As I write this Von, Mic, Tim, and Sim are probably on their way home from work. Ev is probably already home and Chris might be sleeping. All returning to their own beds and regular lives. Please pray for them as they think through all we learnt on the CHAI trip. And when you see them please ask them about their experiences. Im sure they would all love to be able to share all the ways we have seen God at work!
I am having a lovely time with friends. Their town is smallish and a bit more peaceful. The last 2 days we've been able to travel into the rural areas which I think are really beautiful. It is such a contrast. Its green and leafy, the houses are made of mud and some tin and everything is so clean. There are very few believers in this area. The main people group are R people. In this district alone there are 2million R people and 63 believers. Please pray for God's work here.
On Wednesday I will leave to do some more traveling and visiting. I will be looking at some potently long term work option so please pray for wisdom as I think through all that. Also pray for safety as I travel.
We hope you've enjoyed reading about our adventures. We have really appreciated your prayers for us.
So thanks again for all your support!
See you in Sydney in 2 weeks.
Kate
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
I'm blogging when I could be shopping
Hello kids.
Kate, Von and Mic are already on their way to Dubai, leaving Sim, Ev and I in Delhi. This is a way cooler part of Delhi - the shopping is amazing and right outside our guesthouse. I shall make the most of it before we leave for Hong Kong in a few hours. But before I go, I thought I'd blog one last time about whatever happens to pop into my head.
Ok perhaps dot points.
Jai was awesome.
We rode elephants but being held hostage for a 50 rupee tip was not awesome.
We've hung out with a lot of Americans. I may come home and say y'all and refer to a shopping centre as the mall. Do not hold this against me.
We saw really cool forts and palaces and went shopping in the pink city.
We were extremely touristy (not our fault) and went to a wannabe amusement park called Chokhi Danhis where there was a manually operated ferris wheel. As in two guys were pushing it and one guy was inside the mechanism, pushing it round with his legs...
We had midnight Baskin and Robbins
Finer details of Jai are evading me I'm sorry I need more coffee.
We spent less than 24 hours in Agra and the prospect of seeing Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal didnt seem to excite us all that much.
Both monuments were incredible but for me personally this was my reaction: cool. let's take some photos. the end.
Our train to Delhi was three hours late. But when it arrived it was unexpectedly luxurious. We got food. And comfy seats. This was very nice because I will post about how much I can't stand the Indian train system.
The guy behind me speaking Hindi sounds really unimpressed.
And that signals the end of my brain power so I shall post the following from my Facebook blog which almost everyone but Peter has access to because he refuses to 'conform' but really, he probably just couldn't navigate it. Kidding.
From my Facebook blog:
I will be home in 2 days and I love India, yes I do, but before I leave, my last blog will be entirely dedicated to my contempt for the Indian train system. This is for the following reasons:
a) So much as travelling to the train station causes pain. To get to Var station we were packed into a van, two people had to sit on others laps and our luggage was piled on top of us. I thought I would die right there.
b) Our trains were scheduled at ridiculous times. i.e. 4.55am, 12am...
c) Trains often do not arrive on time. At Luck station our train was an hour and fifteen minutes late. It is in the middle of winter in India. We were stranded on a platform. My friends got into their sleeping bags. I sat on my backpack and managed 2 minutes of actual sleep with my head buried in my lap. You better believe I can sleep anywhere, anytime. Fortunately, our train last night that was 3 hours late, was at a station that provided an indoor restaurant. I was exhausted and slept at a table. Or tried to.
d) Train stations are synonymous with carrying a ridiculous amount of weight on one's back. It makes me incredibly grumpy to be in a strange and overwhelming place AND have 20 kilos on my back.
e) We must navigate the train station and strain our ears for the English commentary. We must determine platform, then carriage, then seats. Early in our trip we could be found running the length of a train to find our carriage and asking directions from people who for the most part were not very helpful. And Indian trains are LONG. Think CityRail times 3. Perhaps 4. Running along these with 20 kilos on your back is the worst ever.
f) Trains stations are your first impression of a place. Every single time, I have been given the wrong impression of a place. I come out of a train station and think oh help me this is the worst place ever. It is just overwhelming and intense, filled with people, dirty and dusty.
g) People won't leave you alone. As soon as you get off that train its "porter?" "rickshaw madam?" "i'll take you to my uncles guesthouse..." "NO!"
h) People literally start congregating around and staring at us as a group as we come out of a train station. Mic: "So... you got tickets to the show?"
i) Beggars. The whole experience is heart-wrenching enough but in this environment its just an added stress.
j) Train toilets. Enough said.
k) I admit this is somewhat comical but sometimes its annoying: The tone of a mans voice as he walks through the train selling chai. The tone reminds me of how a frog might 'ribbet'. "Chai" 'Ribbet" "Chai" "Ribbet". Ask me and I shall imitate for you. I have been doing it since our first train ride.
l) Wearing a skirt on a train and having to sleep on the top bunk of a sleeper. I only made that mistake once.
m) Second class. Complete with drum players and beggars. One particularly sad team of beggars was a little boy and girl who were performing a sort of acrobatics routine. The boys face had a painted smile. I wondered if he ever really did have cause to smile.
