A day of travel

                 Today was fairly uneventful as a whole.  Most of our time was spent either in the airport or on the plane heading to Delhi.  As exciting as those two things seem, I ended up sleeping or reading the entire time.

                The one exception of the day was both exciting and sad at the same time.  The morning after a quick breakfast, we said our goodbyes to the seminary.  It was very early so we were thinking it was going to be as if we were sneaking out in the middle of the night, with no one realizing that we had gone.  But to our surprise when we walked out to store our bags, we had a group of the students waiting to see us off.

                After 1 ½ weeks of living with these students, they had certainly left their impression on us.  My hope is that we had not been just another group of Americans that had some and gone.  It feels as if some bonds have been made, some friendships formed and some memories created.  I hope that our impression has been left as well in a positive way.  We will all miss the students of the Indian Baptist Theological Seminary, but we are also very excited to move to the next part of our trip. 

                New Delhi, here we come.

One last day in Kerala

                Sunday began with a visit to the Voice of Christ Pentecostal Church down by the river.  It was great worshiping with a group that was so outwardly passionate about their love for Jesus.  Between the singing, dancing and the various messages it was truly a worshipful experience.  It reminds me of the passionate worshipers back home who may not outwardly express their love for Christ the same way, but you know that it is there.

                After a quick lunch, a couple of the guys and I got to play volleyball with several of the students here.  It was the perfect way to close our time at the seminary, hanging out with our Indian counterparts and just enjoying our time and the game.  I may be sore in the morning, but it will be well worth it.

                Tomorrow we leave at 6am after a quick breakfast.  We hop on a plane in Kochi and fly most of the day as we travel to New Delhi.  This is where our trip becomes hurried.  We are visiting 3 cities in 4 days.  So once we get off the plane tomorrow evening, it’s rest and relaxation for the marathon that is yet to come.

A Saturday on the town

                Today was labeled as a “catch up” day on our schedule so that if we had missed anything during the week, we could do it today.  However, it seems we were able to get all of our scheduled activities in on time.  So today we were left with shopping and eating, and noticing that I haven’t said anything about our food in this blog, I thought that I would take this time to do so.

                The food here so far has been amazing and we’ve been fed like kings and queens.  The seminary provides us with three meals a day whenever we’re here.  Breakfast has remained pretty constant with some fresh bananas, an assortment of tropical jams, hard boiled eggs, coffee and either pancake type food or what I was told were tapioca grits.

                Lunch and dinner can be somewhat interchangeable.  The booth always have rice and some type of curry, usually vegetable based.  There will be a side vegetable and some type of meat, so far we’ve had chicken, and fish.  And of course fresh bananas.

                The greatest part about seminary meals is knowing that things like the coffee or tea, the vegetables and rice they were all grown here in Kerala, some maybe even in the seminary’s back yard.

                We have a had a few chances to eat at local restaurants as well.  It is a chance for us to sample some other types of Indian cuisine that we may not get on campus.  And there is always a ton of food wherever we end up. But so far, we have not been disappointed.  Everything is always so fresh and full of flavor, and if you are brave enough, it is full of spice too.  I certainly do miss my wife’s cooking, but I suppose this food will hold me over for the next week or so.  And probably to the disappointment of my wife’s 2^nd grade class, I have not YET eaten any bugs.

I'm on a Boat!!

                 Today after breakfast we drove down to the river in Kottayam and took a boat ride to see another side of the city.  Sitting on the roof of the boat, we traveled about an hour, watching people wash clothes and dishes, kids swimming and playing games, others relaxing or working.  It was amazing to see this side of Kottayam, a typically poorer side with small homes that bordered the rice fields where most of them worked.

                We stopped after an hour at a small house on the river’s edge where we were treated to a drink from freshly cut coconut.  It was a chance for us to sit and enjoy the scenery while our guide, Sabu answered any questions that we might have had.

