From Delhi I flew to a city called Hyderabad. My buddy Pradhan calls it The City of Blinding Lights….I called it Mosquito City! I think they had a feast my first night there. I awoke in the morning with well over 100 bites on my arms and I didn’t even count the one’s at the “head table” (my forehead). I awoke in the morning with all these little red dots on my arms and forehead. It looked like someone had gone after me with a red sharpie! After a week they were all gone and I remembered to use my mosquito spray from there on out. I had no issues with mosquitoes until this city. I made quick friends with Luke’s dog Jimmy. He was a true sweetheart of a dog. Everyday he awaited the arrival of Luke or anyone who had gone out for the day. When they left…he howled, wishing he could join them. Each morning he greeted me with a wagging tail and a smile! Such a sweet dog. Luke’s dad makes an awesome cup of ginger tea! Wow what taste! His mom was so very sweet….she was shy about her English, but we still were able to communicate by using some sign language. Luke’s sister and brother in law were there for the week and his brother came home on a short leave from the military.
Time in Hyderabad was a bit relaxed. Most of the action happened on the weekend. On Saturday I met up with my friend Rajesh and another friend from the US named Katherine. We had our ORKUT meeting at Rajesh’s home along with his entire family. We had a great time singing and sharing. Both Luke and Rajesh translated from English to Telugu for me to the family members who didn’t know English. Even Rajesh’s grandmother came and joined us….she was a very lovely lady.
On Sunday, I was privileged to see a beautiful Christmas program at Pradhan’s church in the city. The children were adorable as they did a very unique Christmas play about “The Mystery of the Manger”. It was so nice to see all the talent these little kids (and older kids too) had. The play itself was seven scenes. Each scene was played out very well, including the awesome choreography of the dance routines done by the kids. The little ones did a great job in their group songs as well as their solos. Another amazing thing that happened was that I was introduced to one of my fellow Intuit employees! Imagine that! I came all the way to Hyderabad to meet up with Isaac Wilson from MV11!
After the performance we went out for some famous Hyderabad biriyani and then on to shopping for the beautiful Hyderabad pearls. It’s awesome when you got friends who know how to negotiate and barter. I just hope my daughter is happy with her Christmas present!!! If not…I have a very nice pearl necklace and earrings to add to my other jewelry.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
What are the odds of that….the adventures of Agra
Agra was splendid once we got to the Taj. It was like its own little world….smack in the center of the poverty and pollution of Agra was this ever revered gem of a monument to a Queen long dead and gone. I couldn’t help but wonder what she would be saying right now with the poverty and condition of her city Agra. While the walls and grounds of her tomb have been kept immaculately clean the city which she reigned in has fallen into much decay. The sad thing is this….she never saw the grandness of it all. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan erected the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram) met Mumtaz Mahal (then Arjumand Banu Begum) at the age of fourteen and fell in love at the first sight. She was a Muslim Persian princess and Shah Jahan was the son of the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir. Five years later, in 1612, they got married. Legend has it that her husband built the Taj actually out of guilt for her having given birth to 14 kids and dying due to complications at the birth of the 14th child. Hmmmmm…humans are strange sometimes. After visiting The Taj Mahal we ventured out for lunch and then moved on to The Tomb of the Akbar The Great. This place was amazing with a huge field of wild gazelles grazing over the grounds while hundreds of green parrots flew overhead. I saw some of the largest colonies of bees I have ever encountered. They were stacked on top of each other at least two feet deep and five to six feet long. The grounds themselves were amazing as they had an ingenious method of water channels running throughout the place. We concluded the tours with a trip to The Agra Fort (also known as The Red Fort). This fort was massive. It also housed the prison for Emperor Shah Jahan who was imprisoned by his son. At the end of his life, Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son, Aurangzeb, in the fort, a punishment which might not seem so harsh, considering the luxury of the fort. It is rumored that Shah Jahan died in Muasamman Burj, a tower with a marble balcony with an excellent view of the Taj Mahal.
Every ten seconds we had a new kid asking us if we wanted to buy a memoir of the Taj. Literally we could count in seconds the time a new vendor would come approach us. Everyone of course had a “good deal” for us if only we would come to their shop.
