Christmas Time

Wow, well, what can I say but this is one of the best Christmases I can say that I've ever celebrated.
Filled with focus on family, fun, and WHY we celebrate Christmas.
I have to say that its nice here because Christmas isn't a very big deal... you're not getting pumped with  commercialism.. so if you celebrate it you can totally focus on WHY.
I celebrate Christmas because the God who created me came to earth as a human baby. Born in the humble abode of cows and other animals.
How worthy of celebration this day is for us! How freaking AMAZING is it that I am so loved by God that he humbled himself to becoming human, and not even a human that the world loved at the time, who suffered because of who we are.
Wow. O.o
So here's a peek at my Christmas...
On the evening of the 24 we all ate together and had a fire. Then there was a program with the everyone doing skits and dances and it was really just so much fun!
At the end (midnight, so it was technically Christmas!) they gave everyone sweets and presents but reminded them that its not about presents but the gift of Jesus! It was a really great night.

The boys Rahul, Harsh getting sleepy at the campfire.

Shiva is excited about celebrating his first Christmas!

This is also Bhaskar's first Christmas! As it is with many of the new boys.

Gautam and Preetam.. This is actually Gautams's birthday on the 21st he turned 12 and the balloon and hat were his gifts.

Ashish- It means "blessing" in Hindi.

Me and Vijay. 

Vijay and Anit at their first Christmas!

Elmo!

This is the boys dancing at the campus Christmas program. Dancing is such a part of life here!

Ratan was trying to be really sweet so I would let him take my camera.

Shivam, Karo, Vijay, Me, Shiva at the schools Christmas program.

These are my roommates, Lene and Karo from Germany. They're good roomies!

The boys dancing again.. They just love it! 

So today (Christmas!) there was a church service and a really good message about the Christmas Story, then rest and play time.. and then delicious chicken curry... (soooo good, made by the older boys on campus!).

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! God bless you all, each and every one. 

Contentment

It's about 3 in the morning here... I maybe we awake due to the fact that I had a 2 hour nap today or all the chocolate covered coffee beans my mom sent me (plus the loads of tea I've started drinking recently, but hey, it's India! Famous for its tea.)
And I know, I know, I've been lazy in my blogging lately... so here's whats up.

con·tent·ment

  [kuh n-tent-muh nt] 

noun

1.

the state of being contented; satisfaction; ease of mind.

It's almost Christmas, and I've been thinking so much about little baby Jesus. I think this is the first Christmas I've had where it has really been hitting me that this is the SAME God who created the world, and the same one who died for it. 

The amount of blessing in my life is just overwhelming some moments, and I sit there among a bunch of little boys shouting praise songs and I just ask God "Please let me never forget this moment. Please." 

You can really learn so much from kids, (patience!), childlike faith, contentment... 5 to 6 boys shouting that they want to pray for the food, listening with wide eyes to the Christmas Story even if they don't understand everything I am saying. The eagerness to pray, and to pray for the big things like their uncle's operation to the scrape they got on their hand at play time... the faith they have to pray for these things and trust that God WILL heal them. That God will be with them, even if they don't fully understand the gospel yet.

Thanksgiving

Well, November is almost over.
And even though I couldn't remember what day Thanksgiving comes on (and celebrated it 3 days late....) I was thinking about Thanksgiving a lot.
Well, the food... :P Just kidding, sorta. (cranberry salad, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes... PUMPKIN PIE! Oh my goodness...).
And thinking about my family and the lack of seeing them that has been happening...
And the fact that I've been here for nearly 5 months and only really have 6 months left (wow... from nearly 11 to 6... It's a countdown already!).
And just thinking of thankfulness. So here's my Thanks List for 2012.

• Washing machines (I think doing my laundry will never be quite so dreaded a chore after this year of hand washing).
• vitamin C (and lots and lots of tissues)
• growing up in a house that has heat and air conditioning.
• true friends that wait for 2 hours to skype with you
• packages containing chocolate
• being here, doing what I'm doing, even if its not always easy 
• children's smiles

AND...

• the every day.

This month I've really been thing about the dailyness of life. Because it happens every day (errr... derrr.. I know). And after awhile you just get used to it... 

But something that I'm just extremely thankful for is that even though we can go through the same things every day (wake up and so and so a time and do such and such until this time and do that and this over there until blah blah blah)... there is still something completely and uniquely new to the every day dailyness of life. There are new people, new problems/frustrations, new struggles, new friends, new mercies from God, and new lessons to be taught and to be learned. Every. Day. 

And I'm just amazed... because how could I get through the dailyness of life if I didn't have the newness of God in my soul? 

God is here. He is with me every day. Loving me, forgiving me, teaching me, and I'm so thankful that in the small every day things- no matter where you live or what you're doing- that God can make us new through those every day things. 

So I'm thankful for the every day because God is there and he's working through it.

