Stories of Hope

Journey's End

2011-07-12T12:12:00.006+05:30

I'm blogging from the house of our friends Sylvie and Soumya in Hyderabad, where we arrived this morning after spending the night in the sleeper car of the train from Rajahmundry. We had to be at the station in the evening to catch our train, so I was unable to blog last night. Only a day and a half left! Our flight out of Hyderabad and back to the States leaves at 6:45 on Thursday morning. That leaves us with only today and all of tomorrow! I just can't believe this journey is over so soon!

Yesterday was our final day with the Rajahmundry boys, and I think we made the most of it. We spent almost the entire day at Angel Home praying, playing and saying goodbye. After lunch, while the boys were still at school, Ingrid and I took the time to pray over the interior of and grounds around Angel Home, asking for God's protection and blessings over the work that Solomon and Bethania are doing in His name in Rajahmundry. When this work was done, we greeted the boys as they returned home from school at 4:00.

After an intense two games of Kabaddi and some storytelling from Ingrid, we went out and brought the boys ice cream. They were pretty happy about this; ice cream is a rare treat for them!

On top of the ice cream, I also prepared some campfire popcorn that I had brought from the US. Everyone enjoyed it, including me! Oh popcorn... I miss it so. Only two more days!

We spent our last hour with the boys dancing and singing. I gave a short, farewell Bible lesson from Philippians 1:3-11, and then we prayed:

We took the time to pray for all the boys individually. It was exhausting, exhilarating and humbling; I doubt that Ingrid and I are capable of giving back to these boys even half of the love that we receive from them. Thankfully God more than makes up for our insufficiency, and as we prayed His love and blessings upon these children it was as if I could feel them being filled, like the feeling you get when you touch the outside of a jar as water rushes inside; vibrations of the Holy Spirit within and without!

We also prayed for the Bethania staff, and this is where God really stepped up and did some powerful things. Two of the women who serve as housemaids at Angel Home, Ramana and Lakshmi, are firmly rooted in their Hindu faith. Yet they came not just for a single helping of prayer, but for two! We repeatedly prayed the name of Jesus Christ over them, asking Him to make Himself known to them in ways that they could not imagine, to call them out of their idolatry with His love, to plant the root of faith in their hearts and let it grow. Please join us in praying daily for these two women. Pray that they would find the Truth and hold fast to love and grace of their Savior, that they might "forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, pressing on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!" (Philippians 3:13-4)

To conclude this final blog post, let me write out the farewell verse that we shared with the Bethania Kids. As I mentioned before, this passage is found in Philippians 1:3-11.

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God!"

Thank you all for your prayers and support over the last six weeks. In praying for us and encouraging us, you have indeed been our partners in the gospel. As we say goodbye to our friends in India, we look forward to again being reunited with our friends and families back home the United States. In the meantime we "yearn for you all (both at home and in India) with the affection of Christ Jesus" such as we can with hearts deficient in love, yet saved and sanctified for the work of Christ. As our love is never enough, we pray that "your love may abound more and more," and that it would be love filled with "knowledge and all discernment;" not simply a mindless, flattering, selfish love, but a love that is like the love of Christ, knowing all and yet loving all, all the same. We also pray for the fruit of the body of Christ in America and India, that fruit would be produced and produced abundantly for the harvest of the kingdom.

And lastly, all glory and praise be to the God of our salvation who has blessed our journey thus far, and in whom we trust to bring us safely home.

In Christ,

Max

Prayers for India

2011-07-10T22:02:00.003+05:30

Today Ingrid and I helped to lead a young adult group at Solomon's local church. We invited the attendees, mostly college students like us, to divide into two groups to come up with a list of prayer requests for the youth in the United States. These prayer requests reflect needs in churches throughout India, and provide for us in the United States a meaningful way to pray for Christ's body in India. I hope that by working through this prayer list, compiled by thoughtful, God-seeking youth in South India who are well acquainted with the issues facing their nation and their faith, you will find greater solidarity in the worldwide body of Christ; the church which is at work in different and dynamic ways across oceans and continents.

This first prayer list comes from the boys:

1. Please pray for the protection of Indian churches from the anti-Christian groups that are sprouting out throughout India. These groups are moving to attack the Indian church politically and physically.

2. Pray for better church constructions, both in terms of the physical church building and the infrastructure of the church management. Many churches in India are very disorganized.

3. A significant issue in India is the keeping of the sabbath. Most Indian schools and workplaces do not close on Sundays, preventing many (particularly men) from being able to attend church without endangering their family's livelihoods or their grades. Pray that Christians in India have the courage to be counter-cultural and maintain sabbath worship, but also that their culture will grant them the right to abstain from work for the sake of church on Sundays.

4. Pray that basic needs in the church will be met: electricity, plumbing, roofing and bathrooms.

5. Pray that the people of India will worship in truth and humility, but not for "their name's sake."

6. Pray for the end of idolatry in India.

7. Pray for more musicians. This is a severe need in India. Truly skilled musicians and worship leaders are few and far between in the Indian Church.

8. Pray for the distribution of the Bible in India.

9. Pray for the end of corruption in Indian churches, government and society.

10. Pray that the church and all Christian communities would be concerned for the environment, and seek to bring an end to the severe pollution that plagues India.

11. Pray for the end of caste imbalance and discrimination towards backward groups.

This second list was compiled by the girls, and carries a much different tone. Their first prayer request struck me as being particularly graceful and timely.

1. Pray for Christian fathers, that they would serve their families whole-heartedly and not for the sake of the world or themselves.

2. Pray that the youth of India would grow in the love of Christ.

3. Pray that the church in India would be without involvement in politics.

4. Pray that India would be transformed from a Hindu to a Christian nation. (Yes, yes, yes!)

5. Pray that the poor would receive the means to construct their churches.

6. Pray for the missionaries who serve the poor in India; missionaries who live without basic needs, and who are often in danger.

7. Pray that the Bible would translated into all of India's one thousand, six hundred languages.

8. Pray that the Gospel would be heard all over the country, throughout Indian society, and by India's political leaders.

9. Pray for the people who are trapped in floods, and those who are trapped in droughts.

That's a lot to pray for!

Remember that one day there will be "a great multitude that no one can number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'" (Revelation 7:9-10) The day will come when we will stand with the global church, united under the banner of the Lamb who saved us all, praising Him as one body into eternity. This church began adding to its number in the 1st century AD, and continues to do so more than 2000 years later. What a glorious body it will be! Let's get a taste of that unity now, as we gather in the name of Jesus Christ to pray for the needs of His churches scattered throughout the nations.

God bless, and keep praying!

Max

Doing Work

2011-07-09T20:31:00.009+05:30

Today has been a mix of work and play. This morning Solomon had us all in the garden behind his house to prune his fig tree and to plant new poles for clotheslines. Two of the older Angel Home boys, Prasad and Abishek, cemented the poles while the rest of us helped to drag away the pruned tree branches.

It felt good to be doing some manual labor for a change; you get a different sense of the phrase "a job well done" when the work's been done by the strength of your own real muscle and bone, as opposed to studying a book or writing a paper (strenuous mental activities). Study and labor are both types of work, and both have their benefits. But there's been a deficit of physical work in my life lately. I see people all over India farming the land and constructing new buildings, but I'm almost never invited to participate. When I was asked to help this morning, I seized the opportunity.

We went to see the boys at noon, and they too were hard at work on a more delicate task: shaving dry palm leaves. The shavings are roped together to make brooms. The boys were delighted to teach us their technique, and with a little practice Ingrid and I became expert palm-shavers. The tools of the trade certainly help; we sat on footstools which were fitted with a large, sharp blade. The shaver straddles the blade, and slides palm leaves up and away from himself, against the edge of the blade. In this picture Kumar helps me to get the hang of it:

The end result is a slender, fiber-like shaving. When you've made several hundred of these, you've got your broom! There's a lot of palm leaf left over, but it's not wasted. Naveen used it for a nap!

Ingrid and I spent more than an hour doing this work in the shade of the goa trees in the front of Angel Home. We joked around with the boys while we were at it. We were poked and whipped with palm leaves, and sometimes even with the knives in our stools!

The boys have been begging for cricket ever since our return to Rajahmundry, and today we finally obliged them. I had a horrendous day batting-wise, but everyone enjoyed the two games we played in the hot afternoon sun. In the evening we came back to Solomon's home, where we assisted him in some of his Bethania paperwork, took pictures of the boys for his records and enjoyed some no-bake oat cookies that Ingrid and Smiley made themselves while we were playing cricket! Delicious! All in all, it's been a productive and rewarding Saturday for everyone!

Before I sign off I'd like to share another thought with you. I've been in the book of Romans since Kodaikanal, and today I began chapter 10 of Paul's big letter. Verses 14-17 particularly stood out to me this morning:

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For the Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ. - Romans 10:14-17

This passage occurs in the midst of the tenth chapter's discussion of salvation. It's important here to follow Paul's train of thought, organized through a series of rhetorical questions: to call on Christ to save us, we need belief. To believe in Christ, we need to hear His Gospel. To hear the Gospel, we need someone to speak it to us. In order to speak the Gospel, the speaker must himself be a recipient of the Gospel he shares - he must be called and consequently sent. The one who is called to speak will have beautiful feet: fast feet, urgent feet, which carry the good news far and fast. But hearing is not enough: "not all have obeyed the Gospel." That is the Holy Spirit's work; the "calling." Nevertheless: "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ." People come to a saving knowledge of Christ only if they have heard the Gospel of Jesus. This implies that they can't figure it out on their own. They must see it in the Word with their own eyes, or have it spoken to them. For me this has been the most driving truth I have found in this passage.

What's keeping us from sharing the Gospel more than we do? How about simply speaking it? Why don't we make a habit of reading Christ's story aloud, of setting the sacred words free from our mouths and into the air? Who knows who might be listening? I'm going to try making a discipline of speaking the Gospel aloud to myself or (ideally) to others at least once a day. The Word needs to be heard, and it can only be heard if it is spoken frequently and earnestly from a heart of belief. The bottom line: we as God's people must do the work of evangelism, and do it by His grace and for His glory, not our own.

And how about those beautiful feet that carry the message? Let's pray for feet like that! For feet that take us places, to people that who haven't heard the Gospel and even to those who need to hear it again. For feet that are swift, that don't waste time but make the most of the life that's been given to them. For feet that are beautiful because they are in the service of the Lord of Heaven, and are learning to move in His graceful shoes.

In Christ,

Max

Helplessness and Hopelessness

2011-07-08T10:56:00.004+05:30

Back in Rajahmundry at last, and I'm so happy to find myself under Solomon's roof! Last night we were treated to delicious dinner of chapati and mango, slept a full ten hours and awoke to a breakfast of French toast with even more mango! We are well rested and stuffed.

I can't think of much else to blog about, so let me take some time to try sharing some of my own recent struggles.

My time in Kodaikanal was more difficult than I had anticipated. I was living at Bethel Home with the boys, so I was frequently exhausted with play and attention. The climate in Kodai was cool, but also dreary, with frequent clouds and rain. I struggled to stay healthy, and by the end of our visit I had a fever, chills and frequent stomach pains.

But what affected me most of all was the realization that there is an unchangeable pattern of suffering in this world. I was driving through dark, wet mountains into dark, wet villages swamped with poverty, disease and depression. In these places I would watch Christ-hearted servants like Paramadas share truth of Christ with joyful abandon, pulling smiles from listless faces and enlivening slack limbs. I would be given the opportunity to speak with these missionaries, sharing stories, a song or two, praying the prayer...

And this is where I became caught. What to pray? How can I make a prayer meaningful for this people, when I see these same problems everywhere? "Lord, please reach the people of this village... reveal Your truth to them... reveal Your love to them... heal them..." We'd travel to the next village. "Lord, please reach this people... Reveal Your love, Your truth, Your healing..." And again. And again. The same problems. The same prayers. And no change that I could see with my eyes. Only grey skies, sad faces, children with running noses and mud on their clothes. And a small, frail hope that God was doing something.

At last words failed me, and I found myself unable to pray as I was accustomed. I could only say, "Lord, my words fail me before all of this evil, and I can do nothing but beg you to intervene here." And that was it. "Words fail me; do what You must." "I don't know what to say, but You do." "Lord, here we are again. HELP!"

During my time in Kodaikanal I began a study in the book of Romans. In Romans 3:10-18, Paul outlines the extent of human depravity:

None is righteous, no, not one;

no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.

Their throat is an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive.

The venom of asps is under their lips.

Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.

Their feet are swift to shed blood;

in their paths are ruin and misery,

and the way of peace they have not known.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Depressing stuff. But there it is, and the rest all follows: "No one understands, no one seeks God." Therefore idols, therefore worthlessness, therefore mouths that lead to the grave, therefore deception, therefore violence, therefore ruin, therefore misery through sickness and plague, therefore restlessness, therefore audacity: "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

This is why I don't know how to pray. This is why I can't fathom what God is doing. This is why when I see human suffering in India I wish myself back in the States, away from all of this so I can lock myself in my personal castle of gilded things and forget that men and women suffer at all. Because when I am not remembering to live by the Grace I have been given, when I am consumed by the sadness of circumstances that can be traced to my own sin nature, I am left to enjoy nothing but myself. And that's not much to enjoy. Selfishness will never lead to happiness.

I hope I'm making sense. All this to say I have realized that if I do not return in my heart to the Grace of God daily, even hourly, and if I do not keep in mind that "the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18), I will go insane. That's strong language, but it's true. In the face of the suffering here in India, and with a proper understanding of what I am guilty of, I would go mad if it were not for the love of Christ and the work He does in me by His Grace to make me a jar of clay for His purposes.

Purpose: you can only find it in Christ. If you look for fulfillment in anything else, you may attain the world, but at the top you'll find yourself still hungry, and still hopeless. In an impoverished country like India it's easier to see how meaningless the life outside of Christ really is, because people are suffering and dying all over the place. During our afternoon in Kannivadi a man was found dead in the hills behind our guesthouse. He had been a poor laborer who had gone scavenging among the rocks, had fallen and lamed himself, and been unable to crawl out of the hills before he died of thirst in the blazing sun. I didn't see the body, but Joseph, our host, told me about it.

Life ends in a moment. How can we possibly derive meaning from this single mortality? Only in Christ, for Christ, through Christ. Amen.

I hope this post doesn't scare anyone. Or maybe I shouldn't hope that. Maybe we need to be scared out of our meaningless lives by the knowledge that we are making it meaningless by our own abstinence from the Grace Christ has offered us. The words of Ecclesiastes come back to me again and again: "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?" Redundancies of hopelessness. But then we see the light at the end of the tunnel: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

In Christ alone our hope is found.

Max

Kannivadi

2011-07-06T18:59:00.004+05:30

Ingrid and I are spending our last night in Tamil Nadu at the Bethania home in Kannivadi, where the old lead the young:

Seriously, Muniyappan (the boy on the left) is a fantastic leader. Kannivadi is organized so that the elder children instruct and discipline their younger "siblings." The system works beautifully, allowing the older kids to come into their own as adults and leaders, while the younger children benefit from their elders' experience, charisma and general coolness. And Muniyappan is cool... so cool that he almost broke my totally uncool hand while we were playing cricket today.

The town of Kannivadi exists on the plains of Tamil Nadu, on the fringes of the Eastern Ghats. It's very small, with a few old concrete buildings surrounded by huts made out of palm branches and mud-brick. The hills surrounding Kannivadi are beautiful, and famous for an abundant population of wild peacocks.

They've been making noise all day with their shrill, cat-like cries. But around 5:00 this afternoon we saw something that neither of us have ever seen before: a peacock dance! Four males appeared on the rocky slope of the hills immediately behind the compound and began spreading their tails in the air, shivering and slowly rotating around the rocks. The displays were striking, and I think the peahens were very impressed.

After arriving in Kannivadi before 10:00 this morning, we played cricket with the staff, ate lunch and slept. After the nap we climbed into the Bethania bus and went to pick up all 35 kids from their schools.

They drive this bus without closing any of the doors or windows. No problem. This is India. You just take things as they come, which in this case meant dodging every tree limb, thorn bush or vine that entered the vehicle from the edge of the dirt road into Kannivadi. The kids also have no problem hanging most of their bodies out of the doors or windows to catch the breeze. Like I said, this is India.

Following a snack after school we played the obligatory cricket game, and then let the kids show us many of the animals around the Bethania compound. Bethania in Kannivadi is one of our most well-developed homes, with its own fields, orchards and livestock. It even has its own domed chapel which, as Ingrid says, evokes memories of the Pantheon in Rome (Oh Ingrid...). Allusions to the Roman Empire aside, Priscilla (the administrator of this particular home) has developed her compound into a sizable establishment that is capable of sustaining its own growth in many ways. Solomon intends for the new Narendrapuram complex to provide for itself as well through raising livestock and cultivating fruit trees, among other things.

Dinner is approaching, so I'd better wrap up this post. Tomorrow Ingrid and I leave Kannivadi at 5 am (ouch!) to make the two hour drive to the Madurai airport for our 8:40 flight to Chennai. In Chennai we'll switch airlines and then zip back to Rajahmundry. I can't wait! Returning to Rajahmundry always feels like a homecoming to me.

We'll be getting our sleep early tonight. Pray for safe travels for us tomorrow, and for a productive final week in Rajahmundry.

In Christ,

Max

Arulmozhi

2011-07-05T19:50:00.000+05:30

Hello everyone!

I meant to bring this incredible story to the blog while I was still in Kodaikanal, but I didn't have the time or computer equipment to do it. Now that I can sit down for more than an hour to write I hope that, with the Lord's complete help, I've been able to do it justice.

This isn't the easiest story to read. Many of its moments fill me with disgust and anger. Nevertheless God has made it a redemptive story, and His sovereign Hand is evident in the power of the blessings that He has purposed in Arulmozhi's and Papitha's suffering.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28

---

Arulmozhi (pronounced "Aroo-molee") was born in the village of Cuddalore on the coast of Tamil Nadu. Cuddalore is a fishing village that was impacted by the 2004 tsunami. Fortunately Arulmozhi and her little sister Papitha were relatively unaffected by the disaster; but their troubles were of a different kind.

Arulmozhi's mother left her when Arulmozhi was very young to marry another man; her mother's fifth "husband," though she had never in her life been properly married. Her mother disowned her daughters to run off with this new man, and Arulmozhi was sent to live with her grandmother, who was too old to work or give adequate care. In fact Arulmozhi became almost entirely responsible for the survival of herself, her sister and her grandmother. At the time she was only 9 years old.

Working as a "rag-picker," Arulmozhi was paid for the trash she would collect on the streets for about 5-10 rupees per day (less than 25 cents). When she could not make enough money collecting trash, Arulmozhi would sneak into Hindu temples to steal the milk, eggs and rice offered to the idols and temple snakes. She would also steal from the blind beggars who couldn't catch her when she made off with their few coins. Sometimes Aulmozhi would collect liquor bottles thrown in the street simply to sip the leftover alcohol. But she rarely kept what she found to herself. Most of the food she obtained she would carry off to her grandmother and sister, and the three of them would divide it between themselves. The food was usually rotten and covered in dirt.

Arulmozhi's mother had many lovers. One of these had sent his own son, Kishore, to live in the Bethel Boys home in Kodaikanal, and told Arulmozhi's mother about Bethania's Shalom Home, where servant-hearted Josephine looked after 19 tsunami-affected girls (since its founding shortly after the tsunami, Shalom Home has grown to support 35 girls!). Arulmozhi's mother wouldn't bother about her children, and was even unwilling to admit that she was their mother. So Kishore's father brought Arulmozhi and Papitha to Shalom Home himself and left them in Josephine's care.

At first Arulmozhi struggled to adjust to her new life, and had a number of behavioral problems; she would bully the other girls and frequently use foul language. She also refused to eat her food, to clean herself and to engage in daily prayers. Arulmozhi struggled in school as well. She had no understanding of the alphabet, was unable to read, write, or do simple math problems. As a result she was demoted from 4th grade to 1st grade.

Nevertheless, God accomplished His gracious work. Arulmozhi began to excel in school, and was promoted back to the 4th grade after only one year. Her behavior also improved, and Arulmozhi, now 14 years old, is a leader and role model for the younger girls. She has become a born again Christian, and she shares her love of God and His Word with anyone willing to listen.

In 2007 Arulmozhi heard the tragic story of a German missionary, Graham Stein, who had been serving lepers in the North-Indian province of Orissa. Stein was driving home with his two sons when Hindu terrorists accosted their car, doused it in oil and set it on fire. As she listened to this story, Arulmozhi felt the Spirit moving her to action. Arulmozhi can now say with confidence that she has felt the call to serve as a missionary to Orissa, one of the most impoverished and dangerous states in India.

But how can she be so sure? Because Arulmozhi has had this calling confirmed for her in an incredible way.

This past month many Bethania children were given the opportunity to take a short, two-week trip home before school resumed. Arulmozhi and Papitha shared a desire to visit their mother, even though she had ignored them for most of their life. On invitation their mother came, took them down the mountain to their old home... and promptly left them in the care of her neighbor while she ran off to who-knows-where.

This man forced the girls to work daily on his cashew farm. For more than two weeks, Arulmozhi and Papitha were made to climb cashew trees and pick nuts. In the morning they would harvest the cashews, and in the afternoon they made the three-hour walk to sell the nuts in a town miles away across the plains. The nuts they sold were sent to retail factories and packaged for wholesale.

For their work, the sisters were served a breakfast of leftover rice. There was no lunch or dinner. Aside from working with the cashews, Arulmozhi and Papitha were forced to do other menial chores around the house. This included anything from washing the clothes to cleaning human excrement off the floor with their bare hands.

After fifteen days of slavery, Arulmozhi decided that she could not live this way anymore. So she set out for a telephone booth with the intention of calling her mother. She wanted to go back to Kodaikanal, to be where she was loved. But on the way to the phone her neighbor caught her. He grabbed her by the hair, threw her down on the road and kicked Arulmozhi repeatedly in the chest. When this abuse was finished, and Arulmozhi found herself back under her neighbor's roof, she despaired. She got some rope and prepared to hang herself.

But as she was about to place the rope around her neck, Arulmozhi saw "in front of me and in my heart" the words: "Whom will I send to Orissa?" At that moment Arulmozhi was reminded of her calling, of the life that God had planned for her to live, of the hope she had in a destiny that was not ruled by suffering, but by a God who loved her more than she could understand.

Arulmoshi threw away the rope, and tried again to call for help with prayerful determination. This time she took her sister and made for phone-booth. But instead of calling her mother, she called the one person she knew would not fail her or leave her forgotten: Josephine.

Josephine got the call while in church, and immediately set out down the mountain to retrieve her lost daughter. Arulmozhi has been back at Shalom Home for the past 3 weeks, and is so happy! She is thankful to the Lord for delivering her not just once, but again and again. As she says, her testimony keeps getting better and better!

Her favorite Bible verse is drawn from Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2:

The Lord raises up the poor from the dust; He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them He has set the world. - 1 Samuel 2:8

Hope this story has captured your hearts with the power of God's faithfulness and love. God bless!

Max

Kodaikanal in Pictures

2011-07-04T20:29:00.008+05:30

Ingrid and I said goodbye to Kodaikanal this morning. Now in back on the plains in Oddanchatram, I can at last access a reasonably speedy source of internet. Rather than trying to describe all of our experiences in the mountains, I thought I'd upload a bunch of pictures. Because, you know, a picture's worth a thousand words.

First, the Bethel Boys Home, where I've been living for the past ten days. This little red cottage is home to 35 boys gathered slums in from Kodaikanal and the surrounding tribal villages. The caretaker of Bethel Home is named Ruby, and her house fits her name perfectly!

And here are some pictures of the Bethel boys:

And now for some pictures from the girls of Shalom Home. Shalom Home serves 35 crazy girls between the ages of 8 and 16, and they were not camera-shy!

Ingrid gives the girls a keyboard demonstration.

Incidentally, everyone was so impressed with Ingrid's keyboard skills that they asked her to play hymns in church on Sunday while I sang along... solo. It was what it was.

And now for some pictures of the Bethania creches. Bethania's five Kodaikanal creches provide care and a preschool education for the toddlers of impoverished dalits living in the Kodai area. By taking care of their kids, Bethania enables the impoverished mothers to work and earn bread for their families. The children also learn a little English, memorize Bible verses and songs, get fed a healthy lunch and become introduced to the love of Christ. Here they are singing Father Abraham:

Yeah, these kids are adorable. This little gremlin's name is Abishek, and he likes making faces.

Abishek says, "HELLOOOOO?"

And now for some images of the beautiful Kodai countryside, and its wildlife. Here's a picture of the hills above the village of Mannavanur.

This view always reminds me of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia (near and dear to my heart). Since this seems to me to be a little piece of Virginia in India, I call this place Virgindia.

Kodai is also known for its wild bison, which are enormous, ill-tempered, and responsible for dozens of deaths each year. This one appeared in someone's backyard.

I'm sorry that the photo's so poor, but I wasn't going to get close. If you want to imagine this monster to scale, compare him with the shed he's standing next to in the picture (the door is probably a little less than six feet high). If my dad had been here, he would've tried throwing rocks at the bison to lure it out of the bush. So unwise...

We also visited the Kodai museum, where we encountered a creature thought only to exist in legend. Behold: the Forest Eagl-Owl. Neither eagle nor owl.

Don't make him your enemy. The moment he lays eyes upon you, it's over. Seriously. Beware the eyes.

We have so many more pictures of and so many stories from our friends in Kodai, but I simply don't have the time to share them with you right now. I need to get some sleep! I'm getting up at 5:30 tomorrow to go on a walk with our host in Oddanchatram, Dr. John. John is like a modern-day apostle, filled with the wisdom and fear of the Lord. It will be an honor and a blessing for Ingrid and me to be present with him in his home for the next two days, soaking up his wisdom and learning from his example. This will be a kind of spiritual retreat for us before we return to Rajahmundry on the 7th.

Only ten days left until we fly home! I can't believe our time in India is already drawing to a close! God bless you all, and we hope to see many of you soon!

Max

The Worshipful Impulse

2011-06-27T19:05:00.015+05:30

Today I enjoyed a 12 km hike with my friend and mentor Paramadas. Paramadas and I drove for a few miles outside of Kodaikanal, traveling on windy, dusty roads until we found the tribal village of Thamaraikulam, nestled in the foothills of the mountains. The villagers of Thamaraikulam have been living in this hills for thousands of years, and they know the land like a dear friend.

Paramadas had it in mind to hike down the hills to a thousand-foot waterfall called the Rat's Tail. Paramadas' friend, Phillip, a local priest and a village elder, offered his services as our guide.

Though Paramadas is an ardent evangelist and Phillip is an orthodox Hindu, you can see from the picture above that they are the best of friends.

We walked for two hours through dense jungle, following the river until it reached the cliffs. At last, standing on the brink, we found ourselves thousands of feet above the plains of India, overlooking a vast, flat landscape pocked with mountains and rippled with rivers. Beneath our feet, water thundered down, down, down until it evaporated into mist, never to touch the earth. I was awed.

As Paramadas praised God for his handiwork, Phillip turned slowly away from the spectacle and made his way towards a large, stunted tree growing on the riverbank. It was flipped on its side, roots grasping at air. The knobby trunk looped under and over the boulders washed downstream during the yearly floods, curling like a python. In front of the upended roots stood seven oval stones, dressed in yellow silk. Above them hung a bell, suspended from the roots, and there were stains on the earth nearby where incence was burned.

Phillip knelt before the stones, prayed, and then dipped his fingers in the red chalk he carried in his sachel. With one finger he marked each of the stones, rang the bell, stood and then turned his head from side to side.

Curious, I asked Paramadas about the stones.

"They're the seven virgin goddesses that Shiva, the king of the gods, rescued from fire," Paramadas explained. Paramadas was a practicing Hindu in his youth, and knows all the stories.

