Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Open House!
You are all invited to an open house, Sunday, March 21 from 1-2:30pm, in M2 at Cubberley, to hear more about our recent trip to India and what God is doing there. Light lunch provided (please RSVP to the church office so we know how much food we need). We’ll share stories, pictures, thoughts, and news from our trip and discuss possible future involvement. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Answering my support letter questions...
Before I left for India on this trip and in our support letter, I raised some questions that I wanted to go find answers for - "How does Christian ministry and outreach bring the love of Jesus to the poor? What do we have to offer that is good news? How can we partner with the local Indian Vineyard and be an ambassador for the gospel?". To be sure, these are weighty questions and through our trip, I found one way this is done. I am sure there are other ways to minister and partner.
John Christian and Acts of Mercy works to uplift and empower the poor. The school and Acts of Mercy are Christian organizations but not in a preachy way. As the team was debriefing, we felt like John does not explicitly preach the gospel, he instead lives the gospel. There are local churches along the coast that John partners with. The local pastors do not have the resources to help people materially and bring them to Acts of Mercy. The pastors are committed to the work that Acts of Mercy is doing as was evidenced when we were at the Happy Homes. A local pastor is helping oversee the main building construction and we had a chance to meet him (see picture).
In some ways, Acts of Mercy in Mahabalipuram is similar to InnVision here in the bay area with the main difference being that Acts of Mercy does not get any government help and so is not tied down that way. InnVision is a large non-profit organization on the peninsula that we partner with to provide meals to the homeless twice a month. Of course, InnVision provides many other services as well. And just like we do Bible studies at hot meals, we can/and did Bible studies/circulum at the school with the kids and teachers.
There are many opportunities to partner with Acts of Mercy. But that will be for another blog entry. Stay tuned.
John Christian and Acts of Mercy works to uplift and empower the poor. The school and Acts of Mercy are Christian organizations but not in a preachy way. As the team was debriefing, we felt like John does not explicitly preach the gospel, he instead lives the gospel. There are local churches along the coast that John partners with. The local pastors do not have the resources to help people materially and bring them to Acts of Mercy. The pastors are committed to the work that Acts of Mercy is doing as was evidenced when we were at the Happy Homes. A local pastor is helping oversee the main building construction and we had a chance to meet him (see picture).
In some ways, Acts of Mercy in Mahabalipuram is similar to InnVision here in the bay area with the main difference being that Acts of Mercy does not get any government help and so is not tied down that way. InnVision is a large non-profit organization on the peninsula that we partner with to provide meals to the homeless twice a month. Of course, InnVision provides many other services as well. And just like we do Bible studies at hot meals, we can/and did Bible studies/circulum at the school with the kids and teachers.
There are many opportunities to partner with Acts of Mercy. But that will be for another blog entry. Stay tuned.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Bus on the Way
FROM ANGHELIKA
It was Friday, February 12, 2010: field trip day to Planetarium, 10am
I'm sitting in the very bouncy back of the bus. Even though there is a lot of activity on the bus- dancing, music and singing, (no stay-in-your-seat safety rules here) I am looking out the window. So much to see, and always something new. It is such a visually dense place: in any one square inch you can see the hem of a one-of-a-kind sari, a part of a cow, a bare foot, a tiny shop with tiny yellow cakes, and a thick plastic bag. I am trying to block out the noise on the bus.
Inside the bus, snack time is announced and the kids dig into their packs for food. As kids peel wrappers, you hear Teacher Deborah shout out, "Don't throw trash out the window! Don't throw trash out the window! It goes in the trash bag." Justin, the school's caretaker and minivan driver, pulls out a big blue plastic bag from the overhead shelf and ties it to the pole at the back door of the bus. One by one, kids stumble to the back of the bus to put their scraps in the bag.
From what I have seen of Chennai and Mahabalapurim, trash is thrown out anywhere and everywhere. Your eye cannot avoid it. Cows are often seen rummaging through roadside trash with a plastic bag stuck in their teeth. It makes me gag every time I see it. Yet here, 55 kids are learning to throw their trash in a trash receptacle, not outside on the ground.
