A Different Kind of Festival

This culture loves to celebrate. Parties are ridiculous, especially weddings. And there's a festival every other week. Typically these festivals praise the acts and characteristics of one of the gods and come with carnival rides, parades, and lots of flowers and fireworks.

A few weeks ago, I was shopping in one of my favorite stores, where I have gotten to know some of the workers well. It was the day of a festival to celebrate the god Shiva. He explained to me the reasons why Shiva was his favorite god and how he would be celebrating, then asked me about our Christian festivals. I remembered one was coming soon, and started to tell him about Easter and the reasons we celebrate on that day, with a promise to come share more.

This conversation got me thinking about how we could continue to share truth as we celebrated His resurrection, and we decided an Easter party for people in our neighborhood would be a great way to build relationships and tell about our Savior.

We began to tell the people in our building and our other neighbors. Especially kids. There are many that play cricket and cards on our street each afternoon, and we've been able to build relationships with several of them.

As we planned, we had to be careful as to what aspects of American Easter celebrations we shared here. Most of our friends are vegetarians, and do not eat eggs. Some will not even touch them, so many eggs activities were automatically out. Plastic eggs were doable, but finding those here is next to impossible. We did, however, have Resurrection Eggs. This set of twelve eggs contains small items that help tell the Easter story, such as nails, a stone, and a crown of thorns.

The egg thing also made cooking more of an adventure. We were having post-lunch desserts and sweets. Pulling that off without eggs was a challenge. But we did it thanks to some helpful internet sites. We ended up with sugar cookies for the kids to decorate, chocolate chip cookies, an orange cake, brownie pudding, fruit salad, and some local biscuits. Seeing the display on the table was a pretty proud moment for us :)

Armed with coloring sheets, Easter bingo, some relay games, sidewalk chalk, the Resurrection Eggs, and the food, we were ready for our friends to arrive. It was such a blessing to be able to share the reason that we celebrate with the people. Some had never heard, and to watch their faces change as they heard that He had died, but then came back to life was incredible! Because people arrived in shifts, we got to tell the story several times. One of these times, a young friend that we had shared with previously helped me tell the story. He did such a good job!

Please be lifting up these new friends. Ask that the Father give us more opportunities to share with these families and that He reveals Himself to each of them. How beautiful it would be for them to be believing as they celebrate this Truth next Easter!







The Easter Sunday celebration started at a local slum ministry, where I have been able to spend lots of time the last few months. Some friends and I were asked to help with their church service by coming up with some skits about His miracles. We had a great time and our rendition of these is pretty entertaining. Unfortunately, no one had a video camera to document it, but you can trust me on this. Worshipping on Easter with 200 beautiful children who have so few possessions, but so much joy in Dad was amazing! They praise passionately and give in such faith. I have learned so much from them.

After the service and lunch, we got to hide eggs for the kids' first hunt ever! So sweet to see their excitement! They were told to find one egg each, but a few of the smart ones got the candy out and left the eggs. I guess that's technically following the rules :)

This day was also special because my friends and I wore sarees for the first time. It was a bit of a struggle to walk around with that much fabric, but we had fun and I have even more respect for the beautiful ladies who wear them everyday.

Celebrating my first Easter on this side of the world was wonderful. I can't think of a better way to celebrate than sharing His love and victory with those around us. Thankful doesn't do it justice.

2 Kings 5

" 1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

I came across this passage the other day and was both challenged and encouraged by the young girl's actions. She was taken captive to a place and people she didn't know. She was away from her family and all that was familiar and asked to serve. She did serve, and went beyond what she was asked to do. She offered what she had to the people who had brought her there. She knew of a prophet and his ability to heal. She completely trusted that he would be able to give that healing to her master. And the master trusted her.

The rest of the passage tells us that Naaman went to the king of Israel in search of this healing. Elisha told him to wash seven times in the Jordan and he would be healed. Though he was initially upset with these instructions, he did as he had been told, and the Word says "his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy".

My favorite part of the passage, though, is Naaman's response to this healing. He tells Elisha, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel".

How I long to hear those words! In a culture with millions of gods, even when people hear about Jesus and what He has done, their response is typically to add Him to their list of gods. They may know about Him, pray to Him, worship Him, but not as the One, True God. In a conversation the other day, when I asked about a friend's relationship with the Lord, she told me she had a cross hanging in her pooja room, where she worships her gods. That was enough for her.

