Greetings from India!

I am happy to say that Janette, Stephanie, Amy and I have all made it to the Shelter safe and sound. We are all still very tired, but the energy that the girls give off and the exhilaration of being in this beautiful new country keeps us going. We had a midnight New Years Eve service with the girls last night and then church this morning where we were introduced and given a beautiful bouquets of flowers as a welcome. It's absolutely wonderful here. Asim and Mamata have been incredibly hospitable, and have even gotten us invited to a wedding feast tonight. We had some time to sing and play games with the girls tonight and tomorrow, we have a plan to do much more. I have never felt that people were so fascinated with me before. The girls crowd around and stare and asked us dozens of questions about our lives.
It was a little frustrating at first, because many of the younger girls know very little English, but after a while that hardly starts to matter. the language has become not of words or tones, but of smiles and laughs. language barrier became, instead, a language of hand-holding. Every word that needed to be said was somehow communicated through touch, and body language, and the eyes of the most extraordinary girls i have ever met.
All i can ask for prayer is that the 4 of us will be able to catch up on sleep at some point, that we will continue to stay healthy, and that we will never forget the impact mad on us by India and it's inhabitants.
Praying Always, Sierra Nicole Holland