Not only are these kids barreling along on the bus against such bad habits, but these kids are barreling against the culture in other ways too: just this week we observed how they are learning to think differently from the culture.
At the academy we saw lots of progressive thinking. Out with rote memorization, in with the empowerment of making discoveries. Out with confusing idols, in with Jesus Christ. Out with restrictive social systems and limited opportunities, in with understanding we are God's own creation made in his image and made for his purposes.
The previous four days, I had the pleasure and honor of teaching these children and teachers that each one of them is a beloved creation of God, that Jesus came to reconcile them to God by forgiving sin and offering God’s perspective to life, that He is their good shepherd and teacher who watches over them for all time, and that they are empowered to do God's work by the Holy Spirit!
How will they turn out?
India will take generations to change. It will take the Gospel and much more accessible and forward thinking educational ideas to change its habits and old, suppressive belief and value systems that harm people, animals and the environment.
However, these 55 kids on this bus, they are at the beginning of it.
It was Friday, February 12, 2010: field trip day to Planetarium, 10am
Inside the bus, snack time is announced and the kids dig into their packs for food. As kids peel wrappers, you hear Teacher Deborah shout out, "Don't throw trash out the window! Don't throw trash out the window! It goes in the trash bag." Justin, the school's caretaker and minivan driver, pulls out a big blue plastic bag from the overhead shelf and ties it to the pole at the back door of the bus. One by one, kids stumble to the back of the bus to put their scraps in the bag.
From what I have seen of Chennai and Mahabalapurim, trash is thrown out anywhere and everywhere. Your eye cannot avoid it. Cows are often seen rummaging through roadside trash with a plastic bag stuck in their teeth. It makes me gag every time I see it. Yet here, 55 kids are learning to throw their trash in a trash receptacle, not outside on the ground.Not only are these kids barreling along on the bus against such bad habits, but these kids are barreling against the culture in other ways too: just this week we observed how they are learning to think differently from the culture.
At the academy we saw lots of progressive thinking. Out with rote memorization, in with the empowerment of making discoveries. Out with confusing idols, in with Jesus Christ. Out with restrictive social systems and limited opportunities, in with understanding we are God's own creation made in his image and made for his purposes.
The previous four days, I had the pleasure and honor of teaching these children and teachers that each one of them is a beloved creation of God, that Jesus came to reconcile them to God by forgiving sin and offering God’s perspective to life, that He is their good shepherd and teacher who watches over them for all time, and that they are empowered to do God's work by the Holy Spirit!How will they turn out?
However, these 55 kids on this bus, they are at the beginning of it.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
More to come
Just a brief note to say Aida and I have arrived home safely. Aida will be sharing briefly about our experiences in India at Vineyard on Sunday, 2/21.
Rajesh is still visiting with his parents in Kerala; Mark is visiting Bangalore. They will be returning to the US within a week.
We have many good stories to share, some will come out here on this blog, please stay tuned!
-Anghelika
Rajesh is still visiting with his parents in Kerala; Mark is visiting Bangalore. They will be returning to the US within a week.
We have many good stories to share, some will come out here on this blog, please stay tuned!
-Anghelika
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Valentine's Day
The beach in Chennai is the second longest beach in the world...fyi.
Sunday we each shared some of our thoughts and experiences at church.
John then taught a great sermon on what a Christian marriage looks like, and how it needs to be a testimony to friends and neighbors. Did you know that in Indian culture, if a man shows care or affection for his wife in public he is considered a woos? He needs to show more care for his mother than his wife, even on his wedding day.
The morning ended with a community lunch that to my surprise included liver stew.
Then off to do some shopping.
The day ended with a wonderful dinner of chicken and fish kebab with worship leader and Kontagious founder Saroop, his wife Smitha, and their son Judah, and also Sheba and Teenu- who happens to be on the Kerala state cricket team- and their 2 year old Jonathan. We had a very animated talk about Love and Logic parenting techniques, and we have been invited back to teach the techniques at Vineyard and to the community that is at the Unwind centers - Unwind centers are a music based social gathering place that also provides music lessons, creates a safe, drug and alcohol free place for youth to play and enjoy concerts, and in the midst of this, testify to the transforming love of Jesus through relationships.