At the end of the day my dear friend Ruth (from Pune) and I sat in the coffee shop there in Agra discussing the adventures of the day and also about “The Pencil Projects” (explained below). We were the only customers and so it was nice to escape all the hectic activities going on outside and have a nice hot vanilla latte after such a long day. The A/C was an added bonus to the heat of the day. As we talked a group of people came into the shop….I noticed immediately that they were Jewish because of their yamika’s. As we continued to talk, I said to Ruth: “let’s see if we can recall the seven wonders of the world.” We both came up quickly with: The Taj Mahal, The Pyramids of Egypt, Michu Pichu….but then we got stuck on the thing in Jordan. Ruth says: “Oh man, I wish I could remember that one!” I said to her: “Well, you are sitting right next to someone from Israel…just ask them.” It was at this point and time she noticed that they were from Israel. So, she asked the man sitting to her left. He kindly replied, “Oh, that would be Petra.” We thanked him sincerely, but then he said to us…if you really want to know all of the seven wonders…both old and new…talk with our guide Yur. They called Yur over and he quickly rattled off all the wonders of the world…both old and new. We began to talk to this group. They were curious about this American woman and this little Indian girl (actually a very small young woman who looks 15). Yur asked why we were there in Agra and we told him…seeing the Taj and other historical pieces of architect. He told us that he traveled all over the world. Both Ruth and I had been talking about “The Pencil Projects” earlier and we looked at each other at the same time and said…should we tell him? We both agreed it would be a good thing to tell him, so we told him the idea of The Pencil Projects. A huge smile came on his face and he said: “I really love this idea! This is amazing!” It was at this time that he pulled out his business card to show us that he was the Senior Reporter for one of the largest TV stations in Israel. He was so interested in our story and asked if he could write about it. We felt that this was indeed a God-send. Because what are the odds of that? …An American with an Indian meeting a Jew in such a large country as India to talk about an idea that happened in one afternoon. Only God could orchestrate such a meeting. I stand amazed at what God has done and it humbles me to see His hand at work on this trip. While waiting to catch the train in Agra that evening a beggar boy came up to us asking for food and money. Ruth asked him his name…it was Mannu. She gave Mannu a pen and he was overjoyed! Earlier in the day we had also given a little Rajasthani boy a pen and he was so happy to have it. He told Ruth that he loved to study. This little boy was with a man who played the sitar while he did a little Indian style dance. He was like a “puppet” at the tune of the sitar. He danced upon command with no expression on his face. His eyes were darkened with a pencil makeup as he wore a brightly colored turban and multi colored kurtha. What a wonderful way to share love to someone…even though it is such a small thing…it is a mighty gift to a child who does not have one.
You probably want to know what “The Pencil Projects” is all about. As I was saying about the young boy Mannu…. The Pencil Projects is an opportunity to share just a small little gift to a child who has nothing. The plan for The Pencil Projects is to put a pen or pencil into the hands of each and every homeless beggar child on the streets of India. We feel that if even just one child could learn to write or draw…it may change their life by having this small gift of a pen or pencil. So often we take for granted the pens and pencils that we have scattered all over our homes…in our cars…in our backpacks and purses. Why not share these with the kids who have nothing. If we give these children money, they will never see it. If we give them candy, we are jeopardizing their health, but if we give them a small gift of a pen or pencil we are arousing curiosity and creativity to their minds. Our goal is to reach out to the communities of India and get people involved in the little kids who seem to have been forgotten. Ruth will be coordinating a community inside ORKUT so that we can get people interested in this project. If you are interested or want to know more, please respond to this blog or send me an email to jaymer7777@gmail.com make sure you put The Pencil Projects in the subject line so I won’t think it’s junk mail.
Every ten seconds we had a new kid asking us if we wanted to buy a memoir of the Taj. Literally we could count in seconds the time a new vendor would come approach us. Everyone of course had a “good deal” for us if only we would come to their shop.
At the end of the day my dear friend Ruth (from Pune) and I sat in the coffee shop there in Agra discussing the adventures of the day and also about “The Pencil Projects” (explained below). We were the only customers and so it was nice to escape all the hectic activities going on outside and have a nice hot vanilla latte after such a long day. The A/C was an added bonus to the heat of the day. As we talked a group of people came into the shop….I noticed immediately that they were Jewish because of their yamika’s. As we continued to talk, I said to Ruth: “let’s see if we can recall the seven wonders of the world.” We both came up quickly with: The Taj Mahal, The Pyramids of Egypt, Michu Pichu….but then we got stuck on the thing in Jordan. Ruth says: “Oh man, I wish I could remember that one!” I said to her: “Well, you are sitting right next to someone from Israel…just ask them.” It was at this point and time she noticed that they were from Israel. So, she asked the man sitting to her left. He kindly replied, “Oh, that would be Petra.” We thanked him sincerely, but then he said to us…if you really want to know all of the seven wonders…both old and new…talk with our guide Yur. They called Yur over and he quickly rattled off all the wonders of the world…both old and new. We began to talk to this group. They were curious about this American woman and this little Indian girl (actually a very small young woman who looks 15). Yur asked why we were there in Agra and we told him…seeing the Taj and other historical pieces of architect. He told us that he traveled all over the world. Both Ruth and I had been talking about “The Pencil Projects” earlier and we looked at each other at the same time and said…should we tell him? We both agreed it would be a good thing to tell him, so we told him the idea of The Pencil Projects. A huge smile came on his face and he said: “I really love this idea! This is amazing!” It was at this time that he pulled out his business card to show us that he was the Senior Reporter for one of the largest TV stations in Israel. He was so interested in our story and asked if he could write about it. We felt that this was indeed a God-send. Because what are the odds of that? …An American with an Indian meeting a Jew in such a large country as India to talk about an idea that happened in one afternoon. Only God could orchestrate such a meeting. I stand amazed at what God has done and it humbles me to see His hand at work on this trip. While waiting to catch the train in Agra that evening a beggar boy came up to us asking for food and money. Ruth asked him his name…it was Mannu. She gave Mannu a pen and he was overjoyed! Earlier in the day we had also given a little Rajasthani boy a pen and he was so happy to have it. He told Ruth that he loved to study. This little boy was with a man who played the sitar while he did a little Indian style dance. He was like a “puppet” at the tune of the sitar. He danced upon command with no expression on his face. His eyes were darkened with a pencil makeup as he wore a brightly colored turban and multi colored kurtha. What a wonderful way to share love to someone…even though it is such a small thing…it is a mighty gift to a child who does not have one.
