Last three posts!
Since I have not had the chance to update this blog, I am posting the last three… from training camp until now.
From Training Camp
I wrote this from training camp and thought I would paste it here…
Preparation and Anticipation
I am so excited to be in India. I feel like I’ve been waiting so long
already, so at first, training camp seemed like it would be a drag. To
be honest, it would be really easy to allow myself to be anxious to
just get this ovetrwith and get out of here. But already being exposed
to what it might be like on the field, I have felt a little
overwhelmed. I fell like I’m tumbling down a hill and can’t stop
myself. God is using this time to prepare me in ways I didn’t even know
I needed to be preapared.
Getting to know the girls on my team has been pretty fun. It usually
isn’t easy for me to find how I fit within a group. It just takes time
and mutual experiences shared in order for me to feel like I can be
myself and be known as who I am. Already within our team, walls have
been coming down. We have been able to be honest with each-other and I
would say we are off to a great start 🙂
I still have a few worries about details of travel, luggage, health,
safety, and some stuff that still needs to be taken care of, but the
attitudes of staff here are reassuring and comforting. All is well, and
we set off tomorrow!
June 6th, 2011
Bananas for Breakfast
Preparation and Anticipation
I am so excited to be in India. I feel like I’ve been waiting so long
already, so at first, training camp seemed like it would be a drag. To
be honest, it would be really easy to allow myself to be anxious to
just get this ovetrwith and get out of here. But already being exposed
to what it might be like on the field, I have felt a little
overwhelmed. I fell like I’m tumbling down a hill and can’t stop
myself. God is using this time to prepare me in ways I didn’t even know
I needed to be preapared.
Getting to know the girls on my team has been pretty fun. It usually
isn’t easy for me to find how I fit within a group. It just takes time
and mutual experiences shared in order for me to feel like I can be
myself and be known as who I am. Already within our team, walls have
been coming down. We have been able to be honest with each-other and I
would say we are off to a great start 🙂
I still have a few worries about details of travel, luggage, health,
safety, and some stuff that still needs to be taken care of, but the
attitudes of staff here are reassuring and comforting. All is well, and
we set off tomorrow!
June 6th, 2011
Bananas for Breakfast
After a three hour
bus ride from training camp to the airport in Georgia, a small layover
in Newark, NJ, a fifteen hour flight from the states to Mumbai, a
twelve-hour layover at the airport there, and one more short airplaine
ride, we finally made it to Goa. Our first day I hardly remember
anything. The jetlag had some of us (including myself) sleeping upright
on the bus… and if you know anything about bus rides in India, this
is no simple feat. Most of the time they jam as many people as could
possibly fit, WAY beyond the comfort level we are used to, and they
BLAST Hindi music. It is a bumpy, sticky, sweaty, twisty-turny
adventure, every single time!
But everything here is taking a little bit of getting used to. The food
is spicy, the smells are strange, and the language makes things really
fun to try to figure out. Yesterday, when I was much more awake, we had
our first day of ministry in the slums helping teach school and a
health class for women. We also spent time doing house visits. The
women were so excited to invite us into their homes. I tried to put
myself in their position, lving in conditions like that, and I could
honestly not even imagine it. There were rats in the ceiling (GIANT
rats), dirt floors, ten people living in one room, and everything was
dark and smelly. But the women are not dispirited by any means.
My favorite part of the day was when we did Mahandi (or Henna) with the
women in our little classroom. Preyma, the woman who did the mahandi
for me was extremely nervous because, even though she was thirty, she
had never done it before. Some of the girls were very skilled and
quick, and she was afraid she would mess up. After much encouragement
from me, she began to try. Her hand was shaking and I could tell it was
difficult for her. But she got better as she kept going, and by the
end, both my hands were beauitufully decorated with this ancient Indian
art. I told her, “acha hai!” which means, “good!” and is one of the
only words I know in Hindi and I could tell she was pleased.
