Friends, Frights and Falling Rain (not in that order)

Written on July 6th, 2009

So much has happened that I know I can never include it all.  But I don’t want to miss out on sharing a few of the my favorite moments and happenings from the past week or so.

Last week we got to do some beach evangelism on Monday, handing out tracts and trying to talk to people.  It went well and we met a guy who said he was a Christian!  God held off the rain just long enough for us to hand out all of our tracts but not quite long enough for us to stay dry.  It was a fun run back to the car from the end of the beach in the pouring rain.  After squeezing or dripping selves into the van, we headed to a beach-side Bangla restaurant for a delicious lunch.

The rest of the week we were stuck indoors except for a few brave excursions out into the drenching rain for errands.  We had to cancel VBS and learn how to be content with time of quiet and stillness instead of activity.

Finally Thursday night we had a clear sky and plans to go out. We dressed up in our saris and went out to eat at a fancy restaurant (my total came to around $5) with the Hands-On girls and a few Bengali girl friends.  I had a big juicy hamburger, complete with fries and live Hindi music.  We had a sleepover at our supervisor’s house (before they got back into town) and the next morning a few of us girls got to experience a real-deal Bengali house church.  Although I didn’t get much out of the sermon (because it was in Bengali), it was such an encouragement to see.  A small group of passionate Christians gathered together on a Friday morning to give glory to God in a place where most people reject the idea of Isa, Jesus Christ, as Lord.

The next couple of days we home-visited like crazy.  Friday we had lunch at a translator’s house.  Her mom greeted us at the door, a dainty tiny litty woman of about 50 who bounced around with the joy and energy of a little child.  She “blessed” each on of us in Jesus name and made us write down our e-mail and mailing address in about 5 different places.  When it was time to pray for the food, she first picked up her Bangla bible, torn and worn out from so much use, and read us Psalm 13, in both Bangla and English.  ”Please don’t forget me,”  she said to us, “You won’t forget me will you?”  What a special woman of God she was!  All of her daughters are getting their masters at University and were just as sweet and generous as her.

The second home visit of the day was a friend of our translator’s.  This family is Muslim, and they had many questions for us, from “Did you hear about Michael Jackson?” and “Have you seen Transformers?” to “What do you think about the prophet, Jesus?”  We were able to talk to them about what we believe and share about what Christianity really is about.  Although they didn’t accept it for themselves that very moment, the girl and her brother did clap for us after we shared.  They responded that they respected and admired us for what we believe.  Thank the Lord for the opportunities he gives!

Something to know about Bangladesh home visits is that you WILL be served food whether you’re hungry or not.  You WILL eat all the food prepared whether you’re hungry or not.  And you WILL be offered more food and expected to eat it whether you’re hungry or not.  Bengalis don’t want you to leave until after you’ve greatly overstayed your welcome (in American terms) and they’ve fed you at least 3 times.  We began to panic when we were beginning to feel sick and soon late to church and the family asked if we would take more chai.  We were sure there was no way we could do it.  ”For the sake of the gospel,” we whispered to each other and gulped down another delicious cup.

The third visit was a little more American.  Our friend, Rebecca, the one who ran up to us on the street, had us over to her house for a delicious American lunch and chai afterwards.  We quickly lost track of time and stayed around laughing and talking with her and her brother and mother for several hours.  Afterwards we had a July4th party with our supervisors, who had just arrived back in town, and several other American friends.

Me and two girls had a scary ride home one night after dark.  Taking our usual form of transportation, the CNG, we told the driver in our broken Bangla where we needed to go.  When he seemed to understand, we hopped in and he headed off in the wrong direction.  After some coaxing and a bit of yelling on his part, we got him to turn around and began directing him ourselves.  A bit later we accidentally took another wrong turn, our fault, but the driver was getting impatient, so we paid him and hailed another taxi.  We were getting a little nervous, in a sketchy part of town beside the highway when my shopping bag bottom broke through and so we had to pile all of its contents into our arms before continuing on.  This driver started heading in what we thought was the right direction, but ended up dropping us off in an even scarier part of town.  By this time it was completely dark and the crowded area was populated with only men, a bad sign here in Bangladesh for us as females.  We were now shaky and afraid to even try another CNG.  But we began walking, trying to find another one, because we knew that we would never get home on our own.  Every taxi that passed was full and as we continued to walk, we took a moment to collect ourselves and pray that God would give us trust in him and take away our fears of the worst.  Soon after, we came upon a large business that I had remembered seeing before, and a moment after that came upon the very road that our guesthouse is along.  Praise the Lord!  We made it back safe and thankful that God answers prayer.  We even got up the courage to make one more trip out that night by CNG to get some pizza for dinner.

This week so far we have worked at the center, attended house church, said goodbye to the 6 month hands-on girls as they head back to America, and prayerwalked in a village high up in the hills.  We were there just this morning, before the rain started again.  It was a breathtaking view of rolling hills, huts snuggled into the sides of grassy slopes, and a plethora of farm animals in every location.  A flock of baby ducks in a pen behind a hut, a cow standing across the narrow path leading back to the car, ready to fight when I tried to nudge him aside, an iguana perched on a rickety fence, the usual stray dogs, and a headless chicken running around on the side of the road.   And then there are the children:  a baby being pulled around in a box, a pretty young girl that just wants to stare at you all day long with a sweet smile on her face, a toddler that screams at the sight of white faces, a little girl that wants to help you along the trail by holding your hand when really you would just pull her down along with you if you fell.  The precious crowd of brown smiling faces, dressed in mix-matched clothing, if at all, bouncing along the slippery trails shouting at you in Bangla, wanting to touch you and thrilled if you simply smile at them, touch them, or give them 15 seconds of your time.

