Evangelism has been pretty cold work lately. We have been spending a lot of time finding the places where college kids hang out and dropping pins on our mental map of Bangalore. We know the theoretical "hot spots" to reach the youth that is so eager to rebel from their traditional heritage. When we engage, however, we are finding that most people aren't too interested in knowing Jesus. This really takes an emotional and spiritual toll on you at first. We obviously know that we aren't going to win every person we encounter to Christ, but we also grow impatient. I think God wanted to teach us patience this week.
The feeling of reward for our work in the slums comes with a certain immediacy that evangelism is lacking. We are using too much logic to argue for Jesus. American atheists would be fascinated by this fact. The South Asians just don't care about all of that. It has more to do with culture and society for them. Show me why I should follow Jesus. I came to a realization that I simply wasn't spending enough time on my knees asking for the lost. I don't know the Father's heart like I should. My head is getting in the way and interrupting the Spirit when it tries to speak and lead. I found myself frustrated with the Indian people and avoiding conversation with them. Satan swept right in and capitalized on my lack of faith. All of this happened in a span of two days or so. I just wanted to stay in the slums where ministry was easy. It makes zero sense to anyone who isn't here, but it's true.
After the night with the widows and some serious prayer, God provided the heart change I needed. I have found Him to be quite the heart surgeon in my time here. He has mended me in every way in the most opportune time as He sees it. We visited another mall in central Bangalore. After many failed attempts in another mall days earlier, I had no reason to be excited. I was excited. God was just speaking peace over the day and I felt good things ahead. I could sense that God was going to set up a fruitful appointment and right at the end of the day He did.
We were in the food court eating ice cream and I was looking for common ground to work from with these people. First I looked for students and found pockets of them scattered. I needed an entry way, some kind of reason to approach them. Then I saw a guitar with three students. Here we go. I went up and asked if they played. All three of them had guitars and had just bought them in hopes of learning. I told them I know some chords and would love to teach them. I also shared Jesus and they were interested as they had never heard someone tell Jesus' story as I did. They didn't know Jesus claimed to be the Son of God but they claimed to be Catholics. I said I would love to hang out again. They were ecstatic and exchanged contact information with me. God came through. We just needed patience.
Later that night I called back home to my little brother and his classmates after dinner. They were still in school and my partner and I got to tell how faithful God had been. It felt good just to brag on Jesus to someone who cared about him for a little bit. Most people here take it with a grain of salt but nothing beats sharing with some passionate brothers. Any stories we tell have to come back to Jesus or they just aren't worth telling. We were running on empty just a couple days ago but have new energy after these past couple days. We love it here. Pray that God has our scattered seed fall on rich soil.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Blind Faith
Now that we feel comfort (or something close to it), we want to know what the next step is. It's only natural. Blind faith brought this far and isn't a principle that terrifies me as it did three weeks ago. But it is also wise to plan with God. Not to be confused with making plans that He destroys later on to teach you a lesson. We need to get on board with what He wants to do early on. What will these next three months look like?
As I've mentioned before, we work both in college and slum ministry. We are finding that our job description is subject to change at any time and it does so almost daily. We have one slum that we work with almost exclusively and see the same children. Those children also go to our church and we teach them there as well. We used to think those slum days were predictable. This was until a group of widows filled the upper room of this building after the children left the other night. There was hardly any room for all of us in there. Shoulder to shoulder from wall to wall we stood with these widows. They wanted to hear Bible stories too. This curveball thrown by The Lord our God was as delightful as it was puzzling. What are we doing here? Who are we ministering to?
Everyone.
God is putting us everywhere so that we can be a light to everyone. We have a purpose no more specific than this: Glorify God. It doesn't need anymore specificity. That will be fleshed out in all sorts of different ways this semester. One week it has been arranged for us to go to a village and preach. At one point, short-term teams will visit and learn under us about Bangalore and reaching people here. A group from California is supposedly coming to help here and will be contacting us in late April. We have waves of structure and relief in the midst of chaos. How could we ever grow bored? We wake up and walk out the door with no earthly idea of what will happen or who we will meet.
Today we met a team of people who specialize in reaching college students in this city. Sounds right up our alley. We drove out to their secluded campus out of town. Our supervisor knows a few people in leadership and wants to have us partner with them. They are a very cautious people and are hesitant to involve outsiders. If they associate with the wrong people it could compromise what they are doing. We learned their methods and processes today. They alternate seasons of evangelism and follow up. We have caught them in a follow up season. We want to help any way we can and have them help us find people. They won't pass the baton of their labor that carelessly and we must understand that. We are trying to gain their trust in hopes of a partnership that will be fruitful. Pray that we can work alongside these people and not be a liability for them. We leave soon. They are here forever.
This would be a step in the right direction. Things are in a constant state of chaos in South Asia as I have said before. When I look at the calendar I see three months which seems like too much time. When I look at the weeks individually I see that we have so little time to accomplish all we need to. Pray that we can make a dent in the most condensed region of lost people on the face of the earth in some manor this semester.
