I'm just realizing that it's been like 4 days since my last post. The last three days have flown by as I've been with part of our team in Mumbai on a side trip. Plans for these three days got dramatically changed due to some circumstances completely out of our control, so it was interesting to see how things took shape while we were there. (My natural "fly by the seat of my pants" tendencies have served me pretty well in India.) We had opportunities to spend time with people doing great ministry in Mumbai, continuing with our pattern of meeting some amazing Indian brothers and sisters. As Vince said earlier today, "I'm just waiting for us to meet someone who is not fantastic," because literally everyone we meet is just an amazing child of God pursuing effective ministry. I am so inspired by these people.
I need to keep this post short because it's late and we have an early morning tomorrow as we head to the Taj Mahal. I did want to share with you all though, that as the trip winds down, I'm starting to think a lot about the "so what?" My heart has been wrenched every which way in the last week and a half. I've seen things I couldn't have imagined. I have literally visited the homes of prostitutes and leppers and been humbled by their hospitality. I have worshipped with orphans and been put to shame by my own lack of faith. I have played and cried and everything in between, it seems. I meant it when I said earlier that this place is changing me. I can feel it in my spirit. But what does it mean when I leave this place? How is it changing me? What will really be different when I get home to my predictable, priviledged life? How will the stories I've learned and lived these two weeks in India impact my coming and going in my "normal" life? For me, the answers to these questions will be everything. This trip has blessed me beyond belief and I know that already people are connecting to the stories we've shared and the people we've met. But I know that there is so much more. Being changed, really changed, will mean so much more. But what that will look like, I do not yet know. I realize that God reveals these things all in good time. I'm not worried about God's timing or about his faithfulness in bringing to light the ways that my "normal" life will look different when I get home. In fact, I'm not "worried" at all. What I feel I guess is a certain sense of awareness and alertness...I want to make the most of the brokenness that God has brought to my heart. I want the sounds of children's voices and the looks on people's faces as vividly as they are in my mind right now to take full effect on my spirit and my heart so that the fruit is as great as it can be.
I hope that you will pray for me and the rest of the team here now as we finish up our last couple days in India. Please pray for each of our "so what" stories...that we would each have open and obedient hearts for God to use us to the fullest as we process our experiences and allow ourselves to be truly, richly changed.
I'm so thankful for each of you who are reading, praying, following the details of our trip. Though we have 10 team members in India, I feel like we have soooo many more as a part of our team...people who have been walking right alongside us in prayer and fasting...you know who you are...if you feel like part of your heart is in India even though you've never been here (or even if you have :)), you really are a part of this team. God has shown an outpouring of love and support through each of you as we have been here and I thank you in advance for the ways I know you will continue to let him use you as we return to our homes in the states, changed (and changing) people.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Another Day...Dazed and Amazed
Before I came to India, I couldn't have even imagined what the inside of a brothel would look like. As of right now, I've been inside 3 of them, face to face with the women who work there. Tonight, I even held one of their babies. Yes, you read that right. One of the sweetest babies I've seen in India (and I've seen some sweet ones), living in a brothel. Sadly, that baby wasn't even the only little one in the brothel we visited tonight. Does anyone know what I should even say about that? Because I really don't. How does this happen? And what can be done to stop it? Almost every woman we've talked to has basically said that she could leave, but she won't. Some say they want to (few, very few), but even they really just don't have an option that is compelling enough to break the bonds of of the emotional bondage they are under after years of living this life - even raising children in these brothels. In processing some of what we saw tonight, one of my teammates and I just discussed how nearly hopeless the situation seems. And yet, it's just so hard for me to accept that. I just have to believe that there is a way. I have to believe that some of these women can be freed. In the natural world, it seems crazy and impossible. But I have to believe that Light can overcome the darkness we've seen in the red light district...and in red light districts everywhere. I don't know how. I just know I have to bring these women and their children before the God who created all the world and believe that there is hope.
