Hey Everyone!
Things I Have Learned:
- Once you have survived 14 hours on an Indian bus, every other form of transportation, no matter how long, is a breeze.
- Camels are a lot taller (and wider) than horses.
- It is possible for McDonald's chicken nuggets to sound appealing. (Shocking, I know.)
- The Taj isn't all it's talked up to be.
- Saying goodbye is hard. (Repeat from last post.)
Oh boy, where to begin? How about where the last post left off....
My alarm woke me at 6:17 a.m. on Wednesday, August 4. I got up, dressed, finished packing, stripped my bed, and took all my stuff downstairs. After breakfast, we loaded our suitcases into the jeep and then walked up to meet the bus. Once the bus was loaded and we were all on, we started our long drive to Delhi. And then stopped again ten minutes later because the bus ran out of gas. :) A sure sign that this would be an interesting trip! Once we got started again, we found out that it was a Hindu holiday and there was a parade on the route we were supposed to take, so we ended up taking a different route, stopping about once every hour to ask for directions or pay a tax, and finally pulling up in front of our hotel in Delhi at 11:30 p.m. After 14 hours on the road, we were all ready for a shower and a bed.
Thursday started at 5:00 a.m. After breakfast, we all piled back into the bus and left for Agra. We arrived in Agra around 11:30, and immediately went and bought tickets to see the Taj Mahal. A short shuttle dropped us off outside the security checkpoint and then a few minutes later we were standing in front of one of the seven wonders of the world. The Taj itself is smaller than I imagined it to be, and to walk around the entire inside, look at the tombs, and walk back out took maybe ten minutes. We had our group picture taken with the Taj in the background, and then we were all ready to get back on the bus and find some food. I wasn't overly impressed with the Taj, maybe because I was tired or sweaty or overwhelmed by all the other tourists or a combination of all three. But I'm glad I went, glad I can see I've seen it. This was a first-time visit for three of the long-termers in our group, people who have lived in India for several years, and if anything I am excited that they finally got to see it. :) We stopped at McDonald's for lunch, then got back on the bus and drove another seven hours to Jaipur, where we again took showers and went straight to bed.
Friday and Saturday were a bit more relaxed, since we didn't have to travel very far. Friday I woke up at 8:00. We ate breakfast and left the motel around 11:00 for the twenty-minute drive to Amer Fort. Amer blew the Taj out of the water - it was absolutely magnificent. We spent about two and a half hours walking around with a tour guide and taking lots of pictures. Words can't describe it - come find me if you want to see pictures (or wait until I post them on Facebook next week). We went to an Indian restaurant for lunch and then went back to the motel. Some of us went shopping in the bazaar, some of us stayed at the motel for some much-needed rest. Supper was at 8:00 at the motel, then a short meeting, then bed.
I didn't go anywhere on Saturday. Some of the team went to another fort and some went to the bazaar again. I opted to stay in the motel room and rest/read/journal/recharge. It was a nice, quiet morning. Everyone got back in the afternoon and then at 5:00 we met with a missionary team that is stationed in Jaipur. It was interesting to hear their mission focus and how that differs from what we had spent the past seven weeks doing. Supper was at 8:30, and then it was shower, pack, and bed, in that order.
Sunday was a travel day. We left Jaipur at 8:15 a.m. after a quick breakfast and drove until noon, when we stopped for a "snack and stretch" break. We pulled up in front of McDonald's at 2:30 and ate lunch. Our next stop was our motel in Delhi at 4:30 p.m. Our driver made good time, and the day of driving was uneventful and blessedly went by quickly. Some of the team went out for supper - the rest of us ordered pizza in and I was in bed before 10:00.
My alarm went off at 3:11 a.m. on Monday. We loaded the bus and were on the road by 4:15. It was a 45-minute drive to the airport from the motel, and it went by quickly. Before I knew it, we were saying goodbye to the people we had spent the last eight weeks with. It was hard, especially since I may not see these people again this side of heaven. After we checked our bags, we found the food court and ate breakfast. We boarded the plane at 8:40 a.m. and landed in Munich, Germany, seven hours later. We grabbed lunch in the Munich airport and then boarded our next eight-hour flight to Chicago, and from Chicago it was another three or four hours to Orlando. On-board movies and my iPod were definite life-savers since I can't seem to sleep on planes. After about thirty hours of travel, we technically left Delhi and landed in Orlando on the same day because of time change. It made for a very long day (literally and figuratively).
We had a bit of excitement in Chicago, the first and only bit of traveling difficulty we experienced. Between the time our first flight landed and our second flight boarded, we had an hour and a half to get all eleven of us through customs and immigration, recheck our bags, and take a shuttle from the international terminal to the domestic terminal. Four of us didn't make it in time. It was strange having the team split up, sitting on the final plane and knowing that not all of us were on board. So seven of us arrived in Orlando at 12:15 a.m. and the other four arrived around 2:00 p.m. the following day. It was nice to have everyone back together again. :)
We spent two days in Orlando. Each day had different sessions to attend, all designed to help us transition back into American culture. There was also time for each time to give a short report about the summer and share a few pictures. The team dressed up for the report - the girls in their sarees and the guys in their Garhwali suits. :) The second day was eventful for the girls, as we found out that one of us had head lice! Since we were all sleeping in the same room, we spent part of the morning stripping all the beds and collecting anything that might have been exposed to lice. We all had our heads checked, and some of us had our hair washed with lice shampoo - the rest of us opted out and prayed we didn't have lice. :) But I don't regret having all seven of the girls in the same room - it was wonderful last-minute together time.
And then it was Thursday. The day I had been dreading since leaving Delhi. Thursday didn't have any sessions or meetings - it was simply a day for saying goodbye as everyone caught a plane home. The goodbyes started a bit earlier for us - one of the guys was leaving early in the morning and wanted to say goodbye to everyone the night before. By the time I left at noon on Thursday, most of the team was already gone. As hard as it was to say goodbye to the long-termers in Delhi, it was infinitely harder to say goodbye to the team. But now that we are in the States, we have many forms of communication to tie us together. Where there is a will, there is a way. :)
The plane ride home was easy, but seemed to take forever. I journaled for part of it and listened to my iPod for the rest. It was weird to hear people in the seat behind me talking about Iowa. At first I got excited because I hadn't heard that name in a long time, and I wanted to introduce myself...and then I realized that of course they were talking about Iowa - that's where our plane was headed! Very strange. My parents met me at the airport and we drove straight home. We have grilled every night and yesterday I had Iowa sweet corn for the first time all summer! So good.
Sometimes it feels like this summer was a dream - that someone else with my name went to India and I lived it second-hand. But then there are moments like these that remind me that I really was in India for two months:
- Automatically converting everything from dollars to rupees.
- Automatically converting the current Iowa time to India time.
- Someone turning off a light in the house, me not seeing the person but seeing the light turn off, and assuming that the power had gone out.
- Seeing a teammate's photo album on Facebook with pictures from India in it - and seeing myself in some of the pictures.
- Wearing a shirt that has sleeves shorter than the sleeves on a curta, and therefore exposing my awkward "curta tan." (I need to work on that.)
I was going to title this entry "And So It Ends," but that isn't true. My summer isn't over now that I am back in the States again. I'm still emailing the missionaries in India and Facebooking my team. And I'm still discovering what God has been doing in and through me this summer - that is something I'll be discovering for a long time.
If you're in the area, I'll be speaking at First United Methodist Church in Jefferson this coming Sunday. You can come and hear a story or two, look at a few pictures, then follow me back to my house to hear everything I didn't say and look at the other 500 pictures (as long as you also help me pack since I move back to college that afternoon).
It's been quite the journey - thanks for coming with me, and following my blog. You all are such a blessing.
Prayer Requests:
-For my team (Apex and SOS) as we transition back into American culture and, for most of us, college life.
-For me, as I prepare to speak on Sunday. Public speaking isn't my thing. Pray for my nerves, and that God gives me the words He wants me to speak.
-For safe travel for everyone as we return to school or work.
-That I will not slip back into life as I lived it pre-India. That I will remember everything and everyone from this summer, and that it will impact the way I live daily.
-That as I share about this summer, it isn't about me. To God be the glory.
-Whatever else God lays on your heart. :)
Current total number of pictures: I lost count at 493
Current total number of videos: somewhere around 30
Current total number of blank journal pages: 7
Current total number of days before college: 5
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Beginning of the End
Hey Everyone!
Things I Have Learned:
-The best way to start a day is with no plans and the mindset of just going wherever the day takes you.
-Prayer does wonders. (Duh. I know.)
-Raw buffalo meat has the same texture as raw chicken breast.
-Putting on a saree is not a one-woman job.
-Saying goodbye is hard.
This has been a wonderful, unstructured week. I love waking up knowing there is no set schedule for the day and then looking back at the end of the day and seeing all that transpired.
Tuesday I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, baking goodies. :) One of the missionaries & I made rhubarb pie and apple crisp. We also made tacos for supper using ground chicken for the meat and homemade tortillas. We had a team meeting in the evening and then I went to bed early.
Wednesday was a quiet day. The team split up and did different things - a few went to the hospital (not because they were sick - just to visit), a few went to a village with one of the long-termers, and a few of us, myself included, stayed at the house. I spent a lot of time reading and journaling, and doing laundry. The rest of the team got back in the evening. We ate supper, did the dishes, and then went to bed early again.
On Thursday, most of the team went on a day trip to the village where we normally go camping. I stayed back with a few others, and ended up in the kitchen most of the morning. :) We made homemade pizza for lunch using leftover taco meat. Then we made a pan of rhubarb crisp, six loaves of bread, and homemade macaroni & cheese. The team got back at 6:30 and we ate supper. Then some of us watched Princess Bride (classic movie) and then went to bed.
Friday morning was quiet and uneventful. In the afternoon, one of the long-termers invited us to his house for tea (and samosas and potato pakora and trail mix and cookies). We stayed about two hours. Then half of the team walked back to the bazaar and the rest of us returned to the house and watched Freedom Writers (another good movie). Everyone else returned, and we had a team meeting after the movie. We ended up talking for two hours about the week and how we felt about going home. It was a great meeting. I love my team. (Have I mentioned that before? Because it's true.) :) After the meeting, we broke into small groups of two or three and prayed for each other. Then I journaled for a little bit and went to bed.
Saturday morning after breakfast and devotions, I went downstairs and helped in the kitchen for a couple of hours. I cubed buffalo meat and chopped tomatoes for buffalo curry. We took a break at noon and then the afternoon was fairly quiet. Around 5:30, guests started arriving for our big team party. All of the long-termers and their families came, and each family brought a different dish to share. By the time it was all assembled, we had quite the feast! After dishes were done, the guys went outside to visit and play cards, and the girls had a saree party. The women showed us how to arrange all the cloth, which was no simple task. :) But it was a lot of fun. Then we brought the guys back in and we all watched a video one of my teammates put together of pictures from the trip. Then we said goodbye to our guests, some of whom we wouldn't see again before we left, and went to bed. And so begins the process of saying goodbye. Can we skip this part?
Sunday morning, the team went to church together. The girls wore their sarees and the guys wore their Garhwali suits. Everyone looked really nice. :) After church we took group pictures, then went to Char Ducan for lunch. When we got back to the house, we all did our own thing. I spent a couple of hours just sitting on the balcony, reading and journaling. Everyone came together again after supper and we watched The Sixth Sense as a team. I went to bed after the movie.
Monday morning I got up and took a shower. After breakfast I had some quiet time. At noon, the girls went to the bazaar for lunch with the daughter of one of the long-termers. We did some shopping after lunch, and got back to the house a little after 6:00. We went to another long-termer's house for supper, then had a team Bible study afterwards. Then bed.
And today? Well today is the last day at the house. Everyone has been busy doing last-minute laundry, packing, weighing suitcases, re-packing, re-weighing. It took me two hours to get everything packed, and my suitcase weighs eight pounds lighter than when I arrived.
Tomorrow morning we get up, eat breakfast, and load onto a bus that will take us to Delhi. (We rented a bus, so it will be just us. Not a public bus.) We'll stay overnight in Delhi, then get back on the bus Thursday morning and drive to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Then we'll drive to Jaipur and spend the next two days there. Apparently there are some historic forts there, so that should be interesting. Then we drive back to Delhi on Sunday, stay overnight, and board a plane to Florida on Monday morning.
I'll be stateside in six days, home in nine. Wow. :)
Prayer Requests:
-Continued health and safety of my team as we travel this week and prepare to return to the States.
-Safe travels for the rest of the SOSers as they return home.
-A smooth transition into American culture, but also that we won't forget all we have learned and experienced this summer.
-Anything else God puts on your heart to pray about. :)
Current total number of pictures: 466
Current total number of videos: 25
Things I Have Learned:
-The best way to start a day is with no plans and the mindset of just going wherever the day takes you.
-Prayer does wonders. (Duh. I know.)
-Raw buffalo meat has the same texture as raw chicken breast.
-Putting on a saree is not a one-woman job.
-Saying goodbye is hard.
This has been a wonderful, unstructured week. I love waking up knowing there is no set schedule for the day and then looking back at the end of the day and seeing all that transpired.
Tuesday I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, baking goodies. :) One of the missionaries & I made rhubarb pie and apple crisp. We also made tacos for supper using ground chicken for the meat and homemade tortillas. We had a team meeting in the evening and then I went to bed early.
Wednesday was a quiet day. The team split up and did different things - a few went to the hospital (not because they were sick - just to visit), a few went to a village with one of the long-termers, and a few of us, myself included, stayed at the house. I spent a lot of time reading and journaling, and doing laundry. The rest of the team got back in the evening. We ate supper, did the dishes, and then went to bed early again.
