hey guys, we're back! jasmine, autumn, and our families met us at the airport (minus my mom who had to leave for a convention in atl), and then we ate at longhorns
thank you all again so much for your prayers and support.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
coming home
hey guys, thank you all so much for sticking with us all this time and praying for us. we're back in chennai now, our flight leaves just before 2 in the morning tonight, so then we'll begin our 24 hr journey back home. we're getting back at about 4 in the afternoon from frankfurt on lufthansa tomorrow, so please be praying for safe travel, or meet us there (parents, please feel free to meet us there?).
the last few days have been way intense. we traveled 8 hrs by bus one day way out to another district, and held a "street good news (i would use another word, but security)" meeting late into the night. that was awesome. after journeying back, we walked a few km to another village near chirala, even farther out from where we were staying in the heat of day with little water. it was intense ministering there, the heat is ridiculous here. traveling to chennai was cool, we shared some good spiritual conversation with a guy named vishnu, who helped us get around chennai to our hotel. he was really cool. it was really sad though, because he told us all about how pretty much all indians think americans are like euro trip and american from age 14 onward, and that everyone in the country is Christian, and they're synonymous. its interesting how the media works.
we took it easy today, bought some stuff, ate some stuff, saw a movie (the happening... wouldn't recommend it, we didn't have any choice). and now we're coming home. looking forward to seeing you all, sooner or later. love you all,
mike and eric
the last few days have been way intense. we traveled 8 hrs by bus one day way out to another district, and held a "street good news (i would use another word, but security)" meeting late into the night. that was awesome. after journeying back, we walked a few km to another village near chirala, even farther out from where we were staying in the heat of day with little water. it was intense ministering there, the heat is ridiculous here. traveling to chennai was cool, we shared some good spiritual conversation with a guy named vishnu, who helped us get around chennai to our hotel. he was really cool. it was really sad though, because he told us all about how pretty much all indians think americans are like euro trip and american from age 14 onward, and that everyone in the country is Christian, and they're synonymous. its interesting how the media works.
we took it easy today, bought some stuff, ate some stuff, saw a movie (the happening... wouldn't recommend it, we didn't have any choice). and now we're coming home. looking forward to seeing you all, sooner or later. love you all,
mike and eric
Thursday, June 19, 2008
back in hyderabad
okay, so that wasn't the last post, but this probably will be until we get back to chennai on the 26th. we're back in hyderabad today, got back last night. this is the capital city in the state, so to head to another district/region, we had to come back here. we'll be heading to the coast tonight, and moving from a city over there, we'll be going out to villages for the next 4 days. heres a little recap of whats been going on
we've been to a few of the biggest churches in asia minor, which has been really cool. some of them seem like different ministries are going really well, while other seem to have fallen almost into another form worshipping idols.
6/11 - traveled from hyderabad to dornakal, a small town in the warangal region. very nice peaceful place. saw site of future school (both grade school and ministry school). met many pastors. spent a day or two just going to different villages to spread the Word, visiting families and encouraging, and such. one day we took an autorikshaw, and the two drivers were gypsies, and they wanted us to come visit their village up north. we ran out of time, so anand and kiran will visit them after we leave. we also met some guys on the train ride up, with some interest, especially after J healed one of their really bad back pains right there on the train.
we had a monkey run into the house and steal a bonda (breakfast food) one morning
got to stand on the tailgate of the autorickshaw when we went from village to village, very windy ride. saw a cobra cross the road
6/14 - went to a small town called atkur, 30 min outside of a small city vijayawada. most buildings are huts, this is a small village like many that we visited, but this time we stayed there 2 nights. taught the kids, sang songs with them. eric gave the message Sunday morning when we dedicated (ribbon cutting etc) the new church building (which was 15 ft by 8 ft or so, a metal roof, and walls made of sewn together rice sacks and palm branches). one family took the door off their own house so that it could have one. a lot of the village turned out for the opening, so we got to share.