As I've mentioned before, we work both in college and slum ministry. We are finding that our job description is subject to change at any time and it does so almost daily. We have one slum that we work with almost exclusively and see the same children. Those children also go to our church and we teach them there as well. We used to think those slum days were predictable. This was until a group of widows filled the upper room of this building after the children left the other night. There was hardly any room for all of us in there. Shoulder to shoulder from wall to wall we stood with these widows. They wanted to hear Bible stories too. This curveball thrown by The Lord our God was as delightful as it was puzzling. What are we doing here? Who are we ministering to?
Everyone.
God is putting us everywhere so that we can be a light to everyone. We have a purpose no more specific than this: Glorify God. It doesn't need anymore specificity. That will be fleshed out in all sorts of different ways this semester. One week it has been arranged for us to go to a village and preach. At one point, short-term teams will visit and learn under us about Bangalore and reaching people here. A group from California is supposedly coming to help here and will be contacting us in late April. We have waves of structure and relief in the midst of chaos. How could we ever grow bored? We wake up and walk out the door with no earthly idea of what will happen or who we will meet.
Today we met a team of people who specialize in reaching college students in this city. Sounds right up our alley. We drove out to their secluded campus out of town. Our supervisor knows a few people in leadership and wants to have us partner with them. They are a very cautious people and are hesitant to involve outsiders. If they associate with the wrong people it could compromise what they are doing. We learned their methods and processes today. They alternate seasons of evangelism and follow up. We have caught them in a follow up season. We want to help any way we can and have them help us find people. They won't pass the baton of their labor that carelessly and we must understand that. We are trying to gain their trust in hopes of a partnership that will be fruitful. Pray that we can work alongside these people and not be a liability for them. We leave soon. They are here forever.
This would be a step in the right direction. Things are in a constant state of chaos in South Asia as I have said before. When I look at the calendar I see three months which seems like too much time. When I look at the weeks individually I see that we have so little time to accomplish all we need to. Pray that we can make a dent in the most condensed region of lost people on the face of the earth in some manor this semester.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Nieces and Nephews
The family we are staying with is unbelievable. I can't share too much information about them but just know that they are a generous and loving group of people. A kind mother, lovely children, and a father who is an incredible visionary.
I mentioned before that Bangalore is great but it's not perfect. We are starting to see the filth. But we can't throw the baby out with the bath water. We must fight for those who are faithful to Jesus. Corruption is a disease that those in power carry here in India. Bribery is commonplace and money is stolen from residents in all sorts of underhanded ways and it goes completely unpunished. Husbands who don't want to be with their wives anymore do not divorce them. That is too shameful. They think it more sensible to poison her and pay off authorities to look the other way. We found out there is a brothel not far from where we live. Trafficking is a problem here. There are families who take infants they don't want and put them in a pot and cook them to death to feed them to the dogs. We live with a 3 year old who was saved from a home like that. Hardly paradise, right?
My teammate and I take two days out of the week to go to those lowly places and spread the love of Jesus. We take the first half of those days as a sabbath and rest in God. This is not what we would think of in the States. We remain in prayer, worship and the Word until it is time to go to the slums. Then we pour ourselves out for people that are unloved. There are 6,000 people in this slum. 300 of them are Christians.
We go to a fellowship for Christians there to teach English and stories about Jesus. On our left is a Hindu temple and on our right is a mosque. A stretch of pavement that is about the length of a football field holds these places of worship. This is spiritual warfare that is in our face. Pray that Jesus is praised in that place! These people need to understand that the love of God is for them too. Jesus changed my heart and life and it can happen to anyone. They are groping for God in the darkness and looking in all of the wrong places. By grace, we have seen the light and can't help but talk about it. Pray that they receive the Truth.
There is a name that the children both in our house and in the slums call me by that warms my heart every time. Everytime I walk into a room of children who don't know me I'm greeted with a unified hello and I'm asked to say my name. I've learned to just go by "Cam" here and the children all yell, "Hi, Cam uncle!". Most times the students will just run up beside me and tug on my pant leg saying, "Uncle! Uncle!" trying to get my attention. It is like this in the home too. The family has very playful and sweet kids who all call me and my teammate uncle. It's something that makes my heart leap. We really feel like we are apart of a great family here and that we are helping take care of dozens of fabulous children.
We are not trained teachers or trusted babysitters. We came here to preach Christ to college kids. God has managed to set aside a few hours every week to remind me of a passion and vision I've carried for a while now. This upcoming generation must know Jesus, both in the U.S. and abroad. Loving boys and girls who are "untouchable" is helping them know Jesus. Youth ministry is a joy of mine but here it's not that simple. There is no true youth program. It's as it is in Acts. They see a widowed mother who is poor and has kids she's unable to fend for. The Body must rise up and love them like Christ. They need Him more than they need my partner and I. I look forward to those days. I love my nieces and nephews.
