Jesus, Love, and Soccer

So God's been teaching me a lot about love. So many times we as Christians live out of duty...going to church every Sunday, doing "good" things, loving people because we're supposed to, etc. But God will not love us any more or any less if we do those things. We live in God's unconditional grace through Jesus. It's all about love. Paul prayed for the Ephesians not that they would be able to do more good works to feel good about themselves, but that

they would be able to grasp how

WIDE

and

LONG

and

HIGH

and

DEEP

is the LOVE of CHRIST

that we would know this love IN ALL OF ITS FULLNESS

that we would REST in this love

that we would be ROOTED in this love

This love is scandalous. It's the kind of love that is almost embarrassing because it is absolutely undeserved. On Sunday at a house church we are going to, a brother spoke about Luke 5:27-31 where Jesus calls Levi to follow him. Levi was a tax collector - a low down cheat in those days - and Levi threw a banquet for Jesus and invited all his friends (who were also cheats and the ones who had a reputation for being really bad "sinners"). People freaked out b/c Jesus claimed he was God but was hanging out with the scoundrels of the town. But his response to people was this,

Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? [obviously the sick!] I'm here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.

I want that...a love that loves every part of me, who desires to affect all parts of me, even the most filthy and embarrassing.

I've also been thinking about my tendency to love only the "healthy" (those who appear to have it all together). Because when you love people who are "sick," sometimes people talk about you like they did Jesus. But Jesus thought it was worth it...they are worth it.

There are some guys who play soccer in our neighborhood every day at sunset. And I've gone a few times and played with them...I think they're shocked that I can actually play. The first time I had jeans on (NOT EASY to play soccer in jeans on an uneven, muddy field) but Menuka, our house helper, said that I could wear basketball shorts. I felt so scandalous walking to the field and then having everybody watching me play...because girls just don't wear shorts, not even capri's. But I guess playing football is the exception. Anyway, Victoria told me that those guys are always having parties and doing drugs, etc. While I would never put myself in danger (I don't go alone to play, etc) I don't think I should just run away because they're "bad." So pray for opportunities to talk about Jesus and show them his love. And maybe even try to find some girls who play soccer too!

Indian Sunrise...4:30am

(this was @ 5:30...maybe someday i'll have more motivation to get up earlier)

Two brothers after house church on Sunday. So jolly.

Football!

Experiments, Landslides, and Coconuts

So this is one of those random-tidbit blog entries. Short and sweet.

Victoria and I dusted off her microscope yesterday (also discovered a dead frog we have to dissect later in the year...woohoo) and looked at several objects, one being...

how cool is it that you can take a picture of what you see in a microscope!

The first person to guess what this is gets a gold star!

Another random tidbit: Brittany, a journey girl from Kalimpong (met her 2 weeks ago), stayed with us last night b/c she was taking a friend to the nearby airport, and it's a 3 hour ride back to Kalimpong from Siliguri. So she left this morning...and came back at 4:30pm because the landslides were so bad on the mountain. Needless to say, she was exhausted from being in the car for 7 straight hours with a driver who didn't speak English. Ha! I felt so bad for her, but we just had to laugh. I was selfishly glad for the extra night to spend with her.

Nadil Kah Pani Piah May

I drank coconut water!

Today, I was about to read in my ENO hammock outside when Hima (househelper downstairs) and Nelson (our gardener - 15 yr old Nepali guy who is so sweet) came outside eating coconuts. They're right in our back yard, so Nelson grabbed another one from the tree and cut it open for me. And he really surprised me when he came outside with a glass of what looked like water. He said, "Coconut Water!" Ha! He is so jolly and loved watching my face as I drank it. He laughed and laughed. And I tried to learn a few other Hindi phrases, but I feel like I can only take in one or two phrases at a time. Anyway, so we all sat outside drinking coconut water, which Indians love apparently. Guess I'm gonna have to learn to love it!

Tour of Indian Hospital Room - ps, VICTORIA IS ALIVE!!!

For the past week and a half, Victoria has had really bad stomach pain and a constant fever (which got up to 103.5 on Monday) so we've spent a lot of that time at the hospital...no fun. We were praying hard then because she did not look good at all. But thankfully she came out of it, through many ice packs and a lot of prayer. We were at the hospital from 9am to 8pm on Monday. They finally confirmed, through a CT Scan, that she doesn't have appendicitis (woohoo!) but she does have a urinary tract infection, which might have gone to her kidneys (which would be the cause for all of her stomach pain). So she's taking antibiotics, but still has a fever. So pray that it would go down and that she would have an appetite. It's been a tough week and I think we're all ready to just get back to normal life, Victoria especially. Hope you enjoy the movie...sorry I didn't get the outside of the hospital. Maybe another time...but hopefully not! ha!