On Thursday, most of the team went on a day trip to the village where we normally go camping. I stayed back with a few others, and ended up in the kitchen most of the morning. :) We made homemade pizza for lunch using leftover taco meat. Then we made a pan of rhubarb crisp, six loaves of bread, and homemade macaroni & cheese. The team got back at 6:30 and we ate supper. Then some of us watched Princess Bride (classic movie) and then went to bed.
Friday morning was quiet and uneventful. In the afternoon, one of the long-termers invited us to his house for tea (and samosas and potato pakora and trail mix and cookies). We stayed about two hours. Then half of the team walked back to the bazaar and the rest of us returned to the house and watched Freedom Writers (another good movie). Everyone else returned, and we had a team meeting after the movie. We ended up talking for two hours about the week and how we felt about going home. It was a great meeting. I love my team. (Have I mentioned that before? Because it's true.) :) After the meeting, we broke into small groups of two or three and prayed for each other. Then I journaled for a little bit and went to bed.
Saturday morning after breakfast and devotions, I went downstairs and helped in the kitchen for a couple of hours. I cubed buffalo meat and chopped tomatoes for buffalo curry. We took a break at noon and then the afternoon was fairly quiet. Around 5:30, guests started arriving for our big team party. All of the long-termers and their families came, and each family brought a different dish to share. By the time it was all assembled, we had quite the feast! After dishes were done, the guys went outside to visit and play cards, and the girls had a saree party. The women showed us how to arrange all the cloth, which was no simple task. :) But it was a lot of fun. Then we brought the guys back in and we all watched a video one of my teammates put together of pictures from the trip. Then we said goodbye to our guests, some of whom we wouldn't see again before we left, and went to bed. And so begins the process of saying goodbye. Can we skip this part?
Sunday morning, the team went to church together. The girls wore their sarees and the guys wore their Garhwali suits. Everyone looked really nice. :) After church we took group pictures, then went to Char Ducan for lunch. When we got back to the house, we all did our own thing. I spent a couple of hours just sitting on the balcony, reading and journaling. Everyone came together again after supper and we watched The Sixth Sense as a team. I went to bed after the movie.
Monday morning I got up and took a shower. After breakfast I had some quiet time. At noon, the girls went to the bazaar for lunch with the daughter of one of the long-termers. We did some shopping after lunch, and got back to the house a little after 6:00. We went to another long-termer's house for supper, then had a team Bible study afterwards. Then bed.
And today? Well today is the last day at the house. Everyone has been busy doing last-minute laundry, packing, weighing suitcases, re-packing, re-weighing. It took me two hours to get everything packed, and my suitcase weighs eight pounds lighter than when I arrived.
Tomorrow morning we get up, eat breakfast, and load onto a bus that will take us to Delhi. (We rented a bus, so it will be just us. Not a public bus.) We'll stay overnight in Delhi, then get back on the bus Thursday morning and drive to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Then we'll drive to Jaipur and spend the next two days there. Apparently there are some historic forts there, so that should be interesting. Then we drive back to Delhi on Sunday, stay overnight, and board a plane to Florida on Monday morning.
I'll be stateside in six days, home in nine. Wow. :)
Prayer Requests:
-Continued health and safety of my team as we travel this week and prepare to return to the States.
-Safe travels for the rest of the SOSers as they return home.
-A smooth transition into American culture, but also that we won't forget all we have learned and experienced this summer.
-Anything else God puts on your heart to pray about. :)
Current total number of pictures: 466
Current total number of videos: 25
Monday, July 26, 2010
"Dhanyawad, Didi"
Hey Everyone!
Things I Have Learned:
-Setting up tents in the rain leads to good bonding time.
-I can't survive without a pen.
-Chocolate chip cookies have the power to bring a group of eleven tired, dirty Edgers together at the end of a camping day.
-There is no better feeling than holding a small child in your lap, their cheek pressed against yours.
-"Monsoon season" has to be a myth.
We left last Tuesday for our fourth camping trip. We arrived early afternoon and set up camp. We put the kitchen tent in the village and then set up tents on some terraces just outside the village. It started raining as we were setting up the second girls' tent, so by the time we were done, everyone was soaked. I don't know about everyone else, but I really enjoyed the experience. :) I didn't do much on Tuesday. I spent some time in the tent journaling. After supper, we gathered as a team and ate cookies and talked about random stuff for about two hours. When it was time for bed, the inside of our tent was still wet (the one that was set up in the rain) so the three of us who were sleeping in that tent had a drying party and soaked up the water with our socks and the shirts we had been wearing that day. It was a good bonding moment. :)
I have to tell you about something really tragic that happened on Tuesday. I was sitting in the tent journaling, and . . . (prepare yourself) . . . my pen ran out of ink. And if you know me at all, you know how sad that was for me! Background story: I have a favorite pen. (Yes, I know. I'm a nerdy English major. Moving on. . . .) I have had this pen for five years now, and I made sure to buy pen refills (I know, I know) before I came to India. Well, the refills were at the house. And when my pen ran out of ink, the only thing I could think of was that I was about to face four days with no way of journaling. Very scary. Luckily one of the other girls had an extra that I could use. It wasn't the same, but I managed. First thing when we got back, before I even showered, I put a refill in my pen. One of my roommates was watching me and apparently it was really funny. She took pictures. I don't care - I feel whole again now. :)
Anywho, back to camping. . . .
Wednesday I slept in until 8:45, then went to the kitchen tent and ate some breakfast. I spent the rest of the morning sitting in the tent, reading and journaling. In the afternoon, a couple of us grabbed some lunch and went for a short walk to the jungle. We ended up sitting on a big, flat rock and eating lunch. A couple of the village girls walked by on their way home from school and they stopped and talked for a few minutes. When they left, we sat and journaled for a few more minutes and then walked back to camp. Supper was soon after, then a short team meeting, and we all went to bed early.
Thursday morning, a couple of the girls woke us up by crowing like roosters. Obnoxiously. :) We ate breakfast and then walked to a nearby village, Bungsheel. (I think I butchered the spelling, but this is how it sounds.) The team gave a presentation about American culture at the high school. We sang a couple of songs - one children's song in Hindi, and "Lean On Me." Both with actions. One of the guys on the team is really talented at beatboxing, and he beatboxed during "Lean On Me." It was a lot of fun. :) Then different members of the team talked about ethnic diversity, driving, dating, schools, and Christianity. Since it was a government-run school, we had to be careful about what we said about Christianity, but I still think the presentation turned out well. This all took place in about an hour, and we were back at camp in time for lunch. A couple of us walked to the jungle. Our intention was to sit and journal for about two hours - instead we entertained children for four hours. We no sooner sat down, and a group of five girls walked by and stopped to visit. They must have been at the school in Bungsheel because they wanted to sing the songs with us. Maybe twenty minutes after the girls came, a group of six other teammates came walking by and stopped. Then the girls left and then the rest of the team left. Then maybe ten minutes later, a group of seven kids (whom I think were herding cows, or gathering sticks, or both) stopped to visit. There were five girls in the group and when they saw our french-braided hair, they got really excited and wanted their hair braided that way. Between the two of us, we braided four heads of hair. I tried not to think about what might be in their hair or how greasy it was, and in the end I truly enjoyed braiding their hair. I remember thinking, when I was braiding the first girl's hair, that this could be the entire reason God wanted me to come on this camping trip. Just to be sitting in the jungle, braiding this girl's hair. You should have seen how excited the girls were when we were done. They kept reaching up and running their fingers down the braid and smiling these big smiles. One of the girls came over and gave me a hug and said "Dhanyawad, Didi," or "thank you, big sister." Mmm. :) Then they all scampered off the way they had come and we quick packed up and left before another group of kids could come by. When we got back, everyone was eating supper. We ate quick and then retreated to the tent to finally get some quiet time. :)
We got up at 7:00 on Friday - we probably would have slept later, but the tent was already really hot and uncomfortable. We gathered our things and took down the tents. After breakfast we sat around the kitchen tent for a couple of hours, waiting for the donkeys, and some of the village kids were there. At one point, a little boy named Papu was standing in front of me and I had the sudden urge to reach out and grab him. So I did. I sat him on my lap and we cuddled for a while. It was a nice moment. :) Once the donkeys were loaded up, we walked to Bungsheel and loaded into the jeeps. We got back to the house around 3:00 and took showers and ate an early supper.
We knew before we came to India that we would be going on three camping trips. This last trip was number four. The only reason we went was because the team (us Edgers) wanted to go back. And you know what? Two village girls gave their lives to Christ while we were there. We weren't even supposed to be there - but God had plans for us. God is moving in this place.
Saturday morning we had a team Bible study. Then we all went to the bazaar for lunch. After lunch, the guys went one direction and the girls went another and we did some shopping. We got back to the house in time for supper. We picked up our sarees while we were in town, and some of the girls tried theirs on. Saturday night we had a team movie date and watched Slumdog Millionaire. Awesome, awesome movie. I'm glad I watched it for the first time after I had lived in India for six weeks - I could appreciate so much more of the culture of the movie.
Nothing out of the ordinary on Sunday activity-wise. Went to church, ate lunch, and had a quiet afternoon. I was lying on my bed listening to my iPod and realized that in that moment I felt homesick. Which is weird because I never get homesick. I was thinking about calling home in the morning and praying that the phone would work and that somehow morphed into a daydream of greeting my parents at the airport and then all of a sudden I was consumed with thoughts about America. Has BP fixed the oil leak yet? Has Obama made any controversial decisions? I haven't watched TV or read a newspaper since leaving Iowa in June. I have no idea what is going on in America right now. And Sunday afternoon, for the space of about thirty minutes, that really bothered me. But then it was time for supper and I forgot about it. After supper, I sat outside journaling (and writing out this blog entry) until dark. Then some of us went for a walk (yes, at night). We didn't go far - just to a spot that overlooks the mountains but blocks out the lights of the village. We sat out there talking for two and a half hours, then came back to the house and talked for another couple of hours. I went to bed really late (or, early?) but it was so worth it. I love my team. :)
So, needless to say, I slept in yesterday. I ate a late breakfast and took a shower. I went into town with one of the missionaries and we spent a couple of hours walking around, doing some shopping. I loved spending that one-on-one time with her. We came back to the house for a late lunch, then I spent the afternoon organizing and journaling. We had a team meeting after supper to talk about the rest of this week. I don't know specifically what I will be doing, but there are many opportunities. We'll see.
13 days until I am stateside again. I could honestly be home now. It has nothing to do with being homesick or feeling useless - I feel like my time here is complete. Whatever God wanted me to learn here, I feel like I've learned. But at the same time, I have two weeks left and I know that while I feel like I am done, God isn't done using me and this team. He's got a few more surprises in store for me before He lets me go home.
And now this entry has broken the record for length that was set last week. And yet what I have written does the past week absolutely no justice. Bah.
Prayer Requests:
-The continued health and safety of my team here in India, and the SOSers who are still in field.
-Safe travels for the SOSers who are on their way home now.
-My focus would remain on India, and that I would keep my eyes open to whatever God still wants me to see.
-Patience, endurance, grace, love. I will need continual renewal this next week.
Current total number of pictures: 442
Current total number of videos: 25
Things I Have Learned:
-Setting up tents in the rain leads to good bonding time.
-I can't survive without a pen.
-Chocolate chip cookies have the power to bring a group of eleven tired, dirty Edgers together at the end of a camping day.
-There is no better feeling than holding a small child in your lap, their cheek pressed against yours.
-"Monsoon season" has to be a myth.
We left last Tuesday for our fourth camping trip. We arrived early afternoon and set up camp. We put the kitchen tent in the village and then set up tents on some terraces just outside the village. It started raining as we were setting up the second girls' tent, so by the time we were done, everyone was soaked. I don't know about everyone else, but I really enjoyed the experience. :) I didn't do much on Tuesday. I spent some time in the tent journaling. After supper, we gathered as a team and ate cookies and talked about random stuff for about two hours. When it was time for bed, the inside of our tent was still wet (the one that was set up in the rain) so the three of us who were sleeping in that tent had a drying party and soaked up the water with our socks and the shirts we had been wearing that day. It was a good bonding moment. :)
I have to tell you about something really tragic that happened on Tuesday. I was sitting in the tent journaling, and . . . (prepare yourself) . . . my pen ran out of ink. And if you know me at all, you know how sad that was for me! Background story: I have a favorite pen. (Yes, I know. I'm a nerdy English major. Moving on. . . .) I have had this pen for five years now, and I made sure to buy pen refills (I know, I know) before I came to India. Well, the refills were at the house. And when my pen ran out of ink, the only thing I could think of was that I was about to face four days with no way of journaling. Very scary. Luckily one of the other girls had an extra that I could use. It wasn't the same, but I managed. First thing when we got back, before I even showered, I put a refill in my pen. One of my roommates was watching me and apparently it was really funny. She took pictures. I don't care - I feel whole again now. :)
Anywho, back to camping. . . .
Wednesday I slept in until 8:45, then went to the kitchen tent and ate some breakfast. I spent the rest of the morning sitting in the tent, reading and journaling. In the afternoon, a couple of us grabbed some lunch and went for a short walk to the jungle. We ended up sitting on a big, flat rock and eating lunch. A couple of the village girls walked by on their way home from school and they stopped and talked for a few minutes. When they left, we sat and journaled for a few more minutes and then walked back to camp. Supper was soon after, then a short team meeting, and we all went to bed early.
