I feel much better...

But now I am alone. The teams that have been here for the past three weeks have boarded their planes. Dr. Thom is still in D.C. So who is left, you ask? Linda, Thom’s wife, their live-in housekeeper Kheem, and me. When idealizing how my time in India would pass, this interlude surprisingly never came to mind. Needless to say, I was disappointed when I realized that I would have about 5 days without any of the friends I have made these past two weeks I have been here and without the mentor I traveled half-way across the world to learn from.

But God is faithful. This week has been somewhat testing and discouraging with the absence of Thom, the wrapping up of all the other team’s activities and their debreifing, and my getting sick. It was definitely a change of tempo. Moreover, with the conditions of the upcoming week being as I described above, it should prove to be much more mellow. On the contrary, I am very excited about the week to come.

I told you a few blogs ago about a 24 year old Aussie I met named Clifton Shipway. Well, let me tell you a little bit more. He was born and raised in Tasmania, but made frequent trips to Northern India to visit the orphanage his grandpa opened in the 40s. His mother became his grandfather’s partner, but when he died Clifton became his mother’s partner. So short story – long, he and his mother run an orphanage in East Delhi, along the border of Nepal with, according to him and the pictures I have seen, the Jungle and the Himalayas in his backyard.

He made a trip to Delhi about 10 days ago and stopped at our place for dinner. Him and I got to talking, and the next day a few of us went with him to the market to get a few things. We got along pretty well, and when I mentioned that I would be here with little to do for a few days, he seemed pretty excited about the idea of me checking out the orphanage.

I take a bus that leaves at between 8 and 10 PM and will arrive between 7 and 10 AM the next morning (how’s that for Indian time?). Please keep me in your prayers for safety and health. I hope to deliver a great report to you when I return!

A theme that has been recurring throughout this trip is the idea of God going before you, setting up and preparing events and circumstances before you ever arrive. I think this is a perfect example of God’s faithfulness in that respect. He is a personal God who was well aware of my disappointment regarding the situation that faced me this upcoming week. And he is a sovereign God who, I believe, ordained this opportunity before I ever conceived its possibility. It is incredible to see the infinite power and the personal sensitivity of God highlighted in a single situation. How much more incredible is it that I am privileged to call a God with such favorable attributes my Lord! He is good.

If you want to see where I will be this week check out the orphanage’s website listed below.

http://www.indianorphanage.com/

Also- Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for your emails and comments the past couple days!! Hearing that you are praying for me to feel better and how you have called others to pray for God's work here in India has been more encouraging than you will ever know! God is so good to put people like you in my life.

Top 10

I want to be sensitive to the needs to the multitudes who check this blog daily. So while I am still recovering from being sick, I want to give you some links that will give you some insight into life here in Delhi.

One ranks New Delhi in the top 10 places to live. That is, top 10 worst places to live. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2299119.stm

And the other will shed a little light on the first.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67483/page/1

Enjoy, and you will hear from me sooner than later.

Delhi Belly

I finally got sick. I woke up this morning and was pretty miserable. I will spare you of the details, but I am beginning to feel a little better. It was bound to happen. Basically everyone here has gotten sick at one point throughout their stay, and each time I have been quick to point out my supposed immunity. So much for that. I think I just need a good night’s rest. So, this update will be short and hopefully sweet.

 

There is a group of students that have been here since I first arrived, but they are leaving on Monday so everyone went souvenir shopping today. I stayed home. Good decision.

 

Tonight I went to a birthday party of one of Thom and Linda’s friend. I have never been to a birthday party like the one tonight. It consisted of worship, prayer, and eating. Pretty cool if you ask me.

 

Last night was a great night. We had a rooftop worship service in the middle of Delhi and heard two amazing testimonies of a married missionary couple that live here. One is from America and the other was born in New Delhi. They have been married for a couple months. It was an arranged marriage, too. They both had incredible and challenging stories that I hope to share with you soon.

 

Aside from being sick, everything is great. I am hoping that I will wake up feeling a lot better so I can give you guys a something a little better than this to read.