6/17 - dedicated a new kindergarten in a village with no schools, set up by anand's ministry. lots of kids from village came. its crazy how many people flock when they see white people and esp when we play a little guitar. brian, the reese's pb you gave me before you left was a huge blessing to pastor kiran, he absolutely loves the stuff, though he hates grant's tuna. eric and i made pb &j sandwiches for lunch for everybody that day with mixed fruit jelly (delicious). they were not the biggest fans, so they made some rice and curry like an hr later. everyone tries to feed us so much.
lots going on, i haven't even tried to cover all of it, especially my thoughts and all the Lord is teaching me, and i think eric would agree. just be praying for us though, this is going to be the most extreme part of the trip as we look to be sleeping outside, monsoon season is about to start, and these villages are going to be just like the ones we've been going to except we'll be going to a lot more random people. to whom much is given much is also expected. we're very blessed to be here, and we look forward to seeing you all very soon. but we're also having a blast here, and doing what we came to do. so life is good
peace
mike and eric
we've been to a few of the biggest churches in asia minor, which has been really cool. some of them seem like different ministries are going really well, while other seem to have fallen almost into another form worshipping idols.
6/11 - traveled from hyderabad to dornakal, a small town in the warangal region. very nice peaceful place. saw site of future school (both grade school and ministry school). met many pastors. spent a day or two just going to different villages to spread the Word, visiting families and encouraging, and such. one day we took an autorikshaw, and the two drivers were gypsies, and they wanted us to come visit their village up north. we ran out of time, so anand and kiran will visit them after we leave. we also met some guys on the train ride up, with some interest, especially after J healed one of their really bad back pains right there on the train.
we had a monkey run into the house and steal a bonda (breakfast food) one morning
got to stand on the tailgate of the autorickshaw when we went from village to village, very windy ride. saw a cobra cross the road
6/14 - went to a small town called atkur, 30 min outside of a small city vijayawada. most buildings are huts, this is a small village like many that we visited, but this time we stayed there 2 nights. taught the kids, sang songs with them. eric gave the message Sunday morning when we dedicated (ribbon cutting etc) the new church building (which was 15 ft by 8 ft or so, a metal roof, and walls made of sewn together rice sacks and palm branches). one family took the door off their own house so that it could have one. a lot of the village turned out for the opening, so we got to share.
6/17 - dedicated a new kindergarten in a village with no schools, set up by anand's ministry. lots of kids from village came. its crazy how many people flock when they see white people and esp when we play a little guitar. brian, the reese's pb you gave me before you left was a huge blessing to pastor kiran, he absolutely loves the stuff, though he hates grant's tuna. eric and i made pb &j sandwiches for lunch for everybody that day with mixed fruit jelly (delicious). they were not the biggest fans, so they made some rice and curry like an hr later. everyone tries to feed us so much.
lots going on, i haven't even tried to cover all of it, especially my thoughts and all the Lord is teaching me, and i think eric would agree. just be praying for us though, this is going to be the most extreme part of the trip as we look to be sleeping outside, monsoon season is about to start, and these villages are going to be just like the ones we've been going to except we'll be going to a lot more random people. to whom much is given much is also expected. we're very blessed to be here, and we look forward to seeing you all very soon. but we're also having a blast here, and doing what we came to do. so life is good
peace
mike and eric
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
village time
last post for real. we head to the villages tomorrow. we bought a guitar and so i've been leading a little worship, which has been a nice reminder of home. pray that we don't look too far ahead/get homesick. we have a team of 6. and we'll be going around on 2 motorcycles. pray about that. and that the Lord will lead us
much love in J,
mike and eric
much love in J,
mike and eric
Sunday, June 8, 2008
hyderabad and onward
hey guys, been a while since the last update, and this will probably be the last update before maybe one on the 25th or 26th before we head back on the 27th. we're about to head to villages pretty soon here. we made it safely to hyderabad after our 30 hr train ride on 6/4 and 6/5. we stayed in a pretty nice hotel (relative standards) that first night and the 6th as well. we've been going around visiting families, encouraging and praying, and it has been really good.
