Developing...

I keep reminding myself this is a DEVELOPING country. You forget in a moment as you see a civilized government, beautiful modern buildings, Jaguar car dealerships, nice shops and restaurants, fast internet and cell phones everywhere. Then you broaden your gaze to see in the same moment people urinating on the street, cows walking through traffic, women walking around covered from head to two in 100 degree weather, neighborhoods on every block of families living in one room makeshift tents sleeping on mats on the dirt ground, people cooking on the curb, muddy unpaved road ways full of put holes and litter. 

A team member of mine brought a Polariod camera. Watching a Polariod picture develop is a slow process, initially you can see just the outline of something good, eventually the haze begins to look promising that this just maybe an amazing picture. You hope beyond hope  in time it will fully develop into a picture that is crystal clear. Everything is under development here in India, even me.

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-5

The inspired words of James gives me comfort in the hope that God is the one in the process of developing India into a great mighty country to his honor and glory. 


This journey has held up in front of me a photo of myself as a fuzzy underdeveloped Polariod. I pray and seek for development to be more Christ like through my experience here.

We returned today to the smaller primary grade school in the Madanpur Khadar area. We were again warmly welcomed by the teachers and the students. 

The children knew us a little better now and we a bit more comfortable and rambunctiousness. We rotated through the class rooms sharing Christ love gently with the children. They come form all different backgrounds Muslim, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Bahlai, Hindu (mostly) so we must be very thoughtful in how we approach the children with the truth about the Christ, so as not to offend them. 

Autumn did a craft with them that thought them that their names are known in heaven by the "Living God". Abner and Amanda continued to reach them in a profound way with their music. I told each class the story from Max Lucado's children's book 'You Are Special'. We were refreshed along the day with fresh tea and water bottles delivered to us by the staff. In one class there was a delightful little girl that I recognized from seeing on the streets in one of the slum areas we visited. She came up to me out of the blue and gave me a beautiful hand made card. Her name was Chandi. She was nine years old and had just lost her mother two months ago to an illness.At our break time,  I felt the call to sit and do some grief counselling with her. I am no expert but here something is better than nothing. The school librarian helped me translate so nothing was missed in our conversation. I was able to pray with her and encourage her to keep a journal of pictures and writings about her feeling. This was one moment I felt Christ using me to show his deep love for his poor lonely child.

Chandi is the girl in the middle

After we said our good byes and prayed with the teachers there, we returned to the main school in the Jasola district. Once again we had an amazing lunch of delicious Indian food, although I still have no apatite for food I can appreciate the flavors and aromas around me.

After lunch we are sent off to have a game of cricket with the 7th and 8th grade boys. This  is probably one of the hardest challenges yet. First they are boys, then then are middle school age and CRICKET... I have never even seen it played much less know how to play. This was the perfect time for me to be a good audience. I sat on the grass and watched the game unfold. It was the heat of the day and the shade was little comfort from the heat in the air it even seemed to be coming off the ground. I was over joyed to see the boys so engaged and happy.

 As I enjoyed them having so much fun it drew my memory  to the contrasting seen I had observed walking in today. Just on the other side of this tall protective wall was a random row of tent dwellings made of tarps. The boys out there running around out in the dirty street playing catch with a balled up piece of garage.

What a mighty work God is doing at this school for these children !

After school we were blessed to have some one on one time with some of the remaining students that were part of the beginnings of this school. 10 years ago, these original kids were in the slum were first school started in a room adjacent to the toilet complex in the their slum community.  Through they years they have had to over come so many obstacles to continue going to school and be educated. At one point their slum homes and the school location was  destroyed they lost the little they had. The school continued for awhile teaching the now homeless kids in the streets until they where able to build their new permittee school location. Eventually they had to walk 10 km to get to the schools new location, which they did gladly!  They now are all believers and have big plans for their futures. God is good !

No Ministry just Miracles on The Road to Agra... aka (if I never hear a car horn again that will be too soon)

Day Six
Today we had the day "off" we were being escorted to see the Taj Mahal in the ancient city of Agra. Since the train ride to Agra was  2-3 hours I imagined the car ride would be even shorter, but not in India. Here it takes longer to get anywhere by car. 

