Thanksgiving and more

Some Indian friends on Thanksgiving!  Munnu, Chokey, Salvi, and Athing.  There were many more, but this was the cool table :)

My Thanksgiving centerpiece.  I improvised with what we had...not too shabby.  Yes, those are candles inside apples!

Hannah with my apron on, drinking our hot cider...learning the sound "th" for Thanksgiving.  She's really coming along and has started to read words.  So neat!

Last week I talked about club at our meeting and we spent time praying for kids.  Pray for them by name if you have a few minutes.

I employed some of the guys to change a lightbulb :)  Thanks Shakar and Mingure!

Javeen and her brother Happy.  Seriously, that's his name.  Amazing!  By the way, I love having a house full of YL leaders.  Feels like family and is tons of fun.

Bacon, Cheddar Biscuits anyone???  DUH!  Me, Mingure, and Mona made breakfast at 7am!  Woot woot!

Boasting in Jesus

At our house church, we had been going through the book of Galatians.  Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, rebuking them for believing that it was by the Law they were saved.  Other people, who were only concerned with their own reputation and glory, were convincing them to be circumcised and to rely on the Law for their salvation.  But if we could be saved by the Law, then Christ came for nothing!  Paul had such concern for the Galatians that he wanted them to live in the freedom of the gospel: that they were saved by faith in Christ and NOTHING else.

A couple of weeks ago we finished with chapter 6, verses 11-18.  It talks about how we don't have anything to boast about but Jesus.  Verses 14, 15:

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. 

A couple weeks ago, I talked to the YL leaders about Contact Work aka meeting high school kids.  Since then, God has really given them great opportunities to hang out with teenagers and become friends with them.  He has given us SO much to boast in Him about!

Last Monday was Children's Day in India, so 2 of the schools where we're starting YL had football (soccer) matches, both girls and boys.  So me and Munnu attended.  This is the ceremony they had before the games.

Had to get a pic with the girls!  They were awesome...well, for playing for the 1st time ever :)  We had tons of fun cheering them on.  The red team won (IB Thapa) 1-0.

Munnu (maroon shirt on left) was really great with the Ravi Ratana High School girls after they lost the soccer game.  Some of them were really upset, crying or just angry, and she was really comforting and encouraging.  I was really proud of her.

Ravi Ratana girls eating "kitcheri" after the game (it's a mixture of rice, dal, vegetables, and spices).  They even let me and Munnu have a plate.  All the girls ate with spoons, and I ate with my hands so we joked that they were all foreigners and I was the Indian for the day!

If you read my last post about towels, you'll appreciate these pics...

Decided to cover up my towels (and be more prepared!) for the next meeting :)

tea n community

An answered prayer request these past couple of weeks has been the growing friendships among YL leaders.  Sharing experiences are the best times to grow friendships - classes, meetings, rice and dal lunches, prayer-walking around high schools, auto rides, football practice with high school girls, concerts, early morning wake-up surprises, 6am walks, and of course TEA time!

Me, Victoria, and Beena (short girl in the front) were guests at the English class that Mingure teaches

A key leader meeting with Enos, Mingure, and Javeen...lots of honest conversation about the great things God is doing but also the struggles.  Great time of prayer too.

Me and Munnu went to the market with these awesome high school girls on Saturday...experienced my 1st Siliguri bus ride (high schoolers only have to pay 2 rupees!) and ate pani puri and cake

To sum it up, we've shared a lot of good times, and they've really brought us closer as a team.  Pray that we'll continue to grow closer (seems overwhelming cuz there's about 20 of us, but God has obviously been working so we'll continue to trust that He will do it!)

Counting Towels

Better is open rebuke than hidden love.  Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Proverbs 27:5-6

Oh man.  Being a leader is a gift and blessing, meant to help others...but sometimes it can feel like a curse...because it requires courage to lead other people.  And many times you fail...and feel like an idiot for ever even trying.  Those are the valleys of being a leader - making mistakes and leading others into them.  Stink.  I hate that, because sometimes the consequences don't just affect you, but many other people.

On Friday we had our 1st official YL Siliguri leader meeting.  We've had a lot of smaller meetings in the past but this was the first time we were all together (well, a few were missing, but that's how it goes).

