Look for an email from a particular helen later. It will share more of the controversial warfare type requests and invite you to join a sublist for hard core intercession. (Or because you are curious about just how crazy we are). Ha. Our email access will possibly get dodgier in a few hours, once we leave Pune.
SARAH
nameste! - means hello (and goodbye) in Hindi, and is used
throughout India.
Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement - there are many
beautiful things happening, challenging things as well. The enemy
seems to be attacking our team in various ways physically- sickness,
bug bites, hives, back pain - and trying to overwhelm us in various
ways emotionally and spiritually with the scope of the problem, or the
craziness of the schedules, or tensions in relationships. A friend
shared Psalm 91 with me, and it is exactly the promises that we are
holding onto!
"He will cover you with his feathers
and under his wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night (spiritual warfare, even in our hotels)
nor the arrow that flies by day, (opposition/suspicion where we go)
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness (bed bugs/ hives)
nor the plague that destroys at midday." (mosquitoes / allergies/ back pain)
Psalm 91:4-6
>
> Through these pestering attacks, God's grace has been strong - keeping our spirits up and protecting us from any severe problems. Thank you for praying for all of these things! especially Marcos' and Ramesh's backs - they have been quite painful with all the sitting and traveling and hard beds.
throughout India.
Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement - there are many
beautiful things happening, challenging things as well. The enemy
seems to be attacking our team in various ways physically- sickness,
bug bites, hives, back pain - and trying to overwhelm us in various
ways emotionally and spiritually with the scope of the problem, or the
craziness of the schedules, or tensions in relationships. A friend
shared Psalm 91 with me, and it is exactly the promises that we are
holding onto!
"He will cover you with his feathers
and under his wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night (spiritual warfare, even in our hotels)
nor the arrow that flies by day, (opposition/suspicion where we go)
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness (bed bugs/ hives)
nor the plague that destroys at midday." (mosquitoes / allergies/ back pain)
Psalm 91:4-6
>
> Through these pestering attacks, God's grace has been strong - keeping our spirits up and protecting us from any severe problems. Thank you for praying for all of these things! especially Marcos' and Ramesh's backs - they have been quite painful with all the sitting and traveling and hard beds.
I am so thankful for a team that can laugh and joke - even in the
midst of stressful situations or difficulties! I am thankful for God's
gentle reminders to give thanks in all circumstances - we have been
blessed with so much! I am thankful for all the amazing people we met
in Kolhapur - especially Rev. Pathani, Mr and Mrs Chopade (who have
opened up their home for us to stay in when we get back in a few
weeks) and for Rahul our driver, and our brother - looking out for us
when we were staying in the hostel. His gentle humble spirit is
encouraging and refreshing. I am thankful for the delicious fresh
veggies along the road side - for roasted corn on the cob sprinkled
with salt, lime juice and chili pepper :) for oranges and carrots and
unexpected showers of rain as we crossed the mountains into Pune. I am
thankful for friendships that cross any distance, for the blessing of
internet and phone and for God's plans being so much bigger than i can
even imagine to rescue and restore those who are suffering unspeakable
horrors right now. Because I know He is at work, i can lay my anger
and feelings of helplessness at his feet - and listen for his still
small voice saying "come. follow me. Follow me into the brokenness,
into the abandoned streets, into the crowded traffic, into the tangled
webs of a caste system, of oppression, of guilt, of blindness, of
despair, and into this darkness a light shines. We may not always see
it, but in our smiles, in our encouraging nods and handshakes we are
sharing his love, and through his love, his Hope!
I am so thankful that I am merely called to listen and obey. To
follow. I am thankful for the lessons on receiving gifts, on working
through tensions with team members, on navigating through the crazy
traffic to cross streets, and for learning yet again to lay down my
ideas of what i should be accomplishing or what expectations i should
live up to, or even just trying to wrap my head around the problems -
to lay it all down, and let the burden roll off. To breath freely - to
see and love people (as Nika shares) and to soak in and to learn.
Nothing is going to be accomplished by my strength.
