Apologies for the lack of contact on behalf of Team Delhi. It's been a busy 2months since we arrived back in the UK from India. We obviously got home safely, spent a week at our homes then went back to the IMC to train for tour for a couple of weeks.
We started off our tour at Micah's church in Southampton and are finishing our 8th week on Thursday in Liverpool. From there we will head back to the IMC for our final couple of days there and our commissioning service which our families and friends are invited to come to. Its been an amazing journey that we have been on and there are so many stories that we have been able to share with those who we have been working alongside these past 8 weeks.
Although it has been a challenge at times we have all had a great time overall! God has been working through us all in different ways, please pray that we will continue to allow him to do this as we go onto our next things.
For Micah this will be a law degree at Southampton University whilst also doing Respite Work and helping look after his younger brother.
Tom is not sure yet what he will be doing, possibly something youth work related.
And Fiona is hoping to go to University to study Social Work, if not this year then next.
Thank you for all your prayers throughout our time both overseas and back here in the UK, it's been so encouraging knowing the support we have and they did make such a huge difference!
Love
Tom, Micah and Fiona
Team Delhi
13 February 2011
A New Perspective
It's a fact of life that things change over time. People, places, situations. What can also change is our perception of these things.
They say that first impressions are powerful things. When you meet someone for the first time, you judge them immediately in the first minute or so. But as you get to know them over time your perception and thoughts about the person change.
I'm writing this sat on the roof of the Anusaran Village School, looking out at an area I first saw in October. I wrote a blog on it, how I found it shocking, I may have even described it as a slum. Went into graphic detail about the state of the housing, the open sewers, animals roaming free.
These things are still present here, this place hasn't changed but my perspective on it has.
I'm looking out at the houses and buildings I said were in poor condition. I've come to realise that they are people's homes and they care greatly about them. Families aren't sitting inside thinking life couldn't be worse, they're living their lives like anyone else would.
I would look at the children playing in the street and the youth leader in me keeps thinking, “Is that safe? Are they safe?”. But now I'm playing with them, I'm there to make sure they are safe. As a spectator I couldn't do anything, but as a player I'm involved. Stopping the ball going into the filthy gutter, making sure they don't run onto a litter pile where they could get hurt. I used to think that this wasn't a good place to play, now I'm joining in. God helped me to jump in.
Looking at the children who come into the the school, I'd see their slightly scruffy clothes and beaten up pencil cases. The children wear these clothes because it's all they might have. They actually all take great pride in their appearance; brushed hair, bright teeth, clean nails. And the pencil cases are beaten up because they love to use them. I'm often suspicious of people who's books are in perfect condition. Have you really read that book?
The classrooms are still small and dark, the children still sit on the floor. But they love the opportunity to learn, and I'm loving the opportunity to teach. I've come to know my class so well. I used to think that they were unruly and disruptive, that was because I didn't understand them. They were just excited to be learning. Either my class has calmed down or my perception of them has changed.
I look at so many things here, and I don't see them with the same eyes. My perspective has changed.
When did that happen?
How did that happen?
It's because, over time being here, I've changed. I've been changed. For the better. I hope.
There were so many things I'd take for granted, things some people here couldn't dream of. I had never thought I cared so much about possessions, but I did. It's amazing how large the list of things we miss can be when we don't have them. But now I'm realising I'm extremely blessed, I've never really had to struggle in life. Not in the same way that people I've encountered here have.
In the church here, testimonies are shared every week, people sharing the good things that God has done for them in the week. On a couple of occasions someone may share how they were worried because there was no food in the home. There have been times when I've felt like there's not been any food at home, but that's never really the case. How often do we really thank God for our daily bread?
I've felt frustrated at the lack of variation in our meals at times. But I've come to learn that some people have even less choice or variation. Our supervisors feed us very well and I'm grateful. I won't be so quick to moan about a lack of choice at home again.
I can't really pinpoint the exact moment this change in me took place. God has worked gradually during my time here in Delhi. There wasn't a shining light, no road to Damascus event. I didn't wake up to find the God had changed my mind about everything here.
In October, I was thinking that I may struggle living and working in this environment, a location and situation so far removed from what I perceived to be home. If I had access to an electro-static time ball I would go back to October and tell my past self not to worry, that God provides all that you need. If you fully rely on him a change can take place. You may not notice it as it happens, but when you look back at your history, you'll see who you were and then fully realise who you've become, and then fully realise who God has made you into.
