Wanted to share this with you. It features an article I wrote and some pictures I took from our project trip in February. Enjoy!
Friday, March 20, 2009
EMI2 Newsletter
Wanted to share this with you. It features an article I wrote and some pictures I took from our project trip in February. Enjoy!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Shootin Pool Like a Pro
Thought I'd post this so you can see what I look like nowadays. Or how good I look shootin' pool in India.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Intern Page
This is an intern page I designed for the newsletter we send out. Thought I'd share it with you so that you can see who I'm hanging out in India with.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Kempty Falls
Had a big weekend this past one. Walked some 6 miles through Mussoorie with the guys. Saw some pretty gardens and taxied to Kempty Falls, about 15km outside of Mussoorie. Sure was pretty although its weird to see so much effort to build water retention basins and such at the base of such natural beauty! But water is precious. It didn't snow this winter very much and so the region is getting even more desperate. Feel free to pray for rain in North India! And for people to experience the Living Water that comes from Christ by which man will never thirst again!
Posted photos on Flickr which you should definitely check out.
Love,
Harry
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Holi
Last night and today, Hindus across India celebrate Holi, a festival in celebration of the miraculous escape of a devoted follower of Vishnu from the fire he was thrown into by the will of his father, the king of demons. Hindus celebrate the night of a full moon in early Spring with a huge bonfire to celebrate the death of Holika, the demon sister of Hiranyakashipu, the king of demons and father of Prahlad (the devotee), as she fell threw Prahlad into the flames. You can read more about Holi here.
So last night I went down the hill to Chardukaan and waited for the celebration to begin. Dozens of people began to gather and a huge bonfire was lit in the street. Bags of powder were distributed and as the flames began to climb everyone went around rubbing colors on each others foreheads, cheeks, hair, until their entire faces were covered in color. All the while everyone greets each other with happy holi and a hug. Some of the older men and women gave the youngers a short blessing. Offerings were made to the gods and then shared amongs the gathering to eat. Some of the older boys went off in a hidden corner to drink and smoke. Others continued to run around throwing the colored powders at everyone.
It was interesting to watch. The colors were bright and the fire warm and comforting, but it was sobering to think of how the festival came about and what it all meant. I sat down on some steps nearby and observed. The older men made their rounds and covered my face and hair with color. A few of the older boys sat with me and shared with me that they were Christian. They came to watch and hang out with friends because there is somewhat of an expectation of all to participate. It was interesting to watch them - as they were given the offering grain to eat, they quietly pocketed it instead of eating. I couldn't remember what the Bible says about food offered to false gods but I followed their lead! They shared how difficult it is to be Christian among Hindus. There is a perception among them that Hindus become Christian to become rich or because of some sort of coersion. I could tell in their quiet demeanor during the festival that it was hard to watch their friends celebrating something apart from the Truth.
After most had left and the bonfire was dying down, the music came. They beat and tapped on a really cool drum exciting beats. The boys and men who remained danced like crazy men! It's so weird to see the completely reversed behaviors from what I'm used to seeing. Men dancing close - CLOSE - to other men. Suggestive hip shaking and graceful arm movements. One man, with a shawl around his head pretended to dance like a woman and all the other men cheered him on as he danced quite convincingly... like a girl. Weird.
There is a lot to think about with this festival and its left me with a weird taste in my mouth. It's fun and exciting and filled with color but at the same time so wrapped around lies and falsehoods. Its almost like a glimpse of the Old Testament times. I came home and washed my face and hair in the cold water. It was creepy as blood red water poured off my head as I washed. It made me think of how unclean we are before God. How when he washes us with his grace he's not just removing little patches of mud off our skin or some dust out of our hair but its bloodstains that won't go away. We're covered in this sin that eats away at us because we are exposed before him in it. And then when we finally see him, the stains are gone. The blood we scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed with good deeds and sacrifice and restraint and penance is removed in an instant with the cleansing power of his Blood. We are made clean and holy before him.
I don't think I will easily forget washing my face and hair. The water was frigid and the color seemed never to stop pouring from my head. Even though there is still red in my hair I am so glad that my soul is white as snow because my Savior did for me what I could not.
So last night I went down the hill to Chardukaan and waited for the celebration to begin. Dozens of people began to gather and a huge bonfire was lit in the street. Bags of powder were distributed and as the flames began to climb everyone went around rubbing colors on each others foreheads, cheeks, hair, until their entire faces were covered in color. All the while everyone greets each other with happy holi and a hug. Some of the older men and women gave the youngers a short blessing. Offerings were made to the gods and then shared amongs the gathering to eat. Some of the older boys went off in a hidden corner to drink and smoke. Others continued to run around throwing the colored powders at everyone.
