returning with reflections in hand

so i'm back in the states as of monday around 10:30am, (well, back in the bay area). it was quite a journey, so i am glad to be back after about 24 hours of travel!

the last two days before we left our town we spent saying goodbye to our families. We met with one on Wed. and they made us food and we hung out on their "upper level" in the rain barely falling. it was a tearful goodbye when we finally left. we were able to pray for them before we left, but it still didn't seem enough.
the next day we headed over to our closest family's house. we spent time just chatting as usual, but a few days before they had gone to court for their house and while they had maintained the right to stay in the house, they still had to pay about 5,000 rrps for it. there was some tension in the air, but it was good to hang out. our sister gave us heena on our hands and we told her a story and washed her feet. it rained and it seemed appropriate. it came time for us to leave and the tears began to flow. our sister brought out presents for us and they were things that were dear to her sisters and her. we felt like thieves, but we could not refuse. we prayed for them and before we took our leave, we pulled two large grocery bags from our backpacks and handed them over. we had taken so much of their food and had been such a burden to this family in dept that all we could do was to give something small back; this was it. they questioned why we did what did and we were able to share about the Son again. more tears. then we left. turning that corner was one of the hardest things i've ever had to do, but i am confident that HE will continue to work in their lives. please continue to lift them up.



we had debriefing, which was refreshing because i was able to see a good friend school. then we came home. it was a worldwind.





i still have a lot to process and i don't really know how to process everything. i know that HE is great and His glory reigns supreme. i know that i am nothing and can do nothing apart from Him no matter how hard i try. His glory will be made known among the nations; i need to have confidence in His faithfulness, but at times i just don't.

it is only right to thank you one last time on this blog for your faithful prayers over the past seven weeks. He heard. please don't stop lifting up those families i had asked you to lift up over the past month and a half. please don't stop asking for the eyes of the blind to be opened. please don't stop asking that workers would be sent to the darkest harvest to sow and reap His harvest.

last asian post

well, we leave our focus city today and i have mixed feelings. the last few days have again, been an emotional rollercoaster, but will have to wait for another blog. we check out in about 3 hours, leave in 5 and still have to go do some more shopping.

essentially, i just wanted to update everyone on the upcoming events as opposed to the past ones.

today: leave for debriefing, about 4 hours away.
sat and sun: debriefing (i have NO idea what that means-i would give anything for some isp organization right now ;)).
sun night: leave for the states
monday morning: arrive at sfo (glory)

that makes it sound like a short flight, but really, we have to gain back 12 1/2 hours, so yeah....too complicated for me.

well, i'm getting eaten by mosquitos, so i'll sign off with a final blog from the states! thank you again for your faithfulness in prayer! -cs

40 rupes or bust!

today (sat, july 5th) we set out after a gloriuos coffee at cafe coffee day in pursuit of lifting people up at a durga we had been to a few times. it is near some of the homes we visit, so we knew we could get an auto for 40 rrps. well, the first set of autos quoted 80, so when we said 40, they let us walk with no protest. the second and third set of rickshaws quoted 70, but would not come down past 50. at this point, sarah and i were resolved to spend no more than 40. forget petrol prices! forget these supposedly "fair" and "indian" prices we are being quoted. despite speaking hindi, we were still getting ripped off.
after walking a few yards, an auto walla stopped and we told him "40 rrp, last last." we walked a bit, then he followed us.
"50."
"nahin! 40."
we walked. he followed. sarah and i felt stalked. but it continued. finally, i said "sarah, how bout 45?" "yeah, let's try it."
"50," he blurted out again from his rickshaw.
"45, last last."
"tk," accompanied by a familiar head bobbled telling us to get it.

while we had truly busted, it was a really funny time. we felt somewhat successful since we had taken him down from his significantly higher price, but at the same time, we felt very silly not giving in over 10 rrp, a mere twenty-five cents.

in other news, we went to the durga, met some people and told them "hum Isako mante hai," (we follow Isa). they didn't kick us out, but some of the devout men weren't too happy that we were there. we left after not too long and headed down a familiar street. i was getting fed up of these days of "what in the world should we do?" i blurted out, "well, if He is just going to work through the families we have met, so be it." a woman walked toward as, we greeted her, used the two other hindi phrases we knew, and she said in english, "come to my home?" so of corse we said yes. she has two teenage daughters, (even though one is about to be married), that speak fairly good english. we are still unsure of their motives for asking us over since we are pretty sure they searched our bags and wallets while the girls did our make-up. we don't know what will come of this relationship, especially since we only have a week left, but we shared that we follow Isa and He is bigger than us and our words. how thankful we are for this answered prayer!!!! continue to ask that this family will come to know the Truth! ask taht we would have patience has the put so much make-up on us that we look like prostitutes and that we would be sensitive to the Spirit.

the 4th was good. we cooked many dishes, the only one that was good was the grilled cheese. we shared a story about legion meeting Isa. we shared about how we pray and how it is different than when/how they pray. they told me i was not intellegent and while i am stills truggling with this a little, i know iwill be glad that my pride was injured.

