As I write this I have just finished a 22 hr train ride. I got to see some gorgeous landscape, lush green forest untouched by man giving way to towering mountains of red and black rocks, then back down to the forest then riverbeds, that look like a desert, with sand stretching on forever because the waters have dried up. The rest of this week will be spent at a conference that Usha and Emrys are speaking at.
Going back, we will have a 28 hr train ride.
This past week was interesting, Usha and Emrys were out of town for for the wedding of a relative, so instead of leaving me at home by myself, they took me to Chennai to stay with a friend of theirs who just moved to India to take over his parents mission since they were retiring due to health problems. They ran a rehabilitation center and school, the school was for physically handicapped boys, they give them an education, and teach them a profession, either as a machine operator, making parts for the semis and tractors over here, or as a computer technician. It was an amazing place of hope, to see those that society had cast aside and told you won't be able to do anything but beg. This place is giving them an alternative and allowing them the opportunity to rise above that.
While I was with Russel, I was treated to steak, Mcdonald's, Subway, and Pizza Hut. They were so amazing!
I got back from Chennai to Yerpedu on Saturday, Sunday we had church, an HIV Kids meeting, an evening service for church and then a reception for a wedding. The HIV Kids were a blast to be around, just constant balls of energy and happiness, they don't even care that they have the such a dreaded disease. They were so excited to have their pictures taken that I had lines at several points just of kids who wanted their pictures taken with friends, or of parents who wanted me to take a picture of their kids. It continually amazes me how little it takes to get people to smile here.
The weddings are done quite differently here, they have the wedding and then a few days later, they will have the reception. For the reception the bride and groom sit on a stage, and people walk by give them presents, pose for pictures, then go and get something to eat and then leave.
In all of this I was trying to prepare for a devotional that i was to lead on Monday morning, I managed to get it all together, and this being the 2nd time I've done devotionals, I've found that I enjoy speaking here more than in the US. In the US you don't have any breaks, here you say a sentence and while the translator interprets you have time to compose your next sentence. It makes it so much easier.
Before I go, I want to share a story with you that was shared with me while I was at Russel's. Since Russel's been at the center, there have been many Hindu's bring donations and meals for them people and students there, asking the people of the center, which openly state they are christian, to pray for them. Russel Finally asked one of the Hindus that had brought a donation why they were coming to them and asking Christians for prayer. His reply? "The Hindu priest at the local temple said if we have prays that need to be answered we should go to the "christian place" and ask them to pray, because their God actually listens."
Going back, we will have a 28 hr train ride.
This past week was interesting, Usha and Emrys were out of town for for the wedding of a relative, so instead of leaving me at home by myself, they took me to Chennai to stay with a friend of theirs who just moved to India to take over his parents mission since they were retiring due to health problems. They ran a rehabilitation center and school, the school was for physically handicapped boys, they give them an education, and teach them a profession, either as a machine operator, making parts for the semis and tractors over here, or as a computer technician. It was an amazing place of hope, to see those that society had cast aside and told you won't be able to do anything but beg. This place is giving them an alternative and allowing them the opportunity to rise above that.
While I was with Russel, I was treated to steak, Mcdonald's, Subway, and Pizza Hut. They were so amazing!
I got back from Chennai to Yerpedu on Saturday, Sunday we had church, an HIV Kids meeting, an evening service for church and then a reception for a wedding. The HIV Kids were a blast to be around, just constant balls of energy and happiness, they don't even care that they have the such a dreaded disease. They were so excited to have their pictures taken that I had lines at several points just of kids who wanted their pictures taken with friends, or of parents who wanted me to take a picture of their kids. It continually amazes me how little it takes to get people to smile here.
The weddings are done quite differently here, they have the wedding and then a few days later, they will have the reception. For the reception the bride and groom sit on a stage, and people walk by give them presents, pose for pictures, then go and get something to eat and then leave.
In all of this I was trying to prepare for a devotional that i was to lead on Monday morning, I managed to get it all together, and this being the 2nd time I've done devotionals, I've found that I enjoy speaking here more than in the US. In the US you don't have any breaks, here you say a sentence and while the translator interprets you have time to compose your next sentence. It makes it so much easier.
Before I go, I want to share a story with you that was shared with me while I was at Russel's. Since Russel's been at the center, there have been many Hindu's bring donations and meals for them people and students there, asking the people of the center, which openly state they are christian, to pray for them. Russel Finally asked one of the Hindus that had brought a donation why they were coming to them and asking Christians for prayer. His reply? "The Hindu priest at the local temple said if we have prays that need to be answered we should go to the "christian place" and ask them to pray, because their God actually listens."
Dear aaron, i appreciate your work. Our Lord and Savior may be with you all the days you are in india.
ReplyDeleteVijayakumar
Yerpedu.