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This is a journal of one of our mission teams that is currently in India (May 18th - June 1st) working with an organization that ministers to people by meeting their needs while sharing the gospel of Jesus. Good News for Asia is involved in a variety of services: distributing Bibles, funding children's homes, supporting struggling families, providing housing, opening a Christian school, offering weekly children's programs, and encouraging local pastors and congregations. Each member of the team will be a blessing and will be blessed tremendously and they would like to share with you the great things God is doing in India!
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| 05-22-07 |
Greetings from India,
I have asked the team members to write about their first impressions of India and also some of their experiences so far. Here is what they had to say:
Brittany H. - It is hot here!! I was very surprised by everything when we arrived. I think on any trip you kind of set out in your mind how you think things will be and it is never exactly as you thought, it would be, but sometimes it is close. Well this trip was nothing like I guessed. One of the most surprising things was the church. I expected some sort of closed off building with chairs or pews. Neither thought was accurate. The building was completely open with no coverings at all. I expected some sort of covering for raining times but there was nothing. Also everyone sat on the floor on mats. The whole congregation was women an dchildren. When we asked about this the women told us their husbands were all at work. At first this shocked me because I couldn't understand why the men wouldn't be in church too. Later once they explained that the men were at work and it made more sense to me.
[AN INSERT HERE: THE MEN HAD TO WORK BECAUSE THEY ARE CHRISTIANS.] During the service I made eye contact several times with a woman wearing an orange sluar with a blue shaw and kind eyes. Her kind eyes and beautiful smile touched my heart. I prayed for her early in the service that she would be saved. When Bob asked about who was a Christian. She wasn't which broke my heart and brought me to tears. I quickily prayed for God to soften her heart and when Bob asked the second question she raised her hand and was one of the three who wanted to be saved. God works miracles and answers prayers, sometimes quicker than you think possible.
Craig E. - I must admit that when I first arrived in India I had a bit of a culture shock. Before this trip I had never been on a plane before. After flying halfway around the world I had had enough experiences. All I wanted was to be at home surrounded by familiar faces in a familiar setting. There is no escape from the Indian culture here. The city is nothing like I thought it would be. By Amkerican standards this place is very poor. God has changed me, though. As I get to know the team better, as well as some of the nationals, this place feels more like home. PC and his family have been incredibly helpful and hospitable. For example, Maria and Monica, PC's two duaghters, took the team shopping for Indian dresses on Saturday. There is no way we would've been successful without them. Yesterday was Sunday and we traveled 60 miles to visit one of the churches PC has planted. The service was amazing. They met in a building that wasw basically no larger than a pavillion. We each got to share our testimonies with the church, which required two translators. This is only my third day here and already my comfort zone has been destroyed.
Rachel V. - My first impressions of India weren't quite what I expected. I was expecting our living conditions to be worse and to see a lot more poverty. It got very hot and everybody still eats hot food. The land is absolutely gorgeous and the people are very beautiful and very friendly. When we first stepped off the plane & got inside the airport there was a sign that read: Kerala, God's Land. I found that very interesting, Kerala is the state we're working in. This is God's land, He is the Creator & the perfector. We are here as His servants. One of our first experiences here in Trivandrum was going to church on Sunday. We went shopping on Saturday so we would have traditional Indian clothing to wear. We got up early on Sunday & drove 2 hours to PC's very first church plant. We sang songs for them, gave our testimonies & Danielle gave a message. At the very end, Bob gave a salvation call. Three people indicated they wanted to accept the Lord. I especially loved listening to them pray, becuase it involved everybody. They all prayed together and it was so beautiful to listen to them pray to the Lord.
Matt P. - Going to a foreign country, I and little idea what to expect. Trivandrum seems to be a firly well off city. It comes no where nhear typical American neighborhoods, but here it is pretty, the roads are all paved (though the people here drive crazy), and at all times the city seems alive. No matter what time of day there are people driving or walking about. I'm sure that there is a lot worse poverty here than what we have seen. There have been a number of beggars that have approached us motioning for food. Other places I saw a few people either bathing or washing their clothes in a near by river and there were a few spots where we had left the city where people had thrown their house hold trash in piles outside for it to gather. It is fun learning about another culture. One thing that Indian people do is bobble their head as we do in American when we are unsure about somjething, but here it is the some as nodding your head "yes". It's hard to connect with people here. I feel that becuase we don't know Malayalam we only get part of the story. I wish we could spend more time here to really get a taste of what it is like to be Indian and to really understand India.
Danielle S. - India is beautiful to the point of being breath taking. The heat is not nearly as extreme as I expected-most of the time I am quite comfortable. The most noticable thing so far has been the hospitality and warmth of the people, especially our hosts. They go above and beyond our expectations or needs - even at the expense of their own convienences. PC especially is one of the best examples of generosity and living open-hyandedly I have ever seen. Yesterday we spoke at a church; the first one PC ever started for Good News for Asia. In 6 years they have planted 40 churches! It was incredible to see where it all began - the Christians there have a strong faith that is difficult to even start putting into words. On a fun note, PC, the pastor's wife, her son, and her friend took us to a beach afterward where all 3 seas met. It was progeous and the waves were huge! Today was our first day in the school. The kids are very polite but also very shy. They seem to know more English that they let on and are reluctant to speak around us. With some encouragement though, the team has gotten them to laugh with us and open up some. Please pray that these relationships can deepen over the week so that we can teach the kids better! Overall the trip has been unforgettable. If it wasn't for missing all of you back home I feel as if I could stay here all summer! You aare all in my thoughts & prayers. Please keep the team in yours. Love to all of you.
We surely appreciate your prayers and know that they will make the difference for the team and what we can do in the schools.
In His Service,
Carolyn for the India team
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| 05-19-07 |
Greetings from India,
We had a safe and uneventful trip to India. We arrived late last night or early this morning. Our bodies said late last night while we know with our minds it was early this morning - 3:30AM in India. We are 9 1/2 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Savings time. One of our flights was late but it didn't effect us. We were able to get about an hour and half sleep this morning before we had to be ready for breakfast. We had a wonderful buffet breakfast. Our Indian national missionary, PC, is being very hospitable and making our time very pleasant. Later today we will be shopping for our Indian clothes and visiting the beautiful beach. Tomorrow we will be visiting a church about 60 miles away. Monday we will be starting our English camps. We would appreciate your thinking of us.
In His Service,
Carolyn for the India team
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