"Once there were seven sisters, beautiful, noble and pure. They lived with their elderly mother, whom they loved very much and served devotedly. But one day the king of their country, who suspected that the girls were not so pure as everyone supposed, and accused the sisters publicly of adultery."

"Appalled at the accusation, the mother swore that her daughters were the purest in the land. So the king devised a test. He built a great fire, and commanded the girls to walk through it. If they burned, they were adulterers. If they did not, they were pure."

"The god Shiva, beholding the virgin's plight and admiring their purity, intervened. As the sisters entered the flames, Shiva descended in his golden chariot and swept them away with him to heaven, where he turned them into goddesses." (Talk about deus ex machina!)

"But Phillip doesn't know this story," Paramadas added abruptly. "If you asked him what the stones meant, he'd tell you something completely different. It's likely that he saw a similar set of seven idols displayed elsewhere, and so he arranged seven stones here, near a strange, unearthly-looking tree, hoping to summon the goddesses, or gods, or god. Phillip doesn't care about what the seven stones mean, who they are, or what their story is. He simply craves something to worship."

Don't we all?

Humans were created to enjoy God by worshiping him forever, and so the need to worship is part of who we are as humans. In our fallen, blinded state, this worshipful impulse can become directed towards whatever else seems worthy of our adoration. This is how we wind up worshiping idols.

Phillip needed something to worship. But he did not know where to look. So he turned to the nearest objects he could find; the stones fallen from the mountains upon which he makes his home. If only Phillip could see that the one who made the mountains whose stones he worships is so infinitely greater, so much worthier of praise and adoration! Why praise the mere grains of a magnificent creation when you could praise the One who is responsible for the magnificence you find so praiseworthy?

The unsaved in India (and everywhere else!) must be shown the end of their wandering; they will never be satisfied. We may worship stones, we may worship gold, we may worship idols of sex, of power, of academia, of renown, of relevancy. But God knows what we really need. To him, our pursuit of fulfillment in fame and fortune looks just as silly, and just as sad, as the act of blessing rocks with red chalk and hoping that they're goddesses.

"Now all has been heard; here is the conlcusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." - Ecclesiastes 12:13

That's all. Why revere goddesses in stone who couldn't even save themselves from the fire, when you can worship the God who entered the fire of His own accord to make us pure? God promises us this: that our need to worship will be fulfilled through nothing but that which is found in Him. And when we find ourselves fulfilled in Him at last, how full, how filled we will be!

God bless you all!

Max

Last Day in Rajahmundry

2011-06-22T22:45:00.003+05:30

It's time to say goodbye to Rajahmundry for a little while. Tomorrow at noon I'm taking not one, but three flights all around South India to finally end up in Madurai, Tamil Nadu at 8:30 pm. From there I'll take a three-hour drive into the mountains, where I'll be reunited with Ingrid in Kodaikanal!

Internet is scarce in Kodai, and I don't know how often I'll have the opportunity to blog. So here are a few pictures (taken on previous trips) that'll give you some sense of the beauty of the mountains will be providing the backdrop for our adventures over the next two weeks. Behold the Eastern Ghats!

I'd appreciate your prayers during travel, and also your continued prayerful support for the Bethania orphanages, hostels and day-care centers in the Kodai area. I'm going to try to bring you stories and images of God's work in the villages around Kodaikanal (such as the village of Poombari pictured above). In the case that I can't due to computer issues, don't let the absence of "hard evidence" discourage you from lifting up the Bethania Kids in Kodai through prayer!

Today was spent packing, playing and praying with the boys. Though I've told them many times that I'm leaving for only 2 weeks (Ingrid and I return to Rajahmundry on July 6th) the boys are still acting as though I'm never coming back! Like Ingrid when she left, I took the time to pray for each of the boys individually. There was a lot begging ("Don't go! You'll die!"), hugging, and even a few tears. Right now I feel blessed beyond my ability to receive, and loved beyond my ability to love - by these children and by the Lord!

So I'm going to bed looking forward to the excitement of travelling tomorrow, learning to content myself with the knowledge that my own deficit of love is overwhelmed by the Grace revealed in a storehouse of love that is open to all the children of God:

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." - 1 John 3:1

In Christ,
Max

Jars of Clay on Sinking Ships

2011-06-21T21:44:00.004+05:30

Today I assisted Solomon in his work by completing the CIF forms for the children, filling in blanks for their physical fitness, grades in school and personal preferences. It was fascinating; I got to take a look behind the smiling faces to investigate their family situations, academics, goals, likes and dislikes. I didn't always like what I saw. The reality of these boy's lives and struggles blew away any illusions I may have had of this ministry (or any ministry, for that matter) being able to make perfect the lives of the people it has touched.

Many of our boys struggle academically. They were brought to live in Angel Home somewhere between the age of 10 and 13, and up until that point they had rarely attended school. Suddenly thrust into study, the boys had a lot of catching up to do. It doesn't help that the Indian academic system is extremely rigorous. To pass any of the 6 subjects taught in a government school (Telugu, Hindi, English, Math, Science and Social) you must score at least 18 of the 50 available marks. The scores of our children hover around 20-25, which is about the national average. Some of the boys do extremely well, scoring nearly 40 of the 50 marks in certain subjects. Others have failing grades as low as 6 of 50.

This information shocked me. The boys always seem so diligent, applying themselves with far more discipline than is typically seen in American classrooms. But in many cases discipline is not enough, and the boys must retake subject exams to make up for their low marks. Solomon has informed me that sometimes Bethania must suspend academic sponsorship for the college-age boys, as the Indian government forbids them admittance into any university unless they secure passing marks in their 6 subjects.

Another problem, even less remediable, is the fact that the relatives of our Bethania Kids have the right by Indian law to withdraw their children from our care at any time they choose. I've known about this for some time, but it hit home tonight as I was going through the CIF forms and marking off all the children who had been taken away. The number lost was not enormous, but out of the 80 or so children that have moved through Angel Home over the last 5 years, there were maybe a little less than a dozen. This breaks my heart, but there's nothing we can do about it beyond showing families the opportunity, the care and the love available to their children through Bethania. Often the children are taken from us on a whim, following either a death in the family, a divorce or an abrupt need for labor.

After finishing the CIF work I stepped outside of Angel Home into the twilight and leaned against one of the palm trees in the yard, watching the children prepare for their evening devotions through the open windows. I was very discouraged.

Solomon came and stood next to me. But he didn't look dejected at all; he was smiling! "Now that you've done the work, you know," he said [paraphrased]. "And you can tell everyone simply, this is how it is."

So this is how it is:

Our ministry can't fix all the problems. It can't right every wrong, it can't heal every wound, and it certainly can't save every child from a life of poverty. But what it can do, God sees that it does, and beautifully!

We have to always remember that the difference-making is ultimately not up to us; it's up to God, and He will accomplish what He sets out to do. We are like broken jars, our plans are like faulty blueprints, our institutions are like sinking ships. Without God we can do nothing, and we must realize this, for once we recognize our own helplessness what recourse do we have but to fall into Him? And in Him, everything can be done, and any life can be changed.

This evening I was deeply encouraged by 2 Corinthians 4, and I would suggest this chapter to any Christian who feels that their Christ-mandated ministry to a world of pain and sin is failing to make any meaningful difference. I'll let you read the whole of it on your own, but I've placed my favorite part below:

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." - 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

In Christ,
Max

Narendrapuram Update!

2011-06-20T21:09:00.005+05:30

Today was spent at the Narendrapuram property, supervising the construction of the dining hall portion of the building. And now that the dining hall his finished, our new Bethania Center is that much closer to completion! As I write the final roofing slab has been laid, and we're ready to move on to the construction of the boundary wall and community center!

The work today was fast and furious. Our team of hired laborers began early in the morning and toiled long and hard until the job was done at 4:00. Solomon and I showed up around 9:00 am and sat in the shade of porch outside the now completed dormitories. We spent much of our time interacting with the villagers and workers. I also took a few videos (two "tours" and an interview), which I've uploaded to Bethania's YouTube account:

http://www.youtube.com/user/VideoBethania

It's not just Solomon and I who are excited about the progress we made today. A village leader named Sathi Babu arrived on the construction site and spoke with us for some time about how excited he was that the project was moving. Sathi Babu, a born-again Christian, can't wait to utilize the community center as a means of nurturing the poor in Narendrapuram. He specifically mentioned using the community center as a place to hold yearly or monthly festivals celebrating the glory of God with good food, fellowship and worship. It's so encouraging to hear that local leaders such as Sathi Babu are willing to support and even contribute to the ministry in Narendrapuram! Please be praying that God stirs more hearts towards the completion of this project!

I have to say a little bit more about today's work team, because I had so much fun with them. They let me stir the concrete, and even spread some! They were a jolly, cross-generational crew made up of teenagers, mustached farmers and wrinkly old men; mostly local contracted laborers who also run farms or drive lorries in their spare time. There were a few women as well, and though I couldn't understand their Telugu, it was clear that they thought themselves pretty funny. I sat and tried to communicate with this motley group over lunch, and then pulled out Solomon's laptop (he brought it along) to show them pictures of my family and friends back home. I have to admit that they were particularly impressed with my little brother Bennett. The women loved his hair.

I'm so psyched that the work is moving at such a fast pace! So long as funds keep coming in from the US, these workers will stay on the job. They only work when they're assured of pay (makes sense, right?). The spur for today's construction was a result of the generous donations of James and Paul Dufresne and the children from the Lutheran Church of Christ the King in Moorhead, MN. And to the kids in Minnesota, I'd like to say that I stood today in the dorm room you all funded! It looks awesome now that it's finished, and the eight boys who will receive the room will be thrilled when they finally move in!

Speaking of the boys, they are elated at the news of today's progress and want to thank everyone who has contributed to their new home thus far. They particularly wanted me to tell you that they are praying for you, and hope that you'll be praying for them as well!

Isn't cool seeing the body of Christ connecting across continents? Only 100 years ago these kinds of cross-continental, cross-cultural relationships would've been almost impossible. God has blessed us with the opportunity to live and work in an age when communication can happen in the blink of an eye. Let's not waste the power of the moment we've been given!

This reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite books of all time:

"Always after a defeat and a respite, the Shadow takes another shape and grows again."
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

So with the time that we've been given and the means that we've been given in our time, let's fight the Shadow! Idols, poverty, caste, disease, sin in all its forms; if we can reach out from the suburbs of the USA and into the heart of India to set ourselves in Christ against these things, why should we not?

In Christ,

Max

The Story of a Sunday

2011-06-19T22:30:00.009+05:30

Today we did a lot of silly things. We didn't mean too. But since the opportunity for silliness presented itself, we went for it. Praise God for a Sabbath of goofy joy, goofy jokes and goofy adventures!

It all began after lunch, when Solomon and I ran into the neighborhood monkey pack. I haven't said much about the monkeys so far, but on previous blogs they've received a lot of attention. I'll say what I've said before: they're mangy, disgusting and carry all sorts of diseases. They're also fearless. The Hindus revere them as representatives of the monkey-god Hanuman, and won't let anyone lay a hand on them. As a result the monkeys have learned that they can approach humans and do whatever they want without worrying about any kind of backlash. If you have something they want, they'll come take it... and probably give you rabies in the process!

This first picture looks like something out of the Twilight Zone. And the second like something out of Zombieland.

This particular monkey had half of the skin on his lower lip ripped off somehow. Gross.

These monkeys show up a few times every week, and they always cause trouble, interfering with construction jobs, power lines, traffic and good hygiene. Today they obstructed Solomon and me from the reaching the boys home for about five minutes, and I took some time to snap some pictures. The second my hand exited the car to take a picture, they snarled, as if to say, "Watch it, mortal - I'm sacred!" Fortunately, aside from a few bluffed charges, we got past the monkeys without much trouble.

At the boys home things got crazy. We played an improvisational game of cricket on the front porch. The wickets weren't very far apart, so there were a number of controversies over whether or not the kids at bat had crossed the wicket-line to safety during their runs. Finally I sat down next to our wicket (the stone fragment pictured below) and snapped a picture whenever a play happened. In the case of this picture, my image provided enough judicial review to overturn the call Solomon made. According to this picture, Swami had clearly tagged the wicket before the bat crossed the line.

Do you see the boy in the red shirt in the background? His name is Pruthvi, and on the play immediately after I took this picture he threw the ball at the wicket hoping to take out a batsman. Unfortunately he missed it, and instead nailed me between the legs. You can see from Pruthvi's location in the picture above how perfect his angle was. I was sitting with my legs crossed, wide open. I had not chance. I've never been hit so hard in my life; it's almost 11pm and it still hurts! Solomon and boys thought it was a riot, made a pile of ice-cubes over my agony, and took plenty of pictures.

On our way back from the boy's home I relieved my pain by stealing a bike. One of the neighbor boys, Solomon-Raj, threw down his bike and ran to chase a friend. While he was occupied I got (gingerly) and took off. But I wasn't fast enough; Solomon-Raj caught up and jumped on the back of the bike-saddle while we were still moving. We were having a great time, and then we had to run the gauntlet of monkeys again! Solomon drove next to us in his car for protection, and also to take pictures. In this one I'm focusing more on the trees than on the road; the monkeys are right above us!

In the end we made it home, regardless of monkeys or injuries. Everyone was in great spirits. What fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

After washing up we went to church. I was given the privilege of speaking to the youth group, and asked to speak about the importance of the Word of God in our daily lives. It's a broader topic than I had first thought, and I hope I did it justice. Lately I've been striving to foster a fear of God rather than a fear of man. I've realized that most of my anxiety is centered around how I'm perceived and judged by others, and that this anxiety inhibits my ability to share, to fellowship and to regard God. Moments like this evening, when I'm pushed forward and encouraged to speak up, are times when I'm forced to cultivate a spirit of boldness, however small. And I've come to understand that God can make a little boldness go a long way!

Church tonight was very moving. The sermon was preached by an elder of Solomon's church who just lost his only son on Monday night to a sudden accident. His attitude was one of humble surrender to the will of God: "God gave us His only Son, and now it is His will that I give Him mine."

The idea of surrender in hardship is one that shows up frequently in Indian culture. In some cases it manifests itself in negative ways, such as the Hindu belief that one cannot change one's circumstances. In the Indian church, this view has been transformed into an attitude of submission to God for the things that we cannot change. Most Christians in India do not think that an Untouchable's lifestyle is irreversible. But when sudden tragedy strikes in the form of an inexplicable death or natural disaster, the Indian Church does not shake its fist at God and deny that He loves them, as I think we often do in the West. They simply bow their heads, offering their lives to His sovereign will, accepting the fact that His plan is good and that some things must remain unexplained for now. They do not feel entitled to a life of ease, abundance or even health. They recognize all their blessings for what they are: undeserved and revocable. It's a difficult truth that I grapple with every time I visit India.

Well, that's been my day! I hope this post is worth a few laughs, and maybe a few more sobering thoughts. God bless!

Max

A Reminder

2011-06-18T22:00:00.005+05:30

Tomorrow is Father's Day, so I took some time this evening to remind the boys that they have a loving Father in heaven who has seen fit to bless them with loving, humble father on earth in the form of Solomon Mungamuri. I told the boys to make time for Solomon on Sunday to let him know just how respected, loved and blessed he is by each of his 45+ sons! What a family, and what father he is to these boys!

"The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him."

- Proverbs 23:24

Lest I forget, today, the 18th, is Ingrid's birthday! From what I heard tonight, she's enjoying a birthday party with the Kodai kids in the Shalom Home, so she's in great company. Please remember to pray for her and her ministry of love to the children in Kodaikanal!

Have an awesome time loving on your Dads, and a blessed Father's Day weekend!

Max

PS: Dad, you're truly a Grace of God in my life, and I don't know who I'd be without your example, correction and love. I hope you're refreshed and joy-filled this weekend! Can't wait to see you and talk to you when I come home! I love you so much!

PSS: Ingrid... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Solomon, Vejay, Smiley, Dolly and all the boys send their love! You're sorely missed! Have a good one, and I'll see you on Thursday!

What Love Reckons

2011-06-17T21:22:00.003+05:30

Quote of the day:

"Love reckons with the reality of suffering here and the worse reality of suffering there. If love puts his head in the sand regarding suffering here it isn't love. If love puts its head in the sand regarding suffering eternally, it isn't love." - John Piper

I heard this while listening to a podcast during the long drive back from Visag, and it's been sitting in the back of my mind all afternoon.

There's an urgency to the Gospel, isn't there? The suffering of our world is enough to consume our hearts with fear and in some cases drive us to insanity. And yet how much more real is the suffering of those subjected to an eternity under God's righteous wrath! We cannot neglect this fact: that all human beings are on route to one of two destinations. Yes, God is love. God is also justice, and wisdom and power. A just, wise and powerful Love reckons the reality of suffering now and suffering to come. God has reckoned suffering, and God has provided us with an escape in form of His Son crucified.

In light of this, try reading Matthew 7:13-14 as if the life of the hearer hung in the balance:

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

There is one gate among many that leads to life, and this gate is Christ. The toll has been paid in blood, and the way is open. But how small! How easily missed in this world of noise, pain and false pleasures!

"Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" [Martha] said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." - John 11:26-27

That's the narrow gate! With those words on her lips and in her heart, Martha's name is now to be found in the Lamb's Book of Life! Believe in Christ and all He has done, and receive the gift of life! This is the message that we must feed to a ruined world that is slowly killing itself with sin.

I shared this same message with the Angel Home boys tonight. I could say nothing else. My mind has been consumed with the thought of the gate being missed, of the true reckoning of suffering; a reckoning that we can't comprehend.

The message of the Gospel is like a letter that a man finds in his mailbox every single day of his life. It is an offer unlike any other; a gift-card presenting a free, all-expenses paid vacation to the most awesome place you can imagine - forever! But the gift remains in its envelope, unopened. The man is too distracted by the magazines with their colorful advertisements, the newspapers' bleak perspective of the world and the bills upon bills from debtors. The unopened gift could cancel all these subscriptions at once and whisk the recipient off to the New Eden. But the letter remains lost in the mess of the mailbox.

Our job as Christians, as a people pumped full of God's love for mankind, is to draw the world's attention to this neglected love-letter. We can't let the lost of this world miss out on such an opportunity! India, the United States, Europe... the location does not matter. The neglect is universal. Point to the narrow gate! Insist on the narrow gate above all others!

God bless, and go be fishers of men!

Max

P.S. Always bait your hook with love!

An Unexpected Journey

2011-06-16T22:50:00.005+05:30

Tonight I'm not blogging from Solomon's living room. Instead I'm some 200 km East of Rajahmundry, spending the night in Visakhapatnam on the Bay of Bengal. I'm sitting in the house of Solomon's sister Evangeline and her husband Paul.

How did this happen?

Before we took Ingrid to the airport this morning Solomon received a phone call from one of the elders of his church alerting Solomon to the fact that another elder's daughter was getting engaged today and married tomorrow (don't be alarmed; this is the standard procedure for an arranged marriage in India). As a fellow church elder, Solomon was invited to attend the festivities in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam (also known as Visag). So we scrapped our plans for the day, packed for our bags and decided that we were up for the long drive. It was already a part of our plan to make a visit to Visag to see Solomon's sisters (my "aunts"), so this sudden opportunity fit our schedule nicely.

The only downside is that we were forced to leave Ingrid behind. We dropped her off at the airport at noon for her flight to Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu, directly south of Andhra Pradesh. From Madurai Ingrid will take a three hour taxi ride deep into the Eastern Ghats (a mountain range that folds down India's eastern coast) until she reaches the beautiful town of Kodaikanal. While in Kodai Ingrid will stay with our friend Dency and her family. Dency heads up our Bethania ministries in the surrounding mountain villages, and Ingrid will be serving in the various homes and daycare centers in and around Kodai. In a week I'll meet up with her and give you all a closer look at the awesome work that God is doing south of Rajahmundry!

For now I'm enjoying fellowship with Evangeline and Paul!

Evangeline is one of the most adorable women I've ever met, a phenomenal hostess and a model for Christian women everywhere, overflowing with love, grace and passion for the Lord. She is also an amazing cook. Evangeline will produce enough food for fifteen people and then feed all of it to you. She is so insistent that you eat, you just can't say know! Since arriving at her house four hours ago I've consumed four mangos, three banannas, a plate full of gulab jamun (balls of dough that have been soaked in syrup), two halves of a chicken amounting to a whole chicken, and a tower of rice. Solomon must have eaten more as much; like a good older sister, Evangeline was watching him like a hawk to make sure he finished every last grain of rice on his plate.

Her husband, Paul, is a quiet, thoughtful man who nevertheless demands respect from his community for the authority that he graciously carries. Visag is a shipping town for all sorts of industrial materials, and Paul manages many of the shipping lines. Paul is what Solomon would call a "big man" in his profession, but you would not know it from his demeanor or attitude towards others. When men come to his house to meet with him on business matters (as I have seen many times) he greets them at the door in nothing but jeans and a tank-top. Paul leads his guests into his living room, where he sits them on the sofa to talk while Evangeline forces them to consume platefuls of fresh, homegrown fruit.

Paul is a "big man," and Solomon, though he would never say so, is also pillar in his own community as a church elder and home-owner. But you would never expect such influence from the way they speak and deal with others. At least not at first. They wield humility over power, and their influence is gently firm, not harsh and compulsory. As I have said before, Solomon is someone to learn from; Paul as well.

Bedtime. I'll share more from Visag tomorrow. God bless!

Max

Working Change

2011-06-15T21:00:00.006+05:30

Today was spent assisting Solomon with some Bethania work, getting Ingrid ready for her trip to Kodaikanal and playing with the new boys while the others were away at school.

Solomon has been taking admissions to fill up the vacancies left in the absence of the boys who have left Angel Home to begin college. We have five boys at the moment living in the home, and since they have yet to obtain uniforms and begin their classes, they spend their time playing karam board, cricket and chess with us!

I've enjoyed being able to focus on this smaller group. It's certainly a different experience from trying to engage all forty-five of boys while they're running amok. These new boys are very shy, and when the big group gathers they struggle to interact with Ingrid and me. Playing with them one-on-one allows them to get to know us without the pressure of the group.

I also hope that the new boys' growing familiarity with Ingrid and me will help them adjust and be themselves in a new environment where they are not yet entirely comfortable. Many of Solomon's principles regarding hygiene, discipline and study are completely new to them. They are transitioning from one life to another, and the contrast of the new life with the old is sometimes more than they can handle. They feel so blessed to be in the home (they have told me so), but they are also very afraid of the other boys, their studies and some of the new habits that they are struggling to learn. They are taking tentative steps into a new kind of existence. It's a stretching, straining process; one that I'm sure we can all relate to.

It's interesting to think about our own steps towards Christ. As God continues to reveal Himself to us through the work of His Holy Spirit we are transformed, or sanctified, into the image of God (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). I believe that these revelations can be found in the Word, in prayer, the experiences of our daily lives, and really through anything that the Holy Spirit can get its hands on - and the Spirit can get its hands everything! These moments change us, move us, shock us and sometimes even whip us into the image that God has always intended us to possess. Sanctification is rarely easy and is often surprising in its methods. Personally I've found it uncomfortable, if not staggering! But this is the sanctifying process which we find at work in ourselves, and which is also apparent in the changing lives of the Bethania children in India. Praise God for His work, and for the power He possesses to return souls to their Edenic state!

Ingrid said goodbye to the boys tonight, and flies out of Rajahmundry at noon tomorrow. We're all sorry to see her go. I don't know what I'll do without her advice... probably be bitten by a cobra or strangled by a monkey. Then again Ingrid's going into the mountains, so she has the wild pigs and bison to watch out for on top of primates and snakes. I think they have leopards too. But she's smart. No worries!

God is good, and so I'm going to get some sleep. God bless!

Max

Portrait of a Servant

2011-06-14T20:27:00.010+05:30

We weathered a pretty big monsoon last night, and today has been damp and cool as a result. I never thought I'd live to see it 70 degrees in Rajahmundry! In the late afternoon Solomon and I pulled out the plastic lawn chairs, sat down and began what was at first a simple conversation. The breeze was relaxing, the concrete was cool from the rain, and words came easily.

We began by talking about careers, of all things. Solomon asked me whether or not I planned on going into my Dad's work after he retired (in India one of the children is always expected to continue in the family business), and I explained that though I wasn't absolutely sure, I probably wouldn't (...no offense, Dad!). We talked about why and why not, and Solomon expressed his desire that one of his daughters would eventually take over the work in Angel Home. This work is Solomon's entire life, and I could tell by the way he spoke the amount of passion and joy that he has poured into this ministry.

Let me tell you a little more about Solomon. Here's a picture of him and his wife, Vejay:

Solomon Mungamuri has committed himself to a lifestyle of selfless giving. This is not blind charity. Solomon is a master of discerning the truth behind pretense, and has deep insights into the people he interacts with on a daily basis. He never judges without compassion, and when he sees genuine need he immediately offers whatever support he can. Solomon understands the true value of money, and uses it for the benefit of others first, looking to his own needs only after those around him have been properly cared for.

Solomon has told me about the times when people have asked him why he bothers to do what he does for the Untouchables. When asked why he doesn't stay in his home and see only to his own affairs, Solomon responds, "If I simply stay in my house, I block the Holy Spirit." When asked why he bothers to serve the Angel Home boys more expensive chicken or mutton in their meals, he says "What's the fun in calling these boys my sons if I can't spoil them?"

The quote from Solomon that I most remember is when he explained to me that God has called him to be "a servant of servants." Solomon's desire is to be a servant who prepares other servants to serve. What a calling!

Proverbs 16:19: "It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud." Solomon takes his cue from Scripture such as this, and lives a life that is deeply linked to the dalit caste. As a relatively wealthy man in his community, Solomon could have chosen to remain apart from the poor. He could have chosen to associate only with those within his own caste, and to make the make the most of his money for himself and his immediate family. Instead of this, Solomon has recognized the Biblical call to step beyond the boundaries of the context into which he was born. He has bound himself to the plight of the poor, entering their lives to speak out on their behalf through his generosity, concern and compassion. He has done this at great cost to his own time, energy and wealth, and yet his life is blessed with love of a gigantic family, the satisfaction of God's peace and the pleasure of seeing God at work in dynamic ways. His is a life worth studying, and a life worth leading.

God bless!

Max

The Context of Transformation

2011-06-13T21:57:00.011+05:30

Today was a lot of fun! While the boys were in school, Solomon took Ingrid, Smily, Dolly and me to explore Rajahmundry. I'd been down to the Godavari river many times before, but this was Ingrid's first visit. So we made the most of it, taking a ride in an extremely unstable motorboat.

The water was pretty choppy, and I actually had to hold down pieces of the boat to keep them from flying away while we were catching air above the waves. Not one of my safer experiences, but it was fun to jet around the little fishing boats under the two huge bridges. The inhabitants of Rajahmundry are very proud of these bridges, and they stretch for several kilometers across the river.

The Godavari River is the second largest river in India (the biggest being the Ganges) and the Hindus consider it to be sacred. As a result, the riverbank is crowded with temples. Washing in the Godavari is a form of worship for Hindus, and in many areas there are steps that lead down into the water so that Hindus can complete their pilgrimages to the river with a ritual bath.

We also took time to visit Sir Arthur Cotton's old dam. Sir Arthur Cotton was a British general and evangelist who spent much time in Andhra Pradesh building irrigation systems to help the Indian farmers manage the floods that occurred every year during monsoon season. He is greatly revered in Rajahmundry, and his dam, built in the middle of the 19th century, is still in use today.

So that's a little bit about Rajahmundry, and I hope it helps to place things in context. Due to the presence of the Godavari River, Rajahmundry is indeed a very Hindu area. Nevertheless the church is thriving here, as it often does in the most unexpected of places. People are hungry for the Gospel, and when they find it they are ready to feast! And this feast is made all the more apparent by the backdrop of Hindu worship and caste-related suffering.