there was a strike organized by one party of the government the 6th and so we were limited in what we could do then. the strike was against inflation and raising gas prices, so we were not in any danger, though the political climate is definitely far more unstable here, so be praying for that
6/7 we got to go to baptist church hyderabad, one of the biggest in asia, and met with the pastor there. we prayed for each other. they were very encouraging and have an awesome thing going on. last night we slept on the roof of this apartment building. it was awesome, and so breezy (first time i've felt cold here)
6/8 we went to a really small service this morning; we met in about a 12 x 15 foot shop room rented out, and there was about 20 people there. it was really cool to see them just making it how they could. we got to share our story and give the message. we're leaving soon, and won't have internet, so if this is the last post until we get back on the 27th (4pm from frankfurt on lufthansa, if you want to be there - reminder to parents, but we'd love to see anyone else famliar), continue to pray for our protection and mission
much love,
mike and eric
there was a strike organized by one party of the government the 6th and so we were limited in what we could do then. the strike was against inflation and raising gas prices, so we were not in any danger, though the political climate is definitely far more unstable here, so be praying for that
6/7 we got to go to baptist church hyderabad, one of the biggest in asia, and met with the pastor there. we prayed for each other. they were very encouraging and have an awesome thing going on. last night we slept on the roof of this apartment building. it was awesome, and so breezy (first time i've felt cold here)
6/8 we went to a really small service this morning; we met in about a 12 x 15 foot shop room rented out, and there was about 20 people there. it was really cool to see them just making it how they could. we got to share our story and give the message. we're leaving soon, and won't have internet, so if this is the last post until we get back on the 27th (4pm from frankfurt on lufthansa, if you want to be there - reminder to parents, but we'd love to see anyone else famliar), continue to pray for our protection and mission
much love,
mike and eric
Sunday, June 1, 2008
vacation? when did this become a vacation? i guess we could use some rest
6/1
Happy belated birthday to Dad and Patrick (you're a teenager now!). I’ve been meaning to write that, our time has been pretty short with communication though (as always). Madhu uncle (traditional in
5/31
Went on this tour down to the tip of
We’ve seen a lot of interesting things. There’s actually a bunch of Christian stuff around here, but its hard to tell how genuine. I’d hate to be pessimistic, but my eyes also tell me to be realistic, so we just pray that people know the truth and (if not the case) then it does become real to them. A lot of people seem to put His name on their rickshaws and vehicles, and there are statues and pictures set up in a lot of places, but those seem to be treated more like mere additions to a pantheon of all the idols and temples that line the streets, or sales gimmicks
Pray for:
Boldness – though we don’t want to cause any trouble here, we’ve had our chances
The people – openness to hear combined with a hunger for truth, a hunger for something more
Rest – despite plenty of time, I (mike) have not had the best sleep the past few nights
Preparation – we’ve been listening to some good teachings, and have been reading some good books (incl. the good book), and He is preparing us more and more daily
i love you all (i'm sure eric does too, he's going to write on this one of these days)
mike
Thursday, May 29, 2008
culture shock II
5/30 9:05 AM our time
thank you all so much for praying for us. He is doing awesome things. our tickets got upgraded to RAC tickets last night, so we had guaranteed spots on the train, but for the first hour of the ride it looked like we might be sharing a sleeper bunk. enough people didn't show up though, so we each got our own bunk at opposite ends of the train. which made for one of the best nights of sleep thus far. rest is good
the train ride was awesome yesterday as well. it took about 19 hrs in all, so we got a lot of reading done, listened to a teaching, and also spent some time in preparation for the final part of the trip. the indian countryside is incredibly beautiful; i took some pictures, but they do not do it justice. especially since i wasn't quick enough to get any pictures of going over the rivers. tons of jungle all around, felt like indiana jones, which we might even get to see this week. everything had adventure written all over it, it was tempting to jump from the moving train and see where i end up, find my way looking through the jungle. i wanted to go looking for mogli, sheer khan, and baloo. it was incredibly beautiful. i'll try to take better pictures when we head back up north, now that i know whereabouts most of the rivers are.
