Week Two

Two weeks. In just a few days, this will be the longest I’ve been away from home without my family [it’s kinda funny going from 2.5 weeks to 4.5 months away, but I’m excited]!  And honestly, this time has gone by so fast. There were a few moments this week where I just wanted to be back in America for a minute but most of the time I really feel at home here. I forget that the terribly uneven roads, 14 hours a day without power, teeny tiny dirty hole-in-the-wall restaurants, petting street dogs, and riding my bike on the other side of the road [while having to dodge cows and water buffalo] aren’t things I would normally deal with. And I am so grateful for that! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to put down South Asia or say “woe is me, I only have power for 10 hours each day”… I’m just saying, that’s life here. And I love it!

Quite a bit has happened this week, so I’ll hit the highlights:

-- I started language classes! It’s going really well and I am learning so much! It has been really helpful to know even just the basics. K [my partner//roommate while I’m here] always makes me practice whenever we get in a taxi or we meet a new shop owner. But everyone gets so excited when they find out that you’re learning and they try to teach you simple phrases or words!

-- This week, we met with some local pastors and proposed our idea of going to teach art classes and Bible stories in the villages. It was so exciting to get to go to the churches and basically have a staff meeting, but it all be in a completely different language. I loved it! [Plus I was able to follow along enough to know whether they thought it was a good idea or not thanks to what I have learned in class so far].  So, on February 1, we will go to our first village and be there for about 13 days! We are using simplified versions of the mehendi [henna] stories and starting to come up with a project for each of them that teaches different art techniques. I could not be more thrilled//thankful! This is what I have always wanted to do and I just can’t believe it is actually happening, let alone how much God has been preparing me for this, even long before I knew I would be coming here. We will do this program in 3 different villages throughout February, March, and April!

-- I cannot emphasize enough how perfectly everything is working out. It is so evident that God has His hand in the work we are doing. And I can feel the prayers from all of you. Thank you so much!

Things I’m learning:

-- The traditional greeting here is “Namaste”, but all of the Believers here say “Jaimase” which literally means “Praise the Messiah!”… How awesome, right?? They have decided to set themselves apart and greet each other in a way that praises the Lord! The coolest thing is when you are talking to a new person and [if they are a believer] when they discover you are too, they say “Oh!! Jaimase! Jaimase!” and they just get so excited J

-- I learned two songs on the banjo, ha. Who would’ve known that I would have to leave Texas and come to South Asia to learn how to play?! I need quite a bit of practice, that’s for sure, but it’s still fun!

Things I’m thankful for:

-- A loving and supportive church family back home that sends me encouragement and teaches the Word correctly. So many churches here are corrupt or other Westerners I’ve met have lost respect for the church because they’re churches weren’t doing things the way they should be and I’m thankful I can say otherwise and give them hope that people out there actually pay attention to what we are supposed to be doing as brothers and sisters.

-- I am beyond thankful that I haven’t had any problems with culture shock and for new friends here who are like a big family! It has made the transition so much easier.

Things to pray for:

-- Health. I am still battling a cold or allergies… I’m not really sure what it is but I sneeze and cough every few minutes and it’s not very fun.

-- Safety. Please be praying for safety as we travel to and from the villages in a week or so and even now as we are at home. There are protests going on throughout the country [which shouldn’t effect us too much since we will be in the villages during the main days they are happening], but we still want our friends and neighbors back home to not have any trouble while we are gone!

-- Continued unity. Everything is going so well with K and I, but just please keep praying that we won’t get annoyed by each other and that no major issues will arise so that we can continue to do our work here!

Thank you all so much for the support and for taking the time to read this J

Blessings!