My Amazing Race Moment ... I hope to have many more!

I have realized that each time we move, I really enjoy figuring out where our neighborhood post office is and visiting it frequently.

If you know me, you know that I like cards and things like that. I like to send mail and receive mail!

So, the other day I was talking to some of our family. They asked if we had received a package that they had sent over a week ago. We have not. Realizing this, I also realized that I have NO IDEA where a ‘post office’ is and that I have never once, since we have been here, seen anyone that was a mailperson or anyone delivering mail.

Hmpf. That stinks!

We have to have mail!

So I simply prayed that night that the Lord would guide me to somehow figure this out and furthermore to find out where this package is .. (I think it has Spray and Wash stain sticks in it … it’s a valuable commodity!!!)

Anyway, the next day we are at home and there is a knock at the door. Now, mind you, we have people knocking at our door and ringing our door bell c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y … can I say it again?

CONSTANTLY!!!!!!

It just one of those crazy phenomenon’s here that there is always something going on and something happening … so we have decided that since we can’t beat ‘em we will join ‘em! We open our door (after checking through the peephole that it’s not trouble!) to anyone who rings the bell or knocks … what better way to get to know the culture and people … in our own home! HA!

Anyway, this time the door bell rings and we open it. Standing there is an older Indian man with a piece of mail in his hands.

I tried to contain myself, but I blurted out, “are YOU the postman?”

He looked at me like I had 3 heads (I get that look a lot!) and said, “yes ma’am.”
After I stopped literally jumping for joy, I explained to him how we are expecting a package and we haven’t received it yet.

He is very nice and says when he receives it, he will deliver it to us.

ok, great, I think … when will that be? But instead of saying that, I just say, “thank you so much for your help, that is so kind of you.”

Then I ask him where the post office is.

He tells me based on a landmark that is very close to us, so I thank him again and he leaves.

It is amazing to me that my request was heard and answered in such a direct, slap in my face, way. He is faithful! May I never take this for granted!

Anyway ...

An hour or two later, my oldest and I decide to go investigate and figure out where this post office is. I feel like this will just be another piece to helping me feel at home and besides, I could snoop around for that package, right? LOL!!

Well we walk out onto the street and go the way I think he said to go. We walk for quite a while, looking at every sign and every shop all along the way. No post office.

We come up to a couple teenage looking Indian girls, who I was pretty sure would speak at least a little English. So I asked them if they knew where the post office was. They said that they didn’t. There was an older man there, so I asked the girls to ask him if he knew. They did and then proceeded to tell me that it he said “it was from the way that I came.”

So we turn around and walk back the way that we came, once again looking closely at every sign and paying attention to anything that might be the post office. (one big clue in America is all the mail trucks parked in the big open parking lot … ummm … not here!)

We walk back to where we started, again, no post office. So I think, ok, maybe it’s just on down the other way and I misunderstood the postman which way it was. So we start walking again.

We walk so far that I am pretty sure it’s just not here. I ask another person where it is. They point and tell me it’s back from where I came again.

NO IT’S NOT!!! I think to myself. I WAS JUST THERE, 3 TIMES!!!

So we catch an auto rickshaw to take us back the same way we just came again.

As we are going, I ask the driver if he knows where the post office is. He does the head bobble thing that tells me he does. “GREAT!” I think, “he will take us there.”
Just a couple minutes later, he stops and pulls over right where we started looking for the post office originally.

I can tell he thinks I should be getting out … so I say, “post office? “
He head bobbles.

So I say, “where?”

He head bobbles again.

I look at the other person sitting next to me, and he says, “post office?” (in the Indian accent)

And I say, “Yes!” Do you know where it is?”

He then head bobbles just like the driver did.

They are both looking at me like I have 3 heads (same look the postman at our door gave me) So I just say thank you and pay our 8 rupees for the ride and get out, totally frustrated.

We get out, turn around, and I look up to see ….
A POST OFFICE SIGN!!!!

Talk about an Amazing Race moment.

I FOUND IT. I completed this leg of the journey and I was headed to the pit stop in first place! (that’s Amazing Race jargon, in case that doesn’t make sense to you!) Wow. I just wanted to see one of those Amazing Race flags hanging next to the post office sign …

The post office building sits back behind the row of shops that are right along the street. So since I was now across the street from it, I could finally see it! The sign was about 20 feet up on the side of the building, but there it was! Just a small sign that just simply said post office with the address. No wonder the auto rickshaw driver and the other guy were looking at me crazy, we were all of 20 feet away from it! HAHAHA

We were jumping for joy again!

We skipped across the street and up the stairs only to discover a girl laying on the concrete porch of the post office. She was so sick and destitute. She had a bottle of water next to her, but I don’t even know if she knew it was there. It was a difficult sight. I prayed for her and decided that we needed to go on and talk to someone at the post office and I would see what this girl was doing when we were done.

I go up to the first window, and as politely as possible tell them who I am and where we have moved to and that I am looking for a package that was sent. The whole time I am talking, he doesn’t even look up at me. When I am done, he just gestures to go to the next window.

I step over to the next window, which is all closed up, and then I hear the latches and locks being moved. The wooden doors swing wide open and I see the postman that was at our door earlier!

He looks at me and says, “I told you that when I receive it I will deliver it to you.”

I said, “oh yes, I know that you will … I just wanted to find out where the post office was exactly, thank you for your directions. (HA … I am sure it was just me, but they sure weren’t easy!) and I wanted to see if maybe you found it when you returned. “ He said it wasn’t there, but he will bring it when it comes.

So we turn to walk away, only to be met again by the suffering girl by the stairs. There is a security guard standing there and he looks at me and shakes his head, “no.” It kinda catches me off guard, so I just move our oldest that is with me off to the side and walk around her.

My heart stayed there though.

I can’t get her picture out of my mind. She is a child of God, just like I am. She is no different than me, but there she lies.

Honestly, there are many people laying on the sidewalks and streets that are in horrible conditions, like this girl. She was just right under my feet, though. Many times we are driving by when I see people like this and I can’t do anything at that moment, but I was on my own walking this time.

Please Lord, help her and bring me to her again to do something if that is what you want. I am mad that I let that security guard decide for me what I was to do or not do … next time I’ll be ready!

So now I know where our post office is. What a relief and another ‘unknown’ to check off the list!

Watch out … we are getting settled in this foreign place bit by bit!!! PTL!


UPDATE:
I've been able to tell this story to a few people since this happened a few weeks ago. I typed this while we didn't have our internet for a couple months just to be able to remember the details and blog it once I could. So now, the box has been delivered and the valuable stain sticks (among other great stuff!) are in hand and being used! ;-)

.... and for some reason none of the pictures would work! ugh, sorry for no visuals!