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We live in a beautiful world... This is my beautiful India :) 

I don't know if you can tell but not only is it raining but it is hailing!
I was going crazy because this is the closest to snow I ever got here... frozen ice
falling from the sky.

The Ganges river at sunset. 

This is a ghat in Rishikesh. People wash here because
the ganges river is supposedly able to wash you
from your sins.

My beautiful roommate, Lene and I. 

A monkey joined us for lunch.

I've been told that the pictures of the Hindu gods are there to keep
people from peeing on the walls because "god is watching you"
I guess it's one way to get things done.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, moon and stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 

Life Goes on Forever...

"Before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil having already having put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God, and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him." John 13:1-5

This week I'm coming upon 7 months in India... And it is just crazy to think of everything that has happened, and that I have a mere 4 months left if I leave as planned on the last week of May. I do think about the future quite a bit, what I will do after this, what God has planned for me next. I've come to the conclusion that I should stop making plans, I should stop creating scenarios in my head of what it might be like coming home... good and bad. I need to live, live with the conviction of this:

 "Whoever receives His testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true." John 3:33.

 And when I was reading John 13 something in it hit me like I was just kicked by a horse and tears just came out- that Jesus... knowing he would die, knowing he would be betrayed by someone who claimed to love him, knowing he would suffer, and knowing that God had given all things into his hands. He could have said no and lived a normal life.. he could have been satisfied with the fame of few and the power he already had. He could have said no... He knew he was from God. He knew he hadn't done anything deserving of death, let alone a painful death. But instead of saying "no" instead he humbled himself before the disciples. Removing his clothes, wrapping himself in a towel, he washed the disciples feet (any of you who have lived in a second or third world country would know how dirty your feet are!) and dried them with the towel tied around his waist. How amazing is that.... How humbling is it to realize the God who created you is washing is your feet... in his underwear! All to give us life. To give us a new life, an eternal life, in Him and His Father, to give us the Spirit.

I've been thinking about life lately. There was a new life, a baby girl, Simyana, born  to the son, Asher,  and daughter-in-law, Lara, 

to Frieda and Ken who run this place. They have recently become the houseparents of the older boys and are just really an amazing. Lara has been a good friend and mentor to me in the months here.

The other volunteers and I made a baby mobile for Simyana

Something I appreciate about life is that you can always have a chance at a new one, or a new opportunity to understand and appreciate the gift given to us. Especially an opportunity like moving to a new country for a year. It really does give you a new perspective, a renewed perspective. Not only of your own country and home, but of the God who created it all. It's been nice to come here and have the chance for God to teach me so many things about himself that I've always known but never really known before. 

This was one of our activities in "Activity Time" at school. 

There are so many new things for the boys when they come here. One big focus is education. Many of the new boys who have come here don't speak any English, many of them don't even speak proper Hindi. When they come most of them have never been to school regularly before. So my roommate and I get to teach them. Which are not only new experiences for them but also for us as well.

These are two of my best students. Devender and Vijay. I've been teaching Devender for  nearly the whole time I've
arrived here and I'm just AMAZED at how we started with the alphabet and now he's trying (and succeeding!) at reading so many other things. 

Vijay is my little professor because he loves to learn. He's so funny
when he finally understands something... "Ohhh yess Mam Yess!!!!!"

I have to say that I really do love my students. They can be so sweet sometimes. "Mam, are you happy? If you're happy we're happy!" 

We are also reminded of life at our birthdays each year. Sometimes I think I often to forget to be thankful just for being alive. 

It was my roommate, Karo's birthday on the 28th of January.

We almost always eat chow mein for birthdays... all the boys have chopsticks but they
were trying to eat with one in each hand!

 One of the boys school books called for a family photo. So I luckily got a couple snaps of this family!  Something that I've been quite impressed with is that this really is a family. It's diverse, with 16 boys from India (and with 2 from Nepal), it can be a bit chaotic and messy sometimes... but somehow it works. But I think that somehow is a somewho... aka God. Because slowly, steadily, faithfully, God renews them. He renews the houseparents, he renews and heals the boys... its plain and clear that God is working in their lives. And I'm so thankful to be a part of that.

