Cross-Country Traveling

The seasons just changed here from winter to spring and, unfortunately, my sinuses noticed. I woke up at 3:30 this morning hot and clammy with an earache. It feels much the same way it did last fall when I got an ear infection. This really wouldn't be too much of a problem (medicine is easy to get here) except for the fact I am leaving the country today. I talked to JC about it and He was pleased to take away the pain and allow me to go back to sleep. How gracious He is!

I took my first train ride today to the nation's capitol. It was about a five and a half hour ride. The Father was pleased to place me beside a Hindu university student. I talked to her with what little language I know. She spent most of the time reading like I did. She shared her snacks with me, bought me tea and a candy bar (despite my objections). I can only credit the Father for giving me such favor in her eyes.

On the way to the guest house where I am staying tonight, I some how lost my phone (it must have fallen out of my purse in the public transportation). I used my US phone to locate it. It was quite the ordeal, but by God's grace I have it back.

This evening I ate dinner with a 80 year old couple who are serving the Father here. They have traveled all over the US and all over Asia. They see this time of their life as an opportune time to be about the Father's business. They have chosen not to waste their life [John Piper would be proud :)]. Talking with them was very inspiring. If I live that long, I pray that I can be as active in serving JC as they are. 

Side note: When I was getting ready to leave this morning, the biggest spider I have ever seen in real life showed its ugly face. Thankfully, my roommate took care of it!

About the Father's Cross-Cultural Business

Tonight is my last night with my home stay family. I got to spend the majority of the day with them today. They fed me and my teammate lots of food. They even let me cook for them! They wanted to know what I cooked so I started listing off things and when I got to potatoes, they stopped me and asked me what kind. I started listing them and when I said fried, their eyes lit up (of course, everything is fried or cooked in oil here)and they said "you make." So I did today. They said they liked them, so hopefully they did. There was no pepper or butter in the house so they weren't as good as they could have been.

This evening, I went to my language teacher's daughter's first birthday party. First birthdays are a big deal around here. There were about 40 people there. There was also a big, beautiful cake. They served the cake before serving us the meal. Very different from what I am used to, but that is the norm here.

I did something I never thought I'd do - I bought bright pink material for an outfit. The ladies with me talked me into it. They said I should buy something I would never usually wear...and boy did I ever. :)

Upcoming events: Sunday is a national holiday here so the Center is closed. Instead, I get to visit the local orphanage and I am so excited. Tuesday, we are taking all 35 girls on a field trip and boat ride, which should be fun...and interesting. Wednesday, I get to travel to another South Asian country to renew my visa (I can only stay in this country for one month at a time). I hate that it pulls me away from here and wastes resources, but it cool to visit another country for a few days.

The Lord has been incredibly near to me today for which I am thankful. I was reminded to keep my priorities straight and not substitute my serving Him for my relationship with Him. I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is where I am supposed to be, but I can do nothing without Him. I am doing a devotional while I am here and it encouraged me to be about the Father's business. Wherever He is working, I need to be working. In order to know where He is working, I have to be in tune with Him. It is so easy to get out of tune by gettng caught up in the daily demands of life. JC was always in tune with the Father. He regularly got away and communed with Him. Even if it was just for one person, He would go out of His way to a city because the Father was working there. That is the way we as followers need to be.

My Father is working until now, and I am working (John 5:17). 

Over the River and into the Hills

I am five days into my home stay. I am not sure how much it is helping my language learning since the dad knows some English and likes to practice it, but it is cool to see how the nationals live and to live like them. The mom is a really good cook. They make me feel so lazy because they won't let me or my teammate help with anything. They say that we are guests. I say that we are family. They don't buy it. My teammate and I sleep under a pink mosquito net. There are many mosquitos in this house...I am becoming quite the mosquito killer. :)

A few other things to get used to:
1. cold showers (no hot water heater)
2. squatty potty
3. the chirping of the gecko who lives in our room

This is a late culture so they usually eat dinner between 9 and 10. They know that that is when we are getting ready for bed, so they make supper for us earlier. I told them that we would eat with them, but again, request denied.

Here is my home stay family:

This weekend I had the opportunity to visit a rural area of the country where the tribal people live. It took us four hours to drive up into the massive hills but it was a beautiful drive. We stayed at a motel not too far from town where my field advisors did discipleship training for new believers. One of the girls from the Center went with us, which gave me an opportunity to build on my relationship with her and practice the language. The countryside is absolutely beautiful and the sights and sounds made me miss home. I forgot how much my heart is in the country. The best part, though, was fellowshiping with national believers. We spent last evening at a national's house where we sung a song to the Lord and read His Word together. I was reminded that JC tells us that we will show our love to Him by obeying His commands and one of His commands is the GC found in Matthew 28:18-20. JC continually reminds me that He is with me and that He is at work here. I am so thankful to join Him in what He is doing. It is truly a privilege. This morning, I had the opportunity to break bread with another group of new national believers. Many of them had never observed this command of JC before. Please lift up these new followers of the Way. They have a tough road before them but they have counted the cost and found JC to be more than worth it.

I have been in South Asia for almost a month now. Isn't that crazy?! Until this week, I have been sick at least once a week. I am so thankful to be healthy again and to have my appetite back and have been reminded through this trial that good health is truly a gift from the Father. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf!

Bring on the Language!

Monday I start my home stay. It is only going to last two weeks as opposed to the one month I originally thought. I am looking forward to being immersed even more into the language and living like a national. Once the home stay is over, it is time for my first visa run. Fun, fun.

I started meeting with my language helper this week. I am overwhelmed with new words and phrases, but have been putting most of them to good use. The girls at the Center like to help me practice. I have been here for two weeks and I can now greet people, introduce myself and talk about my family.

Today, my roommates and I went to breakfast at a local bakery. I was overwhelmed with the amount of goodies to choose from [Pastor Bryan, I thought of you! ;)] I had some type of custard-filled pastry, a chocolate truffle cake-thing and an iced mocha (can we say sugar high?). I'm really roughin' it over here as you can tell, hehe. We also did some shopping. It was great to be able to get out and explore the city some. The power was out at one of the shopping centers we went to, which made for an interesting, albeit fun experience. (Note: the power goes out on a daily basis here).

Later in the day we did home visits in the slums of the girls who go to the center. We were there for several hours, talking with their family members and praying with/for them in the name of JC. I had kids hanging on me for most of the time we were there. They are so precious!