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!)