I wanted to give them an overview of YL and then spend time praying for teenagers in Siliguri and talking about where they could meet high school kids (one of the main challenges here in India b/c you can't go into the high schools any time).  Essentially I just wanted us to be united in heart and mind before we started meeting high school kids.

I wasn't prepared.  The meeting wasn't very focused.  I was trying to cover way too much.  I wasn't explicit in what I wanted from them.  I should have talked strategy with just a few leaders beforehand.  And so...

They counted towels.  Seriously.  That's when you know you haven't led your team very well...when they start counting the towels in your house.  And planning which towel I should use each day of the week.  Haha!

Just to clarify, I inherited 7 towels from the previous renter, ok!  

Yesterday I met with my friend and fellow leader, Mingure, to talk strategy.  We decided that working in the same area of town is probably better because it will unite us as leaders because we're going together to the same place.  And we'll have a greater impact.

Not only did we talk about strategy, but Mingure asked me about the meeting and gave me many critiques.  Many of it was hard to hear, but he's always good about lightening the mood (hence the towel story!).  I left that place not with bitterness towards Mingure but gratefulness for his honesty.  If I'm going to be a leader I need to be open to constructive criticism, especially from valid sources.  So, as the verse above says, I left a little wounded but it was a wound that will hopefully produce much fruit because it came from someone I trust.

I also realized that it's not going to be in the big meetings with 20 people that they really understand YL. But it's the one-on-one conversations that I'm able to have with them where they have those "a-ha" moments.  However, I will definitely be re-evaluating how those big group meetings can be more effective :)  Thanks Mingure!

Nepal? NEPAL!

So I have this little card that I keep on my desk with specific prayer requests for Young Life Siliguri.  One of them was about visiting a YL camp in Pokhara, Nepal with 2 potential girl leaders.  It was the only prayer request that had a question mark beside it.

Did God answer that prayer?  OH YEAH!  More than you can imagine!  I thought that only 2 girls would come, but 3 came!  And the night before they flew to Kathmandu, there was a plane crash that killed 19 people on the airlines they were supposed to fly on.  So their plane was cancelled and they had to ride 3 hours in a taxi to another airport to get a flight with another airlines.  There were definitely obstacles in getting there, but by the grace of God they met me in Kathmandu late that night.

Mona, Munnu, and Javan

Not only did we get to see the beautiful Annapurna mtns...

But they were able to see for themselves some amazingly committed YL leaders who love kids sacrificially and how they do club and camp.  The fact that these 3 girls are Nepali and spoke the same language as the leaders in Pokhara was HUGE.  They took more ownership of learning about YL from the leaders because I couldn't understand much of anything because it was all in Nepali.  Frustrating at times, but good because I was able to ask them questions and process through things that way.

It was definitely fun to watch their silly skits and games and songs...

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  They will come in and go out, and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

John 10:9-10

Link to TONS more pics of our time in Pokhara:
Nepal YL Camp 2011

Nepal YL Leaders with Siliguri girls

Bangalore YL Retreat

A couple of weeks ago I travelled to South India to meet 6 Young Life leaders for a retreat just outside their city.  It was such a blessing to spend time with them in the Word and in prayer.  We also had some great discussions about how to move forward with YL there and in India.  It's great to partner with Indians who will pray for Siliguri Young Life.  And hopefully someday they'll be able to come to Siliguri to encourage leaders here and maybe help with a training or camp.

Some great truths we discussed:

*Most discipleship doesn't take place at formal trainings.  It's day in, day out, walking through life with people (lots of shared meals too!)
*Leaders also need to be discipled
*There are so many unseen things God is doing that we need to rely on Him and not ourselves for the work to reach high school kids with the gospel.  We need to fix our eyes on what is unseen.
*After weighing the risks, we must be relentlessly dedicated to the task because high school kids are worth it...picture the Fellowship of the Ring
*Don't shoot someone with a paintball gun who is only 5 feet away from you...and who's on your team!  Thanks for the bruise Godly :)

Vinod, me, Andrew, Sharola (area director), Sharon, Chinky, and Godly

Here's the facebook link to some pics from that weekend:
Retreat Pics

Aunt Daisy

This is Mona, and she is one of the coolest girls I know.  She's 21, in college, and sings and plays guitar.  She could seriously be picked up by a record label in Nashville.  This girl is LEGIT I'm telling you.  And she's so in love with the Lord, it's infectious!  Here's a pic of me and her about 6 months ago:

Her mom and dad were the 1st Christians in their family, which was from a Hindu background.  They experienced a lot of persecution from their family and friends.  Since she was 5, they've been praying for the rest of her family to know the One true and Living God.  I think her Grandmother and Uncle have come to Christ and maybe a few others.

