Smells Like Bacon

In India, we often joked that Americans smell like meat because when asked to describe the smell of America, people apparently say meat. This was only a joke until, to our surprise, when we arrived at the airport in Chicago it actually smelled like bacon. Weird. Anyways, we have been safely back in America for 2 days now! It’s hard to believe we just spent 6 weeks in India, but it did happen. In the next weeks and even months, we will continue to process what we saw, learned, and experienced. And though we are glad to be back, I think most of us still have India on the brain in some way or another. Some days I find myself filtering America through Indian eyes whereas before, I filtered India through American eyes. I think that just goes to show that G0d gives us the ability to adapt to another culture because we have the universal g0spel to deliver to them.

Before we flew out, we spent a few days in Delhi shopping in the markets, debriefing, and adapting to the real heat, which is similar to South Carolina weather. J Amy Chasteen came to Delhi with us for a few days, and we loved getting to see her! We had a great time talking through our trip a bit, laughing about the funny things (of which there are a lot), and just enjoying each other.

There is too much I could say in a concluding blog post for a six-week trip to a third world country. But I think I would say, G0d has shown himself faithful. He provided for all our needs and has blessed us immensely by teaching us new things and hopefully changing our hearts to reflect His more. Thank you for all your pr@yers and support throughout these past weeks! It was evident that He was holding us tightly everywhere we went. We will miss the place, but our hearts are burdened for the people. For now...

Namaste, India.

Flight info

Parents,
We will be leaving from Delhi in a few hours at 12:30am India time. We are flying American airlines and our flight number is 293. Our flight from Chicago to Charlotte is also American number 285. Sorry for not emailing you, my computer is currently down. See you in the states!

Upward ponderings on the Taj Mahal

Six of us who hadn't been to the Taj Mahal before took a road trip yesterday to see it. Left at 6 AM and got back over 12 hours later. Long and tiresome but definitely not regretted.

Reading Isaiah 40 for my QT on the way there was appropriate: "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.... Surely the nations...are regarded as dust on the scales.... To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare Him to?... He...reduces the rulers of this world to nothing" (v. 6, 15, 18, 23). This I had in my mind while we were there. The yards and architecture is awe-inspiring; but the inside, being just the mausoleum of the Shah and his queen, felt quite empty. "All this for this?" was my thought.

I was seeing firsthand one of the Seven Wonders of the World, standing in person within its very immensity. Then in subsequent thought, the word points me to the "incomparably great power" that is our God (Eph. 1:19, end of Job). Set above all is He. My concept of God's majesty has been informed and greatened by reading Tozer's Knowledge of the Holy:

All our thoughts about Him will be less that He, and our loftiest utterances will be trivialities in comparison with Him.

The Taj was a pretty tremendous thing to see. I can say I've seen one of the most majestic man-made structures the world has to offer. Yet I am left to dwell upon this thought: "What image will you compare Him to?"

A week of Service

This past week was all about serving our friends. About ten different families participated in a Hindi language class and we were given the opportunity to care for their children. The days looked a little something like this: start out with a couple games, then do some songs together, a lesson, and a craft. We taught the children about the life of Paul and how the Father provided for all of his needs. It was really cool to see the children grasp just how much the Father loves His people.

Yesterday afternoon, all the adults and children met together in our big meeting room after the last session of their language class. The children performed some songs that they have learned during the course of the week, the verse of the week, Philippians 3:8, and one of the young girls told the story of Paul's life. We leaders then led the whole group in some songs and shared a meal together. It was great to be able to love on our friends by caring for their children while they were learning more about the Hindi language.

Reflecting and Refreshing in Udaipur

This past Friday through Tuesday, our team went to Udaipur in Rajastan for a mid-summer excursion. We had a great time resting and reflecting together as a team. We were able to spend a half day with the L0rd to reflect on all the things He has been teaching us this summer. Each student came back from that time with new things to share and a renewed passion to be in India.

We also had the chance to do some fun things like swimming and shopping. We even got to see the new Harry Potter in 3D one night! I must say, I think the movie theaters are way better in India. It was only 100 rps to see the movie (i.e. $2 dollars) and we sat in really large, cushioned seats. It was great!