More later...
Sunday we each shared some of our thoughts and experiences at church.
John then taught a great sermon on what a Christian marriage looks like, and how it needs to be a testimony to friends and neighbors. Did you know that in Indian culture, if a man shows care or affection for his wife in public he is considered a woos? He needs to show more care for his mother than his wife, even on his wedding day.
The morning ended with a community lunch that to my surprise included liver stew.
Then off to do some shopping.
The day ended with a wonderful dinner of chicken and fish kebab with worship leader and Kontagious founder Saroop, his wife Smitha, and their son Judah, and also Sheba and Teenu- who happens to be on the Kerala state cricket team- and their 2 year old Jonathan. We had a very animated talk about Love and Logic parenting techniques, and we have been invited back to teach the techniques at Vineyard and to the community that is at the Unwind centers - Unwind centers are a music based social gathering place that also provides music lessons, creates a safe, drug and alcohol free place for youth to play and enjoy concerts, and in the midst of this, testify to the transforming love of Jesus through relationships.
More later...
Saturday with John
Listening to John is like drinking from a fire hose. There are so many stories he has and lots of passion in all he does.
We spent our day Saturday with John Christian. We stopped by the Sparrows of Splendor tailoring unit and met with the widows again. We picked up a bunch of beautiful Indian ethnic bags that we plan to bring to the US to sell for the widows. The widows were beaming with pride as they packed it and gave it to us. What joy it gives to make something and be able to sell it and feel worth. Anghelika and Aida provided the widows with feedback on what works best for the US , or at least our church market :). The widows already started incorporating some of that into their work. We would like to find more markets/distribution channels for their tailored goods. Ideas on this are welcome!
We also went back to the Happy Homes site (see Mark's previous blog on this) and Mark took some video footage of John explaining his vision and direction for that place. We hope to edit the video and bring it back with us to show a glimpse of his heart for the widows.
In the evening, just before returning to Chennai, we stopped by a fishing village where Acts of Mercy has built relationships and goodwill over the years. We were welcomed into a villager's home and got to meet an Achievers Academy student in his home environment. We were welcomed so warmly and treated to a cup of South Indian coffee.
On our way back, we were treated to more stories from John while Anghelika mostly closed her eyes :). It is great to see his heart for the poor.
We spent our day Saturday with John Christian. We stopped by the Sparrows of Splendor tailoring unit and met with the widows again. We picked up a bunch of beautiful Indian ethnic bags that we plan to bring to the US to sell for the widows. The widows were beaming with pride as they packed it and gave it to us. What joy it gives to make something and be able to sell it and feel worth. Anghelika and Aida provided the widows with feedback on what works best for the US , or at least our church market :). The widows already started incorporating some of that into their work. We would like to find more markets/distribution channels for their tailored goods. Ideas on this are welcome!
We also went back to the Happy Homes site (see Mark's previous blog on this) and Mark took some video footage of John explaining his vision and direction for that place. We hope to edit the video and bring it back with us to show a glimpse of his heart for the widows.
In the evening, just before returning to Chennai, we stopped by a fishing village where Acts of Mercy has built relationships and goodwill over the years. We were welcomed into a villager's home and got to meet an Achievers Academy student in his home environment. We were welcomed so warmly and treated to a cup of South Indian coffee.
On our way back, we were treated to more stories from John while Anghelika mostly closed her eyes :). It is great to see his heart for the poor.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Field Trip
Friday was the first outing for Achiever's Academy this school year so it was much anticipated by both the children and the teachers. The youngest kids stayed home, so we had about 56 kids out of the approximately 120 students. We started the day about an hour early with the usual assembly then boarded the bus. A few minutes into the drive and the music started -- with teachers, kids and Rajesh in the isles dancing. What a crazy scene!