Like the young girl in the story, He has given me the opportunity to share what I have seen and experienced. I may have little to give, but He can do so much with my small offering. As I seek to serve them, let these people see a difference.... desire to know why.... hear about the healing they too can have. Join me in praying that they would respond as Naaman did, and worship Christ alone.

Amused

I have been failing miserably at this whole blogging thing. I think about all these things I want to fill you in on, but actually getting around to it is the hard part. Now that the traveling has slowed down a little and I'm back in a routine, I'm going to do my best to catch you up on what's been going on here.

Several weeks ago, one of my students turned five, and apparently a whole hand is a pretty big deal.



To celebrate, 19 Americans headed to an amusement park in the city. I was a little skeptical about what we might find, but was pleasantly surprised. We had such a great time enjoying the park and its South Asian twists :)

First of all, the whole day cost about $10, lunch included. Disney should learn from this place. I almost qualified for a child ticket, which would have made it even cheaper, but I was a couple of inches over the line. We were greeted by a little person in a clown outfit as we walked in. A little creepy, but the kids didn't mind him. A few even danced with him, which was pretty entertaining. Our first ride was a termite roller coaster. When I say roller coaster, I mean slightly fast train ride with a bump or two that is so short we have to go around multiple times. But I still enjoyed myself.



The next ride was a dungeon/haunted house. I'm not going to lie. I was a little terrified. Who wants to see skeletons or saris or cobras with red eyes coming at you? And those are some of the things I saw. I think my eyes were closed for the majority of the ride. Thank you Wonder-la for the nightmares.

The rest of the rides were much more pleasant. Bumper cars and lots of spinning rides kept us busy until lunch.



After lunch, we headed to the water rides. This was the first time my legs had seen the sun since I've been in the country. They enjoyed the freedom, but I'm not sure other people enjoyed being blinded by them. It was interesting to see how people chose to dress for the water rides. Some women, like us, went with shorts and tshirts over their suits, while others wore their normal clothes with long, heavy pants, long shirts, and dupattas. Only here...

We went down several slides, and seemed to have issues on every one. We weren't sitting right, or we had too many people, or we needed to scoot back. Overcoming the communication barrier to understand these things became so entertaining, we couldn't stop laughing. I have no idea what the employees thought about this crazy group of Americans.

At 4:00, we headed to the rain disco. And yes... it's exactly like it sounds. Rain falls from the ceiling while lasers and lights are flashing and techno music plays while we dance. Pretty incredible. The South Asian twist is that there are two sides when you go in. One is for women, children, and families, and the other is for men. I was pretty thankful for the cultural differences for those twenty minutes.



The day ended with a couple more dry rides and a cup of chai. We decided to stop at one of the city's three restaurants with beef on the way home to wrap up the time of fellowship and laughter. It was a great day to be with the friends that have become my family while I am away from home and enjoy the culture that Dad has us in. I left Wonder-la loving South Asia a little more than before.

Glimpses

I had a request from one of my two favorite grandmothers to post a few pictures. So here is a quick glimpse into the past week and life in South Asia....



Three days a week are spent with some pretty amazing kids. It's been so much fun getting to know and work with them over the past few months. And even more exciting... two joined the family this week! Definitely join me in thanking Him for that!!



Outside the grocery store one afternoon, I noticed one of the trees shaking a little. Then I saw three monkeys enjoying themselves. I have to say... they must some of the smart ones to chose the place where the keep all the food to hang out. I'd be lying if I said I was used to seeing these animals all over the place. I must still be entertained if I pull my camera out :)



Walking down this street, I ran into this huge group of guys standing on the sidewalk. Typically, I would avoid that situation at all costs, but I didn't know if it was a fight or a meeting or an emergency, and my curiosity got the best of me. Turns out it was an electronics store and the guys were watching a cricket match through the window. A little anti-climatic, but worth a laugh.



I spent some time at a friend's house today and got to meet a few of her nieces. Taking pictures of each other was a fun way to overcome the language barrier.



Because good Mexican food is rare in this part of the world, the opening of this restaurant in our city was a pretty big deal to the Americans I know. Apparently it is a big deal to other people too, because half of the country was in the restaurant while we were. Despite a little South Asian twist, it was pretty close to the original and well worth the wait.