Thursday morning, a couple of the girls woke us up by crowing like roosters. Obnoxiously. :) We ate breakfast and then walked to a nearby village, Bungsheel. (I think I butchered the spelling, but this is how it sounds.) The team gave a presentation about American culture at the high school. We sang a couple of songs - one children's song in Hindi, and "Lean On Me." Both with actions. One of the guys on the team is really talented at beatboxing, and he beatboxed during "Lean On Me." It was a lot of fun. :) Then different members of the team talked about ethnic diversity, driving, dating, schools, and Christianity. Since it was a government-run school, we had to be careful about what we said about Christianity, but I still think the presentation turned out well. This all took place in about an hour, and we were back at camp in time for lunch. A couple of us walked to the jungle. Our intention was to sit and journal for about two hours - instead we entertained children for four hours. We no sooner sat down, and a group of five girls walked by and stopped to visit. They must have been at the school in Bungsheel because they wanted to sing the songs with us. Maybe twenty minutes after the girls came, a group of six other teammates came walking by and stopped. Then the girls left and then the rest of the team left. Then maybe ten minutes later, a group of seven kids (whom I think were herding cows, or gathering sticks, or both) stopped to visit. There were five girls in the group and when they saw our french-braided hair, they got really excited and wanted their hair braided that way. Between the two of us, we braided four heads of hair. I tried not to think about what might be in their hair or how greasy it was, and in the end I truly enjoyed braiding their hair. I remember thinking, when I was braiding the first girl's hair, that this could be the entire reason God wanted me to come on this camping trip. Just to be sitting in the jungle, braiding this girl's hair. You should have seen how excited the girls were when we were done. They kept reaching up and running their fingers down the braid and smiling these big smiles. One of the girls came over and gave me a hug and said "Dhanyawad, Didi," or "thank you, big sister." Mmm. :) Then they all scampered off the way they had come and we quick packed up and left before another group of kids could come by. When we got back, everyone was eating supper. We ate quick and then retreated to the tent to finally get some quiet time. :)
We got up at 7:00 on Friday - we probably would have slept later, but the tent was already really hot and uncomfortable. We gathered our things and took down the tents. After breakfast we sat around the kitchen tent for a couple of hours, waiting for the donkeys, and some of the village kids were there. At one point, a little boy named Papu was standing in front of me and I had the sudden urge to reach out and grab him. So I did. I sat him on my lap and we cuddled for a while. It was a nice moment. :) Once the donkeys were loaded up, we walked to Bungsheel and loaded into the jeeps. We got back to the house around 3:00 and took showers and ate an early supper.
We knew before we came to India that we would be going on three camping trips. This last trip was number four. The only reason we went was because the team (us Edgers) wanted to go back. And you know what? Two village girls gave their lives to Christ while we were there. We weren't even supposed to be there - but God had plans for us. God is moving in this place.
Saturday morning we had a team Bible study. Then we all went to the bazaar for lunch. After lunch, the guys went one direction and the girls went another and we did some shopping. We got back to the house in time for supper. We picked up our sarees while we were in town, and some of the girls tried theirs on. Saturday night we had a team movie date and watched Slumdog Millionaire. Awesome, awesome movie. I'm glad I watched it for the first time after I had lived in India for six weeks - I could appreciate so much more of the culture of the movie.
Nothing out of the ordinary on Sunday activity-wise. Went to church, ate lunch, and had a quiet afternoon. I was lying on my bed listening to my iPod and realized that in that moment I felt homesick. Which is weird because I never get homesick. I was thinking about calling home in the morning and praying that the phone would work and that somehow morphed into a daydream of greeting my parents at the airport and then all of a sudden I was consumed with thoughts about America. Has BP fixed the oil leak yet? Has Obama made any controversial decisions? I haven't watched TV or read a newspaper since leaving Iowa in June. I have no idea what is going on in America right now. And Sunday afternoon, for the space of about thirty minutes, that really bothered me. But then it was time for supper and I forgot about it. After supper, I sat outside journaling (and writing out this blog entry) until dark. Then some of us went for a walk (yes, at night). We didn't go far - just to a spot that overlooks the mountains but blocks out the lights of the village. We sat out there talking for two and a half hours, then came back to the house and talked for another couple of hours. I went to bed really late (or, early?) but it was so worth it. I love my team. :)
So, needless to say, I slept in yesterday. I ate a late breakfast and took a shower. I went into town with one of the missionaries and we spent a couple of hours walking around, doing some shopping. I loved spending that one-on-one time with her. We came back to the house for a late lunch, then I spent the afternoon organizing and journaling. We had a team meeting after supper to talk about the rest of this week. I don't know specifically what I will be doing, but there are many opportunities. We'll see.
13 days until I am stateside again. I could honestly be home now. It has nothing to do with being homesick or feeling useless - I feel like my time here is complete. Whatever God wanted me to learn here, I feel like I've learned. But at the same time, I have two weeks left and I know that while I feel like I am done, God isn't done using me and this team. He's got a few more surprises in store for me before He lets me go home.
And now this entry has broken the record for length that was set last week. And yet what I have written does the past week absolutely no justice. Bah.
Prayer Requests:
-The continued health and safety of my team here in India, and the SOSers who are still in field.
-Safe travels for the SOSers who are on their way home now.
-My focus would remain on India, and that I would keep my eyes open to whatever God still wants me to see.
-Patience, endurance, grace, love. I will need continual renewal this next week.
Current total number of pictures: 442
Current total number of videos: 25
Monday, July 19, 2010
20 Days Left . . . Wait . . . What?!
Hey Everybody!
Things I Have Learned:
-Coloring with crayons is fun no matter how old you are.
-God’s timing is perfect.
-If you truly pray for something with all your heart, God will answer.
-I love my team. (I knew that, but I especially felt it this week.)
-Dogs that aren’t potty-trained should not have the run of the house.
-No matter how nice it looks outside, you should always take an umbrella with you. Always.
Wednesday, a group of us went to a nearby village called Almas. Our first stop was a government-run school. There were around fifty students, and only four of them were girls. Someone said that the only reason those girls were there was because their parents were teachers and saw the importance of sending their girls to school. Otherwise it is only considered necessary for the boys to get an education. Which is ironic considering that, at least in the villages, the women do all the work and it isn’t uncommon to see groups of men standing around during the day doing nothing. But they get the education…. Interesting. We sang a couple of songs with the kids and taught them the hokey-pokey. ☺ Then we passed out Dum-Dums and brought out coloring books and crayons. Every child got one coloring page and two crayons, and were then encouraged to share the crayons with those around them. It was really fun to watch them color – a couple of the kids tried eating their crayons. One of the missionaries who went with us said that that’s why she hands out Dum-Dums first – so the kids can put the sucker in their mouth instead of the crayons, which is the next thing handed to them. ☺ We gave the coloring books and crayons to the teacher before we left. We got back to the house around 3:00. I took a nap, then helped make rhubarb cake. That was a nice taste of home!
Thursday and Friday, the team split into two groups and visited schools again. I honestly wasn’t looking forward to visiting schools because I knew for sure that I would feel overwhelmed. Something that I have struggled with from the very beginning is how everyone stares at you everywhere you go. Apparently this is just something you do in India, but I always took personal offence to it because the staring made me feel objectified. Like I wasn’t a person, just some new freakish thing for everyone to look at. I think this has kept me from really developing relationships with the people, because I feel their eyes, meet their stare, assume I know what they are thinking of me, judge them, and then feel offended and overwhelmed until we leave.
Anywho, the school we visited on Thursday was a 40-minute drive away. The whole drive there, I prayed that God would empty me of me and fill me with His love. I prayed for a major attitude shift. I prayed for strength and endurance, that God would guide my every word and action. When we got to the school, they called the kids out and they lined up in front of us – in military precision straight lines, an arm’s length apart. Wasn’t expecting that. They sang some songs for us in Hindi. I recognized a couple of them, and I think all of the songs were Christian.
Side note: The schools we visited on Thursday and Friday are considered Christian schools because they are run by Christians. But the teachers are Hindu and the students are generally Hindu also. The Christians purposely hire Hindu teachers as a way of spreading the Gospel. They are required to teach the children stories from the Bible and the kids memorize scripture. The kids also learn Hindi, English, Math, Science, and I’m sure other subjects as well, but I can’t remember right now.
After the kids finished their songs, we introduced ourselves and taught them a song or two in Hindi. Then we told the Creation story with the help of a translator. One of my teammates did the speaking, and the rest of us put on a skit. There was a Jesus/God, an Adam, an Eve, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. When we talked about how God created animals, we would shout out an animal and have the kids make that animal sound. We had them barking and growling and jumping around like monkeys. ☺ It was a lot of fun. Then we talked about how God created man, and how he only gave one rule: that the man and woman couldn’t eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We had someone act as the tree and hold their arms out with an apple in one hand. (This may or may not have been me.) Then Eve walked over and “plucked” the apple and took a bite, then gave it to Adam and he took a bite. Then we talked about the fall and how Jesus restored us to God through his death on the cross. In terms kids would understand. ☺
After the story, the younger kids colored and the older kids played games like duck, duck, goose. I helped with the coloring group, handing out crayons. A lot of the kids would sit with their coloring page in one hand and their crayons clutched in the other, unsure of what to do. I would take one of the crayons out of their hand, lay their coloring page on the ground in front of them, scribble on it a little bit, and then hand the crayon back to them and motion for them to do as I had just done. Once they figured out what they were supposed to be doing, they colored like it was their job. I think they would have colored until the sun went down if we didn’t run out of coloring pages.
We took a break so the kids could eat lunch, and then one of my teammates shared his testimony. Then we told the story of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednigo. When school was over, they got into their lines again and we passed out Dum-Dums and cookies. And we were done.
During the car ride back, I realized that I had thoroughly enjoyed myself at the school. Not once did I feel overwhelmed, even with all the kids and their open, curious stares. For the first time, I understood that they were staring because they don’t see white people very often and that they didn’t mean anything negative by it – something I knew in my head from the very beginning, but my heart took four weeks to figure out. For the first time, I looked into their staring eyes and kept eye contact and smiled at them – and watched as they smiled back and then looked away, embarrassed. The kids have a cute way of smiling – I’ve noticed that they tend to tuck their lips over their teeth and look down, like they don’t want to smile a full-teeth smile but they do at the same time. A shy smile. Does that make sense? But you can tell that they are pleased that you noticed them. I can’t describe it, but it is very rewarding to see the reaction you get when you smile at them. I wish I would have figured this out a long time ago, but God’s timing is perfect and for some reason He wanted to keep me in the dark until today. I couldn’t stop smiling when we got back, and that whole afternoon/evening I was overflowing with joy and love. God answered my prayer – He emptied me and filled me with Him. “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). This is what I journaled that night: “Right now, I am overflowing with God’s love – I can literally feel it pushing at my skin from the inside and for the first time in a long time, I can feel my heart beating against my ribs. I am filled to overflowing and I feel so alive.” Mmm. Good day. ☺
The school we visited on Friday was a little farther away, but we did the same program.
Friday night there was a strong, unpleasant smell in our room. Three people walked through and commented that it smelled like pee. That was the longest night of my life, trying to sleep. The smell was especially strong in my corner of the room, and the only way I could sleep was if I had my head covered in blankets. So anytime I moved during the night and my nose was exposed to the air, the smell would wake me up. Saturday morning I got up and showered, then went on a search for the source of the smell. The power happened to be out, so I grabbed my flashlight and started in my corner of the room. I didn’t have to search for long. Under my bed, directly under my head, there was dog poop and a dried spot of dog pee. It had literally been there long enough that the puddle of pee wasn’t liquid anymore – it had dried. I don’t know why we didn’t smell it before. I grabbed a couple of the other girls who sleep in the room with me, and we had a cleaning party. We moved all the beds and swept and mopped the floor. In the process, we found poop under another bed also. Biscuit. Needless to say, the dog (Biscuit) and I are not on speaking terms right now. When the power came back on, I washed bed sheets and hung them out to dry. That night I had fresh air and fresh sheets. ☺ So good.
Yesterday started as any typical Sunday – church and lunch. After lunch, we came back to the house and I helped snap green beans for maybe half an hour. Snapping green beans, listening to country music – can it get any more Iowa than that? It was wonderful. ☺ Then I helped make some muffins – one batch cheese, one batch with strawberry jam filling. We had a team meeting in the afternoon and had a time to share family pictures, which was really fun. A couple people forgot to bring pictures, so they drew stick figures. ☺ Then we just talked about how we have been feeling lately. I love team meetings – I always leave feeling recharged.
We leave for another camping trip tomorrow, hence the Monday update. Our previous trip was supposed to be our last, but the team really wants to go back one more time, so we are. When I found out that we were going back, I was really not excited. I don’t mind sleeping in tents with tons of bugs and not showering for four days – that stuff doesn’t bother me. But I feel like the main point of these trips is to visit the villages, and that is very overwhelming for me. I was even thinking about asking to stay back – the idea of having the house to myself for four days was very appealing. But I’ve been praying about it, trying to discern my true reasons for not wanting to go, asking for God’s clear guidance, and last night at the meeting it was like he tapped me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear. I need to go on this camping trip. I’m still not excited about going, but I know I need to be there. So I’ll go. So, pray for me? Thanks. We’ll be gone for four days again, getting back on Friday.
Last night I was sitting with a couple of other girls, and one of them shared a verse that her boyfriend had shared with her. It’s Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” In Today’s New International Study Bible, there is a footnote for that verse that says “A necessary reminder that although Israel was “ready for battle” and “marching out boldly,” the victory would be won by God alone.” Wow. I can really resonate with this verse, because I feel it is extremely relevant to this trip. When we feel like we aren’t doing anything meaningful, when we think we aren’t having an impact, this verse reminds us that our only job is to “be still.” God is working through us and He is fighting for us. At least that is how I interpret it. ☺
Today, the girls went to the bazaar to get our sarees made and to do some shopping. We were there pretty much all day. It was cloudy when we left, and of course I didn’t grab an umbrella. And of course it started raining as soon as we got there. But I shared an umbrella with another girl and we had some quality bonding time. ☺
I need to pack for our trip. We plan on leaving tomorrow morning unless the much-anticipated monsoon shows up before then.
