We are have arrived in Kodaikanal!

The trip went very well - the flights were on time, all the luggage arrived at the destination and everyone stayed healthy.

We jumped right into things on our first day at Kodaikanal International School (KIS). We found out that the class our daughter, Lisa, would be attending left that very day for a camping trip. We went to school by 8 am with her things packed for camp. We quickly checked in with the admissions office and got the clearance of the school doctor. Then Lisa jumped into the jeep to join her classmates at Berijam Lake. The rest of us made the rounds of the administrative offices getting the necessary approvals and welcomes. David had a couple of meetings with the new principal at KIS, Bruce Robinson and various combinations of the administrative staff. We went down to the Elementary campus to show Kara around. When they saw David coming the secretary and the woman who has been filling in as coordinator for him jumped up and rushed out. One of them started ringing the school bell in the fire drill manner and all the teachers and kids filed out of the classrooms and lined up in the courtyard. They had called the first fire drill of the year in order to properly welcome the new Coordinator. The first and second graders sang a song, we were all introduced and David was asked to “say a few words.” He did great.

The nights have been the hardest part of our settling in so far. Because of jet lag we fall into bed bone tired each night by 9 p.m., but then are awake sometime between 1 to 4 a.m. and can’t fall back to sleep. The sounds around are strange and new - the small animals skittering around on the tin roof, the neighbor’s puppy howling and other dogs barking back in reply, crickets and frogs. In early hours we hear the Mosque loudspeakers calling the Muslims to prayer at 4:30 and again at 5:00. At 5:30 the Tamil music begins to play over loudspeakers that must be directed precisely toward our house. This morning (Sunday) the two churches in the valley below us also joined in the cacophony with broadcast prayers at 5:15 followed by their own music. But we have let these be our own calls to come before our Lord in prayer and offer up to Him our worries and weaknesses and rest in Him.