Watching from India

Walking the streets of India has become so much more familiar for us. However, Lydia still screams in delight every time she sees a cow (which is a lot), but we are feeling comfortable with the neighborhood, and the streets and the shops. Once in a while, walking down the street, I will look around at the faces, the shops and the cars and it will dawn on me, “I live in India now.”

The girls are ‘becoming Indian’ in many ways! Kayla likes to shake her head from shoulder to shoulder to say ‘yes’, as is the Indian way. Lydia, instead of saying ‘yes’, will simply grunt, as is the Indian way, as well. They eat their rice with their hands, even if I have laid out utensils for them to use. Kayla knows how to sing some songs in Hindi, and apparently pronounces the words better than she has ever spoken English!! They call all of the adults (whether we know them or not) ‘auntie’ and ‘uncle’, which is the custom here.

We have made a lot of progress with the children’s church curriculum. We have the format set for writing an entire year’s worth of lessons for three age groups of children. Connie, Elizabeth and I each wrote example lessons to be followed. Teams have been formed to write all of the lessons for the curriculum and the writing is underway. The very encouraging thing is that all of the lessons are being written by Indians, as most curriculums here are very westernized and there is a need for one that is culturally relevant for the children here. Our prayer is that as young Indian children are equipped with the Gospel, they will be the ones to enter the seminaries and the tribal villages as missionaries and the Gospel will spread through India, and in a very indigenous way, as is the goal of this ministry.

Alan has now finished teaching two Masters level classes and will begin teaching PhD courses in the next couple of weeks. He is also mentoring several students as they work on their Master’s thesis papers. He is still grading exams and papers from the Pastoral Counseling course, is preparing for the next classes, is teaching Bible Study on Fridays on a rotating basis and continuing to help formulate the Missiology Program for the seminary.

It has been interesting to view all of the political events of the past few months from across the ocean. And even stranger to find out the results of the election from the internet from a totally different country. The people here in India have been watching the developments, as anything that happens in America on this scale affects the rest of the world, and Indians will remind you of this.

It has also been interesting to hear of and speak to people about the economic status in America right now while we reside in a third world country. I have told family and friends, especially in political conversations, that now that I live in India, talking economics is wasted on me. I have a whole different perspective on America’s economy. At the same time, I do not mean to undermine serious issues like people losing their jobs; I understand this can be devastating. But, when I am sitting here, and as I type, we are without any power – again, and this happens on a daily basis, it is hard for me to see it from an American perspective any more.

We lose power all of the time as part of our daily lives. This means I must wait to do laundry, I cannot use my microwave, and I cannot iron or watch TV. In the evenings, it is difficult to see, even with our emergency lights, and I often cook dinner on my stove top in mostly dark conditions. I don’t own a convection oven, so I do not bake anything. Everything I make must be on my stove top. I could purchase a convection oven, but have chosen not to in order to save money, as these are a luxury in India. I hang my clothes to dry (which I am very used to now). We run out of hot water regularly for showers, so there is no ‘soaking in the shower’, it is in and out if you want a hot or warm shower. We do not have a car and so we often walk places when we can, and only get an ‘auto’ for long trips.

And we are living the high life compared to those around us. I don’t list these things to complain, we have become very accustomed to these things, and in light of how others live here, these are very minor issues. But, these are things I would not face in America, nor does the average person.

Alan and I are still very careful about sharing our faith with the native Indians. Our goal is to equip Indians to reach their own with the Gospel, as this is much more effective for them and safer for us. We have found out recently that women are going around and asking about people’s ‘churches’ or ‘seminaries’ so that they can go and report these same people for trying to ‘spread the Gospel to them and harass them’, which ends in the arrest of the church or seminary participants.

Please pray for my relationship with an ‘auntie’ who runs the nearby grocery store. We have been to her home to see her artwork and I am trying to slowly form a relationship with her. I have mentioned her in earlier blogs. She is a Hindu, so I must take it slowly and form a relationship. The other day she asked me if she could borrow some money to go to see the doctor, as she does not have her pension money yet. She will pay us back, but we decided this could be a way to continue forging this relationship. She was very thankful, and my prayer is that our friendship and acts of kindness can open doors for us to share the Gospel with her and her family.

Also, please continue to pray for the persecution that is still occurring in parts of India. And for Alan, as he continues to teach, preach and build relationships with the students, that God would use him to build up Indians to spread the Gospel in this country. Also, for the work that is going on with the children’s curriculum, that the Indian writers would be motivated for this work as the children are the future of India, and the future church planters and missionaries.