speaking of which, on a more serious note, we have confirmed train tickets for the journey back up north to hyderabad, so we won't have to worry about that like we did for the train here.
i think the prayer requests for here are:
for us to more acclimate and adapt to the culture, and to not offend our family here too much. we've already had several awkward moments, most of them caused by me (mike); eric's had a really good laugh with that. i think for God to prepare us for what is ahead, but for us to still fully live in the here and now is a good prayer. this should be a good week of rest, so that we would just be able to accept that and receive that is important, as to be consumed with busy-ness is just so programmed into us.
much love,
mike and eric
thank you all so much for praying for us. He is doing awesome things. our tickets got upgraded to RAC tickets last night, so we had guaranteed spots on the train, but for the first hour of the ride it looked like we might be sharing a sleeper bunk. enough people didn't show up though, so we each got our own bunk at opposite ends of the train. which made for one of the best nights of sleep thus far. rest is good
the train ride was awesome yesterday as well. it took about 19 hrs in all, so we got a lot of reading done, listened to a teaching, and also spent some time in preparation for the final part of the trip. the indian countryside is incredibly beautiful; i took some pictures, but they do not do it justice. especially since i wasn't quick enough to get any pictures of going over the rivers. tons of jungle all around, felt like indiana jones, which we might even get to see this week. everything had adventure written all over it, it was tempting to jump from the moving train and see where i end up, find my way looking through the jungle. i wanted to go looking for mogli, sheer khan, and baloo. it was incredibly beautiful. i'll try to take better pictures when we head back up north, now that i know whereabouts most of the rivers are.
speaking of which, on a more serious note, we have confirmed train tickets for the journey back up north to hyderabad, so we won't have to worry about that like we did for the train here.
i think the prayer requests for here are:
for us to more acclimate and adapt to the culture, and to not offend our family here too much. we've already had several awkward moments, most of them caused by me (mike); eric's had a really good laugh with that. i think for God to prepare us for what is ahead, but for us to still fully live in the here and now is a good prayer. this should be a good week of rest, so that we would just be able to accept that and receive that is important, as to be consumed with busy-ness is just so programmed into us.
much love,
mike and eric
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
southbound
5/28
hey everyone,
thank you all so much for sending your love and encouragement, it means a lot and is so good. last night we had our sending off and most of our uga family left. it was awesome, the kids did a bunch of dances for us, and we did one stomp clap song for them. it was a strange feeling. eric and i set out after lunch today. almost right away it started pouring, and we had to hike about a mile to catch a rickshaw. we got pretty wet from the sideways rain in the rickshaw as well. so now we're in downtown bangalore, and need continual prayer for the train tickets. we'll be on the train regardless, but if room doesn't open up in the sleeper cars (have fans as well), then we'll be crammed in the other section. and its about an 18 hr trip. nice and hot, can't really sleep, because stuff gets stolen. it'd be nice to sleep. and be a few degress cooler. thats the big prayer right now. also for the family (aneeth's) we'll be staying with. this will probably be a pretty fun week though, we're thinking we want to take them out to indiana jones if they're up for it and a nice dinner, and we'll get to experience yet another side of india
pray for:
safe travel for the group right now, both flying and driving. they're probably over western europe right now;
preparation for us;
the changing political winds in karnataka (this region) and its implications in religious issues;
and the whole family (they're about to start school again, and busy with lots of things)
if this is confusing/cryptic, i apologize, but i definitely cannot be specific, as you never really know who's listening/reading/onlooking. praise Him, for He is good at what He does, and so faithful
much love,
mike (writing) and eric
hey everyone,