You probably want to know what “The Pencil Projects” is all about. As I was saying about the young boy Mannu…. The Pencil Projects is an opportunity to share just a small little gift to a child who has nothing. The plan for The Pencil Projects is to put a pen or pencil into the hands of each and every homeless beggar child on the streets of India. We feel that if even just one child could learn to write or draw…it may change their life by having this small gift of a pen or pencil. So often we take for granted the pens and pencils that we have scattered all over our homes…in our cars…in our backpacks and purses. Why not share these with the kids who have nothing. If we give these children money, they will never see it. If we give them candy, we are jeopardizing their health, but if we give them a small gift of a pen or pencil we are arousing curiosity and creativity to their minds. Our goal is to reach out to the communities of India and get people involved in the little kids who seem to have been forgotten. Ruth will be coordinating a community inside ORKUT so that we can get people interested in this project. If you are interested or want to know more, please respond to this blog or send me an email to jaymer7777@gmail.com make sure you put The Pencil Projects in the subject line so I won’t think it’s junk mail.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A very special girl…
The adventure at Begumpur Mosque did not get to happen, but all is well. There are many more adventures to come.
Some months back, somewhere around April of this year I met a young girl online named Simerjeet Kaur. She attends the University of Delhi, South Campus and is an Economics major. Sim grew up in the city of Lucknow in northern India. She has one sister named Mini who is set to graduate from high school in the spring of ’09. Her father was killed in a tragic accident back one year ago this past May. He had gifted his daughters the gift of an education so that their lives would be better than what his had been. Something about Sim had struck a chord in my heart. Over the past several months I have been able to share with her the importance of education and studying hard even amongst adversity. It has not been easy for her as she misses her mother and sister a lot.
We met at the local shopping mall called Kannard Place. We had KFC (yes, India has KFC complete with a vegetarian menu)! We talked and shared then went shopping. It was wonderful to have her along with her friend and class mate Parul. We were also joined by my long time friend Ruth and her two friends Sofie and Pretthie. What wonderful girls. Pastor Rajan took us and walked behind us to watch over us as we walked among the streets of Delhi. The girls were awesome in bartering for me on the things I wanted to get. We left, but all too soon. I presented Sim with her very own white bible with her name on it and a small book called “God Made You Wonderful” by Max Lucado.
Sim will be placed in a job soon and I look forward to meeting her again on another adventure here to Delhi. Sofie and Pretthie will stay in touch with her also and help her in whatever way she needs. What an amazing time.
Next stop………….Kathmandu, Nepal
Some months back, somewhere around April of this year I met a young girl online named Simerjeet Kaur. She attends the University of Delhi, South Campus and is an Economics major. Sim grew up in the city of Lucknow in northern India. She has one sister named Mini who is set to graduate from high school in the spring of ’09. Her father was killed in a tragic accident back one year ago this past May. He had gifted his daughters the gift of an education so that their lives would be better than what his had been. Something about Sim had struck a chord in my heart. Over the past several months I have been able to share with her the importance of education and studying hard even amongst adversity. It has not been easy for her as she misses her mother and sister a lot.
We met at the local shopping mall called Kannard Place. We had KFC (yes, India has KFC complete with a vegetarian menu)! We talked and shared then went shopping. It was wonderful to have her along with her friend and class mate Parul. We were also joined by my long time friend Ruth and her two friends Sofie and Pretthie. What wonderful girls. Pastor Rajan took us and walked behind us to watch over us as we walked among the streets of Delhi. The girls were awesome in bartering for me on the things I wanted to get. We left, but all too soon. I presented Sim with her very own white bible with her name on it and a small book called “God Made You Wonderful” by Max Lucado.
Sim will be placed in a job soon and I look forward to meeting her again on another adventure here to Delhi. Sofie and Pretthie will stay in touch with her also and help her in whatever way she needs. What an amazing time.
Next stop………….Kathmandu, Nepal
Being Content...