Let me try to describe the driving situation in India without understating it. Imagine the craziest car chase scene in a movie, now put the car going down a two lane road being used for six lanes of traffic by bicycles carrying sheets of marble, scooters with a family of four, motorcycles whizzing in and out, motorized rig-shaws, bicycle rig-shaws, horse drawn carts, cow drawn carts, an occasional elephant or camel and oh ya cars, trucks and buses. Lane lines, turn signals, stop light, all merely a suggestion not guidelines. And the best part... use your horn every five seconds to let the other traveler around you know you are coming up on them and plan to pass them in any way possible !

I will never need to jump out of plane, scale a mountain or swim with sharks... I have had all the thrills of a life time in one road trip to Agra, the four hour trip each way to Agra.
We did stop to have tea on the road to Agra. The place we stopped was a tourist trap and I got trapped alright... by a dressed up monkey or two.

Once we arrived at the city of Agra we meet up with our guide. A very refined educated local with very proper British English. He educated and advised us through the Taj Mahal experience. 

The Taj Mahal is a tangible work of art ! From the front gate through the fountains to the Taj Mahal the entire experience was like walking through a painting.

The beauty however profound, all seemed to be a waist, all form and no function, as the building and grounds were all built as a mausoleum for one very loved queen. It was no palace, no events, no parties, no one (alive) lived here, nothing significant happened here.  The Taj Mahal great awe inspiring art yes, purpose sadly none.  

The road from Agra back to Delhi proved to be as death defying as the trip in. We had a day off of doing ministry but God was doing miracles keeping us alive on the road to Agra. 

Lions Tigers and Bears...Oh My

Day Five
Reading up on India before I left, which by the way is like trying to see the inside of a house through a key hole upside down, I had read that India was the only country to have native wild Lions, Tiger and Bears. I have yet to see any of those creatures however I did get a good look at many animals here in India... Monkeys, Pigs, Goats, Dogs, Snakes, Indian Cows, Camels and Buffalo... all running loose...oh my.
These creatures are typical not an issue for me to come a across in the states in a nice controlled environment but here the context in which encounter them is a little more surprising... "Surprise, Shock and Awe" it seems to be the theme here. Most of the animals seemed to able to make the most of life roaming around the busy city. The locals are very tolerant and kind to animals. It is the way they treat their fellow humans that pains me.

 The pigs are primarily in one area know as Dakshinpuri, one of the worst slums in Delhi. The pigs are "farmed" at the garbage dumb by the locals in that slum to be sold at market. We ventured into this community to spend the morning at one of the Good Samaritan Schools there.

At this site they do primary grades in two sections morning and afternoon. They do this to accommodate all the kids that have to work so their families will still let them go to school. Yes I said primary grades K-5... little kids can only go to school half day since they have to work, this is especially true for the girls...oh my ! This area had open sewage canals that ran along side the roads, combined with the garbage dump and the pigs contributes to a nice  aroma that lingered in the moist heat. 

Wall reads "DO NOT URINE HERE"

All the surrounding discomforts and filth disappeared as soon as we saw the children. They were standing in the small entry waiting for us with a song and hand made cards.

 The four of us, on this outing, had planned to stay together in each room as we had done previously but the rooms were so small one extra person could barely squeeze in much less four more. It was obvious from the conditions of the kids and the school this school was in a worse slum community than the previous schools we had been to. The rooms were smaller and more crowded, even the neighborhood surrounding the school was in was more congested and had a darker feel about it. Every time I walked near the entrance to look out side a male staff member would walk over and hover between me and the gate into the street as if to say 'stay inside the school property', I did ! The morning turned into afternoon quickly as we rotated between rooms spending time with each class. Amanda and Abner did music with the kids, Autumn did a craft with their names on a colorful card to teach them their names are known by the "living" God.  I had been anxious all day about what I was going to do with the children, I had arrived prepared to read a story but was not sure if that was the best. I got confirmation from 'above' as I  read the card the kids randomly handed me when I initially walked in ...it read "everyone needs to have a dream, we need your story time." Wow, okay, then I knew I was supposed to do story time with the classes. I read each class YOU ARE SPECIAL by Max Lucadeo. I was also able to spend get to know you better time with the kids answering their barrage of questions, "where are you from ? what are your hobbies ? what is your favorite color ?" This time I turned the tables and and asked them questions about themselves to make each one feel like a rock star.  We ended of course with lots of "american" hand shakes ! 