thank you all so much for sending your love and encouragement, it means a lot and is so good. last night we had our sending off and most of our uga family left. it was awesome, the kids did a bunch of dances for us, and we did one stomp clap song for them. it was a strange feeling. eric and i set out after lunch today. almost right away it started pouring, and we had to hike about a mile to catch a rickshaw. we got pretty wet from the sideways rain in the rickshaw as well. so now we're in downtown bangalore, and need continual prayer for the train tickets. we'll be on the train regardless, but if room doesn't open up in the sleeper cars (have fans as well), then we'll be crammed in the other section. and its about an 18 hr trip. nice and hot, can't really sleep, because stuff gets stolen. it'd be nice to sleep. and be a few degress cooler. thats the big prayer right now. also for the family (aneeth's) we'll be staying with. this will probably be a pretty fun week though, we're thinking we want to take them out to indiana jones if they're up for it and a nice dinner, and we'll get to experience yet another side of india
pray for:
safe travel for the group right now, both flying and driving. they're probably over western europe right now;
preparation for us;
the changing political winds in karnataka (this region) and its implications in religious issues;
and the whole family (they're about to start school again, and busy with lots of things)
if this is confusing/cryptic, i apologize, but i definitely cannot be specific, as you never really know who's listening/reading/onlooking. praise Him, for He is good at what He does, and so faithful
much love,
mike (writing) and eric
Sunday, May 25, 2008
5/23
so life's good. vbs ends, and we talked about who we are in Christ. really good ending to a good week, talking about fruits of the Spirit with the kids, God's heart to heal, comfort, encourage. i feel like i've seen a lot of change in my kids over the week (mike talking, but i'm sure eric would agree with his group). kids are enjoying their last few weeks of summer before heading back to school. we're starting to realize this portion of the trip is nearing an end. a lot of the team is preparing for the return. i think we all want some american food, as T ma said we'd be going to a hard rock cafe (just opened in bangalore) monday night. probably going to see indiana jones as well. i know it sounds like we're really roughing it over here with all these movies and playing.
5/24
we had the official america vs india volleyball game today. it was so close but they beat us, 3 games to 2. it was 10 people vs 6 though, but we were bigger, so it was a really interesting matchup that came right down to the wire. did laundry today. i'm horrible at indian style laundry cleaning. my clothes don't look very clean. but they smell so much better. i'm thinking i should've brought another shirt or two, but we're going to buy some jupas when we get a chance (indian shirt). we had wrestlemania with the boys tonight. it was interesting: we played a game where there were heroes trying to rescue a baby doll being lowered from the ceiling into a fire (stool). apparently the idea is from the movie sky high, if anyone's heard of that. those kids are tough. it was a brawl, and boy was it fun. i expected this trip to be demanding, but not really from that specific physical standpoint. the kids are all really successful at what they do. they pretty much sweep everything academically and athletically for their school and entire area because of the way they're raised. and most of them are just as passionate for the Lord. praise God. you pretty much gotta see it to believe it.
5/25
went to a church in Tamil this morning. they translated the sermon for us, going back and forth between languages. their worship and the message was awesome. we got to lead some songs in english. it was amazing, but this shop is about to close. keep praying for our train tickets, that those work out, as well as for safe travel for everyone else back to the states
much love
grace and peace
<><
mike
so life's good. vbs ends, and we talked about who we are in Christ. really good ending to a good week, talking about fruits of the Spirit with the kids, God's heart to heal, comfort, encourage. i feel like i've seen a lot of change in my kids over the week (mike talking, but i'm sure eric would agree with his group). kids are enjoying their last few weeks of summer before heading back to school. we're starting to realize this portion of the trip is nearing an end. a lot of the team is preparing for the return. i think we all want some american food, as T ma said we'd be going to a hard rock cafe (just opened in bangalore) monday night. probably going to see indiana jones as well. i know it sounds like we're really roughing it over here with all these movies and playing.