R*ch
I mentioned before that Bangalore is great but it's not perfect. We are starting to see the filth. But we can't throw the baby out with the bath water. We must fight for those who are faithful to Jesus. Corruption is a disease that those in power carry here in India. Bribery is commonplace and money is stolen from residents in all sorts of underhanded ways and it goes completely unpunished. Husbands who don't want to be with their wives anymore do not divorce them. That is too shameful. They think it more sensible to poison her and pay off authorities to look the other way. We found out there is a brothel not far from where we live. Trafficking is a problem here. There are families who take infants they don't want and put them in a pot and cook them to death to feed them to the dogs. We live with a 3 year old who was saved from a home like that. Hardly paradise, right?
My teammate and I take two days out of the week to go to those lowly places and spread the love of Jesus. We take the first half of those days as a sabbath and rest in God. This is not what we would think of in the States. We remain in prayer, worship and the Word until it is time to go to the slums. Then we pour ourselves out for people that are unloved. There are 6,000 people in this slum. 300 of them are Christians.
We go to a fellowship for Christians there to teach English and stories about Jesus. On our left is a Hindu temple and on our right is a mosque. A stretch of pavement that is about the length of a football field holds these places of worship. This is spiritual warfare that is in our face. Pray that Jesus is praised in that place! These people need to understand that the love of God is for them too. Jesus changed my heart and life and it can happen to anyone. They are groping for God in the darkness and looking in all of the wrong places. By grace, we have seen the light and can't help but talk about it. Pray that they receive the Truth.
There is a name that the children both in our house and in the slums call me by that warms my heart every time. Everytime I walk into a room of children who don't know me I'm greeted with a unified hello and I'm asked to say my name. I've learned to just go by "Cam" here and the children all yell, "Hi, Cam uncle!". Most times the students will just run up beside me and tug on my pant leg saying, "Uncle! Uncle!" trying to get my attention. It is like this in the home too. The family has very playful and sweet kids who all call me and my teammate uncle. It's something that makes my heart leap. We really feel like we are apart of a great family here and that we are helping take care of dozens of fabulous children.
We are not trained teachers or trusted babysitters. We came here to preach Christ to college kids. God has managed to set aside a few hours every week to remind me of a passion and vision I've carried for a while now. This upcoming generation must know Jesus, both in the U.S. and abroad. Loving boys and girls who are "untouchable" is helping them know Jesus. Youth ministry is a joy of mine but here it's not that simple. There is no true youth program. It's as it is in Acts. They see a widowed mother who is poor and has kids she's unable to fend for. The Body must rise up and love them like Christ. They need Him more than they need my partner and I. I look forward to those days. I love my nieces and nephews.
R*ch
White Fields
This blog is finally true to its name. I write to you from Bangalore. We survived training week and hopelessly fell victim to the infamous "Delhi Belly". We did all that was asked of us and learned a tremendous amount. It was a fantastic week and we grew close to loving, passionate people. But now it's over. Training week felt like a summer camp in a metropolitan playground. Now it's time to work.
We had a saying in Delhi whenever a shortcoming or inconvenience came our way, "It'll be better in Bangalore." Little did we know how true that would be. Bangalore is in a state called Karnataka. This is the California of India and Bangalore is the state's largest city. It is much different from Delhi which I now understand to be a blue collar city. Bangalore is an educational hub. Residents up north claim that when they visit Bangalore they miss India. It is cleaner, warmer, and more westernized. To the Indian eye, it would be too American. Let me tell you (having lived in both places) that it is still very much Indian and has a lot of needs. Wild animals roam the streets. Slums can be found in every district. It still smells like dirt, fire and curry. It's still India.
Bangalore is predominantly Hindu as expected. Muslim comes in at second place and there is surprisingly large demographic of Roman Catholics. This is no doubt the work of the British influence throughout the years but it is not Catholicism as we know it. This Catholicism is more similar to Hinduism than it is Christianity in that it is idol-focused. It has muddled and confusing practices and views. There are also some Baptist and Christian ministries making it a large melting pot of beliefs. Jesus is as misunderstood here as he was up in Delhi.
Dozens of colleges are here in Bangalore and make the youth easy to find and spend time with. We have just swung by most of these places familiarizing ourselves with the layout of the city. There are several districts and they each have their own cultures on display. We are looking for young adults.
We arrived around noon and were picked up by one of our supervisors. Palm trees were everywhere and it felt like paradise compared to Delhi. My partner and I had been fighting off all kinds of attacks from Satan just before and right after our flight here. Sickness and finances are good distractions that the enemy can put in our way to stop us from being effective. My teammate has been battling a fever, back injury, and acid reflux. I am allergy prone enough as it is back home and the potency of the allergens here are giving me more than I can handle. Luckily for us, God has seen our needs and come through swiftly. All sorts of lies from the enemy creep in on a daily basis. We have to fight with truth.
We decided to christen our stay here with a prayer walk through the streets. It was night and we did not know anything about the area we were in. We made a couple of turns and started down a main road. We both were praying to ourselves and asking God to come fill this place. I asked him where He wanted to send us. I felt Him say, "the fields are white for the harvest". This made sense because Jesus said it in John 4 but I wanted to know specifically where these white fields are. I asked Him to show me. I then looked up and saw a traffic sign that said, "White Field" that was pointing at two young men. I can't make this stuff up. We went and shared with them and they wanted to know more about Jesus and meet us again. We exchanged contact information and hope to see them again. The fields are white indeed. God set the tone on night one.
