Seven weeks later....
I'm still alive, dear friends. More than alive, I'm well. I eat the food, speak well enough to carry on a small conversation, and understand people when they are addressing me directly.(They LOVE to hear us speak their language). We have loved and been loved so sincerely by the people in our homestay town. Our home for six weeks often felt to me like a rotating cast of hilarious characters from small children who cried hysterically at the very sight of us to pastors to teachers to sweet older women who spoke no English . A constant stream of guests flowed through our home every day, it was an unusual day not to meet anyone new. It was often very helpful at the end of the day to retreat to our own room (after eating dinner at 9 or 10 p.m.) and be able to lock the door. Our mother, whom we affectionately call "Madam-Ma" is a school principal and is constantly moving, constantly visiting people and of course taking everyone else along with her. She is unfailingly generous and is always willing to help the needy, and everyone in their little community knows they are always welcome for a meal in her home. Her example is inspiring to me because I also want to spend my future in the education field, taking in the poor and helping students to have a good future and to realize the love that the Father has for them. The Spirit is truly moving in that little town and it was our privilege to see their passion in worship and the love they show one another as a believing community.
The characters...
Most women in this culture have a house helper or several. You don't need to be particularly wealthy to have one, it's just what is usually done. All girls are expected to do chores in the home and help cook from a very young age. Our home had several, since eighty children live in the adjoining hostel for most of the year. These several women, really four or five in particular and the two teenage girls who live there year round became our closest friends. Our mother's cook had us in stitches of laughter constantly with her facial expressions and the way she worded every thing she said in her broken English, Like "Praise the Lord!" every time something was dropped or broken. The children have a fairly regimented schedule for study, waking each day at 5 a.m. to study for two hours before school begins. They sing songs of praise twice each day and have a short Word study. We would often lead evening singing. Their favorite English song is "Every Move I Make," and I taught them "Pharaoh, Pharaoh" which they might like even better. But my favorite moment was when we heard them singing the song "One little, two little three little children of God" to the tune of "One little, two little three little I.dians." I almost died laughing.
We, of course had no such regimented schedule, since most of our time there was summer vacation. Since the children left so quickly, it was our goal to visit at least one home each day, either a new home or building relationships with families we already knew. We have many mothers and little sisters now. One of my highlights of our last week there was being able to encourage our little sisters, who are believers, from the Word about what the Father says about them, their worth and the way they were created. They had never heard before that people are Dad's favorite thing he made! They had never heard the verses that talk about our worth and beauty in Him. We were also able to learn several songs in our new language that teach the good news, which everyone we sang them to loved. Our language teacher wanted to hear them again and again because they sounded "so sweet" to her.
I know very well now what it is to be a South Asian girl and what living in a family is like. Everything is about taking permission from the person who is over you- whether that be your parents, your husband or the leader of your fellowship. Even when couples wish to date or pursue marriage, the parents' and community's approval is essential, and to defy it is pure scandal, although it happens. This was definitely the most difficult, and unexpected part of our journey so far. We lost our independence totally in terms of being able to leave town or take transportation anywhere we wanted to go, but we realize now that women here have no independence either. They do not drive, they mostly stay in the same places doing the same thing every day. Leaving town or going out is a rare treat. In the same way, our plans were never completely our own. We might be out walking and receive a call that we needed to come home because it was growing dark or a guest had arrived.
I ached as I said goodbye to our dear homestay family. They truly adopted us as their sisters and daughters. It was bittersweet. We capped off our last two days in town there by holding a teacher training at Madam Mah's school. I had teachers with ten and twenty years experience listening to me, a woman with virtually no formal teaching experience talk about topics like adaptation and curriculum development. Dad helped me say the right words when I had no resources or ideas of things to say in my presentation! It reminded me of how excited I am to be a teacher and to help students become good people and encourage them to follow the Truth.
Now we live in G-City in a large apartment with two other women who will live here for the next four months. We are so excited to begin the work and to have some semblance of a schedule. Yet it's like we're starting our journey all over again....we have very few national friends. Ask the Father to give us wisdom as we build relationships this week...we have one day each week on our schedule to simply go and interact with anyone anywhere. It's difficult sometimes to have so much unstructured time, so I'm definitely having to build a lot of skills in the independence and time management departments. Ask that the father would continue to make his love known in our homestay community. There are many followers there, but very few have the boldness to reach out. Fellowships meet together once a week and go home again with very little other activity throughout the rest of the week. I often ask myself if I would have such boldness if I were a one percent minority in terms of belief. Ask that we would be loving servants to our teammates, nationals and fellow Americans who have an overwhelming number of tasks constantly before them. Ask that in the midst of all this, we would be able to rest. Out here it is impossible not to fall into the temptations like being impatient, short tempered and downright ugly unless you're constantly abiding in His presence. Our team leaders really emphasize the importance of having sp.ritual retreats to renew your mind and check the attitudes of your heart. This weekend we'll have a team retreat outside the city to get to know one another and to encourage one another. How good it is to be among We're so excited to be here. He is moving. I miss all of you, but know that He is protecting us and guiding us daily. By His grace, we'll keep moving...