Philippians 4: 11…Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content…………………
I arrived overscheduled into the Mumbai airport. It was still early morning and the sun had already come up. I got there and went through all the procedures keeping in mind that I had to catch my next flight at 8:05 am. No time to spare, but I needed to find Hitesh (My Gabriel angel). I quickly went through customs and checked with the ticketing office, gathered my bags from International and proceeded to try and find my next flight to Delhi. The shuttle to go to Domestic flights had a huge line, the ticket agent told me: “They’ve been waiting for two hours, you might want to get a pre-paid taxi to Domestic.” I asked: “Where is the pre-paid taxi at?” They pointed in a general direction to the left. So cases in hand I began walking….I finally found the pre-paid taxi and saw Hitesh outside waving his arms at me. I had told him that I would be wearing a red shirt, so I was easy to spot. I went outside the airport and he greeted me with a huge wonderful smile. You could see the love of Christ on his face. He quickly parked me at the taxi stand and ran back inside to pay for the cab. They threw my bags in the tiny little taxi….honestly I thought, how in the world are these bags going to fit, but hey, that’s why they made rope! We jumped inside and began through the crowded streets of Mumbai to the Domestic terminal which is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy over somewhere on the other side of the city! I just prayed….Lord, let us get there in perfect time. Hitesh is this tall 6’ 2” lanky Indian boy of 22. Cute as can be, looks like a young Pierce Brosnan. His heart was radiant with the love of the Lord. We shared just a little bit since our time was so short. He’s lived in Mumbai since his parents brought him here 22 years ago when he was a baby. He has a deep love for the Lord and even though he goes through a lot of battles living here in Mumbai, he is a strong young man. I also learned during our conversation that Hitesh lived two hours away from the airport, and had arrived an hour before my flight was set to come in. How many of us would have done that for a complete stranger coming into our city. Although our meeting was brief, I felt like I had known him for a lifetime. We arrived at the Mumbai Domestic airport safely. I have learned in India, that you NEVER watch the driver nor the cars. If you do, you could be in for a heart attack. You just let the driver do his job and you keep yourself entertained by talking to whomever you are with or watching the scenery. Hitesh took me and my bags through to the security checkpoint and left me with a huge hug. What an awesome young man. He truly touched my heart in seeing his faithfulness.
The airport was not too terribly crowded and so I whisked through security without any problems. No one gets in a hurry in India, so you have to be patient. I boarded the shuttle bus that took me to the plane along with several business men all clad in their nice dress shirts and suites. I was roasting and I had on a simple t-shirt and light weight pants! I thought, how can they even breathe with that suit and long sleeved dress shirt on? But to them it was cold outside, after all this was WINTER! The temperature outside was a freezing 68 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity was about 98%. That 68° was like 80° in San Jose weather. I was exactly on time with no time to spare. God is amazing at how He orchestrates things. In Philippians 4:6-7 it says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” God had given me the peace I needed even though things should have been stressful. He made every little detail to fall right into place. I arrived at the Delhi airport right on time and a Jet Airways official led me out of the airport to locate Pastor Rajan Thomas and his wife Kunjumol. You have to understand that I had NEVER met Pastor Thomas nor even seen a photo of him. All he knew was that I was wearing a red shirt. I was scanning the hundreds of signs to see my name when this sweet little lady came up to me and said: “Are you Jayme?” I said: “Yes!” She said: “I am Pastor Rajan Thomas’ wife we are here to pick you up.” She gave me a big hug. I later learned that they have two beautiful children, Feba and Paul. Feba is in the 8th grade and Paul is in the 6th. We piled into a taxi that was even smaller than the last one. Big suitcase rode on top of the car, me Kunjumol and two other pieces of luggage rode in the backseat as Pastor Thomas and the driver were in the front. Indian traffic never ceases to amaze me. I have never seen so many cars in one lane…or do they even have lanes? It’s like a network of ants actually…even at the intersections, they all know how to merge into each other without colliding or changing speeds and most of the cars there are standard shift cars, not automatics. The driver and Pastor Thomas carried on a joyful conversation as I observed how meticulously the driver weaved in and out of motorcycles and auto rickshaws and buses overflowing with people. Not to speak of the huge cows that walked along side of the rush hour traffic. Never shall I complain of the traffic on the 101!
Upon arriving into Delhi, I had no idea of the family I would be staying with other than they were a sweet couple with two children, a boy and a girl. We soon arrived at their sweet and humble home there in Delhi. They live in a small one bedroom apartment up on the 2nd floor. Their street is very crowded with many other of the same apartments and children playing in the streets. You can hear the man on the street corner hollering “Vegetables!!!!!!!!! Vegetables!!!!!!!!!!” with no need for a microphone his loud voice resonates throughout the neighborhood. The children are playing with a small plastic ball and throwing it as though they were in a cricket match. The ladies are sitting outside holding little ones and some are leaning outside their windows talking to the women below. The laundry hangs from the balcony to dry in the afternoon breeze. Rajan was a pastor of a church that reached out the people on the streets of Delhi. The church has 8 pastors with each pastor reaching out to many of the different people of Delhi…everyone from Sikh to Hindu to Buddhist. Both Rajan and Kunjumol had left their jobs to minister to those on the streets of Delhi…that was 23 years ago. I was received by them with open arms and they took me to their home in the heart of north Delhi. It was a modest little place filled with the love and warmth of their personalities. We spoke a lot about India as a country, and Delhi as a city. Rajan told about how that every Sunday they would reach out and have services for the street people of Delhi….many of them would come and gather under the shade of one small tree and among the songs and sermons were the many testimonies of those whom God had reached down and touched. Some of them healed from ailments but all of them blessed by the hand of God. I thought back to the things we have here in America and then tried to compare what we have to what they have…there was no comparison. These people owned literally NOTHING, yet were the happiest people on the face of the earth. Many of them had no idea where their next meal would come from, other than to trust that God would provide it to them.
We sit down for afternoon tea and Kerala banana chips and a rice snack that Kujumol has made. Very nice. Later in the evening we take a cab in search of an internet café so I can send out a few emails and take down some phone numbers that were on my gmail. Oh how I truly appreciate having the internet so available in the US. It is not so here, even in a bustling city like Delhi. If you want to use the internet then you have to find an internet café. Since the Thomas’ don’t use it they are not necessarily in the “know” about such things, so we had to ask the driver to take us to the closest one. Once I arrived in this tiny little building I saw 3 computers and jumped online and worked quickly since you are charged by the minutes. I sent to those who could also relay the message on to other people. We came home and I was so exhausted that I didn’t even have dinner. I just went to bed and slept for a very long time….when I woke up it was almost mid-nite. I got up for just a little bit to use the restroom and went back down.