This process never ends, we are continuously growing, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Keep focussed on God. Learn from him to find out what path you should take.
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. Let your roots grown down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow for thanksgiving for all he has done.”
- Colossians 2:6-7
Jamasiki (Praise The Lord)
Tom
They say that first impressions are powerful things. When you meet someone for the first time, you judge them immediately in the first minute or so. But as you get to know them over time your perception and thoughts about the person change.
I'm writing this sat on the roof of the Anusaran Village School, looking out at an area I first saw in October. I wrote a blog on it, how I found it shocking, I may have even described it as a slum. Went into graphic detail about the state of the housing, the open sewers, animals roaming free.
These things are still present here, this place hasn't changed but my perspective on it has.
I'm looking out at the houses and buildings I said were in poor condition. I've come to realise that they are people's homes and they care greatly about them. Families aren't sitting inside thinking life couldn't be worse, they're living their lives like anyone else would.
I would look at the children playing in the street and the youth leader in me keeps thinking, “Is that safe? Are they safe?”. But now I'm playing with them, I'm there to make sure they are safe. As a spectator I couldn't do anything, but as a player I'm involved. Stopping the ball going into the filthy gutter, making sure they don't run onto a litter pile where they could get hurt. I used to think that this wasn't a good place to play, now I'm joining in. God helped me to jump in.
Looking at the children who come into the the school, I'd see their slightly scruffy clothes and beaten up pencil cases. The children wear these clothes because it's all they might have. They actually all take great pride in their appearance; brushed hair, bright teeth, clean nails. And the pencil cases are beaten up because they love to use them. I'm often suspicious of people who's books are in perfect condition. Have you really read that book?
The classrooms are still small and dark, the children still sit on the floor. But they love the opportunity to learn, and I'm loving the opportunity to teach. I've come to know my class so well. I used to think that they were unruly and disruptive, that was because I didn't understand them. They were just excited to be learning. Either my class has calmed down or my perception of them has changed.
I look at so many things here, and I don't see them with the same eyes. My perspective has changed.
When did that happen?
How did that happen?
It's because, over time being here, I've changed. I've been changed. For the better. I hope.
There were so many things I'd take for granted, things some people here couldn't dream of. I had never thought I cared so much about possessions, but I did. It's amazing how large the list of things we miss can be when we don't have them. But now I'm realising I'm extremely blessed, I've never really had to struggle in life. Not in the same way that people I've encountered here have.
In the church here, testimonies are shared every week, people sharing the good things that God has done for them in the week. On a couple of occasions someone may share how they were worried because there was no food in the home. There have been times when I've felt like there's not been any food at home, but that's never really the case. How often do we really thank God for our daily bread?
I've felt frustrated at the lack of variation in our meals at times. But I've come to learn that some people have even less choice or variation. Our supervisors feed us very well and I'm grateful. I won't be so quick to moan about a lack of choice at home again.
I can't really pinpoint the exact moment this change in me took place. God has worked gradually during my time here in Delhi. There wasn't a shining light, no road to Damascus event. I didn't wake up to find the God had changed my mind about everything here.
In October, I was thinking that I may struggle living and working in this environment, a location and situation so far removed from what I perceived to be home. If I had access to an electro-static time ball I would go back to October and tell my past self not to worry, that God provides all that you need. If you fully rely on him a change can take place. You may not notice it as it happens, but when you look back at your history, you'll see who you were and then fully realise who you've become, and then fully realise who God has made you into.
This process never ends, we are continuously growing, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Keep focussed on God. Learn from him to find out what path you should take.
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. Let your roots grown down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow for thanksgiving for all he has done.”
- Colossians 2:6-7
Jamasiki (Praise The Lord)
Tom
23 December 2010
Poker Face
Before I came to Delhi, if I'd ever cared to think about India (which let's face it, wasn't often) I'd always think about it from an entirely western perspective; I knew from Geography that India was a Newly Industrialised Country, which to my teenage GCSE mindset meant it didn't have as many computers as Britain, and that it was riding on a tectonic plate that was smashing into Nepal, creating a seismic tapestry of mountains in the Himalayas. I knew from History that India was an old colony from Imperial Britain and it was to this country that my parents owed their fascination with tea. I also knew that it was famous for having lots of tigers and elephants, and it was these last two facts that really summed up my interest in India. If ever I was forced to think about India again, I'd usually imagine myself as some tiger hunting hero, riding on the back of an elephant I'd tamed myself with prestigious skill and nerve. Needless to say, I never once thought about the people and never, for an instance, did I imagine that life could be any different to the life I was experiencing in Britain – except that it could be a bit hotter and a bit dustier. How wrong I was.
