After a 14 hour flight from New Delh, missing our connecting flight to Bangalore because of an emergency landing we had to make in Norway, my laundry bag ripping in half, and a 12 hour bus ride to my team’s ministry site in Kolhapur, I’ve realized that everything I’ve heard about India is true:
India is
- dirty
- polluted
- crowded
- people stare at you and take pictures shamelessly because you are white
- you think you’re going to crash every time you pile into a moving vehicle
- and it is Always noisy…
And I love every bit of it! It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced, obviously.
Dirty, polluted, and crowded- The dirt, filth, and chaos is the perfect backdrop for the smiles and heart here. Everyone’s smile just shines brighter, radiant, and more brilliant in the dirty city; the colors of the clothing and building pops against the trash covered roads. The chaos is life giving, a people ready to pull you into their life at any time; there is always room for hospitality and new faces in India.
People stare at you- Seriously. I’m not kidding. It’s all the time. The best is when a small child… or woman, or older man, or anyone local glances at me, does a double take, then just stares with open mouth and curious eyes. Then! I smile at them, and their faces just light up! The laughter and smiles of the men and women here are radiant, deep, full of life. There are stories in their eyes that briefly reveal themselves when I offer a smile, and now I’m a small part of those stories just as they are a small part of mine now. It’s like we all recoginze that, and it just lights up our faces when the connection is made.
Just this week, there was an election of some sorts, and hundreds of people had rallied for it on their motorbikes. As our team drove by these people rallying, cheering, and having a good time, I stuck my hand and face out the window to cheer with them and join in their excitement for the election- smart? Not at all, but the reaction I got was irresistable. Everyone cheered, waved, and sped by our car to flash peace signs and wildly holler into the air as we cheered together. It made me feel connected; like a language barrier had been broken- we were all just people having fun and enjoying life together. I’ve already experienced countless moments like these since arriving in India, where barrieres were broken, and I can hardly wait to experience countless more.
And take pictures shamelessly because you are white- There are pictures of me floating all around India already- I’m probably on someone’s curry filled fridge by now.
You think you are going to crash every time you pile into a moving vehicle- I don’t understand how there aren’t accidents and pile ups all over the roads. There are people jumping in front of cars to cross the street, women sitting side saddle on the back of a motorcycle with their small baby casually draped across their legs as they swerve around cars and cows, and people driving on whatever side of the road they please. Our host put it this way, “The lines separating the lades on the road are just suggestions.” It’s all very impressive and entertainting. My entire team agrees that we would be happy just driving around all day watching the cars and people narrowly missing one another.
And it’s always noisy- It has all become white noise after just a week. The chickens, the call to worship on the speakers all over the city throughout the day, the honking, the monekys, etc. It’s all just a new normal for me.
India is not for everyone, but it is for me.
I wish I had more time to share EVERYTHING that has happened since arriving here. For example, when at 2 A.M. I managed to break the only western toilet in our home for the month by breaking off the handle and flushing it down the toilet all in one fluid motion. Or I would love to talk more about my new friend Grace- a beautiful woman from Kolhapur who teaches Sunday school at her church. Or about our incredible hosts. Or about the families who have invited us into their homes for prayer. Or about how God is already starting to break expectations, insecurities, preconceived notions, and uncertainty in my heart. He has already started to move in such unexpected ways. It is not always an easy or welcome thing for me- so prayers that I continue to find courage and pursue God wholeheartedly.
Anyway, all this stuff would require me to write a short book. So for now I’m just going to stick with this update.
I’m not sure we’ll have internet connection again before the end of the month, so I do appologize for that- I just wanted everyone to have some type of idea of what’s going on so far!
Just so everyone knows, we are working with Mary Wanless Hospital for another week in Kolhapur, and then we are spending the rest of the month in an orphanage that works with children who have been effected by or have HIV/AIDS. Prayers for us all please.
Please help keep me going on this journey by clicking the “Support Me” link at the top of this page. I still need about $2,000 to reach my December deadline.
Thank you to everyone! Remember to keep me updated on your lives as well via email or FB, and I’ll respond when I can.
Much love to you all in the States!