VBS was cancelled today again because of rain.  We are praying hard that tomorrow we will have clear skies to do some more beach evangelism, then go back to that village in the hills to tell the people about Jesus!  Three more days, packed full of activity, and then Bangladesh will be in the rearview mirror of this summer.  We are preparing ourselves for the emotional toll this next step will take as we adjust to a new lifestyle again, and aware that the Lord will be with us every step of the way, from goodbyes, to debriefing, to wisdom in sharing our stories, to fitting back into life in the U.S.

Your Grace is Enough

Here I am, sitting on the fourth floor screened in porch of the guesthouse, feeling sleepy from the soft cool breeze and looking out across the city.  Buildings of various heights and colors are intermingled with tall palms and graceful birds against the backdrop of a darkening sky.

This weekend was wonderful.  Thursday night we had a American style sleepover with the center girls, complete with Henna and no AC.  The Bengali twist.  They seemed to have a really good time, and although we didn’t get much sleep and headed out of town the next morning feeling groggy and messy, it was such a worthwhile time to get to spend quality time with the girls.

We spent the next three days at Home of Love, an orphanage about an hour out of the city.  The country was beautiful, the grounds were very nice, and the people were amazing.  There are currently about 60 orphans living there and it is run by a German-American family who have three children of their own.  The whole orphanage is like one big family, and we were quickly swept up into it.  All the kids want to do is spend time with you.  Young and old, they gathered around, practicing their English and holding your hands, hugging, smiling, giving kisses and asking questions.  

When word spread that it was my birthday, I was giving many sweet wishes from many of the kids, as well as a few homemade birthday notes and several hugs.  My heart squeezes just thinking about the blessing they were and continue to be to us even after we have left.  All of the older children are Christians and it was cool to sit in their church service Friday and devotional times every morning and evening.  A few on our team were able to share during those times as well.

We ate lots of Bangla food with the kids every meal, the real kind of Bangla food with a kick that sends your sinuses rolling.  One meal, we were given our own batch of rice with less spice than the kids got.  We laughed when we found out, because we were already struggling with the spice we got.  One morning we got to help make the roti bread that is so common here.  We played basketball, soccer, a Bengali board game, tutored for homework, taught English lessons in the elementary school, cleaned baby rooms and did a lot of hanging out with the wonderful kids.

On my birthday the orphanage mom cooked our team a delicious American meal and we had cake and coffee!  She and my team surprised me with the cake and candles and they were all very sweet and made it a special day.  I enjoyed getting to hang out with such cool people in such a unique place for my birthday. And for the first time since I was born, my birthday lasted an extra 11 hours for me- because of the time difference.  Thank you to everyone who sent me sweet e-mails, cards and facebook comments!  It’s special to know I was thought of.  Personally, I am trying not to think about the fact that I am now two decades old, and will never be a teenager again.  I have decided it’s about time for me to stop getting any older, it’s all happening a little too fast for me.

A few other cool things. We were able to meet one of their neighbors, a girl our age whose parents are pretty famous in Bangladesh and probably have a lot of influence because of it.  They are not Christians but we were able to make a connection!  Pray for them.

 The orphanage is about to start taking in more children (one sad little boy arrived while we  were there) and needs more staff willing to live and work there full-time for a while.  Probably a journey-man type position.  One specific request is for a carpenter to make furniture for the orphanage and teach the boys how to work with wood.  They already have a workshop all set up and ready.  Pray that God will provide people to fill these, whether nationals or foreigners.  And if you feel God may be calling you, talk to me!! =)  

Praise God, he finally sent rain.  It’s the rainy season but hasn’t rained much at all.  Now, we are getting it all at once it seems.  But it has been wonderful to have it to cool the weather and brighten the colors of plants.  Pray that it keeps raining but stops enough that we can still do our ministry this week, which is mostly outdoor activities.

We are headed out of Bangladesh in 10 days.  I can’t believe it.  I am excited to experience the comfort of home again, see people I miss, and begin all the activities waiting for me there.  But I am sad to be leaving this place, and I already know that it is going to be so much harder leaving than I realize.  It was a struggle for us to leave the orphanage after just 3 days, I can imagine that it will be quite difficult leaving everything and everyone in this wonderful country after six whole weeks.  It is so far away that it will take a lot of effort and money to be able to come back.  I pray God will make it happen in the near future.

Our team has been growing close to each other and the Lord and it is encouraging to see.  We have a lot of fun together and get to spend regular prayer and study times together.  Lately we have been thinking a lot about how we are going to take all our experiences and growth and incorporate it into our lives at home.  God is definitely speaking to each one of us about it and it will be cool to hear how he uses each one of these girls and their hearts for him back in America after getting to spend a great summer with them.  

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts.  I am pretty tired right now because of getting less sleep this weekend so I’m not sure how much sense this blog makes. =)  I will probably update again this weekend.  Today was a good start to the week but I will have to tell you about it later.  God Bless and good night!