After a yummy catered Indian lunch, in the nice air conditioned conference room back at the main school site, we were off to do PT with about 100, 6th & 7th grade girls. So fun ! We did their warm up exercises with them and then had a marathon game of Simon Says. It was great to see in any country girls will be girls silly and giggly through their entire PT class. Loved it ! I could of never imagined playing Simon Says would be advancing the kingdom of God, but somehow I think it did today. (smile)

We were blessed to end the day as sweetly as it started, with prayer. All the teachers in the school gather for us to pray over them. We prayed for their success in educational excellence despite the circumstances, their families, their health and their protection as Christians in a hostel environment. It was such a pleasure to call down blessing on the ones that need it most, the ones at the front lines of the battle for these precious slum children.

Lions, Tiger and Bears... might be an easier thing to face compared to a child's Poverty, Hunger and Pain...OH MY !

From one extreme to another...

Today was my fourth day in wonderful city of Delhi, India. This city of extreme contrast is the perfect backdrop for the extremely different experiences I am having here. Despite all the extreme poverty the country is extremely beautiful, with tropical flowers trees and rivers all around. 

The people are extremely poor or extremely rich. They are often extremely non-compassionate to each other and yet they are a beautiful, warm and inviting people.
It was a Sunday, time to go to church. Ananthi the founder of Good Samaritan Schools opens the school site in Madanpur Khadar to be used also as a church location to serve the local community and the families of the students in the are. Currently there are about 50 -75 people in attendance. The free standing building they hold church in  is normally used for the 5 & 6th graders, church was just getting under way as we arrived. I was thrilled once again to have to sit on the female only side of the room while the men all sit on the opposite side. 
In general I have observed that females are hardly ever seen. Around the city, walking, driving, shopping, even in the schools it is mostly all males. Traveling through the city, at first glance, you would think it is an all male population here. Women in public are rarely seen by comparison. But for once the women showed up at church and were a mighty sight. 

The converted room normally highly populated with boys and just a few rows of girls for school, was now a Church sanctuary occupied my 4 times the women than men at the Sunday service. There was even a three lady worship team !

 Today I was proud to be among such women !

The church service was in both Hindi and English. If you did not go to school your English is very rusty. All educated Indians speak fluently booth English and Hindi. Many of the Good Samaritan studnets come from uneducated homes so their parent do not speak English well. The kids love practicing their English on us. 

They did a church service format very similar to any of ours.  Worship time, announcements, and offering with a guest singer. The young lady who sang at offering was a 15 year old student form the school, her parents are this school site caretakers. I recognized her mother as being one of the women that escorted us into the slums yesterday. The young girl sweetly sang an 'American' worship song, "Come, Now is the Time to Worship".

Our team had been asked to prepare a message to the congregation that morning. Our team is blessed to have Abner and Amanda Ramirez with us, a talents couple from the up and coming band Johnny Swim.  Abner is a great man of God and a gifted speaker he delivered a powerful and encouraging message about Gideon. The night before he had allowed me the privileged to work through the sermon with him. Working with him reminded me of my work back home at BCCC. Abner was a full of energy, very similar to working with Pastor George. God was with him as he delivered a perfect message with heart and humor. The we were all blessed that morning by the "living" God. 

At the end of the service the congregation was invited to come forward with their prayer needs, our team was asked to pray with people. Many came forward. I prayer with about 10 ladies. The young girl that had sung earlier in the service was my translator, she was so pleased to use her very proper English. Our team altogether must of prayed for most of he people at the church. Many had prayer request for success at school, jobs, for raising their kids and everyone asked for some type of healing. I was wishing the entire time I had more knowledge on how to pray for healing, I should of payed better attention to Dotti. So included in all my prayers was an apology for not knowing the best way to pray for healing. I had noticed, this seems to be a theme here in India, the need for healing prayer. I had spent some of my awake hours the night before reading about all the healing Jesus and the disciples had done. This gave me the boldness I had lacked the day prior in the slums when people requested healing prayers.