It's so difficult not to be judgemental in what you experience. Was I judgemental as a pre-pubescent teenager? Absolutely. Not with vindictive intentions of course, but out of ignorance I'd judged India as being little more than a 'third world' country. Now that I'm in India, a little wiser and with a much deeper voice, am I able to be less judgemental than I was when I was thirteen? To be brutally honest, it's so hard not to be shocked by the stories you hear. I didn't come to India to judge; I came to work within a culture that I hoped I could help, even if only a little bit through God's help, but now I have stories to tell and emotions to wrap my western mind around. Trying to understand an eastern culture after living for years in the west harder than trying to survive four days at Min-y-Don! Yet I want to help, and part of helping this country is raising awareness of the issues we're confronting every day; that's why we'll spend eight weeks touring U.K. churches when we come home from this experience. But I don't tell this story for people to judge, because then I'll be no better than the GCSE schoolboy whose tiger daydreams just propagated a stereotype that took the emphasis away from what really matters in India: the people. At the same time, I have a responsibility to the people I'm working with to speak humbly about the stories they've told me, which is why I'm going to tell you a story about India which is hopefully honest but free from my bias. I'm also going to change the names of some of the people I'm writing about for their own benefit. You can form your own opinions, but my plea before I start is that you'll read what I write not to judge, but to understand – and hopefully the world will be a tiny bit better free from another stereotype that's distracting Geography students everywhere with wild daydreams about elephants and tigers.
Tom, Fiona and I have spent the last two months working at a school for slum children in a rural village. Along with John and Abha David, the two founders of the school, there are half a dozen women who help teach the children and are actively involved in the women's empowerment projects. We usually begin every day, a bit dizzy from the bumpy mini van to the school, with a morning devotion with a bible study and some worship songs. We all take turns leading these devotions, not just the three of us, but John, Abha and the women. It's usually a bit of a laugh. Admittedly, Tom, Fiona and I sometimes stand a bit blankly when the staff sing a vibrant Hindi song, but the devotions have been really interesting and it's been a great opportunity to get to know the women at the school that little bit better.
Now I confess that very early on, I made an assumption which turned out to be completely wrong. Because the women had all been leading the devotions every morning, I'd assumed that they, like John, Abha and ourselves, were Christians. I was therefore a little bit stumped last week, when one of the women: Roshni, answered my question about her Christmas plans with the words “oh I won't be celebrating Christmas, except with John and Abha, because I'm a Hindu.” In a feeble attempt to be a good evangelist, I muttered something about there only being one God and not 33,000,000, and asked how could she not see the goodness that Christ brings after working at the school for three years. I admit that personally, I felt a bit cheated. It reminded me of the time when I found out that Michael Gulguchi, a singer from Hillsong, had publicly lied about having terminal cancer to cover up an addiction to pornography that was making him sick. Just like my prayers for Michael, I felt that all my prayers in Roshni's devotions and all the words that she's said to me were a bit false, because they'd been said under the guise of a false Christianity that really hid a faith in Hinduism. But just like when I found out about Michael's lie, my first reaction was fuelled by ignorance and not one of understanding.
Last night the three of us went with the Davids to visit John's sister. It was an amazing evening where we sang carols with kids on the street, were force fed endless amounts of cake, where John (dressed as Santa) danced to the guitar and handed out sweets to the children and where best of all, we were able to eat a western amount of batter fried chicken. I'll only say one more word about that: heaven! After a dozen kids had each had a strum of my guitar and once John's... sorry, Santa's(!) sweet supply was running low, we went inside for an evening meal and I had a rare chance to have a long conversation with Abha about the first thing on my mind: last weeks conversation with Roshni. I tentatively brought up the fact that I was confused that Roshni, having led bible studies in the morning devotions, was actually a self-professed Hindu and not a practising Christian. I was slightly taken aback when Abha smiled at me and said,
“All of the staff that work with us are Hindu. Not just Roshni but Keeran, Geeta, Neelam and even our driver Sunil.”
That really took me by surprise! Not only had Sunil joined in all of the mornings devotions, but he'd actually come to church on a few Sundays. So, after I tried to find some words that were vaguely coherent, I managed to ask,
“So... when the women and Sunil pray in morning devotions, are they praying to the same God that we pray to, or are they praying to a Hindu god?”
