greetings to you from chilly Udaipur!!
so we set off on friday at 7.30am for Mount Abu,(cold but beautiful morning, which is about 2 and a half hours from the base. we joined the UK medical team for a day of seeing sick villagers that live at the foothills of the mountain. the most amazing thing was that this was the first time such a thing had been done in that region!! we drove along these beautiful Rajasthani plains on a smooth road (exceptional for India) through ancient rock...sunrise over this landscape was one of the best i've ever seen!...so we got there and set up at a local believer's house... we saw more than 120 patients. most people asked for prayer afterwards! there was A LOT of happy kids afterwards. its amazing how we take basic health care for granted and how happy these villagers were even just to get a wound cleaned up. it was the FIRST medical camp in their area and it was such a blessing to them and to us. our team leader presented a talk to the ladies on basic health care and hygiene...a meal was prepared for us at the end of the afternoon and it was horrifying to know how much chilli had gone into the curry!!! seriously a plate FULL of chilli was crushed and put into the curry. but we didnt want to be offensive so we just had to be of good courage and down it haha...one of the guys from the medical team was literally in tears at the end of it!! we left behind a lot of happy villagers and it was really good to see the lil kids smile...to see joy in empty eyes and painful faces... :) it would be sooo good to go back there someday!!! had to had to stop at a local chai stop on the way back! :) no road trip in India is compplete without one! :)
after getting a good night's sleep and recovering from all stomach issues we headed into town today to celebrate a birthday and do some exploring. after touring the serene queen's gardens we hung out at a local ice cream shop. was really good icecream and really good service! can you imagine having a double scoop cookies and cream sundae with butter scotch sauce and a whole heap of other stuff in it for just 35 rupees?? :) well thats just under 1 australian dollaR!!! then we headed off into town to get little bits and pieces...i seriously think God's hand is so over India...honestly with the amount of stuff on the road (cows, people, buses, trucks, rickshaws), its a wonder these people are alive! God has been good with keeping us safe too!! :) we must have walked for hours and hours, but there was nothing like having some gulab jamun's as a relief from the hot sun! you guys MUST try some of these sometime! absolutely the bomb!!
peter has just gotten the next week's schedule and wow! he has a lot on his plate!
an opportunity has come up for me to teach some of the little children a dance.sort of a build up from what another teacher had taught them, so i'm excited!! this dance will then be performed at future church events. and there'll be lots more of teaching english at the local school next week as well as learning some new worship songs in hindi...exciting stuff! and i'm sure there'll be more spontaneous stuff! REALLY loving it here, but missing you my friends!!
may the Lord bless and keep you!!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The mission continues!
There we were. Saying goodbye to all the kids in the childrens home we had come to care for so much over the last few days. Each child amazingly unique in the Lords eyes and each child so beautiful. unfortunately all good things had to come to an end... and as we were getting ready to go... the kids began to hold on saying "leave tomorrow ... leave tomorrow."
The time had come to leave and what a journey ahead. We would travel to Surrat by car, then to Delhi by overnight train which ended up taking 17 hours instead of 14, but all the same the team had a great time sleeping, eating, playing cards and worshipping the Lord (competing against the group in the next set of bunks who were singing songs to Krishna). I tell you what... worship really changes the spiritual environment.
From there we spent half a day in Delhi (what a confusion! more to come on this later), before flying back to Singapore for our further onward departures to Perth and elsewhere.
God was so good to us as a team. There are so many great stories to share, and I'm sure others will share soon, but one of the things that really stood out to me was how the Lord brought the team together and the love that really was present in the team. There we were in a foreign land, and our distance from the familiar only brought us closer as a family in the Love of Christ.
What a great experience. An amazing time in India. May I encourage you to join us for the next missions trip in 2010.
Is God calling you to reach the unreached? Yes. So prepare, equip and go!