As Sure as the Dawn

Another lovely list of 15 things you could know about if you would like to.  =)

1.  Now that our supervisors and all other SB workers here have headed out for vacations and a conference in Thailand, we are mostly on our own.  This circumstance has made way for both exciting adventures as well as unique challenges.

2.  Two wonderful girls from our India orientation visited us this past week.  They were such an encouragement and despite one girl’s fight with the stomach flu, they brought us much cheer and laughter.  

3.  Saturday we split up and visited a total of 17 homes.  Others did most of the talking so I was able to sit and make observations, some of which hit me hard.  One girl’s family was completely our of food.  Her father is deep in debt and had run away a week ago, leaving the family hungry and penniless.  We were able to pray with them and give them some assistance.  What a heartbreaking situation to see with your own eyes!  May we never ever take our full bellies for granted!

4.  I spent a lovely night staring at the ceiling one night this past weekend.  I couldn’t settle down for some reason so I laid and watched the shadow of the guard outside (it looked like he was doing aerobic exercises) and wondered if I would step on a large live bug in the dark on my way to the bathroom.  I got worried there were a few in bed with me at one point.  None of these thoughts helped much in my efforts to fall asleep. =)

5.  Handing out booklets to hundreds of women and men on their way to work in the factories the next morning was again a unique experience as we saw how readily they accepted them. Many were curious, some were willing to talk a bit, and hundreds continued to come long after we ran out of booklets.

6.  In Acts 20:7-12 poor Eutychus was pretty worn out but everyone was so excited that Paul was there with them that they were willing to sit and listen to him until he absolutely had to leave.  This meant Paul spoke on past midnight and so Eutychus nodded off while sitting on the windowsill.  Next thing you know, he’s shifted and fallen out the window.  Praise the Lord he was unhurt, a miracle after falling from the third story (which may have been the fourth, considering how foreign countries count floors).  He was sent home to rest, good thing, but what a disappointment to not get to hear the rest of Paul’s words!  Naturally, they all went back upstairs and Paul continued talking till dawn.  I just love that story.  

7.  Monday we visited the seabeeze with the girls from the center.  The sun was bright, the sky blue and the water a chocolate brown.  The tide was in so the only hope for swimming was sitting on the rocks and being splashed by waves.  The sun was out but the only hope for tanning was to pull your pant leg up to the ankle, gasp, and hope no one noticed.  We attracted a crowd, as usual, so after playing games in the grass for a while, we headed to a beachside restaurant for lunch.

8.  We had some delicious Bangla food that day.  We have now mastered eating with our right hand, cleaning the plate, and no napkins.  I did accidentally chew up a seasoning seed.  The Bengalis (and Americans) laughed at me later when I told them that I had forced myself to swallow what tasted like a scented candle.

9.  In the past week there have been two times when I wondered if we would ever make it home to the guesthouse again.  The first time, we tried to hail a CNG as it began to pour down rain but all of them were full.  Wrapping up in our ornas, we began walking the long distance back to the guesthouse in the dark and the rain.  Eventually we found a free driver willing to stuff 5 of us into space meant for 2 and we breathed easy again.  

10. The second time, two of us were in a hurry to meet someone and our driver, who originally seemed to know where we wanted him to take us, about 5 minutes down the road, drove around for about 20 minutes in a part of town we had never seen before.  Although it sounds mild now, there was something absolutely terrifying about being completely lost, in the taxi of a stranger, and unable to speak the language to find your way home.  We got back fine, it was sort of an exhilarating rush I suppose.  The man took the longest short cut I have ever seen and we arrived a Bengali-appropriate 10 minutes late.

11.  2 Peter 1:3-10  How often to we lay claim to God’s promises in daily life?  It says here that we are to make every effort to respond to them.  God has been showing me through this passage and a few books I’ve read, how important it is to hide his promises in our hearts.  What better way to face any and every daily situation then with his words of life continually coming to our minds?  Here’s a good one:  ”Fear not, for I am with you;  Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  (Isaiah 41:10)

12.  Prayerwalking and VBS have gone well this week.  The Lord has protected our stomachs for the most part as we eat food and drink water in the village homes.  The swarming children are still precious and the adults still attentive.  Although it is hot and tiring, we are learning to thank God for the privilege of even such small sufferings for him.  Please do be praying, though, our team is currently dealing with colds, back and knee pain, habitually broken AC and stomach grumblings.  All of them seem small, but Satan can certainly use them to stand in the way of our work.

13.  Today was the Hindu Christmas.  We sat in traffic and took pictures of the parade on the way home.  We enjoyed the sights and sounds, although we often found ourselves (6 American girls in a big white van) the ones being stared at instead of the parade.  Although it was an exciting sight, it was a bit sad to see so many people so enthused about gods that have no love, no power, and no salvation.  One girl mentioned it reminded her of Mardi Gras.  What a true comparison of two events that are so alike in their purpose.  Neither one bringing glory to the one true God.

14.  This weekend we will have a slumber party at the center (the girls giggled when we tried to explain the definition of a sleepover), we will spend a few days as guests at an orphanage run by a German family, and we will sing for and speak in a Bengali church.  I will also be turning 20.  Weird.