5/24
we had the official america vs india volleyball game today. it was so close but they beat us, 3 games to 2. it was 10 people vs 6 though, but we were bigger, so it was a really interesting matchup that came right down to the wire. did laundry today. i'm horrible at indian style laundry cleaning. my clothes don't look very clean. but they smell so much better. i'm thinking i should've brought another shirt or two, but we're going to buy some jupas when we get a chance (indian shirt). we had wrestlemania with the boys tonight. it was interesting: we played a game where there were heroes trying to rescue a baby doll being lowered from the ceiling into a fire (stool). apparently the idea is from the movie sky high, if anyone's heard of that. those kids are tough. it was a brawl, and boy was it fun. i expected this trip to be demanding, but not really from that specific physical standpoint. the kids are all really successful at what they do. they pretty much sweep everything academically and athletically for their school and entire area because of the way they're raised. and most of them are just as passionate for the Lord. praise God. you pretty much gotta see it to believe it.
5/25
went to a church in Tamil this morning. they translated the sermon for us, going back and forth between languages. their worship and the message was awesome. we got to lead some songs in english. it was amazing, but this shop is about to close. keep praying for our train tickets, that those work out, as well as for safe travel for everyone else back to the states
much love
grace and peace
<><
mike
Thursday, May 22, 2008
more concise notes
by the way, food is off the chain here. soooo good. which is really good, because if that was bothering us, well, there's still well over a month to go.
5/20 VBS about faith this morning. sometimes its hard to get them to talk, but they're doing well i think. they're retaining head knowledge, so praying that that would be heart knowledge is good, and that it'd manifest into action.
5/21 rode the motorcylce today. and it was extra fun because indian traffic is crazy. we were weaving all over the place to get to the train station to get tickets. we're numbers 8 and 9 on the waiting list for thetickets we need, so please be praying that would work out. we won't find out until then pretty much. but apparently thats not bad on the waiting list and should happen.
5/22 today we have a lot of chill time, and time to go after the Lord for ourselves, which'll be really good with all the reading i want to do. we taught the kids on prophecy this morning, and i think it was very encouraging to them. tomorrow we'll be continuing and then moving on to healing. basically we're focusing on Holy Spirit empowerment, and Christlike character, particularly His heart for people, and how we've been changed and equipped to do as He did (John 14:12, Acts 1:8). the younger groups (eric has 11-12 yr olds) are focusing more on just the fruits. anyways, big things to be praying for: train tickets, God working in the kids, and transition as most of the team nears returning, and we head to another city. thats not for another 6 days, but its realistic that we won't be posting before then. much love from india,
mike and eric
5/20 VBS about faith this morning. sometimes its hard to get them to talk, but they're doing well i think. they're retaining head knowledge, so praying that that would be heart knowledge is good, and that it'd manifest into action.
5/21 rode the motorcylce today. and it was extra fun because indian traffic is crazy. we were weaving all over the place to get to the train station to get tickets. we're numbers 8 and 9 on the waiting list for thetickets we need, so please be praying that would work out. we won't find out until then pretty much. but apparently thats not bad on the waiting list and should happen.
5/22 today we have a lot of chill time, and time to go after the Lord for ourselves, which'll be really good with all the reading i want to do. we taught the kids on prophecy this morning, and i think it was very encouraging to them. tomorrow we'll be continuing and then moving on to healing. basically we're focusing on Holy Spirit empowerment, and Christlike character, particularly His heart for people, and how we've been changed and equipped to do as He did (John 14:12, Acts 1:8). the younger groups (eric has 11-12 yr olds) are focusing more on just the fruits. anyways, big things to be praying for: train tickets, God working in the kids, and transition as most of the team nears returning, and we head to another city. thats not for another 6 days, but its realistic that we won't be posting before then. much love from india,
mike and eric
next 3 days
hey guys, lots going on, and we've been farther away from the internet, so this will be a pretty concise summary.