Tomorrow I will be going to meet Sim and also to the Mosque ruins in central Delhi. Hopefully I can find an Internet café and post this blog then. On Wednesday, my flight to Nepal is at 6:45 am. I have to be at the airport two hours ahead of that! What an adventure!!!!!!!!!!!!
I arrived overscheduled into the Mumbai airport. It was still early morning and the sun had already come up. I got there and went through all the procedures keeping in mind that I had to catch my next flight at 8:05 am. No time to spare, but I needed to find Hitesh (My Gabriel angel). I quickly went through customs and checked with the ticketing office, gathered my bags from International and proceeded to try and find my next flight to Delhi. The shuttle to go to Domestic flights had a huge line, the ticket agent told me: “They’ve been waiting for two hours, you might want to get a pre-paid taxi to Domestic.” I asked: “Where is the pre-paid taxi at?” They pointed in a general direction to the left. So cases in hand I began walking….I finally found the pre-paid taxi and saw Hitesh outside waving his arms at me. I had told him that I would be wearing a red shirt, so I was easy to spot. I went outside the airport and he greeted me with a huge wonderful smile. You could see the love of Christ on his face. He quickly parked me at the taxi stand and ran back inside to pay for the cab. They threw my bags in the tiny little taxi….honestly I thought, how in the world are these bags going to fit, but hey, that’s why they made rope! We jumped inside and began through the crowded streets of Mumbai to the Domestic terminal which is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy over somewhere on the other side of the city! I just prayed….Lord, let us get there in perfect time. Hitesh is this tall 6’ 2” lanky Indian boy of 22. Cute as can be, looks like a young Pierce Brosnan. His heart was radiant with the love of the Lord. We shared just a little bit since our time was so short. He’s lived in Mumbai since his parents brought him here 22 years ago when he was a baby. He has a deep love for the Lord and even though he goes through a lot of battles living here in Mumbai, he is a strong young man. I also learned during our conversation that Hitesh lived two hours away from the airport, and had arrived an hour before my flight was set to come in. How many of us would have done that for a complete stranger coming into our city. Although our meeting was brief, I felt like I had known him for a lifetime. We arrived at the Mumbai Domestic airport safely. I have learned in India, that you NEVER watch the driver nor the cars. If you do, you could be in for a heart attack. You just let the driver do his job and you keep yourself entertained by talking to whomever you are with or watching the scenery. Hitesh took me and my bags through to the security checkpoint and left me with a huge hug. What an awesome young man. He truly touched my heart in seeing his faithfulness.
The airport was not too terribly crowded and so I whisked through security without any problems. No one gets in a hurry in India, so you have to be patient. I boarded the shuttle bus that took me to the plane along with several business men all clad in their nice dress shirts and suites. I was roasting and I had on a simple t-shirt and light weight pants! I thought, how can they even breathe with that suit and long sleeved dress shirt on? But to them it was cold outside, after all this was WINTER! The temperature outside was a freezing 68 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity was about 98%. That 68° was like 80° in San Jose weather. I was exactly on time with no time to spare. God is amazing at how He orchestrates things. In Philippians 4:6-7 it says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” God had given me the peace I needed even though things should have been stressful. He made every little detail to fall right into place. I arrived at the Delhi airport right on time and a Jet Airways official led me out of the airport to locate Pastor Rajan Thomas and his wife Kunjumol. You have to understand that I had NEVER met Pastor Thomas nor even seen a photo of him. All he knew was that I was wearing a red shirt. I was scanning the hundreds of signs to see my name when this sweet little lady came up to me and said: “Are you Jayme?” I said: “Yes!” She said: “I am Pastor Rajan Thomas’ wife we are here to pick you up.” She gave me a big hug. I later learned that they have two beautiful children, Feba and Paul. Feba is in the 8th grade and Paul is in the 6th. We piled into a taxi that was even smaller than the last one. Big suitcase rode on top of the car, me Kunjumol and two other pieces of luggage rode in the backseat as Pastor Thomas and the driver were in the front. Indian traffic never ceases to amaze me. I have never seen so many cars in one lane…or do they even have lanes? It’s like a network of ants actually…even at the intersections, they all know how to merge into each other without colliding or changing speeds and most of the cars there are standard shift cars, not automatics. The driver and Pastor Thomas carried on a joyful conversation as I observed how meticulously the driver weaved in and out of motorcycles and auto rickshaws and buses overflowing with people. Not to speak of the huge cows that walked along side of the rush hour traffic. Never shall I complain of the traffic on the 101!