Today Ingrid and I were happy to welcome home another Bethania Kids graduate: Manga Raju!

Manga-raj has just finished 10th class and is looking forward to beginning his first year of junior college, where he will spend two years studying math, physics and chemistry (yikes!) before transferring to University where he will major in mechanical engineering. Five years ago Manga-raj was a cattle driver on a slum-farm outside of Rajahmundry, an orthodox Hindu, and a frequent absentee from school. Now he is living with a saving knowledge of Christ as a leader in his home and a college applicant! When asked how he planned on impacting the world for Christ, Manga-raj responded, "I want to live as God's son. I will teach my community and fellow students about the love of Christ. I have no experience in evangelism, but I will try!" He wanted also to thank his sponsors in America (who may or may not be reading this blog), and to let them know that their support has made a tremendous difference in his life over the past five years. And Mom, Manga-raj told me that he's praying for you every day.

God is good, and He is as good a God here in Rajahmundry as He is everywhere else. And when the completeness of His goodness, the omniscience of His intellect, the weight of His compassion and the flintiness of His will are brought to bear on the life of one small, sinful, yet much loved creation, the result is something like what we see in the life of Manga-raj. This boy is unknown to the world, yet known intimately by God, and the knowledge of this relationship shines through Manga-raj's smile and makes itself evident in his intention to share his faith with those caught in the cycles of our sin-saturated world.

Manga-raj's life, though small and secret, has experienced no small transformation. God has used Bethania to turn this boy's world upside down. What will He use to do the same to yours?

God bless!

Sunday Evening in Rajahmundry

2011-06-12T17:39:00.003+05:30

I'm at a crowded internet cafe cross the street from our church here in Rajahmundry, taking the time to update the blog before the English service begins at 6:30 (no Telugu Gospel for us this week)!

I have so many stories that I'd like to share, but I don't think I can do them justice with my limited time. Suffice it to say that every day brings a new manifestation of God's power. The most recent occured less than an hour ago, when Bethania Kids graduate Chandra Sehkar returned to Angel Home with the happy news that he has been accepted into a university where he plans on majoring in economics and computers! Once ostracized as an Untouchable, Chandra's life has been completely reversed. At the age of 18, Chandra is now well-established as an A+ student with a life of hope ahead of him. He is looking forward to a successful career in finances or programming, and has even expressed a desire to use his life to impact children like himself. How's that for a seed on the wind?

It's also worth noting that Ingrid and I are due for a mix-up in the routine this coming week. The boys begin school on Monday, starting with a half-day of studies for the first few weeks.

HA! Get a load of this: somone's cell phone just rang, and the ringtone was unmistakeably a Justin Bieber tune. Even in India folks... even in India.

Back on track: since the boys have only a half-day of studies we'll still be able to spend plenty of time with them in the afternoon. We're also looking forward to spending a day at the Narendrapuram site to make sure that the roofing slab is successfully installed over the recently completed dining hall. Look forward to more coverage of the construction and the impact that the new project is already having on the community!

And lastly, Ingrid and I are parting ways on Thursday. She's going to fly South into Tamil Nadu and then drive into the mountains to visit the ministries in Kodaikanal. I'll be joining her a week later, though for the time being I'm going to miss her company, her wisdom and her jokes; there are some things in India that you just can't laugh at unless you have a fellow American to laugh with you!

Well, that's about all the time I can spare before church. As soon as we solve our internet problem I'll bring some new pictures and videos for you all to enjoy. Also please pray for Chandra Sehkar as he prepares to begin his college career. He's very excited, but also very nervous. Let's pray for peace, focus and wisdom for Chandra, and also that he may strive for the glory of God first in all things - study, work, relationships and ministry.

God bless you all!
Max

The Great Reversal

2011-06-11T11:33:00.005+05:30

The wifi network we use in Rajahmundry has been down for almost three days now, so out of desperation to blog I now find myself driven into a crowded internet cafe down the street from Angel Home.

Less than ten minutes ago I listened to Ingrid deliver an awesome Bible lesson on the subject of truth-telling. It was a timely lesson for all of the boys, myself included; looking forward to worshiping "in spirit and truth" in the coming Kingdom, and getting myself ready by striving for an honest heart and truthful lips in the now! I am so impressed by my sister's ability to teach. Her words are simple and cut right to the core of the matter, always assuming the best of her listeners and impressing on them the need for Gospel-centric attention to themselves, their community and their world. Solomon was beaming as he translated Ingrid's message, and I could only sit behind her shoulder in awe of the wisdom of God that was flowing out of my sister's mouth.

Before I came to this cafe to blog, I left Ingrid and the boys enjoying a heated game of karam board. I had trouble making my way out of the front gate; all the boys were begging me to ask Solomon for cricket, as usual. I eventually grabbed the nearest boy (Praveen), dragged him in front of Solomon and told him to ask for himself. Like all the other boys he chickened out, and Solomon just laughed. Solomon inspires a lot of respect, fear and love from these boys; something of our Heavenly Father should inspire from us, I think.

Today I want to share the story of Ravi Teja. His situation is a unique compared to the other boys, demanding our attention and our prayers. Here is a picture of Ravi with his friend, Anil Kumar, in the background.

A few days ago I had the opportunity of sitting down with Ravi to hear his story. Solomon served as translator. Ravi explained that he and his family had lived comfortably on a small income, renting out an apartment where they enjoyed a happy life together. Ravi's father, unlike the fathers of many of Ravi's fellow Bethania Kids, was a hard-working man who was employed as a paid laborer, hiring himself out to various construction projects. Ravi's mother was a teacher. Their combined payrolls were more than enough to support their young family.

But then everything changed in an accident that Ravi remembered in horrible detail. The family was travelling to Visag by lorry (a large truck). There was space inside the lorry for the entire family, but to give his wife and children more space Ravi's father opted to stand outside on the rear bumper, with his head poking out over the roof of the lorry. Ravi remembered his mother begging his father, "Please just come inside; it's dangerous!" But Ravi's father wasn't concerned.

On the road to Visag there are many large steel girders that are arched across the road to regulate the movements of bigger vehicles in traffic. The big vehicles are intended to slow down when approaching these girders. The driver of Ravi's lorry approached a girder, but did not slow down. Ravi's father had no time to duck, and the low-hanging girder smashed across his face.

Ravi remembers moving his father from hospital to hospital, but each report was the same. Ravi's father had forever lost the use of his eyes.

Blinded, Ravi's father was unable to work, and the family's situation was immediately reversed. Unable to pay the rent, Ravi's family was forced to leave their apartment and live in a slum village. Ravi's mother maintained her job as a teacher, barely making enough to feed and clothe her children. Ravi's father, suddenly branded a dalit and condemned by Hindus for sins he must have committed in a past life, could do nothing but pray for God's help.

His prayers were answered. Ravi's mother discovered Angel Home, where she entrusted her only son into Solomon's charge with the simple hope that Ravi would be cared for and well educated. She did not expect that Ravi would learn of the love of Christ, or that his entry into Angel Home would herald the salvation of his entire family! God has used Angel Home to share His love with Ravi, and Ravi in turn (and despite his young age!) has managed to share that same love with his parents and sisters. How awesome is that? Our great God, transforming an unexpected evil into an outpouring of His Grace! Though all is not yet as it should be for Ravi and his family, God has already ensured their welfare for eternity! What a beautiful reversal!

And even now things are improving for Ravi and his family! Without having to look after Ravi, her youngest child, Ravi's mother has raised enough money to pay for a surgery which would restore one of her husbands two ruined eyes. The surgery is scheduled for next month, and we are praying for success and renewal for Ravi's father's sight. I hope that you will pray with us for the same!

It is also my hope that you will be reawakened to the great reversals that have occurred in your own life! Look for the good that God has wrought good even through the worst of circumstances. Remember that in the Christian, the greatest and most-needed reversal has already occurred! Remember the all-encompassing good of the salvation Christ won for you on the cross!

God bless!

Bethania Kids in Their Own Words

2011-06-08T10:21:00.007+05:30

Today I brought my computer with me to Angel Home and told the boys that they could each give me a two or three sentence statement about themselves, their lives, or anything that they might want friends in the USA to know about them. We started with the youngest boys, and concluded with the eldest. There's a ton of text here, and so you may want to skim down and read only a handful of what's been posted. Or if you're a brave soul and not afraid of some very redundant English, take the whole thing! These are the boys' words almost exactly as they were spoken or translated to me, though I have corrected their grammar in some places. I hope the boys' personalities shine through these "tweets" or whatever you want to call them. They certainly had a fun time explaining how "naughty" they used to be! Read on!

---

Pavan Kumar: Hello, my name is Pavan Kumar. My best friends are Max and Ingrid. Bethania Kids is a good hostel and a happy home.

Wilson: ... (was too shy to say anything)

Jayanth: I never used to study, but here I am good.

Chandu: I am happy here.

Vinesh: No caretakers in the house, no mother. I am naughty fellow.

Ravi Teja: I am so happy in Bethania Kids home. In my village, I don't know about Jesus. When I come to Bethania Kids home, I know Jesus and I know Bible and I know reading all.

Wumsi: In my home, my mother and father did not take care of me. I did not study. I did not go to school every day. Here I study well!

Rajesh: I want to become a doctor. I didn't study well in my house, but I study well here.

Pruvdhi: My parents took me to work, so I never went to school. I used to help my father with his welding. I like math.

Anil Kumar: I come from Dharmavarum. I am a naughty fellow in my house, but I am behaving well here.

Naveen: I am a naughty fellow in my house, but I am studying well here. My favorite pastime is cricket and kabaddi.

Vijay: In his house I did not know how to read the Bible, but I came here and I learned. My favorite verse is Psalm 91.

Nikhilesh: In my home, I did not know how to study Bible. I came here and am doing well. My favorite game is cricket, and I love Bethania. I love to eat chicken.

Chandu: In my home, I did not know how to read. Now I am a good student. My favorite game is cricket. If I could be an animal, I would be a lion.

Manosh: I was a naughty fellow in my house, but I am studying well here. I learned how to read the Bible here. I want to be a scientist.

Praveen: I was a naughty fellow in my house in Visakhapatnam. I am studying well here.

Satosh Kumar: When Ingrid and Max came, I was happy. My favorite games are karam board and cricket. If I could travel to one place, I would go to Martere, my home village near the Godavari, to play with my friends.

Prasad: My village is Pandalapaka, where people weave clothes. But the weaving factory was shut down. Now instead of weaving, we farm everything but sugar cane.

Charan: In my home, I had no discipline. It was easy to bunk school and go play with my friends. Once we snuck off to the cinema to see Indrea without telling our parents. Now if I sneak off, I am punished. After coming here, I have discipline and I don't bunk school. Oh, and I know Jesus!

Abhinay: I never used to study, because my parents took me to work. No time for studying. My mother is a tailor, and I have no father. We earned 40-50 rupees a day ($1).

Anil: No time to study in my home. My parents never used to send me out from home. Here, I am very happy.

Venkat: I am studying 7th class. I am most thankful for God.

Gopi Krishna: I never used to go to school or church. My mother used to beat me for not going to school. Other than my mother, a pastor took care of me. He tried to teach me, but I never listened to his words.

Karthik: I used to study very little, but when I came here, I learned how to read and am learning in computer class. I am going to church and believing Jesus.

Ramesh: I am studying well here, and I know God here. After coming here, I know how to behave properly. If I have any doubts in a subject, I ask my teachers for help, and I am writing my exams well.

Ayyappa: I used to bunk school and go to the cinema and the video game shop. Once at the cinema, I was stampeded in a rush for tickets. My teacher caught me going to the cinema and told my parents. My uncle scolded me. After that, I started going to school properly.

Vivek: I used to bunk school and play with my friends. I used to play near the Godavari River. Now I am studying properly.

Naveen Kumar: I never used to go to school. Instead of school, I went to play cricket. My favorite game is cricket. I never used to study at home, but I study here. I am happy here.

Pruvdhi Raj: I am a new boy. Everyone here has discipline, and I like that. At home, I was very naughty, but I am doing good here. I want to study well and get a job.

Ajay: I never used to study in my house, but I am first in my class here. Without telling my father, I used to go to the cinema. I want to learn English and become an English pastor.

Sanjay: I was very lonely in my house. I never had friends. Now all of my best friends are here in the home. I want to study engineering.

Mahesh: My village is Bhimavaram. I never used to study. I guarded buffaloes with no trouble. I am happy here.

Chaitanya: I never used to go to church. I came to know Jesus when I came here. I want to become a pastor.

Abhishek: My village is Madurlanka. Being happy is my hobby! I used to bunk school with Vijay Raj. We played near the Godavari. We played when school began and went home when school ended. No discipline. I didn't even know my two tables at home, but I am studying well here. My brother taught me to play cricket. That's why I'm the best cricket player!

Swami: I never used to go to church. When my mom went out, I closed the doors and watched TV in secret. Here, I learned to study the Bible, and I know Jesus. I want to become a doctor.

Kumar: I did not know Jesus at home. I never studied, but now I know how to study. I think the smartest person in the world is my mother. I love my mother, and she is very wise.

Vijay Raj: After the end of school, I used to go to the Godavari and swim. I am studying well here, improving my knowledge. My favorite game is cricket. I grew up with Abhishek. Abhishek and I used to steal goas (a kind of fruit). We never got caught because we were so fast!

Sai Kumar: I never would have studied if I had not come here. Only because of Solomon am I studying. I learned Bible here. I like drawing. Charan is my best friend. I love my mother, my two sisters, and my one brother.

Mallesh: I was a Hindu, but I learned Jesus here and changed. There were so many problems in my house that I did not have time to study. I am studying well here. My favorite Bible verse is Ephesians 4:29.

---

You may have noticed while reading these statements that there's a huge focus on discipline and education. This is because these two things are very valuable to Indian culture. The Indian education system is extremely rigorous and discipline-focused. In India your school of study, your college major and ultimately your career is completely determined by your placement in school exams. Failure to place highly in your class makes it almost impossible to attend a higher level institution, which consequently prohibits the student from any kind of successful career. Because of this, the ideal of the disciplined academic is a necessary model for behavior.

For Dalits the idea of an education in any form is often out of the question. By offering these boys the opportunity to study, Bethania Kids is enabling them to break out of the caste mold that they were thrust into at birth and to take part in a life beyond the slums in which they spent their early years. These boys recognize this, and are immensely grateful for the chance to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps through their studies. They have dreams now; dreams to become doctors, pastors, engineers... careers through which they have expressed a desire to enhance the kingdom of God! How exciting is that?

Children changed by the Grace of God setting out to effect more change by His power and in His name. This kind of continuity is what we've wanted to accomplish through this ministry, and God's pleased to make it happen!

God bless!
Max

A Simple Day

2011-06-07T22:13:00.005+05:30

Today we had good cloud cover, which meant that it was finally cool enough for the long-awaited cricket match!

We headed down to the local park (or dust field) and played two games over the course of three hours. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy this sport! Unfortunately my team lost both games. I was happy to find that my batting skills had improved, and that Abeshek's curve-ball didn't get the best of me. I definitely need to brush up on my bowling skills, though... I may have allowed 12 runs in the first game.

Cricket aside, we played some other fun games, ate some delicious food, worshiped and prayed alongside our Indian brothers and sisters. We had a pretty typical, but certainly not wasted, day. Do you ever feel like you must accomplish significant work in order to make your daylight mean something? I do sometimes, but today didn't have that feeling, and I don't think Ingrid did either.

I've come to realize that the Indian worldview focuses less on the time that we use and more on the space that we occupy. In light of this, Ingrid and I are learning to surrender our time to the space in which God has placed us, and enjoy the blessings that are apparent now, rather than worry about what blessings may or may not appear tomorrow. Today was meaningful because it was God-blessed day (and for those who have been saved by Christ, every day is such a day). Specifically, in the space of Angel Home my sister and I were blessed to communicate love and have love communicated to us, and in this transaction I am aware of growth, joy and thankfulness.

So I'm off to bed tonight with the simple knowledge that my God, who is so big, loves me very much, and will see me from place to place, from year to year, with the same steadfast love and Grace with which He has seen me thus far.

God bless!
Max

Grace Like Rain

2011-06-06T21:13:00.005+05:30

Today was a beautiful day.

Not in the sense that the weather was beautiful; by midday it was swelteringly hot. We were forced to cancel our game of cricket due to the dangerous temperatures, much to the boys' dissapointment.

Today was a beautiful day because it was a Grace-filled day. This Grace was the capital "G" kind of Grace, the best sort of Grace you could ask for. Now, there's a sense in which every day is a Grace-filled day for the Christian. But how often do we really remember the diamond of Grace as it was gifted to us, with all of its glittering facets? A true understanding of Grace should not only prompt joy, but a desire to share the same Grace with others. Today found that my sense of this diamond of Grace has been revived and revitalized.

The theme of Grace has been following me all day long, occuring to me first during my quiet time before breakfast. But it really hit home after lunch, as I was reading the first chapter of Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel.

I've heard a lot of good things about this book, and thought it would be a worthwhile read for my time in Indian. I never expected to be provoked in such a way, and by the first chapter no less! The whole chapter demands our attention, but this is the quote that struck me the most:

Regarding Luke 18:16 ("Let the children come to me"): "The New Testament world was not sentimental about children and had no illusion about any pretended innate goodness in them. ... Children are our model because they have no claim on heaven. If they are close to God, it is because they are incompetent, not because they are innocent. If they recieve anything, it can only be as a gift."

Children as incompentent, dependent upon gifts if they are to have anything at all; I had never thought of children in that way, nor of myself. But this is really how it is: we need God for everything, because by dint of own sinfulness we can accomplish no good thing on our own. What's more, we deserve nothing, for it was God who brought us into this world and redeemed us at great cost to Himself. We are as dependent and incompentent as children, all we can do is recieve.

And this is how Grace works; as a gift. We cannot earn it, we cannot deserve it, we cannot even take it by any initiative of our own. We can only ask for it, and God alone can give it. The crazy thing is that I'm not sure we would even want to ask for it if He had not given us the Grace of this desire! We are unfathomably blessed even by our own craving for right-standing before God! Think of it; neither Satan nor his fallen angels have this desire, and yet it has been extended to us.

This reminder put a spring in my step for the rest of the afternoon, and I felt compelled, though a little embarassed, to share it. I was given the chance and the gumption to do this (more Grace!) in the evening.

Around 6:30 pm we went back to see the boys, as usual. It was still pretty hot, so we climbed onto the roof of Angel Home, where we could enjoy the breeze. As it grew dark the boys began to get more and more excited, as they usually do before we start dancing. And then Solomon caught everyone by surprise. He snuck onto the roof with the hose in his hands and began to spray us all with cold, cold water. Everybody went crazy! For almost ten minutes water was flying everywhere, and by the end of Solomon's "attack" there was not one boy who wasn't thoroughly soaked. I wish I could've taken pictures! Boys were rolling around on the concrete, previously too hot to walk upon barefoot, but now wet and cool. The small boys were ganging up on their older brothers, trying to force them to front of the mob so that Solomon could stick the hose down their shirt until water bubbled out of their sleeves. I was buried beneath a pile of wet, screaming bodies, while Ingrid... well, I have no idea what Ingrid was doing, but when it was all over she was just as wet as me!

Afterwards Solomon gathered all the boys together to sit on the wet ground, and I was called upon to share a quick lesson. There was no backing out, no time for second-guessing. Solomon was asking for nothing less than the outflow of my cowardly and tentative heart.

So I talked about Grace, and Solomon's water-fight was my metaphor. On a day that was hot and dry, a day in which the very humidity was boiled out of the air, Solomon had suddenly appeared to launch of sneak-attack of love. Like a good father, he gave everyone both what they wanted and what they needed: a long, cool bath. God's Grace was the same; on an earth parched by sin, people are like dried plants, cracked and crooked, craving water. And comes Grace like rain, unexpected, undeserved, refreshing, life-giving. And all is set right, even though the hot, dusty climate remains. Sin did not end when Christ died on the cross, but the effects of sin were destroyed, for all who accept His free gift out of a repentant and knowingly needful heart of faith will be saved for eternal life. And that is the Gospel of Grace!

I took time to list for the boys all the other "minor" Graces (as if we can call any Grace minor!) that they enjoyed every day. A home, food, clothes, an education, a family that loves them, complete with a father for whom it is a pleasure to serve. It went on and on. I should've given them the opportunity to add in any point that I had forgotten; I'm sure that there was a lot missing from my list.

When I was finished, I told the boys to stand, and we did the only thing that we could do in light of the good news of God's Grace: we danced in the puddles on the roof until we couldn't dance any more.

Then we went home, prayed and ate. And now we're going to sleep! I hope you all will sleep well tonight in the peace of the Grace God has shown to you! Oh, and pray that God finds ways to force you to share the good news of this Grace with others. I don't know about you, but I know that I suffer from a condition that I like to call evangelism-constipation. Don't let it stop you - get the Word out!

God bless!

Max

Sunday / Understanding Bollywood

2011-06-05T21:28:00.007+05:30

Today was Sunday, and a restful day for all of us. We sure needed it!

Church began at 9:00. Solomon took us to the Telugu service, the largest of the weekend. Solomon chose the Telugu service for us so that we could skip the English service (which would be held in the evening) and spend more time with the boys. The trade-off was no problem; church was still meaningful, particularly communion, language barrier notwithstanding. There is no "language of God" unless we are referring to the universal language of love with which He binds us to Himself and each other. English, Telugu, Hindi and Tamil are all the same to Him, and the heart of the Gospel can be translated into all cultures.

In the afternoon I read for a few hours, slept for a few more, watched assorted Telugu movies that were all more or less the same. For those of you who aren't familiar with Indian culture, let me give you a summary of the general plot for most Bollywood films:

The story is about a young man who is more or less invincible. He gets into fights all the time with anyone who insults him, his mother, sister, best friend, really anyone he knows. He always wins and so there is rarely any concern about whether or not he will survive. He seems to be aware of his own invincibility and reeks of self-confidence. During the finale there might be a moment in which we fear for his welfare, but then the hero does something ridiculous (like tearing a tree-stump out of the ground and wielding it as a club, or in the case of Prabas in the movie Chathrapatha, riding a shark through the propeller of a slave ship).

Early on in the movie (usually after the opening fistfight) the hero meets a girl. The girl is very well-to-do, and since the hero is something of a "bad boy" she shuns him. He then has fun creeping on her with his motley group of friends until she finally gives in. At this point the movie is a romantic comedy, and includes lots of songs featuring the boy and girl dancing and flirting around various iconic Indian monuments. After the hero has made the girl fall in love with him he learns that either (a) her father is a gangster or (b) her father is under the thumb of a gangster or (c) threatened by a gangster. At any rate there is trouble with the father involving some kind of gang, and the hero can't marry the girl until it's (violently) resolved. Additionally the gangster (if not the girl's father) wants the girl for himself.

Now the movie transitions from a romantic comedy to an action film, and the finale is nothing less than the hero barging into the gangster's hideout alone and unarmed to face an army of white-shirted men wielding clubs and knives. It doesn't matter how many of them there are; the hero always wins. For example, in the movie Pokiri the actor Prince Mahesh Babu (he's a beast) kills some 80 men over the course of a thirty minute scene before finally impaling the villain on a massive shard of glass that he tears from a windowpane. Prince Mahesh Babu is my favorite.

After all the bad guys are dead, peace is restored to the lives of the hero, the girl, and he father (unless he was the gangster, in which case he is now dead). The end.

That's most Bollywood movies, in a nutshell. Or at least most Telugu films that I've watched. There are other film genres, such as the Indian soap opera, with their own stereotypes. But I won't delve into that tonight. And I'm sure that any Indian visiting the USA would be able to articulate movie formulas for our culture as well; I think most of us would agree that most chick flicks and Michael Bay movies feel about the same.

We went to see the boys at 5:00 and stayed until after dark to dance and sing. Jai Ho is becoming a crowd favorite. Tomorrow we hope to take the boys to the local park to play cricket. They've been begging us since we came for a cricket game, but Solomon doesn't seem as excited about it; I think he's afraid of the significant heat. We'll see what the weather looks like tomorrow, and then decide.

Ingrid and I remain amazed by the affection and joy of the people here, and every day is a new lesson in love. It's amazing to watch as God breaks traditional boundaries and jumps cultural fences throughout this caste-oriented society. This place manifests Christ's power over culture to me in ways that my mere faith cannot, and gives me greater hope for action within the individualistic, materialistic American paradigm. But it's one thing for me to hope, and another to act; so lets all pray for the grace of conviction through the Holy Spirit, that we might give more than just lip-service to the heart of our Savior.

God bless you all this Sunday afternoon!

Max

Karthik

2011-06-04T10:05:00.002+05:30

This is Karthik:

When Karthik was very young, his family lived on the outskirts of Rajahmundry in a makeshift hut of wooden poles, straw and mud. His mother remained at home to watch over Karthik and his little brother Revanth. His father worked hard to provide the family's only income; he was a lorry cleaner, and would make a little less than 1000 rupees per week (about 20 dollars). It is interesting to note that by the Indian government's definition of poverty, Karthik's family is not considered poor. The government's policy is that anyone making more than 12 rupees per day (25 cents) is above the poverty line.

Because of the lack of money in the family and the father's frequent misuse of his wages on liquor, Karthik's mom would frequently borrow money from neighbors. The interest rate would become very high, and Karthik's family would find itself deep in debt. Karthik's father would produce money by dubious means to pay back the debt, and then come home drunk to abuse his wife.

Karthik's grandmother rescued Karthik from his parent's situation in Rajahmundry, and for a time he lived with her in the village of Thagarapuvalasa near the city of Visakhapatnam. For fun Karthik would wander around in the streets with the other boys, looking for trouble. He would only attend school if he felt like it; he might show up for a few hours and then wander off.

Before Karthik's father worked as a lorry cleaner, he was a salesman of cheap vitamin water. He would carry bags packed with bottles of the stuff and sell them at ten rupees a bottle. While roaming around Rajahmundry trying to sell his bottles, he came across Angel Home. He asked Solomon if his son could gain admittance, and Solomon told him to come back in one year, once there was an opening in the home.

Karthik's mother, Lalitha, used to work as a washerwoman for Bethania. Due to another dispute between Karthik's father and mother, she left and she took Revanth with her (Karthik's younger brother).

Since bringing their son to Bethania, God has begun to work change in the hearts of Karthik's parents. Both of Karthik's parents have professed Jesus as their savior, and though they remain unreconciled, their relationship has improved as a result of this newfound faith. There is more work to be done (Karthik's father still retains his drinking problem) but God is on the move in the life of this family.

The greatest change is that seen in Karthik himself. Now one of the older boys in Angel Home, he helps to look after his younger brothers in a manner that is confident, respectful and diligent. He is an excellent student, and he tells me that he enjoys studying science the most. Most importantly, he has publicly affirmed Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and is actively trying to effect change in his family by embedding the Gospel message into the minds and hearts of his father, mother and brother. Praise God for His good work, and pray for the continued movement of the Spirit in the life of Karthik and his family!

God bless!

Max

Visit to Narendrapuram

2011-06-03T22:36:00.009+05:30

Today after breakfast Solomon took Ingrid, Dolly and me to visit the construction site in Narendrapuram. This is the first time I've visited the site since construction began; on previous visits to India the Narendrapuram property was nothing more than an empty field with a monument dedicating the ground to God and the ministry. I'm thrilled now to be able to finally see this project taking shape!

Solomon gave us a tour of the construction site, explaining the functions of the various structures and spaces. There is to be a large, grassy playing field out in front of the main compound where the boys will be able to play cricket, soccer and catch. The new home will also feature a farm containing cows and chickens, which Solomon hopes will go towards sustaining the ministry. Aside from housing 80 boys, the new home will also contain a community hall that will serve as the focal point of a ministry to the entire Narendrapuram community. Solomon was quiet in his usual way as he explained these details to us, but we could tell that he was brimming with joy.