In juxtiposition of the scenario we witnessed tonight, I have to share with you the joy of the first part of this day (in my brokenness last night, I failed to mention that this is also where we began the day yesterday). Some of the women who work in the brothels have children who are living under the care of an amazing couple who run an orphanage of 28 sweet children. It's a remarkably beautiful home - not because of the structure of the building itself or because of the decor. It's actually way to small and quite minimal for a family of 30. But the love in this home, the joy, the hope, the light...it is tremendous. We have had the opportunity to spend time with these kiddos and their [foster] parents the last two days and I'm so very excited to get to spend more time with them tomorrow. This has been an opportunity to build relationships and to see a ministry that brings so much hope into the lives of children who otherwise would be living in brothels or on the street. I have learned new games, tought new songs, laughed, watch dances, learned dances, gotten hugs, been clobbered, and shared so much love for such a short period of time. When we left today, many of the girls were on the roof having their baths...I came halfway up the steps - just enough to see their many shampooed heads peak over when I called out to tell them that we were leaving for the day. "Bye-bye, didi...we love you, didi! See you tomorrow, Kati didi!" (pronounced "dee-dee"...this means "sister" - they call me "Kati didi" or just "didi") My heart just brims with joy spending time with these kiddos. Their company is quite possibly the only reason that I'm not an inconsolable mess after these last two evenings in the red light district. God is at work...he is using ordinary people to create a beautiful, loving home for these 28 precious ones. For some of them, perhaps there was a time when their situations seemed hopeless. Now, they are happy and healthy and learning about the Lord and about loving their brothers and sisters. This is true beauty. My heart is so blessed to be going to bed knowing that in the morning, I'll head back to their home to have church with them in the 11x11 room where they weekly gather as a family for worship. I can't wait to sing with them and sit them on my lap while we listen to Vince share a message. I'll be missing The River tomorrow, but I know that time back in this joy-filled home will continue to minister to my spirit and remind me of God's continued goodness and faithfulness.
In juxtiposition of the scenario we witnessed tonight, I have to share with you the joy of the first part of this day (in my brokenness last night, I failed to mention that this is also where we began the day yesterday). Some of the women who work in the brothels have children who are living under the care of an amazing couple who run an orphanage of 28 sweet children. It's a remarkably beautiful home - not because of the structure of the building itself or because of the decor. It's actually way to small and quite minimal for a family of 30. But the love in this home, the joy, the hope, the light...it is tremendous. We have had the opportunity to spend time with these kiddos and their [foster] parents the last two days and I'm so very excited to get to spend more time with them tomorrow. This has been an opportunity to build relationships and to see a ministry that brings so much hope into the lives of children who otherwise would be living in brothels or on the street. I have learned new games, tought new songs, laughed, watch dances, learned dances, gotten hugs, been clobbered, and shared so much love for such a short period of time. When we left today, many of the girls were on the roof having their baths...I came halfway up the steps - just enough to see their many shampooed heads peak over when I called out to tell them that we were leaving for the day. "Bye-bye, didi...we love you, didi! See you tomorrow, Kati didi!" (pronounced "dee-dee"...this means "sister" - they call me "Kati didi" or just "didi") My heart just brims with joy spending time with these kiddos. Their company is quite possibly the only reason that I'm not an inconsolable mess after these last two evenings in the red light district. God is at work...he is using ordinary people to create a beautiful, loving home for these 28 precious ones. For some of them, perhaps there was a time when their situations seemed hopeless. Now, they are happy and healthy and learning about the Lord and about loving their brothers and sisters. This is true beauty. My heart is so blessed to be going to bed knowing that in the morning, I'll head back to their home to have church with them in the 11x11 room where they weekly gather as a family for worship. I can't wait to sing with them and sit them on my lap while we listen to Vince share a message. I'll be missing The River tomorrow, but I know that time back in this joy-filled home will continue to minister to my spirit and remind me of God's continued goodness and faithfulness.
Friday, June 25, 2010
What a day
I've been procrastinating blogging tonight. It's just been such a long and intense day, I'm not really sure that I can find the words.
I'll start with a quick recap of the last couple days, since I've been a bit absent. My absence is due, at least in part, to a special Indian intiation I received, which has been coined "Delhi belly." I was the first (but not the last) person in my group to get sick (lucky me!) I have thoroughly enjoyed the authentic Indian cuisine, but apparently my stomach was a little annoyed that I didn't ease into it at all. I had to take about a day and a half break from any Indian food, and keep food in general at a minimum. Thankfully, I'm feeling pretty much 100% here about 48 hours after it initially hit.