One Saturday she asked me to come talk to her Aunt Daisy, who has been suffering with intense back and leg pain for many, many years.  Recently she had a bad pain attack and came down to stay with Mona and her parents for a couple weeks because she wanted them to pray for her.  She said she always feels peace and joy when she stays with them.

I stayed at their house for 4 hours on a rainy Saturday morning, listening to her story...how she had gone to church in her 20's and was going to get baptized but then decided to marry a Muslim, got divorced then remarried a Hindu man.

Her husband was also at Mona's house that day.  He is the oldest in a Hindu family so they rely on him to lead "puja's" (worship).  But he told us that he likes Jesus and he feels good every time they have been to church.  But he sees people who call themselves "Christian" in his village that aren't really following Jesus.  And there's a man in their village who always makes fun of Christians.  So he is not fully convinced that following Jesus is a good choice.

That day I shared about the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment.  Her reach was one of faith that Jesus was powerful enough to heal her.  Daisy wants to be healed physically and spiritually, and she wants to experience that peace and freedom (she said she knew that when she would accept Christ, she would feel this overwhelming flood of freedom).  So I told her what my dad had told me that morning...he said, "Just ask her if she wants to be a Christian.  It doesn't hurt to ask...and what if she says yes!"  So I asked her, and after much conversation about obstacles and claiming her husband should come to Christ also, she decided to pray and ask Jesus to forgive her.  I can't tell you how beautiful it was to hear her pray in Nepali with tears streaming down her face, repenting of her sin and asking to be washed clean.

It seemed to me it wasn't about her husband receiving Christ that day.  And it wasn't even about Daisy's physically healing.  It was about Daisy reaching out in faith to touch the hem of Jesus' garment.  To be spiritually healed by the Savior she had resisted for so long.

I spoke with her on the phone last week when I was in Bangalore.  Her child-like faith was so evident when she said she has been learning to pray and has been reading God's Word every day.  She is getting to know her Heavenly Father.  What a beautiful picture of a prodigal daughter coming home.

Please pray for her husband, that He would see the Light that is inside of her and how it is changing her.  May it draw him to the Savior's feet also.

Random Pics

1, 2, 3's in our Counting Corner...yes, my apartment has become a pre-school :)

The aftermath of our 20-second earthquake on Sunday Sept 18.  The epicenter was only 30 miles from us in a state called Sikkim.  Talk about scary!  Felt like I was on a boat going back and forth.

Link to info about the earthquake:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14982155

Homemade pico and tortilla chips!

Practicing letters in shaving cream

Homemade pizza

Sorry I don't really take pictures when I'm doing ministry stuff, doesn't really cross my mind.  So most of the pics are teaching and cooking :)  More to come from Bangalore and Nepal trips

4 Dimes

In order to get to the seminary where I teach English (lots of potential YL leaders there), I have to take 2 auto's (small taxi that fits 8, usually more, Indians) and 1 rickshaw.  But lately I've had to take 2 rickshaws...because the auto's from our house haven't been coming often, and if they do they're packed.  I like to take rickshaws but they're more expensive (40 cents as opposed to 10 cents for an auto).  I know, "expensive" shouldn't even be the word I use.  But what can I say?  I've become Indian and have to pay attention to the local prices!

Here's a video from my rickshaw ride last week.  Feel free to fast forward or just watch the interesting scenes, honking, and traffic of India.  And yes, you can imagine the smoke you inhale on those rides too.  But when you go through a part with less traffic, it's a nice, jolly ride!

ps - my driver looked like Rambo :)

Letters, Banana Leaves, and Mountains

Hannah is the cutest, so photogenic with her big and little E's!