R*ch
We had a saying in Delhi whenever a shortcoming or inconvenience came our way, "It'll be better in Bangalore." Little did we know how true that would be. Bangalore is in a state called Karnataka. This is the California of India and Bangalore is the state's largest city. It is much different from Delhi which I now understand to be a blue collar city. Bangalore is an educational hub. Residents up north claim that when they visit Bangalore they miss India. It is cleaner, warmer, and more westernized. To the Indian eye, it would be too American. Let me tell you (having lived in both places) that it is still very much Indian and has a lot of needs. Wild animals roam the streets. Slums can be found in every district. It still smells like dirt, fire and curry. It's still India.
Bangalore is predominantly Hindu as expected. Muslim comes in at second place and there is surprisingly large demographic of Roman Catholics. This is no doubt the work of the British influence throughout the years but it is not Catholicism as we know it. This Catholicism is more similar to Hinduism than it is Christianity in that it is idol-focused. It has muddled and confusing practices and views. There are also some Baptist and Christian ministries making it a large melting pot of beliefs. Jesus is as misunderstood here as he was up in Delhi.
Dozens of colleges are here in Bangalore and make the youth easy to find and spend time with. We have just swung by most of these places familiarizing ourselves with the layout of the city. There are several districts and they each have their own cultures on display. We are looking for young adults.
We arrived around noon and were picked up by one of our supervisors. Palm trees were everywhere and it felt like paradise compared to Delhi. My partner and I had been fighting off all kinds of attacks from Satan just before and right after our flight here. Sickness and finances are good distractions that the enemy can put in our way to stop us from being effective. My teammate has been battling a fever, back injury, and acid reflux. I am allergy prone enough as it is back home and the potency of the allergens here are giving me more than I can handle. Luckily for us, God has seen our needs and come through swiftly. All sorts of lies from the enemy creep in on a daily basis. We have to fight with truth.
We decided to christen our stay here with a prayer walk through the streets. It was night and we did not know anything about the area we were in. We made a couple of turns and started down a main road. We both were praying to ourselves and asking God to come fill this place. I asked him where He wanted to send us. I felt Him say, "the fields are white for the harvest". This made sense because Jesus said it in John 4 but I wanted to know specifically where these white fields are. I asked Him to show me. I then looked up and saw a traffic sign that said, "White Field" that was pointing at two young men. I can't make this stuff up. We went and shared with them and they wanted to know more about Jesus and meet us again. We exchanged contact information and hope to see them again. The fields are white indeed. God set the tone on night one.
R*ch
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Training Week (Part 2)
Now that I have briefed everyone on the cultural climate we are in, let me tell some specific stories about what has happened and what we are learning about God.
We sit in a room for hours listening to lectures from workers here every day. Whenever I walk in the door and grab my pen, I dread the hour I'm soon to endure of notes and listening. When I walk out that same door, I'm filled with zeal. I'm ready to go share with anyone and everyone. Remember when I said they emphasize story telling in this country? I didn't know how true that was until I engaged in storytelling. You aren't going to argue someone into the Kingdom. They want experiences. Show them the Kingdom! We would tell our personal testimonies and other stories about Jesus and His power. Those two bridges can take you a long way with these people.
We rode the metro train quite often. It's the subway that rests high above the roads and buildings. It's literally a fight to get into one of these. My football instincts kicked in after a while. I threw my shoulder down and ran though frail Indian men to win a place among the hundreds in each little car. One time the door closed just behind me and all eyes turned toward me. I had a look of relief on my face because of my miniature victory in making the cut for this train. One Indian guy about my age found my revelry amusing and smirked. "That was a close one, right?" I sighed with a cordial, goofy tone. He nodded and replied, "Yes, very close!" I began making small talk with him and got to know him. For his protection I won't say his name but he was, as most are, very interested in the story of the American. Where was I from? What do I study? I told him I was from the United States and he seemed very excited to be talking to me. I said I was a writer from Lexington and I've come to write about his country. This certainly isn't a lie, right? But I didn't stop there. "I do love writing. But do you wanna know what my real passion is?" I inquired? He pleaded for me to tell. "I'm a Yeshu bakta. I'm a Jesus follower! I love Jesus and he has changed my life. Can I tell you the story of what Jesus has done for me?" He was all ears. So I told him all about my life before Jesus, my encounter with Jesus as I received him, and my life since then. I told him that I have peace and joy. I am now connected with God and have assurance that I will be with Him eternally. He saved me and I love Him. I'm now a child of God and have His Spirit. This blew him away.
