On My Mind II

THE RESOLUTIONS
of
Jonathan Edwards

Being Sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ's sake.

Remember to read these resolutions over once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

(Resolutions 1 through 21 written in one setting in New Haven in 1722)

(And some of the other 49 he wrote that especially stuck out to me...)

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God' s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.

43. Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God' s; agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12, 1723.

48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age, say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.

58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May 27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July 11, and July 13.

61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness, of which I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton' s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what am I the better for them, and what I might have got by them.

70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak. August 17, 1723.

VBS Survived

Brajen and I have been working for the past several months on planning, directing, and finally executing a citywide Vacation Bible School. Of course we didn’t do it alone – the VBS was planned through the combined effort of pastors and ministry leaders from all over Gurgaon. In addition to the 50 teachers and handful of volunteers, almost 250 kids (ages 4 to 16) came each day during VBS week, May 14th – 18th.

Phew. It was a lot of kids! But I can joyfully (and with a huge, contended sigh of relief) say, mission accomplished!

At times it didn't feel that way, namely when it seemed to melt into pure chaos. And, of course, there were the unforeseen bumps – no electricity on days 1 and 3, not enough classrooms or workbooks, undelivered craft materials, etc. The resulting blessing was seeing God work all those things together (tangibly by providing uncomplaining children and spurts of creativity to meander through the mess) and marvelously accomplishing what we had prayed would be the end result. Viz., to clearly and simply have the gospel proclaimed, children led to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and all encouraged in their young faith by the teaching of God’s Word. And by God's grace and power this happened! A large group of kids made a profession of faith and an even larger group of un-churched kids asked for (and received) their first Bibles (more on that below).

My role was mainly all the “fun” administrative type stuff leading up to VBS, for example, the accounts. I even tried my hand at a bit of the publicity, designing the posters and registration materials around a main theme, “Come Sing a New Song”. During VBS I coordinated registration (disastrous but we all survived with full heads of hair), teachers & volunteers (we had morning meetings and prayer times), and crafts (who knew my two Martha Stewart magazines and collections of ribbon and scrap paper would be my “two loaves and five fish” when there were no craft supplies delivered on Monday morning?).

It was my coordination vantage point that allowed me to see a blessing that will go beyond just our VBS week. I walked away fairly encouraged by the efforts that all these pastors and churches made to work together. Despite some challenging differences, these pastors demonstrated that they are ultimately committed to furthering the gospel in their city, specifically in the lives of their young people. VBS and the joint effort committee seems to have paved the way for other collective efforts – a citywide day of prayer, a “transformation network”, and a renewed interest in Pastor prayer meetings.

Please pray with me that this team effort attitude for the sake of the gospel will continue among Gurgaon leaders and that their efforts will lead not only to growth of local churches, but also to increased accountability and encouragement among Pastors and fellow believers.

Another blessing that will go beyond VBS week was a point of personal growth. My whole involvement in the committee, planning, and VBS week itself was a humbling lesson in cross-cultural communication. And by humbling I mean sometimes embarrassing (those stories will be archived for another day) but mostly just revealing. Revealing of the fact that dying to self is hard. Living for Christ, i.e., putting into practice the type of love so clearly demonstrated to us by Christ’s example, is hard. Daily, “keep at it”, press on, wearisome type of hard. And for whatever reason (perhaps all the miscommunication frustrations) VBS planning and VBS week chaos just brought out my need to work on listening lovingly, relinquishing my idea of the “right way” to the ideas of others if the end goal is being accomplished, and being patient – even affirming and adapting – with others’ differences (cultural or otherwise).

Please continue to pray with me that I will love sacrificially, that I will kill my pride, that I will communicate love, and that I will daily recall my own position in grace and so joyfully extend that attitude towards others. Pray that I will increase in brotherly (sisterly) love and affection for India.

So good, lasting blessings. Out of the actual VBS week itself my favorite blessing “snap shots” involved (not surprisingly) my interactions with the kids.

During the week I got to give a few devotionals to the junior group, kids ages 10-12. The given theme for one of the days was “Do Not Fear”. After making a list of things the kids feared (top of which were: exams, snakes, and big dogs), we looked up some passages that highlighted God’s power and sovereignty. I was about to spend some time making the connection between God’s character and why we don’t have to fear when one of the boys raised his hand. My heart did a little jig as I quickly realized he’d made the connection. I let him explain to the rest of the class why we don’t have to fear – in his terms, God is “the biggest and best” and also loves us, so we can trust him. He was afraid of the scary dog because it was “bigger” than him, but the dog can’t even compare to God, so he doesn’t have to fear. Three cheers for kids better understanding God’s character.

Please pray for these dear kids, specifically that they will continue to grow in their faith and knowledge of God. Pray that truths about who God is, how He works, and what He’s done will touch their hearts and that this new generation of Christian Indians will be desperately in love with Christ, ready to radically and unequivocally stand for Him!

My absolute favorite snap shot, or VBS memory, was from the last day. We had purchased 100 English/Hindi Bibles to give away to children who had none. My friend and I were organizing them while waiting for the closing ceremonies to end when word began to spread that Bibles were in the back. Despite the ongoing program, kids began to rush back to the table. My friend and I were pushed, crushed, pinched, pulled, yelled at… we were mobbed. Literally, mobbed. For Bibles. By kids. Some of them were mobbing me because they wanted something free, but there were those that had, all week long, been asking for a Bible because they truly wanted to read it themselves. Several of those shouted at me: “Ma’am, please give me a Jesus book”. Precious. I’ll get mobbed for that any day of the week.



Thank the Lord with me for His precious, alive Word and for the reminder these young ones provided of cherishing it and desiring it. Pray specifically that those who took Bibles for the first time will get opportunity to read it and that it would be read not only by them, but also by their parents. Also, praise the Lord for his marvelous work in orchestrating the details, bringing children, sustaining us through the program, etc, and for the ultimate example of his power in the group of children that responded to His offer of salvation. For the group that heard the gospel and responded, please be pray for their spiritual protection and growth.

5-Day Forecast for Gurgaon

Sunday
116° F | 87° F
47° C | 31° C

Monday
118° F | 84° F
48° C | 29° C

Tuesday
120° F | 82° F
49° C | 28° C





Wednesday
118° F | 84° F
48° C | 29° C

Thursday
116° F | 86° F
47° C | 30° C

Easter Reflections

I know that it’s a little late for Easter reflections, considering Easter happened about a month ago, and as a result you'll be tempted to chortle at my sporadic and futile attempts to keep this blog updated... but resist that little indulgent laugh! At least I'm posting...