I was really confused at this point. I was also a little bit frustrated. I could understand if the staff were humouring John and Abha, whom they work for, by joining in their morning devotions; but to actually lead a devotion while in their hearts they'd committed to the gods of another religion seemed to me little more than blasphemy, but then Abha told me this story:
“They pray to the same God we pray to, but you have to understand, we live in a country where families have such a huge influence on a person. As a son or daughter, you have to be submissive to your parents. If a daughter stopped worshipping the god of her parents, then the whole family would be in uproar. If that family belonged to a lower caste [a lower social role in Hindu society] then the entire family could be pushed out of that society. Do you remember Sara, the woman wanting Baptism who you went to pray for in your first month? When she started coming to church and took down the idols in her home, her entire family was pushed out of the society they live in. Now no one will marry Sara's sister, all because she's a Christian. In the rural villages, particularly amongst the lower caste, it's not uncommon that family members will kill another for practising a different faith because the entire family suffers as a result.”
I'm ashamed to say that my poker face was pretty unconvincing at this point. “So, people are killed in the 21st Century for being Christians?!” I asked Abha.
“Yes, it can destroy lives. People don't understand what Christianity is in India. When they see us walking around, they think we're out to convert them. They don't understand about Jesus or what He did for them, and they don't understand that they can have a personal relationship with them.”
“But the women at the school,” I persisted, “they understand that they can have a personal relationship with Jesus, don't they?”
“Yes,” Abha smiled. “They know in their hearts the truth, but they're afraid to outwardly practise their faith. We would love to give them Baptism, but actually it would cause more harm than good. If people saw us forcing Baptisms on women, they would know the massive problems we would cause these women at home and so no-one would come to us. You know Brianca, the woman with the baby? She's had an awful life. Her husband left her and now she has to raise her child on her own, but today she's able to come to the school and know the peace of Christ. She has friends here and can watch you play with her daughter; she couldn't do that if we tried to make women Christians by Baptism. Some of them try to outwardly practise their faith though, in a way that's pleasing to their parents. Neelam put a statue of Jesus next to her mothers shrine, but I told her to take it down, because the bible says no to idol worship, even if it is an idol of Jesus.”
I was beginning to understand that although the women at the village school were Hindu, it was only an act that they kept up for their families sake and (in some cases) a very real façade for personal safety. I asked Abha what the women felt when they fulfilled their parent's Hindu rituals, and she told me that they felt no peace when they did these rituals, because they knew the truth of Christ in their hearts. “Although they can't be Christians, they are definitely disciples of Christ.”
“Some of them have endured real hardships just to come to us, but sometimes you get one person who still says 'I want to have Baptism.' Before Sara was married and wanted Baptism, her family were so angry with her; we were afraid to Baptise her while her parents were so influential over her. But now she is married and she has to be submissive not to her parents, but to her husband, to whom she is trying to speak to about God. He's not quite there yet, but if he ever gets there, we think it will be safe for her if we give them both Baptisms. We can only create Christians when the whole family wants to commit, otherwise it's too dangerous. Despite that, Sara is one of the best disciples of Jesus I know!”
I've realised from this story that it is so so difficult to create Christians in India. It's not impossible, as Sara's story proves, but all too often it just cannot be done. Yet does that mean that there's no place for the work that John, Abha and even we're doing out here? Absolutely not! Although it's hard to create Christians, it is definitely possible to create followers of Christ! I've since realised that actually, this is not something we should frown upon, but actually it's an example we should follow. All too often, I think that the role of the evangelist in the west has become a crusade to create Christians in the hope that they will then become followers of Christ. “Let's get people to church on Sundays; let's get people Baptised and Confirmed and hopefully we'll create followers of Christ.” But actually, because of the social lifestyles in India, the evangelist has to create followers of Christ first and Christians second. Ultimately, does it really matter if people label themselves Hindu or Christian, or is it more important people are true disciples of Christ? Personally, I feel it's the latter, but as I said at the beginning, I didn't write this so we can judge; I wrote this so we can understand the hardships of believers in India and how we could learn a lot by the example of evangelists out here.