The fact that it blew him away blew me away. He had never heard of Jesus. "Can anyone have that peace and connection to God?" he asked. "Of course! Anyone can have it if they believe in their heart and confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and repent of their sins." He thought it was incredible. By this time we needed to switch trains but he came with us. He followed us for 17 stops more than he needed just so we could talk more. We ended up praying for him by the end and asked Jesus to come fill him. He said he knows some professing Christians at the university and will follow up with them if he wants to take it all more seriously. We rode home in disbelief. A simple story that is so common in the United States is gripping and powerful here. I am now addicted to sharing.
I started so see just how easy it really is to share here. You barely have to try. They approach you. You ask them if they want to hear a story. They always do. Always. You tell them. They either think its a good thing for us or they want to hear more about Jesus. If they want to hear more we tell them. Then we pray for them in any way they need it most. Whether it be healing, peace or blessing. Anything at all is prayed for. We believe that Jesus will show himself through our prayer to these people! He does! We do this every day in all sorts of places. People are a lot more open minded than you would think. Don't debate them! They have philosophies that are far different from ours. It is a futile enterprise. Just show them! Your life and the power of the Spirit is good enough. I promise you it is. Don't believe me? Jesus said it too! Our love for them speaks louder than any deductive argument could.
Their favorite story is the one where Jesus heals the man possessed by demons. They flip for that one. It hits home for them and they see that kind of power here sometimes. You have to learn to contextualize. I'm not saying that we alter the story of Jesus or anything! You don't need to because it's a very Asian book. These people understand it well when they read it knowing Jesus is God.
There are too many incredible stories to recall. We've been praying that God sends demons out of women at a Muslim mosque, prayer walking the streets of the cities, being invited in homes to pray Jesus over the family and have Him heal the diseases they all have. We went to Haridwar; a small town surrounded by mountains that houses one of the largest Hindu festivals in the world and shared with the people there. Sikhs were wanting to know Jesus and the idols these people worshiped seemed powerless. Spiritual warfare is a reality so dense at times that you can almost sense it in the physical.
It's only week one.
The dozen we have here is having a blast telling people about Jesus and we aren't slowing down now. We aren't even in our respective areas yet! Great things have happened but even greater things are waiting for us. It can only be done through Him. This is something we must emphasize to everyone including ourselves. We have no power on our own and must rely 100% on Him and then some. Without God our labor is fruitless and powerless. It's all for His glory and for growing His Kingdom. We don't belong to a church here and aren't asking for money. We just want everyone to know Jesus.
Prayer requests right now would have to be a continuous boldness to go out and have those conversations. We also need God's eyes for the places we go. We need to see what He wants us to do and where it needs to happen. Pray for good soil for us to sow seeds in and pray for them to receive the news with excitement and joy. Pray that God is glorified.
R*ch
We sit in a room for hours listening to lectures from workers here every day. Whenever I walk in the door and grab my pen, I dread the hour I'm soon to endure of notes and listening. When I walk out that same door, I'm filled with zeal. I'm ready to go share with anyone and everyone. Remember when I said they emphasize story telling in this country? I didn't know how true that was until I engaged in storytelling. You aren't going to argue someone into the Kingdom. They want experiences. Show them the Kingdom! We would tell our personal testimonies and other stories about Jesus and His power. Those two bridges can take you a long way with these people.
We rode the metro train quite often. It's the subway that rests high above the roads and buildings. It's literally a fight to get into one of these. My football instincts kicked in after a while. I threw my shoulder down and ran though frail Indian men to win a place among the hundreds in each little car. One time the door closed just behind me and all eyes turned toward me. I had a look of relief on my face because of my miniature victory in making the cut for this train. One Indian guy about my age found my revelry amusing and smirked. "That was a close one, right?" I sighed with a cordial, goofy tone. He nodded and replied, "Yes, very close!" I began making small talk with him and got to know him. For his protection I won't say his name but he was, as most are, very interested in the story of the American. Where was I from? What do I study? I told him I was from the United States and he seemed very excited to be talking to me. I said I was a writer from Lexington and I've come to write about his country. This certainly isn't a lie, right? But I didn't stop there. "I do love writing. But do you wanna know what my real passion is?" I inquired? He pleaded for me to tell. "I'm a Yeshu bakta. I'm a Jesus follower! I love Jesus and he has changed my life. Can I tell you the story of what Jesus has done for me?" He was all ears. So I told him all about my life before Jesus, my encounter with Jesus as I received him, and my life since then. I told him that I have peace and joy. I am now connected with God and have assurance that I will be with Him eternally. He saved me and I love Him. I'm now a child of God and have His Spirit. This blew him away.
The fact that it blew him away blew me away. He had never heard of Jesus. "Can anyone have that peace and connection to God?" he asked. "Of course! Anyone can have it if they believe in their heart and confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and repent of their sins." He thought it was incredible. By this time we needed to switch trains but he came with us. He followed us for 17 stops more than he needed just so we could talk more. We ended up praying for him by the end and asked Jesus to come fill him. He said he knows some professing Christians at the university and will follow up with them if he wants to take it all more seriously. We rode home in disbelief. A simple story that is so common in the United States is gripping and powerful here. I am now addicted to sharing.