One of my favorite things about Easter was the fact that my church intentionally and thoughtfully took action to reach out to the community. It’s an area of growth for our church to think of widely and boldly placing themselves in the paths of people they don’t know in order to further the gospel and build up our body – me included! I’m loving growing alongside them in this area.

I read a statistic this morning that the greater Delhi area (including Gurgaon) has 100 malls and 300 malls proposed or in progress. One soon to be completed mall near our home boasts 1 km of shopping per floor with at least 8 floors. (Honestly the only benefit I see to that complex – and I’ve thought long and hard about this, believe me – is that one could have an indoor, air-conditioned training area for a marathon. But don’t tell any shopping fanatics I said so.) Before you think I’m digressing, the point: loads of people come to a strip of road in Gurgaon that boasts the 5 most popular malls, international eateries, and upscale shops, facilitating a perfect meet & greet with the greater Gurgaon population.

So on the Saturday before Easter a group of us spread out on that mall permeated road armed with 4,000 invitations to our Easter service the next morning. The sheer mass of people, the way they took the invite without looking or cut me off mid- “I’d like to invite you to…” made me a little wary of hoping for any real results from our “campaign”. That and the fact that the people who did stop and talk to me usually said something to the effect of, “what is Easter?” It both broke my heart and exhilarated me to answer their question and hand them an invitation; broke my heart because I was reminded of how lost people are, exhilarated me to introduce them to the idea of Christ’s resurrection and to a church.

The next morning, after a sweet sunrise service with a smaller bit of our body, we crowded into our church basement (the only portion completed in our current building project). And crowded is a good way to put it – the church was packed to the brim! Imagine my joy when the first two people I saw coming down the stairs were a husband and wife that I had handed an invitation to! I was able to welcome them and get to know them. But they weren’t the only ones: almost 40 guests inundated our church service that morning; as a result of the clear, compelling gospel message several professed faith or wanted to know more. God, make me more quick to trust in your power and sovereignty to work and bring people to places and to believers that you will then use to share your Word!

The song that has been running through my head since Easter (a most likely cause being that I’ve had Kenny’s Music of the Spheres CD on repeat since then) has been the simple, “Thank You For Saving Me”. Here are the words:

Thank You For Saving Me

Thank you for saving me, what can I say?
You are my everything, I will sing your praise.
You shed your blood for me, what can I say?
You took my sin and shame,
a sinner called by name.

Great is the Lord,
Great is the Lord,
For we know your truth has set us free,
You've set your hope in me.

Mercy and grace are mine, forgiven is my sin,
Jesus my only hope, the Saviour of the world.
"Great is the Lord" we cry,
God let your kingdom come,
Your word has let me see,
thank you for saving me!


Pretty simple song; profound truth. Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I walked away from Easter so excited, as I said above, that the church was mobilizing to share the gospel with the very needy neighborhood. I also walked away from Easter encouraged by the gospel itself and the fact that I’ve experienced/ am experiencing the power of salvation by faith in Christ. What joy!

“In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying Abba! Father! So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” As I focused on the greatness of God in salvation and my own relationship with the Lord, I was struck by the number of areas in my life where I don’t seem to apply the gospel truth. Meaning, I’m an adopted child who sometimes acts as if I’m still an orphan. How silly it would seem if an adopted child, provided with three meals a day, was to continue to hoard or steal food. But often that does happen because the child – who in some ways has been transported to a whole new way of life – doesn’t understand the full ramifications of their sonship.

In light of this I’ve been trying to meditate on and think more intentionally about what it looks like for me to live a life worthy of the calling of the gospel, viz., living under the gospel and in the power of the gospel. It’s been a good reminder time for me, and has been stirring in me an even greater desire to share the joy, significance, and grace of the gospel with others.

Please pray with me that many more will come to our church and be introduced to Christ; praise God with me for the blessing of our salvation!

With love,
Your sister through Christ’s blood,

Karisa…

(P.S. I’ve got some pictures posted of Easter and other recent events under “The Happenings” section of my picture blog. Just click on the link on the right).

Food

The number one question I’m asked in India is: “so, how do you like the food?” If I had a rupee for every time someone asked me…let’s just say there would be a large dent in the problem of world poverty. My answer is always the same: I love Indian food. Really, I do. Now I can’t deny that when I arrive back in the U.S. I will eagerly (and hopefully instantaneously) indulge in a juicy flank steak a la mom, a huge, fresh, garden salad, an In-N-Out hamburger, a warm loaf of sourdough bread, a Jamba juice concoction, and a warm brownie with a big glass of milk. But in the meantime typical Indian fare is something that I’ve come to love. This is hard for most people here to believe and so I find that, even after 4-6 months of consistently answering the question, people I see on a weekly basis still pose it and appear astounded by my answer.

And I’m telling you all of this because in the “five top questions Karisa is asked in e-mails from the US”– you guessed it – “how’s the food?” ranks pretty high.

So for the record, both here and there, I really like Indian food. Really.

Now when people from the US ask, they typically have two things in mind: Delhi Belly and Spice.

Since I’ve only been sick once (and that only a minor incident) despite many indiscretions (read: eating at roadside stands) Delhi Belly does not strike fear in my tummy or deter me from general enjoyment of the food. I think God graciously granted me a stomach of iron for the length of this trip.

And spice, both the taste and temperature of the food, has been a quickly acquired taste. One might argue that my tongue was burned, fried, and generally rendered useless within the first three days, leaving me an incompetent judge. (It was a bit of a “bang, bang, pow” experience at first given that my previous exposure to “hot food” had largely consisted of mild sauce packets from Taco Bell.) I like to look at it positively and think that I’ve become something of a spice connoisseur. I even chomped down on my first chili the other day – as a side dish. My nose was the only causality; I liked it! Another indicator that I’m truly OK with the spice factor was my recent attempt to enjoy “American food” in Bangkok. “That was your first mistake”, you might say, but give me a break! It sounded like a good treat. Halfway through the meal I realized something wasn’t quite right. What was it? Right! No taste! Bland. Blech. A chili sauce packet later I had something worthy of being called a meal.