Later, during the health class, she had her two children with her. She
made me show my hands to them and I gladly did. She was so proud! I
loved being a part of empowering her to do something she thought she
was incapable of, and seeing her so joyful showing it off.
Today is only our third day in Goa, so I know many more stories are to come! I’ll keep you posted 🙂
Color and Dirt
bus ride from training camp to the airport in Georgia, a small layover
in Newark, NJ, a fifteen hour flight from the states to Mumbai, a
twelve-hour layover at the airport there, and one more short airplaine
ride, we finally made it to Goa. Our first day I hardly remember
anything. The jetlag had some of us (including myself) sleeping upright
on the bus… and if you know anything about bus rides in India, this
is no simple feat. Most of the time they jam as many people as could
possibly fit, WAY beyond the comfort level we are used to, and they
BLAST Hindi music. It is a bumpy, sticky, sweaty, twisty-turny
adventure, every single time!
But everything here is taking a little bit of getting used to. The food
is spicy, the smells are strange, and the language makes things really
fun to try to figure out. Yesterday, when I was much more awake, we had
our first day of ministry in the slums helping teach school and a
health class for women. We also spent time doing house visits. The
women were so excited to invite us into their homes. I tried to put
myself in their position, lving in conditions like that, and I could
honestly not even imagine it. There were rats in the ceiling (GIANT
rats), dirt floors, ten people living in one room, and everything was
dark and smelly. But the women are not dispirited by any means.
My favorite part of the day was when we did Mahandi (or Henna) with the
women in our little classroom. Preyma, the woman who did the mahandi
for me was extremely nervous because, even though she was thirty, she
had never done it before. Some of the girls were very skilled and
quick, and she was afraid she would mess up. After much encouragement
from me, she began to try. Her hand was shaking and I could tell it was
difficult for her. But she got better as she kept going, and by the
end, both my hands were beauitufully decorated with this ancient Indian
art. I told her, “acha hai!” which means, “good!” and is one of the
only words I know in Hindi and I could tell she was pleased.
Later, during the health class, she had her two children with her. She
made me show my hands to them and I gladly did. She was so proud! I
loved being a part of empowering her to do something she thought she
was incapable of, and seeing her so joyful showing it off.
Today is only our third day in Goa, so I know many more stories are to come! I’ll keep you posted 🙂
Friday, June 10, 2011
Color and Dirt
After a week, I
think I am finally adjusted to life here in India. No bathing every
day, washing clothes in a bucket, everything being slightly damp (if
not totally drenched) all of the time, and only drinking water from
bottles or jugs. Most of the work done at Rahab’s is prevention against
sex-trafficking. We go into a small town nearby in the slums and work
at building a better community that will empower the women and give
them good options for work as well as a resource center to come for if
they need any kind of help. We spent each morning this week working in
a pre-school and each afternoon/evening in sewing classes with women
from the slums. My favorite part is when we have the translator sit
with us and translate stories that we share from the Bible and from our
lives with the women. Sometimes they get to open up and share as well.
On the day that I shared, I told a story about my life and how God
worked in it for the morning class. But for the afternoon class I felt
lead to share the story of Hannah who prayed for a son and gave him
over to serve God. I learned later that one of the women, Netra, has
been struggling for a long time because she cannot have kids. She cried
when the story was over. A lot of the women have struggles with their
husbands and with their families because of the religious animosity
towards believers. Many fathers and husbands have drinking problems.
Most of the girls are married at a very young age. My friend Cincoa was
married at eight years old to her uncle, whom she is now seeking a
divorce from.
I’m not sure I anticipated how hard it would be to hear about other
people’s sufferings, and to even watch it happen. I feel like I don’t
know what to do or how to help a lot of times. They language barrier
has been really difficult for me. I struggle because I feel like I have
nothing to offer.
