We're coming home!

We'll be checking out of the hotel in about 30 minutes to start our long journey home.  Wednesday morning we were greeted with actual rain.  Lots of big fat drops and it was predicted to rain for most of the day.  Half of the team decided to head to a mall where they could use wi-fi and get some work done and the other half decided to brave the elements and try some sight seeing.  Bryan, Mickie, and Tammy set out for The Heritage Museum which was up in a part of town we hadn't visited yet.  A few transfers on the MTR and we were there.  Out this way in the less touristy areas, there were fewer non-asians and English was not spoken very well by many people.  After an unsatisfying lunch at McDonald's we hit the museum.  This was a cultural museum dedicated to the arts rather than a history museum.  There were some historical items and they did have a pottery and ironworks section that had pieces that dated back to BC time.  There was a special event focusing on creative fashion design and we got to peruse some very interesting articles of clothing.  There was also an area devoted to the Chinese Opera.  After a couple hours, we decided to check out the
Kowloon Walled City.  The weather was not too bad.  Windy and a few spits of rain, but not a downpour.  This was a good thing as we ended up walking there.  The walled city is now a park that is very serene and pretty.  It originally was a tiny military post that was then occupied by poor people who built buildings on almost every square inch and when there was no more space, starting adding vertically.  There was one original structure still in place and it was the main garrison house from the military post.  It now housed some photographs and historical writings.  When we were finished with the park, we took a short walking tour of this part of the city.  There were several schools in the area and there were youth in their different school uniforms walking everywhere.  It was neat to tour a place well outside the normal tourist spots of Hong Kong and Kowloon.  After 8 hours of touring fun, we decided to head back to the hotel to figure out dinner and to rest our sore feet.  However, there really was not any rest for the weary as we only took about 30 minutes to rest before walking over to a mall to find dinner, and then walking around a few different streets looking for souveniers.  All of the walking isn't a bad thing.  We probably still have a few Chapati's to work off and we are going to be on planes for a combined time of 14 to 15 hours.  Won't be much opportunity to be walking then.

This trip has been a great opportunity and an awesome adventure.  We sincerely thank all of you for your continual prayers for all aspects of our journey along the way.  We have kept you all close in our hearts and thougths and we are eagerly anticipating seeing you all soon.

Chalo!

More photos are posted on Smugmug

There are a some more from our time in Mumbai prior to heading to Latur, and there are ones from our time in Latur with the Anukamp boys, VBS, and some of the adventures from our evenings.    There are a couple of different galleries to keep things semi-organized.  Enjoy!

Hong Kong, Part 2

The flight to Hong Kong (Monday 1:30am) was smooth and uneventful, but not quite long enough ;o)  It was only just over 5 hours which wasn’t enough time to get good sleep.  We landed at about 9:45am local HK time.  Hong Kong is about 3 hours ahead of India so we lost a bit of time.  By the time we got through customs, picked up our luggage, and hopped the bus to the hotel, it was almost noon.  The hotel said our rooms wouldn’t be ready until 2pm so we decided to hit the Hard Rock Café for lunch.  The restaurant wasn’t very close to the hotel so we had to ride the MTR and walk around a bit before finding it down a not-so-main road.  We made it back to the hotel close to 3pm, but only one room was ready  :o(  While we waited, we sat down and exhaustion overtook us.  Didn’t matter that we were in the lobby of a nice hotel, our eyelids just would not stay open.  Once we all had our rooms, we decided to meet at 7:30pm to shop at the local night market and then find some dinner.  The night market is very similar to the street fair like at Aquafest or the Strawberry Festival.  Lots of booths with all sorts of trinkets and treasures to buy.  The main difference is that everything is “over-priced” and they want you to bargain with them.  Since we were planning a trip out to the Stanley Market the next day, we more or less just window-shopped and got an idea of what prices were.  For dinner, we decided on KFC.  They served mashed potatoes and gravy and corn on the cob, and that is about where the menu similarities to American restaurants ended.   Toto – I don’t think we are in Kentucky anymore!   :o)  It was interesting to see the different takes on menu items for American fast food places, both in India and Hong Kong.  After dinner, it was time to lie down and give our bodies a chance to rest for more than just a couple hours. 