I have been compiling this list in my head for quite some time. The train ride itself can be enjoyable, but in and out is hell on earth.
Hmmm. I'll miss India.
Peace out!
Christine
Kate, Von and Mic are already on their way to Dubai, leaving Sim, Ev and I in Delhi. This is a way cooler part of Delhi - the shopping is amazing and right outside our guesthouse. I shall make the most of it before we leave for Hong Kong in a few hours. But before I go, I thought I'd blog one last time about whatever happens to pop into my head.
Ok perhaps dot points.
Jai was awesome.
We rode elephants but being held hostage for a 50 rupee tip was not awesome.
We've hung out with a lot of Americans. I may come home and say y'all and refer to a shopping centre as the mall. Do not hold this against me.
We saw really cool forts and palaces and went shopping in the pink city.
We were extremely touristy (not our fault) and went to a wannabe amusement park called Chokhi Danhis where there was a manually operated ferris wheel. As in two guys were pushing it and one guy was inside the mechanism, pushing it round with his legs...
We had midnight Baskin and Robbins
Finer details of Jai are evading me I'm sorry I need more coffee.
We spent less than 24 hours in Agra and the prospect of seeing Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal didnt seem to excite us all that much.
Both monuments were incredible but for me personally this was my reaction: cool. let's take some photos. the end.
Our train to Delhi was three hours late. But when it arrived it was unexpectedly luxurious. We got food. And comfy seats. This was very nice because I will post about how much I can't stand the Indian train system.
The guy behind me speaking Hindi sounds really unimpressed.
And that signals the end of my brain power so I shall post the following from my Facebook blog which almost everyone but Peter has access to because he refuses to 'conform' but really, he probably just couldn't navigate it. Kidding.
From my Facebook blog:
I will be home in 2 days and I love India, yes I do, but before I leave, my last blog will be entirely dedicated to my contempt for the Indian train system. This is for the following reasons:
a) So much as travelling to the train station causes pain. To get to Var station we were packed into a van, two people had to sit on others laps and our luggage was piled on top of us. I thought I would die right there.
b) Our trains were scheduled at ridiculous times. i.e. 4.55am, 12am...
c) Trains often do not arrive on time. At Luck station our train was an hour and fifteen minutes late. It is in the middle of winter in India. We were stranded on a platform. My friends got into their sleeping bags. I sat on my backpack and managed 2 minutes of actual sleep with my head buried in my lap. You better believe I can sleep anywhere, anytime. Fortunately, our train last night that was 3 hours late, was at a station that provided an indoor restaurant. I was exhausted and slept at a table. Or tried to.
d) Train stations are synonymous with carrying a ridiculous amount of weight on one's back. It makes me incredibly grumpy to be in a strange and overwhelming place AND have 20 kilos on my back.
e) We must navigate the train station and strain our ears for the English commentary. We must determine platform, then carriage, then seats. Early in our trip we could be found running the length of a train to find our carriage and asking directions from people who for the most part were not very helpful. And Indian trains are LONG. Think CityRail times 3. Perhaps 4. Running along these with 20 kilos on your back is the worst ever.
f) Trains stations are your first impression of a place. Every single time, I have been given the wrong impression of a place. I come out of a train station and think oh help me this is the worst place ever. It is just overwhelming and intense, filled with people, dirty and dusty.
g) People won't leave you alone. As soon as you get off that train its "porter?" "rickshaw madam?" "i'll take you to my uncles guesthouse..." "NO!"
h) People literally start congregating around and staring at us as a group as we come out of a train station. Mic: "So... you got tickets to the show?"
i) Beggars. The whole experience is heart-wrenching enough but in this environment its just an added stress.
j) Train toilets. Enough said.
k) I admit this is somewhat comical but sometimes its annoying: The tone of a mans voice as he walks through the train selling chai. The tone reminds me of how a frog might 'ribbet'. "Chai" 'Ribbet" "Chai" "Ribbet". Ask me and I shall imitate for you. I have been doing it since our first train ride.
l) Wearing a skirt on a train and having to sleep on the top bunk of a sleeper. I only made that mistake once.
m) Second class. Complete with drum players and beggars. One particularly sad team of beggars was a little boy and girl who were performing a sort of acrobatics routine. The boys face had a painted smile. I wondered if he ever really did have cause to smile.