I'll end with one final thought. At the beginning of this blog, I mentioned the song writer Michael Gulguchi. He wrote a song called 'Healer' not, as we were told, as a response to terminal cancer but as a cry to God because of an addiction he couldn't get rid of which was making him physically sick. When he announced that he'd lied about the song, I started skipping it on my iPod because I felt that the words were hollow in the light of his lie. I've since come to realise that even though his words were outwardly false, his heart was one in need and he produced one of the most heartfelt cries to God I've heard in the 21st Century. When Roshni first told me she was a Hindu, I felt I'd been lied to in her devotions, much like I'd felt betrayed by Michael when he first confessed to his lie; actually, I've since come to realise that even though she has to practise a false religion for social reasons, she still has one of the purest hearts and, like Sara and the other believers out here, is among some of the most inspiring witnesses to Christ I've ever met.
It's so difficult not to be judgemental in what you experience. Was I judgemental as a pre-pubescent teenager? Absolutely. Not with vindictive intentions of course, but out of ignorance I'd judged India as being little more than a 'third world' country. Now that I'm in India, a little wiser and with a much deeper voice, am I able to be less judgemental than I was when I was thirteen? To be brutally honest, it's so hard not to be shocked by the stories you hear. I didn't come to India to judge; I came to work within a culture that I hoped I could help, even if only a little bit through God's help, but now I have stories to tell and emotions to wrap my western mind around. Trying to understand an eastern culture after living for years in the west harder than trying to survive four days at Min-y-Don! Yet I want to help, and part of helping this country is raising awareness of the issues we're confronting every day; that's why we'll spend eight weeks touring U.K. churches when we come home from this experience. But I don't tell this story for people to judge, because then I'll be no better than the GCSE schoolboy whose tiger daydreams just propagated a stereotype that took the emphasis away from what really matters in India: the people. At the same time, I have a responsibility to the people I'm working with to speak humbly about the stories they've told me, which is why I'm going to tell you a story about India which is hopefully honest but free from my bias. I'm also going to change the names of some of the people I'm writing about for their own benefit. You can form your own opinions, but my plea before I start is that you'll read what I write not to judge, but to understand – and hopefully the world will be a tiny bit better free from another stereotype that's distracting Geography students everywhere with wild daydreams about elephants and tigers.
Tom, Fiona and I have spent the last two months working at a school for slum children in a rural village. Along with John and Abha David, the two founders of the school, there are half a dozen women who help teach the children and are actively involved in the women's empowerment projects. We usually begin every day, a bit dizzy from the bumpy mini van to the school, with a morning devotion with a bible study and some worship songs. We all take turns leading these devotions, not just the three of us, but John, Abha and the women. It's usually a bit of a laugh. Admittedly, Tom, Fiona and I sometimes stand a bit blankly when the staff sing a vibrant Hindi song, but the devotions have been really interesting and it's been a great opportunity to get to know the women at the school that little bit better.
Now I confess that very early on, I made an assumption which turned out to be completely wrong. Because the women had all been leading the devotions every morning, I'd assumed that they, like John, Abha and ourselves, were Christians. I was therefore a little bit stumped last week, when one of the women: Roshni, answered my question about her Christmas plans with the words “oh I won't be celebrating Christmas, except with John and Abha, because I'm a Hindu.” In a feeble attempt to be a good evangelist, I muttered something about there only being one God and not 33,000,000, and asked how could she not see the goodness that Christ brings after working at the school for three years. I admit that personally, I felt a bit cheated. It reminded me of the time when I found out that Michael Gulguchi, a singer from Hillsong, had publicly lied about having terminal cancer to cover up an addiction to pornography that was making him sick. Just like my prayers for Michael, I felt that all my prayers in Roshni's devotions and all the words that she's said to me were a bit false, because they'd been said under the guise of a false Christianity that really hid a faith in Hinduism. But just like when I found out about Michael's lie, my first reaction was fuelled by ignorance and not one of understanding.
Last night the three of us went with the Davids to visit John's sister. It was an amazing evening where we sang carols with kids on the street, were force fed endless amounts of cake, where John (dressed as Santa) danced to the guitar and handed out sweets to the children and where best of all, we were able to eat a western amount of batter fried chicken. I'll only say one more word about that: heaven! After a dozen kids had each had a strum of my guitar and once John's... sorry, Santa's(!) sweet supply was running low, we went inside for an evening meal and I had a rare chance to have a long conversation with Abha about the first thing on my mind: last weeks conversation with Roshni. I tentatively brought up the fact that I was confused that Roshni, having led bible studies in the morning devotions, was actually a self-professed Hindu and not a practising Christian. I was slightly taken aback when Abha smiled at me and said,
“All of the staff that work with us are Hindu. Not just Roshni but Keeran, Geeta, Neelam and even our driver Sunil.”