It was interesting to watch. The colors were bright and the fire warm and comforting, but it was sobering to think of how the festival came about and what it all meant. I sat down on some steps nearby and observed. The older men made their rounds and covered my face and hair with color. A few of the older boys sat with me and shared with me that they were Christian. They came to watch and hang out with friends because there is somewhat of an expectation of all to participate. It was interesting to watch them - as they were given the offering grain to eat, they quietly pocketed it instead of eating. I couldn't remember what the Bible says about food offered to false gods but I followed their lead! They shared how difficult it is to be Christian among Hindus. There is a perception among them that Hindus become Christian to become rich or because of some sort of coersion. I could tell in their quiet demeanor during the festival that it was hard to watch their friends celebrating something apart from the Truth.
After most had left and the bonfire was dying down, the music came. They beat and tapped on a really cool drum exciting beats. The boys and men who remained danced like crazy men! It's so weird to see the completely reversed behaviors from what I'm used to seeing. Men dancing close - CLOSE - to other men. Suggestive hip shaking and graceful arm movements. One man, with a shawl around his head pretended to dance like a woman and all the other men cheered him on as he danced quite convincingly... like a girl. Weird.
There is a lot to think about with this festival and its left me with a weird taste in my mouth. It's fun and exciting and filled with color but at the same time so wrapped around lies and falsehoods. Its almost like a glimpse of the Old Testament times. I came home and washed my face and hair in the cold water. It was creepy as blood red water poured off my head as I washed. It made me think of how unclean we are before God. How when he washes us with his grace he's not just removing little patches of mud off our skin or some dust out of our hair but its bloodstains that won't go away. We're covered in this sin that eats away at us because we are exposed before him in it. And then when we finally see him, the stains are gone. The blood we scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed with good deeds and sacrifice and restraint and penance is removed in an instant with the cleansing power of his Blood. We are made clean and holy before him.
I don't think I will easily forget washing my face and hair. The water was frigid and the color seemed never to stop pouring from my head. Even though there is still red in my hair I am so glad that my soul is white as snow because my Savior did for me what I could not.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Tibetan Prayer
What a day! Today I walked at least 4 or 5 miles to Happy Valley - a Tibetan refugee camp on the outskirts of Mussoorie. I could have taken a taxi but it was such a beautiful day and God gave me pretty good legs so I avoided all of the taxis and rickshaws and just kept walking! It took me two hours from where I started.
I got there and wandered around the Buddhist Temple. I took my time to look at all the ornamentation, the shrine outside, the prayer wheels, the flags. It was painted beautifully with bright reds, yellows, and greens. I peeked inside to see about a dozen people sitting on the floor reading the Buddhist scriptures aloud. A few monks were around.
Then I walked up the hillside nearby to see all of the prayer flags on top. I ignored the stares - what the heck was this white guy doing around here? After many steps I got to the top. Thousands of flags blew in the wind. I took a few pictures and looked around. Some young guys invited me to sit down with them on the rocks overlooking the valley. I love the friendliness and hospitality of India!
I shared a little bit about me - that I'm an architecture student, that I'm working with a non-profit design firm, a little about my family. They shared too. Three of them were Indians born to parents who left Tibet because of the tension. Two had come to India from Tibet to study. All were Buddhist. I sat and asked a little bit about Tibet and Buddhism and they were glad to share. Though their English was limited, they were able to share very well about the situation with China and the main ideas of Buddhism.
I prayed silently to God that it would be pretty cool if I had an opportunity to share about Jesus with the two guys that were sharing with me. I don't think I've seen prayer answered so fast! They asked me if I was a Christian and I quietly nodded and smiled. They talked about how Christianity and Buddhism has a lot of similarities - about compassion, love, peace. They totally set me up!
As we were on the topic of reincarnation - that the good find a better life or heaven and the bad find themselves in a worse of life - I talked about how Jesus taught that no man was good. I shared how no matter how hard I try, before God I am full of sin. I may help the poor or volunteer my time, but my heart is often wicked and jealous. I shared how Jesus taught that if we even hate our neighbor in our hearts we commit murder. That we are to pray for our enemies and not just for ourselves and loved ones. They seemed to follow were pretty interested about the teachings of Jesus..