Another exciting adventure was taking a 12 hour night train from Udaipur back to I-town. I was nervous about how well we'd sleep, but everyone seemed to do fine! I did wake up a few times when trains passed us and honked their horns.

I'm so thankful for the time we had to reflect and bond together as a team. Please pr@y for us these final few weeks in I-town. Pray we would be bold and get after it!

The hotel we stayed at in Udaipur (I know, not too shabby right?!)

Jackson! We loved getting to spend extended time with his family!

Jack, Sambo, and Sarala

I love all of the bright colors in India!

Our entire group!

Our summer group

The beautiful lake in Udaipur

The men

All those little specks in the sky aren't birds...they're bats!!

The gorgeous view from a restaurant we ate dinner at one night

Orphanage

Today we spent the day at the orphanage. We had a great time loving on the kids, teaching stories and songs and playing games. Tomorrow we leave for our midsummer excursion and are looking forward to the time to relax, spend time as a team and come back refreshed for the rest of the summer. 

Here are some pictures from the orphanage today...

Monsoon Madness!!

So much has happened over the last week! Here is a list of just the few things that we’ve done:
• made the front page of a newspaper
• ridden a camel




• gone to an orphanage




• spent a day in the park playing village games with nationals
• gotten the grand tour of a nursing college and hospital
• worshipped with nationals in Hindi


• gotten caught in the monsoon


• shared with people in the malls
• dialogued in English classes with nationals trying to learn English
• gone to universities
• And spent time with the Vision team!

I think that all of as a team would agree that we have discovered that we on our own are very weak. Our flesh and body have failed us. But we have hope because we know that “It is God who works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose” Phillipians 2:13. How awesome to know that nothing we do is of own doing- our desire to hate sin, love people, and be sanctified comes only from the L@rd. The Word is sufficient! So pr@y that we would stay in the Word and that we would grow more and more humble and dependent on the Spirit each day.

As a team, we’ve recently been going through Phillipians 2:1-18. As I read, memorize, and meditate on this Scripture, I’m blown away by the amazingness of the g@spel. And I am reminded of the humility of my S@vior. And we are called to have this same humility. Pr@y that in every situation, in every conversation, and in every moment that we would live lives worthy of the gospel.

"Mera naam Jordan hay"

That is to say in Hindi, "My name is Jordan" -- my go-to phrase in greeting someone.

Now that we are in the purposed city I am using this phrase a lot. Our attitude is one of intentionality. Much of our intentionality, oddly enough for me, is found in hanging out in the malls here because this is where the young, college-age students flock to. You can pick them out by their Westernized dress. Often they are even the ones to approach us. We just make ourselves visible. We worked our way onto our first college campus today too.

But there is such a disparity between stepping off the street and its cow filth, mud, and the rubble of disrepair, and into malls that rival our very own.

Last week we went to Ujain, the city of temples. Entry wasn't unlike the State Fair -- handrails that corral you in line -- for hundreds of thousands of Hindus come through this temple annually to pour milk and throw marigolds (which they must buy from the temple salesmen) on the Shiva idol. Imprecatory psalms came to mind as we pr@yerwalked. As I am told, they have never been told inasmuch to do so; no code of how to worship. They come because they have always come; they bow down and kiss the filthy floor because that is what they have seen other do. If they come to this temple on a certain day of the year or on a full moon to do the ritual, then they are pretty much guaranteed to have positive karma and move up in the next life. "Their land is full of idols;" in innocence (relative to Rom. 1) and ignorance "they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made" (Is. 2:8).

They really love the H.S. here. He is not, as Francis Chan pointed out, the "Forgotten God" on this side of the world. For us in the West, faith is hard because we have a logical, scientific explanation for everything. They don't here and so rest much more upon faith and are sensitive to the Spirit. Many lives are transformed by JC here because, in ways illogical to us Westerners, prayers of faith for healing to the very Healer Himself, He indeed answers.

Our perhaps overzealous celebration of July 4th

Cute as they may be, but don't mess with these little B-29's.

Peace 'n blessin's from across the pond...

The Dog Days in Delhi

The five members of the team who arrived the morning after the rest of us (Chad, Christy, Lindsey, Joel and Jordan) received their luggage the same day they arrived (just a quick update for any worried parents).