Like I said, I honestly like Indian food, spice, Delhi belly, and uniqueness all considered.

Now, in case you are wondering, a typical meal consists of dal (a type of lentil soup typically poured over rice and always present at every meal), rice, chapattis (warm, tortilla-like “bread”), subzee (any vegetable, typically prepared in the pressure cooker with large helpings of oil and spice), and, about three times a week, chicken (also a pressure cooker specialty). Occasionally “salad” is added to the mix, which is code word for sliced cucumbers and carrots arranged artistically on a plate and sprinkled with salt and lemon juice. My favorite in our daily array is dal and I’ve been known to make “dessert” out of my chippate by adding butter and honey or butter and mango jam. Yummy!

In our household we eat with the standard fork, spoon, and knife. But in other parts of India eating is accomplished with your right hand and a chapatti. I got the chance to acquire that cultural skill during utensil-less YFC camp in January. Although it took me a while to perfect the “four finger scoop and drop”, in the end it makes much more sense to me than some other methods of moving food from plate to mouth; for instance, chopsticks, which I still fail to grasp (no pun intended).

If you ever want a crash course in cooking, come to a country that typically doesn’t use an oven (we don’t have one; there is no point, as there is never electricity with which to run one), has no pre-packaged, frozen, or instant foods, and where you are laughed at if you request a written recipe or measuring cups. These sorts of “trials” tend to either produce the golden chef extraordinaire or reduce one to an Amelia Bedelia-like state. In our house Sibu is the chef extraordinaire and I… Amelia Bedelia is my new middle name. On the up side, my true cooking (as opposed to baking, which is, I now realize, what my abilities heretofore had consisted of) repertoire has increased exponentially – I’m getting the “dash here, dash there” skill down pat and am convinced I could come up with a whole new line of recipes (Indian Mexican food, Indian Italian food, etc) given the concoctions I’ve invented. Thankfully there have been no dates required in any of my recipes.

The one bane of my cooking-in-India existence is chicken.

One day at the beginning of my time here I had prepared a lunch menu that required chicken. To obtain said item I accompanied Sibu to the farm to pick it up. It didn’t dawn on me until I saw the clucking, feathery masses that the chicken I was going to be purchasing would have so recently been alive and well. I tried to appear nonchalant and surreptitiously asked Sibu if there was a store with “pre-dead ones” nearby. When he looked at me as if I was the one missing a head I decided to drop the matter.

At that point I began an argument with myself. A frozen dead chicken is the same as a newly dead chicken…both are dead. Right?

Unfortunately that day I was a bit slow on the up take. The flat block, decorated with loose feathers and unidentifiable red “stuff”, should have been my clue that they really, truly were going to kill “my chicken” right then and there. (I say “my” because I was feeling a bit responsible for the scrawny-necked thing that Sibu had pointed out as the ones we wanted.) But it wasn’t until I saw the ax come down in a guillotine-like motion that I got wise. I looked away about 3 seconds to late.

By that point I had a headache and had stopped arguing with myself.

I had (casually and calmly) headed back to the car, missing out on the rest of the process, which Sibu said was “really cool” (apparently they fairly deftly chop the thing into manageable bits using a knife between their toes). On the ride home I asked a few cautious questions and came to understand that before an edible or even cookable chicken dish could appear my chore that afternoon would be to remove fat and bones and clean off the blood and stray feathers of Mary Antoinette (so it was a mistake to name it, what can I say?). In theory I accepted the task. Arriving home Sibu handed me our purchase in a tightly tied black plastic bag. Still warm.

That day we had pasta.

Pictures!

I've got my PICS site updated. I've added pictures of my Jabalpur and Rajastan trips, my Bangkok adventure, and recent events (Easter, visitors, announcements, etc). Click HERE to enjoy!

Praising God for His goodness to us...

Duffy

Quick Update

Thank you for praying for Aunty after last week's post! I am excited to update you with the news that she is doing much better! A change of doctor and a complete change of her battery of medicines has led to daily, exponentially increasing improvement. Of course, the challenge now is to encourage her to continue to rest on days she's feeling especially great, simply because, despite the improvement, there is still reason to be cautious and ease into things. Please continue to pray for her health and for the stresses of work, ministry, Faridabad, etc to be lessened.

Speaking of Faridabad, thank you all who have been faithfully praying since my post around the time of our groundbreaking ceremony. The work has been going along at quite a merry speed... the roof will be placed on sometime next week. However, the process has been anything but smooth as there have been several instances of cheating that Aunty/Brejan discovered. They are still almost daily wrestling with the contractor and workers to ensure a safe, well-built home will be the final product. Continue to pray for wisdom in dealing with the workers, spotting cheating and shoddy work, and for patience!

More to come later, as usual, I just wanted to get these immediate prayer updates posted!

Love,
Kar

Please Pray

Praying friends...

Would you all please be praying for Aunty Sheila? She has been not feeling herself for some time now and this last week it escalted and she is quite ill and very weak. At this point it's not really certain what is going on, though they believe it is tied to the heart surgery she had about one month before I arrived in India last year. Please pray for her complete recovery, especially the return of her strength; pray for her to have the ability to rest, as she's not used to "laying low"; pray for wisdom in what doctors and hospitals to consult (health care here is VERY different than in the States); and pray for encouragement, peace, and joy to come on her during this time.

I'll keep you posted!

Love you,
Kar

25

Just a quick thank you to each of you who either sent me an e-mail, card, package, or (attempted to) phone on my birthday. Your kindness meant the world to me... I had such fun celebrating "with" you and felt quite loved and cared for. Thanks for making my international birthday a very homey, friend and family filled one too! You all were so creative and intentional, I just want to say THANK YOU!

And for everyone who asked... I celebrated my birthday laying on a sandy white, palm tree filled beach and swimming in a clear turquoise ocean cove on the island of Ko Samet in Thailand... sipping coconut milk and eating fresh pinapple.

It was a perfect day in paradise.

That is, for the 4 hours we were on that sweet beach.

The rest of the hours of my birthday were spent in buses, tuk-tuks, trains, and a taxi; they were spent getting lost, missing "the last bus home", and realizing that driving can get crazier than India; they were also spent realizing coconut juice is sort of gross, I sunburn in about 10 minutes flat in the Thailand sun, and that you need more than one bottle of water to conteract the dehydration that comes from the 95+ and humid Thailand weather.