That's Solomon's way; he bears himself with a kind of humility against which I have never been able to draw comparison. His general disposition is most often one of quiet concern, but there is a God-given and passionate spirit at work in Solomon. This is most evident in the subtleties of his life: the tone of voice through which he communicates the children's stories, his laughter at his daughters' antics, and the veiled joy he communicates to you after he knows that hard day's work has been well done. Here's a picture of Solomon's heart in his own words: he once shared a compliment with me, and I bashfully (read pridefully) tried to turn it around on him. He raised his hand to stop me, and said, "Max, if God has made you His servant, than He has made me a servant of His servants." That just about sums it up! What an incredible example; just the sort of person God would choose to find and raise upwards of 80 lost sons.

Here are some pictures of the Narendrapuram construction site:

These workers were more than willing to have their picture taken:

Solomon even allowed me to "help" in the construction by hydrating the pillars above the new dining hall.

After visiting Narendrapuram we returned to Angel Home for lunch and play. Today I brushed up on my karam board skills. Who knew it was so touch to shoot some little wooden coins into a hole with a hockey puck! I thought that it couldn't be much more difficult than pool. This thought should have tipped me off... I'm no good at pool either.

After dark we went back onto the roof of Angel Home where we sang, danced and in general had a crazy time. We began by dancing to Jai Ho and Single Ladies (this was to try to release any of the boy's excess energy) and then sang Trading My Sorrows and All to You to wrap up in worship. Kumar prayed for us, and then we returned to Solomon's house for the night.

So that's day three! I'm never this busy back home... what a crazy time we've been having! But it's all so worth it! I was sitting on the roof as night fell, watching the sky go from pale blue to pale pink, listening to the droning of some Hindu radio broadcast in the distance, observing families of five or six ride around on a single motorcycle and listening to the chatter from the chai wagon next to our house. What a completely foreign setting, and so far from home! I forget to think about it, but 100 years ago it might have taken me half of a year to make my way from Washington to Rajahmundry. What a blessing to be born into this age, when we can make these personal connections across oceans and continents. It's an opportunity not to be missed.

Look forward to a separate blog post that I'll be posting tomorrow morning that is going to be all about my friend Karthik! Solomon and I interviewed him today, the first of many interviews we hope to carry out over the next few weeks. I hope you'll take the time to read and consider his story, his life and his witness.

God bless, and good night!

Max

Stories and Dancing

2011-06-02T20:48:00.007+05:30

Our second day in Rajahmundry has come and gone in a flash.

Ingrid and I were both well rested after 9 hours of sleep, and we went to see the boys around 10:30. We filled the morning and most of the afternoon with more silliness, organized games and storytelling. Solomon prompted me to a share a "moral story" and so I found myself explaining an old Norwegian legend about humility (go figure!). This was half "real story" and half improvisation on my part, but I think I got my point across. This got many of the other boys excited about storytelling, and so they shared some tales that they knew: the Parrot and the King and another very confusing story about a ghost in a bottle. The Parrot and the King was a very clever little fable about enjoying your blessings as they come to you. I'm not sure what the ghost story was about, but it resulted in lots of laughter from the other boys. I think there was a lot lost in translation, but we laughed along with them anyway. Ingrid told some stories... mostly about incidents that occurred with our family or friends. Later this week I plan on returning with my laptop to hear the stories again so that I can write them down.

We took a three hour rest in the early afternoon at Solomon's house. This is nap-time throughout Rajahmundry; a kind of Indian siesta. I spent most of it digging into my summer reading. Ingrid read and napped in turns, and Solomon and his family slept.

Around 5:00 we went back to Angel Home where we learned a new game: kabbadi! This game is played by first drawing a line on the floor. Two teams are formed, and face each other on either side. The teams then take turns sending one player over to the other side to touch as many of the other team's members as he can without being tackled and held down by the opposing team. Whoever the attacking player touches is "out" if he can get back over to his side of the line, but if this player is tackled, he's the one who's out. This goes on until only one team is standing. Here's Ingrid giving it a shot:

The game is called kabbadi because the attacking player has to yell "kabbadi" (a nonsense word) constantly while he's trying to tag the other team. If you stop yelling kabbadi even for a moment, you're out. This has been my favorite game so far.

After kabbadi, when it was dark, we went onto the roof of Angel Home to dance. It felt so good to be doing this again! We dance with the boys on most evenings when I'm staying in Rajahmundry, and it's often the highlight of my day. I brought out my portable Bose speaker, hooked up my iPod, and Ingrid and I led the boys through as much dancing as we could handle with our limited energy level.

The boys never wear out; they were ready for more! But after three songs we called it a night, closed with prayer, and headed back to Solomon's for dinner, family prayers, and sleep (which I hope will begin shortly after I finish this post!).

And that's the day in a nutshell. What has left the deepest impression on me today, and what will likely inhabit my thoughts tonight, is the idea of the story, such as those that we we heard in Angel Home. Aren't stories amazing things? I find it so encouraging that we can perceive a plot, an undercurrent of narrative, in the events of our daily lives, and that this narrative is a thing that we can witness to, wrestle with and articulate to others! As Christians this should increase our joy, for we know that all stories are capable of arcing back towards our Creator, the first and greatest Storyteller who weaves all things together into an anthology of His goodness, grace and glory. Being able to recognize this boomerang effect in my life and the life of my family, Solomon's life and his ministry, and in the individual lives of these young boys, untouchables, who are being called out of their bondage by the culture-changing power of God, is nothing short of awe-inspiring. I encourage you all to think deeply on your own stories and those that occur around you. Ask God to what extent you are to be a storyteller, or a story changer (I think we ought to be both). Remember that all stories are worth telling and all are redeemable through Christ's grace. So let's be story-seekers!

In light of this I'm going to try to bring some of these stories to you, verbatim, as soon as I can. Anything that these boys have to say has the power to move and change you, from the silly stories they tell one another for laughs, to the incredible true stories of the lives they've lived. Theirs are stories of great suffering, striving, redemption and happily, joy! These are worth our attention for a number of reasons: to testify to the true change that comes through salvation in Christ, to rouse us to action and obedience to God, and to increase in us a holy reverence for the unstoppable power of God. I hope to bring the first of these stories to you by tomorrow night!

This is a beautiful place to be, but I do think of home. I was showing Solomon images of the Shenandoah Valley today and felt a little pang for the river and hills. To have the ability and means to travel are awesome gifts, but to have a home that I truly love to return to is an even greater blessing. I hope you all are doing well back there! I miss you, and God bless!

Max

And Here We Are!

2011-06-01T18:13:00.010+05:30

As I write this post I'm sitting in the Mungamuri's living room with Solomon, Dolly and Ingrid, eating biscuits while watching the news about Andhra Pradesh's recent rabies epidemic (?). I'm absolutely wiped out. Ingrid's not, for some reason, but I don't hold that against her.

I was so happy to see Solomon waiting for me outside the Rajahmundry airport that I almost forget to get our bags from the baggage claim! He and his eldest daughter Dolly drove us back to his house, were Solomon's wife Vejay was waiting for us with platefuls of Indian snacks. We enjoyed cashews, some crunchy french-fry-like things that no one can identify for me, and juicy mangos (these being the kind of mangos that you puncture and suck into like a Capri-Sun pouch). Smiley, Solomon's youngest daughter, is missing on account of her studies some 10 km away, but she makes her presence known through frequent phone calls. Same old Smiley!

After settling in we set out immediately for Angel Home. It's been nearly two years since I last saw these boys, and there were many new faces in the crowd. But with the way they recieved us, it was as though they had known us for years. We played with them for upwards of four hours. This was the point at which I really wore myself out. Ingrid could still function like a normal human being, but I was literally falling asleep in my chair as we wound down.

The last picture is of the game of Khokho that we played with the kids. It's similar to duck-duck goose but with multiple geese and a human fence. The point of the game (which Ingrid keeps telling me I missed) was to tag all of the other team's players in the shortest amount of time. Truth be told, I wasn't very good at it, but the boys loved it!

Whenever I visit one of our Bethania Homes, I'm always astounded by how willing these children are to be loved. They're so desirous of love, so fixated on the intimacy that occurs between themselves and the beloved (in this case, my sister and me). We found ourselves utterly blessed by their affection, and moved by their desire for our affection. If my desire to be loved by the Lord was anything similar to the desire of these children to be loved by my sister and me, I would find myself clamoring and cheering, chasing and holding, grabbing on and not letting go.

The analogy of love presented by these children is both beautiful and tragic; beautiful in that they desire to love and be loved so much, and tragic in that they have been born into a culture that would withhold that love from them. As Dalits, untouchables, the poorest of the poor, these boys are considered to be marked by birth for failure. The Hindus claim that the lot of a Dalit is to simply suffer, die, and then hopefully be transferred into a higher caste before rebirth. As Christians we know that this is far from the truth. The Lord blesses us with one immortal soul to act within one mortal life for a certain span of years, and it is within this time that we are to pursue Him, and through Him one another and the Creation He gave us to enjoy. Of course we can also pursue other ends as well, and this is where sin comes in. And there are no restarts, only the rebirth of an extant life through the redemptive power of the Holy Spirit. Our actions are measured by our just God, found wanting, and yet the Grace of Christ is there to cover us in spite of all our failings. In fact I have just realized that at birth all of us belonged to the Dalit caste; we were untouchable in our sin, excluded by our innate sin-nature. We would be isolated from our Great Lover but for that very love of God manifested in Christ, who has plucked us from the slums of our sin and prepared for us a place in His palace of glory. This is the message we must share with these children: that Christ's love for them so far exceeds even their own yearnings, fulfills so far beyond what they can possibly imagine, that with this knowledge they have no other recourse in this life than to fall on the Grace offered in Christ. These children are aware of gaping hole of lost love; it is our mission, and I believe the mission of every Christian, to ensure that all are made aware of the overfilling love of God in the salvation He brings to us.

Food for thought! At any rate I'm going to bed, even though I'm just "waking up" due to dawn approaching back home in the States. I hope that you all sleep just as well, remembering the love of Christ and willing yourself in your rest into His care. He loves you all so much!

God bless!

Max

Here We Go Again!

2011-05-30T09:15:00.006+05:30

In less than 24 hours, my sister Ingrid and I are going back to India, and so it's time to reboot the old blog! I was last blessed to visit my brothers and sisters in India nearly two years ago, and it's been even longer (almost three years!) since I've blogged here. It's been a long enough drought, and I'm more than ready for a new adventure! Here's a picture of the two of us on a hike through the Shenandoah Valley last October:

Those of you who followed my journey before will notice that my blog has undergone some major renovations. Please make use of the new links to the official Bethania Kids website, Facebook and Twitter pages! I'm hoping that these resources will allow readers easy access to this life-changing ministry. Use these tools to look for ways to get involved, and spread the word! It's my hopeful prayer that you'll be staggered and changed by God's work among the His children in India, and that you'll find it worthy of both your praise and support!

My name is Max Heidelberger, and I'm a sophomore at Wheaton College in the suburbs of Chicago, where I study Literature and Anthropology. I'm twenty years old, and this will be my sixth journey into India. My first was with my father when I was fifteen, and ever since India has been something of a testing ground for me and my family. It is a place apart, where I find myself making my way through each day with a pulse quite unlike the regular rhythm of my life in America. In many ways India feels alien to me, even after so many visits. Sometimes when I'm there I've felt as though I'd boarded a spaceship instead of an airplane, and that someplace between Dulles and Hyderabad I was transported to a foreign universe beyond my ability to relate. There are still so many customs, sentiments and situations that I do not understand, and honestly I doubt that I ever will. My hope in this is that I know that even when I am lost, God is not. He created the American with as much care as He created the Indian, and though they grow in vastly different soils He can still unite them in purpose and love beneath the cross of His Son, in the Gospel that defies all boundaries.

In sum, God has used India to find, bend and, in some cases, utterly break me. He has woven this country, and the people there, into my identity, according to His plan. And I am so grateful that He has!

I'll let Ingrid introduce herself in her own post. (I don't want to get in trouble for getting anything wrong!) Ingrid is two years younger than me, but I'm convinced that her mind is three years older. She has served me as both a friend and a teacher, and I'm so excited to partner with her on this journey!

So what will we be doing? I will be staying with the Mungamuri family in Rajahmundry, as I have done before, living, working and playing with the 45 orphaned and half-orphaned boys who live in Solomon's Mungamuri's Bethania Kids home, which he has named Angel Home. I'll have much more to say about Solomon, his wife Vejay and his two daughters, Smiley and Dolly, in later posts. Their's is truly a life of ministry and humility, and I learn something new from them with each visit.

What's exciting about this particular trip is that Solomon's Bethania Home is expanding! A new building is under construction just outside of Rajahmundry in the village of Narendrapuram - a home that will be able to house not 45, but 80 boys, with room for the children to play, garden and even raise livestock. This home will also serve as a ministry hub for the entire Narendrapuram community. I'll be spending a lot of my time in Narendrapuram, and I'm so excited to bring you footage, images and stories of what God is doing through this new project!

Ingrid will be parting ways with me after our first week in Rajahmundry to travel south into Kodaikanal, in the mountains of Tamil Nadu. But I'll let her speak for herself.

And that's about all I have to say this morning! Ingrid and I fly out tonight around 8 pm from Dulles. It'll be 7 hours to London, and then another 9 hours to Hyderabad, India. 16 hours is a long time, but I've got plenty of books to read, and then there's always sleep. I'll post again as soon as I can. Thank you all for your support, and please keep us and Bethania in your prayers!

God bless!
Max

The Final Post

2008-07-04T08:58:00.002+05:30

Well this is it! My last morning in Rajahmundry. I just can't believe it's over so soon. We fly to Hyderabad today at 12:15, where we will meet up with Solomon's neices Shiny and Somja and their husbands Sylvester and Raja. We'll stay at their home until midnight, when I'll be taken to the Hyderabad airport to check in to my 3:00 a.m. flight to Amsterdam, where I'll board a second flight to Dulles and home!

Yesterday was a day of goodbyes. In the morning we saw Darcy, Elaine and Diane off at the Rajahmundry airport for their Chennai flight. And the afternoon was spent with the boys. We had a ton of fun together; I made a big bonfire for us out of dry logs and kerosene, and we played around the fire until well into the evening. We cooked my final pan of popcorn over the flames and shared it together. We danced in a circle around the fire to all of the songs that I taught them in the past three months, and that was a lot of fun (though I got Solomon worried when I got too close to the flames). After wearing ourselves out we went back inside the home for a final prayer together.

I prayed individually for each boy, from the youngest to the oldest. I gave them each a blessing and a hug, and they responded with anything from a bow to a kiss on the hand to a kiss on the cheek! Each of the boys has become so special to me, so it was very saddening and at the same time wonderful to say goodbye to them in this way.

The boys also wrote up a bunch of small notes telling me in so many words how they felt about my departure. These were translated and delivered to me by Moni. I just feel so priviledged to be able to have brothers like this, and on the other side of the world no less! I'm really, really going to miss them.

I also said goodbye to Smily and Dolly this morning before school with a brief prayer and blessing. Saying goodbye to them was just as hard as saying farewell to the boys, since they have become my sisters in so many ways. My mother, Vejay, will say her final goodbyes to me at the Rajahmundry airport.

And I don't even want to think about saying farewell to Solomon yet. He's coming with my to Hyderabad, so I don't need to worry about it for a few more hours.

So that's everything. Everything here's wrapped up and ready to go. I've just been so blessed to have had this time here. I've grown in ways that I didn't think possible before I came here. I feel more sure of myself and of my faith. I've had an awesome look at God and his life-changing power through the examples shown to me by the people here. There's so much more that I could share with you all that I just didn't have time to blog about, and I can't wait to tell you all about it when I come home!

And one more thing; thank you so much to everyone who's posted on this blog. The comments you left have been a hug support for me, and I'm so greatful! It was like fuel for me. They really kept me going. I hope you'll continue to give that same support to Darcy via her blog (http://darcyinindia.blogspot.com/) as she continues on her six week journey.

Alright, I'm off! I've got more than 20 hours of travel to look forward to, and 16-17 hours on a plane. Keep me in your prayers! This is Max in India, signing out! God bless!

2008-07-03T10:58:00.004+05:30

Today was a blast! We spent the entire day with Darcy, Elaine and Diane, beginning at 9 in the morning. After picking them up from the hotel where they've been staying Solomon and I drove them out to Narendrapuram to see the property and plans that we have for the community there. We enjoyed ourselves with Paul and his family and friends before returning to Rajahmundry.

This was my final visit to Narendrapuram, which was very sad for me. I said my goodbyes to Paul and his family, and he gave me an emotional blessing before we left. It was nice to have Darcy here, because it distracts from the fact that I'm leaving in less than two days.

Because Darcy wanted to visit an Indian school we stopped at Vejay's school on the way back to town. We basically crashed all the classes for a good fifteen minutes, and the kids poured out to meet us. I love watching Darcy, Diane and Elaine interact with these kids. It's just so awesome to be able to share what I experience every day with others!

Before lunch with the boys Solomon held a welcoming ceremony for our guests, complete with song, dance and garlands. Solomon bestowed shawls upon Darcy, Diane, Elaine and myself, to honor their arrival and my departure. Then we adjourned to eat lunch with the boys. The food was good, but at this point I'm really ready for a burger and fries. After lunch we spent many hours having fun with the kids. Darcy and I played a game of cricket:

And Elaine tried to learn some karam board:

After wearing ourselves out with the kids we took a rest for a few hours before returning the boys for evening prayer, and to give Darcy, Elaine and Diane a chance to say goodbye to the kids. Then we went to dinner at nice restuarant on the shore of the Godavari.

And that was our day! Again, you can read Darcy's account at http://darcyinindia.blogspot.com/.

God bless!

Max

We've Got Visitors!

2008-07-01T22:38:00.004+05:30

Our guests are finally here! Darcy, her mother Elaine and her aunt Diane arrived today at 2:30 in the afternoon from Chennai, worn out from their travels but happy to see us! Solomon, Smily, our friend Moni and I welcomed them with traditional Indian garlands:

It's so great to see someone I know so well from home. To me it almost felt weird, meeting someone I know in this Indian setting. But how exciting it is to be a host for once! So often I'm the guest here, but now I get to be the greeter, the one who welcomes them into my (Solomon's) home. I feel the same as though I was welcoming guests into my home back in Virginia! And this makes me feel even more blessed to be a member of the family here.

Darcy, Elaine and Diane were very tired, so we took them to sleep at their hotel for four hours. In the evening we picked them up, now rejuvenated after a good nap, to be with our boys:

Kushanth really likes Darcy. I still don't know what makes me so scary. Oh well.

To me this moment felt so special. I wonder if this is how Solomon always feels when he sees people come from the other side of the world just to be with his boys. It was just beautiful to see Darcy interacting with these boys on such a personal level.

After playing with the boys for a while we moved on to Solomon's house, where we spent a few hours taking dinner and talking together. It feels great to be able to talk so easily in English with people with American accents! I found my own words to be a little awkward; I think Solomon's phraseology (...is that a word?) and vocabulary is starting to rub off on me.

Finally we took everyone back to the hotel for a good night's rest. Tomorrow we meet at 9 to visit Narendrapuram. Pray for us!

Also, if you'd like to hear about the day from Darcy's point of view, you can find her blog at http://darcyinindia.blogspot.com/

God bless!

Max

My Final Sunday

2008-06-30T08:08:00.004+05:30

I went to teach Sunday School for the last time in Narendrapuram yesterday. We arrived a little late, so I didn't have time for a lesson. Smily helped me teach songs:I prayed for all of the children, and then prayed me as well. Paul, his family and church staff (pictured below) also blessed me. It was very difficult to say goodbye to these kids, even more so as they followed our car out of town shouting and waving "Goodbye Anya!" At least this isn't my final visit to Narendrapuram; I'll get to go back again when we take Darcy.

After Narendrapuram we drove onward to the stonecutting village of Govindarajapuram. This is only my second visit to this place. Solomon often has a difficult time getting us here, so it's tough to visit often. Today we had fantastic time singing, praying and playing with the kids:

Remember what I said about this place last time? About how the people gathered when the music played? Well that happened again! Mothers and their children trickled in from throughout the village, and just in time for the prayer, too! So we were able to pray with many people who would ordinarily avoid the church. What a blessing that was! Here are some more pictures:Saying goodbye to these kids was just as hard as in Narendrapuram. In the above picture they're all pushing up against the side of the car, almost like they were trying to keep me from leaving. If these tribal kids are so tough to leave, I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave my boys in the Bethania home. I just won't think about that right now; I've still got four days left, after all!

Last night I asked Solomon if I could sleep with the boys in the hostel. He thought this was a great idea, and so after dinner we headed down to the home with my hammock and a dwindling bottle of bugspray. Most of the boys were already asleep, but those who were awake were thrilled to see me. We snuck around playing pranks on the sleepers, like sticking crickets down their shirts or dumping a little water on their faces. After messing around for a while I climbed back into my hammock to get some sleep. I was much more comfortable than I thought I'd be out in the heat, and I could've stayed that way the whole night. Except Solomon, who was sleeping on the ground beneath me, started having breathing problems around 1:30 (we think it was due to the bugspray), so we had to go back to his house because he wouldn't let me sleep with the boys alone. Oh well, even though it was only a half night we still had a lot of fun.

Darcy arrives tomorrow, and we're all extremely excited! Pray for safe travel for her, her mom and her aunt! God bless!

Max

2008-06-28T21:12:00.005+05:30

In light of my departure this week I was struck with a desire to really spend some time with the kids. So after breakfast today I took a walk down to the Bethania home to spend time with the boys before they left for school. I haven't ever visited this early in the morning, and I got to watch them go about their chores. The boys take turns washing the dishes, hanging wet clothes, sweeping the floor and doing other odd jobs around the hostel.

They were very eager to show me their work and for me to take my pictures. Again I am impressed by the work ethic exhibited by these children. They're so much more diligent than I am, and they work hard at whatever task they're assigned, be it for school, chores or just to help out. I should take a cue from them before I come home. At my own house I'm just a slug.

Later in the day I still felt restless, like I ought to be doing something other than sit at home and play with Smily. So I took a walk to visit the boys at their schools after lunch, down by the park. As I arrived I was mobbed by more than two hundred kids from a bunch of different schools who were all enjoying their lunch hour outside in the park. They saw that I had a camera, and immediately began clamoring for pictures. Here are some of them, starting with the elementary school boys:

And these are the highschoolers. Just like in the USA, they're much rowdier than the elementary schoolers:The boy in the middle with the orange shirt absolutely would not leave me alone. He made me take picture after picture of himself in various poses. I finally had to tell him enough in order to get some pictures of the other kids. It's so fun just going out in public, talking to people, spending time with them to share little things about myself, my family and friends. Everywhere I go I draw a crowd, everyone wants to meet me and shake my hand. It's pretty cool to be in a country where everyone is so genuinely friendly. I think I'll go visit these kids tomorrow, too.

This evening the boys asked me to go and wear some blue jeans for them. It seemed like an odd request, but I did as they asked. They were very impressed. I've seen Indians wearing jeans, but for some reason they made a big deal about mine. I found out that it's because they wanted to see some real American jeans. I never realized how distinctly American blue jeans are until today. They were as excited to see me in jeans I am to see people in lungies! Isn't that weird?

Aside from the jeans, we had a pretty normal evening with song, dance and fellowship. Mira, one of the older boys, taught the lesson tonight. I've been making the older boys to lead the evening devotions since I won't be here much longer to do it for them. As far as I'm concerned they've done excellently, speaking directly from the Word. I was still thinking about the fruit from the Psalm I posted about a few days ago, and I'm hoping that I'm leaving some seeds behind by preparing these boys to minister to one another. Pray for them.

That's all for tonight. God bless!

Max

One Week Left!

2008-06-28T07:33:00.003+05:30

Can you believe it? Time has just flown by! This time next Saturday I'll be halfway home. I'll be happy to get back to see all my friends and family, but it's going to be so hard to leave to leave my family here, not to mention the kids. When I broke the news to the boys today that I was leaving, they ran up to grab me and shouted, "Cancel your ticket! Cancel your ticket!"

Despite the fact that my time is almost up, there's a lot of excitement on the way. My friend Darcy and her family fly into Rajahmundry on Tuesday to spend two nights with us, and everyone here is very excited. The boys can't wait to see you, Darcy!

School is now in full swing, and Solomon makes the boys wake up at 5 a.m. to study for an hour or so before taking the rickshaw to school. Smily and Dolly also maintain this brutal schedule. I don't know how they do it.

The boy's schoolbooks arrived by mail on Thursday night, and we spent the whole evening sorting through the piles to distribute them. Solomon made me present each boy with the books, and insisted on a picture for each. I thought this was a little strange. I'm certainly not excited as this boy is when I recieve my schoolbooks. But then again I'm a spoiled American who doesn't know a thing about hardship. I always take my opportunities for granted, and I even have the nerve to treat them like burdens sometimes. I should instead be thankful that I'm priviledged enough to be able to live in a country where I can so easily recieve and education. Every day these boys teach me the value of the blessings that God has given me.

One week left, and Kushanth has finally become brave enough to sit on my lap and smile! Usually he bursts into tears when I step into the same room as him. But by bribing him with treats and letting him play with camera for a bit, I've finally earned his trust. Too bad it took so long.

Well that's about it. I pray that none of my time here is wasted, and that I can use this final week the utmost! God bless!

Max

Bearing Fruit

2008-06-25T20:53:00.002+05:30

Things are moving slowly here in Rajahmundry. The boys are now in school all day as opposed to the half day they had before, so I feel somewhat lonely. I spend my time taking walks with my iPod, reading the Bible and running errands with Solomon. In the evenings we spend time with the kids, but because it's so late we can't play any games or run around very much. But we still have a lot of fun dancing, singing and talking in Telugish (a mixture of broken English and Telugu).

My devotional started me on the Psalms today, leading me to ponder Psalm 1 for a long time. I want to share with you what I found. Here are the versus that really spoke to me:

Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

First of all I noticed the tree metaphor in this passage, and as I thought upon that idea of a tree bearing fruit I was hit with some interesting thoughts.

First of all I thought to myself, "where is the best place to plant a tree?" Certainly not in the counsel of the wicked, in the way of sinners or the seat of scoffers. Going with the tree metaphor, I thought of the counsel of the wicked, the sinners and the seat of scoffers as forests of withered trees. Would you plant a tree in a place where all of the other trees are fruitless, grey and dead? Of course not! If such conditions prevail in a forest, it must mean the soil is infertile and perhaps poisonous (in our case, bad company/influences). The location may be inadequate; either too high atop an inhospitable mountain or too low in a flat and lifeless desert In the same way we need to keep our hearts in the right location; God is certainly not beneath us, and it is foolish to elevate ourselves to places where we have no right to be. In the same token, we are not beyond Christ's help, no matter how dry and deserted we may feel. We need to understand what He is offering us.

And of course for trees to grow, there must be an adequate supply of water.

It is no wonder then that these verses tell us to plant our trees near streams of water (He is like a tree planted by streams of water). In this case I took the water to represent our spiritual nourishment (the Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, etc). If we become separated from the water, we wither. Thus we must remain near to the source, with our roots firmly grounded in rich, well-watered soil. Only then can we bear fruit.

And now what about this fruit? As you can see from the passage, we can only yield fruit in season; that is, in this brief earthly life.

The fruit itself that we yield has a dual purpose. What I'm about to say is a little strange, but it's fact, and it really gave me a better grasp of this concept. There is a reason that fruit is so delicious and juicy; it's meant to be eaten. Thus we should share our fruit with others. But fruit also contains seeds. And this is where I might lose you, but bear with me for a little longer. When an animal in the wild eats a fruit for food, it swallows the flesh of the fruit along with the seed. While the flesh is digested, the seed remains. What happens to that seed? The same thing that happens to all things indigestible; the body ejects it via the rear end in a neat little pile of poop. The dung fertilizes the seed, junmp-starting the growth of a new tree, which in turn will bear its own fruit. And the process goes on, until you have a forest of fruit-bearing trees!