On day 2 in India, we spent more time with the kids at school, visiting classrooms and interacting with the children. We also had a chance to meet with smaller groups (of the older kids, whose English is relatively good), which was a lot of fun. I had a group of 9th grade girls, who were gracious enough to teach me a few of their dance moves. If I'd had some bangles to jingle, I would have been very impressive, I'm sure.
Day 3, we headed to another site for the school and had a chance to spend more time with sweet kiddos there. We had some very artsy ones in the standard (grade) 3. This other site was quite different from the huge, beautiful main school. This building was much smaller and with not as many accomodations. The kids didn't seem to care, though. They were so eager to meet us and spend time with us. Smart little things, too. Oh! and I almost forgot to share that when we arrived, they had flower neclaces made for us as well as personalized cards for every member of our group, colored and signed by students. Sooooo sweet. I have been truly humbled by the gracious hospitality we have received here. The teachers and administrators, the students, the families in the slums, the staff helping us with meals and our accomodations...everyone has been so incredibly kind and welcoming. I hope I will not quickly forget this hospitality the next time I have guests in my home or church. It really makes all the difference.
So today, day 4, had a bit of a different tone. And this is the thing that has been causing my procrastination. I just don't know how to really begin to describe what I saw and felt today. A group of us went to the red light district today. We visited a brothel. We talked to and prayed with the landlady and some of the women who work in the brothel. This situation was unlike anything I've ever seen, heard of, or imagined. The system in this particular area is very different from what you might imagine when you think of a brothel. The landlady we spoke with doesn't actully own these women in the sense you would normally think. She simply owns the flat where they work. They essentially rent space from her (giving her a cut of what they earn.) The woman actually told us she is a Christian. And we sat and prayed with her and learned about her family and her arthritis. I don't think I have to tell you how much this interaction confused me. A Christian woman running a brothel? Sort of? But not really? In theory, these women are actually free to walk out of this place any time they want. I say, "in theory," because despite the fact that these women are, for lack of a better term, independent contractors, they are in just as much bondage as any woman who is indentured to a pimp. Many of them, after years (some of which were spent indentured to a pimp) of working in this industry are so broken down in their spirits and self-worth that they truly believe it's all they can do. They've resigned themselves to this life. They actually don't even desire to leave. Some of them do have the desire to leave, but simply have no place to go. They feel that they have no other options (and they don't seem to be all together wrong). I just kept thinking, "There has to be a way." I don't know what it is. There just has to be, though.
I keep thinking about a comment that one of my teammates made about Jesus' visiting the homes of prostitutes. He was commenting about the looks we were getting when we emmerged onto the street, a co-ed group of white people, having obviously come from this brothel. We drew quite a crowd. People were completely disoriented (and no less than irritated) with Jesus for the company he kept. I can't help but wonder what his demeanor was when he visited with those women. I have to head into tomorrow (when we will return for a 2nd day in another part of the red light district) praying for His heart. I am humbled by the fact that until I actually set foot in this place today, I really just had no context whatsoever for relating to Jesus in this way. Theories are out the window. We're on the ground, in the homes of prostitutes, desiring to love them and to know them in a way that is right and pure and so very different from what they've known for most of their lives. God give us strength.
I'll start with a quick recap of the last couple days, since I've been a bit absent. My absence is due, at least in part, to a special Indian intiation I received, which has been coined "Delhi belly." I was the first (but not the last) person in my group to get sick (lucky me!) I have thoroughly enjoyed the authentic Indian cuisine, but apparently my stomach was a little annoyed that I didn't ease into it at all. I had to take about a day and a half break from any Indian food, and keep food in general at a minimum. Thankfully, I'm feeling pretty much 100% here about 48 hours after it initially hit.
On day 2 in India, we spent more time with the kids at school, visiting classrooms and interacting with the children. We also had a chance to meet with smaller groups (of the older kids, whose English is relatively good), which was a lot of fun. I had a group of 9th grade girls, who were gracious enough to teach me a few of their dance moves. If I'd had some bangles to jingle, I would have been very impressive, I'm sure.