Oh! I have to tell you about an India moment I had last night. I was getting ready for bed, and there were bugs everywhere. Literally everywhere. (That’s what we get for killing all the spiders.) Anywho, I pulled my toothbrush out of its holder, and there was a dead bug on my toothbrush. On the bristles. I pulled it off and went ahead and brushed my teeth, and never thought twice about it. That would never happen in America.
Prayer Requests:
-Safe travel for the team as we head to the village tomorrow.
-The as-of-yet-evasive monsoon season to stay in hibernation for a few more days.
-Health and safety for the SOSers wherever they are all over the world and as they prepare to come home.
-My new mindset to stay firmly in place for the rest of the trip.
-The continued unity and bonding of my amazing Apex team.
Current total number of pictures: 379
Current total number of videos: 22
Number of full memory cards: 2
Things I Have Learned:
-Coloring with crayons is fun no matter how old you are.
-God’s timing is perfect.
-If you truly pray for something with all your heart, God will answer.
-I love my team. (I knew that, but I especially felt it this week.)
-Dogs that aren’t potty-trained should not have the run of the house.
-No matter how nice it looks outside, you should always take an umbrella with you. Always.
Wednesday, a group of us went to a nearby village called Almas. Our first stop was a government-run school. There were around fifty students, and only four of them were girls. Someone said that the only reason those girls were there was because their parents were teachers and saw the importance of sending their girls to school. Otherwise it is only considered necessary for the boys to get an education. Which is ironic considering that, at least in the villages, the women do all the work and it isn’t uncommon to see groups of men standing around during the day doing nothing. But they get the education…. Interesting. We sang a couple of songs with the kids and taught them the hokey-pokey. ☺ Then we passed out Dum-Dums and brought out coloring books and crayons. Every child got one coloring page and two crayons, and were then encouraged to share the crayons with those around them. It was really fun to watch them color – a couple of the kids tried eating their crayons. One of the missionaries who went with us said that that’s why she hands out Dum-Dums first – so the kids can put the sucker in their mouth instead of the crayons, which is the next thing handed to them. ☺ We gave the coloring books and crayons to the teacher before we left. We got back to the house around 3:00. I took a nap, then helped make rhubarb cake. That was a nice taste of home!
Thursday and Friday, the team split into two groups and visited schools again. I honestly wasn’t looking forward to visiting schools because I knew for sure that I would feel overwhelmed. Something that I have struggled with from the very beginning is how everyone stares at you everywhere you go. Apparently this is just something you do in India, but I always took personal offence to it because the staring made me feel objectified. Like I wasn’t a person, just some new freakish thing for everyone to look at. I think this has kept me from really developing relationships with the people, because I feel their eyes, meet their stare, assume I know what they are thinking of me, judge them, and then feel offended and overwhelmed until we leave.
Anywho, the school we visited on Thursday was a 40-minute drive away. The whole drive there, I prayed that God would empty me of me and fill me with His love. I prayed for a major attitude shift. I prayed for strength and endurance, that God would guide my every word and action. When we got to the school, they called the kids out and they lined up in front of us – in military precision straight lines, an arm’s length apart. Wasn’t expecting that. They sang some songs for us in Hindi. I recognized a couple of them, and I think all of the songs were Christian.
Side note: The schools we visited on Thursday and Friday are considered Christian schools because they are run by Christians. But the teachers are Hindu and the students are generally Hindu also. The Christians purposely hire Hindu teachers as a way of spreading the Gospel. They are required to teach the children stories from the Bible and the kids memorize scripture. The kids also learn Hindi, English, Math, Science, and I’m sure other subjects as well, but I can’t remember right now.
After the kids finished their songs, we introduced ourselves and taught them a song or two in Hindi. Then we told the Creation story with the help of a translator. One of my teammates did the speaking, and the rest of us put on a skit. There was a Jesus/God, an Adam, an Eve, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. When we talked about how God created animals, we would shout out an animal and have the kids make that animal sound. We had them barking and growling and jumping around like monkeys. ☺ It was a lot of fun. Then we talked about how God created man, and how he only gave one rule: that the man and woman couldn’t eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We had someone act as the tree and hold their arms out with an apple in one hand. (This may or may not have been me.) Then Eve walked over and “plucked” the apple and took a bite, then gave it to Adam and he took a bite. Then we talked about the fall and how Jesus restored us to God through his death on the cross. In terms kids would understand. ☺
After the story, the younger kids colored and the older kids played games like duck, duck, goose. I helped with the coloring group, handing out crayons. A lot of the kids would sit with their coloring page in one hand and their crayons clutched in the other, unsure of what to do. I would take one of the crayons out of their hand, lay their coloring page on the ground in front of them, scribble on it a little bit, and then hand the crayon back to them and motion for them to do as I had just done. Once they figured out what they were supposed to be doing, they colored like it was their job. I think they would have colored until the sun went down if we didn’t run out of coloring pages.
We took a break so the kids could eat lunch, and then one of my teammates shared his testimony. Then we told the story of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednigo. When school was over, they got into their lines again and we passed out Dum-Dums and cookies. And we were done.
During the car ride back, I realized that I had thoroughly enjoyed myself at the school. Not once did I feel overwhelmed, even with all the kids and their open, curious stares. For the first time, I understood that they were staring because they don’t see white people very often and that they didn’t mean anything negative by it – something I knew in my head from the very beginning, but my heart took four weeks to figure out. For the first time, I looked into their staring eyes and kept eye contact and smiled at them – and watched as they smiled back and then looked away, embarrassed. The kids have a cute way of smiling – I’ve noticed that they tend to tuck their lips over their teeth and look down, like they don’t want to smile a full-teeth smile but they do at the same time. A shy smile. Does that make sense? But you can tell that they are pleased that you noticed them. I can’t describe it, but it is very rewarding to see the reaction you get when you smile at them. I wish I would have figured this out a long time ago, but God’s timing is perfect and for some reason He wanted to keep me in the dark until today. I couldn’t stop smiling when we got back, and that whole afternoon/evening I was overflowing with joy and love. God answered my prayer – He emptied me and filled me with Him. “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). This is what I journaled that night: “Right now, I am overflowing with God’s love – I can literally feel it pushing at my skin from the inside and for the first time in a long time, I can feel my heart beating against my ribs. I am filled to overflowing and I feel so alive.” Mmm. Good day. ☺
The school we visited on Friday was a little farther away, but we did the same program.
Friday night there was a strong, unpleasant smell in our room. Three people walked through and commented that it smelled like pee. That was the longest night of my life, trying to sleep. The smell was especially strong in my corner of the room, and the only way I could sleep was if I had my head covered in blankets. So anytime I moved during the night and my nose was exposed to the air, the smell would wake me up. Saturday morning I got up and showered, then went on a search for the source of the smell. The power happened to be out, so I grabbed my flashlight and started in my corner of the room. I didn’t have to search for long. Under my bed, directly under my head, there was dog poop and a dried spot of dog pee. It had literally been there long enough that the puddle of pee wasn’t liquid anymore – it had dried. I don’t know why we didn’t smell it before. I grabbed a couple of the other girls who sleep in the room with me, and we had a cleaning party. We moved all the beds and swept and mopped the floor. In the process, we found poop under another bed also. Biscuit. Needless to say, the dog (Biscuit) and I are not on speaking terms right now. When the power came back on, I washed bed sheets and hung them out to dry. That night I had fresh air and fresh sheets. ☺ So good.
Yesterday started as any typical Sunday – church and lunch. After lunch, we came back to the house and I helped snap green beans for maybe half an hour. Snapping green beans, listening to country music – can it get any more Iowa than that? It was wonderful. ☺ Then I helped make some muffins – one batch cheese, one batch with strawberry jam filling. We had a team meeting in the afternoon and had a time to share family pictures, which was really fun. A couple people forgot to bring pictures, so they drew stick figures. ☺ Then we just talked about how we have been feeling lately. I love team meetings – I always leave feeling recharged.
We leave for another camping trip tomorrow, hence the Monday update. Our previous trip was supposed to be our last, but the team really wants to go back one more time, so we are. When I found out that we were going back, I was really not excited. I don’t mind sleeping in tents with tons of bugs and not showering for four days – that stuff doesn’t bother me. But I feel like the main point of these trips is to visit the villages, and that is very overwhelming for me. I was even thinking about asking to stay back – the idea of having the house to myself for four days was very appealing. But I’ve been praying about it, trying to discern my true reasons for not wanting to go, asking for God’s clear guidance, and last night at the meeting it was like he tapped me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear. I need to go on this camping trip. I’m still not excited about going, but I know I need to be there. So I’ll go. So, pray for me? Thanks. We’ll be gone for four days again, getting back on Friday.
Last night I was sitting with a couple of other girls, and one of them shared a verse that her boyfriend had shared with her. It’s Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” In Today’s New International Study Bible, there is a footnote for that verse that says “A necessary reminder that although Israel was “ready for battle” and “marching out boldly,” the victory would be won by God alone.” Wow. I can really resonate with this verse, because I feel it is extremely relevant to this trip. When we feel like we aren’t doing anything meaningful, when we think we aren’t having an impact, this verse reminds us that our only job is to “be still.” God is working through us and He is fighting for us. At least that is how I interpret it. ☺
Today, the girls went to the bazaar to get our sarees made and to do some shopping. We were there pretty much all day. It was cloudy when we left, and of course I didn’t grab an umbrella. And of course it started raining as soon as we got there. But I shared an umbrella with another girl and we had some quality bonding time. ☺
I need to pack for our trip. We plan on leaving tomorrow morning unless the much-anticipated monsoon shows up before then.
Oh! I have to tell you about an India moment I had last night. I was getting ready for bed, and there were bugs everywhere. Literally everywhere. (That’s what we get for killing all the spiders.) Anywho, I pulled my toothbrush out of its holder, and there was a dead bug on my toothbrush. On the bristles. I pulled it off and went ahead and brushed my teeth, and never thought twice about it. That would never happen in America.
Prayer Requests:
-Safe travel for the team as we head to the village tomorrow.
-The as-of-yet-evasive monsoon season to stay in hibernation for a few more days.
-Health and safety for the SOSers wherever they are all over the world and as they prepare to come home.
-My new mindset to stay firmly in place for the rest of the trip.
-The continued unity and bonding of my amazing Apex team.
Current total number of pictures: 379
Current total number of videos: 22
Number of full memory cards: 2
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Lord of the Rings & Leeches
Hey Everyone!
Happy Belated 21st Birthday, Sis! Love you!
Things I Have Learned:
-The hand soap in the downstairs bathroom at the house smells like the soap at my grandparents' house.
-Spaghetti and garlic bread is amazing no matter what country you are in.
-Leeches are very sneaky creatures.
-That Twix candy bar in the Indian store? Looks yummy, yes? Don't buy it. It expired two months ago, as you will find out after you take the first nasty bite.
You know that post from last Thursday? Friday was the complete opposite. Friday morning I called home and talked to Dad for a good 20 minutes. When Mom got on the phone, the power started acting goofy. In India, you never know when the power is going to go out. The power went out twice, so we finally had to hang up. While waiting for the power to come back on, I picked up my devotional and read: "Have you the slightest reliance on anything other than God? {...} Are you relying on yourself in any particular in this new proposition which God has put before you? {...} "Ye cannot serve the Lord God"; but you can put yourself in the place where God's almighty power will come through you. {...} You say - But God can never have called me to this, I am too unworthy, it can't mean me. It does mean you, and the weaker and feebler you are, the better." Wow. The power came back on and I called Mom back - we ended up talking for another 40 minutes. It was so good to talk to them!
Then after breakfast I was doing dishes with another girl on the team. We had an awesome conversation about the trip thus far and realized we had been having a lot of the same feelings about not knowing our purpose here. She told me how she had been seeing God use me during this trip, and that really opened my eyes to how I have been a blessing in some way. Sounds selfish, but it does make me feel better about being here.
THEN I checked my emails and had a very encouraging email from the wonderful Rachel Rager. She is such a blessing to me. :) Love you, girl!
AND THEN a couple of the other girls wanted to watch Lord of the Rings: The Twin Towers. So I joined them. By the time that was done, it was time for a late lunch. Then I made peanut butter bars with one of our missionaries. Then I went upstairs and found a note laying on my bed from one of the guys on the team. (At our previous team meeting, we had drawn names and then it was our job to write an encouragement note to that person.) So his note was very encouraging.
AND THEN (nope, not done with Friday yet) after supper we watched Lord of the Rings: Return of the King as a team. And by the time that movie was done, it was 11:00 and time for bed.
God used all of Friday as a reminder that I am here for a reason. And I still don't know exactly what that reason is, but, right now, that doesn't bother me.
Saturday was also awesome. After breakfast we had a team meeting and then we all went to the bazaar. We ate lunch at Domino's Pizza (yes, like the Domino's in America). In about 20 minutes, the ten of us completely devoured five large pizzas, three orders of chicken wings, and three orders of breadsticks. Delicious. Then we walked across the street and ate ice cream at Baskin Robbins. :) It started raining really hard on the way back and since we were walking uphill, we were literally walking up a stream of water. It was dirty and deep enough to cover my feet when we trudged through. We were soaked by the time we got to the main part of the bazaar, and we stopped at a coffee shop to call a taxi. We ordered hot drinks while we were waiting and I had the most delicious hot chocolate. When we got back to the house, I took a hot shower and ate a light supper. Then the girls watched Sister Act and then we all went to bed.