we only have a few more visits with each family and we hope so dearly to communicate the Truthwith them clearly in these last visits. please ask that this would be done despite our fear and inspite of the language barrior. thank you so much for lifting us up faithfully!

oh, a side note, the weather hasn't been bad. i guess the hot months are april and may so we missed out, (ptl!). we haven't had too much rain either. anyway, that's all. :)

protesting

there's been some protesting going on throughout the country, but more specific to a northern state, over the past two-three days. we saw the protestors last night and just steered clear of them, but today we heard them again. we sought advice from our organization about whether or not we should go out today. the protest is between the hindus and muslims over land and the hindus are protesting a governmental decision in favor of the muslims. because of the villages we would be entering into, our friend adviced us not to go out today. we feel safe, just useless. please ask that we would be able to go out tomorrow. also ask that our families are safe, for they are, in many ways, in more danger than we are.

tomorrow will be the 4th of july for us and our family is allowing us to cook "american" food for them. we hope also to not merely to "celebrate" the freedom we have as americans, but as followers of the Way. that is our focus. ask that this will be communicated.

thank you!

the last two days: antagonists

july first was amazing. we went to our family's house and they had a crazy story to tell us. the head of the house had apparently violated his parolle and was arrested the day before. he had to go to court and such; some of the details didn't translate too well, but anyway, he was back in the house and has another (and final?) court date later this month. that to say, later in the evening, after a day that seemed so void of Him, not just in conversation, but in my own heart, conversation about the Son took off. He allowed us to really "preach it" and we truly hope that more understanding will come after this conversation. it seems so crazy to us that we had every intention of sharing with the women (especially Rizwana), but we seem to be sharing with this man, so confused, so lost. ask that He will soften Gulzar's heart and unveil his eyes to the Truth about the Son.

today, we had hopes of meeting a new family. this is something we would ask that you join us in asking for! while we did not meet a family/were not asked into a home, we did talk with a few people and smiled a bunch. however, today we are completely drained from walking two bazars and trying to find the home of a familiar contact. we were mobbed by a group of children and touch countless times. we were hissed at, helloed at and smooched at. it just wears on you after a while. please ask that we would be renewed with joy, love, peace, gentleness, kindness, and yes, self-control (because please believe i wanted to hit one of the men today).

He is good. He is the One of all endurance and goodness. He is mighty to save, merciful to forgive. for that reason we are here. bahut shukriya for your consitancy!

a day of prayer.

well, sarah and i had every intention of waking up early this morning and heading out and pwalking for a bit. however, when the alarm went off, it wasn't happening. we slept in, had a good breakfast and headed to our "appointment." it was nice. we taught the girls a fun game and had a simple not-so-spicy lunch. then, we were invited next door to the house of the woman who is dying of chronic liver failure. she is getting really bad. sarah and i continud to lift her up. thn the womeen began to set up for smethign and before we knew it twenty women and young girls filld the room. they covered thir heads, took out thir prayer books in urdo, took som stones from th center of the circle, and began to utter prayers from thebook. it was devistating. we found out later that they did this every monday and friday. after they finished a paryer they would kiss the stone and then stouch their foreheads, then blow on the peanuts, then the sugar, and then the water in the center of the circle. i never found out the meaning of those elements, but truly pointless and truly sad.

sarah and i took out our sword and read. we hummed songs. we prayed from our hearts. we hope they know this. it was hard. we kept saying "if only we could speak hindi!" but really, He would have to transcend even our languageto open their eyes and hearts; ask that it would be so. ask that those women would be transformed by the little things that sarah and i did today. ask that we would have faith enough to speak, despite the language barrior, (ie would that not be an excuss not to speak the Truth).

yes, prayer filled the day, but oh how sad it was to hear prayer to nothing and then to be able to pray to the Almighty. be grateful to know HIM!

the latest

once again, things seem to have picked up. our supervisor isn't in the country, so we've been making our own schedule. it's been fun and challenging to be sure. in our focus family, we've were able to share more about the truth in a very focused way again (PTL!) and really, it's because he understands english so much better. in one of the other homes we go to, we were able to share a story, but it is hard to communicate because our hindi is poor and they speak little english; ask that we would be able to communicate the Truth more clearly in whatever capasity He would allow. we go there again tomorrow (monday) and we are nervous because they want us to spend the night. we need to try to communicate why we can't in a tactful way. ask that He would give us the words. it blows my mind that people would want us to stay in their homes for seven hours, let alone spend the night when we can't even communicate verbally affectively. oh well, that's hospitality again for you!

in other news, i learned how to cook a dish and how to make chai. yes, you all will be subjected to my cooking now (suckas!). we went site-seeing today and spent too much money (equivelent to 25 US dollars). but now we can at last say that we have seen much of the pride and joy of this city and the main attractions that we pass by almost every day. :)

thank you for lifting us up! right now it seems that i am almost too comfortable and forget to rely on Him. while it is almost impossible to get comfortable in this place, it is to get caught up in oneself and in my desires instead of looking to His desires and to Him. ask that my focus would be on His glory and every step and decision for His work, not my own. thank you again, for your faithfulness! -cs