In otherwords, it was a very adventure filled day! At one point (while riding on a ferry), I realized Amanda and I hadn't spoken a word to eachother for half an hour and so I asked her what she was thinking... and discovered we had been doing the same thing: at any given point we were determining which way we would swim when the boat sank. The Lord cared for us and it didn't sink, but we had a game plan if it did!

I had a great birthday... a little bit of paradise... a lot of adventure... and I shared it all with a wonderful, amazing friend who was able to laugh at it with me. It's great to be 25! Since I survived day one, I think the rest of this year will be a piece of cake!

Making up for lost time...

My lovely and loved pals...

I am writing this post from a Starbucks in Bangkok. Yup, I said a Starbucks. And I also said Bangkok. As in Bangkok, Thailand.

I've been in Bangkok since Sunday the 25th of March and will be leaving tomorrow, March 31st to head back to Delhi. I had to leave the country (India) in order to renew/validate my visa and, as a result, came here for a week's vacation. My dearest friend Amanda graciously agreed to join me and we've had a week of Bangkok adventure. I honestly don't think I can travel in foreign countries without meeting some kind of adventure. Especially with buses... But our adventures will be the topic of another post.

One of my hopes was that during this week I'd be able to fill you in on some of the happenings in India that I'm not normally able to write about. Unfortunately, internet (like in India) was quite a challenge here, and this has been my first opportunity to post. I'll try to make the best of it without writing a novel!

In India it is illegal to share your faith for the purpose of converting. For that reason Aunty has asked me to be cautious about the things I write in e-mails and on this blog. That means that many times I've said things like "I'm meeting Aunty's friends", which really meant that I was speaking at a women's retreat! And I've had to avoid sharing the hard but wonderfully encouraging testimonies of the believers here. This has been hard for me because I feel that I've had a block in communicating what is actually going on... and I want you to know! But now that I'm posting from Bangkok, Aunty said it would be OK to share some of that stuff. Unfortunately it would take more time than I have (and more blog space than possible) to catch you up, so I thought I'd share some of the more recent exciting things.

First, about two weeks ago I went with Brejan, Solomon, and Solomon's wife Lovely on a 24 hour train trip to Jabalpur, a city in the dead center of India known most for it's beautiful marble works. Our purpose in going was to visit a school for mentally and physically handicapped children. The school is run by two beautiful women, one who has served at the school for over 47 years and the other, my age, who, after serving the children as a teacher’s aide, felt the call to teach and serve full time at the school. The school has about 52 children, all of whom were dear, sweet little things. There are both boys and girls, ranging in age from 4 to 18. They are t different intellectual levels also, with some in classes to train them on basic life skills and trade skills, and others in classes specialized to help them eventually matriculate into (and succeed in) normal school. This school is connected with WINN because WINN sponsors a small sewing center within the school that trains some of the older girls and some village women the sewing skills they need to earn a living. We spent three days of concentrated time at the school, mainly playing with the kids. I taught them Simon Says (and made a valiant attempt to do it in Hindi!), which was a huge hit! I also ran a story time with them, sharing one of my favorite books, Three Trees by Luccado. I wanted to encourage them that God, in His sovereignty, has a faithful and loving plan to use each of them. I had a hard time sharing without being teary, but it was worth it to present the gospel and encouragement to such eager, receptive children. The experience reminded me so much of my time in Romania and I was reminded, for the hundredth time since I’ve been here, how much joy I take in caring for and loving these orphaned kids. We’ll see what God is telling me through this… I should add that most of these kids in the school aren’t orphaned, but are, as one of the teacher’s said, emotionally orphaned. Society is not very accepting of children with disabilities, especially mental disabilities, and most of the children hate going home as they face abuse and rejection from their families. This had lead to many behavioral and emotional difficulties for the children and the teachers at the school are faced with the difficult task of caring for them through the deep hurts that they have experienced. I spent some time with the teachers, praying for them and asking them how I (and all of you) could partner with them. They specifically requested pray for wisdom, patience, and endurance. They are weary and often un-encouraged by those around them. They also don’t often see great progress, but instead slow, painful progress in the children. Pray that they will trust in God’s work in these kid’s hearts and minds. Pray also for the kids, for their protection, growth, and, most of all, their salvation.

I’m just realizing this is getting ridiculously long and I haven’t even shared the half of Jabalpur… but let me move on.

Less than 12 hours after I got home from Jabalpur I joined up with my church (DBF) youth group and boarded a small bus bound for Rajasthan -- the land of tattooed camels, gorgeous sunsets over desert-like brush, colorful half-saris and pointy shoes. Where in Rajasthan is beyond me as I never quite understood where we were, but suffice to say it was in the middle of no where!

It was fun to be participating in a youth group missions trip… I was reminded of my time just last summer to Mexico with the Grace youth group. On the 5 hour drive there we sang Hindi chorus, played “Would You Rather”, talked theology, and snacked on cookies. Pretty standard missions trip drive fare. Our purpose was to join up with some DBF supported missionaries and see their work with the villagers. As we were only going to be there one full day it was quite a whirlwind trip. Once we met up with the missionaries at their base, we heard from them about their work. The thing that stood out to all of us was their patience and endurance. They had begun working in the area in 1989, but hadn’t seen fruit until the year 2000. That is a long time of caring for and witnessing to the village people. That is also a long time of enduring persecution (beatings, being reviled, and some poverty) for the sake of the gospel. The missionaries shared that there were many times they felt like giving up since the staunch Hindu communities seemed impenetrable. But then God changed the heart of one woman…a woman who ended up bringing her whole family to Christ. One of the most important things to her was seeing the persistent testimony and the evidence (over time) of God’s work in the missionary’s lives. Wow!

We got a chance to visit this woman and her family, but first we had to get to her village. It required a 1 hour drive that seemed suspiciously like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland (except instead of that big ball coming towards you it was a big truck… and instead of dropping down a secret passage way, like in the ride, we dropped down into a ditch). When the bus could go no further we walked about 45 minutes to a wheat field. There we met with a family of believers and a few of their neighbors to share the gospel. That family is the only Christian family in their village but is enthusiastically committed to coming alongside the missionaries and spreading the gospel. It was neat to see their enthusiasm. That night we visiting another family and had a similar experience – hearing their testimonies, worshiping together with Hindi chorus’, and encouraging them to press on.