 

Children

“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” – Matthew 18:3

Is it any surprise that Jesus Christ desires His people to become like the little ones? To them He has revealed things that the wise will never comprehend (Matthew 11:25).

One cannot escape the presence of a child. Had I had some forethought, or merely had formed this blog prior to this trip, I am positive this topic would have already been discussed. However, my estimation is that this is a topic that, provided extensive attention, would withstand exhaustion. That is because through becoming like a child, even to become born again, is a direct objective from our Savior.

So, as you may have gathered I have spent some time with children today. Your assumption is true, but if you have been following this blog at all you will know that a considerable amount of my time has been devoted to children.

Linda, Dr. Thom’s wife, is very connected to many schools, churches and families in Delhi, and through her various connections we have been able to make quite a few connections throughout my stay. My interactions with these children has lead me to the conclusion that while these are easily the poorest, least privileged group of individuals I have ever encountered, the children themselves are comparable to any other on this planet.

This is why I believe Jesus Christ draws from the little ones to illustrate the possession of His eternal promise. All people can relate to the nature of a child. A child, regardless of context (Delhi, Nairobi, College Station, or McAllen) shares in the same nature. I believe for most of you, I am not telling you anything original, just merely reinventing the wheel. But I do believe, this is a wheel worth making again, because this is a principal God’s children must continually be reminded to learn and apply to their own life.

At a school I visited last week full of orphaned girls, I saw a few aspects of deprivation. That is, the school was full of children that lacked the privilege of parents. They also lacked the comfort of their own living quarters, sharing narrow hallway-like rooms “accommodating” close to 30 girls in each room. As far as the school is concerned, it is hardly worth any praise at all. The school, built in 1927, once flourished with over 500 children and a full staff is now struggling to have over 100 girls and hardly any willing teachers. The land, once providing food and income is now barren. If one word were to properly define this school and its situation, I would choose “deprived.”

However, the tide is about to change for this school. The reason for our visit is a connection Linda had with a woman named Elka. I have mentioned her in a previous blog, and I plan on devoting some time to her story the future, for it is well deserving. She has a reputation of conquering situations such as these, providing and executing vision for in a situation where it is lacking (Proverbs 29:18)

So, I have stated my case as far as the deprivation of these girls is concerned. Yet upon our arrival, we were greeted with a 2-hour program in which they sang, danced, and prayed with us.

I would like to focus a bit on their worship. I experienced great blessing and great conviction by and through this. These girls loved to sing to the Lord. They could sing for hours, and on one occasion did, with incredible enthusiasm and energy. As I grew tired of standing and singing, I also became embarrassed at my lack of discipline and joy compared to these children. Even when permission was granted to sit while singing, after a few minutes the youngest of the girls stood up and began dancing in her own language as she continued to praise. There was no air-conditioning, so sleeping on the roof was by far best option for us that night. The only drawback: being woken up at 6 AM by these girls beginning their morning worship session. Incredible.

I must admit, it was in the praying that I was most moved. In these situations I tend to pray with my eyes open. I looked across the room and saw a room full of Indian girls, most no older than 8, with their hands clasped and eyes closed, learning what it looks like to seek God through prayer. Every time we met together, prayer was the first and last thing that occurred, and often prayer was placed within activities as well. And each time the same scene occurred, a complete stillness before the Lord. Again, it is the memory of the youngest of these children that causes my eyes to tear as I type these words. I saw her clasped hands rest gently on the brim of her mouth, and her eyes were gently closed. I have seen many nice things, but this was truly an object of beauty. 

You may be skeptical, proposing that these children are merely objects of strict training and discipline. If that is the case, praise the Lord! If only every child were trained in such things, learning from an early age how to pray and being exposed to the most intimate means God has given his children to seek him by.

Today, I was surrounded by children again. This time, the context was the slums of Delhi. When I look back at the first instance my heart was truly broken here, I will remember a scene I saw today. Although it involves a child, it is not overtly pertinent to the topic of this blog. So I will expand later, as it deals with the circumstance and issue of poverty in India, an issue I wish to discuss in more detail in the future. But what I want to focus on briefly are three lessons I learned today from these children: desire, teachability, and necessity.