                Soon the relaxation was done and we got back on the boat for the hour long return.  It was a great chance to sit in the breeze, taking in all that the river life of India had to offer.  On one hand I was thrilled at where I was and what was going on around me.  On the other hand, the homes and people that actually were on the river were in very poor condition.  Even so, as we passed by, the people of those poor villages, especially the children would run out to see our boat pass by and wave at us with big smiles on their faces.  It surprised me how happy they seemed in such deplorable conditions.  But they were, and it showed, at least for those few short seconds that I was given a glimpse into their lives.

A Day of Freedom

                Today, Thursday, was a free day for the BTSR team, a day that we could do whatever it was that we wanted.  Unfortunately, the van we’ve been using was in the shop and the children at the home were in class all day.  So for most of us our free day was spent roaming the campus and catching up on reading, although I was able to email my beautiful wife, and that is always a good thing.

                My roommates and I were able to hang out with some of the seminary students and play badminton.  It was a lot of fun, and as we learned this game that we really did not know how to play, the time was filled with laughter.  In the background, there were Christmas carols being played somewhere in the distance while we played in our shorts and t-shirts.

                Toward the end of the day, part of our team was able to visit again at the Precious Children’s Ministry.  We were able to teach them a couple of songs and share with them the story of Jesus calming the storm.  It was great to see them smile and laugh as they did their parts and learned new words and motions to songs.  They are always so happy to see us and shake our hands.  And as we walked away they were sad to see us go again.  We’re all hoping to go back at least one more time to play with the kids and say goodbye, but we’ll have to see what the next few days have in store.

old time religion

 

(1200 year old Mosque - Original footwashing station)

Today in our tours around south India, mostly Kottayam, we got to visit two of the oldest churches in the country.  The first was St. Mary’s Orthodox Church which was established in 1579.  We toured the main building which was filled with carvings and wood work all of which were over 400 years old.  The alter, or Holy of Holies was covered by a red curtain that when pulled aside revealed a beautiful, ornate space filled with paintings and stone work.  The art, we were told was done without chemicals, only with vegetables and natural dyes and except for the image of Mary holding the baby Jesus, all of the art has remained untouched for 430 years.

                A quick drive around the corner and we had come to St. Mary’s Knanaya Valiyapally, a church that we learned was already 29 years old when the Orthodox church was built.  This church was also filled, especially on the alter with beautiful decorations and icons dating back to its beginning in 1550 and further.  On each side of the alter was a Persian Cross both of which were used on the alter from the church began.  The cross to the right of the alter dated back to the 7^th century and the cross to the left, 4^th century.

                Both of these churches were filled with stories that spanned their 400+ year history and had wonderful things that had been preserved through that time.  The third place we visited had them both beat.  We were allowed to visit and walk through a mosque in South India that was built and established over 1200 years ago.  It was also filled with many carvings and icons that dated back to its origin including the original foot bath, a single stone carved into a basin about 6ft x 6ft.

                The histories alone of these three places of worship were enough to blow my mind.  But even more amazing was that each of these places were still active and thriving.  The two Christian churches still had regular Sunday morning services and each had a “new” wing added on about 200 years ago that fills with worshipers each week.  And that 1200 year old mosque?  Every Friday it is packed with close to 900 men for regular prayer services.  It was certainly a day full of rich religious history.

riches to rags

 

I did not realize that a visit to the tea plantation could be so telling, but it was.  Today we drove up to the mountains of Kottayam where we were surrounded by huge fields of tea and other beautiful scenery.  High up in the mountains, it felt as though we had been separated from everything, except for the small villages we would pass through on our way to the top.  When we finally arrived, we placed our order for lunch at a nice restaurant and while we waited, we visited a site that our guide, Sabu was very happy to show us… a park, full of pine trees.  It was funny to go and see something we see all of the time in the U.S., but apparently it is quite a big deal for people here.  It was much cooler up there and we were told that Indians would often go up there to get away and just lay in the shade.