Beulah, Ruth Auntie,Devender, Rahul, Vijay, Bharat, Ashish, Ratan, Miraj, Rohan Preetam, Gautam, Harsh,
Daksh, Bhaskar, Shivam, Anit, Shiva. (Not pictured: Kirran Uncle. He was feeling sick this night).

                       This is Shivam. When he got here he just hung on his brother's back for the first week. I didn't see him smile for at least one month. Now it's been a quite a few and he doesn't stop talking to you, he will run and play and scream like a normal 4 year old. He can already speak some basic English. And God loves him so much. It's the only way I can explain a smile like this. And I can't help but smile back. Because not only does God give new life to us, he makes it new every day. With every blessing, with every smile from the boys here...with every tear shed from sadness or frustration, God is breathing His life into me.

And I am so thankful. That even when we feel uncertain, or our hearts are just broken from the loss of someone close, the upheavals of life are still God's way of reaching us, of finding our dead places and breathing his life into them. Because he loves us. 

Break It Up, Breaking Out

Seek

Hosea 10:12

                     Sow for yourselves righteousness;
                         reap steadfast love;
                         break up your fallow ground,
                    for it is the time to seek the LORD,
                          that He may come and rain
                              righteousness upon you.



Lately I've been convicted of not truly seeking God for God, but merely seeking him for answers. My sister reminded me that God is not the means to an end but he is the END. If I have Him, I have everything. I found this verse and what sticks out is the line "break up your fallow ground,".
Seriously, that is so true! Before I can expect big answers or see God working I have to break off whatever isn't of him, I have to build myself upon the Rock, upon His Word. Only then can he rain down his righteousness. Only then can I see Him move the mountains.



After Christmas I went touring India a little bit with my roommates. We went to Delhi and Mumbai and were gone for a total of up to 2 weeks. It was interesting, but it was amazing to come home to Shishya.


I've been finding that Jesus come up in the most unexpected places. I found this in Delhi in the National Museum amongst countless paintings of the Hindu gods.
The Nativity Scene.

It was painted in A.D. 1720-25 

This is the Gate of India in Mumbai... it was right next to the place we were staying.

Dhobi Ghat

    A place that supposedly holds over 5,000 people. The men do the washing for nearly the entire city of Mumbai.    

 It was here that I met some amazing people.

I don't even know what exactly it was that drew me to this place but I'm glad I went.

I was feeling tired of being so touristy, because frankly, I've found it's not something I particularly enjoy. I realized that a building is just a building, but it's the people of a place that make that place special. And it's what I found here. 

These women and children were kind enough to let me peek into their lives for an hour or two. I asked them if I could ask them questions and get to know them -so they sat me down and let me ask away. I haven't included as much as what we talked about, but it's personal and I find broadcasting it on a blog a little strange, I wasn't even sure initially if I would mention it at all. But I started with talking about breaking up fallow ground and it starts here, with me letting go of being someone that I can't be. I wasn't put on this earth to be a tourist but to be a kid of God. And if you're a kid of God then what you care about isn't so much about where or when, why or what, but about who. The who is who God cares about. Which is everyone so why should I not get to know everyone? Shouldn't I be caring about everyone? 

This woman, Geeta, has been selling goods handmade in Gujarat for 18-20 years

She was so sweet and gave me a gift of anklets that jingle when we said goodbye.

Sometimes she has a competition with her husband to see who can sell more in a day.

 

This is Usha, she is in her first year of marriage and is 18 years old. She's never been to school but has been selling since she was 7 or 8 years old. She loves selling by the Dhobi Ghats (her home) because she gets to be with her friends all day.

I was so impressed by them. None of the women have gone to school, but they work so their children can. 

There was something wonderful about sitting down and having a real conversation with them... sometimes I get really frustrated because I'm always looked at as an outsider, which is understandable because I am an outsider. Basically, I was so incredibly blessed by them being so open to me (even though I can be so foolish about the culture here), telling me about their lives and smiling and laughing with me. Especially since I can be deficient in having conversations with people I don't know very well. It's time to break up the fake ground, it's time to move on- breaking out of old habits and selfishness, and just focus on God. 

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.