Then I shared that Jesus also said that he was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one comes to God except by him. I told them that even though its hard and very countered to the thinking of many religions or of modern thought, I believe it to be the truth. I shared that Jesus claimed to be the son of God and that he proved it by living a sinless life and dying on the cross as an innocent man in place of us. I told them that just one sin is deserving of death - just as a little drop of poison makes a glass of water a death wish. It needed to be paid for - and God paid for it with his own blood because of his love for us.
I shared how I followed Christ and believed not because the words are good to read or because I believe with my mind but that I know that Jesus lives inside my heart today. That he has changed my heart and given me grace to live a life somehow honoring to him.
We got back on the idea of loving our enemies and I was even able to share my friend's testimony about how God rescued him from the jaws of death and freed him from his heart filled with hate and vengeance to the point he was going to kill the family of many of his enemies! But Jesus spoke to his heart and changed his life and now it is filled with blessing and peace.
There was no magical acceptance moment but I told them the Truth. I told them about the Savior of the world who taught us how to love and live in peace better than any man - Buddha, Muhammad. I told them that Jesus paid the price for the sins of man and that he is the one and only Way.
It was a great time on the top of that hill covered in prayer flags. Before I said goodbye I prayed for us too. They thought that was a little weird but they let me. Prayer is pretty powerful and something as small as it has been a huge part of a couple of testimonies of some amazing Indian Christians I've met. Please pray God will do amazing things in the lives of Guru and Jimmy and that he will reveal himself to them as the One True God!
I got there and wandered around the Buddhist Temple. I took my time to look at all the ornamentation, the shrine outside, the prayer wheels, the flags. It was painted beautifully with bright reds, yellows, and greens. I peeked inside to see about a dozen people sitting on the floor reading the Buddhist scriptures aloud. A few monks were around.
Then I walked up the hillside nearby to see all of the prayer flags on top. I ignored the stares - what the heck was this white guy doing around here? After many steps I got to the top. Thousands of flags blew in the wind. I took a few pictures and looked around. Some young guys invited me to sit down with them on the rocks overlooking the valley. I love the friendliness and hospitality of India!
I shared a little bit about me - that I'm an architecture student, that I'm working with a non-profit design firm, a little about my family. They shared too. Three of them were Indians born to parents who left Tibet because of the tension. Two had come to India from Tibet to study. All were Buddhist. I sat and asked a little bit about Tibet and Buddhism and they were glad to share. Though their English was limited, they were able to share very well about the situation with China and the main ideas of Buddhism.
I prayed silently to God that it would be pretty cool if I had an opportunity to share about Jesus with the two guys that were sharing with me. I don't think I've seen prayer answered so fast! They asked me if I was a Christian and I quietly nodded and smiled. They talked about how Christianity and Buddhism has a lot of similarities - about compassion, love, peace. They totally set me up!
As we were on the topic of reincarnation - that the good find a better life or heaven and the bad find themselves in a worse of life - I talked about how Jesus taught that no man was good. I shared how no matter how hard I try, before God I am full of sin. I may help the poor or volunteer my time, but my heart is often wicked and jealous. I shared how Jesus taught that if we even hate our neighbor in our hearts we commit murder. That we are to pray for our enemies and not just for ourselves and loved ones. They seemed to follow were pretty interested about the teachings of Jesus..
Then I shared that Jesus also said that he was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one comes to God except by him. I told them that even though its hard and very countered to the thinking of many religions or of modern thought, I believe it to be the truth. I shared that Jesus claimed to be the son of God and that he proved it by living a sinless life and dying on the cross as an innocent man in place of us. I told them that just one sin is deserving of death - just as a little drop of poison makes a glass of water a death wish. It needed to be paid for - and God paid for it with his own blood because of his love for us.
I shared how I followed Christ and believed not because the words are good to read or because I believe with my mind but that I know that Jesus lives inside my heart today. That he has changed my heart and given me grace to live a life somehow honoring to him.
We got back on the idea of loving our enemies and I was even able to share my friend's testimony about how God rescued him from the jaws of death and freed him from his heart filled with hate and vengeance to the point he was going to kill the family of many of his enemies! But Jesus spoke to his heart and changed his life and now it is filled with blessing and peace.
There was no magical acceptance moment but I told them the Truth. I told them about the Savior of the world who taught us how to love and live in peace better than any man - Buddha, Muhammad. I told them that Jesus paid the price for the sins of man and that he is the one and only Way.