                After our lunch, we were treated to visit the behind the scenes view of the plantation.  One of the older children from the Precious Children’s Ministry had come with us and wanted to show us the village that he grew up in, where his parents still lived.  He was very excited to bring us, and we were very honored to be given the chance to see this place.  Our driver pulled up as far as he could and told us we would have to walk the rest of the way.  So the doors open and out pop 10 Americans and 2 Indians fresh from a huge lunch.

                The first thing that we noticed was that we were in a very poor area mostly filled with small two or three room shacks with a homemade tent as an addition to the house.  People were out an about, doing whatever it was that they did on a regular basis, but this time they would stop for a second to wave and greet us.  Our group followed Simon, the child whose house we were visiting, diligently over the dirt and gravel road.  We did our best to walk around the garbage, chickens, cows and the waste of both animals.  When we finally arrived at Simon’s house, his father was more than happy to invite us in to see where they lived.  Like most of the other homes, this was only a three room place with a tent out back that looked like where they cooked their meals.  He showed us their well they use for drinking water and their 1 week old calf, very proud of what they had. 

                Then he took us up a short path and after passing through a thin layer of trees, our view opened up to a vast area covered with bright green tea plants.  Simon’s father showed us how he picked tea from there for his living and through a translator he told us a little about the process of making tea.  It was amazing to be in such a lush, beautiful place knowing that when I turned around and took three steps I would be back in one of the poorest places I have ever been in my life.  It’s hard to believe that just yesterday, we were visiting a large home with marble floors, air-conditioning, running water and a lunch buffet big enough to feed all ten of us with leftovers and today we visited a house that you could possibly fit into yesterday’s foyer.  But they were proud of what they had, content with what God had given them and extremely welcoming to 10 Americans who probably needed to see such a thing.

a chapel experience

(speaking at the IBTS Chapel Service)

                Yesterday afternoon (Sunday) while I was napping there was a meeting about who from our group would preach at the Seminary’s Monday morning chapel service.  And apparently it was during that meeting that “we” decided that my two roommates and I would split the preaching time into three parts.

                I woke up at 3am and could not get comfortable and could not get back to sleep.  So I began to think, “With my one chance to speak to the entire Indian Baptist Theological Seminary, what would I want to say?”  I had a guaranteed 10 minutes when the students would be completely focused on me and what I was saying.

                I decided to share part of my struggle as a Christian and especially as one called to ministry.  I wanted to let them know that as great and rewarding as ministry was, that it would also be extremely difficult.  There would be times when we get tempted to walk away from it all, times when it seems easier to turn away from God and his calling.  But in my life there had been placed a reassurance in a verse that was given to me long ago.

                “-“ 1 Corinthians 10.13

                When things get difficult, I know that I am not the first and only person to deal with these things and I certainly will not be the last.  But also there is the reassurance that God will provide a way out of that temptation to walk away and in doing so, I know that I will grow from the experiences I face.

                After chapel we were treated to lunch at the beautiful home of George, an employee at BTSR and his family.  After spending time in the sitting room we were taken on a tour of the land and shown all of the different crops growing there, from pineapples to coffee to cocoa.  It was an amazing experience.  When we actually sat down for lunch, there was more than enough food, all freshly prepared, and most of it harvested from their land.  All ten of us, plus Sabu and Grace from the seminary had plenty to eat and it seemed that we barely left a dent in the food.  But it was delicious, some of the best pineapple I’ve ever tasted and some of the most hospitable people I’ve ever met.

Sunday Morning Worship

(Hymn book at Areeparambo Baptist Church)

Sunday morning in Kerala india, half of our group went back to the Precious Children’s Ministries for their worship, the rest of us, myself included went to services at (say it slowly) Areepparambu Baptist Church.  It was a wonderful service led by the local clergy with the help of our two professors, Dr. Stephen Brachlow and Dr. Caleb Oladipo.