Ok - phew. Still with me? On to Sunday. (These past four days have been very eventful.) In church on Sunday, part of the team joined the worship team. They led four songs - two in Hindi and two in English. They did a really nice job! After church I stood up and my left foot felt sticky. There was something red on my heel and at first I thought I had stepped on something. Then I saw a small black worm-like thing crawling on my shoe. A leech. My first leech. In India during monsoon, leeches are everywhere. They are so small, you have to really strain to see them, and once they are on you, you don't feel them. Apparently when they bite you, they inject something that numbs your skin in that area. I don't know where I picked this one up, but the edge of my pants must have knocked him off and when I stood up I stepped on him. When you empty the blood out of them, the leeches themselves are tiny - maybe a quarter of an inch long and real skinny. I sat down and used some toilet paper and hand sanitizer to wash off the blood. The bite mark looks just like a mosquito bite - small and red. So I guess I can mark "have blood sucked by leech" off of my India "to do" list.
Anywho, the main Sunday event I wanted to write about happened after all of this. After a chai break, they have youth group. Every week, a couple of people from the team have shared their testimony during this time. And this past Sunday it was my turn. I was nervous because I have never really shared my testimony before. But I wrote it all out and used my paper as a reference while I spoke. I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be (the leech did a good job of keeping my mind busy) and I think everything came out coherently. I felt good about it when I was done. :)
Ok - Monday. Still here? Almost done - I promise. After breakfast, one of the long-termers offered to take the girls to a nearby village (called Dehradun) to go saree shopping. Of course we all took her up on it! :) It was an hour and a half drive to Dehradun. Once we got there, we spent four hours walking around, looking at all the shops. We all got material for sarees and I found some material for another outfit. We all bought bangles to go with our sarees and we all bought clip-on nose rings. Just for fun. Don't worry Mom & Dad - I'm not going to get a real one! We got back to the house when the sun was going down. It was a very full, fun day.
And today? Well, not much happened today. I picked up my sandals in the bazaar and helped with a bunch of cooking this morning. Tonight we went to a long-termer's house for supper. She wanted to have us all over before we left. Tomorrow a bunch of us are going with one of the missionaries to a village. It is an hour's drive away, not far from where we normally go camping. Then Thursday and Friday we are visiting schools and taking coloring books and crayons. I'm really looking forward to that, since a lot of these kids don't see crayons very often. I am excited to see the looks on their faces. :) This Thursday will be the "three weeks left" point of the trip. Wowser.
Whew! Thanks for hanging in there, all! I really appreciate you taking the time to read my blog.
Prayer Requests:
-Continued health and safety of my team in India, and for all the rest of the SOSers around the world.
-Safety for SOSers returning to the states, and pray that reverse culture shock doesn't hit them too hard.
-Safety for those of us who are going to the village tomorrow.
-Anything else God puts on your heart to pray about. :)
Happy Belated 21st Birthday, Sis! Love you!
Things I Have Learned:
-The hand soap in the downstairs bathroom at the house smells like the soap at my grandparents' house.
-Spaghetti and garlic bread is amazing no matter what country you are in.
-Leeches are very sneaky creatures.
-That Twix candy bar in the Indian store? Looks yummy, yes? Don't buy it. It expired two months ago, as you will find out after you take the first nasty bite.
You know that post from last Thursday? Friday was the complete opposite. Friday morning I called home and talked to Dad for a good 20 minutes. When Mom got on the phone, the power started acting goofy. In India, you never know when the power is going to go out. The power went out twice, so we finally had to hang up. While waiting for the power to come back on, I picked up my devotional and read: "Have you the slightest reliance on anything other than God? {...} Are you relying on yourself in any particular in this new proposition which God has put before you? {...} "Ye cannot serve the Lord God"; but you can put yourself in the place where God's almighty power will come through you. {...} You say - But God can never have called me to this, I am too unworthy, it can't mean me. It does mean you, and the weaker and feebler you are, the better." Wow. The power came back on and I called Mom back - we ended up talking for another 40 minutes. It was so good to talk to them!
Then after breakfast I was doing dishes with another girl on the team. We had an awesome conversation about the trip thus far and realized we had been having a lot of the same feelings about not knowing our purpose here. She told me how she had been seeing God use me during this trip, and that really opened my eyes to how I have been a blessing in some way. Sounds selfish, but it does make me feel better about being here.
THEN I checked my emails and had a very encouraging email from the wonderful Rachel Rager. She is such a blessing to me. :) Love you, girl!
AND THEN a couple of the other girls wanted to watch Lord of the Rings: The Twin Towers. So I joined them. By the time that was done, it was time for a late lunch. Then I made peanut butter bars with one of our missionaries. Then I went upstairs and found a note laying on my bed from one of the guys on the team. (At our previous team meeting, we had drawn names and then it was our job to write an encouragement note to that person.) So his note was very encouraging.
AND THEN (nope, not done with Friday yet) after supper we watched Lord of the Rings: Return of the King as a team. And by the time that movie was done, it was 11:00 and time for bed.
God used all of Friday as a reminder that I am here for a reason. And I still don't know exactly what that reason is, but, right now, that doesn't bother me.
Saturday was also awesome. After breakfast we had a team meeting and then we all went to the bazaar. We ate lunch at Domino's Pizza (yes, like the Domino's in America). In about 20 minutes, the ten of us completely devoured five large pizzas, three orders of chicken wings, and three orders of breadsticks. Delicious. Then we walked across the street and ate ice cream at Baskin Robbins. :) It started raining really hard on the way back and since we were walking uphill, we were literally walking up a stream of water. It was dirty and deep enough to cover my feet when we trudged through. We were soaked by the time we got to the main part of the bazaar, and we stopped at a coffee shop to call a taxi. We ordered hot drinks while we were waiting and I had the most delicious hot chocolate. When we got back to the house, I took a hot shower and ate a light supper. Then the girls watched Sister Act and then we all went to bed.
Ok - phew. Still with me? On to Sunday. (These past four days have been very eventful.) In church on Sunday, part of the team joined the worship team. They led four songs - two in Hindi and two in English. They did a really nice job! After church I stood up and my left foot felt sticky. There was something red on my heel and at first I thought I had stepped on something. Then I saw a small black worm-like thing crawling on my shoe. A leech. My first leech. In India during monsoon, leeches are everywhere. They are so small, you have to really strain to see them, and once they are on you, you don't feel them. Apparently when they bite you, they inject something that numbs your skin in that area. I don't know where I picked this one up, but the edge of my pants must have knocked him off and when I stood up I stepped on him. When you empty the blood out of them, the leeches themselves are tiny - maybe a quarter of an inch long and real skinny. I sat down and used some toilet paper and hand sanitizer to wash off the blood. The bite mark looks just like a mosquito bite - small and red. So I guess I can mark "have blood sucked by leech" off of my India "to do" list.
Anywho, the main Sunday event I wanted to write about happened after all of this. After a chai break, they have youth group. Every week, a couple of people from the team have shared their testimony during this time. And this past Sunday it was my turn. I was nervous because I have never really shared my testimony before. But I wrote it all out and used my paper as a reference while I spoke. I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be (the leech did a good job of keeping my mind busy) and I think everything came out coherently. I felt good about it when I was done. :)
Ok - Monday. Still here? Almost done - I promise. After breakfast, one of the long-termers offered to take the girls to a nearby village (called Dehradun) to go saree shopping. Of course we all took her up on it! :) It was an hour and a half drive to Dehradun. Once we got there, we spent four hours walking around, looking at all the shops. We all got material for sarees and I found some material for another outfit. We all bought bangles to go with our sarees and we all bought clip-on nose rings. Just for fun. Don't worry Mom & Dad - I'm not going to get a real one! We got back to the house when the sun was going down. It was a very full, fun day.
And today? Well, not much happened today. I picked up my sandals in the bazaar and helped with a bunch of cooking this morning. Tonight we went to a long-termer's house for supper. She wanted to have us all over before we left. Tomorrow a bunch of us are going with one of the missionaries to a village. It is an hour's drive away, not far from where we normally go camping. Then Thursday and Friday we are visiting schools and taking coloring books and crayons. I'm really looking forward to that, since a lot of these kids don't see crayons very often. I am excited to see the looks on their faces. :) This Thursday will be the "three weeks left" point of the trip. Wowser.
Whew! Thanks for hanging in there, all! I really appreciate you taking the time to read my blog.
Prayer Requests:
-Continued health and safety of my team in India, and for all the rest of the SOSers around the world.
-Safety for SOSers returning to the states, and pray that reverse culture shock doesn't hit them too hard.
-Safety for those of us who are going to the village tomorrow.
-Anything else God puts on your heart to pray about. :)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
A Lesson In Patience
Hello Everyone!
Two posts in the same week! Booyah. I have learned several things the past four days, so let's start with that.
Things I have learned:
-Flies are the bane of my existence. Ponytails do wonders to keep them off your face and neck however.
-How to tell the difference between male and female flies based on butt shape.
-Marijuana reeks.
-The devil is strong and has a lot of lies in his arsenal. But the truth of God is stronger.
-Being constantly stared at makes a person feel more like an object than a human. The same goes for people wanting to take your picture (or have their picture taken with you) because you have white skin and blonde hair.
We left for our camping trip on Monday. It was raining when we left and didn't stop raining until Tuesday afternoon. Monsoon season? Not quite. It rained a little bit Wednesday morning and then again once we got back from our trip. Any day now, though.
The rain made for interesting driving conditions on the way to our campsite. We had to stop a couple of times and move rocks off the road. Hard rain causes rock slides. And the last 40 minutes of our drive is on unpaved road. The ground was soft and there were lots of puddles, but the jeeps made it through. At one point, some rocks even fell on one of the jeeps, but they weren't big and no damage was done. The walk from the village where we park the jeeps to our campsite was muddy. The trails turn into little streams so we were walking through a lot of water as well. Thankfully my poncho kept me fairly dry - only the bottom of my jeans and my feet got wet.
This time, instead of camping in tents on our normal site, we slept in one of the villages. Our missionaries rent a couple of rooms in one of the houses. and this is where they normally store a lot of their camping gear. The girls slept in one of the rooms and the boys slept in the other. We set up a tarp outside and this is where we put the kitchen. It was nice to sleep in a waterproof building and there was also a toilet available - a squatting toilet, but still something more than a tree. The only downside to staying in the village was all the flies. Swarms of them, and they didn't know the concept of personal space. They woke you up in the morning by flying at your face and they were always around during the day. Thankfully they slept at night, so we had a break. One morning I woke up and counted 47 flies on the ceiling. Mmm. The reason there are so many flies is because the people keep their cows and water buffalo under their houses. Imagine a two-story house. The top level would be where the family actually lives. The bottom level is basically a barn - this is where the livestock sleep. And where there are cows, there are flies.
But overall it was an enjoyable trip. The kids spent a lot more time with us since where we were staying was right by their houses. It was fun to be around them. I have noticed that the kids are very open to being loved and are willing to accept you. This time especially I had a lot of kids calling me "Didi," or "big sister." The second night we had a henna party with about a dozen village girls. Everyone got henna painted on one hand and we brought nail polish and painted everyone's fingers and toes. It was a lot of fun and the girls really enjoyed it.
It felt wonderful to get back to the house this afternoon. For the first time, I walked through the front gate and had the strong feeling that I had come home. I love it here at the house. Someone commented yesterday that our time here is half over. Only four weeks left. Part of me is hoping the next four weeks don't fly by and part of my hopes they do.
Let me explain. My one main frustration so far has been trying to figure out my purpose here. I know for certain that God wanted me here for a reason, but I don't know what that reason is. This has resulted in me feeling pretty useless. Eight weeks isn't long enough to really do anything. We're halfway through and I'm finally learning the basic Hindi and how to get from the house to the bazaar and back. I know my main role here is as an observer and learner. But I don't have a specific area that I am really passionate about. My teammates seem to have something that they get really excited about, whether that be working with the kids or hiking to villages. I have gone from content to frustrated to, now, apathetic. Which is terrible. I feel like I could have been anywhere this summer and I would feel the way I do now. Nothing has really impacted me. Does that make sense? It's really hard to put that all into words. To sum up: I'm happy being here and will probably be sad to leave, but at the same time I would be just as happy at home right now.
But I truly have enjoyed my time here. I have an awesome team and each day brings us closer. To write all of the small fun moments we have had would take forever and wouldn't do any of the moments any justice. So I won't try. I wouldn't trade my time here for anything. I just wish I knew why I was here. I was really expecting to be impacted more than I have been.
Wow. That's long enough for this entry. Let's wrap this thing up.
Prayer requests:
-The continued health and unity of my team here in India.
-The health and safety of the other SOSers all over the world.
-The villagers we have met, those who are Christians and those we have given Bibles and seeds to, that they may look at us and see Jesus and that our smiles and simple "Namaste"s leave some impact.
-My general attitude. That I would look to God for my purpose and not spend too much time feeling sorry for myself. That my focus would return to my time here and the people around me. That these next four weeks don't speed by and that I will be content, no matter my circumstances.
Current total number of pictures: 238
Current total number of videos: 15
Two posts in the same week! Booyah. I have learned several things the past four days, so let's start with that.
Things I have learned:
-Flies are the bane of my existence. Ponytails do wonders to keep them off your face and neck however.
-How to tell the difference between male and female flies based on butt shape.
-Marijuana reeks.
-The devil is strong and has a lot of lies in his arsenal. But the truth of God is stronger.
-Being constantly stared at makes a person feel more like an object than a human. The same goes for people wanting to take your picture (or have their picture taken with you) because you have white skin and blonde hair.
We left for our camping trip on Monday. It was raining when we left and didn't stop raining until Tuesday afternoon. Monsoon season? Not quite. It rained a little bit Wednesday morning and then again once we got back from our trip. Any day now, though.
The rain made for interesting driving conditions on the way to our campsite. We had to stop a couple of times and move rocks off the road. Hard rain causes rock slides. And the last 40 minutes of our drive is on unpaved road. The ground was soft and there were lots of puddles, but the jeeps made it through. At one point, some rocks even fell on one of the jeeps, but they weren't big and no damage was done. The walk from the village where we park the jeeps to our campsite was muddy. The trails turn into little streams so we were walking through a lot of water as well. Thankfully my poncho kept me fairly dry - only the bottom of my jeans and my feet got wet.