15.  ”Worship… is the fuel and goal in missions.  It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory.  The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God… (Psalm 67:3-4).  But worship is also the fuel of missions.  Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching.  You can’t commend what you don’t cherish.  Missionaries will never call out, ‘Let the nations be glad!’, who cannot say from the heart, ‘I rejoice in the Lord….I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High” (Psalm 104:34; 9:2).  Missions begins and ends in worship.”  John Piper

The Hill

The past three days we have been sharing stories and hanging out with the kids and adults at “the Hill,” a collection of hills tucked into the center of the city.  Nestled amongst the hills is a village surrounded by palms and goats grazing on the rolling sides of the slopes.  Although it looks quiet and serene, the people come flooding out when the sun falls behind the hill and casts a nice shade over the flat area below.  And this is when we climb on up and begin to share Jesus.

Every day I come home exhausted, hungry, dehydrated, soaked in sweat, smelly and with a pounding headache.  And yet, so full of abundant, overflowing, overwhelming joy!  The Lord has completely surrounded our team this week with a special sense of his presence and an overflowing well of his strength.  When we arrive in the afternoon the kids come running toward us, yelling and smiling.  As we reach the top of the first hill and round the corner, there is already a small crowd of people gathered in the place where we share.  What an encouragement that is!

Just as a Bengali pastor said to Chelsea B. and I a few weeks ago, “The fields are ready here in Bangladesh, the harvest is ripe!  Now, we only need those willing to come and harvest it!”  I pray that we could see that harvest.  But even if we don’t, there are so many seeds to be planted here.  So many haven’t even heard yet!  To think that we are sharing the most important truth in the world to people who have never heard before is mind-boggling.  And such an amazing privilege.

We have been able to have a Bengali pastor with us the past few days as a male presence to help with any problems and be a minster to the men while we focus on the women and children.  It has been so wonderful to feel better protected and respected by the men in the community because of him.  But most of all, to have someone there who can share the good news with the men and boys, answer their questions and demonstrate Christ’s love to them.  When we were first told about this pastor, we were told that he is an awesome man, “Quick to share his faith to whoever will listen.”  That struck me right away.  What a reputation!  What a legacy!

Is that what is said about us?  So often we are striving to be ‘the guy who can dominate any obstacle’ or ‘the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen’ or ‘the one who everyone likes.’  I don’t know what it is for each of us.  But we are so quick to put worth in the reputation that brings no glory to the King of all Kings!  Why are we not so passionately in love with Jesus that we jump to tell anyone about him who will listen?  Why do we hesitate when we believe without a doubt that He is the only way they will ever find true joy?  This pastor we have had the privilege of working with is a true picture of how, in humility, we can fulfill our true calling as believers.  This calling is such a part of his daily life that when his name is mentioned, his faith and boldness are first to be spoken of.  What greater purpose is there worth living for?  Mmmm, there isn’t one.  So let’s do it!

Praise Him.

Premium Drinking Water: Free From Arsenic…

…That’s what many of the water bottles say.  I guess it’s an added bonus that those bottles of water don’t contain arsenic.  Maybe then they can charge more.

It’s been a good weekend!  Here are the highlights.

1) Friday was relaxing, we rested and took a fun trip to the mall to buy movies and music.  I bought some awesome Bengali hip-hop. =)  After church we ate Pizza Hut.  Therefore it was a almost an Americanish day… minus haggling over the price of a CNG ride to the mall in Bangla.

2) Saturday we visited an amusement part with our supervisor and his boys.  There we observed mini-Bangladesh, a very large miniature model of several famous places around the country.  We got to ride the choo choo train at 5mph accompanied by a loud screeching noise that brought back fond memories of my nails on the chalkboard a few years ago.  We went to Broast for lunch, and in case of another misunderstanding, yes, it is BROAST, not GROSS.

3) Saturday night we got to hang out with our new Bengali girlfriend.  We spent a few hours talking and listening to music, a bit of dancing and a lot of learning how to speak Bangla.  She is so much fun.  Keep praying that our relationship with her will grow closer and we will have opportunities and boldness to share.

4) Sunday we visited some turtles at a lake.  The legend goes:  a Muslim holy man told the Bengali people that he would light a candle, and whatever the candle lit up would be his land, and everything else would be theirs.  The candle lit up the whole area, a huge portion of land.  And so for reasons that we seem to have forgotten, he turned the people there into turtles and put them in a lake nearby.  Now, the turtles in this lake are looked upon as supernatural and holy.  People come from miles away to wash themselves in the water and touch and feed the turtles in hopes of being healed or blessed.  Although the story seems bizarre and silly, it was a heart-breaking sight to actually go there and see so many people putting their hope in something so wrong.  We definitely left the area with heavy hearts.

5) Afterwards we visited a war cemetary, the most beautiful and well-kept place I’ve seen here so far.  I read the story behind the war and the people buried there, but of course I have already forgotten it all.  If that upsets you please send me an angry comment and I will be sure to fill you in.  There was one soldier from America buried in the garden and he was from, guess where?  Charleston, SC.  Yes indeed.

6) Sunday night was house church and a fun little trip to the grocery store.  We saw a white man with red hair!  But he wasn’t American.  I think Irish or something close to that.  That was our exciting moment of the day.