That really took me by surprise! Not only had Sunil joined in all of the mornings devotions, but he'd actually come to church on a few Sundays. So, after I tried to find some words that were vaguely coherent, I managed to ask,
“So... when the women and Sunil pray in morning devotions, are they praying to the same God that we pray to, or are they praying to a Hindu god?”
I was really confused at this point. I was also a little bit frustrated. I could understand if the staff were humouring John and Abha, whom they work for, by joining in their morning devotions; but to actually lead a devotion while in their hearts they'd committed to the gods of another religion seemed to me little more than blasphemy, but then Abha told me this story:
“They pray to the same God we pray to, but you have to understand, we live in a country where families have such a huge influence on a person. As a son or daughter, you have to be submissive to your parents. If a daughter stopped worshipping the god of her parents, then the whole family would be in uproar. If that family belonged to a lower caste [a lower social role in Hindu society] then the entire family could be pushed out of that society. Do you remember Sara, the woman wanting Baptism who you went to pray for in your first month? When she started coming to church and took down the idols in her home, her entire family was pushed out of the society they live in. Now no one will marry Sara's sister, all because she's a Christian. In the rural villages, particularly amongst the lower caste, it's not uncommon that family members will kill another for practising a different faith because the entire family suffers as a result.”
I'm ashamed to say that my poker face was pretty unconvincing at this point. “So, people are killed in the 21st Century for being Christians?!” I asked Abha.
“Yes, it can destroy lives. People don't understand what Christianity is in India. When they see us walking around, they think we're out to convert them. They don't understand about Jesus or what He did for them, and they don't understand that they can have a personal relationship with them.”
“But the women at the school,” I persisted, “they understand that they can have a personal relationship with Jesus, don't they?”
“Yes,” Abha smiled. “They know in their hearts the truth, but they're afraid to outwardly practise their faith. We would love to give them Baptism, but actually it would cause more harm than good. If people saw us forcing Baptisms on women, they would know the massive problems we would cause these women at home and so no-one would come to us. You know Brianca, the woman with the baby? She's had an awful life. Her husband left her and now she has to raise her child on her own, but today she's able to come to the school and know the peace of Christ. She has friends here and can watch you play with her daughter; she couldn't do that if we tried to make women Christians by Baptism. Some of them try to outwardly practise their faith though, in a way that's pleasing to their parents. Neelam put a statue of Jesus next to her mothers shrine, but I told her to take it down, because the bible says no to idol worship, even if it is an idol of Jesus.”
I was beginning to understand that although the women at the village school were Hindu, it was only an act that they kept up for their families sake and (in some cases) a very real façade for personal safety. I asked Abha what the women felt when they fulfilled their parent's Hindu rituals, and she told me that they felt no peace when they did these rituals, because they knew the truth of Christ in their hearts. “Although they can't be Christians, they are definitely disciples of Christ.”
“Some of them have endured real hardships just to come to us, but sometimes you get one person who still says 'I want to have Baptism.' Before Sara was married and wanted Baptism, her family were so angry with her; we were afraid to Baptise her while her parents were so influential over her. But now she is married and she has to be submissive not to her parents, but to her husband, to whom she is trying to speak to about God. He's not quite there yet, but if he ever gets there, we think it will be safe for her if we give them both Baptisms. We can only create Christians when the whole family wants to commit, otherwise it's too dangerous. Despite that, Sara is one of the best disciples of Jesus I know!”
I've realised from this story that it is so so difficult to create Christians in India. It's not impossible, as Sara's story proves, but all too often it just cannot be done. Yet does that mean that there's no place for the work that John, Abha and even we're doing out here? Absolutely not! Although it's hard to create Christians, it is definitely possible to create followers of Christ! I've since realised that actually, this is not something we should frown upon, but actually it's an example we should follow. All too often, I think that the role of the evangelist in the west has become a crusade to create Christians in the hope that they will then become followers of Christ. “Let's get people to church on Sundays; let's get people Baptised and Confirmed and hopefully we'll create followers of Christ.” But actually, because of the social lifestyles in India, the evangelist has to create followers of Christ first and Christians second. Ultimately, does it really matter if people label themselves Hindu or Christian, or is it more important people are true disciples of Christ? Personally, I feel it's the latter, but as I said at the beginning, I didn't write this so we can judge; I wrote this so we can understand the hardships of believers in India and how we could learn a lot by the example of evangelists out here.