God's Love is waiting to be shared.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
onwards and upwards to Udaipur!!!!!
i love how India never sleeps!!! blaring horns, a bus that was being driven at the speed of a rocket and constant stops at motels playing loud bollywood music...as chaotic as that sounds, thats what makes India unique :) God's Presence on the bus to Udaipur was so strong and as we zoomed past the vast sky and endless stars, I was again reminded that Jesus is always in control and even though i couldn't understand why on earth i was asked to stay behind for 6 months, He knows and He is with me. and again in that moment, living for the lost world just felt so right, just felt so normal...any other place would be abnormal...
so Peter and I made it alive to the college...it was quite amazing to see no cars on the streets at 6am...Udaipur is beautiful at dawn...!! but got ripped off by the rickshaw guy...!! after some chai and some guitar time the week's plans were discussed. it looks like we have a busy week ahead!! I'll be working in the clinic with the women and children with the slight chance of being able to minister in women's prisons around the area. Also working in the children's home at the college and assisting in teaching english at the local school which is down the road. EXCITING stuff!!!! Peter will be used as the physiotherapist he is at the local clinic and also have a chance to do some jamming with the guys...he is also able to join a visiting medical team from the UK who will be working with the village folks. Have had a chance to get to know the UK team. Thery are doing some great work and their jokes are actually really funny hehe...!!! as well as being meds, they have been organizing prophetic healing meetings at which many of the villagers have been healed!!!! Talk about preaching the Gospel through actions and the Word!
Peter spoke at chapel on the first day. it was quite hilarious because the translator was a guy that was translating for the first time so he kept mixing up the words haha...but despite that tiny obstacle, the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of the students and they understood it! :) overall a really encouraging message that broke through the barriers of language! went out to dinner with the UK medical team at a local restaurant called "berry's". was great fun and a great laugh on the way back as we decided to experiment with the whole many people in a rickshaw thing...good thing i'm tiny, i can squeeze in anywhere ;) by the way Udaipur is very pretty at night... :)will try and post some photos soon...
while it is great being back here, its quite different without the rest of the team....today, the kids at the children's home followed me around all morning curious to know more :) the schools were closed for 2 days because its been quite cold...LOL!! India is funny i tell you! so the kids have been hanging around alot...and little kids trying to explain things to you in hindi is quite hilarious!! Spent some time with the girls at the college too. They are quite keen to learn English in order to do their assignments better...so from today onwards i’ll be doing some classes everyday for about an hour or so. ...tomorrow we might head off to check out the local school for a mela (indian carnival) and then do some more teaching with the college students... having the UK team around has been quite a blessing...could be assisting them with more of their village ventures... thinking of doing some intercession workshops with the girls...getting to know their lives, their hearts and their stories has really challenged me...their hunger and desire to honour for Him is soo raw!!
good night from the starry skies of Udaipur :)
so Peter and I made it alive to the college...it was quite amazing to see no cars on the streets at 6am...Udaipur is beautiful at dawn...!! but got ripped off by the rickshaw guy...!! after some chai and some guitar time the week's plans were discussed. it looks like we have a busy week ahead!! I'll be working in the clinic with the women and children with the slight chance of being able to minister in women's prisons around the area. Also working in the children's home at the college and assisting in teaching english at the local school which is down the road. EXCITING stuff!!!! Peter will be used as the physiotherapist he is at the local clinic and also have a chance to do some jamming with the guys...he is also able to join a visiting medical team from the UK who will be working with the village folks. Have had a chance to get to know the UK team. Thery are doing some great work and their jokes are actually really funny hehe...!!! as well as being meds, they have been organizing prophetic healing meetings at which many of the villagers have been healed!!!! Talk about preaching the Gospel through actions and the Word!
Peter spoke at chapel on the first day. it was quite hilarious because the translator was a guy that was translating for the first time so he kept mixing up the words haha...but despite that tiny obstacle, the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of the students and they understood it! :) overall a really encouraging message that broke through the barriers of language! went out to dinner with the UK medical team at a local restaurant called "berry's". was great fun and a great laugh on the way back as we decided to experiment with the whole many people in a rickshaw thing...good thing i'm tiny, i can squeeze in anywhere ;) by the way Udaipur is very pretty at night... :)will try and post some photos soon...
while it is great being back here, its quite different without the rest of the team....today, the kids at the children's home followed me around all morning curious to know more :) the schools were closed for 2 days because its been quite cold...LOL!! India is funny i tell you! so the kids have been hanging around alot...and little kids trying to explain things to you in hindi is quite hilarious!! Spent some time with the girls at the college too. They are quite keen to learn English in order to do their assignments better...so from today onwards i’ll be doing some classes everyday for about an hour or so. ...tomorrow we might head off to check out the local school for a mela (indian carnival) and then do some more teaching with the college students... having the UK team around has been quite a blessing...could be assisting them with more of their village ventures... thinking of doing some intercession workshops with the girls...getting to know their lives, their hearts and their stories has really challenged me...their hunger and desire to honour for Him is soo raw!!
good night from the starry skies of Udaipur :)
unheard cries, untouched lives, unreached places...the lost world...