7) This morning we had a lovely time with the girls at the center.  I made a paper bag puppet for the first time.  We had to “draw lots” to decide who would get to go to the airport to pick up our friends from India.  I drew the piece of paper with a frowny face.  Darn.  We cleaned up our rooms and took out the trash.  This evening we hung out with the journeymen girls!  They are awesome women of God!  We snuck chocolate cake and played Phase 10 and laughed a lot.  I lost horribly at Phase 10 and made an unsucessful attempt to sneak onto the roof.

Sorry this is not aparticularly exciting report.  It was a relaxing and recouping-type weekend.  Tomorrow we head out again to prayer walk and then VBS in the afternoon.  We are praying for opportunities, physical strength and energy, and boldness.  Love you all, miss you tons, and praying for you daily!

In Him,

Em

Photojournal

My attempt at making my blogs shorter and less time-consuming.  haha.

Photojournal idea stolen from Miss Sammi Fife. =)

Monday, June 8, 2009

-Woke up at the crack of dawn to hand out tracts to hundreds of dreary faces on their way to work in the garment factories in the rain.  So many didn’t want to take the booklet until they saw a smile from someone who cares.  Then curiosity arose and for a moment we were swarmed with open hands.  After hundreds had passed and we ran out of books, hundreds continued to pass by.  What an eye-opener to the masses of people who need to hear the good news!

-Later we attended a birthday party for David at Helvatia.  In attendance were all the white people in the city.  Well most of them anyway.  We are few and far between.  David blew out all 5 candles plus about 6 more.  (For extra wishes perhaps?)  Pictured above, David’s brother enjoys a strawberry cupcake in an intense sort of way!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Prayerwalking at Pani Tanke turned into a home visit when a woman excitedly asked us to come see her home and meet her family.  Chelsea B. and I set out on our own with two translators.  Although communication was a struggle, we were blessed by the poor family’s generous and eager hearts.  The translator kept telling me, “She has an interest to you.”  What I learned today is a bit comical but very true.  One of our major influences here is merely drawing people in.  They see a white person, an American, and they want to get to know us and be our friends.  Because of this, we are able to make connections for the sake of the gospel!  The color of our skin has been an amazing tool!

-In the afternoon we had VBS at Pani Tanke and close to 200 people showed up!  It was a bit chaotic and we reconsidered some strategy, but overall, what a blessing it was!  The crowd listened and the children’s smiles beamed.  We played the biggest game of Hot Potato I have ever seen.  Afterwards the snake charmer distracted the crowd while we tried to sneak out.

-Above, one of our translators tells the children a story about Jesus.  She is an amazing woman and so faithful!  To the right, Abby found this little child sitting all alone.  She didn’t smile no matter what we did.  That precious sad little face is enough to break your heart.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

-Remembered to take my malaria medicine!  Good thing, cause I have a weird rash lately.  ;)

-Prayerwalked Warlus area and did some home visits once again with people we had just met.  Despite our objections our hostesses fed us cookies, mangos and cold drinks while I’m sure they are barely scraping up enough to stay fed each day.  It was hard to eat joyfully while a crowd of probably hungry and very curious children peered in at us from the doorway.  Afterward, all our new friends skipped along crowded around us, holding our hands, while we finished our prayerwalk.

-VBS again this afternoon, in the same village as Tuesday.  An overwhelming crowd of 200-300 showed up and listened especially intently to Chelsea’s testimony about how God healed her.  Next, the biggest game of duck, duck, goose I have ever seen.  We had a little bit of continued trouble with men making remarks at us from the back of the group, thank the Lord for his protection.  No snake charmer to distract today, we were crowded by sweet enthusiastic children all the way into the waiting van.  ”Decahove!”  ”See you soon!”

Thursday, June 11,2009

-Some quality time with the translator girls in the morning shopping at various markets.  They sure can talk a price down!

-Had a bit of a fight with my emotions.  Bangladesh started driving me crazy as I thought more and more of home.  As I set out, determined to get through the afternoon, the Lord supernaturally encouraged me through our ministry, renewing me in the joy of my salvation.  Praise him!

-I had the privilege of sharing the gospel story with the village children at VBS today.  Some seemed to listen, many did not.  At the end, a little boy who had been listening intently asked us again.  ”So why did Jesus die on the cross?”  Then, “Where is he now?”  If nothing comes out of this whole trip except that little boy’s salvation and a relationship between him and Jesus Christ, it will all be worth it.  Pray for him.  What an amazing God we serve!

-Later in the evening was date night for our supervisor couple!  We took their boys out to eat and I was able to enjoy some mint chocolate chip icecream!  YUM!  What a silly thing I didn’t even realize I missed so much. =)

you make everything glorious

June 6, 2009

Today we traveled out to a village that our supervisors have never gone to before.  The ride was quite rough and jolting but it helped to create the honest and exciting atmosphere that we were trekking into the unknown.

When we arrived the children gathered quickly, little boys in Muslim caps and a few little girls.  We played around with the soccer ball and soon about 50 kids were crowded around in a muddy field, becoming less shy by the second.

Sadly, the Muslim school bell rang and many of the little boys left to go back to class.  But the few that remained as well as some adults that had gathered around, listened intently as we told the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand.  We sang a song, played some games, and just did our best to demonstrate the love of Christ in our actions, since most of us weren’t able to communicate without one of the translators.

