A visit to the country in India

We spent two nights visiting a feeder school in Issapur. This is as far west as you can go in Delhi. A small, rural farming town where we felt almost at home. The vast countryside reminded me of OK or TX with fields stretching as far as the eye can see. Cattle and sheep graze freely while workers harvest the crops (not sure exactly what that is). The town was very attractive in its own way. The brightly colored homes adorned with decorative gates were stacked on top of one another. In the mornings we'd enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the peacocks fly from rooftop to rooftop and occasional see one of the male birds "dancing". We stayed with a teacher named Antony, along with his wife Shanti and daughter Neci. They are a wonderful family and I can't begin to describe there excessively generous hospitality. Their house is nestled between the PE teacher Raja's apt that he shares with two other teachers and Siri, another teacher.

Pictured left to right: Raja, Siri, me, Antony and Neci in front of the school.

We had a great time singing (taught them deep & wide and bop shoe bop)

and playing games with the students. Cricket was their favorite but we managed to squeeze in a game of football(soccer) and then duck, duck goose with the smaller children. We told a Bible story or two, read some stories and worked some math problems. I believe God has great things planned for all of the Good Samaritan Schools and students. Christ and education working together to change India from the inside. I thank God for this experience and we're already planning another visit.

What's a day like?

When Jake was in Beijing I was always wondering, and people were always asking, what is a normal day like. Well, no one has asked me but I'll tell you anyway. We've been here for one month and have pretty well established a routine, however it does vary. Nothing is set in stone here, times and dates are never definite. School starts at 7:30 but today was the first day of school so we are really just getting started. The two weeks before today was teacher inservice where Daniel and I each led a devotion group of teachers starting at 830. We've been trying to get a run in before this so we'd leave the flat around 630-645 and run 30-40 minutes.

Upon arriving at the flat, below the colored window pictured at left, we shower and eat breakfast. Always pb&j plus two eggs courtesy of Gorilah (pictured in previous blog), the school attendant responsible for our flat. Then its off to school where I teach geography and Daniel music/guitar. When not in class we're working on lesson plans, updating our blogs or just playing with the students. For lunch we've been eating whatever they prepare at the school.

However, that was only during inservice so now we'll have to order or bring our own. School lets out around 2 but Daniel has an after school elective class from 2-3. By this time we need to unwind a bit so we generally pass football or frisbee with some of the students or school staff joining in. Then we head home to work, read or whatever before dinner. Dinner usually consists of pb&j, oatmeal and some fruit. Then we finish our day's work before heading to bed.

Occasionally we will visit a slum area and join in a worship time or visit homes where they always request prayer. Then whenever the opportunity arises we will drop by one of the feeder schools, such as we're doing this weekend. In the morning we leave for Issapur. We will stay until Sat but not sure what we'll be doing. Besides playing games with the children we'll probably sing songs and maybe work on the landscaping, whatever the need. This school is outside Delhi, a very rural area so I'm very excited to experience a different side of India.

Today, Shalini who is pictured above and is a member of one of my geography classes, saw me passing football with some of her guy classmates. She wanted to join in and turned out to be pretty good, out-throwing all of the boys. I was quick to point this out, making fun of the boys the rest of the day. They all went home so Shalini and I spent the next 30 minutes playing catch with a group of the younger students who had gathered to watch.

Then on the walk home I stopped to watch some of the area kids playing a few games of cricket in the grazing field across from our flat. Games start early in the morning then stop for work and school while the cows graze, then pick back up after school.

March

Children at Good Samaritan School

Outside the school

Madanpur Khatar Chuch

Girls at church

Following Daniel on way to church

Girls praying at church

Daniel, Gorilah and me. Gorilah is an attendant for the school who looks after our flat. Probably one of the coolest guys I know. Good morning!

My new profession...

I am teaching tenth grade geography. This is a little challenging due to several factors: language- most are pretty good but their vocabulary is not the same and I must speak very slow while being sure to enunciate every letter, subject- I'm no geo expert and even worse with Indian geo so I must stay ahead of the students and learn the chapter before I can teach it, task- I am new at teaching so I am trying to learn this as well, students- 40 in each class. Trying to keep them quiet is probably the greatest challenge but its magnified by the fact that they sit 2 and sometimes 3 or 4 to a desk. I do enjoy trying to come up with examples that not only explain the material but are also relevant to students of India, slum kids from India. Only a small percentage of them can even afford to attend school, education is not free in Delhi. Sponsors, mostly from the US, give donations to the majority of students. These children, whether they understand it or not have been greatly blessed by God with the opportunity to receive an education and more importantly, to hear of Jesus' love for them. Please continue to pray for them, their teachers and the Good Samaritan School.

