Frustration and joy

Well, today has been a day of both frustration and joy. Frustration? My laptop is broken beyond repair, or at least beyond the kind of repair I can get here. I've ordered a replacement, which will be coming via a friend next week, but I'm frustrated. Aside from the money I've had to spend, I have no access to some of my important files and no way of editing photos. I have meetings this week that require, at least theoretically, some of those files.

Sigh. First world problems, right? 

So I'm trying to take things in stride and not stress too much about things I can't control. I am praying that when I do get the new one, I'll be able to transfer all of the files. There was no impact damage, so I'm assuming the data is fine. 

For now, I'll try to relax and thank God that I have an iPad to keep up with correspondences and put up some posts, rudimentary as they may be. I'm thankful that we have another -- and better -- photographer on this trip. I'll try to post links to Danny Jackson's photos so you can see what's going on in India.

Other than catastrophic technical failure of the ol' MacBook, today was pretty great. We took some time in the morning to explore the town of Kalimpong, wandering its crowded and somewhat chaotic streets. We bought a couple scarves at a local textile shop, and spent an hour or so in the produce market marveling at the sights, sounds and smells.This is truly a remarkable country with many extraordinary experiences to be had. 

After lunch, we joined a large group of our kids and staff at a swimming pool a couple miles from town. The water was quite cold, as the temperature here has been in the 60s and perhaps 70s for weeks, but I had the privilege of baptizing six people -- one staff member, two staff children and three of our teenagers. What an honor to share this important milestone in these people's lives.  

Tomorrow morning we'll join all of the kids and staff for church. Gabe DeGarmeaux will preach, Adam, Janelle and I will sing, as will all of the Asia's Hope kids. It's a long service -- at least two hours, so I hope my own kids emerge with good attitudes intact. But I can't wait. Who knows? Maybe God will heal my laptop while we're in the service. Stranger things have happened.