Afterward we went a little farther on and had a jungle-like off-roading adventure…. in a 10 passenger van!  We had to travel up some sort-of stairs on the road and it was a stomach jiggling experience.  We ate

lunch at the house of one of our translators, where we were also greatly encouraged by the Bengali believers there.  They took us on an escapade up a large hill with our supervisors’ three little boys.  We saw a lot of God’s beautiful creation, a large brown cow, a popular Catholic pilgrimage area: a cemetery where a famous saint is apparently buried, and used up all our bandaids on the energetic little boys.

After our agile driver managed to back us out of the beaten path, we began our drive back in torrential rain.  We returned late in the afternoon, dirty, tired, wet, sore, and extremely thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord in such a unique place.

Something I am learning over and over on this trip is that its not my job to decide whether or not our work here is productive.  It’s easy to get discouraged when people don’t listen, or don’t grasp the message of the gospel right away, or when we see the masses quantities of people that we can’t even begin to minster to.  But we’re here because its where God has called us for now, and all we have to do is be obedient to him and trust he is working.  Because he is!  He was working here before we had even heard of this country, and he will continue to work after our short time here is up.  We are merely here to give our all for the time that we have, and trust that he will use it for his glory.

Thank you Lord that we don’t have to evaluate if our work is successful.  Because when we are doing Your will and Your work, You promise to be faithful to bring the results in Your time and Your way.

Please pray for the people who heard the stories, that they will think about them and want to know more, for relationships to continue to grow between us and the people in that area, and that God would continue to prepare hearts to respond to the good news!

Bengalis and Bangles

Yesterday was the holy day here in this community so we had the day off and the excitement of possible spontaneous adventure rolling around in our heads.  After a relaxing morning of reading and taking pictures and an attempted coconut tree climb, we had a quick lunch of leftovers and then set off to see what was in store for us.  A few girls and I decided to just start walking around the city and see what happened.  It was hot, but soon you get used to the sweating and the sun and learn to focus on other things.

If any of you have ever done something embarrassing in public than you may know what it is like to have hundreds of eyes looking at you.  This we experience every day, and although I would like to say I’m getting used to it, there is something about having every face turn at you and stare that you never quite adjust to.  In my head when I picture the country of Bangladesh, I see a sea of eyes-  some curious, some excited, some confused, most of them tired and sad.  We stand out like a parade everywhere we go, and that can be good and bad.  Yesterday, we experienced one of the positive consequences of that!

We had stumbled upon a curious looking pathway that a lot of people were walking on, many of them women and children, so, naturally, we turned and headed down it.  The path got steep and rocky and everyone was looking at us weird, sort of as if we didn’t belong.  Haha.  We stopped and tried to ask a girl what what the path led to but she didn’t understand.  A guy nearby overheard our English and proudly came up to us and said.  “Hello!”  I was excited and asked him if he spoke English.  Apparently ‘hello’ was the only word he knew.  His friend, however seemed to understand our question, and answered one word:  temple.  We realized we were about to enter an area where Muslims go to worship on the holy day, and we quickly turned around and headed back towards the main road.

Soon after, we were skirting a pile of various items:  trash, waste, etc, one of the many that line the streets, when were suddenly caught off guard by another English speaker.  A girl about our age ran up to us with a huge grin on her face.  She was so excited she seemed unsure what words to use, but her English was excellent compared to most people we talk to around here.  Moments before she approached us, she had literally leaped off her rickshaw, left her friend waiting for her and run across the busy road to speak to us.  She asked us if we would ‘have friendship’ with her.  =D  Praise the Lord!  She gave us her phone number and then took off her bracelets and gave one to each of us, telling us we were so cute and over and over how excited she was to meet us.  She wanted to walk with us but her friend, who was guy, said they needed to go.  He was very respectful, he came over to say hello and tell us that she is a ‘beautiful girl,’ then walk her back across the street.  Needless to say we were very excited and thankful that the Lord had answered our prayer to provide an opportunity to meet someone we could start a relationship with, despite the language barrier!

Afterwards we walked on for a while longer, bought a watermelon and some paper.  On the way back, we passed through a large group of children  who stand outside our neighbor’s gate with their families on Fridays. Many Muslims give food to the poor on Fridays and so the people have learned to gather where they will be fed.  Many of the children crowded around us and followed us to our gate, waving and asking for money.  I wished we could have given them the watermelon but there would have never been enough for all of them.  When we got back we ate the sweet delicious watermelon and shared it with some our fellow guesthousers and the toothy-grinned gate man, who was very pleased.

That evening we had English church, which was very encouraging!  I got to talk to a lady who knows sign language and is hoping to begin working with deaf children in this area.  She and two girls signed a song for special music during the service.  I really hope that I can be a part of some of her work here somehow before I leave this summer.  God-willing, I will also be taking the 2nd ASL class at Clemson this fall.

Today we went to a village pretty far out of the city to do VBS with whoever we could round up.  It was a great day and the Lord definitely worked in his own way!  It was a bit of a tiring, thought-provoking day, but also very encouraging. Today’s adventures could take up a whole other blog and I need to pass along the computer because my turn is definitely up.  I hope you are all doing well wherever in the world you are currently at, and that the Lord is continuing to grow you closer to himself as you seek him with all your heart.  Keep praying!

Isaiah 55:8-9

Look it up!