It was a great time on the top of that hill covered in prayer flags. Before I said goodbye I prayed for us too. They thought that was a little weird but they let me. Prayer is pretty powerful and something as small as it has been a huge part of a couple of testimonies of some amazing Indian Christians I've met. Please pray God will do amazing things in the lives of Guru and Jimmy and that he will reveal himself to them as the One True God!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
I'm getting blog lazy
Just as most things in my life, I get really excited about it and after a month I get bored of it. So it would seem my blog is getting fewer and fewer updates so here are some highlights:
We were invited to a friend's house last week and helped prepare dinner (I got to chop mutton with a hatchet and slice it with a Nepali kukuri knife), ate very well and had an epic dance party. We then sat and had chai while we heard an amazing testimony of how God saved a Buddhist militant rebel from the jaws of death and brought him into the Kingdom of Life.
We explored more of Mussoorie and found a couple of awesome cafes. Food is so delicious here. After church last Sunday we heard another great testimony of how God spoke to a young Hindu man's heart and revealed to him The One True God through prayer.
We rode on a crazy mountain rode in a Scorpio, GeoMetro like car, and three motorcycles - one with a bald front tire! We drove through random hillside villages who you could tell have not seen many white people! Somehow we made it alive to stand on top of a magnificent lookout of the Himalayas to the north. I don't think we've seen them so clear! Please see my flickr page to see what I saw!
A couple of days ago we went with a local who has started a medical ministry in the villages around Mussoorie. Nearly every day he walks one to three hours to give medicine to the sick and poor. Even though some of the medicine is expensive, he only asks them to pay within their means - usually between rs5-10 (10-20 cents!). His ministry takes care of a few widows who have no land or family to take care of them. It was so cool to walk to one of the villages with him and to learn about his ministry and the vision he has! I'm blown away by how big most Indian msnries dream here! My feet are sore...
Working with EMI has been very fruitfull and fun. I'm working on the master plan for Maharastra Village Ministries. I am working hard because I want to see their vision come to life with the new campus they asked us to design! It's so cool to be apart of projects with real clients, and real meaning. It's also been so nice to be free from the distraction of broadband while working with EMI. I've never felt so productive. I hope and I think you should pray that God would develop in me good disciplines for when I come home. Already I am trying to break my habit of biting and picking my nails and they're longer than they've ever been! Just in case you cared. My beard is also longer than its ever been. I can't wait to show you what Matt and I are doing with our beards on Friday...
India is good. Hope all is well. If you get a chance, buy and listen to Caedmon's Call's album "Share the Well." It's written mostly from their travels in India and is very moving I think.
Love,
Harry
We were invited to a friend's house last week and helped prepare dinner (I got to chop mutton with a hatchet and slice it with a Nepali kukuri knife), ate very well and had an epic dance party. We then sat and had chai while we heard an amazing testimony of how God saved a Buddhist militant rebel from the jaws of death and brought him into the Kingdom of Life.
We explored more of Mussoorie and found a couple of awesome cafes. Food is so delicious here. After church last Sunday we heard another great testimony of how God spoke to a young Hindu man's heart and revealed to him The One True God through prayer.
We rode on a crazy mountain rode in a Scorpio, GeoMetro like car, and three motorcycles - one with a bald front tire! We drove through random hillside villages who you could tell have not seen many white people! Somehow we made it alive to stand on top of a magnificent lookout of the Himalayas to the north. I don't think we've seen them so clear! Please see my flickr page to see what I saw!
A couple of days ago we went with a local who has started a medical ministry in the villages around Mussoorie. Nearly every day he walks one to three hours to give medicine to the sick and poor. Even though some of the medicine is expensive, he only asks them to pay within their means - usually between rs5-10 (10-20 cents!). His ministry takes care of a few widows who have no land or family to take care of them. It was so cool to walk to one of the villages with him and to learn about his ministry and the vision he has! I'm blown away by how big most Indian msnries dream here! My feet are sore...
Working with EMI has been very fruitfull and fun. I'm working on the master plan for Maharastra Village Ministries. I am working hard because I want to see their vision come to life with the new campus they asked us to design! It's so cool to be apart of projects with real clients, and real meaning. It's also been so nice to be free from the distraction of broadband while working with EMI. I've never felt so productive. I hope and I think you should pray that God would develop in me good disciplines for when I come home. Already I am trying to break my habit of biting and picking my nails and they're longer than they've ever been! Just in case you cared. My beard is also longer than its ever been. I can't wait to show you what Matt and I are doing with our beards on Friday...
India is good. Hope all is well. If you get a chance, buy and listen to Caedmon's Call's album "Share the Well." It's written mostly from their travels in India and is very moving I think.
Love,
Harry
Monday, March 2, 2009
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