Ok, so I'm pretty close to this family in our neighborhood who are also missionaries...they're from South India -  a state called Kerala.  Sophi loves to cook...she's a super amazing cook, I mean, there are no words for her cooking!  So last week there was a festival in Kerala called Onam.  I think it started out as a Hindu festival, but they said it's one of those secular holidays now that everyone celebrates just for fun.  A good excuse to not go to school and work, be with family, and EAT ON BANANA LEAVES!  haha!  yeah, pretty awesome!  So in honor of that festival, she made me a special meal.  Oh, and they only eat vegetables on that day...no meat.

Me and Sophi

Her son, Steve, snuck in :)  Love that crazy guy.

I'm hoping to visit Nepal at the end of September.  They have Young Life there and are having camp for a week in a city called Pokhara, west of Kathmandu.  Below is a picture on a clear day.  Basically the back door of the tallest mountains in the world!  Can you imagine going to camp there as a high school kid?! Yeah, pretty awesome.

Please pray that 2 potential girl YL leaders will be able to come with me....I probably won't go unless they come along.  I want them to see a picture of YL in a culture that is similar to Siliguri, as well as have the opportunity to talk with the area director there.  These girls (Munnu and Mona) I would take are both Nepali so they would feel comfortable with the language, would hopefully gain a lot from the experience, and be inspired to reach high school kids here in Siliguri.

Spinach: my Simple Staple

When I first moved to India 2 years ago, I ate a lot of rice (lunch every day).  That's definitely the staple here, and most Indians eat it at least 2 meals a day...a whole plate full.  However, I realized as I was puttin' on the pounds that I was gonna have to make some changes.  I discovered that they actually have spinach here.  So, except for the days I teach at the seminary and eat with them, I have a simple spinach salad for lunch.  I know, boring schmoring.  Unfortunately the spinach isn't packaged so nice and neat like in Kroger or Publix.  It's definitely a process...

You buy it by the bundle (now we can get it at this new and great grocery-store just built this summer)...stems and all.  Only about 30 cents for this one.  Yeah, pretty awesome.

Then I tear off the stems or bad leaves...

And throw the good ones in bowls with a little bit of potassium (that's what makes the water purple) to clean it real nice :)

My first real dinner...pineapple bbq chicken quesadillas!  The Pioneer Woman is the schniz.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SIMPLE, DELICIOUS RECIPES?

I WANT THEM!

ABC...Easy as 1, 2, 3!

For the past 2 years, I taught an American high school missionary kid.  She just graduated high school in May, and now I'm teaching two 4-year-old missionary kids.  I'm also teaching English to first-year students at a local seminary.  It is funny how different these teaching experiences are from the past 2 years.  Now I'm teaching ABC's/123's and verbs/nouns/adjectives...as opposed to philosophy, chemistry, and trigonometry.  But I'm so thankful for the decreased stress so that I can spend more of my time focusing on Young Life - pursuing/training Indian leaders as well as high school kids.  So I'm currently seeking out committed leaders and building that community while training them in the basic principles of YL.

Teaching pics:

Me, Hannah, and Kaitlyn (Liana's Teacher/Nanny).  Liana didn't want to take a pic with us :(

 Liana practicing letter "a"

Hannah enjoying snacktime...favorite part?  Duh!

C for cat and chocolate-chip cupcakes!

Two of my students (Numrata and Teju) at the seminary performing a Nepali dance on Teacher's Day (Sept 5 in India)

Mahi and Eliza, the MC's...surprisingly funny!

Atillo, one of my students who won the school's "Indian Idol" competition

Home

So I moved back to India 3 weeks ago.  I'm pretty settled in my apartment...yes, jolly things galore!  Tried to make it more "Meg."  Still in progress.  Me and living by myself have a love/hate relationship.  I'm an extrovert and don't love to be alone most of the time.  But as I am getting more into my regular routine, it's becoming apparent that my apartment will be a refuge in the midst of chaos.

Love this tribute to Nashville in my kitchen!

My ghetto, manual washer

The infamous squatty - it's pretty high-tech, though, with a flusher!  Probably won't get a western toilet till December

A few things I'm hoping to add to my apartment soon:

*Indian cloth to hang on my wall as decoration (maybe have some wooden frames to be covered with the cloth)
*YL logo-decorated mirror (I had the idea from Victoria, who bought mirrors and glass paint last week)