                I was interested in seeing what Baptist worship would be like here in India and was able to see many similarities to church back home.  There were songs sung by the congregation like “Holy, holy, holy!” “Old Rugged Cross” and “the Doxology”.  The people were led in prayer and given a sermon on the love of Christ.  In many ways I felt as if I could have been in Randomtown, America at any Baptist church.  There were however several differences as well.

                From the beginning we noticed that the congregation was separated by gender.  It perhaps would not have been so obvious if it had not been for our initial seat choice.  We all sat together as a small group, four guys and two girls.  The ladies asked Dr. Oladipo if it would be more proper for them to sit in the other section with all of the women.  They decided that it would.  The seond the girls left the section, the room was filed with the noise of the local men moving up closer to the pulpit.  Not only did they choose not to sit on the same row as the girls, but they left two rows completely empty between them until they moved.

                The other big difference was the energy felt in worship, not that there is no energy in American churches.  But it felt as if people wanted to be there, where as in America, it seems to be more like an obligation.  For this service however, many of the people walked to get there, most of them a mile or more.  Sure, it wasn’t constant throughout the entire service, but it was there, you could feel it, and especially hear it as they sang the hymns.  It was wonderful to be a part of worship today and I hope that everyone reading this from home feels the same way about their worship service.

Precious Children Home



   One of our final experiences of the fist day in Karala was a visit to the site of the Precious Children Home.  This is a compound that houses over 130 children from 5-16 years old.  They learn, play, worship and live in this place primarily because they have been taken from broken homes or situations of violence and abuse.
   Upon our arrival, the children would run out on balconies waving and talking.  We began a tour of the facilities that was quicly interupted by children wanting to meet us, and wanting to get their pictures taken.  Apart from a few of them being shy, they were excited to shake hands and introduce themselves.  The children then helped with the tour, answering our questions and haveing plenty of questions for us in return.
   Before our time was up in that place, we got the honor of sitting in on their worship service.  It was incredible, completely led by the children exccept for the sermon.  Two songs opened the service, both begun by children in the audience.  That was followed by two scripture readings also done by children.  After the sermon, our group got to introduce ourselves and answer any remaining questions.
   It was a wonderful experience getting to meet all of these children, to learn of their situations and to watch them worship.  Certainly one that i will continue to look forward to during my time here.

Saturday Indian Time

Outside of a dorm

IBTS Logo



Driving though the small cities of India there were several observations i had during that 2 1/2 hour ride as compared to our ride to Dulles Airport.  The first was our transportation.  We rode through VA in comfort and luxury with a very nice church van that had room for all of us, plus one and a place for all of our luggage.  upon arrival, we got to ride in a Dvd tours bus that we packed into like sardines, with our luggage taking up to seats and we felt every bump in the road.  Looking out of the window during that ride, we noticed lots of trash on the roads, from balled up paper to old rusty cars, it was littered with it.  As we continued on our drive, we saw some beautiful houses along the way.  However, in between the beautful there was one shack and shanty after another, built up of plywood and cheap materials.
After finally arriving, we got our first look at the seminary we would be spending our time at.  It is a beautiful place set right in the wilderness of India it seems.  There is wildlife running around and plants and trees growing up around it as well.  Everywhere you go is open air, a lot of fans and certainly no A/C.
Our first experience at the seminary was breakfast, my first taste of "real" Indian food.  It was awesome!  Sitting a a group at a round table we were served this delicious meal by seminary students who all seem to be super excited about us being there.
Very quickly after eating and taking the short tour of the campus, it was time to catch up on sleep.  Some were able to relax right away, others were too energized to sleep at all.  I had no problem.  Our room is right next to the road ad so we can constantly hear the traffic going by, and in India that noise is filled with honking horns and loud voices.
After waking, fully rested, we were given the treat of taking tea adn walking up to the children's home.  It was a great experience, one that i will write about later.  We came back to the seminary for dinner and a debriefing of the day.  It was great to hear the experiences of the others on this trip and compare them to my own.  It seems as though everyone is having a wonderful time being immersed in this new culture, and though a large portion of my heart and mind are still in VA, I am enjoying the immersion as well.

