Penang

I boarded a plane for Penang, barely making my connection, and at that only because the plane actually waited to get me on board. I slumped into the seat to take a breath, and readied myself for the trip ahead. I was on my way to visit two women Wellspring has had the privilege of sponsoring. Each in challenging circumstances, they have become friends to me and spending time with them and hearing their stories affects me in a different way than the business aspects sometimes called upon for larger scale projects. When you get to know people, it's always personal, as it really should be. And knowing that part of me would be drawn out by getting to see them, I looked forward to landing.

It was early afternoon by the time I landed after settling in I took the bus into town so the three of us could meet up. Jumping into a small taxi together, we headed to Little India. We walked into a small restaurant, also named Little India. This is the type of restaurant known for its authentic food rather than its charm, and we so we didn't waste any time sitting down and ordering chapatis and curry. Catching up on life, we eased into stories that brought us all laughter, and we just as easily moved into stories that brought sadness as we listened to the challenges each of them faces. In this way, the conversation resembled real life, with its ebb and flow and how it often seamlessly seems to move from struggle into a new season of hope, a constant winding between the things that make you hang on to it and the things that tempt you to give in to it. We walked around the narrow streets for a while, past speakers blaring the latest in Indian pop music, and vibrantly colored fabrics for saris. As afternoon turned into evening, we headed back to my bus stop. I felt sad to leave them, and wished so much there was more I could do. But as they have done before, they ended up hugging me reassuringly and promising me they are really okay, and that they see Wellspring as a reminder that God is watching. I climbed up the bus steps and turned around to see both of them waving goodbye with big smiles on their faces, and it was so cute I captured a quick picture to remember them sending me off until next time.