Then it was time to serve we helped clean up the church. We swept, cleaned and pulled weeds. Ananthi wanted us to influence the congregation to take better care of the church and property. Ananthi had announced to the congregation this is what we did in America, everyone pitched in and cleaned up after church. I though well actually we have a janitor, but we could and probably should pitch in more to clean up ?! The hand duster / broom I was given to use was made out of some dried grass. I think it made more mess as I cleaned with it. It felt humbling but oh so right to be down on the ground with the teen girls and ladies of the church cleaning and pulling weeds. Then everyone was given tea and biscuits. Maybe that is what we do after church clean first then refreshment time...!? Just a thought.

After service the young girl that was translating for me, showed me around. Her family was very eager to invite us into their one room home there on the property, they were so very proud of their clean Christian palace compared to the slum homes of yesterday. The girl told me how she loved American Worship music, biographical novels and her pair of Love Birds. 

And now for something completely different, we go from one extreme to another. After cleaning a slum neighborhood church, we are driven to one of the nicest hotels in India for lunch. Getting in was an experience in it self. We had to go through intense secutiry to get through the gate to the Hilton. Along with ourselves, our bags and our vehicles we all had to be checked over by security for bombs... oh how nice I feel so safe now? 

The Eros Hilton Hotel was as fine and fancy as the Las Vegas Belagio. Which was kind of ironic for me as this was the weekend the for the past 4 years Scott an I spent in Vegas for the CHP softball tournament. 

Ananthi took us to the four star Empire Chinese restaurant for lunch. Since India is so close to China they have some very good authentic Chinese food here. No Mexican food here though. The food, the service, the place, was all delightful. As we left I felt terrible as I realized our drivers had to sit outside in the car the entire time and wait for us. Okay God were is the extreme discomfort for ME. This mission trip is serving me more than I think it should. From the beauty and opulence as we leave to return to our flat, not even a block away from the Hilton the shanty towns and impoverished naked children appear along the road. From one extreme to another... 

Super Servants VS. Super Heroes

I keep saying to everyone this just feels so wrong. They keep serving us ! They drive us around in nice cars, they feed us feasts of delicious food, they clean up after us, they give us the best seats and the nicest blessings. The Christian here in India are teaching me about true humility. We came to serve them! I wanted to be a super servant and they act as though we are super heroes. Yet we haven't even done anything yet, we just showed up. They treat us like royalty. No, I keep saying this feels wrong.


   I now need to prepare to be of some use here. I want to be a humble servant like them. I want meet their needs as they are meeting mine. I realized in all my preparations to come here. I did not prepare my heart  and mind enough. I was not in the Word enough. I am so overwhelmed by what I see around me the need is SO GREAT, I am speechless to speak, I am paralyzed to act. Where is my boldness ?

   I am having trouble sleeping more than 3 to 4 hours at a time. I am not tired here. I am not hungry here, I have no appetite. I skip many meals here. (II never skip a good water bottle, I am really thirsty here.) It is as if God is telling me you do not need sleep, you do not need food you only need me right now, I am your provision I am your strength. I spend many of my sleepless night reading scripture and praying. I pray more and more God give me boldness," Lord give me the words, give me the actions to take, make me a Super Servant not a super hero to your children here in India."


Saturday school was out. We returned to the school however to have scripture, prayer and testimony time with the school staff. 
I was able to share my story of how my heart has been broken for the Indian children since I was a girl. I shared, as many of us did, my salvation story. I had time to think of my words carefully as I had a translator repeating everything I said into Hindi, gave me needed pauses. Many of the people speak English but understand better in Hindi. I had been given advice my a local brother, it is best to build relationships before you can serve the adults. They need to know you before they can trust you, unlike the children.

So I took the opportunity to be transparent and start building those relationships. After staff prayer time we traveled up stairs to a large room on the third floor to prepare for their first ever youth group for the local teens. My team mates, a beautiful and talented couple performed a beautiful song they wrote to just for this trip. As they rehearsed their song the melody filled the air, tears filled my eyes, it was nice to worship here in this place. My sorrow came from the view out of the third story window. I looked on as families bathed and washed clothing and dishes in a muddy water hole just on the other side of these protective walls of this school. Perhaps some of those kids where students here. I know people lived like this, I had seen picture but to watch unfold in person as the room filled with praises was a bitter blessing.