The plane ride

(luggage tag for Quatar Airways)

Friday, January 7 (Saturday, Jan. 8)
   We got on our first plane at Dulles Airport at about 10pm on thursday, January 6.  As i write this on our final plane ride, we have now spent almost 17 hours straight in the air.  And by the time we land in a couple of hours, it will be sometime on Saturday, Jan 8.  It is amazing to think that somehow, while we were flying through the sky, we completely skipped an entire day.
   The time change is already beginning to take its toll on everyone, either through a lack of sleep, meals being served at strange hours, or just trying to remember what day we are actually in the middle of.  I think that i may just keep my watch on Eastern Standard Time, perhaps so that i will have some idea of what people are doing back home, but most likely so that there is still some connection with America.
   The sleep is rough, to say the least.  it was a long time ago when i last slept on a flight, and back then it was a much shorter trip and i was a considerably smaller man.  My chair, no matter how reclined it may be is a far cry from the bed i left in Newport News or in Fredericksburg, and the guy sitting next to me is a far cry from my beautiful wife back home whom i miss horribly.
   It is what it is i suppose.  i'm thankful that we are almost at our final destination, and everyone is looking forward to the experience we will have once we arrive (after our first day of "free time" aka sleep).  People keep telling us that God is going to do amazing things through us while we are here and it makes me wonder... Does God not do amazing things through us everywhere we go?  I completely understand what they are saying and i agree with them, let us not lose sight, however, of the fact that even while the 10 of us from BTSR are overseas, God is doing great things in people's lives through those we left behind 2 (or 3) days ago.  I look forward to hearing those stories upon our return as much as i look forward to telling my own.

Oh the Places You'll Go

  

   Tomorrow I leave with 8 other people for India on a BTSR Mission Immerssion Experience, 16 days in southern India learning what it is like to live and worship in a different culture.  My hope is that I can keep my friends and family updated on my experiences while I am away.  For those interested in following my journey, below you will find the itinerary for our trip.  Follow along with me, research a little about the places we will be, and I will do my best to keep everyone posted on the places we will go.

Jan. 6 Depart Dulles airport for India

Jan. 8 Arrive in Kochi, Kerala, India. Travel to city of Kottayam and stay at the India Baptist Theological  Seminary (http://www.indiabaptist.edu.in/) also the campus of Precious Children Ministries (http://www.preciouschildren.org/). Please visit their websites!

Jan. 9 Worship at a local church in the town of Areepparambu.

Jan. 10 Visit St. Mary’s Forane Church in Bharananganam (A 1,000 yr old Roman Catholic church). This church holds the remains of St Alphonsa, who was the first Indian saint. Later we will visit a Syrian Orthodox Church. The Christians in this area of India trace their faith all the way back to Thomas the Apostle who evangelized India.

Jan. 11 A discussion about the history of Christianity in India with our Indian Seminary counterparts. Explore Areepparambu.

Jan. 12 Visit to Mar Thomas Seminary. (St. Thomas Christians). Visit to an ancient Persian Cross.

Jan. 13 Free day.

Jan. 14 Visit a Hindu temple and visit a Mosque (during Friday prayers!).

Jan. 15 Boat ride and free afternoon.

Jan. 16 Attend a Pentecostal church in Areepparambu. Conversations with the director of Precious Children Ministries.

Jan. 17 Depart Kochi and fly to New Delhi.

Jan. 18 Visit Old and New Delhi, visting the Akshardham Temple, Noida Mor and Lotus Temple.

Jan. 19 Travel by train to Agra and visit the Taj Mahal and Taj Magri. Transfer by road to Jaipur (visiting Fatehpur Sikri enroute).

Jan. 20 Visit Jaipur, Amber Fort (elephant and jeep ride) and city tour.

Jan. 21 Depart Jaipur for New Delhi by road, then fly back to Kochi.

Jan. 22 Depart Kochi and arrive back at Dulles.