I have officially begun month 4 of the World Race! It is crazy to think that my 11 month journey is already 1/3 complete. It gives my purpose a renewed sense of urgency and I am so glad that is coinciding with India. My ministry is in Hyderabad, Telangana and it is beautiful. Hyderabad is a huge city, and being so westernized, it feels similar to walking along a busy street in the US. We are staying in a beautiful home that far exceeds any expected luxury for a backpacking missionary. The house is expansive with a second story and basement and the basement is equipped for hosting church. Our neighborhood, Jubilee Hills, is commonly referenced as being the Beverly Hills in India because this is where many of the celebrities live. In fact, while walking home the other day from a prayer walk, my team and I bumped into a film crew shooting scenes two blocks from our home.
Our ministry host is the Covenant House of Worship and we are now in our third week. We are housed with the young men and women that help to run the ministry and we all live together like a big family with serious communication issues. While most of our hosts speak english, I am always thrown by the Indian version of a nod. Instead of shaking heads up and down for yes, or side to side for no, in India the infamous head bobble is used indiscriminately in all dialogue and leaves me confused every time without fail. My face always tells them I’m confused too because they always just say, “it is fine” to ease my struggles. The bobble is like moving your head in a quick but gentle serpentine motion while keeping your face completely blank (emotionless expressions are crucial to a successful re-enactment). I have a lot of laughs trying to discern what is being said versus understood. The young men and women we are working with this month are incredible people who have left everything to serve God as worship leaders. It can be a dangerous thing in India to come to know Jesus. Some of them will never see their families again, but they move forward, clinging to God’s promises.
The basement is cleared for a worship space and holds a keyboard, drums, multiple guitars, a bass, speakers, a sound booth and a small recording studio. Beginning at 7:30 every morning, the men are awake and singing praises. Sometimes they hurry to the piano, while others sing doing their chores. They work together effortlessly and have bonds like brothers. The house is filled with joy. Our ministry work this month varies from day to day. Up to now, they have taken our team to different slums, led us through the city in a prayer walks and had us visit parks to sing for people. Yes, I was singing in public and it was as horrible as I’m sure you’re imagining. It was a travesty of music and possibly of justice. Also, the women on our team are kept separate from us because Indian culture is much more sensitive to inter-gender interaction. The women are working with an incredible lady from our ministry host and seizing opportunities that would otherwise be closed to me and the other men.
I’m very excited for the new experiences. There is a lot that I can learn from these people and I am eager to do so.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my adventures!
Funny Story P.S.: I had what appeared to be a bug bite underneath my right eye and it was continuing to swell, so after a few days I went into the doctor. It was inflamed and pushing my bottom eyelid upwards so that I looked as though I’d lost a fight. The doctor kindly asked why I was visiting. When I pointed to my eye he poked at it a little, said he didn’t know what it was and then asked me about my new president-elect, Donald Trump. At the end of my very unhelpful visit, I took the ointment he prescribed and when I googled it, I discovered it is used almost exclusively to treat genital herpes… I had already applied it to my face twice. It’s moments like these that make me miss America.
So anyways, miss you all back home! Thanks again for reading. Happy Thanksgiving!