Streets of Delhi

Just another day in Delhi. Upon observing this speeding couple passing us on the highway I couldn't help remark to Daniel, "Did he have a toilet?". Daniel confirmed the siting as a smile crossed our face, you just don't get this back home. After this, It was a not a surprise to witness the scene at right. Driving in India takes a different kind of person. Driving in Delhi is not for the faint of heart. Upon landing, we piled into the Toyota Qualis, similar to a Landcruiser, and sped off for our flat. The streets aren't crowded, they're overflowing. Every meter is fought over with a passion not witnessed elsewhere in Indian life. I'm not sure how to describe the apparent animosity represented in daily driving. These are not scattered episodes of road rage, its a way of life for anyone brave enough to leave home. Pedestrians however, are prob at the greatest risk. Trying to cross the street requires an almost detached vision towards life itself. Besides cars, rickshaws (3-wheeled bikes), autoricks, scooters and motorcycles attack the roads with a vengence prevelant from a scene in a Mad Max movie. There are also large trucks and buses. Each bus carries is crammed beyond max capacity, think world record for # people in a telephone booth. The bikes and scooters weave in and out of traffic, coming within inches of the vehicles on each side of them. The bikes usually carry between 1 and 5 people, plus supplies. They do however wear helmets, usually, other than the women. Road conditions can be problematic. Potholes can spread across entire lanes but no more than 11 inches deep. They do however, even them out with speed bumps (humps in India because they are at least one foot tall). They fall randomly throughout the highway or interstate, not just for parking lots and subdivisions.

Our driver is of the rarest breed. He is a seasoned professional with over 20 years experience, who can navigate this city with a sense of ease I thought unattainable. Upon every outing, I've witnessed him do battle in the streets of Delhi. We have escaped insurmountable situations completely unscathed. Just when I think he's finally made a mistake, miscalculated by a few millimeters or won't get stopped quick enough, he somehow manages to slip by. Just the other day, we took a couple of detours that brought me to the edge of my seat. See Daniel's blog to learn of Bitoo's death defying adventures, commandeering sidewalks and busting through bus only lanes. Yep, just another day in Delhi!

Hope abounds in India

As I'd hoped, God's presence in my life has grown stronger since coming to India. Not because I'm in India, not because I'm on a mission trip and not because I'm doing God a favor, but because I've left behind so many of the distractions of home and opened my eyes to seek Him out on a continual basis. You see, there is really no where else to turn. I am 12,000 kilometers, roughly 7,400 miles, from almost everyone I know. The culture is completely different and I can barely carry on a conversation with the majority of people I meet. So who can I turn to for help except our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is a common circumstance that God uses to teach us lessons. Many times we ask God to make our lives easier, to take away the uncomfortable or difficult situations. These are the times in which God teaches us to depend upon Him and His plan for our life. It is at our most weakened and vulnerable state that we finally submit control and surrender all to God.

This is displayed continuously at the school. They are constantly calling upon the Lord for help praising Him for EVERYTHING. It is convicting to see a people living out their days in such miserable conditions, and then to witness them praising the Lord and thanking Him for all the small things in their lives. I pray that God will continue to use their example to develop and strengthen my faith and dependence in Him.

Blinded

We are oblivious to the daily strife endured by the human race. In America, we are confined to our comfortable lives and aren't to blame for our ignorance to the plight of other peoples and nations around the globe. Sure, we occasionally hear something on the news or a World Hunger commercial will flash across the screen before I can find the remote, but does that even phase us anymore. My goal here is not to cast blame or cause guilt, for I am no different. It is not our fault, how were we to know? Even pictures are not enough. The carnage must be seen with your own eyes and I'm not sure that is even sufficient. I am here seeing it but still cannot fully contemplate the extent of the poverty and hardships in which they endure everyday, and I'm not sure I ever can without experiencing it for myself. Many people here survive on less money per day than we spend on a gallon of gasoline. The living conditions for many are unimaginable. A canvas tarp strung up on the side of a busy road serves as home for an entire family, a family who is fortunate to receive one meal a day consisting of little more than a bowl of rice. Infection and disease are a way of life, stemming from unsanitary living conditions, poor hygiene and malnutrition coupled with no medical care. James 1:2-3 says: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. It is difficult to find comfort in these words. But what can I, what can we do to help. Our guilt will not ease anyone's suffering. Sending money or food provides only temporary relief. The change must come from the inside, from within India or wherever the oppressed people may be. By showing them Jesus' love and sharing the good news we give them the only hope they may ever have. We can start through prayer. Prayer not only for their physical burdens but also for their souls in hope and and knowledge that one day God will bring an end to their suffering and together we can all enjoy everlasting peace and happiness when we go Home to be with with our Father in Heaven.