Tuesday morning, we were greeted with clouds, a bit of intermittent drizzle and rain showers forecasted for most of the day.  Thankfully, much of Stanley Market is covered and the rain would have minimal impact.  We took a double decker bus to the market and it was about an hour’s ride out of town.  It was a beautiful ride.  This is on the outside edge of one of the peninsulas and there were some sandy beaches  and a few marinas.  There were also a few of the coastline islands and they made a pretty scene shrouded in the low-lying, misting rain clouds.  Stanley Market is also full of booths similar to street fairs and had many of the same wares as the night market.  Many booths had the same things so it was like a mini treasure hunt finding which one would give you the best price.  The rain started to fall pretty heavily but for the most part, you could stay relatively dry.  After a couple hours, we decided it was time to head back to the city.  Another couple hours to rest and freshen up, and it was time for dinner.  We went to the Spaghetti House and had a really lovely meal.  Bryan gets the bravery award for stepping outside his comfort zone and ordering the Squid Ink Risotto with Seafood.  He said it was interesting and not bad.  I like Risotto but I am used to it being white, not bluish-black.  Over the course of the meal, we discussed the trip.  We all shared several items that stood out for us, whether it was culturally or spiritually related.  It was a good discussion and demonstrated how individual our experiences are even though we are on the same trip.  God made us all unique, so we are all different, and He loves us just as we are.  We spent 17 days in fellowship with, loving on, and ministering to people in a far-away land where everything was different – weather, language, food, landscape, customs, and accepted behaviors.  What is important to remember is that these are God’s people, too and He loves them just as much as He loves us.  Do you know anybody who is quite different from you? Do you normally hang out with this person, or do you avoid them because they make you uncomfortable?  Our differences are what make life interesting and I encourage you to challenge yourself.  Smile and greet them rather than avoid eye-contact and pretend you didn’t notice them.  Show a little grace, rather than impatience, if they do things differently than how you would do it.  Here is a humbling thought.  Jesus is vastly different from all of us, yet He works on his relationship with us all of the time.  He smiles on us, greets us, and shows an amazing amount of tolerance and patience.  Shouldn’t we honor Him and do the same?

Mumbai Shopping

Saturday shopping in Mumbai at the West Andheri Market.  Many thanks to Caruna, Sharon, and Shubishish for being our tour guides and price negotiators.  They saved us many, many rupees.  It was a hot day but many of the shops were inside or under an awning so it was tolerable.  It was crowded and noisy but we did not let that deter us from the many items we just had to buy.  Lunch was at McDonald's and the menu included such things as a Spicy Paneer Chicken Sandwich and a Chicken Maharaja Mac.  The only non-chicken item was a veggie burger and a Filet-o-fish.  Atfter lunch, we hit some specific booths to ensure that we would be able to find items that we felt were necessary, rather than just perusing.  All in all it was quite the successful trip.  After a quick refresh at the hotel, Pastor E and Matt Whitehead (who had just arrived in Mumbai) went with us to one of the high end malls out near Goreagon.  The malls here all have security gates to pass through, just like at the airport. No X-ray scanners and you get to keep your shoes on, but you do pass through a metal detector and get wanded.  There were some pretty fancy stores in this mall, but due to traffic being so congested, we were really short on time so we hooked up with everybody at the coffee shop and had lattes.  Abishek brought over some of the guys that attended the Youth camp which was quite a fun surprise to get to see them one last time unexpectedly.  We departed the mall and went to Pastor Shirish's home.  There were many visitors at their home and it was a lovely evening.  Joe and Marilyn James from Indianapolis and Alan and Carol Lowne from New York were there.  Joe and Marilyn are originally from the PNW and Alan and Carol are originally from England.  They are on a ministry trip throughout India and are headed to the central and eastern parts of the country.  It was nice to meet them and get to chat for some time.  Ujwala prepared a wonderful dinner and dessert for all of us.  We had deliberately limited our lunchtime food intake and it was a good thing.  There was plenty of delicious food for us to gorge ourselves on.  Our India family has taken such good care of us; accomodating to every need, making their homes our homes, and making sure we didn't have a chance to go home skinnier than when we came.  Too soon the evening had to end, 9:30pm which really is too early according to India standards, but we had to travel back to the hotel which could take a while depending on traffic and some of the team were heading out pretty early for church services.  The last few days have been filled with so many goodbyes.  It is so bittersweet as we are all looking forward to the happy hellos from home.  Such an emotional roller coaster but definitely worth the ride. 