But it was the next day that was the absolute highlight for me… and the thing I need to share while not writing from India. We took a two and a half hour bus ride into the real middle of know-where, to a village on the Rajastan/Haryana border. The village itself was fairly developed, with lots of clay brick buildings, farming, etc, but they don’t have much contact with the “outside” world. The missionaries had been going to the village and building relationships for some time – about 6 months – and were going to use our visit to host their first true meeting. About 70 villagers showed up… and those were just the ones in our meeting area. About 60 others were sitting in windows and on top of the roofs of surrounding buildings, staying there the entire 3 hours! On one side of our meeting area (which was just a wide, flat patch of dirt under a large tree in the center of town) sat all the men; on the other side were the women and children, dressed in their decorative, fringe covered sari’s. They – as well as I – were fully covered, including their faces, especially in front of the men. Here comes my favorite part…

One of the youth group girls, my friend Artini, became a Christian out of a Hindu family. They had asked if she would share her testimony with this Hindu community. She got up and clearly, beautifully, and sweetly shared how Jesus had saved her. It was the first time she has ever, as a Hindu convert, shared her testimony with Hindu people. Though she was so nervous she was almost terrified that quickly changed to joy and excitement and an eagerness to share again. I think she will be sharing again, and again, and again, after this experience. What joy it was for me to see this dear believer be so bold! And it gets even better. After Arthini shared Pastor Arvind followed up with a clear, solid presentation of the gospel and call to faith in Jesus Christ. This was the first time (that they know of) that the gospel had been preached in that village. Did you read that? It was the first time that Jesus Christ has been declared and salvation offered to that village. After the message we all spent time talking with the men and women who had many questions. None became believers, but what a privilege to be part of the gospel going forth. It was beautiful, an absolutely beautiful work of the Holy Spirit.

Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name!

I often get discouraged about the state of the church here in India, and about the overwhelming number of people who continue to worship idols and reject Jesus. But my time in Jabalpur encouraged and reminded me that believers are taking seriously the call to care for the poor and needy through patient, enduring love; my time in Rajastan encouraged and reminded me that the gospel is going forth in India and that the Holy Spirit is providing opportunities, boldness, and heart change. Both times convicted me that what is required (and what a joyful requirement!) of me is that faithful, persistent, bold declaring, humble serving attitude that is given to us in the example of Christ (Philippians 2)…

I hope this has encouraged you. I love you all… you are so dear to me and play a huge role in encouraging my heart to press on in this strange land.

Duffy.

World Cup 2007

I'm living in India. And in case I'd forgotten that, the Cricket World Cup Craze is here to remind me.

In America (as I'm sure you'll all agree) a World Cup (of any variety) doesn't stir our hearts, rouse national fervor, or occupy the time, energy, and money of the upper echelons of government.

But here...well, let me put it this way: We recently had a bomb scare in our little market and, contrary to the police's efforts to clear the area, a crowd of curious onlookers swarmed on in (I didn't quite understand the attraction). Suggestion: next time they want people to vacate the premises they should broadcast a cricket match… because tonight I went to the market and there was not a soul in sight. I'm not kidding. Not a rickshaw driver to hail, not an ice cream cart man loitering about, not a single person honking by on their scooter (no honking? That’s a miracle!). Tonight is the match between India and Sri Lanka, a crucial match for India’s continued World Cup hopes.

I like cricket. I really do. I'll admit that I used to think it was a sissy sport, and my time in Oxford didn't help that impression. I think it was the white uniforms that turned me off. White? Playing a sport? You've got to be kidding me. And matches that spanned days at a time? That sort of takes the adrenalin rush out of it for me. Pick up the pace guys! End it!

But Sibu loves cricket. And Brejan loves cricket. And Aunty Molly loves cricket. And Uncle Sonny loves (and plays) cricket. And just about every Indian I've met (except Aunty Sheila) loves cricket. While in Rome, do as the Romans do? Yup, in the absence of a good ol’ Dodger game with the fam or a tumultuous Laker season to break my heart, I decided adopting a love for the unofficial national sport of India would be an excellent idea. One or two batting lessons from Uncle, a church picnic pickup game, and some afternoons with Sibu later, I felt pretty confident about my general mastery of (and growing love for) the game of cricket.

Pretty simple: Someone – looking like a wild windmill – throws the ball and another someone wields the thick bat in a swing that keeps me guessing between baseball, tennis, and hockey. Then the batting someone runs back and forth between the lines (unfortunately reminding me of a really awful drill from high school volleyball team days).

Right.

When I watched my first televised cricket game and heard terms like wicket, partnership, maiden, and golden duck thrown around, I knew I was in serious trouble. So in preparation for the World Cup I went HERE and got an education. Interesting, tricky sport this cricket, and catching that nice little ball barehanded or bowling at the speed they do definitely helps pull them out of the sissy category. Add to that the fact that I watched a few amazing, intense games with the excitable fan Sibu and the fact that I finally got a handle on how to properly hold the bat and get a good hit… I was hooked.

Good thing too because on this side of the world (I use that term loosely) they take their sport pretty seriously. Any sport whose most famous competition centers around two teams vying for “a small urn containing ‘the ashes of English cricket’ (in reality the ashes of a set of bails), which ``died'' in a match in 1882 when Australia beat England for the first time” is on the slightly intense (or perhaps fanatical) side. Should you doubt that present day cricket players, fans, and countries are this “die-hard” about their sport, look at the coverage of the World Cup HERE. or HERE. Typical sports coverage fare you say? Well, besides the ads urging the Indian population to pray to the gods for Indian victory (and most of them are) check out the fact that, after Pakistan shockingly lost their bid in the first round (they were ranked #3 in the world and heavily favored to win), their coach was murdered.

Oops?

I think someone forgot this was just a game. Or someone didn’t tell them the rules.

Given that, no further comments. I think I’ll stick to park cricket with the family and root for Indian team victory from the comfort of my own home and with the relatively sane company of Brejan and Sibu.

I thought you would enjoy this slice of life from my side… the cricket craze is just part of living here. Go India!

* * * * *

Update:

There is great mourning and a spirit of dejectedness in India today. Last night India played poorly against Sri Lanka and lost...they are out of the World Cup. (There is some small, say 1%, chance that they might pass through to the next round but that depends on the performance of other teams.)