Getting out of the "Short-Term Mission Trip Mindset"

Well, I've been in India for 3 weeks on Sunday. Something that has been difficult to process is the short-term mission trip mind set. For those who haven't been on a mission trip, they are packed with hands-on work or evangelism for the majority of each day. Days and hours and minutes are not wasted, and for good reason - make the most out of a possibly expensive short-term trip. Having gone on many mission trips, local and international, I have been accustomed to their packed and purposeful schedules. But this is not a mission trip. I am living in India. I often feel guilty for not doing "missionary things" - sharing the gospel, serving my neighbors, praying with people. I've been reading a book about Mother Teresa, and something that has encouraged me about her life is that she was in India for 20 years before she moved to Calcutta and started Missionaries of Charity. Wow! Was she useless during those years? Of course not, she was living out what God had called her to do in that moment. So that is what I am doing. I have been called to India today to teach a missionary's daughter and I want to be faithful in that calling, also trusting that his plans are good. I believe God has also called me to other things but I want to be patient in seeking God's will about them.

There are currently two opportunities to teach at Indian schools. I visited Havillah School on Thursday. They are in need of a computer teacher. They have 5 computers in a small room, and the children are anxious to learn more. But since they don't have a teacher, they have stopped classes. After looking at the curriculum and meeting a couple of the teachers (Ajano and Benri), I could see myself teaching there (probably 3 days a week in the afternoon). I am also visiting a school on Monday. It is associated with a church in our neighborhood, so I could just walk there. I think I would probably teach English there, which is intimidating to me since I do not know very much Hindi. But I'm assuming I would use a lot of pictures, and they have curriculum so I would just need to get used to it. Please pray for discernment in knowing where to serve.

ps - I actually like when it rains in India. For some reason, it's not depressing like it is in the US. Maybe it's because it makes it cooler!

UPDATE ON VICTORIA:

We went to the doctor twice yesterday, and the doctor finally said that she doesn't have appendicitis but it is probably a urinary tract infection (even though she has no problem going to the bathroom). So they gave her antibiotics and told her to give a urine sample today to see if it is UTI. Please pray that they would find the true diagnosis and that Victoria would feel better. Also, pray for wisdom for Jeff to know what to do and for Trish who is still in Texas and very worried about Victoria.

Indian Hospitals

Well, I just had my first experience with an Indian hospital in Siliguri. Victoria probably has appendicitis so we went to the hospital to see what they could do to ease the pain at least. As you walk up to the lit Emergency sign one might be surprised to find that the gate is locked, the lights are off, and no one is around (except 3 stray dogs...they're everywhere in India...and they're not cute). Is this hospital abandoned? Just wait. Another thing that caught my attention was the glowing green idol in an indented space (about 2 feet high and wide) in the front of the hospital as you enter. You don't see that every day in America.

Jeff banged on the gate, at which point a guard (who wasn't wearing shoes) opened the gate and turned on the lights. He called the nurses (probably to wake them up). They opened the door to a hot, dark, and what appeared to be a dirty room with 4 hospital beds close together and limited medical supplies. I was kind of relieved that all they did was check her blood pressure, temperature, and press on her stomach because the facilities were so dirty. I watched a nurse wash her hands in the corner and use a really dirty towel to dry them, then throwing it over the open window. Yeah, gross. They couldn't do anything else (blood test, ultrasound, etc) until 9:30am. Wow! So we're hoping Victoria's appendix doesn't rupture...please pray that it won't.

Only positive aspect of Indian hospitals at 2am: THERE'S NO WAIT!

Pray for Kalimpong

Ministry can be really tough, especially in another country where everything is so different. One such place is Kalimpong, India. The family I live with (Wards) live on the second floor above two journeymen (IMB 2-year missionaries), Adam and Pete. They moved in a couple of days after I arrived in India. So yesterday Adam and Pete invited me to take a trip to Kalimpong with another "journey-girl" (I think that term is funny), Brittany. So we made the crazy 3-hour trip up the mountain in the dark. The road was full of holes, mud, and landslides. Fortunately, we made it there alive! Most of the roads there are one-way because the town is on a mountain...not a lot of room.

Brittany and Martha, the 2 "journey girls" who live in Kalimpong, were so sweet in letting me stay with them. It was so nice to be with girls my age and just encourage one another. In the morning we had Dunkin Donuts Cinnamon Coffee. Um, I don't even like coffee, but this stuff was like heaven! Mom, send me some! ha! Then we went to a Thai restaurant with Michelle (the career IMB missionary there...her husband was in Darjeeling) and I started crying because the food was so spicy.

The highlight of our trip was when we got to Michelle's house and began to share some of the hard things going on (even thoughts of leaving) and what the LORD was teaching them through it. It was so sweet how God allowed us to shoulder some of their burdens through simply listening and then praying on their behalf. What a sweet time with fellow believers...who I didn't even know very well. That is the beautiful thing about the body of Christ. We are united under one common thing: Jesus, and the acknowledgment of our desperate need for Him.

PRAY for the missionaries in Kalimpong:

Jared and Michelle

Brittany, Martha, Cody, Chuck

*That they would find open doors to share the good news

*That they would be connected to national believers there

*That God would give them renewal and vision

"But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our LORD Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the LORD, because you know that your labor in the LORD is not in vain."