I started so see just how easy it really is to share here. You barely have to try. They approach you. You ask them if they want to hear a story. They always do. Always. You tell them. They either think its a good thing for us or they want to hear more about Jesus. If they want to hear more we tell them. Then we pray for them in any way they need it most. Whether it be healing, peace or blessing. Anything at all is prayed for. We believe that Jesus will show himself through our prayer to these people! He does! We do this every day in all sorts of places. People are a lot more open minded than you would think. Don't debate them! They have philosophies that are far different from ours. It is a futile enterprise. Just show them! Your life and the power of the Spirit is good enough. I promise you it is. Don't believe me? Jesus said it too! Our love for them speaks louder than any deductive argument could.
Their favorite story is the one where Jesus heals the man possessed by demons. They flip for that one. It hits home for them and they see that kind of power here sometimes. You have to learn to contextualize. I'm not saying that we alter the story of Jesus or anything! You don't need to because it's a very Asian book. These people understand it well when they read it knowing Jesus is God.
There are too many incredible stories to recall. We've been praying that God sends demons out of women at a Muslim mosque, prayer walking the streets of the cities, being invited in homes to pray Jesus over the family and have Him heal the diseases they all have. We went to Haridwar; a small town surrounded by mountains that houses one of the largest Hindu festivals in the world and shared with the people there. Sikhs were wanting to know Jesus and the idols these people worshiped seemed powerless. Spiritual warfare is a reality so dense at times that you can almost sense it in the physical.
It's only week one.
The dozen we have here is having a blast telling people about Jesus and we aren't slowing down now. We aren't even in our respective areas yet! Great things have happened but even greater things are waiting for us. It can only be done through Him. This is something we must emphasize to everyone including ourselves. We have no power on our own and must rely 100% on Him and then some. Without God our labor is fruitless and powerless. It's all for His glory and for growing His Kingdom. We don't belong to a church here and aren't asking for money. We just want everyone to know Jesus.
Prayer requests right now would have to be a continuous boldness to go out and have those conversations. We also need God's eyes for the places we go. We need to see what He wants us to do and where it needs to happen. Pray for good soil for us to sow seeds in and pray for them to receive the news with excitement and joy. Pray that God is glorified.
R*ch
Training Week (Part 1)
We have been on a social media fast. This has forced me to do a number of things. One of them is writing an extensive overview of all my experiences this past week. I'm sitting on a train that is rolling through the plains and mountains of the northern Indian countryside from a town called Haridwar. I have nothing else to do. You must realize that this is also an impossible feat but I'm going to try and you won't want to finish the post. It's fine. I'm sure my mom will at least read it all. I'll provide two posts and show you the areas where prayer is needed. One will be of my arrival and describing the culture. The other will tell stories of various encounters I had with people and what God has doen so far. So without further a due, lets get in to it.
We landed in India and not long after that we found a dozen others at the gate who were with us as well. All kinds of people from all over the United States joined together in excitement. Excited because all the anticipation that was built up in our hearts and spirits was reality. We had arrived in South Asia. Not all of us were going to India to work after this week. Some to surrounding countries.
I am intentionally not giving specific names or places for a reason. What we are doing us dangerous and there are security precautions that must be taken. I'm being vague on purpose. I'll tell you more when I get back.
We got into a cab and rode to the place we would all stay together. This can driver did not speak English and was, by any American standard, a horrendous driver. He was average in Indial. The lanes that have been marked off on the road are useless and were a massive waste of time to make. No one uses them. There is no order other than a traffic light every couple of miles and the fact that everyone drives on the left side of the road. I have been to England and South Africa before and they do this as well. You don't get used to it quickly and you are in a perpetual state of fear that a devastating wreck is ensuing. It never comes. These people are good at what they do. Why wouldn't they be? What else do they know? They're accustomed to this way of driving and living. It's remarkable to see the organization in the midst of the chaos.
We pulled up to the house which was in the middle of downtown. We were in the Capitol of India (hint, hint) and 20 million people inhabit this city. It sure feels like it too. Privacy is an American idea which I've found to be impossible to achieve here. They don't know what it is and they don't seek it. You are never alone in India. How do you fit billions of people in a country 1/3 the size (geographically) of the United States? You start putting people on top of one another. Asking for personal space is laughable.
Every smell is pungent and follows you like your shadow. We stereotype Indians as a people who smell like curry. Stereotypes exist for a reason, folks. They really do. The streets, no matter how clean they look on the surface, wreak of urine, dirt and curry. Anything you eat comes out of your pores in sweat and you adopt it's scent. I actually don't smell it anymore. This frightens me beyond words and means one or two things. I'm either used to the smell or I carry the smell permanently. It's probably both. In any case, my sensory demise has lead me to a place on comfort here and this is important. I needed to reform what normalcy is in my mind and match it with India's.
