I have flown halfway around the world on an adventure filled with great anticipation and uncertainty to experience a new culture and see God’s hand at work in India. Words cannot express how amazing this experience has been. I’ve seen great beauty in ancient ruins, in the colorful dress, and breathtaking scenery. I’ve seen the ugliness of trash-ridden streets, poor and dirty children begging for money, seen just a glimpse of caste and the plight of some 200 million Dalit. I’ve looked into the eyes of beggars and turned away in frustration and helplessness. I’ve seen the gratitude in a cripple’s eye for 10 rupees (20 cents). I’ve peeked into temples and seen ancient ruins to gods who have no power and offer no hope. I’ve learned how laughter and a smile is understood regardless of language. I’ve seen the wealth of a rising industrial nation and the shameful poverty and living conditions of a culture where most see it as Karma – people living the life the deserve from past sin. I saw Slumdog Millionaire at the Regal Theatre in Mumbai, the city where it was filmed. I’ve seen from a distance the miles and miles of slums that envelope the city.
I’ve ridden sleeper class in a railcar double-booked. I’ve seen Mumbai, Delhi, and soon Lucknow. I’ve hiked three big hills and the Himalayas await on our planned trek in late March. I’ve had chai with random shopkeepers. I’ve played hackie sack with dozens of schoolboys in Mussoorie. I’ve learned how to squat. My calves are iron from walking up and down the hill to work. I’m picking up little Hindi phrases here and there. I’ve decided 9-5 is a vacation compared to studio!
I came here looking for a great adventure and figuring God would teach me something new too. Already I can see him showing me the great honor and adventure in following Him with all of my heart. It has been such a blessing to be surrounded by so many godly men and women – foreigners and Indians – whose sole desire is to see God move in this country. To have quiet time every single day. To pray with people who know and have seen its effectiveness. To be free from distraction and to have rest. He’s opening my eyes to the world. Seems it’s a bit bigger than the pocket sized box I carried in my head. I can tell He is just getting started.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Photoshoot on top of Witch Hill
We hiked about an hour and a half to witch hill where we had a steamy hot photoshoot on the top - you know, me and three other guys. It was great! It looked like Nebraska if you only looked down at your feet. Just ignore all the mountains all around you! Stay tuned for more photos in the near future.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Post Trip Thoughts
I don't even know how to begin this entry. My trip in and around Mumbai could hardly be described in a way that would do it justice. The experiences, the emotions, the sights, the sounds, the smells - all these could only be understood by one who is there. For that I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to be there for myself, and I hope that you might have the opportunity to do so yourself one day. I don't have the time, energy, or interest to share with you every detail, but I would like to share with you a few experiences and thoughts that I really can feel God using to shape my heart. I hope that they are a blessing and a challenge to you.
001. New Life - I understand now a little more of what new life is. When Paul writes "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17) it is no trivial matter. New Life is God taking your brokenness - your past history of shame or abuse, neglect and hopelessness - and replacing it with love and purpose and hope. I saw that at Navjeeven. I looked into the eyes of children who have been raped and abused. Who were told and believed they were nothing more than objects of a cruel world. They have visible scars and unseen brokenness. They were beaten and taken advantage of by wicked men. They were abandoned by mother and father. But in every single pair of eyes, there was New Life. God has used good men and good women to take them into good homes. He has poured hope and love into their hearts. He is speaking truth to them that they are worth more than the dirt they once felt they were. They are children of God and are precious in his sight. Oh how shamed I felt to look into the eyes of a young girl knowing how cruel the world has treated her and to think that I do not hold close to my heart the New Life that God has given be by His Grace!
002. The Temple of God - We visited Elephantine Island our last day in Mumbai. We ferried about an hour to this ancient place of temples carved into the rock - temples to Shiva. As I wandered and looked I saw beautiful sculpture hewn from the stone. Magnificent large columns and carvings that must have taken hundreds of years to complete. Throughout the several cave temples phalic shrines to Shiva by a people who believed that appeasing this God would give them blessing and fertility. I thought of the early Christians living under Roman rule. They were surrounded by glorious temples of huge proportion. Temples built of columns just one would take a man 50 years of his life to complete. Amazing sculptures to beautiful and ominous gods. Temples unrivaled by many of modern man's own structure. And where was the temple to this God of the Christians? Where was the dwelling place of this Father we speak of? Not in temples made by man - but in the heart of those who follow Him. I stood among temples long past their days of glory. The beautiful murals a mere memory. The sculpture crumbling. The columns glory fading away. But the home of the One True God lives well inside of those who believe. And not by exclusive invitation - as if the Christian has bragging rights to have God dwell inside them, but by the free Grace that is offered by God to every person. Jesus said himself: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). And again: "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23). The temple of God may not stand as great monuments of the work of man, but He reveals himself in the beauty of the changed heart.
001. New Life - I understand now a little more of what new life is. When Paul writes "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17) it is no trivial matter. New Life is God taking your brokenness - your past history of shame or abuse, neglect and hopelessness - and replacing it with love and purpose and hope. I saw that at Navjeeven. I looked into the eyes of children who have been raped and abused. Who were told and believed they were nothing more than objects of a cruel world. They have visible scars and unseen brokenness. They were beaten and taken advantage of by wicked men. They were abandoned by mother and father. But in every single pair of eyes, there was New Life. God has used good men and good women to take them into good homes. He has poured hope and love into their hearts. He is speaking truth to them that they are worth more than the dirt they once felt they were. They are children of God and are precious in his sight. Oh how shamed I felt to look into the eyes of a young girl knowing how cruel the world has treated her and to think that I do not hold close to my heart the New Life that God has given be by His Grace!