This time, instead of camping in tents on our normal site, we slept in one of the villages. Our missionaries rent a couple of rooms in one of the houses. and this is where they normally store a lot of their camping gear. The girls slept in one of the rooms and the boys slept in the other. We set up a tarp outside and this is where we put the kitchen. It was nice to sleep in a waterproof building and there was also a toilet available - a squatting toilet, but still something more than a tree. The only downside to staying in the village was all the flies. Swarms of them, and they didn't know the concept of personal space. They woke you up in the morning by flying at your face and they were always around during the day. Thankfully they slept at night, so we had a break. One morning I woke up and counted 47 flies on the ceiling. Mmm. The reason there are so many flies is because the people keep their cows and water buffalo under their houses. Imagine a two-story house. The top level would be where the family actually lives. The bottom level is basically a barn - this is where the livestock sleep. And where there are cows, there are flies.
But overall it was an enjoyable trip. The kids spent a lot more time with us since where we were staying was right by their houses. It was fun to be around them. I have noticed that the kids are very open to being loved and are willing to accept you. This time especially I had a lot of kids calling me "Didi," or "big sister." The second night we had a henna party with about a dozen village girls. Everyone got henna painted on one hand and we brought nail polish and painted everyone's fingers and toes. It was a lot of fun and the girls really enjoyed it.
It felt wonderful to get back to the house this afternoon. For the first time, I walked through the front gate and had the strong feeling that I had come home. I love it here at the house. Someone commented yesterday that our time here is half over. Only four weeks left. Part of me is hoping the next four weeks don't fly by and part of my hopes they do.
Let me explain. My one main frustration so far has been trying to figure out my purpose here. I know for certain that God wanted me here for a reason, but I don't know what that reason is. This has resulted in me feeling pretty useless. Eight weeks isn't long enough to really do anything. We're halfway through and I'm finally learning the basic Hindi and how to get from the house to the bazaar and back. I know my main role here is as an observer and learner. But I don't have a specific area that I am really passionate about. My teammates seem to have something that they get really excited about, whether that be working with the kids or hiking to villages. I have gone from content to frustrated to, now, apathetic. Which is terrible. I feel like I could have been anywhere this summer and I would feel the way I do now. Nothing has really impacted me. Does that make sense? It's really hard to put that all into words. To sum up: I'm happy being here and will probably be sad to leave, but at the same time I would be just as happy at home right now.
But I truly have enjoyed my time here. I have an awesome team and each day brings us closer. To write all of the small fun moments we have had would take forever and wouldn't do any of the moments any justice. So I won't try. I wouldn't trade my time here for anything. I just wish I knew why I was here. I was really expecting to be impacted more than I have been.
Wow. That's long enough for this entry. Let's wrap this thing up.
Prayer requests:
-The continued health and unity of my team here in India.
-The health and safety of the other SOSers all over the world.
-The villagers we have met, those who are Christians and those we have given Bibles and seeds to, that they may look at us and see Jesus and that our smiles and simple "Namaste"s leave some impact.
-My general attitude. That I would look to God for my purpose and not spend too much time feeling sorry for myself. That my focus would return to my time here and the people around me. That these next four weeks don't speed by and that I will be content, no matter my circumstances.
Current total number of pictures: 238
Current total number of videos: 15
Sunday, July 4, 2010
I Should Have Killed It When I Had the Chance
Hello Everyone!
Yes, I know today is Sunday. Hence, breaking my Tuesday posting schedule thus far. But since we leave for another camping trip tomorrow, I wanted to update one more time. That way these posts don't get too long. :)
Some more things I have learned:
-a card game called "tick"
-Jacob's ladder and Witch's broom using yarn (ask me to show you!)
-Gatorade is a cure-all for sickness
-dark chocolate is not very good here
I ended up not going with the women to the village on Wednesday. I no sooner posted my last update and I started feeling feverish again and was sick the rest of Tuesday and part of Wednesday. But I felt a lot better Wednesday night and by Thursday was completely healed again. I wish I could have gone, but I didn't want to risk anything. It sounds like they had a good time though, and they got there and back safely.
We had an engagement party for Paul & Jana, two of the long-term missionaries, on Friday. It was really interesting to be a part of. In India, the man's parents ask the woman's parents for her hand in marriage and the woman knows in advance when she is getting engaged. Since the long-termers are both American, this ceremony was a bit non-traditional. But still very fun. We decorated the morning before with streamers and balloons. Then everyone got all dressed up and around 6:00, the guests started arriving. Probably 30 people came, and everyone was dressed nice. The ceremony itself was short. Jana came out in a beautiful sari and henna on her hands. Then she and Paul stood with the minister and recited vows. The vows were very simple - basically, "I love you, I want to marry you, and I will be faithful to you until the day of our wedding and after." Then Paul gave Jana her ring and it was time to eat. Once people were done eating, they slowly started leaving. The whole thing was over in about two hours.
Friday afternoon, before the engagement party, I walked to the bazaar with a couple of the other girls. We went to a more touristy part, and you would be surprised the stores they have. There is an Adidas store and a Reebok store, both look very American and both were air conditioned - the first air conditioning I have seen or felt since arriving. Very posh. When we were walking out of the Adidas store, a man standing nearby came up and started talking to us. He was youngish, though I would say older than us. Maybe late 20s. Anyway, he was asking where we were from and how long we were going to be here and where we were staying. We weren't really paying attention to the conversation, and at one point he asked us "So I will see you tonight for supper, yes?" and at first we were like "Yeah...wait, what?" Hmm. Smooth talker. We agreed that that was a pretty good foreign pick-up line though. Needless to say, the conversation ended pretty soon after that.
Yesterday, about half the team went to deliver stretchers to some area villages. I stayed back, as I knew that would be too much physically for me. It was one of the boys' birthday, and so in the morning I helped make two chocolate cakes (from scratch). We made powdered sugar frosting and then me and another girl decorated them. I had fun doing that - I love working in the kitchen, and especially when it involves chocolate! Then in the afternoon, I went to the bazaar with one other girl and we bought a birthday card and a small gift. One of the missionaries gave us some money and told us to go to the wood shop and find this carving of a huge nose. It has a notch on the back, and serves as an eyeglass holder. Hard to describe, but very funny. I also stopped at the chocolate shop and bought some dark chocolate. Had to. On the way back, we stopped at the post office and the shoe place. I ordered sandals for myself. They make custom leather sandals for 300 rupees a pair, or about $6. I can't pass that up. A lot of the other girls on the team have boughten shoes from this place, and say they are very comfortable. I'll pick them up when we get back from our camping trip.
This morning when I got back from church, I went upstairs to change and saw a huge spider on the wall. Huge. It was probably about the size of my hand, and that is nothing uncommon here. We've had several large spiders in the house, and generally you leave them alone because they eat a bunch of the other annoying bugs. (I took a picture of it for those who are curious.) If it had been on anything other than the wall, I would have killed it or scooped it into something and thrown it outside. But since it was on the wall, I could just picture myself trying to smash it with a shoe, missing it, and having it land on me. Yuck. So I shooed it out of the room and shut the door. I know that won't keep it out, but I could at least change my clothes in peace. When I went out later to see if it was still there, I couldn't find it. And now I am paranoid because I know it's alive and nearby, but I don't know where it is - and now it knows what I look like. I keep expecting to see it. Hence the title of this entry. I ate some dark chocolate and journaled out on the balcony for a while to try and take my mind off of it.
We leave for our third and potentially last camping trip tomorrow. Rain is becoming more consistent and the storms are getting stronger - monsoon season could arrive any day. We're going back to the place we have gone the past two times, except this time we aren't sleeping in tents. We're going to stay in the village with a couple of families. We plan on being gone four days again, but if monsoon kicks in we could be back before that.
Happy 4th of July, everyone! (Wow, it's July already! Five weeks until I return to the states....)
Prayer requests:
-Continued health of the team. We have had two consecutive days of the whole team being healthy! Pray also for the health of the rest of the SOSers.
-Safety as we travel tomorrow and as we camp during the week.
-Monsoon season holds off until we get back.
-No spiders find me in the night.
-Anything else you feel led to pray about. :)
Current total number of pictures: 210
Current total number of videos: 10
Yes, I know today is Sunday. Hence, breaking my Tuesday posting schedule thus far. But since we leave for another camping trip tomorrow, I wanted to update one more time. That way these posts don't get too long. :)
Some more things I have learned:
-a card game called "tick"
-Jacob's ladder and Witch's broom using yarn (ask me to show you!)
-Gatorade is a cure-all for sickness
-dark chocolate is not very good here
I ended up not going with the women to the village on Wednesday. I no sooner posted my last update and I started feeling feverish again and was sick the rest of Tuesday and part of Wednesday. But I felt a lot better Wednesday night and by Thursday was completely healed again. I wish I could have gone, but I didn't want to risk anything. It sounds like they had a good time though, and they got there and back safely.
We had an engagement party for Paul & Jana, two of the long-term missionaries, on Friday. It was really interesting to be a part of. In India, the man's parents ask the woman's parents for her hand in marriage and the woman knows in advance when she is getting engaged. Since the long-termers are both American, this ceremony was a bit non-traditional. But still very fun. We decorated the morning before with streamers and balloons. Then everyone got all dressed up and around 6:00, the guests started arriving. Probably 30 people came, and everyone was dressed nice. The ceremony itself was short. Jana came out in a beautiful sari and henna on her hands. Then she and Paul stood with the minister and recited vows. The vows were very simple - basically, "I love you, I want to marry you, and I will be faithful to you until the day of our wedding and after." Then Paul gave Jana her ring and it was time to eat. Once people were done eating, they slowly started leaving. The whole thing was over in about two hours.
Friday afternoon, before the engagement party, I walked to the bazaar with a couple of the other girls. We went to a more touristy part, and you would be surprised the stores they have. There is an Adidas store and a Reebok store, both look very American and both were air conditioned - the first air conditioning I have seen or felt since arriving. Very posh. When we were walking out of the Adidas store, a man standing nearby came up and started talking to us. He was youngish, though I would say older than us. Maybe late 20s. Anyway, he was asking where we were from and how long we were going to be here and where we were staying. We weren't really paying attention to the conversation, and at one point he asked us "So I will see you tonight for supper, yes?" and at first we were like "Yeah...wait, what?" Hmm. Smooth talker. We agreed that that was a pretty good foreign pick-up line though. Needless to say, the conversation ended pretty soon after that.
Yesterday, about half the team went to deliver stretchers to some area villages. I stayed back, as I knew that would be too much physically for me. It was one of the boys' birthday, and so in the morning I helped make two chocolate cakes (from scratch). We made powdered sugar frosting and then me and another girl decorated them. I had fun doing that - I love working in the kitchen, and especially when it involves chocolate! Then in the afternoon, I went to the bazaar with one other girl and we bought a birthday card and a small gift. One of the missionaries gave us some money and told us to go to the wood shop and find this carving of a huge nose. It has a notch on the back, and serves as an eyeglass holder. Hard to describe, but very funny. I also stopped at the chocolate shop and bought some dark chocolate. Had to. On the way back, we stopped at the post office and the shoe place. I ordered sandals for myself. They make custom leather sandals for 300 rupees a pair, or about $6. I can't pass that up. A lot of the other girls on the team have boughten shoes from this place, and say they are very comfortable. I'll pick them up when we get back from our camping trip.
This morning when I got back from church, I went upstairs to change and saw a huge spider on the wall. Huge. It was probably about the size of my hand, and that is nothing uncommon here. We've had several large spiders in the house, and generally you leave them alone because they eat a bunch of the other annoying bugs. (I took a picture of it for those who are curious.) If it had been on anything other than the wall, I would have killed it or scooped it into something and thrown it outside. But since it was on the wall, I could just picture myself trying to smash it with a shoe, missing it, and having it land on me. Yuck. So I shooed it out of the room and shut the door. I know that won't keep it out, but I could at least change my clothes in peace. When I went out later to see if it was still there, I couldn't find it. And now I am paranoid because I know it's alive and nearby, but I don't know where it is - and now it knows what I look like. I keep expecting to see it. Hence the title of this entry. I ate some dark chocolate and journaled out on the balcony for a while to try and take my mind off of it.
We leave for our third and potentially last camping trip tomorrow. Rain is becoming more consistent and the storms are getting stronger - monsoon season could arrive any day. We're going back to the place we have gone the past two times, except this time we aren't sleeping in tents. We're going to stay in the village with a couple of families. We plan on being gone four days again, but if monsoon kicks in we could be back before that.
Happy 4th of July, everyone! (Wow, it's July already! Five weeks until I return to the states....)
Prayer requests:
-Continued health of the team. We have had two consecutive days of the whole team being healthy! Pray also for the health of the rest of the SOSers.
-Safety as we travel tomorrow and as we camp during the week.
-Monsoon season holds off until we get back.
-No spiders find me in the night.
-Anything else you feel led to pray about. :)
Current total number of pictures: 210
Current total number of videos: 10
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
No More Mo-Mos for Me
Hello Everyone!
This Thursday will make three weeks in India! Bah. It feels like I have been here so much longer than that. (In a good way.)
Some more things I have learned:
-No matter how long you have been here, you still get winded by the shortest, slowest walks. And the sight of mountains every morning is still breathtaking.
-Monkeys may be cute, but they are also devious. And they aren't friendly. An umbrella or a handfull of rocks will keep them at a comfortable distance.
-Cows, goats, and stray dogs are everywhere. Therefore poop is everywhere. Watch your step.