Saree and tie day

Today is the fourth and final day of the youth camp and it has the most formal attire.  Almost all of the women wore Sarees, however, very few of the men wore ties.  To their credit, many of them were in dress shirts.  Sarees are very difficult to put on.  There is a petticoat that must be tied tightly and in the right position on your waist, and a very small, tight blouse.  Over top of that is the yards of fabric that is wrapped and folded in a very specific way around your body.  Mahima came to our rescue and helped us all dress.  Needless to say, the US women strolling into the breakfast area in our flowing attire was quite the conversation starter.  Comments and smiles were abundant.  Cameras were out in full force and people who had already been photographed with us wanted more.  The Indian women and all of the fabrics are quite beautiful and it almost feels like it is prom night. 

The morning session was again given by Pastor Eric with help from some of the US team.  He wanted the youth to hear from those of us who had not be assigned specific teaching sessions.  Some of the questions that they youth had forwarded were very good.  “Why does Jesus love me?” “How do we exercise self-control in our youthful lives?”  “How do we overcome desire and maintain purity?”  Mickie gave a great testimony on her life and how she found Jesus.  It was a great example of the depth of Jesus’ love.  Bryan gave some insight on to why Jesus loves us.  Tammy also attempted to answer the love question and likened it to the love of a parent for their child.  She then discussed the need for the youth to be accountable – to themselves, to others, and to God.  Cathy gave a testimony that was specific to the women on self-esteem and self-worth.  The message was good and I saw several women nodding their heads as Cathy spoke.  It was good for the men to hear and get some insight in to how women think and act that they probably would not get otherwise.  All in all, it was a great session on how to relate all that they have been hearing in to their everyday lives.

Next up was the photo session and an attempt to get everybody in 1 photo.  What a challenge but we think it was successful!  200 teenagers and 20 somethings…brings to mind a phrase about herding cats. ;o)  There were a few minutes for everybody to take their own group photos and what a photographic event it was.  Members of the US team were bombarded with requests for pictures, and at one point, Tammy and Cathy stood in the same pose while men rotated in to the picture.  A quite accurate comment floated from the crowd that we looked like statues.  It was a good time, but very, very hot as we were often in the direct sunlight.  The leaders finally had to put a stop to all of the picture taking or we would have probably still been out there! Never had the word “Chalo” been such a welcome sound.

A thank you ceremony ended the day (and the camp) with the US team, Pastor Samuel, Pastor Pauls, and Sanjay being appreciated for the teaching sessions.  All of the pastors and leaders also got a great big round of applause from the attendees.  The sadness of the the afternoon had officially begun.  It was time to eat lunch, pack up, and start heading out.  Many of the women were in tears and it was obvious that many lives were touched and many new friendships had developed.  This was also the time to say goodbye to Pastor Samuel as we are heading to Mumbai and he is headed back to Latur.  He has been such an awesome presence in the past 10 days that it was quite sad to say goodbye.  He honored and blessed us both with his hospitality, but also with his preaching and fellowship.  What a man of God.

The youths from the Mumbai areas were on the same train so the 3 hour ride was made a bit more enjoyable as we continued in fellowship with them.  The main disappointment was that the ride took place after dark and we did not get to see the countryside between Pune and Mumbai which is reported to be quite pretty and includes stunning views of some valleys.  I guess there is always next time!

With much gladness, we arrived at the Tunga and were greeted with soft beds, plushy pillows, no buggy-friends, and more of the amenities that weary travelers look forward to.  It was time to get some rest because the next day’s plans included a shopping trip at the Andheri market guided by Caruna and Sharon.  Guess those empty bags we were so proud to declare after VBS will get filled up after all!