Day 3, we headed to another site for the school and had a chance to spend more time with sweet kiddos there. We had some very artsy ones in the standard (grade) 3. This other site was quite different from the huge, beautiful main school. This building was much smaller and with not as many accomodations. The kids didn't seem to care, though. They were so eager to meet us and spend time with us. Smart little things, too. Oh! and I almost forgot to share that when we arrived, they had flower neclaces made for us as well as personalized cards for every member of our group, colored and signed by students. Sooooo sweet. I have been truly humbled by the gracious hospitality we have received here. The teachers and administrators, the students, the families in the slums, the staff helping us with meals and our accomodations...everyone has been so incredibly kind and welcoming. I hope I will not quickly forget this hospitality the next time I have guests in my home or church. It really makes all the difference.
So today, day 4, had a bit of a different tone. And this is the thing that has been causing my procrastination. I just don't know how to really begin to describe what I saw and felt today. A group of us went to the red light district today. We visited a brothel. We talked to and prayed with the landlady and some of the women who work in the brothel. This situation was unlike anything I've ever seen, heard of, or imagined. The system in this particular area is very different from what you might imagine when you think of a brothel. The landlady we spoke with doesn't actully own these women in the sense you would normally think. She simply owns the flat where they work. They essentially rent space from her (giving her a cut of what they earn.) The woman actually told us she is a Christian. And we sat and prayed with her and learned about her family and her arthritis. I don't think I have to tell you how much this interaction confused me. A Christian woman running a brothel? Sort of? But not really? In theory, these women are actually free to walk out of this place any time they want. I say, "in theory," because despite the fact that these women are, for lack of a better term, independent contractors, they are in just as much bondage as any woman who is indentured to a pimp. Many of them, after years (some of which were spent indentured to a pimp) of working in this industry are so broken down in their spirits and self-worth that they truly believe it's all they can do. They've resigned themselves to this life. They actually don't even desire to leave. Some of them do have the desire to leave, but simply have no place to go. They feel that they have no other options (and they don't seem to be all together wrong). I just kept thinking, "There has to be a way." I don't know what it is. There just has to be, though.
I keep thinking about a comment that one of my teammates made about Jesus' visiting the homes of prostitutes. He was commenting about the looks we were getting when we emmerged onto the street, a co-ed group of white people, having obviously come from this brothel. We drew quite a crowd. People were completely disoriented (and no less than irritated) with Jesus for the company he kept. I can't help but wonder what his demeanor was when he visited with those women. I have to head into tomorrow (when we will return for a 2nd day in another part of the red light district) praying for His heart. I am humbled by the fact that until I actually set foot in this place today, I really just had no context whatsoever for relating to Jesus in this way. Theories are out the window. We're on the ground, in the homes of prostitutes, desiring to love them and to know them in a way that is right and pure and so very different from what they've known for most of their lives. God give us strength.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Day 1
I've discovered that the wee hours of the morning (I woke up at about 3:30 Delhi time) is a good time to get connected to the internet, so I thought I'd take advantage and share some thoughts from yesterday - our first full day in India.
As we rode back to our flat for the final time yesterday evening, I couldn't help but marvel at all we experienced in just one day. We visited the school and got to go into several classrooms to meet the kids. They are all so excited to meet us. I wonder if they know how excited we are to meet them too. Several classes sang us a song when we came to their classrooms..."If you're happy and you know it..." "Light of the world"...so much fun to be able to sing with them! I can't wait to spend more time with them and get to know individual kids. They are all completely precious, clearly brilliant, and beautiful. The school itself is incredible. It's huge...and state of the art, really. The school has soooo much potential, but right now it's just not being used to it's capacity.
We had the opportunity to hear from the woman who started the school, Ananthi. She shared the story of how it all began with one little boy from the slums coming to her home asking for food. She fed him on a regular basis and then began to teach him a 1/2 hour a day. Soon he brought 25 friends with him. The Lord led Ananthi to teach them all, starting in her garage, and then moving to a toilet complex (yes, you read that right), and eventually seeing God provide this big, amazing school. I was in awe of her thankfulness to God, even for the facility that was flithy and rank with the smells you'd expect from a toilet complex. As we toured the school, she just kept saying, "This is a great gift from God. It's completely a gift from God." What an inspiring woman!