There were a several boys who vied for my attention. At one point, they were actually wrestling in order to sit closest to me. Flattering, I know. What is more, we tried to leave the school a couple of times before we were successful because the children begged us to stay. Noticing this desire for our presence and proximity, is it any wonder that Jesus would insist that his followers become like little children?

The children kept asking for us to teach them. Anything. Songs, stories, dances, skits, our testimonies: they named it, and we taught it. And when we instructed, they listened. Where we told stories and our personal testimonies they listened intently, absorbing. I might add that these children’s English was limited, so there was an interpreter present to insure their understanding. Where we sang and danced, they imitated until they were able to do them on their own. Again, what an incredible eagerness and excitement that should be mirrored in a relationship with Christ!

Finally, I saw the necessity of a child today. As one child rushed over to me to grab my hand in order that I could help him with the craft he was making, I was reminded of my own inability. He could not tie a knot. And it is with the simplest facets of life that I am reminded of the dire necessity for Christ.  These children not only needed, but starved for love and attention. Apart from emotional and spiritual need, these children felt necessity in the most basic of ways: food, clothing, and shelter. Need was abundant today, and I will continue to notice its abundance throughout my stay here in India. There is no shortage of need and dependence when it comes to children, and neither is there with God’s children.

History on a Page

Tonight we had another lecture session with Dr. Thom. In short, it was one of the most profound learning experiences of my entire existence.

 

After that, everyone started to go about their business and eventually headed to bed. Instead of following suit, another student here named Aaron and I continued the lecture in the form of conversation with Dr. Thom. It is now 1:30 in the morning, and I am high from the adrenaline rush that stemmed from the dialogue. On top of that, about half an hour was spent outside on his balcony watching perhaps the most incredible series of lightning bolts I have seen.

 

As Dr. Thom would say, Jesus is The Man.

Church

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:12-13

 

I have been debating what I want to write about today. I have been out of town for 2 days visiting a school about four hours away. This was quite an experience, through which I learned quite a bit. When I got back in town I met a 24-year-old man name Clifton who is co-directing, with his mother, an orphanage on the border between Nepal and India in the Himalayas that his grandfather opened sometime in the 1940’s. He came in town to get a few things for his orphanage and wanted some company so I went out with him.

 

But what I want to talk about is the universatility of human experience. That is, the power of a personal testimony in any given venue or context and the situation through which many of these situations occur, at least in my own personal experience.

 

Today is Sunday, and I was able to go to a Christian church this morning. The characteristics that define Christian worship in India are an extremely peculiar and fascinating thing. Something I could write another blog entry on, and may in the future. In all, the service lasted close to 2 and a half hours. And when the majority of the service is in a foreign tongue (although the sermon was translated), the ability to keep focus, much less interest, quickly fades. Above that, the service was held in a small underground room with no air conditioning so that there was no circulation of fresh air. However, this may have been an advantage considering access to fresh air meant access to 100-degree weather. So, which of these was lesser evil is another debate for another blog entry. I realize, I may be sounding long-winded at this point, but the reason for the details is to highlight, and hopefully move you to sympathize, my desire to return to my Delhi home furnished with couches, air conditioning, and plenty of English. 

 

So when I heard there was a fellowship following the service, it would be an understatement to say I was disappointed. Isn’t it interesting that these are the moments through which God so often chooses to use his people? At least this is my experience. When I am tired, hot and sweaty, hungry, and inwardly upset the pastor of the church for his extreme hospitality God chooses to bring opportunities for ministry and His glory.