As we were coming away from lunch a few days ago we passed by several
girls begging for change - they were thin, small little girls with big
dark eyes, imploring us to give. we were hurried along, and as I
climbed into the rickshaw i looked back and felt an incredible weight
of helplessness - I have nothing to give right now, and no way to help
this girl - in this moment. she doesn't just need money - someone is
probably taking most of the money from her anyway - she might be
working as a slave for someone else - but she represents so many
thousands of others stuck in desperate need. This burden stayed with
me for a while and I wasn't fully aware of it, but when i recognized
what was happening I had to shift my focus again - away from me and
what I could do - and back to the reality that God is in fact doing
something for that little girl. and I am a part of that plan. We all
are if we will respond to His call.
We are in Pune and I enjoyed a calm day of catching up on some things.
Nika and I had a time of prayer out on the roof again, and watched
another sun set over the buildings and palm trees as bats fluttered
about overhead and mosquitoes started chomping down. We had a lovely
dinner down with all of the engineering students, and then back up in
the room I had fun drawing on Consuela and Michelle - with Henna :) I
will miss everyone heading back to Boston, but am looking forward to
this next part of the trip. I trust God will guide and protect us!
Please pray that Nika and I will use caution and be wise with
decisions especially while in Mumbai, and that we would be safe as we
travel and meet various people and organizations. Nika explains more
below. I have a strong peace that God is paving the road ahead for us
- there will be some rocks and bumps, but he will guide us one step at
a time. Thank you for your prayers! already people are stepping up to
escort us places and watch out for us.
So, I leave you with this reminder - "give thanks to the Lord for He
is good - His love endures forever!"
Blessings and much love! hope to hear from you! (please do not include
the attachments in your reply :) we will be accessing email with
Nika's iPhone again - Thanks!)
midst of stressful situations or difficulties! I am thankful for God's
gentle reminders to give thanks in all circumstances - we have been
blessed with so much! I am thankful for all the amazing people we met
in Kolhapur - especially Rev. Pathani, Mr and Mrs Chopade (who have
opened up their home for us to stay in when we get back in a few
weeks) and for Rahul our driver, and our brother - looking out for us
when we were staying in the hostel. His gentle humble spirit is
encouraging and refreshing. I am thankful for the delicious fresh
veggies along the road side - for roasted corn on the cob sprinkled
with salt, lime juice and chili pepper :) for oranges and carrots and
unexpected showers of rain as we crossed the mountains into Pune. I am
thankful for friendships that cross any distance, for the blessing of
internet and phone and for God's plans being so much bigger than i can
even imagine to rescue and restore those who are suffering unspeakable
horrors right now. Because I know He is at work, i can lay my anger
and feelings of helplessness at his feet - and listen for his still
small voice saying "come. follow me. Follow me into the brokenness,
into the abandoned streets, into the crowded traffic, into the tangled
webs of a caste system, of oppression, of guilt, of blindness, of
despair, and into this darkness a light shines. We may not always see
it, but in our smiles, in our encouraging nods and handshakes we are
sharing his love, and through his love, his Hope!
I am so thankful that I am merely called to listen and obey. To
follow. I am thankful for the lessons on receiving gifts, on working
through tensions with team members, on navigating through the crazy
traffic to cross streets, and for learning yet again to lay down my
ideas of what i should be accomplishing or what expectations i should
live up to, or even just trying to wrap my head around the problems -
to lay it all down, and let the burden roll off. To breath freely - to
see and love people (as Nika shares) and to soak in and to learn.
Nothing is going to be accomplished by my strength.
As we were coming away from lunch a few days ago we passed by several
girls begging for change - they were thin, small little girls with big
dark eyes, imploring us to give. we were hurried along, and as I
climbed into the rickshaw i looked back and felt an incredible weight
of helplessness - I have nothing to give right now, and no way to help
this girl - in this moment. she doesn't just need money - someone is
probably taking most of the money from her anyway - she might be
working as a slave for someone else - but she represents so many
thousands of others stuck in desperate need. This burden stayed with
me for a while and I wasn't fully aware of it, but when i recognized
what was happening I had to shift my focus again - away from me and
what I could do - and back to the reality that God is in fact doing
something for that little girl. and I am a part of that plan. We all
are if we will respond to His call.
We are in Pune and I enjoyed a calm day of catching up on some things.
Nika and I had a time of prayer out on the roof again, and watched
another sun set over the buildings and palm trees as bats fluttered
about overhead and mosquitoes started chomping down. We had a lovely
dinner down with all of the engineering students, and then back up in
the room I had fun drawing on Consuela and Michelle - with Henna :) I
will miss everyone heading back to Boston, but am looking forward to
this next part of the trip. I trust God will guide and protect us!