And finally...



The friend that shares so many of these adventures with me. So thankful for you!

A Lesson

I spent several hours on Thursday afternoon sharing with a friend about an area in which I'm struggling to trust. She then shared what Dad has been teaching her recently. After coffee and a quick eyebrow threading stop, we went our separate ways. At this point, it had just gotten dark, and catching an auto alone at night is not one of my favorite things. Eventually I found a driver who knew where my neighborhood is and was willing to go by the price on the meter, which is pretty rare for an American at night :)

I noticed pretty quickly that we weren't taking the normal route. The coffee shop is pretty close to the school, so I know the easiest way to get from that area home, but he wasn't taking it. This is when panic begins to set in. I ask him to make sure he is headed to the right place, and he assures me that he is taking a short cut and we are almost there.



At this point, I have a choice to make. I can choose to let go and trust that this driver knows the city better than I do and will get me where I need to be, or I can make him stop and get out of his auto. I went with the former.

When I got to my destination, he had gotten me there so quickly that it ended up costing about half the price that it normally does. And he was one of the kindest drivers I've had. Turns out he did know so much better than I did, and because I trusted him, I was blessed.

It was such an amazing picture of learning to trust my Father. So often, I don't understand the path He has me on or the turns He is taking. But He is in control. He knows what is ahead, while I have no clue. I have to simply surrender to His guidance and trust that He loves me and has great things in store. Trust that He wants the best for me. Trust that He desires my sanctification, regardless of what it takes. Trust that this will bring me closer to Him.

I choose to trust.

This song by Ginny Owens says it more beautifully than I can, so I'll let it convey my heart tonight...

The pathway is broken
And The signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone

So When the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley If You want me to

A Few More Reasons

I can't believe I've been here almost two months! Time is flying by, but I am loving it. Every day is an adventure, and I'm seeing Him at work both in my own life and all around me. At the school, we're staying busy getting ready for the spring musical. Pretty sure it's going to be a hit :) The kids are working so hard, and Dad is being glorified in their praises! Can't wait for their friends and family to get to see their fruits of their efforts.

We're also still working on language, which has turned out to be a bigger challenge than I expected. Most people that we meet want to practice English with us, so convincing them to speak another language takes some effort (and sometimes some compromising!). We're trying though! Be lifting this up when you think about it.

In one of the papers this week, there was an article listing 60 reasons to love this country. I found it very entertaining, and since I heard you all enjoyed the last list, I thought I'd share a couple of my favorites with you. Enjoy!

2. FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY
Tell someone you don't believe in God. Go on. You'll find yourself arguing so vehemently to make your case that you could well be accused of having a severe case of faith faith in no God in this case. Because that's what we do believe. Hard. With passion. In anything we want to believe. Which is why practically every faith known to God is right here in India, and we're not above inventing several more if we think we haven't enough.

3. THE WAY WE ARE SO FLEXIBLE
Checked anyone's filofax lately? Know anyone who has a filofax? We may set off in the morning expecting to follow a strict schedule of assignments and appointments, but we are always happy to chuck all our plans at a moment's notice, particularly if the alternative involves partying.

5. CHAI
It's raining. We need chai. It's cold. We need chai. It's hot and sweaty and miserable. We need chai. Yes chai, not tea. The over-boiled, over-milked and over-sweetened stuff that could rot our teeth and turn our insides into shoe leather, yet never fails to put life back into our tired frames. Then there's also tea. Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Kangra... Mmmm, the fragrance.

7. WEDDINGS AND FAMILY OCCASIONS
Our weddings are attended by family, relatives, friends, past and present neighbours, people who invited you to their or their siblings' weddings, past and present colleagues, random strangers because we had 300 wedding cards extra and didn't want to waste them, plus gatecrashers a guestlist so long it rivals the population of the whole of Africa. If however, our homes are filled with the population of only one small country, like Bangladesh, we're just having a family dinner.

11. DESI HOSPITALITY
Atithi devo hava... and we will be devo-ed till our stomachs burst. When we step into anyone's house we are fed, watered and pampered so much, we'd never believe there was a single nasty person on this planet. The only difficulty is getting away if they could, our hosts would adopt us on the spot.