We have been getting rain more and more frequently now. We had an especially strong thunderstorm Wednesday night. The thunderstorms in Iowa are nothing compared to the thunderstorms here. We'll be having a nice sunny day and then suddenly the sky gets dark and the wind picks up and it will rain hard for 20 or 30 minutes, then stop as suddenly as it started. But the thunder continues long after the rain is done. Monsoon season could start anytime, and when it does, we will be getting rain non-stop for the next three months. Which is fine by me - I love rain. But rain will make camping and hiking a bit more uncomfortable.
We left for our second camping trip on Thursday. We went back to the place we camped at last time. Thursday was simply a travel and set-up day. Friday, most of the team hiked to a village. It took us an hour and a half to get there (on foot). There were lots of kids there. We took a guitar along and stopped in front of one house to sing some songs, both in English and Hindi. Then we split into smaller groups and visited different houses. We gave vegetable seeds to the families we visited. On Saturday, a majority of the team went to a village to help put a roof on a toilet. The toilet is a rectangular stone building with a flat cement roof. It was funded in part by the money we raised to come here. A few of us, myself included, stayed at camp that day and just relaxed. We prepared lunch for everyone, but otherwise sat and visited. With the long hike the day before, I was happy for a free day. We packed up on Sunday morning and got back around 3:00. We were all ready for a shower and some food. Amazing how clean a person feels when you get a shower after four days of going without.
We have been taking turns being sick. It seems that every morning I wake up to learn that someone had been sick during the night or woke up not feeling well. I had been doing a good job avoiding it, but my turn finally came last night. I felt off when I went to bed, and I must have had a slight fever because I woke up quite a bit during the night with body aches and I would sometimes be cold, sometimes hot. I got up around 7:00 and the minute I stood up, I had to go to the bathroom. Diarrhea. Then out of nowhere I developed a massive headache which left me feeling light-headed and nauseous. I took some Tylenol and went back to bed. I did eventually fall asleep and when I woke up I was soaked with sweat and headache-free. I went downstairs and showered and had something to eat, and now I feel fine. One of the guys who was here before we arrived went home today, and we had a going away party for him last night. We made mo-mos, which I have never had. Apparently it is Chinese? Anyway, it was good when I ate it but I'm pretty sure that's what caused all of this.
Tomorrow some of the girls are going to a nearby village (an hour hike away) to visit with the women and maybe have Bible school for the kids. We're going to spend the night there. Otherwise, this is a quiet week. We don't have anything big planned. The people who are sick can use this time to get better and we can all take some time to rest and do some laundry. I think we're planning another camping trip for sometime next week.
Thank you for reading my blog, and leaving comments! I don't have time to respond to them all, but know that I appreciate them and look forward to seeing what you all have to say when I log on to post.
Prayer Requests:
-The health of not only my team but also the rest of the SOSers around the world.
-Safe travels for SOSers who are leaving soon.
-Safety for the girls as we hike to the village tomorrow.
Current total number of pictures: 186
Current total number of videos: 9
This Thursday will make three weeks in India! Bah. It feels like I have been here so much longer than that. (In a good way.)
Some more things I have learned:
-No matter how long you have been here, you still get winded by the shortest, slowest walks. And the sight of mountains every morning is still breathtaking.
-Monkeys may be cute, but they are also devious. And they aren't friendly. An umbrella or a handfull of rocks will keep them at a comfortable distance.
-Cows, goats, and stray dogs are everywhere. Therefore poop is everywhere. Watch your step.
We have been getting rain more and more frequently now. We had an especially strong thunderstorm Wednesday night. The thunderstorms in Iowa are nothing compared to the thunderstorms here. We'll be having a nice sunny day and then suddenly the sky gets dark and the wind picks up and it will rain hard for 20 or 30 minutes, then stop as suddenly as it started. But the thunder continues long after the rain is done. Monsoon season could start anytime, and when it does, we will be getting rain non-stop for the next three months. Which is fine by me - I love rain. But rain will make camping and hiking a bit more uncomfortable.
We left for our second camping trip on Thursday. We went back to the place we camped at last time. Thursday was simply a travel and set-up day. Friday, most of the team hiked to a village. It took us an hour and a half to get there (on foot). There were lots of kids there. We took a guitar along and stopped in front of one house to sing some songs, both in English and Hindi. Then we split into smaller groups and visited different houses. We gave vegetable seeds to the families we visited. On Saturday, a majority of the team went to a village to help put a roof on a toilet. The toilet is a rectangular stone building with a flat cement roof. It was funded in part by the money we raised to come here. A few of us, myself included, stayed at camp that day and just relaxed. We prepared lunch for everyone, but otherwise sat and visited. With the long hike the day before, I was happy for a free day. We packed up on Sunday morning and got back around 3:00. We were all ready for a shower and some food. Amazing how clean a person feels when you get a shower after four days of going without.
We have been taking turns being sick. It seems that every morning I wake up to learn that someone had been sick during the night or woke up not feeling well. I had been doing a good job avoiding it, but my turn finally came last night. I felt off when I went to bed, and I must have had a slight fever because I woke up quite a bit during the night with body aches and I would sometimes be cold, sometimes hot. I got up around 7:00 and the minute I stood up, I had to go to the bathroom. Diarrhea. Then out of nowhere I developed a massive headache which left me feeling light-headed and nauseous. I took some Tylenol and went back to bed. I did eventually fall asleep and when I woke up I was soaked with sweat and headache-free. I went downstairs and showered and had something to eat, and now I feel fine. One of the guys who was here before we arrived went home today, and we had a going away party for him last night. We made mo-mos, which I have never had. Apparently it is Chinese? Anyway, it was good when I ate it but I'm pretty sure that's what caused all of this.
Tomorrow some of the girls are going to a nearby village (an hour hike away) to visit with the women and maybe have Bible school for the kids. We're going to spend the night there. Otherwise, this is a quiet week. We don't have anything big planned. The people who are sick can use this time to get better and we can all take some time to rest and do some laundry. I think we're planning another camping trip for sometime next week.
Thank you for reading my blog, and leaving comments! I don't have time to respond to them all, but know that I appreciate them and look forward to seeing what you all have to say when I log on to post.
Prayer Requests:
-The health of not only my team but also the rest of the SOSers around the world.
-Safe travels for SOSers who are leaving soon.
-Safety for the girls as we hike to the village tomorrow.
Current total number of pictures: 186
Current total number of videos: 9
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Another Tuesday Post
Hello Everyone,
It would appear that Tuesdays are dedicated as blog update days, though I haven't planned it that way.
First off, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD! 25 years today. Woot! :) Hope your day is super spectacular! Love you!
Now, back to India.
We left for our first camping trip last Wednesday and got back on Saturday. We took five jeeps and drove for about two hours, then had another 30-minute hike when the road ran out. Our camp site is absolutely beautiful. It's not an actual campsite per say - just a terraced area where we set up tents. But the scenery is breathtaking, especially at night when all the stars come out. The first night of sleeping didn't go well for me. I had forgotten just how hard the ground can be. But then I learned that sleeping on your stomach works way better, and I slept soundly the last two nights. We didn't shower at all and there weren't toilets. Need to go to the bathroom? Walk out of camp, cross the bridge into the woods, and pick a tree. They say there is a first time for everything...guess I can check that one off my list. :) We spent a lot of the time at the campsite, just getting adjusted to what future camping trips would be like. We visited a nearby village a couple of times and sang songs. The girls put on a Bible School for some of the village children two of the days, where we sang songs, played games, and someone told a Bible story (in Hindi). Overall, the trip was fun. Everyone stinky made for good bonding time, and we were all thankful for a shower when we got back to the house. I've never felt so clean than after showering off four days' worth of dirt.
Saturday through today has been quiet. We're all catching up on sleep and laundry, preparing for our next camping trip. On Monday, I went with a few other teammates to a local church and helped with a youth retreat there. Tomorrow some of the girls might be going to a nearby village. If it rains, we won't go. Monsoon season hasn't started yet, but it could start any day now. And once monsoon season starts, it rains almost 24/7 for the next three months. I love rain (and we've had a couple of really awesome thunderstorms already) but rain will make hiking and camping a bit less enjoyable.
A lot of the team (6 of the 11) have been sick already. I think a lot of it was just a negative reaction to the food. I'm surprised I haven't felt anything yet, but I have been careful about what I eat and how much. Hopefully everyone will be close to 100% before our next camping trip. We leave this Thursday and will be gone for four days again. This time though, we'll be visiting more villages and delivering vegetable seeds.
A few more things I have learned:
- I am a fan of chai. I don't generally like hot tea or coffee, but chai is delicious.
- A lot of quiet time at the house makes for a lot of time to read scripture. I have really enjoyed that.
- Blonde hair draws a lot of attention. Not many blondes here in India....
I think that's about it for this post. I swear none of these posts do my experience any justice. It's frustrating because I know that I am forgetting a lot and what I do write about, it's just a general overview. All the more reason to hunt me down when I get home (but please wait a few days). And I end up writing these in the evening when I am tired, which doesn't help matters any either. Ugh.
Also, in case you were wondering, I have temporarily deactivated my Facebook account for security reasons. Keyword: temporarily. I will be back.
Prayer requests:
-Contined health and unity of the team.
-Safety for our next camping trip, both traveling to the campsite and traveling from the campsite to nearby villages.
Current total number of pictures: 114
Current total number of videos: 8
Number of full memory cards: 1
It would appear that Tuesdays are dedicated as blog update days, though I haven't planned it that way.
First off, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD! 25 years today. Woot! :) Hope your day is super spectacular! Love you!
Now, back to India.
We left for our first camping trip last Wednesday and got back on Saturday. We took five jeeps and drove for about two hours, then had another 30-minute hike when the road ran out. Our camp site is absolutely beautiful. It's not an actual campsite per say - just a terraced area where we set up tents. But the scenery is breathtaking, especially at night when all the stars come out. The first night of sleeping didn't go well for me. I had forgotten just how hard the ground can be. But then I learned that sleeping on your stomach works way better, and I slept soundly the last two nights. We didn't shower at all and there weren't toilets. Need to go to the bathroom? Walk out of camp, cross the bridge into the woods, and pick a tree. They say there is a first time for everything...guess I can check that one off my list. :) We spent a lot of the time at the campsite, just getting adjusted to what future camping trips would be like. We visited a nearby village a couple of times and sang songs. The girls put on a Bible School for some of the village children two of the days, where we sang songs, played games, and someone told a Bible story (in Hindi). Overall, the trip was fun. Everyone stinky made for good bonding time, and we were all thankful for a shower when we got back to the house. I've never felt so clean than after showering off four days' worth of dirt.
Saturday through today has been quiet. We're all catching up on sleep and laundry, preparing for our next camping trip. On Monday, I went with a few other teammates to a local church and helped with a youth retreat there. Tomorrow some of the girls might be going to a nearby village. If it rains, we won't go. Monsoon season hasn't started yet, but it could start any day now. And once monsoon season starts, it rains almost 24/7 for the next three months. I love rain (and we've had a couple of really awesome thunderstorms already) but rain will make hiking and camping a bit less enjoyable.
A lot of the team (6 of the 11) have been sick already. I think a lot of it was just a negative reaction to the food. I'm surprised I haven't felt anything yet, but I have been careful about what I eat and how much. Hopefully everyone will be close to 100% before our next camping trip. We leave this Thursday and will be gone for four days again. This time though, we'll be visiting more villages and delivering vegetable seeds.
A few more things I have learned:
- I am a fan of chai. I don't generally like hot tea or coffee, but chai is delicious.
- A lot of quiet time at the house makes for a lot of time to read scripture. I have really enjoyed that.
- Blonde hair draws a lot of attention. Not many blondes here in India....
I think that's about it for this post. I swear none of these posts do my experience any justice. It's frustrating because I know that I am forgetting a lot and what I do write about, it's just a general overview. All the more reason to hunt me down when I get home (but please wait a few days). And I end up writing these in the evening when I am tired, which doesn't help matters any either. Ugh.
Also, in case you were wondering, I have temporarily deactivated my Facebook account for security reasons. Keyword: temporarily. I will be back.
Prayer requests:
-Contined health and unity of the team.
-Safety for our next camping trip, both traveling to the campsite and traveling from the campsite to nearby villages.
Current total number of pictures: 114
Current total number of videos: 8
Number of full memory cards: 1
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
One Week In
Hello Everyone,
Well, it has been nine days since I left Iowa. Sometimes it seems like I left just yesterday and other times it seems that I have been here for a whole lot longer. In a good way.
Here is what I have learned about India so far:
-If you want to stay sane/alive, hire a native to drive for you. I swear there are no "rules of the road." I can't have my eyes open when we are driving. First of all, they drive on the left side of the road here. And then there doesn't seem to be a speed limit. There are speed bumps - lots of them - and cars slow down for them. Otherwise, if the person in front of you is going slower than you would like, you simply honk and pass them. When passing, don't worry if there is a car coming from the other direction. Simply pass, play chicken with the oncoming car, and then cut back into your lane at the last second. And if it is impossible for you to get back into your lane - no worries! The oncoming car will drive on the shoulder of the road. The streets are narrow and windy and. . . I keep my eyes closed.
-As a pedestrian, when you hear a honk (and you hear lots of them here), move over! The driver honks to warn you he is coming and if you don't move, he doesn't either. The narrow roads don't leave a lot of maneuvering space anyway. I've had cars closer to me than I would have liked.
-When walking in the mountains, no matter the distance, you need to set a steady pace. You can't walk like an American. You get winded and your muscles die. So take your time.
Backing up a bit, travel to India was blessedly uneventful and smooth. We caught a train from West Palm Beach to the Miami airport (2 hours), then a flight from Miami to London (7.5 hours), then a flight from London to Delhi (8 hours), and then a Jeep ride from the Delhi airport to the village (8 hours). We did lose one suitcase (it has been found though!) and one of my teammates spent a couple of hours being questioned by the airport security because of all of the vegetable seeds he was carrying (per request of the missionaries). But we finally got everything figured out. We were all super tired when we got in, and happy for some down time.
