Well, friends and family. Our time in India is coming to a close. There's are many things that I will miss, especially the people and the pastors we worked with. Other parts I won't miss. Other parts are just weird stuff that happened.
Here's a sampling of daily life stuff we encountered in India.
- Three men ride on a motorcycle carrying two chairs.
- People crowd around everywhere and stare. We even cause traffic jams because we’re American.
- There’s an old lady holding a pile of cow poop looking at you like YOU’RE weird.
- You are fed chippati at every house you go to.
- It’s no big deal to fit 17 people in a 4 person Tuk Tuk.
- Nutella becomes your food savior.
- The power goes off for 4-6 hours every day.
- Random people stop you to ask you what your salary is.
- Wedding parties go by on dump trucks.
- Peole bob their heads side to side for “Yes”, but you don’t know what a “No” looks like.
- Ice Cream for breakfast is like Christmas.
- The only decorations in churches are Christmas decorations.
- 79 year old pastors named Paul chase after buses (he literally RAN!)
- Random kids stare at you through windows. Always.
- People tell you they are giving you tea, when it’s actually coffee, and it’s still better than anywhere in America.
- Women come up to you and ask you to name their baby (I named one “Jabez”).
- Rice.
- Milk comes in a plastic pouch.
- A name that sounds like David is actually Hishmanachibat (probably not spelled right.)
- Your bathroom is also a chicken coop, such that you have extended conversations with said chicken while pooping and bathing. (We love/hate you Frederick).
- Trash can = the side of the street or next to a house.
- Giant cockroaches, scorpions, and frogs populate the bathroom.
- You have a million bugbites but have only seen one mosquito.
- You wake up knowing there’s a decent chance you’ll see a healing or a demon cast out that day.
- You use a microphone in church services even though no one can understand English.
- People sleep on their beds…outside.
- Meat goes from beef to goat to buffalo to “I’m not touching that sketch meat.”
- It’s not uncommon to spoon standing up with two random men on a hour long bus ride.
- When in doubt “Namaste out.”
- Burning piles of trash are the norm.
- If you’re wearing a necklace, it means you’re getting married.
- You get gasoline in water bottles from a street vendor. Oh yeah, that’s Sprite right next to it, better not confuse the two.
- At least one person in your team always has food poisoning or diarrhea.
- Everyone is willing to accept Jesus, but not as the only God.
- You wear sunglasses to avoid eye contact.
- You have to pray over the sound of a cow peeing 5 feet from you.
- People have great rhythm, but no unified sense of rhythm or time when clapping. Everyone in church takes turns leading a worship song.
- Part of your breakfast is leaves from a tree growing outside your church home.
- Men wear skirts.
- Sound systems and radios have one volume level: loud.
- You spray DEET on yourself before bed time.
- You drive on the left, and by left I mean, mostly left, sometimes right and usually in the center, dodging other motorcycles, bikes, people, and sitting cows.
- Pastor Rajesh is just always around. “Where did he just come from” (Love that man).
- You have to ask if the water is safe to drink.
This only captures some of the little things, but hopefully it gives you a better idea of all of what life looks like for us right now. God has blessed my team amazingly, and it has been a privledge to be apart of His kingdom moving this month in India. Our hope is that we left our town better than we found it, and we are trusting that God knows what He is doing through all the miracles and lives changed for Him! Next up, NEPAL!
I wish I could upload pictures, and I promise to soon. Sigh. India internet. Check again soon for photo updates!!