I'll end with one final thought. At the beginning of this blog, I mentioned the song writer Michael Gulguchi. He wrote a song called 'Healer' not, as we were told, as a response to terminal cancer but as a cry to God because of an addiction he couldn't get rid of which was making him physically sick. When he announced that he'd lied about the song, I started skipping it on my iPod because I felt that the words were hollow in the light of his lie. I've since come to realise that even though his words were outwardly false, his heart was one in need and he produced one of the most heartfelt cries to God I've heard in the 21st Century. When Roshni first told me she was a Hindu, I felt I'd been lied to in her devotions, much like I'd felt betrayed by Michael when he first confessed to his lie; actually, I've since come to realise that even though she has to practise a false religion for social reasons, she still has one of the purest hearts and, like Sara and the other believers out here, is among some of the most inspiring witnesses to Christ I've ever met.
28 November 2010
So, since we last wrote, we've all experienced actual Delhi Belly, we were well looked after by John and Abha though and were back at the school after a week of taking rest. God really comforted us in this time especially during our feelings of homesickness, it was so great having John, Abha, Arnold and Christy around watching out for us and praying for us.
We've also managed to have a bit of contact with home, which has definetely been a big help. Whether it be a simple text, email or even a phone call, the things we usually take so much or granted, have become a real comfort for us here.
Our relationships with the kids in our classes really seem to be growing which is great and we are gradually managing to learn some names, which is hard enough usually, never mind here where most of the names we've never even heard of and have some difficulty pronouncing! But we're getting there!
The teaching has definetely proved to be a challenge, especially when we don't speak each others languages fluently, but we all still love it and keep trying to find new and interesting ways to teach the kids.
As we draw closer to Christmas I think we're going to find it quite hard at times and we're really going to have to rely on god to look after us and to comfort us in this time that we usually spend with our families. However, we are SO excited that we're getting to spend New Years with the 2 Kolkatta Action Teams in Darjeeling for our holiday! 36hour train journey (plus very likely delays) here we come...!!
Jamasiki!
Fiona
We've also managed to have a bit of contact with home, which has definetely been a big help. Whether it be a simple text, email or even a phone call, the things we usually take so much or granted, have become a real comfort for us here.
Our relationships with the kids in our classes really seem to be growing which is great and we are gradually managing to learn some names, which is hard enough usually, never mind here where most of the names we've never even heard of and have some difficulty pronouncing! But we're getting there!
The teaching has definetely proved to be a challenge, especially when we don't speak each others languages fluently, but we all still love it and keep trying to find new and interesting ways to teach the kids.
As we draw closer to Christmas I think we're going to find it quite hard at times and we're really going to have to rely on god to look after us and to comfort us in this time that we usually spend with our families. However, we are SO excited that we're getting to spend New Years with the 2 Kolkatta Action Teams in Darjeeling for our holiday! 36hour train journey (plus very likely delays) here we come...!!
Jamasiki!
Fiona
3 November 2010
Perspective.
On our second week our Supervisor, John David, took us on our first visit to the Anusaran village school. It was a very bumpy fifteen minute car journey, the built up area of Dwarka, a new housing complex in Delhi where we are staying, soon turned into fields and shacks. Then we pulled into the village where the school is situated.
We'd all seen images like this on TV, in news reports and documentaries, but nothing prepares you for actually being there. The first thing that hits you is the smell, the open sewers kept "fresh" throughout the day and kept pungent under the heat of the midday sun.
John showed us the area around the school. Dogs, goats and cows roam free, sometimes wandering into people's homes. Faeces and other unsightly materials litter the tracks.
This is where children play.
This is where women wash clothes.
This is where people live.
I was shocked by this place, I couldn't see how people could live here, day in day out. But I felt God saying the same word over and over in my mind.
Perspective.
I had been worrying about so many things leading up to flying to Delhi and in the first few days. But these things pail into insignificance compared to the worries the people living here must face.
Too often we're selfish about our problems, even tiny things like not having phone signal or the self-service tills yelling "Unexpected Item" at you in the supermarket.
The shower in our apartment is cold, so very cold. It really frustrated me for a short while. But after visiting the village, I'm now praying this prayer as I freeze:
"I'm thankful for this cold shower, because it means we have running water, because it means we can wash every day."
And when I return home, I'll be so thankful for many of the things I would normally take for granted.
But still, I'm filled with an urge to want to change how things are in the village. Could we as a team make this a better place for people to live? It seems like an impossible task. I couldn't imagine any joy here...