In the afternoon, we went to a slum where we had the opportunity to meet a few families of children from the school and pray for them. I've never been so happy to be somewhere so miserable. The temperature outside has been about 110 degrees, give or take, but that goes up by a good 15-20 degrees inside these tiny homes...literally every inch of my skin was soaked with sweat within 3 seconds upon entering one of these homes. But I have to tell you that the privelege of being invited into people's homes to hear about their lives and to pray with them, was completely worth it. In a place so impoverished, with such an obvious presence of oppression, pain, and injustice, I saw an incredible representation of faith in those homes. One little girl in particular, Dolsi (not sure on the spelling there), left me with the greatest impression...
I first noticed her when we were in the first home praying. She was standing on the bed, in her dirty, blue dress with white polka-dots, her half-inch long hair soaked with sweat. As one of my teammates prayed (in English) for the family in this home, Dolsi stood with her eyes closed, a smile on her face, and her little hands cupped toward heaven. She even chimed in a couple times, “Yes!” I don’t believe she knows much more English than “hello” and “bye bye,” but she knew the God we were praying too, it seemed. The next house was Dolsi’s house, where she lives with her grandmother, her aunt, and her cousins. Dolsi has no parents – both have passed away – and her grandmother has the sole responsibility of providing for her. When we went into this home, her grandmother did most of the talking at first. But then, the interpreter told us that Dolsi had a testimony. She proceeded to tell us (in Hindi, with an interpreter) her testimony of how she came to know the Lord and trust in him fully. I can truly tell you that I’ve never seen a child who was so clearly full of the Spirit of God. This is not the faith of her parents, just passed down – something she inherited like a recessive gene – she has no parents. This was a genuine knowledge of Jesus Christ, who saved her from her sins. And he has given her a joy that I rarely see on the face of an American child. It’s hard to describe what I saw in this little girl. But what I can tell you is that it was real. I've never seen so apparently the Spirit of God in a child. It wasn't like "child-like faith" - it was like adult faith in a child. I'll not soon forget this little girl.
(Thanks to Jackie Sue for her technical assistance in getting my picture to show at the bottom of this posting. :))
As we rode back to our flat for the final time yesterday evening, I couldn't help but marvel at all we experienced in just one day. We visited the school and got to go into several classrooms to meet the kids. They are all so excited to meet us. I wonder if they know how excited we are to meet them too. Several classes sang us a song when we came to their classrooms..."If you're happy and you know it..." "Light of the world"...so much fun to be able to sing with them! I can't wait to spend more time with them and get to know individual kids. They are all completely precious, clearly brilliant, and beautiful. The school itself is incredible. It's huge...and state of the art, really. The school has soooo much potential, but right now it's just not being used to it's capacity.
We had the opportunity to hear from the woman who started the school, Ananthi. She shared the story of how it all began with one little boy from the slums coming to her home asking for food. She fed him on a regular basis and then began to teach him a 1/2 hour a day. Soon he brought 25 friends with him. The Lord led Ananthi to teach them all, starting in her garage, and then moving to a toilet complex (yes, you read that right), and eventually seeing God provide this big, amazing school. I was in awe of her thankfulness to God, even for the facility that was flithy and rank with the smells you'd expect from a toilet complex. As we toured the school, she just kept saying, "This is a great gift from God. It's completely a gift from God." What an inspiring woman!
In the afternoon, we went to a slum where we had the opportunity to meet a few families of children from the school and pray for them. I've never been so happy to be somewhere so miserable. The temperature outside has been about 110 degrees, give or take, but that goes up by a good 15-20 degrees inside these tiny homes...literally every inch of my skin was soaked with sweat within 3 seconds upon entering one of these homes. But I have to tell you that the privelege of being invited into people's homes to hear about their lives and to pray with them, was completely worth it. In a place so impoverished, with such an obvious presence of oppression, pain, and injustice, I saw an incredible representation of faith in those homes. One little girl in particular, Dolsi (not sure on the spelling there), left me with the greatest impression...