I'm still alive, dear friends. More than alive, I'm well. I eat the food, speak well enough to carry on a small conversation, and understand people when they are addressing me directly.(They LOVE to hear us speak their language). We have loved and been loved so sincerely by the people in our homestay town. Our home for six weeks often felt to me like a rotating cast of hilarious characters from small children who cried hysterically at the very sight of us to pastors to teachers to sweet older women who spoke no English . A constant stream of guests flowed through our home every day, it was an unusual day not to meet anyone new. It was often very helpful at the end of the day to retreat to our own room (after eating dinner at 9 or 10 p.m.) and be able to lock the door. Our mother, whom we affectionately call "Madam-Ma" is a school principal and is constantly moving, constantly visiting people and of course taking everyone else along with her. She is unfailingly generous and is always willing to help the needy, and everyone in their little community knows they are always welcome for a meal in her home. Her example is inspiring to me because I also want to spend my future in the education field, taking in the poor and helping students to have a good future and to realize the love that the Father has for them. The Spirit is truly moving in that little town and it was our privilege to see their passion in worship and the love they show one another as a believing community.
The characters...
Most women in this culture have a house helper or several. You don't need to be particularly wealthy to have one, it's just what is usually done. All girls are expected to do chores in the home and help cook from a very young age. Our home had several, since eighty children live in the adjoining hostel for most of the year. These several women, really four or five in particular and the two teenage girls who live there year round became our closest friends. Our mother's cook had us in stitches of laughter constantly with her facial expressions and the way she worded every thing she said in her broken English, Like "Praise the Lord!" every time something was dropped or broken. The children have a fairly regimented schedule for study, waking each day at 5 a.m. to study for two hours before school begins. They sing songs of praise twice each day and have a short Word study. We would often lead evening singing. Their favorite English song is "Every Move I Make," and I taught them "Pharaoh, Pharaoh" which they might like even better. But my favorite moment was when we heard them singing the song "One little, two little three little children of God" to the tune of "One little, two little three little I.dians." I almost died laughing.
We, of course had no such regimented schedule, since most of our time there was summer vacation. Since the children left so quickly, it was our goal to visit at least one home each day, either a new home or building relationships with families we already knew. We have many mothers and little sisters now. One of my highlights of our last week there was being able to encourage our little sisters, who are believers, from the Word about what the Father says about them, their worth and the way they were created. They had never heard before that people are Dad's favorite thing he made! They had never heard the verses that talk about our worth and beauty in Him. We were also able to learn several songs in our new language that teach the good news, which everyone we sang them to loved. Our language teacher wanted to hear them again and again because they sounded "so sweet" to her.
I know very well now what it is to be a South Asian girl and what living in a family is like. Everything is about taking permission from the person who is over you- whether that be your parents, your husband or the leader of your fellowship. Even when couples wish to date or pursue marriage, the parents' and community's approval is essential, and to defy it is pure scandal, although it happens. This was definitely the most difficult, and unexpected part of our journey so far. We lost our independence totally in terms of being able to leave town or take transportation anywhere we wanted to go, but we realize now that women here have no independence either. They do not drive, they mostly stay in the same places doing the same thing every day. Leaving town or going out is a rare treat. In the same way, our plans were never completely our own. We might be out walking and receive a call that we needed to come home because it was growing dark or a guest had arrived.
I ached as I said goodbye to our dear homestay family. They truly adopted us as their sisters and daughters. It was bittersweet. We capped off our last two days in town there by holding a teacher training at Madam Mah's school. I had teachers with ten and twenty years experience listening to me, a woman with virtually no formal teaching experience talk about topics like adaptation and curriculum development. Dad helped me say the right words when I had no resources or ideas of things to say in my presentation! It reminded me of how excited I am to be a teacher and to help students become good people and encourage them to follow the Truth.
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| This is Anju, our hilarious cook and close friend |
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| A large city we visited, next to a temple |
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| Traveling companions at the fort...this is their "band picture" |
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| A temple, also hundreds of years old |
Now we live in G-City in a large apartment with two other women who will live here for the next four months. We are so excited to begin the work and to have some semblance of a schedule. Yet it's like we're starting our journey all over again....we have very few national friends. Ask the Father to give us wisdom as we build relationships this week...we have one day each week on our schedule to simply go and interact with anyone anywhere. It's difficult sometimes to have so much unstructured time, so I'm definitely having to build a lot of skills in the independence and time management departments. Ask that the father would continue to make his love known in our homestay community. There are many followers there, but very few have the boldness to reach out. Fellowships meet together once a week and go home again with very little other activity throughout the rest of the week. I often ask myself if I would have such boldness if I were a one percent minority in terms of belief. Ask that we would be loving servants to our teammates, nationals and fellow Americans who have an overwhelming number of tasks constantly before them. Ask that in the midst of all this, we would be able to rest. Out here it is impossible not to fall into the temptations like being impatient, short tempered and downright ugly unless you're constantly abiding in His presence. Our team leaders really emphasize the importance of having sp.ritual retreats to renew your mind and check the attitudes of your heart. This weekend we'll have a team retreat outside the city to get to know one another and to encourage one another. How good it is to be among We're so excited to be here. He is moving. I miss all of you, but know that He is protecting us and guiding us daily. By His grace, we'll keep moving...