Please pray that Nika and I will use caution and be wise with
decisions especially while in Mumbai, and that we would be safe as we
travel and meet various people and organizations. Nika explains more
below. I have a strong peace that God is paving the road ahead for us
- there will be some rocks and bumps, but he will guide us one step at
a time. Thank you for your prayers! already people are stepping up to
escort us places and watch out for us.
So, I leave you with this reminder - "give thanks to the Lord for He
is good - His love endures forever!"
Blessings and much love! hope to hear from you! (please do not include
the attachments in your reply :) we will be accessing email with
Nika's iPhone again - Thanks!)
NIKA
Dear friends and prayer partners, I write you from what feels to me like our crossroads city - Pune. Here, on the way to Mumbai from Kolhapur, we stay comfortably and without charge, thanks to Ramesh's professional connections and long time service to India as a chief engineer in this college town and high tech center. When we first came through a couple of weeks ago, Pune looked so foreign to me; so different than anything I had experienced - full of poverty and half-made seeming buildings. Now, after a week and a half in Kolhapur and round abouts, Pune looks opulent and very westernized. It is very difficult for me to remember how I once saw it otherwise. Interesting.
Of course there is too much to report, so I won't try. I do want to share just a few direct answers to prayer before musing a bit about what I am learning- my big prayer request.
After sending my last note I have consistently encountered and devoured lots of safe, delicious fresh fruits and veggies. We also began eating as a team in a way that included more protein, generally. That's been very good for my metabolism, though I have to come to terms with that it is not how the people around me here are able to eat. That is true when I am stateside as well, even though I am not as consistently cognizant of it. Also, because sometimes very poor friends spend time and precious resources making food especially for me/us, I have eaten several unsafe veggies and with no ill-effect.
Some of you were praying for (well against) a strong allergic reaction I had (hives) while staying in a ruralish orphanage/boarding school. I am just about all better, and it didn't get in the way of being with people. Thank you. Marcos's back is also steadily improving. I have been staving off this cold that seems to be going around, but just barely. Please pray for other members who are feeling under the weather. Finally, I have started exercising again. Just in time, as a bit of pot belly is starting to peek through my punjabi dresses ;).
As always, my heart is the place where the real action is. 2010 was an incredible year of heart learning for me. Horrific really, but in a good way. One of the things God told me during that time was that the lessons of that season, as well as the lessons of this trip, would be all about learning the importance, the depth and and the reality of love- passionate, true, devoted, unstoppable love. Here, I can't go into tremendous detail about how those lessons manifested in my life. Suffice it to say this trip has been the, thankfully less painful, capstone to the best "living sermon series" God has ever shared with me.
In short, I have come to terms with my own insatiable need for love. Not just the dutiful kind- "love as action"- which I am quite comfortable giving and receiving. But also the passionate, Songs of Solomon type love. That love that would die for you because he/she wants to in a I-can't help-it way, not because it would be honorable to do so. Anyway, I want to love others in this way. I have always been afraid to unleash this part of myself for fear that it would not be returned at the level that I need. For this reason, I have generally kept an internal distance from people and tried to approach love as a task rather than a feeling. God has been showing me all of this and sort of curing me of my somewhat fear-driven "condition," but I haven't really liked it, though I have been compliant.
Well, I realize now that I don't have to be afraid that in loving others, they will not be able to reciprocate in a way that fully meets my need for love. First of all, I can know for sure that not only can one person not meet that need, the whole sum of all people I know and love could not. My need is infinite. Second, God is capable enough and desires to, in fact he is determined to, fill that need- through others and by himself directly.
I have known this in my head for about a year. Progressively I have felt it deep in my spirit and soul. My heart has been the big holder out. And she still struggles to receive this. Being here helps a lot, because I have such a strong and growing desire to love the people that I am encountering, rich and poor, who live in spiritual poverty of an unspeakable kind. This makes it easier, somehow, for me to envision loving others and seeking the return from God alone.