"can anyone see me?" it is a cry heard the world over that each day I hear a little louder.
"am I worth seeing? can YOU see past where I am to who I am? will YOU love me enough to see behind the facade and beyond the image to what is real?"
There are many ways to be invisible. I have been learning it is not just the ones discarded on rubbish dumps who are unseen. While some lives are hidden in trash heaps and slums, others are hidden behind wealth and success. But the heart cry is the same. Whether the disguise is poverty or prada, the question remains unchanged. And so does the answer.
I have been learning to see. God has been teaching me to see both the physically poor and the truly poor as He sees them. the physically poor are the ones we have often looked past and chosen not to see. seeing might compel us to become involved. and that involvement would surely entail risk. risk might mean personal cost. And alas, in the culture of cost/benefit analyses, it remains easier for most of us to feign blindness and choose to live in a sightless world.
"am I worth seeing? can YOU see past where I am to who I am? will YOU love me enough to see behind the facade and beyond the image to what is real?"
There are many ways to be invisible. I have been learning it is not just the ones discarded on rubbish dumps who are unseen. While some lives are hidden in trash heaps and slums, others are hidden behind wealth and success. But the heart cry is the same. Whether the disguise is poverty or prada, the question remains unchanged. And so does the answer.
I have been learning to see. God has been teaching me to see both the physically poor and the truly poor as He sees them. the physically poor are the ones we have often looked past and chosen not to see. seeing might compel us to become involved. and that involvement would surely entail risk. risk might mean personal cost. And alas, in the culture of cost/benefit analyses, it remains easier for most of us to feign blindness and choose to live in a sightless world.
Navapur....
the name Navapur means new horizon... indeed it was a new chapter for many of us coming to India for the very first time...!!! the kids there really stole our hearts, they broke us, they challenged us, they convicted us...all of them are up by 5.30 every single day to do their devotions... the passion burning in their little hearts lights up their faces as they sing praises to their Lord and King...they live each moment with such simplicity...their whole life is packed in one small suitcase, that contains everything from clothes, food supplies and memories of home... they love like there's no tomorrow and they smile like they've never known pain...really we all had so much to learn from them. one particular day we were doing devotions with them regarding Jesus washing the feet of His disciples...and we were convicted to wash their feet...at first they didnt let us because they wanted to wash our feet instead! such humility!! washing their feet did something powerful in my heart...serving the least of them is such a great priviledge bringing with it a new revelation each time...earlier on in the trip i just looked all around me and saw such tremendous need and as i did i felt that my love is so small compared to God's love for mankind...but as the children turned around and washed our feet...God's love washed over me in waves and floods...once again i was reminded that His grace is so sufficient and the only way we as Christians can respond to the needy is by asking God to fill us with His love more and more...we cant love supernaturally on our own. we need His grace and His love in us to love like He does...powerfully and deeply...for us to be Christians that live out of the deeper places we need to be able to let God take us into deeper places, places where your life, your heart and your all gets wasted for the Kingdom of God...
the Kingdom of God...is such great treasure...a lesson we all learnt at the 4 village churches we visited...people that worship in mud houses in authencity and simplicity...they dont have much, but they have a Kingdom treasure that is impossible to miss...and they hold onto Jesus with such zeal that it makes you want to worship the King of Kings even more madly...for me the best bit about visiting these churches was worshipping in hindi...worship that was just so rich and so pure...on the second last night in Navapur we went out to our translator's church where they were holding a youth rally...i must say that hearing worship rise through the vast and plain surroundings of trees and mud houses was incredible... its amazing that whether we live in a city, or a village, in a proper house or a mud house, for those that believe...Jesus is still the King of Kings...Cindy and Fenny did their wonderful dance entitled "who am I?"...doing the drama was a bit of a squeeze in that place but it worked out well...we had a lot of laughs which was kind of strange because it was a pretty serious song...but after speaking to a few of the village folks we realised it was the first creative drama done in their village and they'd never seen anything like that before...they were all so curious and so welcoming at the same time...i'm sure we sowed some great Kingdom seeds that night... riding on the bus home (back to the children's home) through the village was filled with lots of laughs and chatter...and being out there driving in the middle of nowhere expands the size of the sky as you realize that although you've known God and continue to know Him one of the things you'll never quite be able to fathom is the size of His heart and the amount of love in it for every person...its like this ceaseless bottomless tumbler that continues to overflow and overflow...leading kids church in hindi was a tough one but a good experience...its funny how God places you in a ministry that you dont have a passion for, uses you and grows you in it and then uses you in a totally different environment and country...hahaa He really does all things for a reason :)
on the day we left, the students at the college prayed for us and wow! was it awesome!! they really are serious about spending their lives in service for Jesus....they know the costs involved and that the road is so narrow yet they are willing to go into some of the most unreached places around... strengthening and encouraging people like these teaches you more and you receive much more than you intended to give...they have such precious hearts!!!