29. SINGING
What do you get when two of us, even if we're perfect strangers or deadly enemies, are hanging around with nothing to do? A sing-song, that's what. Because we luuurrrve singing. We sing everywhere and anywhere, we have contests for bathroom singers and enormous national-level singing contests called antakshari whether we can actually sing or not.

46. THE WAY WE HAVE A NAME FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON WE MAY BE EVEN REMOTELY RELATED TO
Ma, baap, dada, dadi, nana, nani, taya, tayi, chacha, chachi, bua, phupha, mama, mami, beta, beti, potaa, naati, poti, naatin, behan, jija, bhanja, bhanji, bhai, bhabhi, bhatija, bhatiji, pati, patni, saas, sasur, damaad, bahu, jeth, jethani, nanad, nandoii, devar, devarani, saali, salaa, samdhan... And that's only in Hindi. Need we say more?

From the Hindustan Times

A Huge Thank You...

... to everyone who helped make my birthday so special! It was a great day and lasted much longer than 24 hours!

To friends who Facebooked or Skyped sweet messages.

To new friends who celebrated with me here.

To the mailman who delivered packages from home.

To Uncle Dan, Mimi and Poppie, Mimi and Gramps, Ms. Ruth, Ms. Fran, and Ms. Arlene for beautiful and encouraging notes.

To Mom, Dad, Lindsey and Bryan for an incredible box of goodies. I'm trying to wait at least an hour before I make cupcakes :)

And to my Father. For another year. For opening doors. For constant guidance. For peace and strength. And for loving me unconditionally.

I love you all more than I can express.

My Favorite Things

One day last week, my teammate and I rode home from school with two of our students. We somehow started talking about musicals and discovered a common love for "The Sound of Music", then spent the rest of the ride home belting out its songs. This was one of the highlights of that day and got me thinking as I looked out the car window. As we were singing "Favorite Things", I began listing my favorite things about South Asia one month in, and I thought I'd share a few with you.

1. People stare. If you know me at all, it probably shocks you that this is the first one on the list. I did hate it for a while, but then started having fun with it. Since it's inevitable that I will get stares, I make eye contact right back. The women typically have wary looks on their faces, but when I smile at them, they have time to process this and smile back before we pass on the street. Then we are both happy :)
2. Things are cheap. Pretty self-explanatory. But if you need an example, I bought three tomatoes for the equivalent of 2 cents today. And an $11 meal was ridiculous. I almost walked out of the restaurant.
3. Clothes. They are colorful, modest, cheap, and you get to design your own. It doesn't get much better than that!
4. Animals. I greet cows, dogs, goats, chickens, and the occasional monkey on my daily outings. I've even had cows outside my building to welcome me home. Almost like Brody....
5. Autos. The best way I can describe an auto rickshaw is a three-wheeled scooter with a roof and a bench on the back. We play "How many Americans can we fit in an auto?" often. I believe the current record is six, but we can do better than that. The drivers don't like this game as much as we do though.
6. Food. I have always liked a little kick to my food, but South Asia overwhelms my taste buds at times. And the freshest fruits and vegetables. Pretty amazing.
7. Our guard. There is a very nice man who stands outside our building and helps out with anything we need. He also practices Kannada with me, even though he spends the majority of the time laughing at my attempts to sound like him.
8. Birthdays. In this culture, you give gifts to your friends on your birthday, instead of the other way around. I think this is how it should be, so I'm going to try it on Monday.
9. Two-wheelers. What I like to call "scoot-scoots". It blows me away how many people can fit onto a small motorcycle. I'll see families with a child up front holding onto the handlebar, a parent driving behind the child, another squished child, and a mom on the back holding one or two more children. Typically only the dad has a helmet. I'm not saying this makes sense, but it's hard not to smile.
10. Chai. Incredible conversations happen over a cup of tea.
11. Lack of shoes. I hardly ever wear them here. And there are a lot of people who never do. Anytime you enter a building, you leave your shoes at the door. My feet feel so free.
12. People. My neighbors. Becoming my friends. Seeing my Father at work in them.

It will be interesting to see how this list changes over the next few months :) Thanks for your encouragement and support so far. Know that your prayers are felt, and He is continuing to meet our needs. Please fill me in on what is going on in your lives. I would love to be lifting you up as well! Love to you all!