I first noticed her when we were in the first home praying. She was standing on the bed, in her dirty, blue dress with white polka-dots, her half-inch long hair soaked with sweat. As one of my teammates prayed (in English) for the family in this home, Dolsi stood with her eyes closed, a smile on her face, and her little hands cupped toward heaven. She even chimed in a couple times, “Yes!” I don’t believe she knows much more English than “hello” and “bye bye,” but she knew the God we were praying too, it seemed. The next house was Dolsi’s house, where she lives with her grandmother, her aunt, and her cousins. Dolsi has no parents – both have passed away – and her grandmother has the sole responsibility of providing for her. When we went into this home, her grandmother did most of the talking at first. But then, the interpreter told us that Dolsi had a testimony. She proceeded to tell us (in Hindi, with an interpreter) her testimony of how she came to know the Lord and trust in him fully. I can truly tell you that I’ve never seen a child who was so clearly full of the Spirit of God. This is not the faith of her parents, just passed down – something she inherited like a recessive gene – she has no parents. This was a genuine knowledge of Jesus Christ, who saved her from her sins. And he has given her a joy that I rarely see on the face of an American child. It’s hard to describe what I saw in this little girl. But what I can tell you is that it was real. I've never seen so apparently the Spirit of God in a child. It wasn't like "child-like faith" - it was like adult faith in a child. I'll not soon forget this little girl.
(Thanks to Jackie Sue for her technical assistance in getting my picture to show at the bottom of this posting. :))
In The Beginning
It is a minor miracle that I've managed to get logged into my blog...I'm not sure if this will last, but I wanted to post this post that I wrote in the airport on Saturday:
I’ve been dying to get to a place where I could get online long enough to be able to share with you all the way that my trip began…
My dear and loyal friends Caitlin, Brian, and Jaynie were kind enough to take me to the train station yesterday afternoon to catch the 2:36 Amtrak to Chicago. Upon arriving at the station, I took note of the luggage limits posted around the station – carry-ons only, limit of 2 w/ one personal item. I had two suitcases (the 2 pieces of luggage I’m allowed to check on the plane), in addition to my backpack and a purse. I’d been a little nervous about the difference in the baggage allowance for Amtrak compared to the airline, but I kind of just figured it would work itself out. If they gave me any trouble, I’d make my best attempt to stuff my purse into my backpack.
We were sitting chatting and waiting for my train when, to my great surprise, my good friend Nate Danis walked in. Nate’s wife had previously told me that she was going to be in Chicago this weekend, but had mentioned that Nate would be in Kalamazoo on Friday. It didn’t occur to me that Nate might be joining her later in the weekend. As it would turn out, that’s exactly what he was doing – taking the 2:36 Amtrak to Chicago to meet the rest of his family who had driven in the day before. Nate was carrying only a backpack. After the initial surprise/shock/delight of realizing that we were going to be on the train together, the subject of my extra luggage came up. Nate simply said, “Well, one of those is mine. Totally.” He later added, “I get the big one.” Not only did I have someone to help me get around the luggage limit technicality (and carry the larger of my two suitcases), but I had a dear friend to come along as I began my journey. What a huge blessing!! Nate and I had a chance to catch up and to marvel at the way that God brought him to that train and how clear it was that He’d orchestrated the whole thing.
As we approached Chicago, Nate pulled out his phone to call Cara, his wife, so that she would know when/where to pick him up at the train station. His phone wouldn’t work. He’d thought the battery was all charged up, but for some reason, it just wouldn’t power on. We could have called Cara from my phone, except for the fact that her phone is currently out of order; he was going to need to call his in-laws’ phone and he didn’t know the number (and, unlike Cara’s number, I didn’t have her parents’ in my phone :)). “Do you have your charger?” “Nope. I thought it was charged.” “Wait…what kind of charger does it take?” Yes, of course you’re already guessing what happened next…my phone charger fit Nate’s phone. We plugged it in, he called his wife and as a result, didn’t end up getting stranded at Union Station with no way to let his family know he’d arrived. God, you are soooooooo smart!
God blessed the hearts of two of his kids through this more-than-coincidence scenario. It was just so obvious that God had put this whole thing together to say to both me and Nate, “Hi, it’s Me. I love you. I’m right here. I want you to be blessed.” What a sweet message from the Father. What a sweet way to start this trip.
I had a nice time with my good friend Lucretia who was gracious enough to put me up in her Lincoln Park apartment, paint my toenails at midnight, and drive me to the airport at the crack of dawn. (Sidebar: I’m not a morning person…but I do love to see the sun rise. There’s just something sweet about seeing the day begin.)