saying bye to the kids was hard...literally because there were soooooo many of them crowded all around us, some hanging onto us, others not letting go of our hands...but also much more because their little hearts had so captured ours... there was this one girl called Manisha, and as i hugged her she said to me, "you wont forget us will you?" even though there were so many of them, its then that you realize that each one of them wants to be loved, wants to be known, wants to be held, wants to love back... they gave us so many cards just to make sure we'd remember them and to say thanks for all we'd done, even though we were only there for 6 days... after one last photo we were off in the jeeps to Surat from where the team was catching a train to Delhi, and we were heading back to Udaipur... there are so many beggars at the stations and especially seeing children begging is quite heart breaking...however some of them are quite cheeky.. you kinda laugh and cry at the same time... :) well this is India... :)
the Kingdom of God...is such great treasure...a lesson we all learnt at the 4 village churches we visited...people that worship in mud houses in authencity and simplicity...they dont have much, but they have a Kingdom treasure that is impossible to miss...and they hold onto Jesus with such zeal that it makes you want to worship the King of Kings even more madly...for me the best bit about visiting these churches was worshipping in hindi...worship that was just so rich and so pure...on the second last night in Navapur we went out to our translator's church where they were holding a youth rally...i must say that hearing worship rise through the vast and plain surroundings of trees and mud houses was incredible... its amazing that whether we live in a city, or a village, in a proper house or a mud house, for those that believe...Jesus is still the King of Kings...Cindy and Fenny did their wonderful dance entitled "who am I?"...doing the drama was a bit of a squeeze in that place but it worked out well...we had a lot of laughs which was kind of strange because it was a pretty serious song...but after speaking to a few of the village folks we realised it was the first creative drama done in their village and they'd never seen anything like that before...they were all so curious and so welcoming at the same time...i'm sure we sowed some great Kingdom seeds that night... riding on the bus home (back to the children's home) through the village was filled with lots of laughs and chatter...and being out there driving in the middle of nowhere expands the size of the sky as you realize that although you've known God and continue to know Him one of the things you'll never quite be able to fathom is the size of His heart and the amount of love in it for every person...its like this ceaseless bottomless tumbler that continues to overflow and overflow...leading kids church in hindi was a tough one but a good experience...its funny how God places you in a ministry that you dont have a passion for, uses you and grows you in it and then uses you in a totally different environment and country...hahaa He really does all things for a reason :)
on the day we left, the students at the college prayed for us and wow! was it awesome!! they really are serious about spending their lives in service for Jesus....they know the costs involved and that the road is so narrow yet they are willing to go into some of the most unreached places around... strengthening and encouraging people like these teaches you more and you receive much more than you intended to give...they have such precious hearts!!!
saying bye to the kids was hard...literally because there were soooooo many of them crowded all around us, some hanging onto us, others not letting go of our hands...but also much more because their little hearts had so captured ours... there was this one girl called Manisha, and as i hugged her she said to me, "you wont forget us will you?" even though there were so many of them, its then that you realize that each one of them wants to be loved, wants to be known, wants to be held, wants to love back... they gave us so many cards just to make sure we'd remember them and to say thanks for all we'd done, even though we were only there for 6 days... after one last photo we were off in the jeeps to Surat from where the team was catching a train to Delhi, and we were heading back to Udaipur... there are so many beggars at the stations and especially seeing children begging is quite heart breaking...however some of them are quite cheeky.. you kinda laugh and cry at the same time... :) well this is India... :)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The day of Navapu
Curries curries and more curries! The last meal we had at Udaipur before leaving for Navapur of course came along with curries.
