Yesterday was a great day, and I am ever so grateful. I really needed it.
The experts say that there are four stages of cultural adjustment . . . the Honeymoon . . . initially when everything is exciting and new. That's followed by Frustration when everything is no longer new and exciting, but gets on your nerves, and makes you feel uncomfortable. That can lead to Depression. If you hang in there and don't give up you will come to a place of feeling Settled. Hopefully I am entering stage four!
I would have never considered the frustrations that I have been experiencing of late as culture shock, but I think the Spirit gave me wisdom, and I realized that I needed to call it that! I have also struggled with feeling depressed, and definitely felt that yesterday . . . I just didn't want to get up. I was back in my "real" world after being away from it for four days. I had been refreshed by the break, but . . .
After my lesson with Class V, I made another trip over to Ripon Street to tell my Ukrainian friends good bye! Who knew that the person from Pauline Bhavan who had decided to stop speaking to me last week would be there and that FINALLY, at least from my point of view, she broke the ice. Almost immediately the fog began to lift. I was sad about the team leaving, but refreshed by the warmth of the girls that I now spend an hour with on Thurs when they saw me. Two of my students from the Fri English class, who head up projects, did part of their THANK YOUS in English to the Ukraine team. . . it was their idea and we prepared the remarks after class on Fri.
But, hold onto your hat because the best is yet to come. I have long loved the boys who live at Anandoloy, and enjoy them whenever I have a chance. I went over and spent an evening with them in Nov, and haven't been back, which is sort of a shame on me kind of thing. I am the one who needed to take the initiative. I had even spoken with Prashanto earlier in the day about doing something with them. The days are ticking by fast, and I'll be the one leaving. Well, Suraj said to me later, "Auntie, will you come over to Anandoloy once a week and teach us the Word of God?" You could have knocked me over with a feather.\! "Yes," I replied, "I would love to do that!" We sort of planned on Fri, and I have checked it out with Prashanto who is checking it out with the 'warden' as they call them in EMC. I AM THRILLED. We also plan to do something together on Sat to take us all out and about, away from our same old same old lives, after the Keswick breakfast . . . another story, but . . . Prashanto is getting back to me on all of this!
Last night I finally got a chance to meet with the teenaged girls with whom I live. We started the GOSPEL IDENTITY series which is also what I will do with the boys. This is what I am teaching the women, too. Since my last visit, I have been concerned that these kids need systematic teaching and also to be called to respond to the Gospel, leaving everything else behind . . . something that people like Shobroto had never realized he needed to do! Anyway, I thought it went well, though all of them aren't taking it in. Pooja told me later that she liked it and that she was going to try to live by the 10 Commandments now. That isn't what the lesson said, but we have a few more weeks to talk about it. At least she liked it.
One more huge thing for prayer. I have been asked to visit another ALONGSIDEASIA project in Mumbai on the way home (my international flight out of India leaves from Mumbai). Now that project, similiar to EMC, would like for me to stay more than a couple of days. I just don't want to leave here earlier than I planned. The only other option would be to leave India later, something that I also don't really want to do! Need wisdom!!!
This a.m. as I tried to teach in Class IV, my body started to perspire. Yes, someone has turned Winter off, though the locals haven't realized it yet!
The 'British invasion' as I call it begins tomorrow!
The time with Mala was sweet, and the Lord brought everything together for them on Fri a.m. before she left right after lunch. It was wonderful to watch Him work and to see her in this role! Freedom Firm rescued another underaged girl this week!!!
The Wetherbys come next week, and I am getting my things together for the wedding in Lucknow. I asked Premila if I could borrow a sari . . . one size fits all. She was delighted to do so. Vandana, her daughter, took me out to buy what I needed for a sari blouse . . . one size does NOT fit all and a tailor. It is supposed to be ready on Thurs. We'll see!
Devotions with the younger kids tonight. This is much more challenging for me! Going to talk about the GIFT of salvation and receiving it!
