Fun Facts

Indian or...?

Surprisingly, many Indians look Chinese or Korean - there are a billion kinds of Indians (Naga, Bengali, Nepali, Manipori, Assamese, South Indian just to name a few). This is Chotu; he's a wee Naga Indian. He's the cutest!

22 completed, 23 running

Indians count birthdays a little different...Pawal turned "23" this week (even though he was born in 1987) b/c he completed 22 years and is "running" 23 years. It's actually pretty logical. So I guess I'm 23. Cool.

Indian Mail

Receiving letters and packages are jolly - I got my 1st letter and package this week...over a month after they were sent. ha! The package had been opened on one side, but my iPod was actually still tucked inside...amongst Alabama memorabilia. You can probably guess who that was from...brotha! Roll Tide!

P.E. 101, Indian Style

I taught Freeze Tag and Badminton to almost 300 Indian kids on Wednesday at Havillah School. It was so jolly to see them having so much fun. And God continues to open doors for relationships with teachers there.

Pandels for Puja

Pray that God would provide opportunity to talk to people about Jesus, who does not dwell in earthly temples and is not made by human hands. Many Hindus do not even understand why they worship or do the things they do. It is tradition and maybe even just cultural tradition that is void of true life (maybe not unlike cultural Christianity in America).

These are made out of bamboo and cloth and are all over the city

What's jolly about this picture is that Sujay, boy who I met playing soccer, is waving. He's like my little brother!...who I can't understand b/c he doesn't speak English. ha! So I practice my Hindi with him.

Update on Jaazaniah

Trish got back from Delhi today, where she was helping Kikon (guy who works with Jeff) and his wife get medical care for their baby, Jaazaniah. He's been diagnosed with West Syndrome and is undergoing a 10-14 day course of steroids as treatment. Kikon and Lireni are staying in a private room with him during this time. The doctor said "his prognosis is guarded." Please pray for his healing.

Indian English

Many Indians don't know past or future tense verbs, so they speak in present tense all the time. And they repeat the verbs many times for some reason. For example, Menuka (our househelper) says, "Morning time, so much is paining, paining, paining..." So you find yourself talking like that so they can understand...and even when you're not talking to them. Bad habits! This is Menuka and me:

Week in Pictures

Sunday Market with Menuka. This one's for my sister Becca...she loves the Farmer's Market in Nashville and this reminded me of it. However, most Indian markets aren't like this...they're just on the sides of the road. This was a jolly reminder of home.

Well, it's official...geckos love my room. I think there are about 5 regulars (2 big and 3 small). I think this is Rufus. Victoria accidentally beheaded one the other day by smashing the window...half a gecko sticking out of the window. Yeah, gross.

There were municipal elections last week, so I guess they determined the winner. And a lot of people were really happy about it!

There was a huge parade of cars, motorcycles, walkers who put colored powder on their bodies. Strange, but funny. Gopal and I got a kick out of it!

Drums and powdered faces...it was like a dance party in the street!

Gopal and his wife, Sermula (who is pregnant and due in November...so exciting!)

Me and Pawal, the Sports & Games teacher. He was fascinated by my Mac and the video camera. I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I basically became a P.E. teacher at Havillah School this week. ha! The principal came in and told Pawal that I would be in charge for the next 3 months and that I was to "train him." I was thinking, "Um...when were you going to tell me that?" Ha! That's the Indian way! But I'm excited about it, and it's only 1 day a week (Wednesdays for 3 hours). I feel like God has opened a lot of doors at this school, and I'm excited to walk through them this year.

Ministering out of Brokenness

As many of you know, Trish has been pretty sick lately - in bed, fever, sore throat, shaky muscles, headaches, neck pain, etc. So we have been praying for her, that God would heal her and in a sense bring her back to life! This morning she said she woke up and felt that God had laid on her heart to help Kikon (a guy who works with Jeff) and his wife as they take their 4-month-old son to Delhi for tests, care, etc. Their son has been having seizures for a few months and is just not getting any better. So they felt it best to go to Delhi to receive better care. Jeff would have gone with them, but he has to teach all weekend. So he asked Trish if she would consider it, and I think it's so awesome how God confirms things by speaking to many people about it. I don't think Trish would have been willing to go if she had not heard God's voice this morning.