It is interesting that the concept (and design) of buses around the world varies from the usage of it. From the defaulted buses found on the streets of Singapore and Malaysia to the uber high class coach for those wishing to make a 5 hour journey from Singapore to KL or vice versa. The one we boarded for Navapur was of course, custom made for overnight trips. To call it high class was perhaps overhyping it a little while to call it haphazard was to underhype it. Imagine a bus with a little more leg space than normal added with an extra level for several 2 by 1 metre compartments for that extra comfort of being able to lie down for some shut eye. That was our 12 hour journey transport to Navapur.
The ride was rather smooth together with the usual bumps that one would expect from travelling on the road the colours within the bus was however what I would call scintillating, it was almost like a mini party bus (only thing missing is the disco ball) with neon colours of blue, red, yellow and I think there was green as well and with the constant chattering, it was pure vibrancy!
The amount of shut eye time was good. Most of us got ample rest while in our little bus "boxes" which upon reaching Surat (the meeting point where we would be picked up to head into Navapur), we were all ready and raring to go.
Some highlights have been: joining them in worship, acting out a skit called the lifehouse 'everything' skit (for those of you who know it) with Fenny starring as mankind, and Simon as Jesus, and all contributing fantastically (Zee - money guy, Andre- mr suave, Jason - mr death, Esther - too much drink, char - good looking) and our directors Andre, Cindy and Gee, with only 2 hours practice!! Praise God!! people were really encouraged by the skit and hope to use it in their ministry.
The girls also did a dance presentation for all, and a workshop for the college students. Many of us have given devotions with students including Gee and Andre during the evening time.
During the trip to the orphanage in the mountains, we were moved to pray for a little boy who became crippled due to a fall from his cot. As we hugged him, we could just see him breaking into a smile. That melted all our hearts. Even though we didn't see physical healing, both ours and the boy's faith were strengthened through this experience. We know that God is at work in restoring his soul as we commit to continue to pray for him.
It is encouraging that we are able to use Creative Arts (which is a major part of ZION ministries) to minister to the students. Our activities will hopefully equip and empower them to in turn minister to their own people through Creative Arts.
It is interesting that the concept (and design) of buses around the world varies from the usage of it. From the defaulted buses found on the streets of Singapore and Malaysia to the uber high class coach for those wishing to make a 5 hour journey from Singapore to KL or vice versa. The one we boarded for Navapur was of course, custom made for overnight trips. To call it high class was perhaps overhyping it a little while to call it haphazard was to underhype it. Imagine a bus with a little more leg space than normal added with an extra level for several 2 by 1 metre compartments for that extra comfort of being able to lie down for some shut eye. That was our 12 hour journey transport to Navapur.
The ride was rather smooth together with the usual bumps that one would expect from travelling on the road the colours within the bus was however what I would call scintillating, it was almost like a mini party bus (only thing missing is the disco ball) with neon colours of blue, red, yellow and I think there was green as well and with the constant chattering, it was pure vibrancy!
The amount of shut eye time was good. Most of us got ample rest while in our little bus "boxes" which upon reaching Surat (the meeting point where we would be picked up to head into Navapur), we were all ready and raring to go.
Some highlights have been: joining them in worship, acting out a skit called the lifehouse 'everything' skit (for those of you who know it) with Fenny starring as mankind, and Simon as Jesus, and all contributing fantastically (Zee - money guy, Andre- mr suave, Jason - mr death, Esther - too much drink, char - good looking) and our directors Andre, Cindy and Gee, with only 2 hours practice!! Praise God!! people were really encouraged by the skit and hope to use it in their ministry.
The girls also did a dance presentation for all, and a workshop for the college students. Many of us have given devotions with students including Gee and Andre during the evening time.
During the trip to the orphanage in the mountains, we were moved to pray for a little boy who became crippled due to a fall from his cot. As we hugged him, we could just see him breaking into a smile. That melted all our hearts. Even though we didn't see physical healing, both ours and the boy's faith were strengthened through this experience. We know that God is at work in restoring his soul as we commit to continue to pray for him.