Balo Hache

The Top 15 Things You Should Know About the Past 5 Days in Bangladesh

1. First night in Bangladesh, I woke up to a scream and leaped out of bed to see two of my roomates crowded around what looked like a pile of blood!  Turns out, we were only frightened by a large cockroach on the wall and the smear was from a wet rainbow shoe.  But not to worry, that was only the first of many bug incidents.  We discovered that IOUS (insects of unusual size) reside in our bedroom- for example, palm-sized spiders frequent our bathroom at night.
2. In the last few days we met our driver, our laundry man, our cook, our server, our gate man, the elevator operater, the man who helps you pick out your icecream, the salesman and his 5 helpers.  It makes us chuckle how there is a man for every possible job.  But at the same time, it’s sad because it shows the great problem of unemployment that leads to the beggars on the street.  They follow us around thinking that as Americans, we will be able to give them a lot of money.  Most of the time though, they are so hungry that they would gladly take a bit of leftover food and be satisfied.
3. One afternoon we visited several villages and slum areas.  I got to hear the gospel presented in another language for the first time!  Also, an older woman asked if I’m married.
4. I got the opportunity to punch the number 15,000 into the ATM.  That may never occur again in my life.  The taka to dollar exchange rate is ridiculously in our favor.
5. We get to meet such cool people at the guesthouse where we are staying.  Over dinner or breakfast, we often get to talk to fellow workers who have felt a call to this part of the world, long-term and short-term.  One morning we piled 16 women in a van and drove off into the sunrise together.
6. The men here wear skirts.  It’s like a heavy sheet they wrap around and knot and it reaches to the ground.  Before you get excited guys… it’s actually a sign of poverty because pants are more expensive.
7. There are rabbits in our courtyard!  They run around wild and create quite the ambiance on a cool bright morning, peeping out from behind tropical flowers.
8. Working at the center is a blessing!  The girls want you to braid their hair, hold their hand, take pictures with them and sing praise songs with them.  They are so excited to receive a full meal every day: a boiled egg, piece of bread and a banana with water to drink.  What a lesson in contentment!
9. May 31st I celebrated my birthday…. 14 years since I first met Christ.  I had a nice little party in my head.
10. House fellowship!  So cool to see a small group gathered together to glorify the Lord on a Sunday evening.  And to be encouraged by a foreign believer is such a blessing.  I explained to the translator that I was struggling with the language  and she simply smiled and said:  “You will do great because the Lord will help you”
11. Shopping is an adventure here!  When we entered the sari shop, the 4 salesmen quickly turned on the AC.  Next we were told to sit down on comfortable setees and not allowed to stand until we were walking out the door.  They spent 30 minutes showing us every possible pattern, demonstrating how to wear a sari and respectfully answering every question.  Near the end, they sent some boys to buy us cold Sprites to sip while we waited to pay!  Wow.
12. Bengali food for lunch yesterday.  If you use utensils you are weird!  Learning how to eat rice and dahl with the fingers is an interesting experience.  So are the yellow fingers you have for the rest of the day.  For dessert, jack fruit and leechie!  Yum.
13. Don’t take off your orna!  This scarf like piece of material has to be draped across the shoulers of a woman at all times.  To go out without it is comparable to going out with, well, no clothes on in the US.  Yikes.  It is considered a woman’s virtue.  Needless to say, it’s become a running joke.
14. Singing “Father Abraham” twice, first in English, then in Bangla with  35 people in a small dorm-size room!  Good memory.
15. Tommorrow is the holy day, and we are going to climb a coconut tree with a sheet.  I’ll let you know how that goes.

Pray for us Saturday, we will be doing a full day VBS in a village where we share the gospel to the crowd that shows up, whether large or small.  Pray for health, cause we are still having stomach issues and allergies.  Pray for language, cause it is SO hard not being able to communicate with the people we are really beginning to care deeply about.  Thank you over and over for your prayers!

Decahove!

“Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder at the mention of Your name…”

Monday, May 25, 2009 (evening-India time)

Wow!  I have almost been in India for a full 24 hours and I feel like I’ve experienced such an incredible amount already.  At the same time, I am so much more aware of how much I have left to experience.  I’ve now met all the girls going to Bangladesh with me.  They are cool girls and I am excited to get to know them.  We were all so tired today that I don’t think the complete array of personalities has yet been fully revealed.  I’m excited for when we all break out of our bubbles!  There are so many other amazing girls also- and guys too!  To think that everyone here was called by God and obedient to that call to minister to Asia this summer pumps me up!  It has been hard though, to be intentional about staying focused on spiritual things, it’s easy to shy away from them because of security issues here or just because there is so many other things to see, think and talk about.

The guy/girl interaction is hard here and will be in Bangladesh because there is supposed to be none.  Unless you know each other or have some sort of a respectable connection, it is considered forward and inappropriate to interact.  The reason it causes problems is because every guy on the street wants to talk to you or at least stare at you because you are an American woman.  Considering we are the only white people they have seen recently or maybe ever, it’s not surprising that we are like a parade to both men and women every time we walk down the street.  It’s been hard learning to be almost rude to any man who want to ask us questions, and learning to skim the top of the crowd so that we don’t meet eyes with them and give them the impression we are interested.  More than anything, we are trying to change the impression that all “Christian” American women are like the ones they see in shows like Friends and Desperate Housewives.