We have now completed two long weeks fruitfully working for the Lord, first by ministering to the children in Latur, and then by ministering to the youth in Pune who hail from all over Western India.  In the process we have been blessed ourselves and have individually grown in ways that we had not expected.  From the bottom of our hearts, we praise the Father and thank Him for each and every person we have come in to contact with and for the love and friendship that resulted.  What a beautiful gift we have been given.

Traditional Day

Day 3 at the Youth Camp is upon us and it is traditional day.  All of the girls are in Punjabis or Sarees.  Not a T-shirt or jeans to be found among them.  What a beautiful group of God’s princesses!  The boys have traded their T-shirts for nice button down shirts, but several are wearing the traditional long shirts.  There are even a few in Loongi, which is basically an ankle length skirt. They all have ‘cleaned up quite nicely’  The message this morning was encouraging the youth to try to discern God’s will for their lives.  Instead of just being along for the ride, they need to be the navigator and the driver.  Pastor E challenged them to know that God wants them to be in control of their thoughts and their actions.  God has given us many good things, but that Satan can derail us by offering a shortcut to those things.  And when we take that shortcut, we turn God’s gifts into sin.  This is similar to giving a gift of a beautiful plant to someone with the intent of it being a source of beauty and joy for them, only to find out a few months later that it is brown and wilted because they felt they didn’t have the time or energy to simply water it each day.  Or worse, they just completely forgot!  I can only imagine the hurt in God’s heart when we trash the gifts he has given to us. 

At the end of the session, Pastor Samuel lead us in prayer and invited those youth who felt compelled to devote themselves to doing more in the ministry to come forward.  There were about 30 men and 15 women who came forward.  They publicly showed their desire to do more for God, whether it was a plan to enter the seminary, become a leader in some aspect in the church’s back home, or to deliberately share the good news and minister to those in their lives.  It was inspiring to see so many who are willing to take this step, especially the women.  Being a woman in India is not easy, even in these contemporary times. But being an openly Christian woman in India is even more challenging.  However, with God on their side, there is nothing that they can not accomplish for His glory.

Another round of cricket and volleyball were the afternoon activities for the men.  The women were happy to chat in groups, take pictures, and cheer on the games.  After the cricket game, several women did try their hand at batting.  It was an entertaining few moments for all, but the girls “held their own”.  The evening session was given by Pastor Shirish and he talked about evangelism.  We found out that the first Christian missionary came to India in 1885, however, the gospel had been taken to India originally back in biblical times.  In the 2000 years since, Christianity represents only 6.7% of the country’s 1.2 billion people.  If the message is spread at the same rate, the percentage will be about 13% after another 2000 years.  This is unacceptable.  He led an exercise where everybody up front had to go find someone from the crowd to bring up front.  It started with just him.  He went and got 1, and thus there were 2.  Those 2 then each went and got 1, and now there were 4.  This continued until everybody in the audience was up front.  It took 9 turns to get everybody up front.  He then told us that if this exercise were performed 33 times, the number would be 1.2 billion.  He encouraged everybody to reach just 1, and then to encourage that 1 to reach another 1.  One of the interesting things I found during the exercise was the competition to be able to get someone once there were more up front than left in the audience.  I was able to snag a young lady right before someone else grabbed her hand and I exclaimed, “Yea! I got one!”  Two guys gave me high fives as we flowed past them toward the front.  I noticed similar reactions to others who got one, and expressions of “darn” for those who didn’t get there fast enough.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if that was our attitude towards inviting someone to church?  To be able to feel the urgency to get out there quickly and snag one of the lonely.  And what a feeling of satisfaction to know that you got 1?  Do this and you get to high five Jesus on your way to church and He’ll be exclaiming in a joyful voice, “Yes! You got 1!”

#10 holds a significant meaning in the world of soccer.  Pele wore this number and many other great players have also worn this number in honor of him and to let everybody know that they are the best.  On many teams today, you’ll find that players consider it an honor to wear this number.  You may even hear this question being asked.. “Who is your number 10?”  This means they want to know who is your best player.

So let me ask you this? 

Who is your number 1?

And who is the 1 that you want to bring to Him?