 

One of the leaders of a team here named Joe sat next to me, and next to him an Indian woman named Amarjit. Joe is fluent in Hindi, and immediately started speaking to this woman. It turns out though, that this woman was fluent in English and insisted in speaking in our native language. With that, I was engaged in the conversation, at this point unwillingly. She had told us about how she had come to know Christ, the nature of being a Christian in a Hindu society,  and the effects it has had on their life, along her struggle with cancer. She was well acquainted with persecution and hardship. As the conversation was coming to an end, or so we thought, we told her we would be praying for her. Her reply, “No, no my family here does not need prayer. We all are Christians. My daughter Rajita, who is living in Dallas, she is not a Christian and she too has cancer.” She told us some details of her daughter’s situation and of her struggle, in which Joe replied empathizing with her because he has a brother who does not know Jesus. These two talked for quite some time exchanging details of each one of their stories and hopes. While this was occurring, I kept thinking to myself that I had a similar story of my own, but mine had a distinct difference: my story was complete, and it had ended with an answered and fulfilled hope.

 

This is the story of my grandfather, who passed away less than a month ago. Upon hearing of his cancer, about two months before his death, I was deeply moved. Moved by the power and inconsideration of death on all men, yes. But mostly on the undeniable sorrow when this is coupled with a man who had not internalized the unspeakable power and victory of faith in the grace of Jesus Christ. I told them that when I heard of Grandpa Jimmy’s cancer and my complete lack of assurance of his fate upon his eventual death, I was broken and at a loss of what my role, if any, in this situation should be. I decided to do the only thing I could do, go to God. I decided to fast and pray every Tuesday for his salvation. This was something done in secret, kept personal between God and me. I had never done anything like this before either, so I did not know what to expect.

 

I called my parents on Tuesday, April 15^th and was told that my grandpa had accepted Jesus Christ. This was the last Tuesday my grandpa was alive. When I got off the phone, my eyes were filled with tears, and my heart was moved in a profound way. God is incredibly faithful when His people pray. God inclined and heard my cry, answering with faithfulness and graciousness I will never grasp, nor could I ever express proper gratitude for. What a limited sacrifice for such an incredible and immediate answer!

 

When I was done telling this to the woman and Joe, I looked into the woman’s pained eyes and she expressed her deep gratitude for my story. I could see that she was close to brokenness at this point, as she praised God for the outcome of my story. She asked if I would pray for Rajita, her daughter. I affirmed her request, but went further, asking if we could start at that very moment. So in the middle of this fellowship, Joe, Amarjit and I bowed our heads and closed our eyes seeking God’s faithfulness in yet another hopeless situation. I could hear the woman’s earnestness and pain in the way she quietly affirmed the prayer. As I said amen, I looked up into the same eyes as earlier, filled with brokenness, yet containing thankfulness. Joe was not as strong, he put his arm around me and with tears in his eyes exhorted, telling me that I must tell this story as often as possible. That it is a story people need to hear.

 

So forgive me for taking up so much space, but I agree with Joe. 

Making Friends is Easy

Today, 60 children under the age of 10 came to the house I am staying at and we took them to a park in Delhi.I kept thinking how ridiculous it was that all these children were in one living room. I laughed thinking about this occurring in my own home – Sylvia would flip!!

(Before I go on let me say this: Being American in a foreign country is extremely advantageous. Indians are drawn to Americans. I just know how to take advantage of their interest.)

The park was full of Kodak moments. Lots of holding hands with children, pushing them on swings, see-sawing with them, etc. While this was great, the greatest part of my day occurred when one of the children’s older brother (18 years old) called me over to him. We started to talking and after a while he started opening up to me the problems of his country and of his life. He also revealed that he was Hindu. He wanted nothing more than to escape the world he was currently living in. He shared that he fantasized about life in Australia or London. Shortly thereafter, his friends joined us and the 5 of us hung out talking for the next 3 hours. They begged to buy me a bracelet with my name on it so that I would never forget them. I never will.

On a different note, our taxi cab driver was hit by motorcycle today. He was crossing the street, on his cell phone, not paying attention to the traffic, and suddenly I heard a horn and looked up to see the motorcycle hit the man and his body immediately thrown upwards and upside-down. Welcome to India.

Learning

The reason I have travelled to India is not for India. 