It is encouraging that we are able to use Creative Arts (which is a major part of ZION ministries) to minister to the students. Our activities will hopefully equip and empower them to in turn minister to their own people through Creative Arts.
Monday, January 4, 2010
India: Day1&2 Udaipur
The awaited time of the India missions trip had finally arrived. 7 months of preparation, heaps of prayers and countless meetings later, we were stepping off the plane in Dehli international airport staring into the endless queues and queues of people with the marauding crowd shoving their way towards the customs point it was almost akin to a stempede.
Road dividers were obviously a non existant item within India as cars (and the taxi we were travelling in) were crossing each other with the constant "I'm coming through" beep of the horn as the usual saying in Perth goes, "if you can survive driving in KL you can drive anywhere" after the life shortening experience in the Indian traffic, I reckon the word KL should be changed to India. But all was good (thank God) we survived the ride, though thoroughly shaken by "roller taxi" ride we had.
We took 3 taxis to the train station for the next leg of the journey to Udaipur. By the time we boarded the train, it was well past 6.30 p.m. The train was going to be an overnight trip arriving between 8 a.m and 9 a.m. The train itself wasn't that bad, we had a time of worship and prayer before calling it a night and going to sleep (lots couldn't sleep and the other passengers were snoring!). The next morning, tired and sore, we had finally arrived at Udaipur. Our friends picked us up and away we went to the Bible school. It was a Sunday morning, we freshened up, had a light breakfast and then it was time for church! It was such an experience to be having attending church on the first Sunday of the year in India. Worship was great, although we didn't know the language for the songs, the message from Pastor Finny and Pastor Paul was awesome, ask anyone of us when we're back. From the message, we moved on to a special time in the service, Holy Communion! How cool is that? Having our first Communion of the year in India! Soon after, we ended with a few more worship songs (sounds familiar anyone?) before concluding the service. And since it was the first Sunday,the church prepared lunch for the whole congregation, thats 500 - 600 people! And lunch was good! Take it from Esther who's never, NEVER had Indian food.
After lunch, we showered and took some time to rest. The girls took this time to prepare for their dance which was going to be performed on Monday. In the evening, we joined the Bible college students in their evening devotions. We as a team lead in praise and worship and generally the whole devotion session. Ziech shared to the students about "knowing Jesus" as a relationship rather than "knowing about Him."
After the devotion session, We had a meeting with Pastor Finny to discuss what we're going to do or what we can do while in Udaipur. Following that meeting, we were served dinner. This time we had dinner with Pastor Paul and Pastor Michael from Florida, another guest at the college. After dinner, we had a bit of free time, the girls again practiced for the dance in the guys room while Jason and Andre went to the men's dormitory for some fellowship. It was really a good time of fellowship, getting to know the students better, sharing our knowledge and getting to know their heart and desires. Each and everyone of the students already has such an amazing testimony and their passion for God and to serve Him really encouraged us. It was 10 p.m by the time we left the dorm to get some sleep and there is the morning devotions at 5.30 a.m tomorrow.
Day 2
The guys got up at 5.20 and were ready to share for the morning devotion but we were told there would be no morning devotions for today because most of the students arrived back at the college last night or early in the morning. So off to bed again for a few more hours of sleep. We got up again around 7 and went down for breakfast. After breakfast, it was time for morning chapel. It started at 9.45 and it was basically a mini service run by the students. The girls then presented their dance after the message and it was well received. Students were excited to see what we were doing for them and for the church, it was something new. It's usually the little girls who dance during worship on Sundays but to watch a worship dance by our young women, it inspired the young women who are studying at the college. Then we announced that Cindy and Fenny would be conducting a workshop for the dance and we'll also be conducting a drama workshop the next day after performing a ZPH drama.
After chapel we frantically got ready to take a "45 minute" journey to one of their missions in the field where our friends run an English school and a orphanage for about a 60 children. Ziech just told us it was in the mountains ... which is somewhat undescriptive!
The ride up to the mountian was a bumpy one leaving a few of us with rather weak stomachs. The view of the mountains were however breathtaking! The children were glad to meet with us and definitely, the feeling was mutual. We sang songs, did a short skit on the story of Noah's Ark and taught them how to fold an origami boat! Taking photos of the kids was a delight as they rushed to Andre each time he previewed a photo to them on his camera.