002. The Temple of God - We visited Elephantine Island our last day in Mumbai. We ferried about an hour to this ancient place of temples carved into the rock - temples to Shiva. As I wandered and looked I saw beautiful sculpture hewn from the stone. Magnificent large columns and carvings that must have taken hundreds of years to complete. Throughout the several cave temples phalic shrines to Shiva by a people who believed that appeasing this God would give them blessing and fertility. I thought of the early Christians living under Roman rule. They were surrounded by glorious temples of huge proportion. Temples built of columns just one would take a man 50 years of his life to complete. Amazing sculptures to beautiful and ominous gods. Temples unrivaled by many of modern man's own structure. And where was the temple to this God of the Christians? Where was the dwelling place of this Father we speak of? Not in temples made by man - but in the heart of those who follow Him. I stood among temples long past their days of glory. The beautiful murals a mere memory. The sculpture crumbling. The columns glory fading away. But the home of the One True God lives well inside of those who believe. And not by exclusive invitation - as if the Christian has bragging rights to have God dwell inside them, but by the free Grace that is offered by God to every person. Jesus said himself: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). And again: "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23). The temple of God may not stand as great monuments of the work of man, but He reveals himself in the beauty of the changed heart.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Namaskar from Maharastra!
We finished up our project trip with MVM and are back in Mumbai for a couple days before heading back to Mussoorie. What an amazing experience. There is so much to tell - so many lessons learned. We stayed at a place where children who are rescued from sex slavery in Mumbai grow up and learn about Jesus and have a good family to take care of them. Nearly 200 children between 4-17 years of age. You can imagine that would be a sobering experience! To see the smiles on these kids faces as we ackwardly tried to talk to them, playing cricket, showing them our cameras - wow. They touched our lives way more than we could possibly touch theirs. I can't wait to share more.
So basically, I'm doing well and just amazed at what God is doing in India.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Mumbai!
I arrived in Mumbai this morning about 5:30AM India time. After 26 hours on the train, we had enough of traveling! Along the way we mostly sat and read, napped, and looked out the window. At some of the stops beggars would come in and sweep the train floor and ask for change. Two young children came in during two different occasions. It happened while I was reading a chapter about soul food from Ravi Zacharias's book Jesus Among Other Gods. It talks about how Jesus related so much of his ministry to food, using it as a means to convey God's greater message of the hunger within us all for the eternal. And this boy comes in and simply points to his head with a weak hand. I give him two rupees without thinking. What else can I do. After tapping one of the staff with us, he is given an orange and a loving pat on the back. I choked up. Another stop and another boy. Another gave him some pretzels to eat. To think for some reason, of the nearly 7 billion on this earth, I was born into such a wealthy and loving home. How painful it is to recognize such great need when I've never experienced it in my life. Have I taken my life for granted? A loving home? A warm bed? Food always to eat? And there are so many starving, orphaned, homeless children to see here.
We saw all sorts of great sights here in Mumbai. I got to see the Taj Mahal Hotel where all the hubub took place. It's already reopened for business and you can't see a scratch on it. Wandered all over the city watching people, browsing (or more like fending off the sellers!) and eating delicious new eats. So much to look. So much to smell (good and baaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddd). But one event I think will stand out in my mind.
We were searching Mumbai for a particular candy shop, supposedly world famous. A young girl, maybe 6 or 7 comes up alongside me. She's carry a crying baby. All she says is sir. I don't look for a moment. It's hard to look. And then I do. I realize we are looking for a shop to buy something just because it tastes good. I'm not hungry. I ask a fruit vendor for directions and buy an orange and give it to the girl. She smiles and then points to a banana. So I start to hand the orange back and she changes her mind. The orange would do. We walked away towards our destination. I didn't stop to look. It's hard to look. But I saw her smiling as she started to peel it and I couldn't help but wave goodbye. What more could I do.
We watched Slumdog Millionaire at a theatre here. Everyone should watch it. Even for being here a few short weeks it seems to very accurately portray India. It's sad but uplifting. And I thought of it after I met the little girl. Watch it and I think you'll understand.
We walked back to our hotel in the dark. Many people getting ready to sleep on the sidewalks. Old, young, families, loners, crippled. It's hard to look. I don't think I'll ever experience a more sinking feeling than to look someone with desperate need in their eyes and to look away and walk past.
We saw all sorts of great sights here in Mumbai. I got to see the Taj Mahal Hotel where all the hubub took place. It's already reopened for business and you can't see a scratch on it. Wandered all over the city watching people, browsing (or more like fending off the sellers!) and eating delicious new eats. So much to look. So much to smell (good and baaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddd). But one event I think will stand out in my mind.
We were searching Mumbai for a particular candy shop, supposedly world famous. A young girl, maybe 6 or 7 comes up alongside me. She's carry a crying baby. All she says is sir. I don't look for a moment. It's hard to look. And then I do. I realize we are looking for a shop to buy something just because it tastes good. I'm not hungry. I ask a fruit vendor for directions and buy an orange and give it to the girl. She smiles and then points to a banana. So I start to hand the orange back and she changes her mind. The orange would do. We walked away towards our destination. I didn't stop to look. It's hard to look. But I saw her smiling as she started to peel it and I couldn't help but wave goodbye. What more could I do.
We watched Slumdog Millionaire at a theatre here. Everyone should watch it. Even for being here a few short weeks it seems to very accurately portray India. It's sad but uplifting. And I thought of it after I met the little girl. Watch it and I think you'll understand.
We walked back to our hotel in the dark. Many people getting ready to sleep on the sidewalks. Old, young, families, loners, crippled. It's hard to look. I don't think I'll ever experience a more sinking feeling than to look someone with desperate need in their eyes and to look away and walk past.
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