I have been compiling this list in my head for quite some time. The train ride itself can be enjoyable, but in and out is hell on earth.
Hmmm. I'll miss India.
Peace out!
Christine
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Thanks for your patience!
It's been some crazy days since leaving Var as we pack four cities into 10 days. Below are some of my highlights in each as we met great people and know this can only be a snapshot because each team member will have their own take on it...
Luck
A & S were able to share with us their work with putting together stories ('One Story') that aims share the bible through stories. Stories are passed orally between people and is culturally more effectively than our academic literary approach. A team member saw this first hand when visiting the home of a non-believer and noted how the mum spoke through sharing stories.
Jai
An amazing team working to reach those in power in society in order to effect change down the system and therefore bring about social justice for the oppressed as God's love transforms and inspires local believers. They are recruiting to start this work in another state.
A highlight of my time here was going on my first 'YARP" (read backwards...) walk. Definitely something I can do back home walking between places - it's about walking through a neighbourhood and as inspired and led by the Spirit, to yarp over and for the place and people in it.
Sharing Sunday 'worship' time was also great - to be able to gather with God's people from across halfway round the world in a foreign land is pretty special. Also, the way the Jai team are so enthusiastic for King J to shine in the city...!
Luv v
Luck
A & S were able to share with us their work with putting together stories ('One Story') that aims share the bible through stories. Stories are passed orally between people and is culturally more effectively than our academic literary approach. A team member saw this first hand when visiting the home of a non-believer and noted how the mum spoke through sharing stories.
Jai
An amazing team working to reach those in power in society in order to effect change down the system and therefore bring about social justice for the oppressed as God's love transforms and inspires local believers. They are recruiting to start this work in another state.
A highlight of my time here was going on my first 'YARP" (read backwards...) walk. Definitely something I can do back home walking between places - it's about walking through a neighbourhood and as inspired and led by the Spirit, to yarp over and for the place and people in it.
Sharing Sunday 'worship' time was also great - to be able to gather with God's people from across halfway round the world in a foreign land is pretty special. Also, the way the Jai team are so enthusiastic for King J to shine in the city...!
Luv v
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Elephants and Palaces
This is Mic.
Quick blog before dinner. Today we had a really great time sightseeing and 'yarp-ing' :) The team had a fun time riding Elephants up towards a great palace on top of a mountain that overlooks Jai. We visited a fort on top of the mountain as well where we did some 'yarp-ing'.
Quick blog before dinner. Today we had a really great time sightseeing and 'yarp-ing' :) The team had a fun time riding Elephants up towards a great palace on top of a mountain that overlooks Jai. We visited a fort on top of the mountain as well where we did some 'yarp-ing'.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Another day, another city
Our train was 6 hours late into the city of Jai*pur but that is no so bad as we eventually were able to get on last night (this morning?) at 1:50am - it was running an hour and a half late at that point... it was so cold I took out my sleeping bag and sat in it on the platform as cows meandered past, rats scurried across the tracks, men and women stared at me/us and the team either read or tried to nap.
Lucknow was much The City after our hometown stint in Var. I suffered reverse culture shock in a ridiculous way as we spent time in shopping centres with food courts which was just so different (but should've been 'normal') to the past couple of weeks.
Our friend here in Jai, J, has an itinerary planned for us which sounds like it includes a ride on an elephant up to a ruined palace...?!?! I'm very much looking forward to it.
Thanks for all your prayers - health-wise, the team is much better but there were some rough patches for a few team members in the past week. Please continue to pray for good health, and as we learn about the work God is doing here, for his love for his people here - there is also a prayer walk (walking around a place and praying over it... not sure quite how it works) planned tomorrow.
Dinner calls.
Luv von
Lucknow was much The City after our hometown stint in Var. I suffered reverse culture shock in a ridiculous way as we spent time in shopping centres with food courts which was just so different (but should've been 'normal') to the past couple of weeks.
Our friend here in Jai, J, has an itinerary planned for us which sounds like it includes a ride on an elephant up to a ruined palace...?!?! I'm very much looking forward to it.
Thanks for all your prayers - health-wise, the team is much better but there were some rough patches for a few team members in the past week. Please continue to pray for good health, and as we learn about the work God is doing here, for his love for his people here - there is also a prayer walk (walking around a place and praying over it... not sure quite how it works) planned tomorrow.
Dinner calls.
Luv von
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