The streets are caked with dirt and have no beauty. There are several buildings that are interesting and a few parts of town that are Westernized. It's a mess. At first I didn't understand how these people live in such a way. The caste system is no myth or joke either. Your name dictates how you live and how you are treated. I have seen homeless people before in America and in other countries. This a level of poverty unlike anything I've ever known. On the other side of the coin I saw people of great wealth. Beggars and children fully expected to receive money or food from us because they assume we are sympathetic. Most of them are also working on the streets for someone and the real need is down in the slums. I saw people who are doing very well and have a great education that lead them to a profitable occupation. They have an arrogance about this that reminds me of people from the States. They still have a South Asian worldview and are trapped in that lifestyle in ways they don't know. I can see it though. My eyes have been trained by 20 years of being an American and by hours of sessions learning about these people. I know a lot more than they think I do. I understand what motivates them to make progress and what holds them back from doing completely as they please. Some rebel from their South Asian upbringing but only to a certain extent.
They view cleanliness differently. The have low respect for women (which disturbs and disgusts me). They find some things rude that we find normal. They find some things normal that we find rude ( i.e., cutting in line, honking your horn incessantly). They will more than likely get a job in the family business one day and rarely make their own path. Individualism is unwise and unwelcome (this one is growing on me). They have dozens of different languages in every city and state. Marriages are arranged. Homosexuality is illegal. Women don't look men in the eyes. They squat over a hole to do business and wipe with their left hands. These are a few things that we need to get familiar with.
We got stared at everywhere we went. You get used to that too. The bewildered looks on their faces were difficult to read. Some thought we were celebrities and took pictures and videos of us. Some scowled at us and were offended by us. One thing was common among them: They all wanted to know why we were there. It was a good question. We weren't in very touristy areas and often visited temples and mosques (more in part 2). This made it easy to start conversations (assuming they spoke English) and share the good news. Most who did speak English were extremely friendly and more than willing to talk and help us out. It is not uncommon for Indians to invite new friends into their homes to chai (tea, milk and sugar) which is a drink people socialize around. I prefer coffee; but chai's not half bad.
So now we are situated here in India. The customs, language, and pace of this part of the world is something I can imitate and emulate. Training week is over and we, like seed, are about to be scattered about South Asia. Pray that the cultural flow does not bend us to a breaking point but that we stay the course.
R*ch
We landed in India and not long after that we found a dozen others at the gate who were with us as well. All kinds of people from all over the United States joined together in excitement. Excited because all the anticipation that was built up in our hearts and spirits was reality. We had arrived in South Asia. Not all of us were going to India to work after this week. Some to surrounding countries.
I am intentionally not giving specific names or places for a reason. What we are doing us dangerous and there are security precautions that must be taken. I'm being vague on purpose. I'll tell you more when I get back.
We got into a cab and rode to the place we would all stay together. This can driver did not speak English and was, by any American standard, a horrendous driver. He was average in Indial. The lanes that have been marked off on the road are useless and were a massive waste of time to make. No one uses them. There is no order other than a traffic light every couple of miles and the fact that everyone drives on the left side of the road. I have been to England and South Africa before and they do this as well. You don't get used to it quickly and you are in a perpetual state of fear that a devastating wreck is ensuing. It never comes. These people are good at what they do. Why wouldn't they be? What else do they know? They're accustomed to this way of driving and living. It's remarkable to see the organization in the midst of the chaos.
We pulled up to the house which was in the middle of downtown. We were in the Capitol of India (hint, hint) and 20 million people inhabit this city. It sure feels like it too. Privacy is an American idea which I've found to be impossible to achieve here. They don't know what it is and they don't seek it. You are never alone in India. How do you fit billions of people in a country 1/3 the size (geographically) of the United States? You start putting people on top of one another. Asking for personal space is laughable.
Every smell is pungent and follows you like your shadow. We stereotype Indians as a people who smell like curry. Stereotypes exist for a reason, folks. They really do. The streets, no matter how clean they look on the surface, wreak of urine, dirt and curry. Anything you eat comes out of your pores in sweat and you adopt it's scent. I actually don't smell it anymore. This frightens me beyond words and means one or two things. I'm either used to the smell or I carry the smell permanently. It's probably both. In any case, my sensory demise has lead me to a place on comfort here and this is important. I needed to reform what normalcy is in my mind and match it with India's.
The streets are caked with dirt and have no beauty. There are several buildings that are interesting and a few parts of town that are Westernized. It's a mess. At first I didn't understand how these people live in such a way. The caste system is no myth or joke either. Your name dictates how you live and how you are treated. I have seen homeless people before in America and in other countries. This a level of poverty unlike anything I've ever known. On the other side of the coin I saw people of great wealth. Beggars and children fully expected to receive money or food from us because they assume we are sympathetic. Most of them are also working on the streets for someone and the real need is down in the slums. I saw people who are doing very well and have a great education that lead them to a profitable occupation. They have an arrogance about this that reminds me of people from the States. They still have a South Asian worldview and are trapped in that lifestyle in ways they don't know. I can see it though. My eyes have been trained by 20 years of being an American and by hours of sessions learning about these people. I know a lot more than they think I do. I understand what motivates them to make progress and what holds them back from doing completely as they please. Some rebel from their South Asian upbringing but only to a certain extent.