Now when we feed others the fruit we yield (our witness, our ministry, etc) we leave behind seed as well as nourishing flesh. After the flesh (the short-term affect of our fruit) has been consumed, the seed remains to be released (not quite as messily as in the above paragraph), and then grows! And so long as it stays near the source, the streams of pure water, it will continue to grow and bear fruit of its own!

I sure hope I've managed to lead some trees to the Source and share some seed-bearing fruits here in India. Only time will tell; after all, trees take many years to grow. God bless!

Max

2008-06-25T09:03:00.000+05:30

Additional pictures from Annie's engagement can be found here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/annie.katam/AnnieAndSumanthSEngagement?authkey=eIqoxoFPn-4

Visag Again

2008-06-24T09:39:00.006+05:30

Our second trip to Visag was an absolute blast! We arrived on Saturday afternoon at Annie's house, where we stayed with her and her family for the entirety of our two-night visit. The weekend was filled with fellowship, good food and fun with the family.

On Sunday we attended Annie's church, where I was asked to teach Sunday School. I was caught completely unprepared, and so I improvised my way through some songs and a lesson for the children. Here are the pictures:

These kids caught on to the songs I was trying to teach faster than any group I've taught so far. The lesson I gave was on Zaccheus, a Bible story that I've talked about many times before. I like to relate children to Zaccheus, and explain to them that they should seek Jesus just as passionately as he did, despite their age and size, regardless of the "crowd" that might push them back. This time I immersed myself in the lesson more than I ever have before, acting out the story by awkwardly climbing a nearby electric pole to illustrate Zaccheus climbing the tree. I felt pretty foolish, but the kids thought my antics were hilarious, and their laughter is my reward.

After church we began preparation for the true reason we had come to Visag; Annie's engagement to Paul. Here they are:Before the ceremony everyone bathed and put on their best clothes. In my case, this meant wearing my corta pasama:

This is the Indian equivalent of a tuxedo. I felt a little strange because I was the only one who wore a corta, and they're not worn very often in southern India. One of Annie's uncles told me that I looked like the "Red Groom from the North", which sounded like a pretty cool title. Except for the fact that I'm obviously not the groom.

The engagement ceremony was going to be done outside in a beautiful amphitheater, but a heavy thunderstorm forced us to relocate to the church.

Solomon explained to me that this ceremony was not only to seal the engagemnt, but also to formalize Annie's initiation into Paul's family. After the ceremony she would be like one of their own daughters.

As we entered the church the two families filed into their own separate seats. In the picture above you can see Annie's family on the left and Paul's family on the right. The ceremony was presided over by five pastors, all friends of the family. We began with a hymn, and then listened to Bible readings by the elders of both families. Then the elders of Paul's family presented the elders of Annie's family with a bridal saree and jewelry, as is the custom:

Then Annie was taken away by the women of her family to change into the new clothes. By donning these clothes Annie was symbolically made a member of Paul's family. During her absence we sang some more hymns and heard more speeches from Paul's father and uncles. Then Annie returned in a procession to sit on the bridal throne in front of the altar. Paul and his family came forward, and rings were exchanged. Then Paul joined Annie on the throne. Here they met each other for the first time. A message was then given by the pastor, and then greetings were given by the guests, including myself:

To "bring greetings" in India means to briefly and formally give blessings and love from both you and your family. I was called upon to do this as the only representative of Annie's American family. It seems like such a small act, but to the people here it means a whole lot.

Following the ceremony, everyone lined up to bless the couple with rose petals and an offering of bananas:

And then we all adjourned for dinner and fellowship. Before we left we took a family picture with the new couple:

And that's how Christian Indians get engaged! There's so much more to tell about what went on here, but I can convey so much in this blog. This was all very interesting for me, a foreigner, to witness. From what I could tell in an Indian wedding commitment comes first, both to family and to spouse. There is no selfishness here, only a sense of duty and trust. It's really a beautiful thing to see people so happily and permanently married without all of the pain and strife that our American system so often brings. Everything just feels right.

God bless!

Max

Prayer in Narendrapuram

2008-06-18T20:30:00.006+05:30

This is the longest I've gone without a post since Madurai, and I'm very sorry. I've either been too tired to post, or had the energy only during a power outage. The past few days have been very restful. Solomon and I finished all of the new admissions, and the new boys are just settling in. We've had a little trouble with homesickness among the younger boys but they're pulling through. I've only been able to play with the boys in the evening because of their studies, so I don't have much to do in the afternoon. I've spent a lot of my time reading, taking walks around town to meet new people, running errands with Solomon, and playing with Smily. It hasn't been boring at all, because every experience here brings some kind of small joy; for instance the smiles that instantly appear on school children's faces when I wave, the peace of napping on the roof in the shade of a mango tree, playing tag with Smily and sometimes just staring at the full moon in the evening.

Today Solomon and I returned to Narendrapuram for a morning prayer service. We packed my Bible and some prayer oil and headed out the door. Paul joined us, and together we led a prayer and worship service which lasted for a good three hours or so in the morning, from 10:00 to 1:00.

Paul started us off with some hymns and then spoke to the assembled villagers about waiting on God to intervene in your life. It was a beautiful message, and each point was supported by a powerful verse of scripture. I was able to follow along simply by reading and thinking on the verses Paul presented to us.

After the sermon Paul asked me to step forward and pray for the individual needs of every person in the room. As always my first reaction to this was "why me?" I never feel cut out for this kind thing; with faith as weak as mine I've got to wonder what my prayers are really worth. Hopefully God can turn those weaknesses of mine into strengths some day.

There were more than forty people in the small church, and everyone had their own problems for which they asked me to pray. These ranged from joint pains to deafness to paralysis. As I prayed for these needs I had to constantly repeat to myself "I can do nothing, You can do everything. I can do nothing, You can do everything." I just had to remind myself why, to whom and for whom I was praying. I wasn't even asking God to work through me; I was just asking Him to work, in whatever way He saw fit, in these people's lives. I just can't explain how unworthy I feel doing this kind of thing. I think I've said this before, but I'm really just a kid! Who am I to present the needs of these people to the King of Kings, when I still have such little faith in my own sincerity? I don't doubt that God has the power to restore these people's lives, but I do doubt my own heart as I do these things. I can't pray and be thinking "Oh, I'm doing such a good thing - wait until everyone on the blog hears about this!" I need to be thinking "Lord, I'm small, and what I'm doing is small, but You are so BIG, and your plan is so BIG, and if You will it, fit my small, almost insignificant deed into Your BIG plan." I had to repeatedly remind myself of this as I prayed.

Throughout our time of prayer the congregation of forty was boosted to almost sixty. Those who had been prayed for immediately ran outside to fetch their friends, neighbors and children. Paul and Solomon told me that many of these villagers had never set foot inside of this church because of their Hindu beliefs. I was most moved when an older woman brought her daughter, eight months pregnant, to me for a blessing. I blessed both the mother and the baby inside of her, and as I touched her belly and felt the child kicking in her womb I was reminded of that tiny baby I held in Kodai. That same feeling of tenderness came over me, and I just felt so blessed, and so unworthy, to be able to touch this unborn child's life in this way.

We prayed for more than an hour before returning home. The rest of the day was wonderful, as days here in India always are. I can't explain how blessed I am to be here, and how sad I will be to leave all these people when I come home in two weeks.

Tomorrow we're off to Visag for Annie's engagement. From what I here there's going to be a ceremony and then a party, so it should be a lot of fun. Again I'm sorry that this post is so late. God bless!

Max

2008-06-16T20:48:00.004+05:30

I had a pretty quiet day today. I took the time to rest and relax. It's good to get a break sometimes.

We welcomed a new boy into the home today. His name is Raju, and he's 14 years old.

Raju comes from a family situation which is similar to Kishore's. His mother passed away when he was four years old, so he barely remembers her. His father remarried another woman who resents Raju and does not treat him well at all. Often she would even refuse to feed Raju, which is just heartbreaking. Pray that healing comes to this relationship.

Raju's original mother used to frequently visit church, but after she died any Christian influence in Raju's home vanished. His father and mother are both devout Hindus, and Raju has heard very little about Jesus or the life He offers. As far as Solomon and I are concerned, this boy's spiritual education begins now!

In the evening before our songs and lesson I treated all the boys to ice cream.

Everyone enjoyed it. The boys seemed dissapointed that Solomon and I didn't eat any, but we just told them that it was our gift to them and that they didn't need to worry about it. Some of the boys even tried to offer their ice cream to me. These boys have such good hearts, and they are constantly sharing what little they have. If only I could learn that kind of generosity.

Tonight I took time to ponder and share the story from 1 Kings 3, about King Solomon and how he obtained his wisdom. I especially liked verses 10-13 (I've put the parts that really spoke to me in bold):

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all of your days.

I hope that my desires become as pleasing to God as King Solomon's were. I hope that someday I can say with conviction that I don't desire the things of this world, but desire what God intends for me, and live a life blessed by following His purpose. I hope that I will desire the understanding to know God's plan for me, and to follow it through to completion. I've witnessed this desire not only in the King Solomon of old, but also in the Solomon who has shared his home with me. I see his desire manifested in his beautiful family, his children and his ministry. He has sought understanding from God, and he has surely found it, and along with it his God-given mission. What an inspiration and example he is to me! I couldn't ask for a better one!

God bless!

Max

2008-06-15T21:15:00.006+05:30

This morning the sun finally came out for the first time all week. It wasn't hot, but cool, with a really nice breeze. So it was a great day to set out for Narendrapuram. I

We saw a beautiful grey langur on our way through the village to the church.

I love langurs. They're clean, quiet and peaceful. They're also pretty big, with extremely long tails. The nasty macaque monkeys that we deal with in Rajahmundry keep them in the countryside, so we usually don't see these in town.

We had some time to spare before Sunday School began, so I decided to play with the buffalo.

These are the most docile animals I've ever met. The calfs will simply run from you and then come to a halt when you touch them, and the big ones just sit there and eat. You can slap them, climb on them, pull their horns, whatever, and they really don't care. Touching their hide feels the same as touching a rubber a tire.

Sunday School was great, and it really lifted my spirits. I've felt a little heavy and tired the past few days, but praising God with these kids really filled me with energy. After our worship time we went to check on the building site for the new home.

The last time I visited this place was before Kodai. Since then the power line has been moved, and we're ready to build as soon as the funds arrive from the Bethania foundation. Solomon is very excited about the progress, and is constantly thanking God for bringing us to this point in the project.

While we were looking at the property we were joined by Babu and his friends.
I haven't seen these kids in a while, so it was great to play with them again. Today we played with tops. They fling these toys from balls of wound-up string, and then flip them into the air and catch them on their fingers. It looked complicated, so I didn't try; I just took pictures. Solomon gave one a whirl, and almost took my eye out!

So we spent the entire morning in Narendrapuram, having an awesome time getting to know the locals even more closely. This place holds so much promise for us and for our mission, and I can't wait to see the construction completed so we can really begin to minister to this comunity, and especially to these adorable kids. Pray that God supplies us the funds as quickly as possible!

In the afternoon Solomon and I were both worn out, so we took long naps. We didn't get to see the boys until the evening after church, but we still made time for some songs, rowdy games, prayer and Bible study.

As I'm sure many of you know, today is Father's Day! We celebrated with a cake for Solomon and a card signed by Vejay, Smily, Dolly and me. Solomon seemed embarrassed, like he always does when we give him anything, but I think he really enjoyed it. I hope that all you other fathers out there have a great day as well!

God bless!

Max

Fun in the Mud

2008-06-13T20:56:00.004+05:30

Things started out slow today. Again we had a steady drizzle that lasted throughout the day. The monkeys were on a riot, spreading chaos wherever they went. They got into the dirty clothes we were going to wash and threw them all over the place. And they also ripped up our neighbor's satellite dish, chewing through all the wires and tearing at the dish with their little monkey claws.

After having these guys around all week, I'm beginning to be able to recognize individual monkeys in the pack. I call this big guy Red Face.

Aptly named, for he does indeed have a very red face. And a bad temper. Red Face stalked up onto the roof where Smily, Dolly and I were hanging out. I bailed after he growled at us the first time, jumping the full fifteen feet from, the roof to the concrete porch below. This wasn't very heroic of me, because I left Smily and Dolly alone to skirt around this deranged animal. At first they tried to sneak down the stairs, and when this failed, they jumped off the roof like I did. Solomon and I helped to catch them.

Aside from the monkey gang, the rest of our afternoon was great! All the dust here in India has been saturated with water and turned into mud, and I decided to have some fun with it today with the boys.
I started out simply sliding on my feet, but I got bored with this pretty fast. Then I just threw my shirt off and went belly first. The boys loved watching me do this, but only Leela, Teja and Mangaraju had the guts to join me. I now call the three of them my "mud brothers". And boy did we mud brothers have a blast! I haven't gotten this messy in ages! People on the street kept looking over the wall to see what we were up to. We'd just sit up and wave. I felt a little guilty doing this in front of Solomon, since he's always so concerned about cleanliness.

After we were good and dirty we washed off on the back porch.

I really don't know why Solomon thought he needed to get pictures of me in my underwear. Anyway after we had cleaned up we had more song and dancing and then an evening Bible lesson. What a way to spend a day, huh? Running from monkeys, mud sliding and then fellowship with prayer and song! India is just awesome!

God bless!

Max

Back to School

2008-06-12T21:32:00.003+05:30

I haven't seen the sun since we left Visag. Just rain and clouds. I love it! Everything feels cool, wet and fresh.

Early this morning I got up to up to do prayer with Smily, Dolly and Vejay before their first day of school (Vejay's a teacher). Then we ran over to the boys, who were all dressed in their new school uniforms. Solomon talks to the boys, especially the new ones, about their responsibilities to study and make good grades.
And then we sang some songs. Here everyone is singing and dancing to "Lord I Lift Your Name On High". Afterwards I read some verses to them from Proverbs on the importance of loving wisdom and pursuing their studies while at the same time being Christian examples wherever they go, including the classroom. Then the older boys left for their half day in the morning. The younger boys have their half day in the afternoon. This split will be a good thing, because now I can take time to play separately with each age group. The older boys often have trouble doing what they want to do with me because of the younger boy's interference, and the younger boys always get knocked down or pushed aside. But now I'll be able to give everyone equal attention.
But I didn't get much time to play with the kids today until the evening, because I had some things to do with Solomon around town. In the evening we came back and goofed around on the front porch for a long time.

We also sang some more, before going inside to end the day with a Bible reading and prayer.

That's about it. I felt like I was kinding of returning to the "rhythm" I had going before the Kodai/Madurai trip. We haven't been doing evening prayer for a few weeks now, and it was good to get back to our usual routine. Keep us all in your prayers!

God bless~

Max

2008-06-11T21:04:00.007+05:30

I woke up to a herd of cattle that had parked itself on the edge of our street. I thought to myself, "Only in India..."

I realized upon waking up this morning that I've got only about three and a half weeks left here! Yikes! The time has just flown by! I really feel like I just got here only a few weeks ago. But in reality its been two whole months. Wow!

With that thought in mind, I quickly got dressed and ran over to visit the kids. And I took my camera with me too, so today I've got plenty of pictures!

I walked in on the boys during breakfast. This is picture sort of shows you how I'm greeted every morning. Everyone crams into the front door, shakes my hand and then (in this case) posed for the camera. This morning I arrived just in time to watch little Ravanth eat his weight in dosai. Boy can that kid eat! Then Solomon called me back for my own breakfast.

While I'm on the subject of food, I'll say that in India I've noticed that people don't eat for enjoyment, like Americans do. They eat because they need to. For this reason we eat exactly three times a day with tea and biscuits around 4:00. There is no snacking in between. This schedule drives me nuts sometimes since I'm such a snacker, but after two months I've learned to cope. Solomon takes meals very seriously, and he will have absolutely no peace of mind until I've eaten. Lunch is usually the meal that ends up getting skipped, and when it does he just doesn't let it go. Sometimes I feel like he worries more about me than my real parents do!

We went back to the boys after lunch. Today Mira (the boy in the reddish t-shirt) pulled out a chess set.

I'm really no good, but I played him twice anyway. The first time I barely got him to tie with me, and the second time he trounced me. It was fun though, and I'm used to the boys beating me in any kind of "thinking game". After chess we organized a cricket match.

Teja and Mani Babu discuss one of the many rules of cricket. Almost every wicket is heavily disputed until I give my official ruling. I don't know why they look to me for these things, since I've barely got a grasp of the basics. The game was fun, and because of the rain we were able to play in the mud. But it was cut short when one of the boys hit the ball into the neighbors yard, where it was picked up by the monkeys who have been hanging around the neighborhood. We didn't see it again after that.

We had three new admissions today. Swamy and Kumar arrived in the morning...

...and Nikhilesh came in the evening with his mother and sister. All three of these boys come from fatherless families. Their mothers work full time as laborers in factories or fields, leaving their children home alone from 6:00 in the morning until 8:00 at night. However God is moving in their lives, evident in their mothers' growing faith and the fact that he's blessed them with Solomon's care. Keep them in your prayers!

Many of you have asked for an update on Gopi. He seems to be doing fine now; he was dismissed from the hospital after only one night, and we had a visit from him yesterday when his younger brother was enrolled with Bethania for the first time. Gopi seems to be walking without any trouble on his leg, which is a relief. The only part of him that doesn't look well is his nose, which remains slightly swollen. Keep praying for him; even though he's feeling better he and his family still need plenty of spiritual support. Their home of mudbrick and sticks burned down a few months ago during a village fire, so they're living in nothing more than a rented shed at the moment. Also Gopi's father suffers constantly from asthma, and requires expensive medicines which drain the family's resources. It also prevents him from working, so Gopi's mother is the only one able to earn any money for the family at the moment. Gopi's mother is a woman of powerful faith, and told me that she has complete confidence that God will restore her husband's health. Her faith alone jump-started this family's relationship with God, and through her God has significantly improved their situation. They're really an incredible family, completely united in Christ.

While you pray for Gopi and the new kids, I'd also like you all to say a quick prayer for all the boys. School starts again for them tomorrow. For now it's only a half day, but as I've told you before the education system in India is extremely rigid, and an education here can mean the difference between success and poverty. I've prepared a morning devotion and blessing that I will give them tomorrow morning before they leave. Teaching still makes me uncomfortable; I just hope that I'm speaking for God from my heart, and not for myself. It would help if I could tell the difference. Sometimes I read the replies you all leave me on this blog, and I begin to feel proud. That drives me crazy! I need to remember that I'm here for God and for the kids, not for myself or for attention. I really feel like I struggle with, so if it's not too much to ask I'd like you all to either pray for me or to give me your thoughts on that. I'd really appreciate it.

I just realized how many prayer requests I've made tonight. Pray sure is an awesome thing, isn't it? It's crazy to think that God, the ruler of the universe, actually wants us to communicate with Him, and to tell Him about our cares and troubles. And what's more, He doesn'y want to just hear about our troubles, He wants to help us with all of it, with all of our earthly baggage. Some of this baggage we don't even have any business carrying, and still He wants us to lean on His mighty arm! Seriously, who are we to be offered an opportunity to comunicate with Him like that? We're nothing more than dust! What an awesome, loving God we serve!

Well that's all for today! It sure was a great one (even though the monkeys spoiled our fun)! God bless!

Max

Monkeys and Monsoons

2008-06-10T20:20:00.002+05:30

Things have really cooled off this week. Monsoon season is on the way, and we've had rain just about every night since our return from Visag. Aside from cooling things off, the rain also cuts the power, so I've been unable to get online for a day. The cool climate has also drawn the monkeys back into town to scavenge, and we had a pretty traumatic encounter yesterday; one of them plucked up enough courage to jump down and start feeling through one of our boy's hair. The kid just froze and waited for the monkey to lose interest in his head, which it eventually did. The pack also threw all the clothes off of our clotheslines and played with them. Some of them even put shirts on, only to have them ripped off by their friends. They're such weird little animals...

I've spent almost all of my time the past few days playing with the boys, staying at the home from morning until late in the afternoon. We played two games of cricket today, danced, sang and goofed around. The new children have been included in everything, and they seem to be adjusting very well. It helps that the other boys always make them feel welcome.

Poor Solomon has been extremely busy lately. He's been hit with an avalanche of admission requests for the four remaining spots in the home, and he's been trying very hard to select which boys to keep, and which to turn away. It's so painful for him to do this, but obviously he doesn't possess the resources to support any more than the 45 he supports right now. Pray for Solomon to be strengthened during this difficult time.

This is such a short post, and I'm sorry. It seems like most of my posts have been only a half effort lately. Again I didn't take pictures. When I'm playing so hard with the boys I usually choose to leave my camera behind. I'll try to take some later this week. Alright, God bless!

Max

2008-06-08T21:30:00.002+05:30

I didn't have another opportunity to post in Visag before we left this morning, so now I'm back at our cozy bungalo in Rajahmundry sitting in a swarm of insects. The recent rainfall must've spawned them all. And they get into everything; Smily, Dolly and I were wincing in church this evening as we watched about ten of them crawl inside a women's saree. For some reason she didn't seem to notice. She must've been too interested in the sermon to notice.

Anyway enough about the bugs. Our final day in Visag was spent hiking and resting. In the evening it was Paul Sumanth's family's turn to host Annie family for dinner. So we dressed our best and headed to their house.

There the elders held another meeting, led by the same pastor from the night before. We started off with hymns and prayer, and then moved into the discussion. The engagement date that had been decided on the night before was verified and formally agreed upon, and then for no other reason than that we had time to spare, the elders decided to select the date for the wedding itself. After one minute of polite debate everyone agreed upon November 10th. This is just a tentative date which is subject to change depending on the schedules of Annie and Paul, who are both settling into new jobs at the moment.

I was called upon to conclude the meeting with prayer, and then we all ate dinner together. I made myself sample everything. The meats shriveled my tongue, but the sweets were delicious! Once Evangeline saw that I liked them, she wouldn't stop until I had consumed the whole platter.

After the meal we said goodbye to everyone and then returned to Martha's to sleep. In the morning we set out at 6 to get home to Rajahmundry. We came home today to Kushanth's birthday. He's now four years old. Chanti made him dress up in his "birthday clothes" (a cherry-red jacket and matching pants covered with shiny buttons and beads), then the boys and I sang for him. After the song he served us all candy and gave everyone a hug. I even got one, though he wimpered and wouldn't do it until Chanti forced him. I wonder why I scare that kid so much?

Church this evening was great (aside from the bugs)! Reverend Solomon spoke to us about the superiority of God's plans in comparison to our own. I wish I could understand his accent better; if I had then I'd be able to tell you all more about it.

That's all I've got! I forgot my camera all day, and didn't even take any pictures of Kushanth's birthday. Sorry. God bless!

Max

Chasing a Snake and Planning a Wedding

2008-06-06T21:36:00.008+05:30

Solomon, Smily and I left Rajahmundry early this morning around 6:30. We drove for about five hours to reach Vishakapatnam or Visag on the coast. Our trip was lengthened by occasional encounters with a radical political group which was staging nationwide demonstrations on all the major highways. So we were held up every hour or two by large crowds of flag bearing radicals. It sounded like they were complaining about fuel prices. I jumped out of our car several times to get some pictures:This second one gives you an idea of how far the traffic got backed up. We were in there somewhere, squeezed between two lorries.

In Visag we were welcomed by Evangeline and Paul, Annie's parents. They recieved us warmly and stuffed me with more mango than I knew I could stomach. Evangeline and her sister Martha who joined us later are always very concerned that I never eat enough, and they'll insist that I devour plate after plate of food. I try to do my best to please them. They're some of the kindest women I know, and their husbands are also strong men of God. It's wonderful to be able to spend time with them again.

The climate in Visag is pretty temperate, and we took advantage of the fair weather to take a trip to a local beach. On our way there I finally found something I've been looking for since I arrived here...a snake!

This was the best picture we could manage during my manic pusuit through a hedge of thick bushes. The Indians call it a "green snake" (see Mom, not a cobra. You can relax now). Solomon's initial response (and the response he usually gives for any of my requests to capture wild critters) was "Don't touch it! It's poisonous!" I actually have no idea whether it was poisonous or not, because I didn't manage to catch it. This guy was just too darn fast. I tried to get him by the tail ala Crocodile Hunter, but he was so slender and quick that he'd often blur away into the grass before I could grab him. Eventually he vanished altogether. What a shame. Oh well, at least I got the picture for Samuel.

The beach was gorgeous. Since I was in a hunting mood after the snake encounter I chased crabs all over the rocks. We also got some fun pictures:

This last picture is one of the loneliest shots of me that I've ever seen. I don't know why I like it...it just makes me think of how big the world is, and how small I am. What a creation God's given us, huh?

In the evening we all convened at Evangeline's house for the first of two meetings with Annie's future in-laws. This was my first taste of the Indian marriage process, and it was very interesting. Here are the circumstances as I understand them so far:

This marriage has been entirely organized by Annie's family; Annie herself hasn't been involved at all. She's actually been working at a new job in Hyderabad. In fact, she wasn't even present for this meeting. Neither was the boy she might marry. She hasn't met her future fiance in person; at this point she's only seen his picture. All Annie knows is that her parents are setting her up to marry someone, and she completely trusts that they'll choose the right person for her.

This first meeting was hosted by Evangeline and Paul; tomorrow night a similar meeting will take place, this time hosted by the boy's family. Tonight the elders of Evangeline and Paul's family met the elders of the other family, and together discussed the couple in question. A pastor presided over the meeting. Everyone was kind enough to include me in this "council of elders":

The meeting opened with prayer, a hymn and a Bible reading, led by the pastor. Afterwords the members of each family introduced themselves. Then we went into a brief, five minute discussion over Annie and her fiance. From what was translated for me, the conversation basically concluded with this statement: "Annie is a good girl. Paul Sumanth is a good boy. So they should get married." (Mrs. Taylor, I bet you could make a syllogism out of that!) I know that statement sounds simple and strange, but that is pretty much what was decided. The definition of the adjective "good" used in the above statement seems to mean (in Annie's case) "prayerful, meek and humble." In Paul's case it seems means "God-fearing, hard-working and also humble". Humility was stressed over and over again.

After agreeing on the mutual "goodness" of Annie and Paul, everyone decided that the couple should be engaged on the 22nd. This engagement will be their first face-to-face meeting. After their engagement the wedding will take place on the soonest possible date. And they mean the soonest, like only a week or two later.

The meeting adjourned with a prayer, and then everyone went to eat a good 'ol spicy Indian dinner. And that was it. Tomorrow night another family-bonding meeting will take place at Paul's parent's house.

A funny thing happened after the meeting. I hadn't caught the boy's name in the conversation which had taken place, and obviously I wanted to know what to call him on this blog. So I turned to ask Paul (Annie's father) who he was. Paul frowned, gave me a funny look and said "I don't know." I'm just like "Ok...that's a little strange, seeing as it's his future son-in-law." And I turned to ask Paul's brother. He didn't know either. I went around, checking with every single man on Annie's side of the family, and none of them knew the name of her soon-to-be fiance. Finally I asked Kumar (Martha's husband). Like the others he admitted that he didn't know, and then sheepishly went to check with the boy's parents. He returned to me and muttered in my ear, "his name is Paul Sumanth."

I thought that this was hilarious...and scary at the same time. Evangeline and Paul were prepared to engage their daughter to a man when they didn't even know his name! All I've got to say to that is "wow".

Still, God is clearly at the front and center of this matchmaking process, and where His plan is involved things can't go wrong. Continue to pray for this family and for Annie and Paul! That's all for tonight! God bless!