The Indian team is advised not to return home anytime soon – apparently eggs are waiting for them, among other things.

Anger management, anyone?

Just kidding. I should clarify that only a small group, i.e., very few, are actually crazy (in the insane fashion) about cricket; the rest of the country has a very healthy, normal love for the game that only occupies their every thought, most conversations (at one time or another), all TV ads, and just about every spare moment.

So, while India is out (sob sob) there is still good cricket left to watch. Pass the cracker jac... er... tea and crumpets...

On My Mind

PSALM 96

1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;*
tremble before him, all the earth!

10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Daily Life

I realized yesterday as I was preparing another post for this blog that it has been some time since I’ve updated you on what my day to day work looks like. At the beginning of my time I was involved in Bible Studies, conferences, and workshops, but since January I’ve been focused more on working here at home or in the nearby office. I’ve been busy with three main things.

First, I had the chance to become more involved in office work. For three weeks in February I spent every morning with the WINN office staff, particularly Brejan, covering topics such as workplace communication, e-mail etiquette, filing and general organizational tips, weekly planning, and excel training. It was a blessing to be able to tangibly help in the office and an even greater blessing to see how the things I’d learned during my time at ECCU were being put into practice. It was a challenge to try to first understand what Brejan (and the office’s) needs were, what was culturally different and what their requirements were, and then finally adapt and express my ideas in a helpful way. We’ve ended the day-to-day class in favor of a twice a month staff seminar. I’ll have my first one next week and will be focusing on how to organize, prioritize, and complete projects.

Second, I’ve had the unexpected blessing of becoming a teacher – a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants teacher, but a teacher none-the-less. One day two weeks ago Aunty brought home a little girl named Poonam. Poonam is 7 years old and the daughter of the maid who cleans our office. Poonam, like many girls in her social class, is not being educated. The main reason is that because she works odd jobs with her mother she brings the family some much needed extra income; the second reason is that she’s a girl -- the little money the family has for education is going to their sons. But when Aunty offered me as a teacher for Poonam, the mother jumped at the chance! (Yay!)

The challenge in this has been that besides “Goodmorning, ma’am”, she speaks only Hindi and I, obviously, speak only English. My Hindi has been rapidly improving, though, as every night before class I ask Sibu to help me with phrases I’ll need for my lesson the next day. Poonam and I have been working on making an Alphabet book, learning colors (in both Hindi and English), shapes, basic English conversation and vocabulary, addition, telling time, and patterns. Poonam’s favorite “subject” is coloring, though to be more specific I think her favorite thing is cutting to little bits the papers she’s colored.

If any of you amazing teachers have tips on how to teach English or on how to teach the basics in such a way that reading comes more easily and naturally later on, please let me know!

The third thing I’m currently working on is gathering the material for Aunty’s book. At this point that means spending afternoons with Aunty jotting down the stories that come to her mind. I’ve also begun the process of taking testimonies that she’s gathered over the years and transferring them to the computer. The challenge of beginning this process has been that, at times, I’ve felt a bit overwhelmed with the amount of stories and information that needs to be sorted out and pieced together. At the same time it’s been a great blessing; I’ve grown in the depth of my love for Aunty as I’ve gotten to hear first hand her stories of God’s guidance and her obedience, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. I’ve been struck anew with the beauty of a life dedicated to following Christ, and the fact that such sacrifice is clearly worth it. I’ve also been blessed by the daily reminder of God’s sovereignty. I’m confronted with example after example in Aunty’s testimonies of God orchestrating events and working in people’s hearts to bring about His purposes and bringing glory to His name. I’m excited for the time when I’ll be able to share with you these “memorial stones” reminding us of God’s faithfulness.

Pray for me to continue to be obedient and faithful, even in the small things.

Karisa

Pictures are HERE

The Faridabad Groundbreaking (the topic of my last post) Pictures are HERE.

A few new pictures have been added to "Things You See", check them HERE.

And, to top it all off, I've "published" an entirely new "issue" of "The Happenings" HERE.

Faridabad Groundbreaking!

I won’t keep you hanging. I didn’t actually eat that big chili in yesterday’s picture. Though I’ve gotten used to chilies while living here, I’m not crazy! At the time the picture was taken I was so amazed at the chili that I just had to record what I was convinced was a world record size… only to find out we had about 10 bigger ones in the fridge.

Now on to the really important things! On Saturday the 24th of February we had a groundbreaking ceremony at our Faridabad property. The ceremony was a momentous occasion because Faridabad is the next big step (and change) in Aunty’s ministry. Her vision is to have a house and meeting hall where she can spend her new found quiet time studying, resting, and reflecting, as well as hosting on-site training, seminars, and retreats for women, leaders, and churches. This will mean a complete pullout from the current, Gurgaon ministry.

We were having the ceremony at this particular time because the money for the project had recently arrived and the contractor had been chosen. Aunty wanted to dedicate the land by breaking the first ground with prayer. The important men of the village came, as well as the entire local WINN staff and a dear young couple from church, the Benjamin’s. Besides physically breaking ground (with a pick ax), praying for the property, and sharing the project vision with the village elders, I also had the opportunity to encourage the guests and challenge the staff using Aunty’s theme verse for the year, Isaiah 41:8-10 as well as Joshua 1:9 and 24:15.

It wasn’t until after the ceremony that the village women joined us (in their mostly Muslim society women typically do not come out in public when men are present). They represent what will be the other aspect of Aunty’s Faridabad project. They flock to Aunty each time she visits and there is huge potential for her to teach, provide health basics (Basic medical needs are unmet in this village of farmers and day laborers), and enrich their lives on many levels. The women are eager for advice and friendship, which means Aunty might not have as much quiet and rest as she hopes!

Since the ceremony the contractor has started digging the foundation to what will be Aunty’s home. We’ve had to visit daily to ensure the foundation is properly laid (I’m learning a lot about construction in India). The contractor “guarantees” that the entire project will be completed by late July or early August, right before I leave. As much as I long for the chance to move out there, albeit briefly, I’ll believe it when I see it – I think he’s being a little optimistic. Good thing God is in control!

Here are some specific ways you can pray for the Faridabad project:

…Pray for wisdom to oversee the building, especially during the initial, “babysitting” phase.