2 days are over! But what an experience already. It feels like its been a week. From the comfort of Singapore and Perth, to the masses of Delhi, to the riviting traffic and dreadfully long train ride. Our next stop would be Navapur where we would be spending time and living in an ophanage and children's home!
PS: Chai is really really good tea!
Road dividers were obviously a non existant item within India as cars (and the taxi we were travelling in) were crossing each other with the constant "I'm coming through" beep of the horn as the usual saying in Perth goes, "if you can survive driving in KL you can drive anywhere" after the life shortening experience in the Indian traffic, I reckon the word KL should be changed to India. But all was good (thank God) we survived the ride, though thoroughly shaken by "roller taxi" ride we had.
We took 3 taxis to the train station for the next leg of the journey to Udaipur. By the time we boarded the train, it was well past 6.30 p.m. The train was going to be an overnight trip arriving between 8 a.m and 9 a.m. The train itself wasn't that bad, we had a time of worship and prayer before calling it a night and going to sleep (lots couldn't sleep and the other passengers were snoring!). The next morning, tired and sore, we had finally arrived at Udaipur. Our friends picked us up and away we went to the Bible school. It was a Sunday morning, we freshened up, had a light breakfast and then it was time for church! It was such an experience to be having attending church on the first Sunday of the year in India. Worship was great, although we didn't know the language for the songs, the message from Pastor Finny and Pastor Paul was awesome, ask anyone of us when we're back. From the message, we moved on to a special time in the service, Holy Communion! How cool is that? Having our first Communion of the year in India! Soon after, we ended with a few more worship songs (sounds familiar anyone?) before concluding the service. And since it was the first Sunday,the church prepared lunch for the whole congregation, thats 500 - 600 people! And lunch was good! Take it from Esther who's never, NEVER had Indian food.
After lunch, we showered and took some time to rest. The girls took this time to prepare for their dance which was going to be performed on Monday. In the evening, we joined the Bible college students in their evening devotions. We as a team lead in praise and worship and generally the whole devotion session. Ziech shared to the students about "knowing Jesus" as a relationship rather than "knowing about Him."
After the devotion session, We had a meeting with Pastor Finny to discuss what we're going to do or what we can do while in Udaipur. Following that meeting, we were served dinner. This time we had dinner with Pastor Paul and Pastor Michael from Florida, another guest at the college. After dinner, we had a bit of free time, the girls again practiced for the dance in the guys room while Jason and Andre went to the men's dormitory for some fellowship. It was really a good time of fellowship, getting to know the students better, sharing our knowledge and getting to know their heart and desires. Each and everyone of the students already has such an amazing testimony and their passion for God and to serve Him really encouraged us. It was 10 p.m by the time we left the dorm to get some sleep and there is the morning devotions at 5.30 a.m tomorrow.
Day 2
The guys got up at 5.20 and were ready to share for the morning devotion but we were told there would be no morning devotions for today because most of the students arrived back at the college last night or early in the morning. So off to bed again for a few more hours of sleep. We got up again around 7 and went down for breakfast. After breakfast, it was time for morning chapel. It started at 9.45 and it was basically a mini service run by the students. The girls then presented their dance after the message and it was well received. Students were excited to see what we were doing for them and for the church, it was something new. It's usually the little girls who dance during worship on Sundays but to watch a worship dance by our young women, it inspired the young women who are studying at the college. Then we announced that Cindy and Fenny would be conducting a workshop for the dance and we'll also be conducting a drama workshop the next day after performing a ZPH drama.
After chapel we frantically got ready to take a "45 minute" journey to one of their missions in the field where our friends run an English school and a orphanage for about a 60 children. Ziech just told us it was in the mountains ... which is somewhat undescriptive!
The ride up to the mountian was a bumpy one leaving a few of us with rather weak stomachs. The view of the mountains were however breathtaking! The children were glad to meet with us and definitely, the feeling was mutual. We sang songs, did a short skit on the story of Noah's Ark and taught them how to fold an origami boat! Taking photos of the kids was a delight as they rushed to Andre each time he previewed a photo to them on his camera.
2 days are over! But what an experience already. It feels like its been a week. From the comfort of Singapore and Perth, to the masses of Delhi, to the riviting traffic and dreadfully long train ride. Our next stop would be Navapur where we would be spending time and living in an ophanage and children's home!
PS: Chai is really really good tea!
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