Max

Just One Month Left!

2008-06-05T21:21:00.004+05:30

We had a pretty quiet day today. Solomon had a schedule packed full of errands, and he spent most of the day trying to get his car a check up before our drive to Visag tomorrow. Despite his absence I managed to spend the morning with the boys. We interviewed and welcomed two new boys today, both brothers, so that was exciting.

I found time today to meditate on this passage from 1 Chronicles 29:15. It's part of David's prayer to God after assembling the materials necessary for the temple that his son, Solomon, will build.

"For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding."

I thought at first that this passage sounded kind of grim, but after thinking about it for a while I found it very insightful. I realized that I am merely a sojourner in this life which will pass "like a shadow" in the grand scope of eternity. Since "there is no abiding" in this life, there's no point in setting up a wealth of wordly things for myself, because it will only last as long as your shadow. I found it interesting to shrink this idea down to my time here in India. Here in this foreign country I am also a sojourner. My time here is at this very moment passing like a shadow. Actually, if life is a shadow then this visit is nothing more than a shadow within a shadow, a little blip on the endless face of eternity. And there is definetly no permanent abiding here, since I'll be heading home in only a month. So I've got to fit as much work and ministry into this shadow as I can, before my sojourn comes to a close. I felt a strange sense of urgency after reading this passage, both on a large and smaller scale.

So as you can see from the above paragraph I had too much time to myself today!

We had a funny time eating dinner this evening. Smily, Dolly and Vejay were craving chicken biryani tonight, a very spicy kind of Indian meal. I was preparing myself to eat as much of it as I could, no matter how much my eyes would water. But when we sat down no one would serve my any. When I asked for some, everyone shared a quick glance and then burst into laughter.

"It's too spicy Max," Solomon explained. "You can't take it."

"I think I can handle it!" I said, feeling a little put off.

Smily giggled and shook her head. "No, you'll be sick."

"I won't get sick! Let me try some!"I asked again. This has to be the first time I've ever begged my Indian family for spicy food.

"No no no...we've got something else," Solomon said with finality, and then ran to the fridge and fetched me a big tub of ice cream.

This is the largest amount of babying that I've ever recieved in India. I felt American, white and whimpy, delicately sucking on my ice cream while Solomon and his family energetically chewed their way through the chili-infested mixture of chicken and rice, exhibiting fortitude and willpower with every bite. Solomon would turn to me every once in a while to say something demeaning like, "ooh, it's a good thing you didn't try this Max," or "this is almost spicy enough to make me cry," thus implying that I, with my innate wimpiness, would've bawled as soon as the chili touched my tongue. It was funny and embarassing at the same time.

At the end of our meal I finally conviced them serve me some of the biryani, and I wish I hadn't. It tasted just as caustic as they told me it would, and I had to wash it down with three big spoonfuls of ice cream. That was the final blow, and I was forced to admit defeat.

And that's all for today! Tomorrow we're off on a long drive to Visag, so pray for safe travels for us! Also continue to keep Gopi in your prayers. God bless!

Max

2008-06-04T21:37:00.002+05:30

I've already posted today, but I absolutely have to add this. One of our boys, Gopi, was hit by a car this afternoon on his way home. Gopi is entering 12th class and so he doesn't sleep at the Bethania home anymore, but he's still under our care. When Solomon and I heard what happened we rushed to the hospital where he had been taken.

This was a government hospital, and it was one of the filthiest, saddest places I've ever been. There were no doctors to be seen, just dozens of patients lying on cots with their skulls, arms and limbs wrapped in crude bandages. They hadn't had a change of clothes, so those of them that had been in accidents were still covered in blood. Many of them were moaning and tossing on their cots. Apparently the doctors will only work for a few hours daily to maintain their salary, and then they accept bribes the rest of the time. I was thoroughly disgusted with the whole situation.

We found Gopi and his mother on the second floor in a large room filled with sick and injured men on cots. Thankfully most of his injuries were minor; he had a cut on his nose, a few cuts on his neck and some more up his arms. However he told us that he was feeling a lot of pain in his right leg. It sounded like the hospital staff wouldn't (and couldn't) give him an x-ray to see if the leg is fractured, so I don't know how they're going to decide treat it. We sat with Gopi through an interview with one of the "doctors", gave him some snacks, and then prayed for him.

After this prayer, a small old woman walked over to us and requested a prayer for herself and her son, who was lying down with a heavily bandaged leg. All of the other patients in the ward saw this, and began asking for prayers of their own. So I was led around the ward to pray for healing for almost every patient in the ward. I told Solomon to join me, and together we went from cot to cot, saying a prayer after prayer. As we prayed the old woman began to sing a hymn. The atmosphere was transformed from dark and hopeless to bright and joyful, and by the time we had finished the patients had big smiles on their faces, looking peaceful and happy. Many were laughing and talking excitedly to one another.

After these prayers we said a final goodbye to Gopi and then left after about an hour's stay. It wasn't until we were in the car that Solomon told me what a miracle we had experienced.

Solomon told me that if we had been caught praying like that in a Hindu, government-run hospital, we would have been immediatly thrown out. We also would have been in serious trouble with the law, and possibly even taken by the police. Amazingly we were not seen by the hospital officials, and the patients (mostly Hindus) even asked for the prayers themselves! When I heard this I was amazed. I feel as though I've truly experienced God's protection tonight! Solomon also noted that God had used Gopi's accident to get us to this hospital so we could share these prayers, turning a misfortune into a blessing for many people! Isn't that incredible? God used a violent car accident to get us into a dirty old hospital full of enemies of the faith and then shielded us so that we could share His love with all these people!

I just wanted to share that experience with you all. What an awesome God, huh? Pray for Gopi, that the injury to his leg doesn't prove to be too serious.

God bless!

Max

Back Home

2008-06-04T15:56:00.005+05:30

Well I'm at the end of my little excursion, and it's good to get back to Rajahmundry. As fun as Madurai and Kodai were, they didn't give the same feelings of security and peace that I feel here in Solomon's house. I felt truly blessed upon my return.

I don't have room for much, but I'll try and sum up what happened on my final days in Madurai. Raymond took me to visit a home for abandonded infants. It was touching to see these babies so tenderly cared for with the knowledge that their own mothers abandoned them on the roadside and in sewers. This baby home is in need of some help; they are desperate for some incubators for the premature babies that are frequently recieved, and also for prayer.

We also visited an education center for high school girls, where young women are taught how to sew and make handicrafts to support their families. We gave a blessing to all the girls and staff here, and also were shown around the local village by crowds of children.

And Annie, Richard Samuel's wife, took me for a visit to a local hostel for destitute women. These women possess incredible faith, despite their circumstances. Their prayer is an awesome thing to see. One woman who was praying when I entered stopped only long enough to introduce herself to me, and then went right along with her prayer, not raising her head again.

Finally, Raymond requested that I give the message in a tribal church. So I stepped up to the pulpit for a second time and delivered a talk on Christ's love. The people seemed to appreciate and understand my words, but I hope God appreciated them too.

And then I returned to Rajahmundry on Tuesday. The atmosphere in the countryside around town is a tense one right now because three tigers have come down from the jungles to steal goats, dogs and buffalo from the locals. One of these tigers has been captured and moved to a more remote location, but the other two are still on the prowl. As a result no one outside of town wants to walk to work anymore, particularly in the early morning, which is when the tigers hunt. So the roads have been pretty congested lately. I think it's pretty exciting, having wild tigers nearby. There's almost no chance that I'd catch a sight of them though, since I'm living in town.

Smily and Dolly were thrilled to see me again, as were the boys. Instead of coming in through the front door, I snuck around and entered the boy's home through the back door to surprise them. When they finally caught me they smothered me in a huge group hug.

I'm going to have only two days to recover here in Rajahmundry, and then we're off to Visag for one night to see Solomon's neice Annie and her family. I blogged about Annie a few weeks ago, so you all should remember her. Annie is planning an engagement, and the members of both families must convene in Indian fashion to voice their approval (or dissaproval). Apparently I'm to be included in this meeting/gathering, and Solomon even told me that my opinion will be very important. But I think I'll just be an observer. If all goes well Annie's engagement will come in less than a week or two, and then the wedding will occur as soon as possible. We're all very excited!

One more thing before I go; Solomon and I recieved three new boys into the home today. Their names are Navenkumar, Naveen and Sanjaykumar. All three are 11 years old. I've taken their interviews, which I will share with you all soon. Two or three other boys are going to join up later this afternoon or tomorrow, bringing the number of newcomers to 5 or 6.

This entry feels more like a newsletter than an actual post. Sorry, but I just haven't had the time to take pictures or post the one's I've got. Just know that God's been seriously moving in my life, and that my faith feels more alive than it's ever felt before! I'd like you all to keep Annie in your prayers as her engagement draws near! Also pray for our three new boys, that this transition will go smoothly for them.

God bless!

Max

Kannavadi and Madurai

2008-05-29T10:58:00.006+05:30

Hey everybody! Sorry that this is another late post. I've had trouble (again) finding a decent connection to upload pictures.

I've been in Madurai for two days now. I left Kodai on Monday, driving down the mountain to spend one night at the Bethania center in Kannavadi. Accompanying me down the mountain was Kishore and a college student named Jessica. Jessica is from Canada, and the daughter of a missionary family that works at Kodai International School. She was really easy to get along with, and we had a good time talking during the drive into the plains. During that time she told me her story, which was really inspiring.

When Jessica was in fifth grade she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The doctors were unable to do a thing, and told her family that she had only six months to live. However, thanks to months of intensive prayer from her family, friends and church, she pulled through. This is almost unheard of, and Jessica told me that she's only been able to find one other person in the world who survived like she did. She told me that though this experience was difficult and frightening she wouldn't trade it for anything, because God revealed himself to her in so many ways during her suffering, and now her faith is stronger because of it. What a story, huh?

Anyway I spent a single night at the Kannavadi site before heading off to Madurai. Priscilla, the woman in charge of this particular Bethania ministry, allowed Jessica and me to plant lemon saplings in the local orchards, which was a lot of fun. Here are some pictures that Kishore took (he loves playing with my camera):My stay in Kannavadi was very relaxing, and an excellent opportunity to slow down and rest after all the excitement in Kodai. Priscilla's son Charles took me for a swim in a local well, which was really cool, I played some more cricket, and spent time with the few kids that were left at the home over vacation.

On Tuesday I left Kishore in Jessica's care and headed off alone to Madurai. In Madurai I was warmly received by our friend Richard Samuel and his family. I'll be staying here with them for a week before returning to Rajahmundry. Richard and his brother Raymond are active in a number of ministries, which they plan to introduce me to. Last night Raymond took me on my first outing to a tribal village, where he works with the locals to prevent infanticide.

Many poor Indians consider baby girls to be a burden. First of all it's another mouth to feed, and girls usually aren't as suited to the field work as the men. Also, all girls must be married off with a substantial dowry, which often costs the family more than they can give. So many Indian families will kill their second and third born baby girls. Raymond described their methods to me. Most of the babies are killed by being forced to eat rice husks, which are both tough and sharp. I took a picture of some:The babies choke on these and die. They are also killed by being poisoned with cactus juice or simply abandoned.

Raymond's organization, SISU, works to equip these tribal families to provide for these unwanted girls, helping the family earn enough for the dowry, and also giving the girls scholarships so that they can give support of their own. He also unites the community around these babies, helping the people to bring an end to the infanticide themselves.

Raymond's parents were the ones who inspired him to begin this work. Raymond's mother would go to the villages and take all the unwanted girls into her own home to prevent them from being killed. Raymond told me that at one point there were more than sixty babies in their home. At this point Raymond, a young man at the time, told his mother that this wasn't the way to go. It was impossible for one family to care for so many babies; it was draining on his mother, and none of the children received adequate attention. So Raymond set out on his own to find an alternative. What resulted was SISU. Raymond's organization is now active in more than thirty local villages, where they provide, teach and unite the villagers to protect these unwanted children. They also sponser a home for rejected babies.

At the village we visited last night Raymond showed me one of the baby girls that had been born recently; only ten days ago. This little girl was going to be murdered by her own father. However the community banded together and refused to let him kill the baby. It was incredible, seeing this precious child alive and well with the knowledge that without Raymond's ministry she would have been choked to death on rice husks.

Well that's about it. I'll try and update this blog as soon as I'm near a decent connection again. Raymond is going to continue to take me to visit SISU villages and facilities, so I should have a lot more to tell you about. Also Raymond and the people of the village I visited desperately want your prayer support, so keep that in mind. God bless!

Max

Kodai Experiences

2008-05-24T18:30:00.006+05:30

Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. No, I didn't die, I've just been nowhere near any kind of decent internet access. But I am now! Dency, one of the women who has been shepherding me around up here, was kind enough to lend me her classroom at the Kodaikanal International School. So now I've finally got the chance to share with you all of the incredible experiences I've had up here in the mountains.

First of all I should show you the scenery, which is spectacular.

Yeah, it's pretty epic. These mountains are lush, cool and HUGE. For the first time since I've arrived here in India it actually felt good to take a hot bath. It gets nice and cold at night and during the day its just pleasant. So this is an excellent break from the suffocating sun of Rajahmundry.
Yes, there are monkeys here. I know not to mess with them, but a lot of the other tourists here don't. It's funny to watch them try and feed these animals, only to whip them into a manic feeding frenzy.

Anyway you probably want to here more about the people. Here's the family I've been staying with:

The man in the red jacket is Kumar, and beside him is his wife Ruby (the woman in the foreground is their maid). They've been kind enough to share their home with me the past few days. There are also four children staying with them:

The tall boy is actually not a child. His name is Balam, and he's the maid's son. Still he's practically a big brother to these other three. The boy and girl on the right are Oliver and Libonia, Kumar's two children. The fourth boy is Kishore; he's one of the thirty or more boys that Kumar and Ruby keep in their home, which is also a hostel. Kumar and Ruby actually run two hostels; one for boys, and another separate from their house for girls. Like Solomon's boys, all of Kumar's kids have gone to visit their families. Kishore is a special case. His father has remarried, and his new wife can't stand to have Kishore around, so he's not allowed to come home. In the same token, Kishore and his father have rejected this woman's two daughters, who are still staying at the girls home. I pray that this family will be reconciled and that these three children will be welcomed back home.

Despite the fact that most of these hostel children have gone home, I was still able to visit with them. The past few days Kumar has been taking me all over Kodai and the surrounding villages to visit with these kids and their families. This has been absolutely awesome, since it allows me to communicate with these children on a level that's impossible in a group setting. It'd be impossible to recount all the experiences I've had in a single post, so I'll just show you all a bunch of pictures:

This man is one of Paramadas's patients. Paramadas is an amazing man who lives with five or six disabled men. Those of you who came last July will remember him. Unfortunately he's out of town in Madurai, so I haven't been able to meet with him. We brought this man some snacks and sat with him for a while, talking with his mother and sister.

These three siblings all attend Kumar and Ruby's hostels. This small dark room is their entire home. It has one window, a single tiny door which opens up to a rock wall, and no electricity. They're home alone since their mother had to go to work and they have no father. They spend their time collecting firewood while their mom is away so that they'll be able to have a warm meal in the evening. Thankfully they don't have to deal with this situation most of the time, since Kumar takes them in for most of the year.

These final three pictures are from a local village near the outskirts of Kodai. The children I'm with in the top two pictures are boys who are attending or who are going to attend Kumar's hostel. The final picture is a very moving one for me. The baby I'm holding is barely one year old. She can't and probably will never be able to us her legs, and she's also mute. When I walked into this house the mother of this little girl thrust her into my arms and told me to pray for her. And I just thought to myself, "Who am I to be doing this kind of thing?" A prayer from Kumar, or even from one of the children in his own hostel, would be worth just as much or far more than one of mine. Nevertheless I prayed, and it was like for a short while this little girl's life was laid out before me, and I could point to little pieces of it and say, "God, fix that," or "God please help her with that," or "God, give her healing there." It just felt like a really tender moment. I hope that my prayer was heard and that God will work wonders in this child's life.

We also met up with Jay Granner, a very good friend of mine. Here he is:

He took Kumar and me to pay a return visit to the village of Poombarai. In July we visited this same town with Jay and Paramadas to check on the disabled children that Bethania helps here. From this picture Poombarai looks like a beautiful mountain-valley village, but let me put some things into perspective. On the right, beyond the edge of the picture, is a sheer drop 3000 feet down into the vallet below. And once you get into this village it loses all of its charms; it's extremely dirty, and it stinks. Poombarai also has one of the most disgusting open sewers I've ever seen in India. And I've seen some pretty disgusting sewers here, so that's saying a lot.

Anyway we paid a visit to a few of Kumar's kids who live here, and also checked on some of Jay's patients. The boy in this picture is Partaban (I don't know if that's the right spelling):

Partaban is mentally retarded. We initially found this boy two or three years ago, tied up in his own home by his father. Partaban's father was well known and respected elder in the community, and it shamed him to have such a son, so he tried to keep Partaban from being seen. We've worked with this boy's unreasonable family, and now Partaban is allowed to attend our Bethania care center, where he recieves therapy and help from Jay and Paramadas. Since he arrived he's made great progress, and he's much more animated and happy than when I saw him for the first time two and a half years ago. I'm always very touched when I see this boy. He loves to be hugged, so I tried to give him lots.

So that's just a brief summary of most of the memorable things that've happened in the past few days. There's so much more that I don't have the time to tell about. I was called upon to bless and dedicate a new house of prayer that Kumar is having constructed, I've played with countless children, recieved some more humbling Indian hospitality, had an extraordinary time in prayer at a small Poombarai chapel, and witnessed selfless, noble and loving Christians in action. In fact this week has almost felt like my "mission trip within a mission trip". I feel that God has been revealing himself to me in ways that I haven't even imagined this week, and I can't wait to come back to Rajahmundry, and home in the USA, and begin to live out what I've learned here. God's really been molding me this week, and I'm begining to understand what God wants to do with me and my life.

On a totally different note, I actually felt homesick a few nights ago. Not for the US, but for Solomon and his family. I guess it really is my second home. And even though I'm having an amazing time here, I am glad that I'll be spending most of my time in Rajahmundry.

Well that's all for tonight! God bless! Pray for the children!

Max

I Get ANOTHER Haircut!

2008-05-19T19:09:00.003+05:30

Solomon caught wind of my "melonhead" comment from yesterday's post. Afraid that I might be dissatisfied (which I wasn't), he called in another barber to cut the two extra lobes of hair off the side of my head. This guy was bald, which made me wonder how good of a haircutter he really was. He actually came to our house and sat me down on a stool outside in the backyard. Actually he wasn't a bad haircutter at all, but his methods were uncomfortable. He had me take my shirt off, and then snipped away. Since I wasn't wearing anything over my torso all the hair stuck to my body, which was kind of gross. The monkeys showed up to watch and howl at me. They probably thought I looked like them, all pink and hairy. I had Solomon take this picture of them spying during my haircut:

After my haircut the monkeys moved to an open water tank on another nearby roof, where they're currently throwing some kind of freaky jacuzzi party.

Tonight we're eating shrimp. Big, freshwater shrimp from the Godavari. Solomon displayed one for me.

They've got disproportionately long front claws; more than twice their body length. I love any kind of shrimp, so I'm excited to see how this is cooked. Hopefully it won't get drenched in spices.

If today's post seems kind of pointless, it is. The house has been completely quiet because at 5 this morning Vejay, Smily and Dolly were sent off by train to Vejaywada to visit relatives. So it's just been Solomon and me all day, and we haven't found much to do. We did book my tickets for Madurai; I'll be arriving at 7:45 tomorrow evening, and then driving up to Kodai. I can't wait to get up there were its so cool and green. Pray for safe travels for me tomorrow! God bless!

Max

I Get a Haircut

2008-05-18T20:01:00.004+05:30

Yup, I finally got a haircut. They obsessed over me in the barber shop; the owner even drove down to supervise my cut. It's not too great, since the guy cutting my hair wouldn't make a single snip without my approval, and seriously, what do I know about haircutting? So he ended up skipping over the hair on the side of my head. So now it looks like my skull's shaped like a melon. Oh well. In six weeks when I come home no one'll be able to tell.

Today we returned Naredrapuram for Sunday School. The kids got really involved in the songs today, which makes things twice as fun for all of us. I'll share the lesson I gave today with you guys. It was on this passage from Colossians 3:12-14:

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

I used the words "put on" to describe the virtues in this passage as garments. I told the kids that when Christ changes our lives we are expected to throw off our old, sinful garments and replace them with Christ's wardrobe of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness and love. The kids were able to identify with this metaphor, so I pressed on. I explained that love is like the 'underwear' of these spiritual garments, and is the one to be worn "above all these"; the garment you wear even when you're wearing nothing else. I told them to remember this passage as they get dressed every day, and to put on their spiritual garments as well as their ordinary clothes. So this morning went very well.

In the afternoon Solomon and I worked my trip to Kodai and Madurai. From what it sounds, I'll be leaving Rajahmundry on Tuesday to stay for a week in Kodai, and then go down the mountains into Madurai to be with Richard Samuel and his family for another week. I'm very excited about this opportunity to travel, and I can't wait to visit everyone!

That was all for today. Keep praying for us! God bless!

Max

We Go to the Movies

2008-05-16T19:31:00.004+05:30

Solomon and I have been complaining to each other all day long about how bored we are without the boys to keep us busy. The entire day moved pretty slowly, but I did have a good bit of fun with Smily and Dolly at the movies. I treated my Indian sisters to the 2:30 premier of Prince Caspian at a local theater. I've never been to the movies in India before, and it was a lot of fun. The entire movie was dubbed in Telegu, but this did not detract from the experience; I was familiar with the story so I was able to follow the plot without understanding the dialogue. The movie was great, but what was really entertaining was how involved the audience was. The moviegoers would cheer, boo, shout and whistle during the show depending on what was happening onscreen. Since the whole movie was in Telegu and I didn't understand what the characters were saying anyway, I didn't care how loud the audience got. Whenever Aslan the lion appeared the theater went absolutely insane. Also, whenever the talking mouse cracked a joke a riot of laughter would follow, and whenever a good guy did something cool or violent to a bad guy the people went nuts. But nothing compared to the absolutely deafening bursts of applause that Aslan got.

I had some thoughts about this afterwards as I was thinking about the allegory of Aslan and Christ which C.S. Lewis so artfully depicted in his books. Everyone in the theater knew that when Aslan appeared, there was no chance for the villain. The bad guy was beaten before the fight had even begun. That was why everyone got so excited; with Aslan on the scene, victory was ensured! The good guys couldn't lose! In the same way Jesus has already won the battle, and if He's on our side, we will ultimately emerge as the victors in any conflict in our lives, no matter what. One scene in the movie, when Aslan came dashing out of the forest to save Lucy from capture, was the point at which the lion recieved his loudest applause; I couldn't hear anything except screaming Indians. I even felt like adding my voice to the noise. And I thought to myself, 'when God comes to our rescue, shouldn't we do the same?' Shouldn't we all scream and shout when He saves the day? Shouldn't we praise Him for helping us to win our battles and for saving our souls? And think of how much more praise He deserves than a CG lion from a movie! If this same audience had been shouting for the true God, they would have taken the roof off of the theater.

So those are just some thoughts I had. Other than the movie, nothing else really happened today. I'm trying to plan a visit to Chennai, Kodai and Madurai over the next two weeks, so that'll be exciting. We're still working out the details of this little tour, but I'm already getting excited! I can't wait to get up into Kodai where it's so cool and beautiful. It'll also be great to visit all the other Bethania facilities and caretakers. I'll make sure to blog all about it! Alright that's all for today. God bless!

Max

2008-05-15T19:21:00.005+05:30

I saw all the boys off early this morning. The older boys took the small boys by rickshaw to the bus station, where they headed home. Parents of the smaller kids or those who lived locally came n person to pick up their boys. I was given a hug with each departure. Since they've left Solomon and I have been wondering what we'll do for two weeks.

However there was still a lot of excitement today; the grades for the 10th Class examinations were publicly displayed. This is a critical exam for all Indian students. If they don't completely pass every part of this test, they could be set back for an entire year. Thus the people here take this test very seriously - even seriously enough to broadcast the results on national television! Every one of Solomon's friends who doesn't have a computer stopped at our house today to view the details of their children's scores online, and the TV was switched on from morning till noon as the test results were announced.

Six of our boys took this exam, and four passed. Two of them even made the top bracket, which is a pretty big deal, and also completely unexpected from Dalit-class children. Solomon was very pleased. The two boys who "failed" aced all parts of the examination except for the English portion. But here in India even a low grade in a minor area like this can hold you back for an entire year. They will have a chance to retake only the English test in two weeks, and if they pass it on their second try they'll move on. If not they'll have to retake 10th Class next year. In general, however, our boys did extremely well and shocked many of their tutors, which is great! Solomon was beaming, and told me triumphantly, "I have succeeded!" Each one of these boy's successes just makes Solomon burst with fatherly pride.

In the evening we visited Paul and his family in Narendrapuram. He's was anxious to see me, since we hadn't had a chance to visit his church there on Sunday. We talked for a while at his home, and then prayed before leaving. Indians exhibit some of the most genuine and warm hospitality that I've ever seen, and I'm always extremely humbled by their example.

Before I go I've got something to show my sister Ingrid:

This sow and her piglets were mucking around in the sewage of Narendrapuram. Ingrid, I know how much you love pigs, so I took this picture just for you. I had a tough time of it, too; the mother was getting pretty annoyed with me and kept threatening to charge. Cut it out and hang on your wall with all those other pig photos, if you want.

Alright that's just about everything. God bless!

Max

2008-05-14T22:23:00.004+05:30

Well today was my last day to spend with the boys before their two-week vacation, so I hope that I made the most out of our time together. More than any other time since I've arrived here I felt like the boys were really my true brothers, in more ways than just in the Faith. We took some really fun pictures today. Nagaraju, Mohan and I made a human tower:And the boys decided to style my hair. Looking at this picture makes me think I might need a haircut. But I'm really scared about what an Indian barber might do to my head, so I've been trying to put it off for as long as possible. It's probably time I got it over with though...

I also played Karam Board with the younger boys:They take this game very seriously, and every time I missed a coin there was a collective groan from everyone who was watching. This game moves so fast that sometimes I can't keep up, and I have no idea how the scoring works. I was always told to shoot for the red coin, but I still haven't been told why.

I had a very moving experience praying with the boys tonight. Solomon was in a rush to consult with an engineer regarding the Narendrapuram site, so he waited in the car while I walked in to do the evening prayers with the boys. I just sort of sat down among them and said "let's pray," and all the kids just gathered around me in a big, crazy group hug, and then we all prayed together. It's hard to explain how I felt; it was just kind of one of those 'wow' moments.

I'm still trying to figure out what we'll do after the boys leave tomorrow morning. Solomon sounds like he might want to take us all to Hyderabad, but I'm thinking that this might be an opportunity to visit some of our other Indian friends in different parts of the country, and to take part in some of their own ministries. I'll talk with Solomon about it tomorrow. Alright that's all for today! God bless!

Max

2008-05-13T21:10:00.004+05:30

Monday was really slow, with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Solomon spent the whole day waiting for a call from the power company for the Narendrapuram site, so we didn't go anywhere until the afternoon when we went to play with the boys. Today was more exciting; though we didn't go anywhere I had a great time with the kids this afternoon. I had my camera on me so we took some goofy pictures:

We also had a visit from this small boy and his mother:These people came from a small village near Hyderabad to apply for a spot in the hostel. The mother had found out about us from a maid who works in Solomon's home, and this same maid had brought them to us. Solomon had trouble giving me the details, but he told me that this boy could have his paperwork filled out and be welcomed into the home by mid June. He also said that we'd look deeper into the boy's situation, possibly evening visiting his home.