1 Corinthians 15:57-58

Brittany, Michelle, Adam, and Pete

Motorcycles and Culture Lessons

You will find many kinds of vehicles/animals/objects on Indian roads, motorcycles being one of the most common. Victoria, the girl I am teaching, is obsessed with them and wants one when she's old enough to drive. She knows the exact one she wants, down to the very last detail of which engine she wants. It's pretty funny actually. Anyway, today we went over to her friend Lisa's house. Her dad has a motorcycle and Victoria asks to ride it every time she's there. So her dad actually took us home (in two trips of course...4 people on a bike would be a little crazy). And, to my surprise, I loved it! My mom probably would have freaked out if she'd known we rode without helmets, but what can I say? I'm a rebel without a cause! ha! Here's a pic of Lisa, her dad, and I. ps - Lisa's dad is one of the jolliest Indian men!

CULTURE LESSONS

I've only been in India for a week, but it feels like I've been here for months. I think that's a good thing! But I am having to get used to some cultural norms, most of which are extremely different than America's. For instance, honking is used not to say, "Hey crazy, get outta my way!" but instead, "Just want to let you know I'm here. Don't hit me!" So the roads are crazy, but for some reason I trust Indian drivers more than the ones in America...which is insane because Indian roads are about 1000% crazier and more chaotic.

And, of course, DON'T DRINK THE WATER! There is a corner of the kitchen dedicated to bottles of water to use for drinking, cooking, and brushing your teeth.

Almost no one has a dryer, and although the Wards do have one, it is not often used. Therefore, you do it the "old-fashioned" way...although it's always been the way in India.

Fans are absolutely IMPERATIVE. Since we only turn on the AC at night, it gets up to about 90 degrees inside the house. If the fans aren't going, it's noticeable. I've come to be extremely appreciative of them. Also, the electricity where we live is spotty, so sometimes they can go off, or the AC goes off at night. Those are sad times!

There are parts of the grass that Nelson (the gardener) cuts by hand with a small tool. He actually makes designs in it. It's pretty sweet! I guess you have to find some enjoyment in cutting grass by hand!

Obviously, tea is a staple in India. It's funny because in America I got used to plain green or black tea...no milk or sugar. And I come here, and they load it with anything and everything to make it taste delectable. So Menuka has started to make me Ginger Tea, and it's super good! But I'm still craving green tea, so I'll have to search for it (since black tea is most common).

Playing too much soccer can cause bruises...hence my foot.

Indian food is INCREDIBLE! This is one of its staples...rice, vegetables, and "doll" (sp?)...a yellow liquid you can poor over anything to make it taste good. Kind of like gravy, if you're from the South.

Siliguri, India - 97 degrees, Rain

Well, I'm here. A year and a half after I got an email from the Wards (the missionaries I'm living with), and I'm finally here. It feels good. There's something about this place that feels like home. Of course, it feels extremely foreign in a lot of ways: the traffic, the heat, the people, the languages, the food. But I feel at peace here. I'm glad to be where I am because I know God has called me to this place across the world.

It took about 2 days to get here, and I've been trying to recover from the time difference (11 1/2 hours ahead), so we force ourselves to stay up til at least 8. ha! I woke up at 5 and then 6 this morning. I am also trying to remember to be patient. In the midst of my frustration and striving among a new culture, God is slowing my heart and reminding me that my relationships at home were not formed in a day. And neither will the ones I have in India. So I am taking it one day at a time, trusting that God will provide all that I need.

Some things I'm excited about:

*The sight of real mountains (not hills) in our back yard. The missionaries said that you can see K3 from the roof. Wow!

*Milk Tea which Menuka (helper) makes

*Walking club we're going to start with one of Victoria's Indian friends and her mom

*Soccer in the backyard

*Possibility of trekking in Indian mtns (don't worry mom, the highest peak is just 40,000 ft. ha!)

Things I'm not-so-excited about:

*The gecko's living in my room (I've named them Winston and Rufus)

*Headaches that come from Indian traffic

*Heat...although I'm slowly getting used to it. My hair isn't...

*Unknown

Pray:

*That God would give me consistent places to go around Siliguri to form relationships with people

*For patience

*For wisdom in teaching Victoria (we start school on Monday)

ps-I'm including some pics of my last week in Nashvegas. Sweet friends and fun places. Baja burrito...I will miss thee.

Camp girls!

See You at the Pole 2009 with B-Max and K-Murph

Last farewell with Jim and Charley

Special Birthday Cake

Love these girls!

None other than Baja

It's a hartebeest of course!...and Bryan and Camille!

What a jolly sister pic

My desk in India

Bed and sweet windows

Me and Victoria (girl I'm teaching) on the way to Siliguri

The view from our backyard. Outta Control!

Nashville - 73 Degrees, Mostly Cloudy

Well, the day is finally here. I'm leaving for India in a couple of hours. Made my morning run to Frothy Monkey, my favorite Nashville coffee shop, for one last cup of Tennessee tea. So now we're rushing around trying to fit everything into two suitcases and a carry on. NOT easy, even for a low maintenance girl like myself.

I'll update when I get to India. Please pray for safe flights and sleep for the 15 hour plane ride!