…Pray for our relationship with our neighbors in the local village, especially the women and children. Their language is slightly different than Hindi (Haryani or something like that), so that proves a challenge, as do other cultural differences. Also, having wisdom in how to answer their medical questions and how to befriend them at more than a “how are you” level are two things to be prayerful about.

…Pray also for a good watchman – we need to choose one by March 6.

…Pray for Aunty’s continued health issues (general weariness, heart stress) during this especially intense time.

More blogging to come soon. I’m making up for lost time, but trying to keep these short and sweet. (Ha!)

Karisa

Blocked Blog Back...

…say that 10x fast!

My blog’s been blocked but now is back. Perhaps it wasn’t blocked for you happy ones, but I haven’t been able to view blogger.com or other such web sites since around the time of my last post. Chalk it up to an adventure in India. Mike Burbidge experienced a similar “phenomenon” while here, so I guess it happens every once in a while.

But I’m back and better than ever. Just kidding; I’m still the same, and so is my blog. I’m working on updating the pictures and writing “informative and exciting” blog entries. I’ll post them tomorrow!

In other words, if you’d like to know what on earth I’m doing with a gargantuan chili that close to my poor little mouth, check back tomorrow.

Duffster

New and Improved

Hi Faithful Friends and Fam...

I've done it! I've finally updated my pictures site (cheer, cheer!). I'm excited about the new and improved format and the huge amount of pictures I've uploaded for you to see. I'm most excited for you to get a fresh peek at my life here in India. Check it out by clicking HERE , by going to http://web.mac.com/duffygirl, or by clicking on the link at the right of this page.

Don't worry, the next thing on my "To Do" List (yes, I still have "to do" lists... just much more malleable ones now) is to update this blog. I wouldn't recomend holding your breath, but I do hope to post by the end of this week.

I continue to be grateful for your prayers, your notes of encouragement, and your support.

Your Little Indian,

Duffy

Friends!

I am writing this post from my first "India Home", the YWCA in New Delhi. As usual, the weeks since Christmas has been extremely busy. I left on Christmas day for YFC Camp -- a gathering of over 1,200 Indian Christian young people in a southern beach town for a week of meetings, music, and fellowship. Being the only white person in a sea of 1,000+ people was an adventure (as was sleeping on floors, learning to eat entirely with my hands, trying to navigate the 100+ languages represented there, etc)...but it was a blessing for me to get to meet young women from all over India, to worship alongside them, to counsel them, and to be counseled by them. I had the privledge of being a group discussion leader and was able to dive into the lives of several girls, encouraging them, crying with them, and praying with them. (When I return home to Aunty Sheila's, I'll post pictures of some of my new friends.)I walked away from the conference encouraged by the dedication and enthusiasm of young Indian Christians. I also walked away with a stronger sense of the unity of the body of believers around the world; they are my brothers and sisters!

The day I returned home from Vizag and the YFC conference, Erik, Donna, and Anna arrived! I don't think I can fully communicate my joy at their coming! Perhaps it was just that I had been in the train for 36 hours, but when I got off and was coming home to meet up with them, I was downright giddy and goofy!

Erik, Donna, and Anna have been joined by the remainder of the team, Tim (Muelhof) and Jessy as of January 7th. They are here for the purpose of ministry, encouragement, and academic research. I will be tagging along during their three week stay, primarily to take advantage of the encouragement that comes from their visit, but also to help with the academic research. While they are here we will be updating their blog with details of the trip. I encourage you to check out the site, not only for updates on our life the next three weeks, but also because it contains posts from the original Grace trip to India two years ago... the trip that awakened my heart for India and that God used to draw me here. It's such a precious reminder to me to look back on God's faithful leading! The site is: www.xanga/indiateam

So, I'll let that site do the talking for me the next few weeks. Much love to you all, and I'll "see" you when I get back to Aunty Sheila's!

Oops, wait, one more blessing I MUST share. On my Monday morning, your Sunday night,Aunty, Erik, Donna, Anna, Uncle, and myself got to video conference via Skype with Grace's communion service. We essentially got to sit in and be a part of the service... seeing dear Grace people take communion, hearing Dr. Talley's exhortation, and then answering questions (as best we could through the feedback) and being prayed for. I'll freely admit that there was not a dry eye in our little room as the Grace family turned, faced us, lifted their hands and prayed for us. Beyond being amazed at the technology that allowed us to almost physically be part of the body, I was amazed, strengthened, and joyfully thankful for the support, care, and thoughtfulness of my dear church body. It reminded me of the fact that I've been sent here, that I'm being upheld in prayer, and that believers in California care deeply for the work of God in India. Thank you Grace church body for your intentionality in being part of God's work in India, in my life, and in Aunty's ministry. All those who stuck their faces in front of the camera after the service... we could see you and loved it! Eat more guavas... :)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! (Or Merry Christmas Eve, depending on when you read this…)

In light of Christmas I’ve posted some new pictures, mainly of all the Christmas programs we’ve attended recently. (Click on the link on the right of the blog). You’ll be able to see pictures from our Noida ladies retreat that was conducted at the beginning of December. We had the opportunity to visit one of Aunty’s adopted daughters, Tannu, at her college, so there are pictures of her… and no, I’m not a giant, she’s just tiny! We also recently attended the grand opening of a Career Center in Delhi, so you will see pictures of the women and children I met there. Another program WINN hosted took place at the local Chrystalia – I’ve included pictures of their Christmas pageant and Philip distributing gifts. My favorite Christmas program thus far was the program for the slum children in my neighborhood. I’ve included tons of pictures of their sweet faces! I had the privilege of telling them the Christmas story, handing out presents, and playing games. The last round is from Aunty Janet’s Christmas program – she wrote and directed about 27 neighborhood children in a Christmas play put on for the entire block – about 100 people attended. It was marvelous! And I’ve included some of the family and church as well.

I hope that you are all enjoying a blessed Christmas celebration. I pray that the magnitude the of incarnation will hit you afresh, and that as a result you will magnify the Lord and experience renewed joy at your salvation. With love for you…! Duffy


Ephesians 1:1-14
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful* in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us* for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known* to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee* of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,* to the praise of his glory.

Odds and Ends, Exciting Tid-Bits, and What's To Come...

Greetings from frigid Gurgaon, India! I apologize for taking so long to update you on life here; though we now have an internet connection at home, we’ve been very busy in the past few weeks combined with the fact that most times I determined to post something, the electricity had other ideas!

