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!!!!!!!!!!!!
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