5/17 got to the home at 6 in the morning. train ride through the night was cool, it was hectic at the station. we were all way on guard against theft, and worked up a good sweat carrying everything. the home is beautiful and the kids amazing.
5/18 went to the village to call home. kids have been talking lots of smack about volleyball and want to have a usa vs india game. fasting and prayer tonight, and we all wrote down things on paper that still ensnare us. kids are intense when they pray and worship, and God delivered a lot of people from different struggles tonight.
5/19 1st day of VBS: talked about love with the older guys, and it was very good. moving on to other fruits of the Spirit to come, probably also into spiritual gifts, which might better be called spiritual empowerments
5/17 got to the home at 6 in the morning. train ride through the night was cool, it was hectic at the station. we were all way on guard against theft, and worked up a good sweat carrying everything. the home is beautiful and the kids amazing.
5/18 went to the village to call home. kids have been talking lots of smack about volleyball and want to have a usa vs india game. fasting and prayer tonight, and we all wrote down things on paper that still ensnare us. kids are intense when they pray and worship, and God delivered a lot of people from different struggles tonight.
5/19 1st day of VBS: talked about love with the older guys, and it was very good. moving on to other fruits of the Spirit to come, probably also into spiritual gifts, which might better be called spiritual empowerments
Thursday, May 15, 2008
full day in india #2
today was another powerful day. we went to a women's home for the destitute and dying. many women there were very uplifting and optimistic, and encouraging to us. we sang praise songs with them, and some of them even began singing some in tamil. it was amazing having some so emotionally moved, as was the fact that we were communicating completely nonverbally. we were praising Jesus in different languages, and that was all that mattered. the nuns were very hospitable there, and it had a very bright atmosphere. we're going to another home for the destitute and dying tomorrow that is supposed to be far worse, and we'll also be heading to bangalore.
after lunch, we had part 2 of the amazing race, where they dropped us off at a mall and told us to get back to the hotel by rickshaw. we thought the competition was which team spent the least, but it was for whoever got the cheapest rickshaw, so teaming up with another team did not win it for us, though we ended up spending the least per person.
it has been an emotionally charged few days. God is teaching me not to carry burdens that are not mine to carry, and a lot of that has been lifted from me the past 24 hrs. a lesson i have learned before, yet must learn again and again it seems. the Lord has taught me so much more, but my time is short. please continue to pray for us as a team, to have His eyes and His heart, to continue to grow (it's been awesome) in team unity, safe travel, and whatever else the Lord puts on your hearts. much thanks, love
mike
after lunch, we had part 2 of the amazing race, where they dropped us off at a mall and told us to get back to the hotel by rickshaw. we thought the competition was which team spent the least, but it was for whoever got the cheapest rickshaw, so teaming up with another team did not win it for us, though we ended up spending the least per person.
it has been an emotionally charged few days. God is teaching me not to carry burdens that are not mine to carry, and a lot of that has been lifted from me the past 24 hrs. a lesson i have learned before, yet must learn again and again it seems. the Lord has taught me so much more, but my time is short. please continue to pray for us as a team, to have His eyes and His heart, to continue to grow (it's been awesome) in team unity, safe travel, and whatever else the Lord puts on your hearts. much thanks, love
mike
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
chennai
monday night we arrived in chennai, and even after midnight, it was crazy. people everywhere, i can't even imagine what that airport must be like during the day. the heat is intense, we go through several liters of water each every day. it feels like we've been here a lot longer than just a few days. i feel like i've forgotten that i'm a student, that seems so far away
tuesday we met everybody, and as our "orientation," we had a scavenger hunt planned. we had to go and buy different items in the streets (there are strett vendors everywhere), and work on negotiating the best prices. we met that meeting and compared, and it was hilarious when we found out how badly many of us got ripped off, even though the most anyone spent was equivalent to about 5 american dollars.