I have come here to study under and learn from Dr. Thom Wolf. He just happens to be in India. Yesterday, I had a three hour session with Him studying 5 verses of scripture. Incredible. This is why I am here. This is why I am excited to be here.

First Taste of Hinduism (among many other things)

5/13

And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words Matthew 6:7

Good news: I have much to report

Bad news: I do not have much energy to actually report.

 

My first full day in India was full. Much happened. The most striking part of the day was my visit to the Hanuman, the oldest Hindu temple in New Delhi. This visit stands, and is likely to remain, among the most bizarre experiences of my life. I have seen nothing like this before today.

            In the American Judeo-Christian mindset there is little tangibility to the idea of idol worship. That is, when we speak of this sin, it largely in respect to values like status, success, popularity, etc. There is also an association of idol worship to the material objects that represent these values (ie: money, cars, relationships). But today I saw thousands following a true pagan religion bowing, prostrating, sacrificing to, and kissing actual man-made gods.

            Thousands of people crowded this one temple, each vying for their opportunity to worship the various gods in the area. As they approached, they muttered the same prayers, one after the other. Getting closer, these devoted followers kissed the steps and walls leading to the gods before finally prostrating themselves before the god. After this, they approached the god’s resting place and presented their food offering to the gods. This is the manifestation of what Paul describes in as "food sacrificed to idols" (1 Corinthians 8). Upon this they rang countless gongs hanging from the ceiling, creating a competitive harmony to the noisy mutterings of the worshippers. What a sight: to see such devotion, yet such emptiness.

            My response? Disturbance, sadness, and conviction. This was easily one of the darkest situations I had ever encountered. To not only witness, but to be immersed in such worship is hard on the soul. To look into the “eyes” of these gods, felt as if I was truly staring the Enemy in the face. This temple did not feel empty, void of a supernatural presence. I felt a tremendous presence within those walls. However, it shared no qualities with the presence of the God that I worship.

            Why conviction? Hinduism, along with the overall culture and dynamic of India, is full of confusion, hopelessness, and subjection. Ultimately, however, the follower is just that: a follower. I did not understand the gravity of this particular concept until this experience. Observing the devotion of these people, however misplaced, was like looking at myself in a mirror, noticing the devotion lacking in my own relationship with Jesus Christ, the ultimate source of clarity, hope, and love. 

            I have come to the conclusion that every man is born with not only the innate desire, but need to worship. What I saw today for thirty minutes occurs every day, all day. What I saw today was ritualistic, and the lack of sincerity was obvious, as the thousands hurried in and out of the temple in order to quickly get on with their life. Nonetheless, every day every person feels the need to worship. The hope lies in the question: What would follow if they accepted Truth?

This is a short list of more I have to talk about. Please ask me in the future about these, I would love to tell the stories, just not tonight.

- encountering a leper

-Sikhism, its contrast to its neighbors, and close proximity with Truth

-India Gate

Indians are the Best Drivers

5/12

            I lied to my parents tonight. After a 14-hour flight from Newark to New Delhi I called them and one of the first questions they asked was “Is someone there to get you?” Naturally I replied in the affirmative. In actuality, there had been a miscommunication with my hosts, leaving me to fend for myself at the airport. So there I was alone, much less a foreigner, standing in front of the Delhi Airport flagging down a taxi to take me to my destination. Immediately I was bombarded by five or six taxi drivers. One issue: they only knew enough English to ask “Taxi?” And I only had a piece of paper with an address on it. I could only hope for the best.

            One hour later, I arrived at my destination. Driving in India proved to be one of the most interesting experiences of my life. The stripes painted on the asphalt served no purpose except decoration. The street signs and lights were mere suggestions. The majority of the ride I could have touched the cars on either side of me. Let me briefly explain why I believe that Indians are the best drivers in the world. Although there was one incident where we slightly bumped into and scraped a car next to us; my driver, along with every other driver, had complete control over his own vehicle. It was very much like a roller coaster: all thrill but I knew (or hoped) my destination was in view.

 

This was my first hour in India.