East Heights Baptist Church packed up some of the most wonderful food items and sent them our way. Among many things, we received muffin mixes, side dish items, boxed meals, and recipes! The Marlins are about to greatly improve their weekly meals! :) And two little boys were pumped that some sweet person threw in some balls, cars, and other toys for them! I'm working on this video to post, but in the meantime if any of my East Heights friends read this, we are SOOOOO appreciative! You made our day!

4. Learning Hindi is still a struggle. Some days I feel like I'm learning many things, and other days I'm not sure if I can say anything past "hello." But today, my language teacher told me I was better than Jason. That's all I needed to hear. I've convinced myself that I am fluent! Sorry, Jason! I'll tutor you if you'd like! :)

5. I got my first haircut in India. It was so nice to have my hair washed with System Biolage Shampoo and Conditioner. The haircut itself wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it's hair-- it'll grow back. My favorite part of the trip was when he checked me for head lice! I'm still not sure if that makes me feel relieved or freaks me out! (Just in case you were wondering, I was "bug-free!")