we visited the mother teresa children's home that evening. i'm having trouble describing that experience. the kids had different disabilities, and many were wailing, shaking, and cowering in corners. i think a lot of us just didn't know what to do, how to react, how to interact. i ended up making up a clapping game with one girl who was cowering in a corner. we would just clap each others hands, then our own, and repeat in a beat, eventually clapping our own two and then three times. she seemed to love it, and was slapping my hands with some strength by the end of it, where she had been doing so so weakly at first.
we went back to the home today, and the girl i was looking after wanted to go walking outside. she tried to eat dirt and leaves there, and so finally i got her to play with this ball for a long while. a lot of the kids just wanted to be held, or touched, or basically loved. it was very uplifting to see Jesus in others on the team. and even the kids. my initial reaction yesterday was wondering how God could be exalted in that place. i knew He could. i just didn't know what that would look like. but He was.
we don't know poverty. not the first thing. its different here. mud shanties line the streets in many places. we ate a meal for 11 people for about 14 dollars today. i'm realizing how much a lot of these things i will have to describe in person. or won't be able to at all.
mike
tuesday we met everybody, and as our "orientation," we had a scavenger hunt planned. we had to go and buy different items in the streets (there are strett vendors everywhere), and work on negotiating the best prices. we met that meeting and compared, and it was hilarious when we found out how badly many of us got ripped off, even though the most anyone spent was equivalent to about 5 american dollars.
we visited the mother teresa children's home that evening. i'm having trouble describing that experience. the kids had different disabilities, and many were wailing, shaking, and cowering in corners. i think a lot of us just didn't know what to do, how to react, how to interact. i ended up making up a clapping game with one girl who was cowering in a corner. we would just clap each others hands, then our own, and repeat in a beat, eventually clapping our own two and then three times. she seemed to love it, and was slapping my hands with some strength by the end of it, where she had been doing so so weakly at first.
we went back to the home today, and the girl i was looking after wanted to go walking outside. she tried to eat dirt and leaves there, and so finally i got her to play with this ball for a long while. a lot of the kids just wanted to be held, or touched, or basically loved. it was very uplifting to see Jesus in others on the team. and even the kids. my initial reaction yesterday was wondering how God could be exalted in that place. i knew He could. i just didn't know what that would look like. but He was.
we don't know poverty. not the first thing. its different here. mud shanties line the streets in many places. we ate a meal for 11 people for about 14 dollars today. i'm realizing how much a lot of these things i will have to describe in person. or won't be able to at all.
mike
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
bad news
anand, our contact in india for the final 2 weeks of the trip called today. a family of three that he knew committed suicide because of financial reasons. another girl named Kyoti was very badly burned when she attempted to do the same by lighting herself on fire; she is now in critical condition. these sort of events, as horrific as they sound, are common in india, and people are largely desensitized to hearing such accounts. anand is starting an anti-suicide program to counsel, comfort and help
pray for:
hope - that as bad as things get, people would trust and know that Jesus is bigger
relief - that God would provide people, financial help, and in ways we can't even imagine
God's glory - may not make sense, but that the Lordwould shine ever brighter through this darkness
pray for:
hope - that as bad as things get, people would trust and know that Jesus is bigger
relief - that God would provide people, financial help, and in ways we can't even imagine
God's glory - may not make sense, but that the Lordwould shine ever brighter through this darkness
Thursday, April 24, 2008
site construction
site is now up and running... though looking a little bare. there's been a lot of support coming in over the past few weeks. it's awesome that the Lord is using so many people to provide and encourage, so thank you all so much. much more to come, right now we're just concentrating on surviving school (it's going to be a crash landing), so stay tuned in. thank you all. grace and peace
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mike
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mike
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