   I found it also challenging for me to HAVE TO move from where I was sitting, as I realized even in a youth group the girls had to sit on a separate side form the boys and many sat in the back. Stinks boys I did not want sit by you anyway...! That was my attitude. The overall youth group went very well, I was nice to worship together in English and Hinidi. Most of the youth that showed up where non Christians... bonus !
The day followed with more wonderful Indian food and a nap back at the flat. At 4 pm we were picked up and told we were going to pray for Christian families in the slums.

The next few hours will haunt me for a lifetime. 
   I can still smell the thick odor of hurting flesh and filth. I had lots of bug spray on but the smell of my protective lotion was drowned out. The odors of India are easy to get used to. It is the visuals that capture my heart. We arrive in a area that looked as though it was an accident. The streets did not seem to have plan . Running along side the slum was a river lined with make shift shanties of sticks burlap and garbage bags. The very narrow muddy, pot hole filled streets where an obstacle course to wonder down of littered garbage, cow dung and piles broken cement. People were everywhere and they looked at us as though the circus parade was going down their street. I was a little nervous so I tried to blend in and hide behind my team mates. The half naked shoe less little children made the piles of broken building and empty rig shaws their play grounds. The random cows were making dinner out of the garbage strewn about. I tried not want to walk around with the look of horror on my face, they were watching, they knew we are Christians and this was there home.
Despite the shock of my surroundings the familiar warmth of the people came out. We were warmly greeted in the street by the local Christians. They took us to three homes to pray over the needs of the families there. The slum buildings were like something out of a futuristic mad max sci-fi movie. Cement, tile, rock and granite hodgged-poged together into brick buildings several stories high with openings, no doors, just a hanging colorful cloth going into rooms no more than 12 by 8 feet. Open areas doted with idols, colorful pictures of hinidi gods, very little furniture, exposed congested spaces.  An area was set aside in each home to sleep, to cook and to wash. The running water consisted of an old fashion hand pump sometimes located inside sometime located just out side in the street.  The entire family lived in these one room brick ovens. They were so hot NO air circulation. They did have electricity and everyone has cell phones. I am in a foreign land now deep in its belly I thought as our team crowded into these rooms we barely fit. 

Their prayer request were welcomely familiar to those back home. One lady was suffering from cancer (it thought of Dawn Holt as I knew her prayers for healing were also taking place at home), another family needed jobs, one family needed healing and the ability to pay off debt from their daughters marriage.
Our time in the slum was only a hour or two but I will remember that time always and pray the holy spirit will come reside there more and more.
Back to flat again for a few hours sleep and back in the Word... the meaning of Matt chapter 5 is so much more real to me as I read it over and over to fight to homesick feelings welling up in me. As morning comes here I can hear the Islamic prayer chats just outside in my flat. I pray,"God I am no super hero. But make me a super servant just like my brothers and sisters here in India."

I fought back tears all day...

Today I had no expectations of what the day would bring. It was truly a blessing not having any idea what joys and sorrows would wait me. I fought back tears all day. Even as I write this I am tearing up reflecting on the powerful emotions of this first day.
I awoke to get my first glimpse of the outside surroundings of the "middle class neighborhood" I am in. If I had not been told I was in a nice area I would of thought I was in the slums. My flat mate from So Cal referred to our area as looking 'like the projects'. I do not feel unsafe but the visual first impression is daunting. 

After a young man cooked us a simple breakfast of eggs and toast, a nice prayer time with the team and a quick cup of coffee our drivers from the Good Samaritan Schools showed up at 7 am to drive us to the school. Our driver woke us up with another roller coaster heart stopping drive to the school. I saw things I could never fully appreciate from a book or movie. We drove past a water ways with litter covering its beautiful tropical green banks with heaps of garbage, a dark mold that grows on the walls and buildings, people cooking on the side the road just outside their shacks made from random pieces of tarps, wood scraps and plastic, traffic jams that included many bicycles and honking filling the air as it is used as we would use a turn signal. They honk as if to say hey I am here and I am going to pass you so stay where you are. As our driver turns the two lane dirt road into a five lane road on slippery mud, I feel we are going deeper into a depressed area, the random shack homes become more abundant, but we are still not in the slums? Our driver speaks very little so I am confused as we drive even further down dirt roads and pull up next to a one story complex. I thought the school we were going to was big and lavish, where am I ? I am at one of the four schools of The Good Samaritans, I had no ideas here are FOUR schools. So in my ignorance I was able to have quite a surprise. We are hurried into the outside school assembly that is taking place. The kids were all lined up and waiting for us. The youngest students had leis made of marigolds they placed around around our necks. I fight back my tears for the first time of many today. What ? Why are they making a fuss over us? We came to serve them and they are giving us the royal treatment. I was overwhelmed with their affection for us.