They view cleanliness differently. The have low respect for women (which disturbs and disgusts me). They find some things rude that we find normal. They find some things normal that we find rude ( i.e., cutting in line, honking your horn incessantly). They will more than likely get a job in the family business one day and rarely make their own path. Individualism is unwise and unwelcome (this one is growing on me). They have dozens of different languages in every city and state. Marriages are arranged. Homosexuality is illegal. Women don't look men in the eyes. They squat over a hole to do business and wipe with their left hands. These are a few things that we need to get familiar with.
We got stared at everywhere we went. You get used to that too. The bewildered looks on their faces were difficult to read. Some thought we were celebrities and took pictures and videos of us. Some scowled at us and were offended by us. One thing was common among them: They all wanted to know why we were there. It was a good question. We weren't in very touristy areas and often visited temples and mosques (more in part 2). This made it easy to start conversations (assuming they spoke English) and share the good news. Most who did speak English were extremely friendly and more than willing to talk and help us out. It is not uncommon for Indians to invite new friends into their homes to chai (tea, milk and sugar) which is a drink people socialize around. I prefer coffee; but chai's not half bad.
So now we are situated here in India. The customs, language, and pace of this part of the world is something I can imitate and emulate. Training week is over and we, like seed, are about to be scattered about South Asia. Pray that the cultural flow does not bend us to a breaking point but that we stay the course.
R*ch
Saturday, January 12, 2013
From "Seat 15A",
I'm gazing out the window at the wing of this rickety plane comprised of twenty people or so (that's a generous estimate). We are en route to New York. There is a looming temptation to be fearful as I'm nearly certain I saw multiple strands of duct tape holding what appears to be crucial parts of the aircraft together.
All of that aside, there is no anxiety within me concerning the labor that God has set before me. Interestingly enough, He has set this task not at my feet, but He's set it just far enough away that I'm forced to take steps and then seize it. Traveling roughly 8,000 miles is more than a few steps but...still. The point is that God wants a proactive pursuit of Him and of His work. I'm here and I'm ready to work. God has started moving in miraculous ways in my heart and mind already and I've only been on this trip for about 10 minutes now. Can't say I'm too surprised, though. He is God after all.
I'm staring at the wing of the plane as it slices through clouds and soars to heights that allow me to see the work of His hands. I'm seeing God in everything. I'm seeing Jesus everywhere. He is waiting in India right now. Peace abounds in my soul and is conquering all fear. This could only be God. Frailty is understood best, perhaps, when you are on a plane and you look downward. I'm musing. I am slowly coming to grips with some key truths:
•I am weak; He is strong
•He takes people who are woefully under qualified and uses them in great ways.
•He loves people and wants to teach me to love people like He does.
•He is not intimidated by the fact that Christians are a minority in India.
•He knows me and wants me to know Him (my heart can't evade the weight and sheer strength of that one).
•Jesus is the most powerful and precious being in history.
•Jesus lives in me.
Those last two are really good ones. They will lead to empirical evidence of Christ's lordship and ability. Of course I knew all of things before today but God can bring them to mind at the most opportune times. There is also a difference between knowing these points and understanding them. Understanding should bring about some sort of result or action. I shouldn't be unmoved upon hearing these enigmatic truths. They have taken a restless spirit and bridled it into ease. In the midst of millions of people and chaotic times, I feel ease. Only 7,500 miles to go...
All of that aside, there is no anxiety within me concerning the labor that God has set before me. Interestingly enough, He has set this task not at my feet, but He's set it just far enough away that I'm forced to take steps and then seize it. Traveling roughly 8,000 miles is more than a few steps but...still. The point is that God wants a proactive pursuit of Him and of His work. I'm here and I'm ready to work. God has started moving in miraculous ways in my heart and mind already and I've only been on this trip for about 10 minutes now. Can't say I'm too surprised, though. He is God after all.
I'm staring at the wing of the plane as it slices through clouds and soars to heights that allow me to see the work of His hands. I'm seeing God in everything. I'm seeing Jesus everywhere. He is waiting in India right now. Peace abounds in my soul and is conquering all fear. This could only be God. Frailty is understood best, perhaps, when you are on a plane and you look downward. I'm musing. I am slowly coming to grips with some key truths:
•I am weak; He is strong
•He takes people who are woefully under qualified and uses them in great ways.
•He loves people and wants to teach me to love people like He does.
•He is not intimidated by the fact that Christians are a minority in India.
•He knows me and wants me to know Him (my heart can't evade the weight and sheer strength of that one).
•Jesus is the most powerful and precious being in history.
•Jesus lives in me.
Those last two are really good ones. They will lead to empirical evidence of Christ's lordship and ability. Of course I knew all of things before today but God can bring them to mind at the most opportune times. There is also a difference between knowing these points and understanding them. Understanding should bring about some sort of result or action. I shouldn't be unmoved upon hearing these enigmatic truths. They have taken a restless spirit and bridled it into ease. In the midst of millions of people and chaotic times, I feel ease. Only 7,500 miles to go...
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