The experts say that there are four stages of cultural adjustment . . . the Honeymoon . . . initially when everything is exciting and new. That's followed by Frustration when everything is no longer new and exciting, but gets on your nerves, and makes you feel uncomfortable. That can lead to Depression. If you hang in there and don't give up you will come to a place of feeling Settled. Hopefully I am entering stage four!
I would have never considered the frustrations that I have been experiencing of late as culture shock, but I think the Spirit gave me wisdom, and I realized that I needed to call it that! I have also struggled with feeling depressed, and definitely felt that yesterday . . . I just didn't want to get up. I was back in my "real" world after being away from it for four days. I had been refreshed by the break, but . . .
After my lesson with Class V, I made another trip over to Ripon Street to tell my Ukrainian friends good bye! Who knew that the person from Pauline Bhavan who had decided to stop speaking to me last week would be there and that FINALLY, at least from my point of view, she broke the ice. Almost immediately the fog began to lift. I was sad about the team leaving, but refreshed by the warmth of the girls that I now spend an hour with on Thurs when they saw me. Two of my students from the Fri English class, who head up projects, did part of their THANK YOUS in English to the Ukraine team. . . it was their idea and we prepared the remarks after class on Fri.
But, hold onto your hat because the best is yet to come. I have long loved the boys who live at Anandoloy, and enjoy them whenever I have a chance. I went over and spent an evening with them in Nov, and haven't been back, which is sort of a shame on me kind of thing. I am the one who needed to take the initiative. I had even spoken with Prashanto earlier in the day about doing something with them. The days are ticking by fast, and I'll be the one leaving. Well, Suraj said to me later, "Auntie, will you come over to Anandoloy once a week and teach us the Word of God?" You could have knocked me over with a feather.\! "Yes," I replied, "I would love to do that!" We sort of planned on Fri, and I have checked it out with Prashanto who is checking it out with the 'warden' as they call them in EMC. I AM THRILLED. We also plan to do something together on Sat to take us all out and about, away from our same old same old lives, after the Keswick breakfast . . . another story, but . . . Prashanto is getting back to me on all of this!
Last night I finally got a chance to meet with the teenaged girls with whom I live. We started the GOSPEL IDENTITY series which is also what I will do with the boys. This is what I am teaching the women, too. Since my last visit, I have been concerned that these kids need systematic teaching and also to be called to respond to the Gospel, leaving everything else behind . . . something that people like Shobroto had never realized he needed to do! Anyway, I thought it went well, though all of them aren't taking it in. Pooja told me later that she liked it and that she was going to try to live by the 10 Commandments now. That isn't what the lesson said, but we have a few more weeks to talk about it. At least she liked it.
One more huge thing for prayer. I have been asked to visit another ALONGSIDEASIA project in Mumbai on the way home (my international flight out of India leaves from Mumbai). Now that project, similiar to EMC, would like for me to stay more than a couple of days. I just don't want to leave here earlier than I planned. The only other option would be to leave India later, something that I also don't really want to do! Need wisdom!!!
This a.m. as I tried to teach in Class IV, my body started to perspire. Yes, someone has turned Winter off, though the locals haven't realized it yet!
The 'British invasion' as I call it begins tomorrow!
The time with Mala was sweet, and the Lord brought everything together for them on Fri a.m. before she left right after lunch. It was wonderful to watch Him work and to see her in this role! Freedom Firm rescued another underaged girl this week!!!
The Wetherbys come next week, and I am getting my things together for the wedding in Lucknow. I asked Premila if I could borrow a sari . . . one size fits all. She was delighted to do so. Vandana, her daughter, took me out to buy what I needed for a sari blouse . . . one size does NOT fit all and a tailor. It is supposed to be ready on Thurs. We'll see!
Devotions with the younger kids tonight. This is much more challenging for me! Going to talk about the GIFT of salvation and receiving it!
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