The children sang praise songs loud and sweet, lead by a teacher on a guitar. They did their daily prayers in unison lead by the older students. Their pure voice filled the thick muggy air with hope. We spent the rest of the day visiting each of the elementary class rooms. The ages ranged from 3 years old to 14 years old. Each class room was packed with 40-50 students. All so well behaved, sitting at attention and eager to learn. The teachers told us the kids love being at school they do not want to go home at the end of the day. I can only imagine what awaits them at home, soon I will not have imagine as we have home visits planned soon. We we traveled around to the desks of each of the 250 students in six rooms. The children were eager to show us their school work and art projects. They asked us questions, "how many are in your family ? what is your favorite color ?" Chaos broke out in one class room where the older students decided they all wanted our autographs. It felt so wrong. They are the little heroes and they wanted our autographs, time and attention, they treated us like rock stars. Again I wanted to cry as the emotion of miss-placed importance overtook me. How can I honor these children Lord? I signed their papers "God Speed to You, God loves you and God bless you". Even the teachers were so appreciative of us being there. We had not even done anything yet. How could they be so welcoming ? The energetic young librarian lady was so proud to show us her one room library complete with computers and a projector. She share her love for the school and the children like someone would talk about their favorite vacation. Her passion for the school made me realize what a responsibility we have to to bring our best, to show Christ love to these these children.

As we journeyed through the class rooms it began to rain. God was not hold back tears from heaven. It was not just rain, it poured it thundered it lightninged all around us. As if God was saying see ! See what I see, see what breaks my heart ! 

As I interacted with the children I noticed so my of them had burn scares, cuts and bruises, all wounds from the life of living in a unsafe slum. I learned more as the day progress about the plight of many of these children. I heard story after story of these lost and hurting lambs. One story of a young boy of 5 or 6 years old missed a few days of school upon questioning him they found out he had been hung from the ceiling by his father with ropes by his legs for two days as punishment. I fought back tears. 

It was glaringly obvious to me the number of boys at the school out numbered the girls 16 to 1. Where are all the girls I asked ? "They are at home cooking and cleaning" I was told their culture does not see a need to educate many girls. Then I heard the story that broke me. Girls may start here but rarely finish because they are married off to whom ever will have them since the families have no money for a dowry. One girl was pulled out of school at the age of 10 to married off to a 40 year old man. I tears could not be contained any longer. I privately wept.

The rain had turned our walk ways and roads into rivers! 

We were then driven or floated over to the main school site. It was the big nice state of the art Good Samaritan School I had heard about and read about. This is where they have there have all their operational offices. This school holds 1500 students from the ages of 5 -18 mostly all upper grades. It could hold more students but more teachers and resources are needed.

We had lunch with the founder of the school and heard her amazing tale of God's favor opening each door as she started this free Christian school from a toilet area in the slums. Her tale is so great I will need to write a movie script to capture all the details.

We spent the rest of the day planning what we would teach the children in the week to come. I asked her what do the children need most ? Her response was no surprise to me "the children need a lift up, they need to feel Christ unconditional love". The task seems easy enough but the great responsibly  to make it really honor the kids and meet their needs is what is overwhelming us. "God give us the right words at the right time to serve your lambs?!" I pray. 

This day ends with a much needed nap back at the flat (as I have no idea how much sleep I have gotten) a pizza, writing my blog, team time preparing to teach the children and many prayers. I  have many prayers of thanks to God for answered prayer. Your prayers for me are very much felt. In all the heat, humidity, lack of toilets and strange food and water I have never felt better. No discomfort at all. God is good. Answered prayer overwhelms me... I fight back tears.