Team Thoughts on India

"India has opened my eyes to see how much love is needed. Despite the different smells and just ways of culture, I've grown to love India more and more."   ~Faith




"My 5-year dream and passion for India has finally come to life! Nothing can keep me from stopping what my Daddy God has planned for my future in India; this truly will be another home someday." ~Mykel
http://mykelklix.blogspot.in/

"India was an interesting experience, the people treat you with respect and love. It definitely opened my heart up and I can truly say I love the people of India!"  ~Andi




"I knew the next place internationally would be India. It is funny how everything worked out. God knew I needed new eyes and a softer heart so he sent me here."  ~Autumn
http://autumnskyegranger.com/blog/




"During this trip I have gained a great appreciation for this country and it's culture. Everybody needs love and I hope that everyone I came in contact with was able to sense God's love"  ~Shelisha



"This was truly a journey on many levels. It has opened all our hearts and minds to Gods work both in India and at home. I will never take prayer lightly again."  ~Kim
(Professor Clark)




"It felt like home" ~Kathleen

http://ileftmyheartinindia.blogspot.in/

Purposeful Prayer

I think more than anything this trip has been about learning the culture of India, learning how to pray and vision cast.  We have done prayer walks through the marketplace, in mosques, along one of the Parikrama's (A Krishna/Hindu pilgrimage walk) and throughout our current city. Sunday we were able to meet with other believers. It was a joyful time. Faith & Autumn shared from their heart, a drama was performed, Klix shared from the word, and Andi & Shelisha sang. Many were prayed for and we believed healed. This team has held up well considering the heat. They have persevered. 

Entrance to the Taj in full sun.

Foot coverings to enter the Taj

Exit to the Taj in a sand/rain storm.

Now a trip to India would not be complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal. Our visit contained all the weather elements...sun, wind, sand and rain. As we exited the building a sandstorm suddenly kicked up along the river which eventually gave over to rain and even some lighting in the distance which made for some dramatic photos and some relief from the heat. The next day before driving back to our base we visited the Red Fort written about below by Andi. Today we did a survey in the mall asking college students about their lifestyle and beliefs. Several were prayed for. One more day remains for most of the team while Autumn and I remain in-country. Pray for the team as they prepare to return and begin to process all that they have experienced. 

~Kim 
(Professor Clark)

Monday we went to Agra’s Red Fort, a place of divine beauty considering it’s a jail. The whole time I was walking through the fort, aside from the occasional question or two

Praying in the Women's Mosque @ Agra's Red Fort

asking to have my picture taken with someone since I am American, I felt a strange feeling, sadness. The fort was beautiful but if you know anything about the background of it the views are a little more somber. The story is about the Ruler who built the Taj Mahal spending too much money to build it as a memorial for the death of his favorite wife, so his son locked him away in the Red Fort and took his place as ruler. As I’m stumbling from ruin to ruin, praying to the Lord to give me peace I realized why I was so sad. The King, when imprisoned was given a special cell in which he was able to see the Taj Mahal, his “mistake”, and also the throne where his son was now ruling. This reminds me much of the people of India, because they see their mistakes, their past sins, and sometimes they do it for the better of their children. The king building the Taj Mahal to bury his most beloved wife, it’s rather romantic actually, but it’s still wrong, because he used all the kingdoms gold and money to do it. So then false gods and demons imprison the people of India. They are stuck with seeing all of the past mistakes and never being able to fix them and constantly being tormented by them. Then when we come and tell them that Jesus died for them on the cross they do not believe it because they don’t see why someone would love them so much. There is one difference though, and that is that the King would die in the Red Fort, but the people of India, of anywhere, don’t have to die, they can live eternally through Christ Jesus, their Lord and Savior. So it is our job to rescue these princes and princesses from their imprisonment in the Red Fort, better known as sin, and lead them to the cross. Praise God for this eye opening experience and for many more to come!

~Andi

A Mosque, Monkeys and the 13-mile Hindu Journey

To hear about something is one thing, but to experience it is a totally different story. Yesterday we were able to experience Muslim culture and the way that the people of Islamic faith worship. We removed our shoes and entered into the biggest mosque in South Asia. There were many people there, men, women, and children. Some were just hanging out others were praying. We sat on the mats and we prayed, then we were able to talk with some of the people there. We then went off into the busy bizarre market and we were able to talk with others as the spirit lead. My group in particular got to engage in conversation with one family. There were two young girls who were outside cooking dinner for their family which included their mother, brother, and their father. They were so kind and welcoming, even through the language barrier, Gods love was transcending. They shared their food with us and we were able to give them a DVD. At night we drove a distance to stay at a hotel in which we could prepare for today. 

Today we embarked on a journey, a 13-mile prayer walk. We walked the grounds on which Hindu’s believe is “holy” around several villages. There were several temples along the road and many shrines of the Hindu God’s in front of homes and in garden areas. Throughout the walk we came across many beggars, mostly children. We saw many men with painted faces who were considered to be the “holy men” of Hinduism. Best of all, we were bombarded with monkey’s that took our food. 

The thing that got me the most today were the numerous Hindu’s who were doing a pilgrimage. The pilgrimage consisted of 150 stones that needed to be moved one at a time, body length, in front of a stick. When completed they must repeat the process until they have finished the 13 miles. I heard someone say that this pilgrimage could last more than a month. Yesterday at the mosque and today during the prayer walk made me realize how great God is. Other religions have “rules and rituals” that you must follow in order to win favor, make it to “paradise”, or be considered worthy. Salvation must be earned through many sacrifices. Not with God.  As we continue to go out and build relationships with the people of India, please join with us in prayer that they may come to experience the Fathers love.