Perfection

It's only 10:30 (ish) but it feels like 3 in the morning.
I. Am. So. Tired.
I've been sick, the boys have been sick (stomach pains, mumps, chicken pox.. you name it they've had it!) Everyone is just sick, sick, sick.
The afternoons here are beau-ti-ful. But now the nights are cold, cold, cold.
And I feel weary because I feel the need to be perfect... or at least appear perfect.
And every day I go to bed feeling weary because I was way (way, way) below that line of perfection.
I've been realizing that conceit and pride are two of my biggest problems. Because I think it's up to me to be the perfect Christian, the perfect example, I have rules to follow and goals to reach. And every day I fail at every single one of these things.
I said that every night I go to bed feeling weary and a lot of failure personally... and every night I have God telling me to give my life back to Him. To really, truly, place my life in His hands. To place my world and the world in His hands. Because the honest truth is that I am a failure. But thankfully God isn't, He IS perfect. And he wants to work through my life. He is the true God. The only God.  The most powerful and awesome God who is everything. He created the earth, he created us, and he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants and however he wants. There is nothing that can hold him back. There is nothing that can keep him from accomplishing his purposes. There is nothing that can stop him for saving the world or judging the world.
HE IS GOD.
And I am not.
Thank him, praise him, and give your life to him. He's the only thing. The only answer to this screwed up, messed up world we're in. He's the only answer to our own lostness, our own brokenness.
God is speaking. He is working. It's time to set aside my search for perfection or appearing perfect and take on passion for God- not for works or just "doing the right things" or "looking the right way" on the outside but having true, humble devotion to the only Being who deserves. I need more of him in my life, I need to be full of him- not just acting- I need to be so full of him so I can pour out...

The lion has roared; who will not fear?

 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Amos 3:8; 5:21,23-24 

 

 This post is more like a stampede going through my head. But Amos is really an amazing book that I had never read before this week.
God wants more than acting. He despises our acting.
So God make me genuine, make all of your children genuine.
Make us into something beautiful- Let your glory fill this place.

Three months

It has been three months since I arrived in India. Three months already...
In three months I've learned a little Hindi, I've chased (and caught) boys, help them cross the monkey bars, read stories, taught sunday school and shared devotions. I've learned how to make lesson plans and teach (sorta) and recently I've even learned a song in German (Thanks to my lovely roommates). And I've made some really good friends.
I've seen people sleeping on streets and children running around naked... men peeing on the side of the street.... and I've gotten hit by a bicyclist and fallen in holes (I'm sure this last one is a shocker to you all)
And... it's all normal to me now.
I don't know how it happened, or when it happened, but somewhere along the way I think India has become home and the people here precious to me.
3 months done 7 1/2 left to go... and I know it will be over only too fast.

I forgot about blogging....

I think I've forgotten the rest of the world. Being here has become so normal to me. Spending every day teaching and hanging out with the boys is routine. Plus the internet is picky on when it wants to work so sometimes I'm just in my own little world here. But it's a good world. A very good world. There's a lot I could say, but as they say: a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Ashish waiting to use my camera

This is Daksh. You can tell from the pictures of him that he's a very expressive child.

Vijay :)

It's really adorable how all the older boys take care of the smallest one, Shibum. This is Ratan talking to him... I love this picture it's so precious.

Anit kicking the ball.

Shiva trying to pose for a picture

Rohan

Hahahahaha!!! I love these boys.

They LOVE football!

Shibum bracing himself for the bounce :)

These boys are brothers and they just joined our family. I'm helping Vijay with English and Math.


So as you can see... I'm pretty busy here. I also just got two roommates from Germany... I'm not longer living alone after a month of being by myself! Wahooo!!!

cats, balloons, and just plain fun

Hello folks,

Well, I’m going to be honest about something. I’ve been feeling really self-conscious about blogging… Sharing my feelings and telling you all about my life and blah, blah, blah. I also always want it to be perfect because I don’t want to be too honest about something that it might offend someone or make someone not like me, but I really just need to get over that. So I’m just gonna type and show you all some pictures.

In my time here I have managed to break one of the schools fans… oops. I’ve also found stray cats in my purse and have been asked if I time travel (apparently America has a time traveling machine?!). I’ve had monkeys in my yard and the electricity is constantly turning off (as well as rain, rain, rain). Because of the lack of meat in the meals here you eat a buttload of peanut-butter (completely natural- so healthy it’s almost gross). And I’m learning Hindi, “Pogal hay?” (You’re crazy!).

Plus, I just get to spend time with some precious kids.

I like being the teacher. You get to do what you want :) I promise they DO learn .

Art and Math combined

This is Rohan's 10th Birthday

Chow mein... yummm

You should have seen his grin afterwards. He thought he was being sooooooo funny :) 

Haha, I don't even know what happened to Mukund!

We had a lot of fun with balloons one afternoon

And I think this face says it all:

Keep praying for me and these boys. Pray that I could just be an example of Christ's love for them.