So why would God call someone who is feeling sick and weak to serve a family who is also struggling with the emotional and physical pain of their son? Because when we are weak, HE IS STRONG. His grace is enough for us. I am so humbled to see Trish willing to serve out of her own brokenness and pain. Please pray that God's power would shine through her weakness, that His grace would be so real to her during this time (she doesn't know how long she'll be there). And for Kikon's son, that they would find some answers in this frustrating season of life.

Walls

Remember my post about playing "football?" Well, I went about 5 times but was not able to go for the past couple of weeks because I have been experiencing constant shortness of breath (trouble taking deep breaths but no wheezing). So a few days ago, Victoria and I were going to walk to the field just to watch and maybe talk to some people.

But, low and behold, there was a wall.

I guess some people got tired of people walking through their "yards" (dirt area around their house) to get to the field...understandable. So they built a brick wall. Now you have to walk about a mile to the main road and back around in order to get to the field. And as a result, I think the guys have stopped playing...at least the past 3 days when we walked to the field, no one was there. And they used to play every day!

I really feel like it is not only a physical wall, but a spiritual wall. As soon as I started building relationships and seeing God open doors to share Jesus, a wall was built. Pray that God would show up in a mighty way, despite this obstacle.

"My grace is all that you need. For my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 cor. 12:9

Worship

This morning I went to a Nepali church with Menuka, our househelper. As is custom for any church in India, the visitor is asked to share a word with the church. Since I knew I would be coming, I had been praying about what to share. Because Puja (Hindu festival starting late Sept. and into October) is about to start, I really felt led to talk about worship.

God led me to tell the story about Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18 and 19. King Ahab was a really evil king b/c he worshipped the false god Baal instead of the LORD, leading the Israelites to do the same. So God sent Elijah to show everyone He was the one true and living God, and that the gods they were worshipping were dead. But more than that, God wanted to bring his people's hearts back to himself. So he gathered the people and said,

How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it's Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!

So 2 altars were built: 1 to Baal and 1 to the YAHWEH. Whichever god answered by fire would be proved to be God. So the prophets of Baal and Asherah spent the entire day shouting, cutting themselves, and dancing in order to summon Baal. NOTHING HAPPENED.

All the odds are stacked against the God of Israel...his prophet (Elijah) was outnumbered by 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah (850:1 ratio. Wow). Elijah ordered that 12 huge vats of water be poured on top of the altar and sacrifice to the LORD. Imagine all these prophets who have just been humiliated and hundreds of thousands of Israelites watching this altar. And Elijah walked up to this drenched sacrifice, pleading that the LORD, the God of Israel, would make himself known to these people, that they would know he is leading their hearts back to him, and so they wouldn't think Elijah was a lunatic. God answered immediately. With fire that burned up

EVERYTHING...THE BULL, ALTAR, STONES...EVEN THE WATER.

So who do you think the people worshipped? The gods who never showed up? The gods who never heard their cries? The gods who could never love them or have mercy? NO WAY! They chose YAHWEH. Who hears the cries of his people. Who loves with an unfathomable love. Who is merciful. Who is ALIVE.

*Pray for the believers of India (who are outnumbered, just like the prophet Elijah that day) during this season of Puja, that they would remain committed to worship of the one true and living God, not swayed by their old way of living (that even we, non-Indians, would have boldness in sharing during this time).

*Pray that God would specifically lead men in that village to Himself (there were 2 men in a congregation of nearly 30). If the man of the house becomes a Christians, it is likely that the whole family will then follow Jesus as well.

WHO WILL YOU CHOOSE TO WORSHIP?

