India
1. What were your living arrangements like?
We lived in a two story home with an all girls floor being the top and the boys and living areas the first. We were with 4 other teams so we needed more space! Bunk beds, “western toilets” (some needs bucket flush still (squatty in the village), and bucket showers that weren’t even too terribly cold!
2. What was the food like? What was the best and worst things you ate? Weirdest thing you ate?
Rice, Chapati (wheat flour tortillas-ish) was supa, curry & vegetables, sometimes pancakes! Very traditional Indian food and lots of spice. Chai tea is the best! Weirdest thing: onion yogurt
Preparing dinner on the kitchen floor
3. What is the culture like? How is it different from ours?
Oh India culture! Cows are always walking the streets and getting in the way of cars, anyone older than you is your auntie or uncle, anyone your age is your sister or brother when calling their names. You shake your head the same direction for yes and for no. Girls wear baggy pants and shirts that cover their butts and also scarves to cover their chest.
4. What did you learn about yourself?
I have really awesome parents!
5. What did you learn about how the culture effects the way the people understand the gospel and live as Christians?
India is a Hindu nation so all the Christians we met are known on paper as Hindu and it is very hard to be a Christian when the government is so against it. I learned that Hindus are very dedicated prayer warriors and when Hindus do convert to Christianity they still pray for hours everyday and have extremely close relationships with God through that. Hinduism has more than 300,000 gods and so it is very easy for a Hindu to add God or Jesus to their list to pray to but it is very hard for them to accept that there is only one true, alive God.
My team on Holi
6. What was your most memorable moment from this month?
We celebrated Holi in the village! Holi is an Indian festival where turmeric power is thrown to color anyone you see; friends, neighbors, strangers, old or young you can throw powder at them (or colored water). We celebrated with our neighbors and danced to music and marched down the street covered in color.
7. What was the hardest thing about your month?
We worked with multiple ministries in India which was a blessing in itself but it was also hard to not know who you would see again and who you wouldn’t.
Ladies Praying | Bangalore Slums
8. What was the biggest lesson you learned?
We went to a lot of Hindu houses while we were in India and in every single one we were welcomed with open arms and open kitchens. They not only allowed and accepted our prayers for them but they made us chai and dinner and snacks as a thank you. America may have more freedom of religion but we definitely don’t have open doors or conversations let alone blessings for others. Hindus and Indians both taught me to be more open to who I welcome into my home and showed me what it really means to love like Jesus.
9. What did you see God doing among the people of India?
God definitely isn’t stopping. He is saving people every hour in India and changing hearts and lives. I met a girl who was so against Christianity she went to a Christian school to try and convert everyone to Hinduism. I met a man who had a death sentence placed on him by a witch doctor and accepted Jesus as I sat on his floor. I saw the tears of a man who hadn’t seen his children in years but saw their faces in ours. I went to a village that had never heard about Jesus before. I shook the hands of men who could no longer remember their family let alone be visited by them. God chose every single one of those people to cross my path and to feel His love. He changed the plans for their lives and taught me about His love for all of His children.
Hepzie | Hindu in a Christian College
10. What did you learn about the community and the people you served?
They are so strong. They work so hard every day and are always on the go. Indian people love their families through thick and thin and love the Lord with all that He has given them. They are amazing.
11. What FUN activities did you get to do?
Holi!
12. What one thing surprised you the most?
There’s different vegetables in India.
13. Explain your “typical day” this month.
Every single day looked different so this question is tricky. We would usually have breakfast as a group and then have a couple hours of ministry either in the morning or the afternoon. Some days were accompanied by helping Esther or Mamatha cook for the team. Other days were spent visiting neighbors or B squad (more racers that were our neighbors). And a lot of nights before dinner we would have group worship with both the India team and us.
14. What different projects did you work on this month?
We worked at Accept – HIV hospital (I mainly worked in the kitchen helping the ladies. It is a hospital to take care of HIV patients and children who are orphaned and affected by HIV to be raised. Home of Hope is another stop in our month which is defined as a dignified place to die; people were picked up off the street at the edge of death and had their wounds cleaned and treated and a bed to sleep in. We also did house visits in villages and slums as well as teaching in our village of Chitradurga (English and Job interviewing).
Timma | Home of Hope
15. Name one main difference between this month and previous months?
Multiple ministries and spicy food
16. What was the community like that you stayed in? You were looking forward to being in more of a city this month, was it like you expected?
It was more like a neighborhood suburb. Bangalore is huge and full of many neighborhoods; we could go to bigger stores and touristy areas by taxi but everything within walking distance was small town stuff. It was a good in-between neighborhood of city and country.
17. What are you looking forward to in Nepal?
Colder weather!
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