In the afternoon I decided to go out for a long walk around town; my longest yet. By now I'm an expert at crossing the hectic streets so I had no problem getting around. I basically stopped at every place that looked interesting to take pictures and communicate with the people. I checked out the place we get our milk from; a stable full of buffalo. Our milk is delivered fresh from these buffalo every morning by the milkman, and then Vejay boils it to clean it out before serving it to me hot. I also ran into the rickshaw driver again. He was bundling up piles of palm leaves for delivery somewhere. I watched him for a while and took a few pictures, and then asked to drive his rickshaw, an act which was actually a lot more strenuous than it looked.

I found a dead rat, too, and took a picture for you all so that you can know exactly what I was looking at on that infamous day in the bathroom.

I meant to place my hand beside it so you could get an idea of the size of this thing, but it stank, and the Indians watching me were wondering what the heck I was doing messing with a dead rat, so I passed up on that. Just know that this thing is huge, about as big as a decently sized rabbit, and as you can see it'd pretty gross, too. Not the kind of thing that you want to have lurking beneath your toilet.

I also passed by the park on my way through town, and ran into the kids again. I had a pretty long conversation with two of the boys regarding my home, family and studies. Kids are always thrown off when I mention that I'm in 11th grade, since there are only 10 highschool grades in India. After a long chat with the park kids I finally headed home.

Tonight I showed the boys all the pictures from my birthday party in February. So all you folks who were at my party should know that the boys now know each of you by face and name! Kelly, Dugan, Joanna and Kate; I told them that you guys were hear in July and now they're fully expecting you to come visit sometime. Kate, I told them you might be coming in June, so don't let them down! They were really excited to see Aaron's picture as well, since he visited two years back and his dad was here only a few months ago.

And Dad, when I showed them your picture and said "This my father," they all stopped me and shouted together, "No, he's our father!" So you've had a pretty big impact on them. They want you to come and visit again as soon as you can. When I was leaving tonight they were begging me to give them a date for your arrival.

So that was my day! Before I go I'm going to give you another boy's story.

This is Mahesh. He's 14 years old and comes from the village of Annathapalli, 50 km away. He's been in Bethania since '04 and is one of the oldest boys. He joined us with his twin brother, Ashok, who I would've liked to interview with him. Unfortunately Ashok is one of the boys home with the measles, so I didn't have the chance to speak with him today. Here's their story.

Mahesh and Ashok were born into a Christian family. Tragically, their father died only eleven months after their birth in an accident at the quarry where he worked. To try and feed her family their mother would work as a laborer in the fields, bringing along Ashok and Mahesh to help. Because their income was dependant on the harvests, they only ate well at certain times of year, and nearly starving the rest of the time. Mahesh described to me the soupy gruel which they would eat almost every day; it was all they had to live on.

A traveling preacher named Nathaniel visited their village every few months. Through this man the twins were introduced to Solomon. Solomon told me that it took Mahesh a very long time to adjust to life in the home, but eventually he settled down and is now content among his 40 brothers. He's well fed and is striving to be the best student he can be. When I asked Mahesh about his faith, he told me, "Jesus has blessed us and given us success in everything."

That's all for today. You should know that in a few days my posts might suddenly get much more boring because all the boys are being sent home for two weeks on Thursday to spend some time with their families. This is going to leave both me and Solomon feeling very lonely, so Solomon is thinking of planning a family trip to someplace fun; possibly a big city like Visag or Hyderabad. I don't know if I'll even be able to blog in those places, so we'll see what happens. God bless!

Max

My Fourth Sunday

2008-05-11T20:12:00.002+05:30

Today we spent the entire morning with Solomon's church, attending the three hour Telegu service. It was sort of a children's Sunday. All the kids from VBS presented something for the congregation; skits, songs, prayers, scripture readings, and one of the older students even gave the sermon in the Pastor's place. I was called up to sing all the songs I'd taught with the kids, complete with hand motions and dancing. It was a blast, and the congregation looked like it was starting to move with us by the end of the songs. So that was the official conclusion to our two weeks of VBS.

I forgot to mention this yesterday, but I will now: Solomon and I were very proud that our boys took most of the awards during the VBS awards ceremony. Our boys came in first and second place in almost every class, getting high marks on the Bible exams they took on the last day of VBS. Solomon was very pleased, and told me that he's so happy that these boys, who come from such Hindu backgrounds, surpassed most of the church children in their Bible studies. It just goes to show the emphasis of the spiritual education the kids are getting in the Bethania Home.

After more cricket with the boys in the afternoon, Solomon and I returned to church for the evening English service, where I took communion for the first time since I got here. It left me feeling refreshed and peaceful, and now we're back at Solomon's house getting ready for dinner.

So that was really all from today. I was a little dissapointed that we didn't have a chance to visit any of the villages. It sounds like we might go to Narendrapuram tommorow, so I'm still hopeful. Alright that's all I've got; I'm sorry that this post is so short. God bless!

Max

2008-05-10T21:51:00.003+05:30

I'll start this post by describing our experience with the tribal people last night.

Solomon and I carpooled with five other men from his church including Reverend Solomon, and we drove for an hour and a half into the jungle farther down the Godavari River. I wish it had been daytime so I could've seen the scenery, but all that was visible in the headlights were a bunch of trees. We arrived at a large clearing where people were pouring in from the surrounding villages, coming by bike, rickshaw and in one case a truck packed full of laborers. The clearing itself was strewn with a lamps and a single covered platform, and the people sat on the grass while the pastors and other leaders waited beside the platform for their turn to speak. The reason I'm describing this to you all is because it was too dark to get any good pictures; sorry.

In all some 200-250 people showed up. The meeting began with an invitation to give everyone the opportunity to come to platform and sing a praise song. Many people sang, and four little girls even performed a dance. So the first hour was spent with praise. Then all the 'guests' were introduced; Solomon, his pastor, myself and anyone else who wasn't local. This was the only talking I was given the chance to do all night; the rest was spent listening to some inspiring sermons by Reverend Solomon and another pastor whose name I don't know. After the sermons an offering was collected and more songs were sung. Then we adjourned and headed back to Rajahmundry around midnight.

I felt like more of an observer here than a participant, but I don't mean that in a bad way. One thing that struck me as interesting was that from another part of the forest we could hear the music and preaching coming from a Hindu festival. It was almost like we were competing to be heard, and as the noise from the Hindu's increased it seemed as though our own speaker's voices gained even greater power and conviction. Those were my thoughts, anyway. It was really beautiful to see these people coming in crowds, appearing through the thick trees and squeezed into tiny vehicles, coming with such an intense hunger for the Word. The people here in India seem to possess a thirst for Christ that a rarely see in the United States, and maybe I'll be able to catch some of that inspiration and take it home with me. It was really a neat experience, and I hope to be able to return next weekend.

So that was last night. We concluded VBS today with an awards ceremony and a feast. Here are all the kids assembled for the last time:

The church presented me with a small metal container as thanks for my help. I didn't really feel like I deserved it since I only came for an hour or less in the morning, and only to teach songs. Still it'll be nice to have something to keep snacks in while I'm here.

We played not one, not two, but three games of cricket today. The boys were more active than usual and wore me out pretty fast. I didn't play very well...in all I think I had less than 10 runs. Today Prasad would absolutely not keep his mouth shut, and by the end of the day Solomon and I were both ready to tie him up and lock him in a closet. In a joking way, of course. In the evening we celebrated a birthday for Leela, who's now 14 years old. After that we returned to Solomon's house for dinner and rest.

So that's all. Tomorrow is a Sunday, but it sounds like our plans are a little sketchy right now; we think we might be asked to do something during Solomon's church tomorrow morning, which might keep us from Narendrapuram. So we'll see what happens. Before I go I'll let you all know that Kushanth and his mother both recovered from the measles today! Continue to pray for a similar recovery for the boys who are still sick. God bless!

Max

A Thunderstorm

2008-05-09T08:53:00.003+05:30

Again this post is very late, but I've got a legitimate excuse this time. I witnessed my first Indian thunderstorm yesterday, and it was a pretty intense one, complete with a very heavy dose of hail. The storm brought in some cool air and the water also knocked all the dust out of the air, so the storm itself was really enjoyable. Smily pulled out her Elmo umbrella and ran around in the rain for a bit. You can see the hail falling around here; some of them were pretty big. Smily would pick up the chunks of hail and run around while pelting Dolly with them.I learned that coconuts become deadly in a storm like this. The wind whips them off the trees and turns them into bowling-ball sized projectiles which shatter car windows and knock over billboard signs. And even though the storm was a welcome reprieve from the heat of the day, what followed was miserable. We went without power for about 6 hours until things got fixed around midnight. We had to eat by candlelight and sleep outside with the mosquitoes because without the fans working indoors the house turned itself into an oven. And obviously I couldn't blog, so there, that's my excuse.

Other than the storm, not much else happened out of the ordinary. I played with the boys for a good 4 hours in the afternoon and had a lot of fun, and this morning I finished my last day at VBS. Before I go I'll give you all the interview I promised:

Kumar is an 11 year old boy who was born and raised locally, in Rajahmundry. He doesn't know his father, who ran off when he was only 2 years old, leaving him and his mother to fend for themselves. Unlike most Indian women, Kumar's mother doesn't have any relatives to take care of her, so she found a job as a maid, living with her employers. She couldn't take Kumar with her, so she enrolled him in various hostels. These homes were very poorly kept, without proper food, hygiene or loving care. Kumar would move from one home to another until Solomon found him and brought him into Bethania.

Solomon praises Kumar as being one of the best students, and he believes that Kumar will be very successful in life. Kumar's mother was a Christian before Kumar came to the Bethania home, but Kumar didn't care about Christ until after his arrival. Now Kumar's faith is blossoming, and he told me that he is anxious to be baptized.

That's all I've got for today! Tonight Solomon and I are going with a few people from his congregation to evangelize some tribal communities 60 km from Rajahmundry. Solomon and I are both extremely excited about this opportunity, and it'll be interesting to see what'll happen. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. Thanks for all your prayers and support. God bless!

Max

2008-05-07T22:17:00.003+05:30

I'm sorry about the lack of post last night. Solomon and I spent the day yesterday running around Rajahmundry trying to submit the request to remove a power pole at the Narendrapuram site so we can begin work on a new Bethania home there. And we got it done; almost four weeks since we started! Procedures here in India are very confusing and inconvenient, and the caste system comes into play as well, which always complicates things. Solomon told me that we'd have had a much longer time getting the work done if Vejay's brother-in-law Babuji hadn't put in a good word for us. But now the order has been submited and we've paid the company to do the work for us. Solomon expects them to do the work in a few day's time, but we'll see.

Today after VBS Solomon and I ran around again doing more work for the Narendrapuram site. We were driving around with a man named Adinarayana, an employee of the power company that Babuji recomended to us in order to get our work done faster. He's been a huge help thus far, and we probably wouldn't have the progress we've made without him. Something interesting happened during our time with him today; we had an opportunity to witness.

Adina is an atheist, believing Jesus was merely an Israelite revolutionary. He doesn't usually speak a word to us about religion of any kind, but today he hit us with a ton of questions about Jesus. He started out by casually asking whether or not we believed in miracles. Solomon and I answered yes, and that kicked off our discussion. For more than fifteen minutes we talked about our faith with this man in Solomon's little car. Solomon led the conversation in Telegu and frequently translated Adina's questions for me and asked for my input. It was really an interesting experience for me; believe it or not, I think it's the first time I've ever verbally confirmed my faith in the presence of an non-believer. After we dropped Adina off at his office Solomon and I shared our excitement at this opportunity to bring another man to Christ. We both think he's definitly thirsty for the truth, because he brought up the topic on his own. Hopefully tomorrow we'll have the chance to talk to him about it some more. Keep Adina in your prayers!

As you can see from the picture, I got really rowdy with the boys today. That's me standing on the roof of a small shed threatening to drop Leela over the edge. By the end of the day I was so sweaty from all our rough play that I took my shirt off, which seemed to really impress the boys for some reason. I have no idea why; compared to them I look extremely pale and flabby. Then I got in a wrestling match with Nagaraju, rolling around in the dust. My sweat made all the dust cling to my body, and by the end I was dirtier than I've been in years. I should've taken a picture for you all. It felt really good...there's something about rolling in the dirt that I just love. So we had a great time today.

That's mostly everything. I've got an interview with a kid named Kumar but I'm too tired to put it up tonight, so you all can see it tomorrow. Alright God bless!

Max

2008-05-05T23:25:00.004+05:30

Today was another dangerously hot day, so after VBS this morning Solomon didn't take me to see the boys until around 5:00, after things had cooled down a bit. After my time with the kids Solomon took our whole family to dinner at Monica's house. It was something of a going away/birthday party for Monica, since she'll be leaving Rajahmundry for a job interview in Hyderabad in a few days. This job interview is very important, and she's been preparing for it for months, so keep her in her prayers. We had a good time with her family tonight, but by the end of our meal I was so full I almost felt sick. I was served way more food than I could eat. Nevertheless I tried to clean my plate, but it was difficult because everyone kept spooning hyper-spicy helpings of chicken and rice after every bite.

So that was a lot of fun. The rest of the day was pretty slow; we spent most of our time trying to hide from the heat. I did take the time to interview another boy though:

This is Ayyappa. He's one of the shyest boys, and often goes to play karam board indoors when we're all out playing cricket. I often have to encourage him to come along with the rest of us because he tends to sit back and let himself be ignored most of the time. He was really embarrassed today when I singled him out for this interview, but he told his story well.

Both of Ayyappa's parents were killed in a bus wreck when he was three years old. He has no brothers or sisters. After the death of his parents his mother's family took him in. Ayyappa would help his grandparents with their work in the rice fields, scaring away birds, in order to help them scrape in what little money they could. Their salary was rarely enough to support the family. His grandparents would always feed Ayyappa before themselves, often going hungry for the sake of their grandson. He is very greatful for their sacrifice.

Since coming to Bethania Ayyappa is much happier with his life. Instead of aimlessly wandering the roads and rice patties, Ayyappa can now make something of himself in his studies. He also recieves the nutritious food he lacked in his old home. Here he also encountered Christ for the first time. Unfortunately his grandparents are still clinging to to their Hindu gods, but Ayyappa told me that whenever he's with them he tries to explain the truth about Jesus. With God's help and Ayyappa's perseverance I hope that his grandparents will someday fall into Christ's loving arms.

That's all I've got for today. God bless!

Max

Sunday School for Stone-cutters and My First Sermon

2008-05-04T20:07:00.002+05:30

Sorry there was no post yesterday, but nothing much happened. Solomon was super tired and had to take a nap so we didn't visit the boys, and I spent most of my time preparing for what happened today, which was a lot of stuff.

We headed off to Narendrapuram at 8:00 this morning. We were in a rush so we only had time to sing one song and then give a blessing before heading off to the second village we visited today: Govindarhapuram. Why they gave it such a ridiculous name I don't know, but here are the facts: It's 25 km from Rajahmundry and is a village of stone-cutters. That's all they do there to make their living; crushing and cutting stone.

We were taken in by a man named Rakshanandam who has recently started a small church in this village. He's purchased an old home that he intends to fix up and turn into a chapel, and it was here that we were taken. Waiting for us were about a dozen kids; not a ton, but that would change.

I started us off with some praise music from my ipod, and Rakshan used a mic to broadcast the music out of some massive speaker he had connected to the roof of his chapel. The music was heard all over the village and everyone was curious. The older boys came from their work, small children who had simply decided not to come, and even some adults, and we invited them in to worship with us. By the time we had finished singing the number of people in the small church had more than doubled! After singing I shared with them the story of David and Goliath and then left them with a blessing. As they waved us goodbye, Solomon and I went home in high spirits.

We spent the rest of the day getting ready for my sermon this evening. And what an experience that was! Before I went Israel and Angel sent me off with a blessing, which was really awesome. I had mixed feelings about the sermon itself; on the one hand I was absolutely terrified and sweating gallons. On the other hand I was thinking, "Wow, I've got 25 minutes to tell these people all I can about Jesus!" And that's what I did. It was physically draining, and near the end I almost felt sick, which was kind of weird. But I pulled through and finished what I had to say. I was pretty excited on our way home from church. I've never had the chance to do something liket his before and the idea of doing it really scared me, but now that I've done it I'm glad I took the chance. It almost felt like a maturation kind of thing, like I was really stepping out of my shell for the first time since coming here. It wore me out, but in a good way. I might even do it again, if I'm asked.

That was my day. I'm sorry for the lack of pictures. I had some great ones of Govindarahapuram but the internet's not letting upload anything tonight. I'll try and add them in an update tomorrow. Oh another boy came down with the measles today, so keep him and the other sick kids in your prayers. God bless!

Max

I Can Cook!

2008-05-02T20:49:00.004+05:30

VBS was a lot of fun again this morning. We taught the kids half of a new song which I will finish tomorrow. I'm received well pretty much everywhere I go and the kids are always thrilled to sing with me. Most of the church and neighborhood kids know me by now and they always shout out "Anya! Anya!" when they see me. Anya means 'big brother' in Telegu.

Today after VBS I was hit with a craving for steak. Unfortunatly the closest thing to steak we have here is mutton. So decided that I was going to try to cook mutton the "American way." That means that I intended to cook it without coating the meat with spices and vegetables, while retaining all the juices. Usually Indian meat is served either drenched in hotsauce or crusty and salty. Neither of these are bad but I needed something tender and juicy. So Solomon and I went back to the meat market where we got five strips of lamb leg. It was nice and fresh; right off the lamb, which looked like it had been alive less than an hour before. We opted not to take the complementary windpipe, heart and liver that were offered to us.

Then we took the meat home in a palm-leaf bag and got to work. We don't have a grill or an oven (not that I know how to use either of those), so I poured some oil on a pan and cooked the meat over our gas stove.

It turned out pretty well. After I had let the mutton strips sizzle for a while Solomon dropped them all into some kind of tenderizer. This machine pulverized them very loudly for about five minutes before spitting them back out all soft and loaded with juices. It was soooo good...it's the first juicy meat I've had in three weeks! I was pretty proud of myself.

Today I'm going to introduce you all to Prasad. He's 12 years old and comes from the village of Samarlaco (I think that's how it's spelled), which is 50 km out from Rajahmundry. So he's come a lot farther than many of the other boys.

Prasad is almost impossible to ignore. He talks, and he talks, and he talks, and he talks, and when he's done talking he talks some more. Unfortunately I don't understand a word he says, which gives him the incentive to continue talking in order to help me understand. He's also got a really high-pitched voice which helps me hear him above the yelling of the other boys. When we play cricket he constantly shouts the score in my ear. "Five runs Anya!!! Six runs Anya! ANYA ANYA eight runs!!!!! Nine runs ANYA!!!!!" It's annoying and endearing at the same time.

Prasad has been with Bethania since '05. Before he came here his life was very difficult. His father had died in 2002, but from what I hear his family really didn't care, which is sad. Prasad's father was a drunkard who made his wife a prisoner in her own home. She couldn't make a living because her husband wouldn't let her out, and even when she found work Prasad's father would take the money from her and use it all on his alcohol. When Prasad was only 6 he would go and work a 12-14 hour work day in a hotel cleaning up after guests for 25 rupees a day. At 6 years old this work would absolutely knock him out, but if he was caught even taking a small break his employers would cut his pay to only 10 rupees. He took the money he earned and gave it to his aunt, who would spend it on food for himself, his mother and elder brother. He couldn't give the money directly to his mother because his father would simply take it from her and waste it.

Prasad's mother was a converted Christian and an avid church-goer before Prasad joined Bethania. Prasad's father claimed to be a Christian as well, though his life certainly didn't match up well with his faith; all I know is that God alone knows his heart and whether he was saved or not before his death. Thanks to his mother Prasad already had a firm Christian foundation, and since coming to Bethania his faith has grown. Prasad told me that he really appreciated everything that Bethania had done for him. He now feels loved, has friends, and told me with a grin that studying is tough, but it is a lot more fun than working for a meager living in a hotel.

That's all for today! Chanti's family is still suffering from the measles along with the sick boys, so remember them in your prayers. God bless!

Max

VBS

2008-05-01T20:53:00.003+05:30

We got up at 6:30 this morning in preparation for teaching songs at VBS. It's the earliest I've gotten up since I've arrived here, and I was a little groggy until we actually arrived at the church. Waiting there were something like 200 kids all squeezed into a tiny hallway. I tried to sneak in quietly through the back door because they were in the middle of something but as always I stick out like a sore thumb and they noticed me immediatly. I walked to the front of the crowd with my little sound system and taught the kids the words and hand motions to Lord I Lift Your Name On High. They caught on pretty quick, and it helped that our Bethania boys were in the crowd as well. I had already taught them the song so they were able to help the other kids understand th words. After everyone understood the motions and the words I played the sound off my ipod and every sang along to the music. Here are some pictures:

Tne woman with the mike to the right of me is Monica, a friend of the Mungamari's who is an excellent translator for me. Whenever she has the time she comes to help. She's excellent at relaying my exact words to the children, which is something Solomon has a hard time doing. So I really appreciated her help today.

Afterwards we adjourned for breakfast (in Telegu we call it 'tiffin') outside. Tomorrow I'm coming back to teach another song, and Solomon has made sure that we're well prepared. He had my type up the words for today's and tomorrow's song in a word document which he took on a CD to a printer, so now we've got songsheets for the kids to read off of, which will help the learning process go much faster.

The rest of the day went well. The kids at the park tried to get me to drive a motorcycle today. There's no way I'm ever driving a vehicle on an Indian road. It'd be the death of me. So I politely declined. But now on hindsight I wish I had done it. I mean come on motorcycles are cool and super manly! Oh well if they offer it again tomorrow I'll say yes. Also I ran into the old rickshaw driver again, who wanted another picture taken of himself. I think next time I go for a walk I'll bring the prayer oil and try to give him a blessing the next time he greets me. Most of the people in Solomon's neighborhood know me and my schedule by now. Like they know I usually go to play cricket with the boys at 2, I jog at 4, and I sit on the roof at 6. The street vendors all recognize me and wave to me too. There's one little family camped less than thirty feet from Solomon's house who sells tea and coffee that I wave to every day as I enter or leave the house. They prepare their drinks over an open fire and pretty much sleep on the street under this little tarp and their wooden cart, which is all they've got. The level of poverty here is really astonishing.

Well that was my day and it was an incredibly hot one. Solomon even told me that this kind of heat isn't normal. I've been soaked with sweat all day. I guess this is what I get for bragging about the clouds earlier this week...oh well. God bless!

Max

2008-04-30T22:07:00.004+05:30

Today we spent a great deal of time planning. Solomon's pastor (also named Solomon) came to our house this evening to talk to me about what I'm going to do in VBS tomorrow. VBS is going to continue for 8 more days, and each day I'm supposed to teach the kids a new song. I could only think of 4 off the top of my head, but I'm sure I know more than that. Still it would help if you guys would send me some ideas or resources. Also we made plans tonight to accompany Solomon's congregation to some remote tribal villages, where we'll walk around town evangelizing everyone we come in contact with! This happens next Saturday, and I'm really excited! But I'm also a little nervous.

Today instead of the park I took a walk around town. I had my camera with me, and a lot of people requested that I take their picture. This is a family of vendors who sell tea and soup by the roadside:

And this old man is a rickshaw driver:

Sadly he's soon going to be out of a job; Solomon tells me that old-fashioned rickshaws like this one are going to be outlawed by the government very soon. They will be replaced by auto-rickshaws.

Tonight with the boys I gave a pretty long lesson on the importance of studying the Bible. I kind of felt like I was on a roll, and I couldn't stop talking. For a good 40 minutes I spoke while Solomon translated, and at the end I felt really good about it. I think I'm getting the hang of things here, and the boys are definitly understanding the concepts very well. Solomon is excellent at making my words come alive for the boys with gestures and comparisons.

I don't know what I'd do without him.

Before I conclude this post I'll give you another interview.

This boy's name is Satyanandam. I don't even try and pronounce his name; I just call him Saty. He comes from the village of Ravulapalam beside the Godavari river. He still has both his parents and an older brother who graduated from the Bethania home last year. But similar to Mani Babu, it was many years before he got to know his father. When Saty was 2, his father was deep in debt and unable to support his family. So he snuck out of India and into Dubai to try and earn a living. This was extremely dangerous, and if he was caught by the Dubai government he would have been shot because he was an illegal immigrant whopossessed no passport or papers of any kind. Saty's family heard nothing from their father during his time in Dubai, and received no funds. To help support his family Saty worked in a field for 20 rupees (50 cents) a day. During this time he often stole produce from his employer because his earnings weren't enough to pay for meals. Saty's father finally returned to India last summer, having received aid from the Indian government in order to come home. Saty's father now helps support his wife, but their relationship isn't a very good one. However they are trying very hard to fix things, since they both have been converted to Christianity.

Solomon commends Saty for being a hard worker and a diligent student who has made huge improvments in his grade over the years. One thing about Saty that really stands out is his love of hugs. Every time I set foot in the boy's home he's the first to run up to me and great me with a big bear hug. Often he never lets go until I have to force him off of me in order to sit down or give a lesson, and even then he doesn't let go, keeping a hand on my arm or leg. He's also a really sensitive boy and gets homesick often, so Solomon and I try to make him feel as loved as possible.

That's all for today! Give me help on those songs cause I could really use it! God bless!

Max

My Family

2008-04-29T21:16:00.004+05:30

Today was pretty relaxing. We had clouds again to cool things down. The boys and I had our daily cricket match, and in both games the we tied, which the boys thought was hilarious.

Every evening before our lesson I play songs for off of my iPod for the boys to sing and dance too. They're becoming much more familiar with the songs now, and everyone has their favorite, which makes it tough for me to select which ones to play. It's really a blast dancing and goofing off with them on a daily basis like this, almost like I've got 35 little brothers. But boy do they wear me out!

Talking to my parents on Sunday I was reminded that I haven't showed you all any pictures of my family here. So tonight during dinner I pulled out my camera and took some. Here they are:

This is Solomon, and he's just an awesome guy. He's constantly by my side almost all day long. His faith is incredible, and every day he teachs me something new, either through his words or his actions. He's a total servant and extremely humble.

Vejay's the mother of our family. She's a quiet woman, but when she speaks everyone listens. She's a teacher at a local school so she's very good at helping the boys understand concepts that Solomon and I have trouble conveying to them. Her prayers are incredible to listen too; they're some of the most heart-felt, fervent prayers I've ever heard.

Smily is the youngest in family. She's 10 and really, REALLY loud. She's got tons of energy and she enjoys using most of it to bug me. She follows me everywhere and always has something to say. I enjoy having her around though; she keep things interesting and is a big help with communicating with the boys.

And lastly this is Dolly, Solomon and Vejay's eldest daughter. She's 13 and turns 14 in May, but her maturity level is well above her age. She's extremely polite, quiet and thoughtful, completely the opposite of her little sister. It's hilarious to watch them together because they bring out such a contrast in each other. She's also a major help when I'm teaching, and is especially good at narrating the words of English songs to the kids.

I meant to get pictures of Israel and Angel too, but they're already asleep. I'll bring you pictures of them some other time.

Well that's everything! Solomon's still trying to get me scheduled for a VBS visit one of these days, so we'll see how that goes. By the way thank you all so much for you comments and prayers. They've made a huge difference for me during my time here. God bless!

Max

2008-04-28T22:20:00.003+05:30

I got a picture of a pair of gorgeous Indian butterflies that I wanted to share with you:
The wildlife here is so unique and colorful. Every time I step outside I see something new, like a bright red lizard, a parrot or finch and the occasional monkey. The heat's not been so bad lately either, and it was really pleasant outside today with a lot of clouds to keep the sun off our backs.