I’m writing now sitting in the Newark airport, having not yet made a dent in my nine hour layover. Other members of the team will start arriving within an hour or so, scattered throughout the afternoon. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get online sometime before our flight takes off. If I can’t…well, I guess I’ll be posting this once I’ve arrived in India…most certainly with more stories about God’s faithfulness and hand over this trip to share. :) (and of course, that's exactly what happend. :)
Take a look at the group blog (hopechestindia.blogspot.com) for more from the team, and hopefully me (if I can get my connection to stay stable :)
Blessings from India!
I’ve been dying to get to a place where I could get online long enough to be able to share with you all the way that my trip began…
My dear and loyal friends Caitlin, Brian, and Jaynie were kind enough to take me to the train station yesterday afternoon to catch the 2:36 Amtrak to Chicago. Upon arriving at the station, I took note of the luggage limits posted around the station – carry-ons only, limit of 2 w/ one personal item. I had two suitcases (the 2 pieces of luggage I’m allowed to check on the plane), in addition to my backpack and a purse. I’d been a little nervous about the difference in the baggage allowance for Amtrak compared to the airline, but I kind of just figured it would work itself out. If they gave me any trouble, I’d make my best attempt to stuff my purse into my backpack.
We were sitting chatting and waiting for my train when, to my great surprise, my good friend Nate Danis walked in. Nate’s wife had previously told me that she was going to be in Chicago this weekend, but had mentioned that Nate would be in Kalamazoo on Friday. It didn’t occur to me that Nate might be joining her later in the weekend. As it would turn out, that’s exactly what he was doing – taking the 2:36 Amtrak to Chicago to meet the rest of his family who had driven in the day before. Nate was carrying only a backpack. After the initial surprise/shock/delight of realizing that we were going to be on the train together, the subject of my extra luggage came up. Nate simply said, “Well, one of those is mine. Totally.” He later added, “I get the big one.” Not only did I have someone to help me get around the luggage limit technicality (and carry the larger of my two suitcases), but I had a dear friend to come along as I began my journey. What a huge blessing!! Nate and I had a chance to catch up and to marvel at the way that God brought him to that train and how clear it was that He’d orchestrated the whole thing.
As we approached Chicago, Nate pulled out his phone to call Cara, his wife, so that she would know when/where to pick him up at the train station. His phone wouldn’t work. He’d thought the battery was all charged up, but for some reason, it just wouldn’t power on. We could have called Cara from my phone, except for the fact that her phone is currently out of order; he was going to need to call his in-laws’ phone and he didn’t know the number (and, unlike Cara’s number, I didn’t have her parents’ in my phone :)). “Do you have your charger?” “Nope. I thought it was charged.” “Wait…what kind of charger does it take?” Yes, of course you’re already guessing what happened next…my phone charger fit Nate’s phone. We plugged it in, he called his wife and as a result, didn’t end up getting stranded at Union Station with no way to let his family know he’d arrived. God, you are soooooooo smart!
God blessed the hearts of two of his kids through this more-than-coincidence scenario. It was just so obvious that God had put this whole thing together to say to both me and Nate, “Hi, it’s Me. I love you. I’m right here. I want you to be blessed.” What a sweet message from the Father. What a sweet way to start this trip.
I had a nice time with my good friend Lucretia who was gracious enough to put me up in her Lincoln Park apartment, paint my toenails at midnight, and drive me to the airport at the crack of dawn. (Sidebar: I’m not a morning person…but I do love to see the sun rise. There’s just something sweet about seeing the day begin.)
I’m writing now sitting in the Newark airport, having not yet made a dent in my nine hour layover. Other members of the team will start arriving within an hour or so, scattered throughout the afternoon. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get online sometime before our flight takes off. If I can’t…well, I guess I’ll be posting this once I’ve arrived in India…most certainly with more stories about God’s faithfulness and hand over this trip to share. :) (and of course, that's exactly what happend. :)
Take a look at the group blog (hopechestindia.blogspot.com) for more from the team, and hopefully me (if I can get my connection to stay stable :)
Blessings from India!
Monday, June 21, 2010
WE'RE HERE!
