Back again in Oz

We are officially done with outreach and are back in Australia enjoying a week of debriefing. I am so glad to be back here with the rest of the school and staff. It was a great reunion seeing everyone again. I think the reality that we have only a week left has not really set in for most of us yet.

The last few weeks of outreach were such a blur. One of the high lights of the last week was going to a leper community. We traveled a long ways outside of the city to visit a real community of people with leprosy and their families. Before we went, there was definitely some fear in the air. It's not every day you get the chance to see people suffering from a disease like leprosy. Most of us would avoid having to subject ourselves to that. It is difficult to see people suffering and not feel depressed. What I have learned is that our God is a God who embraces the suffering and the marginalized and He wants people to do the same. This goes against every fiber of our being. No one wants to suffer. But that is exactly what God did for us. It says in Isaiah that the Messiah would be "a man of sorrows acquainted with grief."

Once we were there it was actually not as bad as I thought. The people were very kind and happy to see us and there was actually another team from Washington state there with us which eased the tension. We performed some songs and a drama and presented them with some rice and other food for their community and stayed for a bit before leaving. It was an experience I won't soon forget. I think the team was thankful for the opportunity as well and trying to get past the natural fears.

Thank you to everyone for reading the blogs and keeping up with us. Also thanks for the prayers. We were so blessed to have no major sicknesses or disasters:) For those of you sending financial support thank you. I would ask that you please stop as I am supplied and will be home in a few weeks. Thanks so much for your generosity. I look forward to seeing everyone soon!

Painting & Proselytizing

These past few weeks have flown by. Last week was probably the most intense week we have had during outreach. We literally left by 9am each day and wouldn't return until after 8pm. During the mornings, we worked at a day care center which was actually the home of some Indian Christians. We were asked by our contact Josh to paint it so that it feels like a kindergarten. I was not expecting too much from myself in terms of artistic ability, but I was so happy with the result. We have so many talented painters on this team. Unfortunately not everyone was that great at cleaning brushes:) The paint was oil based and a nightmare to clean up. Nonetheless, I was amazed at the result as was our contact Josh.

At night, we would drive a long ways out to a farming village and share the gospel message using skits, songs, & testimonies. The area was known for having many drunk men. We had so many distractions during our time there including passing vehicles and motorcycles, screaming children, drunk men, and animals! Despite all the distractions, we saw people come forward to ask how they can have a life in relationship with this God we were describing. Many people described never having peace in their life and not knowing why.

This week, we have enjoyed some time off from ministry and have been spending time together reflecting on what has gone well on outreach and what has not. It has been a restful time. Monday we enjoyed going to the mall and eating at an American themed restaurant called "Sparky's". The food was great! On Tuesday, we took the team to a theme park and rode on some fun rides and not-so-fun rides. Wednesday, we are giving everyone a day to do whatever they want. We are looking forward to spending the rest of the week working at an adoption agency. We get to take care of some of the babies & children that are in need of a family. Most of them are girls as boys are preferred by families because of the way marriages are arranged. Parents literally have to start saving up for their daughter to get married off. They usually have to pay a dowry to the groom to take the woman as a wife. Sons are preferred because they receive money from the bride and her family. It's sad but here it is a reality that we Westerners have a hard time understanding.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support while I have been outreach. Please pray that the next few weeks go well for our team as we leave November 14th.

The Halfway Point

We have now been in Chennai for about a month of our two month outreach. I can't say it has been easy although we have had many blessings. This past week, we taught english twice a day. In the morning, we would meet up with about 10-15 college age students looking for help with conversational english. Some of them were good english speakers and others struggled. But it was still fun and exciting to interact with them and help them out. Most of them have never been out of India, so to get a chance to speak with people who use English as a first language is rare. In the evening, we went to a girl's hostel where there is an all girls school. Since there were about 60 or so girls, our team split up into pairs to teach different grades. I was fortunate to get the 10th year girls who spoke and understood english well. It was challenging to come up with new lessons each day that were fun and interesting for everyone. Some activities worked well and others did not, but the students gave a good effort. On the last day, we brought snacks for them to eat. I noticed as I handed them out that nearly all 60+ girls made eye contact and said "thank you" as they received the food. It was good to know they really appreciated the gesture.

We have endured much as a team this week. On Friday, we played soccer with the college age students in the morning group. Despite winning the game, we suffered two injuries: a black eye and a injured knee. Then all through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, a holiday called "Diwali", which is the Hindu festival of lights, is celebrated. To celebrate, firecrackers are set off all through the night and day. I'm not talking about little ones either. It literally sounds like we are in the middle of a war zone. It is annoying to say the least. Our team did not get much sleep, but we will be thankful for its conclusion. As we press on for towards the next half of outreach, please pray that our team will find the energy and motivation to keep going and to continue in unity.

In the thick of it...