I want to constantly remind myself about why we are here.  It’s a thing we all need to be daily reminded of no matter where we are.  To show the love of Jesus and share the gospel, so that all might know him!  It’s so easy to get caught up in the physical realm, even here:  health, clothes, language, customs and all the new sights, smells and sounds.  It’s understandable, all those things are important to pay attention to.  But not to forget about the spiritual impact that is our purpose here.  When we were out in the market tonight I felt almost numb to the darkness and lostness because I was so wrapped up in doing everything right.  I pray that God would protect us from spiritual attack, and I am thankful for how he has so far.  But at the same time, I pray that we would have a sensitivity to the spiritual realm and a heart that matches His for these people.  I want us to make a difference!  Not be so distracted that we forget our mission or lose our passion.  I’m thankful to the Lord for the burning desire he will give us to see the hearts and lives here transformed for his glory.

Friday, May 29, 2009 (morning, India time)

We are waiting here in the airport for a 5 hour layover, just us 8 of us girls on our way to Bangladesh. =)  I had a bout of homesickness last night, partly because I was leaving the girls in India that I had just started getting close to.  God blessed me with two great roomates at the hotel there, sweet women of God who I know will do great things for him this summer.  Homesickness is always worse when you are tired, of course, and we are still recovering from jet lag a bit, and losing one more hour today in our travels farther east.  God has given us a great team of girls, they are all very kind and we have fun together.

I met an Indian woman and her father on the plane today.  She was very nice and I got to share the gospel with her and a little about what I believe.  She was a Sikh, and didn’t seem very interested in knowing more about Jesus.  But I am learning to take responsibility for taking the opportunities I am given  without taking on the pressure of converting them or sharing every possible truth I wish they could know.  Following the Spirit’s leading is hard but I know that he knows what each person needs to hear and who will respond to him and who will not.  Pray for her!

There is a cat wandering through the airport.  A little while ago a girl and her mom came up and asked to take a picture with a few of us.  We are like celebrities here.  Earlier today we saw a white guy walking through the airport.  We stared at him for while trying to figure out if he was American, where he was going and what he was doing.  It gave us a little idea of why the nationals here stare at us, haha.

Friday, May 29, 2009 (8:45pm Bengali time)

We are finally in Bangladesh!  I am about to fall asleep!  In America I would be considered ridiculous but 9pm has become a reasonable bedtime lately.  Haha, how things change!  God has given our team some great opportunities to bond and I really love these girls and their personalities.  I know he will continue to grow us together spiritually as we share with one another our hearts and a passion to minister to these people.  I love it here!  It’s like a glorified Charleston with the humidity, mosquitoes, unpredictable weather, the ocean and harbor and palm trees.  Oh, did I mention the humidity?  It’s HUMID!  Here’s some fun updates:

• Trying to get on our last flight the airline suddenly changed luggage weight guidelines on us, we had to scrounge up 1000 rupees (50% discount from the original price).  After a mad bustle to get enough money from everyone, an older gentleman there felt sorry for us and gave it all back.  =)
• “How many Bengalis does it take to check Emily into customs?”  Five.  We arrived on their holy day, Friday, so the airport was empty except for us.  That meant boredom for these men, and four of them gathered around and stared at the computer screen (and me) while the fifth typed all my info in by hand.  There were so many eager to help that we didn’t touch our baggage until we arrived at our guesthouse.  Once again, celebrities we are. =)
• The people here smile a lot and I love it!  It’s become a fun game trying to see how many women and children we can get to smile.  A woman in a sari wins an extra point because they don’t seem to smile as readily.  Men I believe are negative points because their smiles seem to come to us a bit too easily.  Lol.  The children’s smiles are precious!  Even living in dirt-poor conditions, they turn up their faces and smile so genuinely it warms your heart.

Keep praying!  For health, because allergies and stomach pains are causing problems.  For boldness, because it is hard!  For opportunities, because the language barrier is often frustrating!  For team unity, because the honeymoon stage will quickly end.  And for a continued heart to spread the gospel, no matter what the cost.

Father God, we pray AGAINST the devil.  We pray for freedom from bondages in the lives of every person here.  Especially for the lives of the people we will minister to.  We pray for eyes to be opened, for hearts to be softened, and for ears to hear and understand.  We pray for boldness for believers, both foreigners and nationals.  That the TRUTH would be told clearly and that you would guide our lips to speak the words that the people need to hear.  That we would not get wrapped up in technique or strategy, but would LOVE with your love everywhere we go.  Lord, provide the opportunities to speak to those who need to hear.  Give us the initiative to begin conversations and the heart to push through what may seem awkward or useless.  Please continue to prepare the hearts of those we have the privilege of ministering to.  Show each individual the hopelessness of the way that does not include you and your gospel.  Show them the power of Jesus as God, as the Savior from all the emptyness.  We pray for hundreds of souls to be impacted by this summer’s teams.  You care deeply about every single person that we see on the street every day.  Give us YOUR heart for them.  Break us for the lostness and motivate us to follow your Spirit’s leading and empowerment to change the world, one person at a time.  Lord give us a faith that can move mountains, make us believe for big things.  Remind us that you are God, you have the power, you are in control.  Give us strength to rest in your promises and remember WHO YOU ARE.  Draw the lost to yourself as only you can.  Thank you for hearing and answering every prayer.  Continue the mighty work here that you are already doing.  AMEN.