Smiling faces. These children coming to Anusaran had smiling faces.
Why?
How?
Because, through God's provision Anusaran is giving these children, and women, oppurtunities to learn. So they can be changed, and so they may change the area around them. As a team we're honoured to be a part of God's plan here.
Jamasiki! (Praise God!)
Tom
We'd all seen images like this on TV, in news reports and documentaries, but nothing prepares you for actually being there. The first thing that hits you is the smell, the open sewers kept "fresh" throughout the day and kept pungent under the heat of the midday sun.
John showed us the area around the school. Dogs, goats and cows roam free, sometimes wandering into people's homes. Faeces and other unsightly materials litter the tracks.
This is where children play.
This is where women wash clothes.
This is where people live.
I was shocked by this place, I couldn't see how people could live here, day in day out. But I felt God saying the same word over and over in my mind.
Perspective.
I had been worrying about so many things leading up to flying to Delhi and in the first few days. But these things pail into insignificance compared to the worries the people living here must face.
Too often we're selfish about our problems, even tiny things like not having phone signal or the self-service tills yelling "Unexpected Item" at you in the supermarket.
The shower in our apartment is cold, so very cold. It really frustrated me for a short while. But after visiting the village, I'm now praying this prayer as I freeze:
"I'm thankful for this cold shower, because it means we have running water, because it means we can wash every day."
And when I return home, I'll be so thankful for many of the things I would normally take for granted.
But still, I'm filled with an urge to want to change how things are in the village. Could we as a team make this a better place for people to live? It seems like an impossible task. I couldn't imagine any joy here...
Smiling faces. These children coming to Anusaran had smiling faces.
Why?
How?
Because, through God's provision Anusaran is giving these children, and women, oppurtunities to learn. So they can be changed, and so they may change the area around them. As a team we're honoured to be a part of God's plan here.
Jamasiki! (Praise God!)
Tom
25 September 2010
The First Rule of Min Y Don...
1st RULE: You do not talk about Min Y Don.
2nd RULE: You do not talk about Min Y Don.
3rd RULE: If someone says "stop" or goes limp, the task is far from over.
4th RULE: All team members must be involved.
5th RULE: One task at a time.
6th RULE: No clean shirts, no clean shoes.
7th RULE: Tasks will go on as long as Min Y Don staff say so.
8th RULE: If this is your first night at Min Y Don, you have to complete all tasks.
2nd RULE: You do not talk about Min Y Don.
3rd RULE: If someone says "stop" or goes limp, the task is far from over.
4th RULE: All team members must be involved.
5th RULE: One task at a time.
6th RULE: No clean shirts, no clean shoes.
7th RULE: Tasks will go on as long as Min Y Don staff say so.
8th RULE: If this is your first night at Min Y Don, you have to complete all tasks.
23 July 2010
'The first one is always the hardest'
Tom sure wasn't kidding when he told me the first blog is the hardest. In fact, it was so hard to start, that I'll begin with his kind words: 'The first one is always the hardest!' I couldn't start with the first sentence I crossed out because it's fictional; I couldn't go with the second sentence because it's not really relevant and I couldn't go with the third because, as my team will no doubt explain in this blog, that's just not true.
Hello readers and welcome to my first blog! I've just been told over facebook that it's exactly 51 days until I, along with the rest of my team, will head off to the International Missionary Centre* in Birmingham to begin training so that next year, we can spend six months living and serving in India! Yep, you're currently reading the blog of a missionary to be. I'll let the rest of my team explain in more detail what we'll be doing as we get closer to the starting date, but in the spirit of starting new things, this blog will hopefully be the start of many that will continue as we prepare for training, actually struggle through training, spend six months working in New Delhi with slum children and persecuted female Christians and as we spend eight weeks touring the country like rock stars speading our stories -although unlike rock stars, there's unlikely to be much sex or drinking as far as the BMS is concerned!
*(If you think that sounds like International Rescue from Thunderbirds, then you're not the only one in awe!)
Forgive the jokey tone - the first thing I want to tell you about myself, besides my name, Micah, is that I'm absolutly in love with Jesus. Yet I'm trying so hard to feel His spirit guide and comfort me every second and it's an emotional feeling I don't think I've felt. If I'm honest, that's one of the reasons why I decided to spend next year serving Him: so that I can get to know Him intimatly. That's why I'm going to India next year.
I look forwards to sharing this journey with anyone who cares to read about it :-)
Micah x
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