~Shelisha

The Village!

 

FAITH
Today, we visited a friend's village! We all sat around and sang a couple of songs in Hindi...acapella style. As we sang, we noticed that more and more people would walk in. To me, it was so encouraging that my smile would just get bigger. When we finished singing, Klix shared his testimony and I could see a few people nodding their heads and smiling. It was all so beautiful. We prayed for so many of them for healing and the results were amazing! I loved it when the villagers would keep coming for prayer. We also took lots of pictures of them and with them. They certainly loved that. It was a challenge trying to communicate with them, but we did our best. I think it turns out better if you put in the effort. The weather was pretty good to us, probably because we were mostly in the shade. We took a little break by drinking chai tea (delicious!) and eating some cookies and biscuits. Afterwards, we continued to talk and pray with the people. Some of us even sang and motioned a popular kids song.

When it was time for us to leave it was heartbreaking because we all wanted to stay longer. Nonetheless, I believe that we made some kind of an impact in these people's lives, whether it was healing or just simply loving them. 

Tomorrow, we're getting up earlier than usual for devotions and a trip to the Mosque. We ask that you would pray with us as we enter this place and that we would be able to reach out to the people!

ANDI
Today we had the opportunity as a group to go to a village and talk to the people sharing the love with them. The experience was scary yet beautiful and wonderful, the people so kind and selfless, something not commonly found in America. Of course there was a language barrier but something about the experience kept me smiling. It was very hard at first because being a well raised person, thank you mom and dad, I didn’t want to disrespect anyone or cause any unnecessary embarrassments, but as the day went by I was constantly reassured by my team, which I am very thankful of. As previously stated the people of India have a generosity that is incomparable and incomprehensible for those who haven’t been here. They constantly offered us a seat, food and chai tea (which is AMAZING!!!) and they made you feel so important and loved. The thought that I couldn’t escape was what am I doing for them? I prayed a bunch and took tons of pictures and I couldn’t escape the feeling of being a tourist. All I wanted to do was help, maybe build a hut or clean someone’s house, maybe paint something, ANYTHING! But later on in the day Kathleen explained to me that it would bring them great shame because it is basically saying I’m doing it because you can’t. So I feel like even though there is nothing to show you, no pictures of a new library or newly painted buildings, that something great was accomplished. The Lord moved today and there was great healing through prayer.

Indian Culture

Today we woke to the morning haze as the heat was starting to pick up. A peak out the window  revealed a whole new world.  The courtyard to our flat, 12 floors below is lined by trees and shrubs, pathways, and play equipment surrounding by identical towers housing many, many, many families.

The morning was spent learning about the culture, praying and meeting new friends. The afternoon however involved a scavenger hunt to allow us to interact with the culture and the people of the area as well as stay awake. We broke up into teams to find the items on our list which included several types of food, a henna tattoo, riding the mechanical bull at the mall, a bicycle rickshaw and of course buying several items in the local currency. We each had some of our new friends to help give us guidance along the way but it was a great way to become immersed in the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and colors that make India unique. Tomorrow we head out to a village. Pray that we adjust to the time as well as the heat.

~Kim

Geckos and Mosquitoes

My computer is so confused right now.  According to it, it says it’s 4:41pm on Sunday, May 5^th as I write this.  However, it is actually 11 ½ hours later in India making it 2:10am on Monday, May 6^th as I write this.  We have just gotten settled into our flat where we’ll be staying for the next couple of weeks.  For me, it’s like settling back into a familiar old winter coat that has been put away for the spring, summer, and fall seasons; but now that the bitter taste of winter is back, so is the faithful old coat.  Of course, the irony in this is that it is anything but winter right now!  The humidity is surprising for what is normally a very dry season for India (during the months of May and June).  Another surprising thing is that because of the humidity, the mosquitoes are out in full force!  Last summer when I was here, I didn’t see a single mosquito the whole trip.

Mosquitoes aren’t the only animal life out and about at this hour.  We have already had two sightings of my dear old friends: the little gecko lizards.  They’re actually quite pretty in their own way, with light green bodies and bits of pink cascading down their back occasionally mixed with orange; but boy are they fast!  Between these little guys and the other oddities so unique to India (how the shower works, which side of the road you drive on…if any, etc.) it feels great to be back in what has now become my home.  Some things will never change, while others change more frequently than I could possibly keep up with them!  Such is life, a sea of constant change (there’s an oxymoron for you!); and India is certainly no exception.

~Kathleen

Just Days Away

Kim, Andi, Mykel, Kathleen, Autumn, Shelisha, Faith

For months we have been preparing for this trip and now it is just days away. We read that it is 109° in Delhi, a temperature most of us cannot fathom. We are told to pack light, loose clothing, to bring a water bottle and to have a very flexible mindset. I know we will be hit with culture shock but I also know that the wonder and beauty that meets us will be amazing. One calls India "home" while the rest will be experiencing this culture for the first time. Several, however, I have no doubt will fall in love with this place and desire to return. Pray for us, pray for safety and that we can represent VFCC well. Follow our journey here, leave notes of encouragement. There is a bit of a time difference but we will be sure to post as often as we can.
~Kim