Oh my goodness...I'm so happy to FINALLY be able to be online! Out internet connection at the flat where we are staying is a little patchy and this is the first I've been able to log into anything.
Hopefully many of you saw the message on our group blog letting you know that we arrived safely. Travel was relatively uneventful, which was good. My long layover in Newark was paced out through the arrival of many of my team members throughout the day. It has been a huge blessing already to get to know my teammates and begin this journey together.
I have an entire blog written (but saved on a different computer) about something very cool God did at the very beginning of my trip, but I'll save that until I can get online later today (I'm currently racing a dying battery in order to get this post up. :)
We're hoping to be able to get easier internet access soon, and I should be able to post again before long. For now, I'll just say, the excitement has begun. We're just getting the lay of the land today, touring the school, meeting the kids, and planning our week. God is good. India is hot. Indian kiddos are PRECIOUS. (I'm already planning a group picture with me and several little girls who have their noses pierced. :)) We're heading to the slums this afternoon to visit with three families of kids from the school. We're looking forward to seeing where these kids come from and getting to know and pray for their families. Of course we want to share love with them and serve them, but we also know that we will be learning so much from them over the next several days.
Thank you all for your prayers for traveling mercies and for your continued prayers as we start getting to know the kids and being immersed in the culture.
More soon, hopefully. :)
Friday, June 18, 2010
So Thankful...
I shouldn't be so surprised by the outpouring of support by the people around me, I really shouldn't. God has been so faithful to surround me with people who love and care for me and who will get on their knees and pray for me when I go and do something crazy like travel halfway around the world to learn more about God's heart and share what I learn. I'm so humbled by the servant-hearts I see in so many of my friends and family.
To every person who has offered their prayers and committed to continued prayer...THANK YOU. I mean it. Seriously...you just take a second and really understand how very, very grateful I am for each and every one of you. Go ahead...let that sink in....
THANK YOU...
truly...
deeply...
genuinely....
YOU ARE A BLESSING to my very heart...and the heart of God, no doubt.
My heart is soooooo full knowing God's faithfulness through the lives of each of you...just like I said in an earlier blog that I couldn't prepare for this trip without God's direct intervention, I know that I also could not have prepared for this trip without the community around me. In your prayers and support, I experience real love - the love of Christ.
Brandi McElheny, from Children's HopeChest, is putting together a group blog for the team I'll be traveling with. If you want to keep up with additional insights from others on my team, follow: http://hopechestindia.blogspot.com over the next two weeks. The group blog will include bios for each team member, a daily prayer guide, trip photos, and more. Additionally, if you would like more information about how you can get involved with organized prayer coverage, please email Brandi at: brandi@hopechest.org. She is putting together a schedule. :) She will also be sending out updates on details of the trip that may not be posted publicly on individual's blogs or the group blog, so if you're interested in those details, contact Brandi.
Hey, did I say that I was thankful for you? Because I am. Truly.
To every person who has offered their prayers and committed to continued prayer...THANK YOU. I mean it. Seriously...you just take a second and really understand how very, very grateful I am for each and every one of you. Go ahead...let that sink in....
THANK YOU...
truly...
deeply...
genuinely....
YOU ARE A BLESSING to my very heart...and the heart of God, no doubt.
My heart is soooooo full knowing God's faithfulness through the lives of each of you...just like I said in an earlier blog that I couldn't prepare for this trip without God's direct intervention, I know that I also could not have prepared for this trip without the community around me. In your prayers and support, I experience real love - the love of Christ.
My dear [friends], let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God! We're able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we're doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God's command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us. (I John 3:18-24)
Brandi McElheny, from Children's HopeChest, is putting together a group blog for the team I'll be traveling with. If you want to keep up with additional insights from others on my team, follow: http://hopechestindia.blogspot.com over the next two weeks. The group blog will include bios for each team member, a daily prayer guide, trip photos, and more. Additionally, if you would like more information about how you can get involved with organized prayer coverage, please email Brandi at: brandi@hopechest.org. She is putting together a schedule. :) She will also be sending out updates on details of the trip that may not be posted publicly on individual's blogs or the group blog, so if you're interested in those details, contact Brandi.
Hey, did I say that I was thankful for you? Because I am. Truly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)