Bows and Arrows

Today I went to Havillah School (the one I went to on Saturday for Teacher's Day) to help the teachers with ideas for clubs (Science Club, Hobby Club, Quiz & Literary Club, and Sports Club). They have a theme every month ("Landscapes" - Sept.), and 2 Saturdays a month the children will come to school and work on creating activities or projects for their club. I think the teachers are getting burnt out, though, because they are having a hard time being creative. And honestly they do not have a lot to work with - no internet or other research materials, besides the children's school books, and their craft supply is limited to this small shelf (although they did not even complain about it or ask me for money, etc):

The school's "Treasure Box": Craft supplies for the whole school (hundreds of children)

My first instinct is to buy them all the supplies they need. But sometimes that can stifle creativity, and it does not encourage students (or teachers) to use what is around them. So I want to encourage teachers to help the students figure out what resources they can use around them. I am excited to see what they come up with. I am also helping with "Games" (P.E.), so if you have any ideas for kids ages 5-14 besides Soccer and Cricket...I think they have those down pat...I'm up for suggestions!

Anyway, today I went to the school but it was closed because of a strike. Apparently it has been closed for 3 days. This strike does not block the road but only forces the schools to close. Trish told me that she read in the newspaper that some Adavassi people (tribe or caste of people) want better Hindi-medium teachers because apparently there are a lot of English-medium schools and teachers around this part of town. So they told the teachers and students that they would shoot them with bows and arrows.

I am not kidding.

BOWS and ARROWS.

I started laughing, but it's not a laughing matter for these people. It seems so crazy, but it's what they know and how some people think they can makes things "better." So please pray for these teachers' safety and their witness to the community around the school.

ps - I was able to talk with 2 teachers (single women in their 20s who live on the campus) for almost an hour. It was really great to connect with them...that's one of my favorite things here...connecting with Indians. I think it's because I wasn't sure if I would be able to. But God makes the seemingly impossible possible.

Random...as Usual

The last week has been extremely busy, with Trish coming back from Texas last Thursday, visiting a Tea Factory on Friday, and celebrating Teacher's Day (every 5th of Sept. in India) on Saturday at Havillah School, where I'll be teaching every Wednesday.

Interesting Tidbits:

*There was a strike on the way to pick up Jeff and Trish at the airport on Thursday where all vehicles were blocked, so (to make a long story short) I ended up approaching the group of men who were blocking the road to ask if we could go because "I had to catch a flight." While this was not entirely true, we did need to get to the airport. Miraculously, they let us by. After I turned to go back to the car with Gopal (our driver), this huge group of 100+ men started howling/cat calling, whatever you want to call it. I chuckled to myself and was slightly embarrassed. It was the first time I had used my being an American woman to my advantage and it probably won't be the last.

*There is a Hindu festival called Puja which starts at the end of September. And almost everywhere you turn, there are groups of men collecting donations (usually just 10 rupees, which is just a few pennies) for decorations or offerings to the gods, etc. We were stopped on Thursday probably 7 times by these groups. Every time Gopal would tell them that we were Christians, and the first few let us go. But after we picked up Jeff and Trish, many decided to argue and demand that we pay. Jeff was wise in saying that it was just a donation not a tax, what they were doing was extortion, that he would not ask a Hindu for money for a Christian celebration, and ultimately we did not want to give to their gods. At one point, there were several men who surrounded our car to make sure we did not drive off, and all we could do was pray. But one time God provided a gracious man who was insistent that we be left alone and another time the police came and let us go. It would be so easy to simply pay. So pray for courage in these kinds of situations especially coming up during the month of October, and that we would have opportunities to share Jesus.

*Please pray for Trish and her health. More times than not, she feels tired and shaky. She is having to transition back into Indian life and started to take Indian medicine because it is a whole lot cheaper. So pray for its positive effects, that the salmonella will be gone when she goes back to have tests again.

*I was able to watch the season opener of Alabama football at 5:30am this Sunday morning (because of a neat little gadget called SlingBox), so that was a good taste of home. Roll Tide! During halftime I was able to talk to my roommates, JuJu and Christa, on Scype. Christa (also known as Critta!) got engaged on Saturday!!! So it was really fun to listen to her and Josh tell the story. I'm so happy for those little lovebirds!

Hope you enjoy the random pictures and video from the past week...