But yesterday during women’s nutrition, I stayed outside and played
with the kids. It was a riot because Soni, a girl in my pre-school, had
a live crab on a string. They were dragging it around like a pet. There
was one little boy whom I started to play with. He was responding so
well to me, even though he didn’t know what I was saying. We played the
whole class, just different little games and he laughed a lot. When the
class was over one of our team members informed me that he was deaf,
and that his family did not take care of him so he spent a lot of time
with one of the other women who comes to translate for the nutrition
classes.
It was just really cool because I know that I communicated with him
yesterday and that we both found joy in each other. It didn’t matter
that he could not hear me. He understood me. It gave me hope that if I
could give the message of love to this little boy, then there are ways
to love all people without necessarily being able to speak words to
them.
I would love to have your continued prayers for strength and
persistence. Pray that God’s love would be shown as strong as it really
is, stronger than any darkness in the world. Pray that more
opportunities would be evident, and that we would have truth always on
our hearts, ready to share. Pray that I would be more and more willing
to rely on my team members for help and guidance. Pray that we would
work as the body of Christ is supposed to. Pray that we don’t get
discouraged, but grow stronger each day. Pray that in all the dirt and
grime, we would celebrate and praise God for the beautiful colors. Pray
that walls would tumble down and the truth be obvious, that Jesus
Christ is the one true God who saves us.
think I am finally adjusted to life here in India. No bathing every
day, washing clothes in a bucket, everything being slightly damp (if
not totally drenched) all of the time, and only drinking water from
bottles or jugs. Most of the work done at Rahab’s is prevention against
sex-trafficking. We go into a small town nearby in the slums and work
at building a better community that will empower the women and give
them good options for work as well as a resource center to come for if
they need any kind of help. We spent each morning this week working in
a pre-school and each afternoon/evening in sewing classes with women
from the slums. My favorite part is when we have the translator sit
with us and translate stories that we share from the Bible and from our
lives with the women. Sometimes they get to open up and share as well.
On the day that I shared, I told a story about my life and how God
worked in it for the morning class. But for the afternoon class I felt
lead to share the story of Hannah who prayed for a son and gave him
over to serve God. I learned later that one of the women, Netra, has
been struggling for a long time because she cannot have kids. She cried
when the story was over. A lot of the women have struggles with their
husbands and with their families because of the religious animosity
towards believers. Many fathers and husbands have drinking problems.
Most of the girls are married at a very young age. My friend Cincoa was
married at eight years old to her uncle, whom she is now seeking a
divorce from.
I’m not sure I anticipated how hard it would be to hear about other
people’s sufferings, and to even watch it happen. I feel like I don’t
know what to do or how to help a lot of times. They language barrier
has been really difficult for me. I struggle because I feel like I have
nothing to offer.
But yesterday during women’s nutrition, I stayed outside and played
with the kids. It was a riot because Soni, a girl in my pre-school, had
a live crab on a string. They were dragging it around like a pet. There
was one little boy whom I started to play with. He was responding so
well to me, even though he didn’t know what I was saying. We played the
whole class, just different little games and he laughed a lot. When the
class was over one of our team members informed me that he was deaf,
and that his family did not take care of him so he spent a lot of time
with one of the other women who comes to translate for the nutrition
classes.
It was just really cool because I know that I communicated with him
yesterday and that we both found joy in each other. It didn’t matter
that he could not hear me. He understood me. It gave me hope that if I
could give the message of love to this little boy, then there are ways
to love all people without necessarily being able to speak words to
them.
I would love to have your continued prayers for strength and
persistence. Pray that God’s love would be shown as strong as it really
is, stronger than any darkness in the world. Pray that more
opportunities would be evident, and that we would have truth always on
our hearts, ready to share. Pray that I would be more and more willing
to rely on my team members for help and guidance. Pray that we would
work as the body of Christ is supposed to. Pray that we don’t get
discouraged, but grow stronger each day. Pray that in all the dirt and
grime, we would celebrate and praise God for the beautiful colors. Pray
that walls would tumble down and the truth be obvious, that Jesus
Christ is the one true God who saves us.
Friday, June 17, 2011
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