Upon arriving into Delhi, I had no idea of the family I would be staying with other than they were a sweet couple with two children, a boy and a girl. We soon arrived at their sweet and humble home there in Delhi. They live in a small one bedroom apartment up on the 2nd floor. Their street is very crowded with many other of the same apartments and children playing in the streets. You can hear the man on the street corner hollering “Vegetables!!!!!!!!! Vegetables!!!!!!!!!!” with no need for a microphone his loud voice resonates throughout the neighborhood. The children are playing with a small plastic ball and throwing it as though they were in a cricket match. The ladies are sitting outside holding little ones and some are leaning outside their windows talking to the women below. The laundry hangs from the balcony to dry in the afternoon breeze. Rajan was a pastor of a church that reached out the people on the streets of Delhi. The church has 8 pastors with each pastor reaching out to many of the different people of Delhi…everyone from Sikh to Hindu to Buddhist. Both Rajan and Kunjumol had left their jobs to minister to those on the streets of Delhi…that was 23 years ago. I was received by them with open arms and they took me to their home in the heart of north Delhi. It was a modest little place filled with the love and warmth of their personalities. We spoke a lot about India as a country, and Delhi as a city. Rajan told about how that every Sunday they would reach out and have services for the street people of Delhi….many of them would come and gather under the shade of one small tree and among the songs and sermons were the many testimonies of those whom God had reached down and touched. Some of them healed from ailments but all of them blessed by the hand of God. I thought back to the things we have here in America and then tried to compare what we have to what they have…there was no comparison. These people owned literally NOTHING, yet were the happiest people on the face of the earth. Many of them had no idea where their next meal would come from, other than to trust that God would provide it to them.
We sit down for afternoon tea and Kerala banana chips and a rice snack that Kujumol has made. Very nice. Later in the evening we take a cab in search of an internet café so I can send out a few emails and take down some phone numbers that were on my gmail. Oh how I truly appreciate having the internet so available in the US. It is not so here, even in a bustling city like Delhi. If you want to use the internet then you have to find an internet café. Since the Thomas’ don’t use it they are not necessarily in the “know” about such things, so we had to ask the driver to take us to the closest one. Once I arrived in this tiny little building I saw 3 computers and jumped online and worked quickly since you are charged by the minutes. I sent to those who could also relay the message on to other people. We came home and I was so exhausted that I didn’t even have dinner. I just went to bed and slept for a very long time….when I woke up it was almost mid-nite. I got up for just a little bit to use the restroom and went back down.
Tomorrow I will be going to meet Sim and also to the Mosque ruins in central Delhi. Hopefully I can find an Internet café and post this blog then. On Wednesday, my flight to Nepal is at 6:45 am. I have to be at the airport two hours ahead of that! What an adventure!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, November 28, 2008
I will go before you...
Isaiah 45:2 says: I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.
Earlier this week I was reading my bible and God showed me this verse, then I was talking with someone and I saw this verse again on a friends profile. I serve a MIGHTY God. I realize that there is a ton of civil unrest in Mumbai. I know that many have lost their lives and my prayers are with their families. My heart aches for those who have suffered these losses, but also for those who were so young and took the lives of so many. It is painful to see these young people who have just thrown their life away because of hatred. If they had only known God's love for them.
Many of you have asked me over the past few days if I will change my plans. The answer is "no" because God has not told me to do so, and also the bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. If I live in "fear" then I am not trusting God. God promised that He would be my Shepherd in Psalm 23. A Shepherd will always take care of His sheep.
Now, as I prepare to go on this trip...I am thrilled in my heart to see so many of my friends and to meet my new friends. I am looking forward to encouraging them and just sharing what God has done in our lives over the past two years. Some of them have been here to the US during those two years and God blessed our time together then also. I love these young people...they are like family to me. Some of them call me "akka" which means elder sister...some call me "mom" and some call me "Jayme". It makes no difference to me...I love them all. Each of them knows that when we talk I will shoot straight with them. I believe that even if the truth hurts, you should always be truthful. Sometimes all a person needs is that someone would listen to them. I do that well too....sometimes it is more listening than talking. I praise God for the heart He has given me for these young people. They are the future!
I am nothing special...you understand. Just a regular person who serves a powerful God. I love seeing the hand of God at work. So many times I see a prayer answered and my face lights up, because I know that God has done it all. I am reminded of Gideon in the bible....God had Gideon do some things that seemed so crazy! First of all he skinnied down his team of soldiers! I am sure that things looked very scary to Gideon...but he continued to TRUST God even though he didn't fully understand His ways. Then, God told Gideon that the men needed to carry lanterns made of clay and when they came upon the enemies camp they were to break the lanterns so that the light would shine brightly and then they were to blow the trumpets. The whole thing about breaking the clay lanterns caught my attention. I look at us....His children....we too are just made of clay.....it is not until we are broken that His light can shine. If you are facing difficulties and you feel that your world is shattered.....let God shine through you. He will use the very thing you are going through to overcome the enemy.
I will do my best to keep up this blog. Hold me in your thoughts and prayers....until we meet again!
Blessings....
jayme
He must increase, but I must decrease.---John 3:30
Earlier this week I was reading my bible and God showed me this verse, then I was talking with someone and I saw this verse again on a friends profile. I serve a MIGHTY God. I realize that there is a ton of civil unrest in Mumbai. I know that many have lost their lives and my prayers are with their families. My heart aches for those who have suffered these losses, but also for those who were so young and took the lives of so many. It is painful to see these young people who have just thrown their life away because of hatred. If they had only known God's love for them.