I have now been in India for nearly 3 weeks. It had been so incredibly different than anything I have ever done. By now, we have visited numerous orphanages, churches, and participated in other ministries. There is literally so much going on here it is hard to comprehend. I'm amazed at how many people we have met and seen on a daily basis.

Currently, we are working all week at a place that takes in gypsy children during the day. Gypsies are people who live in communities of tents or shacks on the outskirts of villages. They don't actually belong to a caste and they make their living selling beads and jewelry. We literally go into the gypsy camp, pick the kids up, and take them to the house. There we teach them about english, give them baths, help feed them, and play with them. It has been in interesting experience especially since they don't even speak the native language here called "Tamil". They have their own gypsy language. Most of them have lice and don't ever get taught about hygiene. Once again I am reminded that I have no idea what it is like to grow up in their world, but I do know God loves these kids and these people.

Thank you again to everyone who is supporting me and my team in prayer. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue on these next few weeks. Outreach seems long at the beginning but them flies by quickly.

Isaiah 55: 10-11 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Outreach so far...

By now, I have been in India nearly two weeks. The team got here last Sunday and we have begun to do some ministry this past week. Basically, our schedule is pretty erratic at the moment. We have Mondays off to recoup. So far, we have been able to speak at a cell group (a cell group is basically a small group of people who meet in a home and do Bible studies and fellowship) & spend some time with orphanage kids and do things like play games and sing songs. We also have helped our contact Joshua with some labor at his church. Yesterday, we were able to speak at some church services and minister to the people.

Joshua also took our team to a famous landmark here in Chennai known as St. Thomas Mount. It is believed that the Thomas of the Bible (as in "doubting Thomas") was martyred there. We also got a chance to help Joshua out with a local fundraiser on Friday night for a ministry that does a lot of work with the poor and sick here in Chennai.

It has begun to rain a lot here in Chennai and the season is known as the monsoon season. It has also been very hot during the days. Fortunately, we have air conditioning in our rooms which is a huge benefit. The food has been fantastic and we are so thankful to have Joshua's mother Maggie cooking for us with some of her friends. I am told by Joshua that some of the upcoming weeks we will get a chance to work with street kids, gypsies, and more churches & orphanages. Please pray our team stays healthy and grows in unity. Thank you for your continued prayer and support for our team. FYI: One of our students has been updating a daily blog that you can look at if you would like--> http://www.wix.com/scoastdts/IndiaOutreach09

In Chennai, India

I have safely arrived here in Chennai, India. My first realization of the country was coming into the airport where everyone's temperature is checked because if the swine flu epidemic. Afterwards, I was let outside where there are literally hundreds of people waiting. Some of them want you to take their taxi, some are waiting for loved ones, and some I think are just there. It is hot and humid here in India this time of year and I definitely felt it getting off the airplane. Luckily, my contact Josh found me and took me to his place. On the drive I noticed the amount of people in the streets. With a country of over a billion people, it's hard to put into perspective what that looks like. I am told by my contact Josh that there are roughly 8 or 9 million people in Chennai which is located in the state of Tamil Nadu. Here in Chennai, they speak a language known an Tamil. The country of India itself has thousands of different languages amongst which is the national language Hindi. Luckily for me, lots of people speak basic English as it is taught in some schools.

Life is so different in this place. Poverty is much more "in your face". It is heartbreaking to see so many people living on streets, sleeping on sidewalks, and living on the margins. The diversity of this city is astounding as well. The majority of people are Hindu followed by Christians and then Muslims. I have spent the last few days driving around with Josh and getting to observe this massive city which is the fourth largest in India. Because of the caste system, many people have no hope for getting out of poverty. Even amongst Christians, the caste system has influenced the way people marry.

We are fortunate to have an opportunity to spend time with some of the marginalized people of this city. We get to see what Jesus was talking about when He said, "the least of these". It is my prayer that this team and myself have a life changing trip here in Chennai. When you see the suffering of the poor and you help them, somehow they help you even more. The good news of the Kingdom of God is best received by the poor, because in the Kingdom of Heaven the least are the greatest. Please continue in your prayers for our team. The rest of the team gets here tonight.

Last Week Before Outreach

So it is now upon us....outreach is at the door. I will be leaving before my outreach team on the 16th of September because my visa in Australia is ending. Thankfully I will get a few days to get used to India and spend some time with God before the team shows up on September 20th. It has been a blur this past few weeks. Outreach preparations are such a stressful time. It is important to look at the big picture of why we go.

We are not going so that we can do a "good thing" and pat ourselves on the back. We are not going so that we can say, "I did my share." At the end of the day, it is about love. We want to show the world that God is love. We want people in India to see that Jesus is Lord and that it is good news. If Jesus came and said what He said and did what He did, this is the best news ever. And this is why we go. We believe that God's heart is that people know who He really is and He has shown the fullness of Himself in Jesus. So please remember to pray for us while we are in India. We have a lot of challenges ahead of us. Specifically for team unity, opportunities, and safety. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support.