Saturday was my (Anna Grace's) birthday. They surprised me with pizza and cheesecake. They even got magic relighting candles (which never relit). (: It was a great 21st birthday here in India.

Sunday we went to some of our friends home to learn about storying. We learned two stories from Mark 5; The healing of a man with a evil spirit and the healing of a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. The third story was from Mark 6 where He feeds the five thousand.

It is a great way to share wondrous truths about Him. After we learned the stories the girls all got henna depicting the different stories. Now when we get to I-town we can easily share the stories when the Indian girls ask about our henna.

Monday we went to a meat market. It was an experience, to say the least.

Lindsey next to some goats(?).

Jared and Joel with some goat heads.

Today we had our 'big fat Indian scavenger hunt!' We went out and had conversations with people, hit some important sites (like the India Gate and Old Delhi), and visited some temples and a Mosque. We came back with some stories and a better understanding of what our time in Indian is going to look like.

Aubrey and Abbie with some children in front of the India Gate.

Joel, Lindsey and Jared at the Lodi Temple.

We have been getting briefed for our time in I-town these past few days. Please pr@y that we will be prepared as we leave tomorrow. That we will be lights in this dark country, for us to meet new friends, and for our team to be more and more united in spirit and purpose as this journey continues.

Everyone has Arrived!

Good news, everyone has arrived in India! Our team got split up because our flight from Charlotte to Chicago was cancelled due to tornadoes. It was a little crazy, but thankfully we figured out a way for our entire team to get to Delhi.

About half the team arrived last night and the the rest (Chad & Christy, Joel, Jordan, and Lindsey) just arrived about an hour ago. If you read this in the next few hours, pr@y for the people that just got here. They have also not gotten their bags yet. They should be here this afternoon some time on the next flight to Delhi.

This afternoon we're going to get some Indian food for lunch and then head over to the market to shop for kurtas. I'm looking forward to getting out in the city and trying to remember the 10 Hindi phrases I used last summer! :)

Keep checking back for updates. You should be hearing from some other members of our group soon! Thank you for your pr@yers!

Poor Jared, he was so tired I just had to capture it with a picture!

We flew over Greenland in the middle of our 14 hour flight to Delhi!

Summer Link India Preparations

This weekend, we had our Summer Link India retreat to prepare for six weeks in India! There will be 3 staff members and 9 students traveling to India from June 23rd-August 4th.

We had a blast hanging out together, laughing, playing catch phrase, water skiing, and wake boarding. Team leader Chad Ferrell did an excellent job of opening God's Word and teaching on the gospel in Ephesians 2 and how to engage the culture as seen in Acts 17. We also spent time practicing 2-3 minute testimonies and learning more about Hinduism. It is our hope that this weekend helped prepare students as they have to cope with cultural differences and culture shock in India.

Above everything else, we emphasized to our students the importance of walking with God before they leave for India and while they are in India. The best way to overcome culture shock and the American ethnocentrism so inherent to our natures is to be saturated with the truth of the gospel. We want our students to be humble learners of the culture and to engage the millions of lost people in India with the gospel through tears of compassion.

In preparing to leave for India, I have been reading through Acts. One of my favorite passages in Acts is Acts 20:19-24,
"You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."


Please join with me in pr@ying that our students would serve the Lord in all humility, even in the face of fear, cultural differences, and persecutions. Pray that like Paul, we would speak in boldness being constrained and directed by the Holy Spirit. Pray that we would not account our lives as having any value if only we may finish the course and ministry we have received from Jesus to testify to the gospel.

If you would like to stay updated with our group over the summer, check out our blog at: http//summerlinkindia.blogspot.com.

Our whole team! Front row: Jenna, Christy, Chad; Back row: Anna Grace, Corey, Jared, Sean, Joel, Aubrey, Abbie, Lindsey, and Jordan

Summer Link India 2011 is Underway!

This weekend, the 2011 Summer Link India team had their first meeting! We discussed why we want to go to India and other important matters like our favorite smells. We are happy to have 10 students (5 girls and 5 guys) traveling to India along with 3 staff members. I think I can say for each person that we are incredibly excited to be going! Please pr@y for the students as they raise support in the next 2 months. Check back here throughout the summer to hear about our adventures from various students and staff members!