On a related note, I mentioned before that God has been encouraging me to look past people's situations and to see the individual people- not their poverty or "exploitedness," or their exploitation or addiction, or their racism/classicism or their "star struckness" with us as westerners (all of which bother me deeply). This ""looking past" has helped me relax about the justice "movement," which must be fueled exclusively by God's power, and to allow some of my anger about injustice to chill into the productive variety of energy. It has also made space for me to have more meaningful relationships with some of the people I have been spending time with. For example, I feel quite close to the warden of the girls orphanage/boarding school in a town called Kodoli. I think we connected at a heart level. I will see her again next time I am in town.
The fact of relating to people as brother and sister has helped me, well is slowly helping me, to let go of the "project" mentality. It protects me against using people as a means to an end that is praiseworthy but a) not my responsibility, but God's, to bring about and b) not worth using people. When you are in love with people, I think you can help them in ways that are more eternal and more of a blessing in the moment as well. One of God's words to me was "you don't have to help the whole world, only those I bring to you." I felt a divine chuckle when I asked God would he be planning to bring us (those who are willing) the whole world one group at a time.
Please pray that I would trust God more and more for the long-term vision of justice and love poured out across the earth. And pray for the greater miracle of my trust in him for the safety of my quite vulnerable heart. I was telling my friend and community-mate Kaitlin that I am turned inside out and getting cleaned out and reshaped. It feels surprisingly refreshing- at the moment. haha.
Consuela is terrific. She is such an angel and a gift. Pray that I would be a support to her, emotionally and otherwise. She seems to be having a good time, and Sarah has been a terrific blessing to her. They are just under 9 years apart, and Consuela has told me that she relates to Sarah quite well.
Marcos gets to go to his job's Pune office today! Please pray (probably retroactively and that's ok) for a productive and encouraging time there. And that I would be able to love him in the ways that are most meaningful to him. He has been a sweet and incredible support to me.
M and C head back to Boston this week on late wednesday night, early thursday morning, along with Alex and Michelle. Sheba and Ramesh will be traveling to other parts of India by train. Sarah and I will be in Mumbai and traveling to Pune in that time for various meetings. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers with respect to travels, safety, relationships, health, etc.
I also give thanks for our amazing driver Rahul, back in Kolhapur, the cows that walk by as we are parked on the roadside waiting for Raul Bhau (brother) to buy us some mosquito traps from one of a gazillion storefront shops, wild green parrots, wild boars roaming town streets, meeting up with Sthuthi's awesome brother Abishek at a Pune cafe and lots of cute funny goats everywhere (but not in Pune, which I've mentioned actually looks a lot more "western" to me after living in Kolhapur and its rural environs for a week and a half or something). I'm also learning the hindi/marati alphabet and some phrases.
Thank you for reading, encouraging, thinking, praying.
MISSION
- Wow! so much amazing stuff- can't report it all. We spent part of last week staying in a hostel, which is a combination orphanage and boarding school for children from all backgrounds, mostly extremely underprivileged backgrounds, including the red light districts. Even though the girls here are relatively blessed, they live in poverty and have many unmet needs. Some of the girls have sponsors that enable them to have things the other girls can't, from small things like more meat (twice a week), to big things like a college education. God is really moving, and it seems he wants to do some work to increase the condition of these girls and to give them ALL access to a life better than brothels, slums or field work. Many of them are top students and very hard workers. Though many come from non-Christian homes, they encounter and often accept the love of Christ in their lives. It is amazing to see what this faith can do for them as they face hardships once they become women, especially. Pray that God will use us however he has in mind to bring justice and resources to these girls and to this school, both from within India and from abroad. There are lots of specific ideas and possibilities and some fair amount of enthusiasm swirling around at the moment. But we want to build the house upon the rock, not the sand. And it all has to work within the foundation of what God is already doing. Please pray for Shaila, one of the wardens (headmistresses) at the boarding school. She has a lot going on and is praying that God would help us bring in more sponsorship. We'll see. It seems doable, and is, of course, if that is God's plan.
- Please pray for our meetings in the coming week with International Justice Mission, Freedom Firm, Oasis (Vasu, from a previous prayer letter), ACT (Viju's collaboration of anti-trafficking, economic development and rehabilitation ministries and NGOs), an intercessor's group in Mumbai (Vanita), an acclaimed Christian documentary photographer (Santosh) and whoever else God is bringing our way in the next 8 days till we return to Kolhapur.
- Pray for wisdom and clarity about whether, when and how the corporate social responsibility and legislative pieces of this puzzle will tie in.
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