The first stop was a planetarium and technology exhibits at a college in Chennai. Possibly the first planetarium visit ever for these kids. Lots of waiting around (no surprise there) and we finally got in for our turn. The lights go out and some intro slides are put up and the kids all cheer! One surprise was a gruesome depiction of one of their local myths where a man is punished by the gods for eating some of their food so his head is severed, but he doesn't die since he already had eaten some. So his head floats around in the sky eating up the sun & moon every so often, but since he doesn't have a body, he has to spit them back out again. This explains the occasional eclipses we see. After the planetarium we watched a 3D movie with the special glasses and then toured through a very dusty and neglected collection of random technology exhibits. These must have been built by students of the university since they didn't have any consistency.
After the technology center, we went to a kids park and mini-zoo. The park was likely the highlight of the day for the children. Each child brought their own lunch. Notice the towel they placed on the ground to make a clean place to eat. Though I don't think any of them washed their hands. The teachers had asked our team if we would please share their potluck with them. When we accepted they were very happy. So we enjoyed some of the best food we've had here so far.
After the playground time we toured the mini-zoo. Lots of snakes, alligators, some birds and a few other random animals. On the ride home we stopped to get the kids some snacks. Then the music began again! Did I say how loud it was? Fortunately the teachers had had enough so that ended quickly. The parents were expecting us by 5:30, but nobody really worries if you're just a bit late. Maybe they would have started to call if we weren't there by 6:30. The kids were all marched right past their parent and into the school yard where they were released properly to their parents. Anghelika thought that was well done.
So the kids had a great day, and so did all the adults. We were very lucky to have happened to be here for their first outing. This was a great ending of our time with the school. I don't think the kids really understood that we were saying goodbye. The teachers did and they were sad. We spent some time with them in the office, sharing some parting words. Aida started it off with some very kind words that also got us all a bit emotional. We had brought some gifts for them (chocolates) which they were happy to receive. It was obvious they were all very moved by our time with them. We had bonded so quickly in such a short amount of time. They kept asking if we would be coming back. We hope so.
The first stop was a planetarium and technology exhibits at a college in Chennai. Possibly the first planetarium visit ever for these kids. Lots of waiting around (no surprise there) and we finally got in for our turn. The lights go out and some intro slides are put up and the kids all cheer! One surprise was a gruesome depiction of one of their local myths where a man is punished by the gods for eating some of their food so his head is severed, but he doesn't die since he already had eaten some. So his head floats around in the sky eating up the sun & moon every so often, but since he doesn't have a body, he has to spit them back out again. This explains the occasional eclipses we see. After the planetarium we watched a 3D movie with the special glasses and then toured through a very dusty and neglected collection of random technology exhibits. These must have been built by students of the university since they didn't have any consistency.
After the technology center, we went to a kids park and mini-zoo. The park was likely the highlight of the day for the children. Each child brought their own lunch. Notice the towel they placed on the ground to make a clean place to eat. Though I don't think any of them washed their hands. The teachers had asked our team if we would please share their potluck with them. When we accepted they were very happy. So we enjoyed some of the best food we've had here so far.
After the playground time we toured the mini-zoo. Lots of snakes, alligators, some birds and a few other random animals. On the ride home we stopped to get the kids some snacks. Then the music began again! Did I say how loud it was? Fortunately the teachers had had enough so that ended quickly. The parents were expecting us by 5:30, but nobody really worries if you're just a bit late. Maybe they would have started to call if we weren't there by 6:30. The kids were all marched right past their parent and into the school yard where they were released properly to their parents. Anghelika thought that was well done.So the kids had a great day, and so did all the adults. We were very lucky to have happened to be here for their first outing. This was a great ending of our time with the school. I don't think the kids really understood that we were saying goodbye. The teachers did and they were sad. We spent some time with them in the office, sharing some parting words. Aida started it off with some very kind words that also got us all a bit emotional. We had brought some gifts for them (chocolates) which they were happy to receive. It was obvious they were all very moved by our time with them. We had bonded so quickly in such a short amount of time. They kept asking if we would be coming back. We hope so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