Many of you have asked me over the past few days if I will change my plans. The answer is "no" because God has not told me to do so, and also the bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. If I live in "fear" then I am not trusting God. God promised that He would be my Shepherd in Psalm 23. A Shepherd will always take care of His sheep.
Now, as I prepare to go on this trip...I am thrilled in my heart to see so many of my friends and to meet my new friends. I am looking forward to encouraging them and just sharing what God has done in our lives over the past two years. Some of them have been here to the US during those two years and God blessed our time together then also. I love these young people...they are like family to me. Some of them call me "akka" which means elder sister...some call me "mom" and some call me "Jayme". It makes no difference to me...I love them all. Each of them knows that when we talk I will shoot straight with them. I believe that even if the truth hurts, you should always be truthful. Sometimes all a person needs is that someone would listen to them. I do that well too....sometimes it is more listening than talking. I praise God for the heart He has given me for these young people. They are the future!
I am nothing special...you understand. Just a regular person who serves a powerful God. I love seeing the hand of God at work. So many times I see a prayer answered and my face lights up, because I know that God has done it all. I am reminded of Gideon in the bible....God had Gideon do some things that seemed so crazy! First of all he skinnied down his team of soldiers! I am sure that things looked very scary to Gideon...but he continued to TRUST God even though he didn't fully understand His ways. Then, God told Gideon that the men needed to carry lanterns made of clay and when they came upon the enemies camp they were to break the lanterns so that the light would shine brightly and then they were to blow the trumpets. The whole thing about breaking the clay lanterns caught my attention. I look at us....His children....we too are just made of clay.....it is not until we are broken that His light can shine. If you are facing difficulties and you feel that your world is shattered.....let God shine through you. He will use the very thing you are going through to overcome the enemy.
I will do my best to keep up this blog. Hold me in your thoughts and prayers....until we meet again!
Blessings....
jayme
He must increase, but I must decrease.---John 3:30
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Seriously....how does one spend five weeks in India
Hmmmm....funny you should ask! Below is the short condensed version of my schedule. Can't wait to be going!
Sunday, Nov 30th - Leave the US via SFO flying Jet Airways (I'll tell you how they are in case you want to fly them one day).....through Shanghai and then into Mumbai (Bombay).
Monday, Dec 1st - Chillin in the sky...probably sleeping and also working on my book (ahhh that's another blog).
Tuesday, Dec 2nd - In Mumbai I'll have a couple of angels greeting me. I like to call them Michael and Gabriel aka: Sahil and Hitesh. These two will help me in getting from the International terminal to Domestic terminal. I know it can't be that hard....but hey...have you ever been to Mumbai? Oiy! It's quite an obstacle course....especially when the Domestic terminal is on the other side of the runway. But in Mumbai you always have to cross busy intersections to get to the other side! Once I get to my connecting flight I'll be heading for Delhi.
Wednesday, Dec 3rd - Delhi
Thursday, Dec 4 - Saturday, Dec 6- Nepal
Sunday, Dec 7 - Back in Delhi
Monday, Dec 8 - Agra (Taj Mahal)
Tuesday, Dec 9-15 - Hyderabad
Monday, Dec 15 - 22 - Trivandrum
Monday, Dec 22- 29 - Chennai
Monday, Dec 29 - Jan 6 - Bangalore
Monday, Jan 6- Jan 7 - Sao Paulo, Brazil
Tuesday, Jan 7 - Jan 12 - Cuiaba, Brazil
Tuesday, Jan 12 - Jan 13 - Flying home
Sunday, Nov 30th - Leave the US via SFO flying Jet Airways (I'll tell you how they are in case you want to fly them one day).....through Shanghai and then into Mumbai (Bombay).
Monday, Dec 1st - Chillin in the sky...probably sleeping and also working on my book (ahhh that's another blog).
Tuesday, Dec 2nd - In Mumbai I'll have a couple of angels greeting me. I like to call them Michael and Gabriel aka: Sahil and Hitesh. These two will help me in getting from the International terminal to Domestic terminal. I know it can't be that hard....but hey...have you ever been to Mumbai? Oiy! It's quite an obstacle course....especially when the Domestic terminal is on the other side of the runway. But in Mumbai you always have to cross busy intersections to get to the other side! Once I get to my connecting flight I'll be heading for Delhi.
Wednesday, Dec 3rd - Delhi
Thursday, Dec 4 - Saturday, Dec 6- Nepal
Sunday, Dec 7 - Back in Delhi
Monday, Dec 8 - Agra (Taj Mahal)
Tuesday, Dec 9-15 - Hyderabad
Monday, Dec 15 - 22 - Trivandrum
Monday, Dec 22- 29 - Chennai
Monday, Dec 29 - Jan 6 - Bangalore
Monday, Jan 6- Jan 7 - Sao Paulo, Brazil
Tuesday, Jan 7 - Jan 12 - Cuiaba, Brazil
Tuesday, Jan 12 - Jan 13 - Flying home
Friday, November 14, 2008
The question I get asked the most....