The past three days have been quiet. We've slept a lot and just spent a lot of time together as a team, continually growing closer as we get to know each other better. I can't imagine a better team than the one I have. Everyone meshes really well and we all bring something different to the table. With us together, I don't think anything can stand in our way.
While in this village, we stay with two missionaries, a married couple. The house is a lot nicer than I expected. The team has the whole second level while the missionaries and a couple of other long-termers live downstairs. There is wireless internet upstairs (definitely wasn't expecting that), so keeping this blog updated shouldn't be a problem! They also have indoor plumbing with only a few small hitches. I would talk more about them, but I don't want this post to get too long. Ask me about them later!
The first day, we went into the village (the house is a good 30 minute hike from the village) and the girls picked out cloth and visited the tailor. We went back today and picked everything up. I feel a little spoiled having clothes tailor-made for me. But everything here is cheaper than back home - one complete outfit (shirt and pants), pick out your own cloth, have it tailored = about $20. Very awesome.
The food here is delicious. I've decided that I'm not a big fan of curry. But the bread and rice and fresh fruit are all amazing and filling. And the scenery is amazing. I think this is the first trip that I haven't been able to take a picture every time I think "Wow, that would make a really pretty picture." If I did that, all of my cards would be used up in one or two days!
This entry isn't doing my first week any justice at all. I'm forgetting a lot of details and cutting out other stuff in my rush to get this written and posted for you all. If you want to know more, you're going to have to come find me in August and be prepared for a long conversation! :) We leave for our first camping trip tomorrow morning. We'll be gone four days, sleeping in tents and visiting area villages. I am really looking forward to this! But, I better go for now. Bedtime.
Prayer Requests:
-Continued health and unity for my team.
-Safety as we hike into the mountains and prepare to live out of tents for four days.
-Anything else you feel inclined to pray about. :)
Current total number of pictures taken: 34
Well, it has been nine days since I left Iowa. Sometimes it seems like I left just yesterday and other times it seems that I have been here for a whole lot longer. In a good way.
Here is what I have learned about India so far:
-If you want to stay sane/alive, hire a native to drive for you. I swear there are no "rules of the road." I can't have my eyes open when we are driving. First of all, they drive on the left side of the road here. And then there doesn't seem to be a speed limit. There are speed bumps - lots of them - and cars slow down for them. Otherwise, if the person in front of you is going slower than you would like, you simply honk and pass them. When passing, don't worry if there is a car coming from the other direction. Simply pass, play chicken with the oncoming car, and then cut back into your lane at the last second. And if it is impossible for you to get back into your lane - no worries! The oncoming car will drive on the shoulder of the road. The streets are narrow and windy and. . . I keep my eyes closed.
-As a pedestrian, when you hear a honk (and you hear lots of them here), move over! The driver honks to warn you he is coming and if you don't move, he doesn't either. The narrow roads don't leave a lot of maneuvering space anyway. I've had cars closer to me than I would have liked.
-When walking in the mountains, no matter the distance, you need to set a steady pace. You can't walk like an American. You get winded and your muscles die. So take your time.
Backing up a bit, travel to India was blessedly uneventful and smooth. We caught a train from West Palm Beach to the Miami airport (2 hours), then a flight from Miami to London (7.5 hours), then a flight from London to Delhi (8 hours), and then a Jeep ride from the Delhi airport to the village (8 hours). We did lose one suitcase (it has been found though!) and one of my teammates spent a couple of hours being questioned by the airport security because of all of the vegetable seeds he was carrying (per request of the missionaries). But we finally got everything figured out. We were all super tired when we got in, and happy for some down time.
The past three days have been quiet. We've slept a lot and just spent a lot of time together as a team, continually growing closer as we get to know each other better. I can't imagine a better team than the one I have. Everyone meshes really well and we all bring something different to the table. With us together, I don't think anything can stand in our way.
While in this village, we stay with two missionaries, a married couple. The house is a lot nicer than I expected. The team has the whole second level while the missionaries and a couple of other long-termers live downstairs. There is wireless internet upstairs (definitely wasn't expecting that), so keeping this blog updated shouldn't be a problem! They also have indoor plumbing with only a few small hitches. I would talk more about them, but I don't want this post to get too long. Ask me about them later!
The first day, we went into the village (the house is a good 30 minute hike from the village) and the girls picked out cloth and visited the tailor. We went back today and picked everything up. I feel a little spoiled having clothes tailor-made for me. But everything here is cheaper than back home - one complete outfit (shirt and pants), pick out your own cloth, have it tailored = about $20. Very awesome.
The food here is delicious. I've decided that I'm not a big fan of curry. But the bread and rice and fresh fruit are all amazing and filling. And the scenery is amazing. I think this is the first trip that I haven't been able to take a picture every time I think "Wow, that would make a really pretty picture." If I did that, all of my cards would be used up in one or two days!
This entry isn't doing my first week any justice at all. I'm forgetting a lot of details and cutting out other stuff in my rush to get this written and posted for you all. If you want to know more, you're going to have to come find me in August and be prepared for a long conversation! :) We leave for our first camping trip tomorrow morning. We'll be gone four days, sleeping in tents and visiting area villages. I am really looking forward to this! But, I better go for now. Bedtime.
Prayer Requests:
-Continued health and unity for my team.
-Safety as we hike into the mountains and prepare to live out of tents for four days.
-Anything else you feel inclined to pray about. :)
Current total number of pictures taken: 34
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Off We Go!
Hello Everyone!
Well, I leave this morning for India. Bah! It's finally here. :)
My flights to Florida were uneventful and smooth. Thank God! I was nervous about that. But I should have known that there wouldn't be any problems. Both of my connections were on time, and I was able to find my new gates easily.
I have had the most amazing three days here in Florida. My team is . . . amazing. Seriously. I can't imagine a better group of people to be traveling and spending eight weeks with. I can just feel it - this summer is going to be absolutely amazing.
This is going to be a really short post since I just woke up and I can't remember everything I wanted to write here. We leave for Miami in about three hours, and then I will be in India tomorrow night!
Please pray. . . .
-For safe travel for my team (and all the other Edge teams) that are leaving today.
-For continued team unity.
-For the people we are about to meet in India and whatever trials they are currently facing.
Next time I post, I will be in India! :)
Well, I leave this morning for India. Bah! It's finally here. :)
My flights to Florida were uneventful and smooth. Thank God! I was nervous about that. But I should have known that there wouldn't be any problems. Both of my connections were on time, and I was able to find my new gates easily.
I have had the most amazing three days here in Florida. My team is . . . amazing. Seriously. I can't imagine a better group of people to be traveling and spending eight weeks with. I can just feel it - this summer is going to be absolutely amazing.
This is going to be a really short post since I just woke up and I can't remember everything I wanted to write here. We leave for Miami in about three hours, and then I will be in India tomorrow night!
Please pray. . . .
-For safe travel for my team (and all the other Edge teams) that are leaving today.
-For continued team unity.
-For the people we are about to meet in India and whatever trials they are currently facing.
Next time I post, I will be in India! :)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
And so it begins. . . .
Hello Everyone,
Well, here it is! I have been preparing my mind and my heart for this trip since November, and now - I step on a plane tomorrow morning and my journey officially begins.
Yesterday, my sister came over and we had a "packing party." AKA she sat in the corner with my packing list and a pencil, and I packed whatever item she called out. And she kept me motivated. What initially seemed like a horrendously large process turned out to only take about two hours. Not bad.
This morning I had some last-minute laundry to do, and some last-minute things to pack. And now, after a third and fourth and fifth check of my packing list, my 48.6 pound suitcase and myself are ready to go. Or maybe it's 50.2 pounds. The scale had a hard time deciding.
Mom gets off work at 7:00, and then we are driving to Des Moines tonight and staying in a motel. My plane takes off at 6:15 tomorrow morning, and two layovers later, I will land in West Palm Beach, Florida, at 3:30 p.m. I'll have three days of orientation and then, finally, I will be off to India!
I hope to update one more time before I actually leave the country, but if I don't, then you can count on an update soon after I get there.
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for my travels tomorrow. This is the first time I have flown alone, and while I'm sure everything will go smoothly, I am still nervous about it.
- Pray that the rest of my team makes it to Florida safely, and pray also for the other three SOSers who fly out tomorrow.
- Pray for my missionaries in India as they prepare to take in eleven 20-something-year-olds for ten weeks.
My mind is racing with a million things I need to remember. I'm nervous, a little sad to be leaving, but also very excited to see how God will use me this summer! I'll update as often as I can. I truly appreciate all of your support!
Love,
Emily
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
Well, here it is! I have been preparing my mind and my heart for this trip since November, and now - I step on a plane tomorrow morning and my journey officially begins.
Yesterday, my sister came over and we had a "packing party." AKA she sat in the corner with my packing list and a pencil, and I packed whatever item she called out. And she kept me motivated. What initially seemed like a horrendously large process turned out to only take about two hours. Not bad.
This morning I had some last-minute laundry to do, and some last-minute things to pack. And now, after a third and fourth and fifth check of my packing list, my 48.6 pound suitcase and myself are ready to go. Or maybe it's 50.2 pounds. The scale had a hard time deciding.
Mom gets off work at 7:00, and then we are driving to Des Moines tonight and staying in a motel. My plane takes off at 6:15 tomorrow morning, and two layovers later, I will land in West Palm Beach, Florida, at 3:30 p.m. I'll have three days of orientation and then, finally, I will be off to India!
I hope to update one more time before I actually leave the country, but if I don't, then you can count on an update soon after I get there.
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for my travels tomorrow. This is the first time I have flown alone, and while I'm sure everything will go smoothly, I am still nervous about it.
- Pray that the rest of my team makes it to Florida safely, and pray also for the other three SOSers who fly out tomorrow.
- Pray for my missionaries in India as they prepare to take in eleven 20-something-year-olds for ten weeks.
My mind is racing with a million things I need to remember. I'm nervous, a little sad to be leaving, but also very excited to see how God will use me this summer! I'll update as often as I can. I truly appreciate all of your support!
Love,
Emily
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Careful Infidelity
Hi Everyone,
This isn't really an "update" per se. This is more of a "God reminded me of something and I wanted to share it with you" kind of post. This is from my devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.
"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on." Matthew 6:25
"Jesus sums up common-sense carefulness in a disciple as infidelity. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will press through and say - Now where does God come in in this relationship, in this mapped out holiday, until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion.
"Take no thought...." Don't take the pressure of forethought upon yourself. It is not only wrong to worry, it is infidelity, because worrying means that we do not think that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never anything else that worries us. Have you ever noticed what Jesus said would choke the word He puts in? The devil? No, the cares of this world. It is the little worries always. I will not trust where I cannot see, that is where infidelity begins. The only cure for infidelity is obedience to the Spirit.
The great word of Jesus to His disciples is abandon."
It is so easy, especially in preparation for a summer of uncertain schedule, where everything is foreign, to worry about the little things. I find as June 6 draws nearer that I am starting to worry about what to pack, what to bring, worry about flying by myself to Florida, not having enough time to study Hindi before I leave, etc. Worry is a waste of time, as Matthew likes to remind us.
So stop worrying about the small stuff. Trust that everything will come together, because our God is a big God, and He has everything under control.
This isn't really an "update" per se. This is more of a "God reminded me of something and I wanted to share it with you" kind of post. This is from my devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.
"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on." Matthew 6:25
"Jesus sums up common-sense carefulness in a disciple as infidelity. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will press through and say - Now where does God come in in this relationship, in this mapped out holiday, until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion.
"Take no thought...." Don't take the pressure of forethought upon yourself. It is not only wrong to worry, it is infidelity, because worrying means that we do not think that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never anything else that worries us. Have you ever noticed what Jesus said would choke the word He puts in? The devil? No, the cares of this world. It is the little worries always. I will not trust where I cannot see, that is where infidelity begins. The only cure for infidelity is obedience to the Spirit.
The great word of Jesus to His disciples is abandon."
It is so easy, especially in preparation for a summer of uncertain schedule, where everything is foreign, to worry about the little things. I find as June 6 draws nearer that I am starting to worry about what to pack, what to bring, worry about flying by myself to Florida, not having enough time to study Hindi before I leave, etc. Worry is a waste of time, as Matthew likes to remind us.
So stop worrying about the small stuff. Trust that everything will come together, because our God is a big God, and He has everything under control.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
A Small Explanation
Hello everyone!
Thank you for visiting my blog! I look forward to sharing my experiences this summer with you.
I realize the title of my blog could be taken a couple of different ways, so I thought I better explain why I named it the way I did. "The art of losing myself" is a line from one of my favorite Hillsong songs, "From the Inside Out." For those of you who received a support letter from me, this is the same song I referenced there. The lyrics really speak to me, especially right now as I prepare for my trip. They are posted below so you can read them in full. I encourage you to listen to this song!
"From the Inside Out"
Hillsong
A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
My heart and my soul, I give You control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise, become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
My heart, my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out, Lord my soul cries out
Thank you for visiting my blog! I look forward to sharing my experiences this summer with you.
I realize the title of my blog could be taken a couple of different ways, so I thought I better explain why I named it the way I did. "The art of losing myself" is a line from one of my favorite Hillsong songs, "From the Inside Out." For those of you who received a support letter from me, this is the same song I referenced there. The lyrics really speak to me, especially right now as I prepare for my trip. They are posted below so you can read them in full. I encourage you to listen to this song!
"From the Inside Out"
Hillsong
A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
My heart and my soul, I give You control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise, become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
My heart, my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out, Lord my soul cries out
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