So today went well, and seemed relaxing compared to all the driving around of yesterday. Solomon headed off early in the morning to be with his congregation as they begin to dismantle their church. They're planning to construct a new one as soon as they've torn down the old structure. Solomon didn't wake me up to come with him (now matter how much I beg him to get me up early he never does) so I didn't really get to see what was going on. But from now on church for us will be held in a small Baptist chapel nearby. The boys also started VBS today. Solomon's trying to arrange for me to come and teach songs to the children. Oh and I've been signed up to preach again in two weeks at another small village somewhere. Solomon definitly keeps me busy!

Playing with the boys today was a lot of fun. I took two wickets in cricket, which I was pretty proud of. I'm actually starting to enjoy this game. The rules still confuse me sometimes, but I've got the gist of it. The boys go NUTS when we play, and the competition is really intense. Solomon always tells me that if he wasn't there to moniter the games the teams would fight so much that they wouldn't play at all. After being with the boys I headed to the park again for my jog. There weren't many kids playing today, but the ones who were excitedly ran up to me. We talked for a bit before I headed home to prepare the evening lesson for the boys. Tomorrow I'm going to my camera to the park with me and get you all some pictures of these kids.

So that was my day. Before I go I'd like to tell you all about my interview with Abhishak and his grandmother Challayamma. Abhishak is 11 years old and was enrolled for the first time last year after I left in the spring.

Challa was taking advantage of the summer vacation to visit her grandson. She was a very nice old woman who wouldn't stop shaking my hand. Unlike many of the boys, Abhishak doesn't only have a loving grandmother, but is blessed enough to still possess both of his parents. His father is a laborer who is often employed in various jobs, such as hauling bricks or working in the fields; he has no permanent job. Abhishak's mother runs errands for a nurse in a local hospital.

Abhishak's family's situation is an unusual one. They live in a small concrete government hut...on an island in the middle of the Godavari. Once a year during the rainy season the river floods and their entire island is submerged, house and all, forcing them to live in tents on the shore for a month before returning. This annual flooding is a thorn in their side every year, so pray that they find some more permanent housing.

Thankfully, Abhishak's entire family has been baptized, and they are all strong Christians. Their faith keeps them going.

That's all for today! God bless!

Max

My Second Sunday

2008-04-27T22:27:00.004+05:30

Today Solomon took me to help lead Sunday schools in Narendrapuram and also the village of Hukumpeta. We had a pretty intense schedule today that left little time for resting, so I'm dead tired. We got a really early start to get to Narendrapuram at 9. There I taught the kids some more songs and led another quick Bible lesson with them before finishing up.

Solomon and I had about an hour's rest before we went to play with the boys at noon. After that we ran home, bathed and cleaned up, and then drove off to Hukumpeta, which is a very beautiful little village on the outskirts of Rajahmundry. There was a lot of grass and greenery, and the entire village was surrounded by lush rice patties. We entered the little chapel near the center of town to find a ton of children waiting for us (almost three times the number in Narendrapuram). Here are some pictures:I taught the kids some songs and played some praise music out of my iPod sound dock which was very well recieved. Then Vejay helped me to explain the parable of the prodigal son. Then we prayed and left. Afterwards every one of the kids approached me in turn to shake my hand and introduce themselves. They were all extremely friendly, but I noticed that many of them were affected with various disabilities. One boy looked like he had a crippled hand, one seemed to have a mental disability and another was a dwarf. Pray that they don't let their disabilities interfere with their faith walk. Many upper caste Indians look down on the physically disabled, so also pray that they can overcome prejudice to become powerful men of Christ.

Immediatly following Hukumpeta we attended Solomon's church. I'll be preaching there next week, and the verses I've been assigned are from 1 Peter 4:7-11 and John 15:26-16:4. If you have any thoughts or ideas for me post them in the comments section.

Solomon took us out to town after church, where we checked out an 'exhibition' of electronics and then had dinner out at a small restaurant. Then we came right home. I'm super tired right now, so I'll wait until tomorrow to post today's interview with one of the Bethania boys.

Wow, two weeks have gone by in a flash! Keep praying for me and for all the kids here because they need it! God bless!

Max

TV Day

2008-04-26T21:45:00.004+05:30

Everything today revolved around the purchase and unveiling of a brand new tv and dvd player for the boys home. From morning and to evening all I've heard Solomon talk about is the tv; what kind he should buy, where he should put it, how he's going to buy a 'safe' to keep it in, and the list goes on and on.

We spent an hour in what was basically a tv warehouse inspecting hundreds of televisions until Solomon found the one he liked. He wouldn't buy it without my approval, and I just told him that he knew better than me. It got delivered to the boy's home at 4 to a TON of applause, and then at 7 we unwrapped it and had the official unveiling. It probably took us 45 minutes to unwrap everything and figure out the wiring. For some reason Solomon refused to let me rip through the plastic and foam casing, and everything had to be meticulously untied, unwrapped and stowed without damage. Then Solomon was adamant that the first movie played on it was a Bible-oriented one, so we went out and rented The Prince of Egypt and showed it to the boys tonight.

After the movie Solomon told me to bless the tv. My initial reaction to this was "What?" When he repeated his request my reaction was "Why?" It seemed to me like a weird thing to do, but I went agreed because Solomon seemed to be taking this blessing very seriously. Solomon thought that this occasion was momentous enough for a photograph:
After the blessing Solomon made us wrap the tv back up exactly the way it had been before when we purchased it, foam, box and all, put it away in a closet. On our way home I was tired and feeling a little cranky after all the excitement with the tv, so I was pretty quiet in the car. Solomon was beside himself with excitement. And then he said this to me:

"Max, I was so happy that you blessed the television. We don't have time tonight, but tomorrow I'd like you to bless my new cabinet and chair as well!"

This was the last straw. Annoyed, I asked why we had to keep blessing furniture and electronics. To me it all seemed pointless and strange. Solomon had this answer for me:

"Everything we recieve is given to us by God. The tv was God's gift to us and our boys, the cabinet is a gift, and the chair is a gift. All these things were given by God, so we must thank God for them and bless them so that we might use them as tools for His purpose."

All my cynicism vanished in an instant. Solomon was right. Everything we recieve is a gift from God; if He didn't want us to have things, we wouldn't have them. There's so much in our lives that we take for granted, and we forget why we have them. So why not praise God and bless in His name every new object we recieve on this earth? Without Him we would have nothing. So that was my learning experience for the day.

Today (in between buying and revealing the tv) I pocketed my prayer oil and went back to the park with the intention of witnessing to the kids there. Upon my arrival I was greeted by fifteen or more boys, some from yesterday and the day before and some who had heard about me from their friends. They wanted me to play more cricket. I told them I didn't have time (and I didn't), and that I had to finish my jog. As I was speaking I kept thinking about the prayer oil in my pocket. I wanted to bless them, but they were so obviously Hindu and we were in the middle of the street, so I chickened out and continued on my way.

But God gave me another shot.

I sat down in the park area for a bit to take a rest after my jog. As I sat there three little boys walked up to me. I communicated with them for a bit, and then took them aside. "I've got something for you guys," I said, and I pulled out the prayer oil. At that instant ALL the boys from earlier came racing through the park towards me. I didn't have time to put away the prayer oil and the first question they asked when they reached me was "What's that?"

"Oil for blessings," I answered. One of the Hindu boys gave me a funny look. "For making Christ-marks?" he asked. "Yeah," I nodded. At this some of the boys seemed a little nervous. I was feeling uncomfortable too, but I pressed on. "Would you all like to be blessed?" I asked. The silence lasted only for a second, but for me it felt much longer than that. Then one of the boys stepped forward. "I'd like a blessing!" he said with a grin.

At this boy's words all the other boys wanted one too. So I made the sign of the cross on every one of those boys' heads (including the little kids), and said a quick prayer before leaving them. I told them that I'd see them again on Monday. As I walked back to the house I thanked God for helping me to bless those boys. It was a huge step for me. With God's help I'll be able to go even farther with these kids in the coming weeks. I'd love it if you all would pray for them and ask God to reveal himself to them.

Today I interviewed a boy named Mani Babu.

Mani Babu is 15 years old and has just completed ninth grade. He's a quiet guy but boy can he dance! He helps me to lead the dances every day in the home, and he's tried to teach me a few moves too. I can't figure them out - my body just isn't flexible enough.

Anyway Mani Babu's life got off to a pretty rough start. His mother died only 5 months after his birth, and following her death his father abandoned him, leaving him with his mother's parents. Mani Babu went through his life without knowing who either of his parents were, until he finally met his father at the age of 12, during his first year in the Bethania home. From what I heard this was an emotional reunion, and after this meeting Mani Babu's father began to slowly understand and appreciate Christ's sacrifice. However his father still suffers from the life he once led. He was baptized only three months ago, but only a few weeks later he was arrested and jailed for a murder case that took place 20 years ago. His trial actually took place today, so we should know what's going to happen to him within the next few days. Pray hard that he gets released so that he can continue to grow in Christ and be a loving father to his son.

Alright I'm off to bed. Keep praying for the kids with the measles!

God bless!

Max

2008-04-25T21:25:00.002+05:30

Today was kind of sluggish. We started out slow with a late start because of our late night last night, and then we spent a very long time seeing Annie off to Bangalore. After that we kind of just hung around the house until 2 when I went to see the boys again.

In today's game of cricket I scored a total of 8 points, which is my best I think. My team still lost though. Oh well I'm improving. Solomon and I were both out of it today, so we didn't get to interview a boy. I'll do one tomorrow for you guys.

This afternoon I headed off to the park with the intention of sharing the gospel with those kids. It didn't go quite as I had planned. Only one of the kids showed up, and instead of going to Solomon's house he made me come with him to play MORE cricket with some friends of his. One of them spoke really good English, which might help me as I try to talk to them about Christ in the future. However we did none of that today, and I went home feeling like the time had kind of been wasted. I'm sure I could've said something to get us started, but all we ended up doing was playing cricket. Next time I'm not going to be so passive about it though. Tomorrow when I go to see them (I promised them I would) I'm going to make something happen, regardless of if we're in Solomon's house or not! I drew some inspiration from this verse after my time with the kids at the park:

2 Timothy 4:2 -
"...preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

Today preaching the word seemed out of season, and I just let it slide. Tomorrow I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to make myself say something, even in public, and even in front of a Hindu priest, if it comes to that. I can't keep making excuses for myself. It's time to toughen up and get rolling!

Alright that was all for today. I hope tomorrow I'll hit those park kids right in the heart with God's word! Briefly I'd like to remind ask you all to keep praying for Chanti's family. His wife and daughter came down with the measles today as well, forcing him to ask his grandmother to come stay with them to do the work his wife is too sick to take care of. Pray for their swift healing.

God bless!

Max

Thursday

2008-04-24T23:35:00.003+05:30

Hey everyone! Every day here God puts something new on my plate, and today was no exception!

This afternoon on my jog I again met up with the kids I blessed in the park yesterday. They surrounded me and began to beg me to pray with them again. I was dying to, but Solomon had given me a very serious talk the night before about praying in public, and within thirty yards of a Hindu temple no less! He had made me promise only to pray with children in someone's home or in a church. So I was a little conflicted. Part of me was saying "go for it!" and the other part was saying "be smart". What I ended up doing was quickly blessing each child with the sign of the cross, and then I told them that tomorrow I'd lead them up the street to Solomon's house, where I'll pray and conduct a Bible Study with them. The kids were very excited by this idea, and promised to bring their friends. Solomon is excited as well. A whole new ministery is starting to open up to us!

Annie arrived today on her way to Bangalore. Here she is with her grandmother Angel.
Annie is Solomon's niece, the daughter of his sister Evangeline, and she is a powerful young woman of Christ! We spent the evening driving her around town to visit friends and relatives, and they she took us to a restaurant on the Godavari where she treated us to a good dinner. She's spending the night with us and then tomorrow we'll bring her to the bus station and see her on her way.

Today another one of the boys' mothers came to visit, this time to pick up her son to attend a family wedding. Her name is Reatna. Her son is Anil, a nine-year old who joined us in 07. The little girl in the picture is Reatna's neice, who she was babysitting for the day.

Reatna has a very poor relationship with her husband, which almost led them to a divorce. However instead of that Reatna's husband took things into his own hands and ran off, leaving his wife and son homeless and penniless. Reatna found work as a maid, and lives with her employers. If she was ever to be fired, she'd have no home to go to.

Reatna is an unbatized believer who went to church regularly, even before she enrolled her son with Bethania. She set up a strong foundation for Anil, who continues to flourish and grow in his faith. Anil told me that he likes to express his faith by song, which is evident in his EXTREMELY loud singing voice.

Alright that's all for today. Pray for safe travels for Annie, and also that my lesson with the kids from the park goes well tomorrow!

God bless!

Max

Wednesday

2008-04-23T21:44:00.003+05:30

Today I had one of the most disgusting experiences I've ever had in India. You all might get a kick out of it.

I went to the bathroom tonight (for obvious reasons), pulled down my pants and sat on the toilet. Almost the moment I sat down, the biggest rat I have ever seen shot out from beneath me. It was the size of a rabbit, black and covered in sewer sludge, and had a greasy, worm-like tail. Naturally I was freaked out. My initial reaction was a kind of terrified moan, and then a tense silence. The rat and I stared at one another for a moment, and I had this awful feeling of exposure since I didn't have my pants on. After a minute I forced myself to stand, pulled my shorts back up and stepped cautiously past the rat who was now perched on top of the squattie-pottie to my left. I had Solomon with me in a second with a giant metal rod, and he was able to drive it away into the sewers...though I don't really know who did the driving because we were running from it at the same time it was running from us.

Well now that you guys have all had a good laugh I can tell you about what REALLY happened today. Today one of the boys' mothers showed up at the home to check on her son. I took this opportunity to do my interview for today.

This is Vishnu Vardhan and his mother Ammaji. Vishnu joined the home last year after I left, at the age of nine. Now he is ten years old and is entering 6th grade next year. Before he came to the Bethania home, Vishnu was working full time in a vegetable shop for five rupees a day (which is somewhere around ten cents, I think) in order to help support his mother and baby brother. Vishnu's father never could keep a job for very long because he was too lazy, and was often gone for long periods of time. Ammaji was unable to find a job where they lived, because her village customs denied women the right to work for money. So there was little to no income for this family other than Vishnu's work in the vegetable store. They soon found themselves without a proper home and deep in debt.

At this time Ammaji became sick with a strange disease that caused her to frequently faint and have difficulty using her hands. This made life very difficult, and she sought help from Hindu priests and gurus, but they were not able to do anything. Finally one day out of desperation she decided to offered this prayer to God: "If you will heal me I will seek you forever". Almost immediatly she was healed, and promptly began to attend church. Ammaji confessed to me that she still struggles with her faith, but she has come to the point now where she feels that she is ready to be baptized. After we talked for a while I prayed with Ammaji and Vishnu and blessed them.

These stories of faith that I hear every day are really having an impact on the way I think and pray. The people here are just so incredibly inspiring, and yet still they remain so humble.

Today on my afternoon jog around the park here I was joined by a group of excited children. They have been watching me on my daily jog and today they decided to introduce themselves and join me. I'm proud to say that I'm able to communicate with almost a dozen Telegu words, and they were thrilled that I (barely) knew how to speak their language. We were having fun running together when one of the boys tapped my arm and casually asked "Do you know Jesus?"

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face him. "Yes I LOVE Jesus!" I said excitedly. Then I turned to the other boys. "Do you know Jesus too?" Some nodded, some shook their heads. So I led them into the park and prayed with them all before heading home. I told them that I'd be there on my jog every day if they wanted to meet with me again. As I was leaving I recalled the words of Psalm 8:2 - From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise. That boy who spoke to me today possessed more courage than I've been able to muster the whole week and a half that I've been here. He just walked up to me and asked me the question, without worrying about my reaction or the fact that he didn't even know me! I pray that God will help me find the same conviction that this little boy posesses!

So that was my day and it was a pretty awesome one. It's like every day God hits me with something new, be it sewer rats or courageous children.

God bless!

Max

It's Really Hot!!!

2008-04-22T22:31:00.007+05:30

Yikes! It seems like the sun looms closer and closer to our little house every day! There's just so much dust and heat...so much that I've got a fine layer of sweat and grime covering my body. When I take my bucket baths it gets scrubbed off in rolls.

Three more kids got the measles today, bringing the total number of infected boys to seven, including little Kushanth, Chanti's son. Keep praying for their recovery!

Playing with the boys this afternoon wore me out. We pulled out one of the footballs I had left here and started to play some form of unorganized rugby. By the end of our time together we were tired, excited and covered in dust and bruises. Some kids even emerged from the melee with bloody lips, but they didn't care. There's a sense of comraderie to a game like this, even if everyone's against one another. I was surprised that Solomon let it get as violent as it did; he just watched and laughed as we beat the snot out of each other. Eventually the boys teamed up on me and in a group forced down my limbs, starting to carry me around the building. It was a lot of fun.

I continued reading Isaiah this morning, and Chapter 54 had some very encouraging words for me today:

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord...

I felt sort of invincible after seeing this passage. In this first week alone I have been made aware, more than ever before, that the devil wants to bring his weapons against me, and wants to confute my own tongue with fear and self-doubt. But as a servant of the Lord, God will protect me and give me the ability to confute Satan's tongue, and to bring my own weapon against him: Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God!

Today I spoke with a boy named Sivashankar, a curly-headed thirteen year old who has come to us from a broken family. Siva's father worked as truck driver, but was also a heavy drinker and even to this day rarely comes home. Because of this lack of support Siva's mother was forced to live with her parents. In the midst of her hardship Siva's mother slowly began to lean on Christ, and eventually began attending Solomon's church in Rajahmundry. Here Siva's mother was baptized and introduced to Solomon, who of course agreed to take Siva and his older brother Balam into the home. Siva's brother graduated last year and is now attending graduate school, I am told. Siva hopes to follow in his brother's footsteps.

Siva is a very energetic boy and loves sports. Solomon tells me that he used to be something of a troublmaker, but since his arrival at the Bethania home Siva has learned discipline and excellent study skills. Siva is always one of the first to greet me whenever I come to visit.

Alright well that's all for tonight! God's peace be with you!

Max

More Measles

2008-04-21T21:56:00.004+05:30

As you can tell from the title of this post, the measles have spread to more boys in the home. For this reason Solomon has been driving around town for most of the day, running in and out of the doctors office. I was left alone until about 2 in that afternoon, when we returned to the boys home to play even more cricket. Up until then I used my time alone to pray and dig deeper into my Bible.

My Dad recomended that I read some passages from Isaiah. After reading and dwelling on the scripture he had recomended I wandered through the pages until I came to Isaiah 52:13 through 53, chapters about Christ's sacrifice for our sins. As I read it for the first time I felt like it was merely review, like Christianity 101. Little did I know that the words would have a profound impact on my heart. It brought Christ's suffering alive for me, particularly in these verses:

Isaiah 52:13

...his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind - so shall he sprinkle many nations;...

Isaiah 53:2-5

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground, he had no form or majesty that we should desire to look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions (notice the hypocrisy here: it says that we esteemed him stricken and cursed by God; yet we are the cursed ones and the sins he carried were none but our own!); he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

I did not realize until after I had finished reading these passages that I had heard them quoted many times before, yet discovering them here by myself really put things into perspective for me. As I re-read the words I began to think of why I'm really here, trying to minister to these children; it's so that the incredible sacrifice Christ made does not go to waste here in India. For these children He went so far as to give up his own life, to be "marred beyond human semblance" for these beautiful children. And as I thought about it even more, I realized the obvious fact that his sufferings should have been ours! We are the ones who should be disfigured, rejected and despised for our sins. With that in mind I again re-read the passage, and tried to put my name in the place of Christ's, imagining what kind of suffering and rejection I would have undergone if He had not stepped up to the cross in my place. A tremendous wave of thankfulness washed over me, and I could do nothing but utter the words "thank you Jesus". I've been trying to recall those words to mind all day long, murmuring under my breath or in my mind "thank you Jesus".

Anyway I didn't mean to write so much about that, but I just wanted to share how I felt about that with you all. It was as if I rediscovered His sacrifice for me today.

Before playing with the boys this afternoon I grabbed some anointing oil and prayed over the boys suffering from measles. I hope that God restores their flesh with all speed. After I prayed for these boys Chanti's two little children ran up to my side:This is a picture of them with their father. They, Chanti and his wife live together with the boys in the home full time. Thus these children are blessed with more than thirty big brothers! Anyway they had been watching me praying and wanted a prayer of their own. I was taken aback by their request, them being only 3 and 5 years old, and I took the oil and prayed for them as well. (By the way I have no idea how Solomon manages to steal my camera and capture intimate moments like this; I was sure it was in my pocket. Oh well; since I've got the picture I might as well show it:) Never in the States have I seen small children who are truly searching for Jesus at such a young age. They are in God's hands, no doubt about it!

I promised you all another interview with a boy today, and here it is!

This is Nagaraju. He's a fourteen year old that I got to know pretty well on my last trip here. I was with him during a particularly challenging point in his life; when his father died suddenly of an unknown disease. Nagaraju still has a family in his elder sister and mother, but from what I heard he's been slowly drifting apart from them because they do not support his faith in Christ. Nagaraju has actually had to fight his mother to allow him to go to church and prayer meetings. He quoted one of their conversations for me: once his mother asked him, "Why do you believe in this Jesus? Aren't our gods enough for you? Let the Christians have their God, and we will have ours." Nagaraju replied, "Jesus has changed my life while these other 'gods' have done nothing for me. For that reason I will follow Jesus." What a witness!

Aside from his strong Christian convictions, Nagaraju is also a leader within the home, helping to organize activities for the younger boys. Solomon also praises him for being a very strong reader. He's one of the few boys who respects my personal bubble, which I appreciate. Also he was the only boy who was able to keep up with me on jog on Sunday, sticking with me until we finished our laps in the 95+ degree weather.

Alright I'm gonna finish up now. It's so hot here tonight that Solomon and his family are sharing my air conditioned room with me. I've been trying to get him to share because I know that he and his kids have trouble in the heat, but he refused...until tonight, when he sheepishly approached me and asked for my permission. So it'll be interesting...I wonder if any of them snore.

God bless you all! Keep praying for me and for God to rid our boys of the measles!

Max

Sunday

2008-04-20T22:15:00.005+05:30

Today was pretty labor intensive, and I'm wiped out, so I'm sorry if this seems like a hasty post. A lot of stuff happened today, but unfortunatley my camera's battery ran out, so the only pictures I've got are the ones that Solomon took with his own camera.

I got up at six this morning to get ready to lead Sunday School in Narendrapuram. I was pretty excited to go back after I had such an inspirational experience last time. We picked up Paul and together with Dolly and Smily Solomon and I drove out to the small chapel in the middle of town. I set up my sound system and started playing worship music to attract the kids, and pretty soon they started to trickle in. These children come from very Hindu backgrounds and so were shy and maybe a little apprehensive at first, but they soon settled in. Paul started us off right with a prayer, and then I stepped forward to teach some songs with hand motions. The kids caught on quickly, and by the end were singing beautifully in heavily accented English. After the songs we all sat down and I read from the Bible and taught a lesson, using illustrated picture books to help the younger children understand. I tried to make the Bible stories come alive for the kids as much as possible so that they'd be motivated to come back again next week. We are battling against a heavy Hindu influence in this village, so I tried hard to explain in simple terms the crux of our faith: the importance of Christ's death on the cross and his promise of salvation. We finished up with another prayer and then headed outside to have a snack of carmel candies. Before we left Solomon wanted a group photo, so we clumped together on the steps of the church for this picture:

Here are some more images:

I thought that this Sunday School went extremely well, and we went home in high spirits.

In the afternoon we took the boys out to a dusty playground to have ourselves another game of cricket!It was insanely hot, but that didn't keep me from getting five runs before the boys got me out! I'm getting better at the batting, but I'm terrible at bowling. I didn't even come close to taking a wicket.

Solomon's church tonight was classic; blaring speakers and painfully slow hymns in broken English. However I got to meet the pastor of this church, also named Solomon, and he was an extremely kind and sympathetic figure who wholly supported Solomon's work with Bethania. Before I could blink he signed me up to give a 30 minute sermon in two weeks! I still don't know why I agreed to it, but I promised myself that I wouldn't pass up any opportunities during my time here. So I'm giving it a shot! Pray for God to give me an understanding of His Word and a clear head so that I can give a message that strikes home in the hearts of my Indian brothers! Apparently I'm also in for about a month's worth of Vacation Bible School, so I'll see where that takes me. There's so much to do, and I'm excited and terrified at the same time!

I did interview another boy today, but due to circumstances beyond my control I'm unable to give you his story tonight. Don't worry it'll be here tomorrow!

A pray request before I go; Ravanth, the little boy I introduced you to yesterday, came down with the measles this afternoon. Another boy is showing symptoms as well. Please pray for their swift healing; Solomon tells me that while measles are not deadly, they are indeed extremely painful, and recovery takes some time in such hot weather.

Alright that's all for today! God bless!

Max

Cricket and Music

2008-04-19T22:00:00.005+05:30

After a pretty slow morning things picked up today when Solomon and I went to spend some time really playing with the boys. The boys have recently completed their examinations, and will be on summer vacation starting next weekend, but we decided to kick things off today. I brought a game of horseshoes from the U.S., and we opened them up and had a lot fun. After an hour or so the boys pulled out a cricket bat and proceeded to teach me this very un-American sport. To me it seemed like a much more confusing form of baseball which utilized a paddle instead of a bat. Still the boys really enjoyed explaining it to me, and their excitement as they tried to bowl over those wickets was a treat to watch. We played until I hit the cricket ball up into the second story balconey of a nearby home (we retrieved it later).

After hours of playing with the kids I went home for a little bit to prepare the lesson for the evening and to take a jog. While I was running I was almost killed by a schoolbus which seemed like it was going to flatten me along with three motorcycles and an elderly woman who was slowly and calmly crossing the street. I don't understand how Indians manage to survive day by day with such insane and uncontrolled traffic! Pedestrians always seem to have the right of way, but that's a very loose term. Often Solomon will blast through crowds of people, bicycles and animals just because he thinks he sees a gap in the traffic.

Anyway tonight during our evening time with the boys I broke out my Bose iPod sound system. The boys LOVED it, and my only regret is that they insisted on me pumping up the volume as loud is it would go (Indian's have a love for loud noises). We both danced......and worshiped. The boys soaked up the praise music like sponges, picking out key words and ideas with excited shouts. They also used the praise music to create a beautiful atmosphere of worship and meditation. I was very pleased with their reaction to the songs and I can't wait to share more with them.

Today I interviewed one of the younger boys in the home. This kid's name is Ravanth, and he often catches my attention because of his feisty personality and persistence. He's also the smallest of the boys, even though he's not the youngest, and his size has given him something of a Napoleon complex. He is always fighting for attention, even against boys who are much bigger than himself. However he is an extremely endearing boy.

Ravanth is one of the new arrivals, and he arrived shortly after I returned home from India last April with his older brother. He is blessed to still possess both of his parents; his father is car washer and his mother is actually employed as a maid in the Bethania home, which must be comforting to him, as he is still very young at the age of seven. Ravanth had difficulty expressing himself when I asked him about his faith; he's still very much a young child, so I don't think he has the maturity to understand everything he hears just yet. He's still trying to process things and learn how to think. However when we asked him who was the true God, he answered "Jesus". I don't know whether this was what he truly believes in his heart or if it was simply a mechanical response, but whichever it was it was the right answer. When I think of this boy I think of the verse from Proverbs 22:6 - Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. As long as this boy remains in Solomon's care, hearing and thinking on the Word with his brothers on a daily basis, he will someday come into his own as a strong leader and a man of Christ.

That's all for today! Tommorow will be a rigorous day; Solomon intends for me to teach Sunday School in Narendrapuram, visit his own church, and lead a Bible study with the boys. Thanks for supporting me with your responses on this blog and in your prayers, you've all been a huge help to me.

In Christ,

Max