Why are you going to India? Well, I'm a Christian (as most of you who read this will know). Back two years ago a friend of mine invited me to join a social network called ORKUT. ORKUT is a lot like FaceBook. One of the communities within ORKUT was a small one that had just began called Prayer Request Community (PRC). Being a Christian I saw it as an opportunity to reach out to those who were hurting and pray with them. Through this community I began to meet many many people. Soon my heart grew such a love for them. One day, while traveling through the Santa Cruz Mountains, God spoke to my heart that He wanted me to go to India. I have been a Christian since I was 8 years old....this was so out of my comfort zone! I began to pray as I drove...tears streaming down my face! Prior to leaving my house I had heard a sermon by an Indian pastor, Arun Andrews, in his message he spoke about the 23rd Psalm and how that God is our Good Shepherd and that He will lead us wherever we go. I have read the 23rd Psalm more times than I can count...but this time it had a new meaning for me. As I drove and prayed I said: God, if you want me to go, you will have to be right beside me. I have never gone outside of my country by myself! God reassured me that He would guide me. As I continued to drive I stopped for a meeting at one of our pastor's homes. The pastor's wife was talking to us about our upcoming Bible study in which I was one of the table leaders. It was my first time to ever lead a group of ladies in a study and I was very nervous about it. I did not tell any of the ladies about what had just happened....then, the pastor's wife asked us all to sit down at the table as we began our meeting. The first words out of her mouth were: "Ladies, I just want you to know that God is the Good Shepherd and He will lead you whereve you go! " Imagine my shock at these words. Now it was twice I had heard this. That evening I went to church and spoke with our pastor. I told him that I felt I needed to go to India. He said to me: "Jayme, a burden is a spawning ground for a calling. God will lead you where you need to go." Okay....now I have this 3 times! Then, I returned home full of excitement and yet nervous about this adventure. It was August 31st and the Labor Day holidays were begining. The PRC was at around 1,000 members now and growing every day. My friend, who got me into ORKUT, had told me about when Jesus fed the 5,000 and he reminded me that Jesus had said to his diciples, "What do you have?" (Mark 6:38) They told him five loaves and two fishes. Then God multiplied what they had. My friend told me...Jayme, God doesn't want what you can GET...He only wants what you HAVE. I sat there that day at my computer, praying. I opened up a PowerPoint presentation that had been sent to me. The very last slide said: "God is the Good Shepherd, He will lead you wherever you go." I said to the Lord: "Ok God, I got it! You know I am nervous about this, but I know your voice and I know what you are telling me. I will go...but you also know what I have. It's not much, and I know that the airfare to India will be steep, but I am trusting you to provide for me." I began to search for airfare through SideStep.com. The rates began at around $5,000.00....I just kept praying and saying, God, you know I don't have that kind of money. I watched as the finder searched for airfares and I saw the prices begin to go down....down....down....down....and finally, it stopped. The price on the screen was EXACTLY the amount I had! God is amazing! I clicked the ok button and said: "Lord, help me and use me to encourage these young people." From that day onwards every detail of my trip began to unfold. Every place I stayed in was provided...all my transportation throughout India came into being. God made provision for all my airfares inside of India and provided good friends. Some people may say this is just a coincidence....but I know it was God. At the end of my trip I had visited some 13 cities in India and met many many new friends. At the time I left in November of 2006, PRC was about 1,400 members. Today it is well over 12,300 members! I asked God: "So Lord, when do I go again?" He said: "December of 2008." I said: " Ok Lord. I know you will make a way for me to go." In November of 2007 I re-financed my car I had just purchased with our Credit Union. When I applied for the loan the loan officer told me, our promotion this month is that you get a free companion airfare with the purchase of an airfare. They gave me the coupon and I tucked it away somewhere (still don't know where). But also.....he told me: "We are also giving away free airfare to anywhere in the world you would like to go, and I have put your name in for the drawing." Then he said to me: "So, if you won this, where would you go? Italy, France, Bora Bora????" I told him: "I will go to India." He was shocked because it was not the answer he expected. Then I told him the reason why. I went on with life as usual...and really didn't think much more about the contest. One day I got a phone call...it was my loan officer. He told me: "Guess what? We just drew your name out for the free airfare to anywhere in the world!" Oh how happy I was! I knew that God had met my need for my airfare to India in 2008! He asked me to come to the office because they wanted to interview me. I had never really won anything in my life...other than a cake at a cake walk! The interviewer was a person at the bank. I told her where I would go...she too was very shocked at my reply to go to India. I had the opportunity to tell her about how God had spoke to my heart in 2006 and now He had answered my prayers for 2008. So, along these past two years I held back on my vacation time so that I could go and spend even more time with those whom I have come to love so much. But even something more happened along those two years. God sent to me the man whom I will marry next year....that is yet another story of God's promise to me and perhaps I will share His promise with you in my next blog session. But, long story short is that I am going to India for five (5) weeks (this will also include 3 days in Nepal) and then from India I will go to Brazil to meet my future husband and have our engagement party! God is amazing to say the least. I hope that I can keep this blog up so you can meet all of the wonderful friends I have in India and Brazil. God's grace is sufficient for me. He is all that I need...and yet He continues to give me more than enough to get me to where He wants me to be. I pray that the words that are written in this blog will be used to encourage you and show you that He is the same....YESTERDAY, TODAY and FOREVER!
blessings...
---jayme
He must increase, but I must decrease.---John 3:30
blessings...
---jayme
He must increase, but I must decrease.---John 3:30
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