What a whirlwind of opportunities we’ve had in the past weeks! I’ve met and shared with Aunty’s various friends so often in the past three weeks. We’ve attended retreats, Bible Studies, youth groups, and programs in different parts of Delhi meeting with all types of people – from those in a drug rehabilitation center to a group of young call center workers. My favorite foray, however, was our week-long trip to Pune. Not only did I get exposure to a different side of India (geographically and culturally), but I also got to meet the last of the Massey sisters – Aunty Dolly. As there are 5 sisters total (and one brother – Uncle Sonny), I consider that quite a feat. As with all the other family, Aunty Dolly, her son (Arun) and daugher-in-law (Serena), and her grandchildren (Neha and Natasha), were lovely, warm, welcoming, and all together delightful.

So why was Pune my favorite? If you visited Pune you might accuse me of liking it only for the balmy weather. Or perhaps, if you experienced the feel of the city, you might be tempted to say that I obviously liked Pune for its safe, college-town atmosphere—Pune is considered to be an academic center in India; some of their most prestigious colleges, universities, and seminaries located there. Unlike Delhi, it’s quite safe to meander around – even for a girl. And if you visited Naturals (a delectable ice cream shop that uses fresh fruits to make their flavors) or one of the two Baskin Robbins locations (“hip hip hooray” for chocolate and fudge), you’d be convinced you’d identified my reason for liking Pune.

Although I appreciated all of those things (who wouldn’t?), what I liked – no, loved – about Pune was the fellowship of the believers and the ministry going on in the WINN Pune Counseling Center. The center ministers to all types of women – some of my favorite ministry moments at the center were praying earnestly with three women from the slums, feeding some street children at the center, worshiping and sharing with a group of counselors and ministers (each one works hard in different ministries, but they come together to encourage and learn from one another), and diving into the Word with a group of retired women, self-labeled the Naomi group. Serena, who runs the counseling center, was also a treat for me as she unconsciously modeled servant leadership by hospitably welcoming, wisely counseling, and graciously loving each woman who walked through the door. She and I had some sweet times of conversation and I was blessed and strengthened by her openness and care for me. I haven’t even mentioned another amazing part of the Pune time – the church! I had an opportunity to spend Sunday morning with the most robust youth fellowship group I’ve seen since I arrived. To make my day completely satisfying, I ended Sunday by participating in the church’s equivalent to Grace Groups… something they call cottage worship. We squeezed 40+ families, youth, retired people, etc into Arun and Serena’s living room for a time of energetic worship, small group prayer, a short message, and discussion, all followed by family dinner time. What an ALIVE body of believers. I get so disappointed with this medium of sharing with you all because I find I can’t adequately express feelings, lessons learned, etc, nor can I give you all the details of testimonies I heard, encouraging conversations, etc. I hope I’m at least conveying that what I ran across in Pune was a unique set of believers who love the Lord, each other, and their neighbor. Seeing their practiced faith and participating in ministering to them and with them made me so excited – God is doing great things; His Spirit is at work!

I’ve posted just a few pictures of my time in Pune (apologies for my lack of photography skills). I think you’ll enjoy the ones of just a few of the groups I met with. There are also pictures of a day-long adventure Serena, Neha, Natasha and I took to Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. We saw such sites as the Gateway to India, the Hanging Gardens, Juhu beach, and we took a boat ride in the Arabian Ocean. But no, we didn’t go to Bollywood,; I’d say we paid our dues it by watching a Hindi movie titled Ramji Londonwale later that night.

It’s almost Christmas time and many people have asked me what it’s like here in India. It’s not celebrated as voraciously as it is in the US, but there are some evidences, everywhere. Divalli, a Hindu festival celebrated in October, is a much bigger celebration. My two favorite evidences of Christmas in India have been the special programs we’ve attended and the Christmas caroling. Only two nights ago we attended a Christmas program put on by the Bible Society of India. It combined the traditional Indian dance Bharatnatyam with Christian Christmas Carols to retell the story of the night of Jesus’ birth in a culturally appealing way. Caroling is another staple of celebrating the season. Beginning at around 10PM, groups of people go to various homes and sing a set of carols (I should say “exuberantly sing” – their enthusiasm is evident in the one picture I’ve included). Everyone then comes into the home for tea and food before moving on to the next house on the list – sometimes they don’t end until 6 AM. Yes, that means that they are descending on homes at 2 or 3 in the morning and waking up the occupants (and probably their neighbors)...but believe it or not, it’s sort of a fun, random, middle of the night event.

Up until Christmas I’ll continue on in much the same way as the last month – meeting lots of Aunty’s friends, working a bit in the office, helping settle the house (it’s amazing how long it takes to get details in place after a move), but after Christmas my life in India will shift gears again. On December 26 I will join my dear friend Lahki for a 2 day train ride down to the south of India. We are attending the country wide Youth For Christ conference, DIVE. When we get back on January 3rd, I’ll join Erik, Donna, Anna, and Jessy (a team from my church) for a 3 week stay at the YWCA. They’ll be here to encourage others and do some academic work and I get the opportunity to tag along and be encouraged by a visit from friends. It will be a busy but blessed next month or so!

You can be praying…

… for the Christmas programs we are hosting, as well as the various WINN ministries
… for my health, as I’ve caught a tenacious cold
… for safety as Lahki and I travel… and also that I will be intentional, loving, and encouraging to Lahki during my time with her
... pray for the dear women in Pune; pray particularly for the Dalits in their community (read more about the currently explosive situation here: the Christians need real wisdom and true love to respond to these happenings)
… for my continued spiritual health*
… for relationships that I’m seeking to deepen, particularly with four women: one of the staff members, one of the youth from church, Lahki, and Aunty Sheila

* Each time I’ve met with Aunty’s friends I’ve learned to rely more heavily on my savior. It has been a stretching, growing time, and one that I would not have gracefully survived were it not for my renewed dependence on and knowledge of the Word. (I can't wait to tell more details when I'm home.) You can be praying that I will love, pray for, encourage, and speak wisely to all the women I encounter. Please also pray that I'll be daily renewed in my thankfulness for my salvation... that I will be bold and discerning... and that I will continue to love and serve Aunty Sheila well.

I'll try to post again before I'm off on my late Dec/January adventures. I love you all dearly! Thanks for your encouragement and prayers.

Duffy...