Moving forward!

As of Fri night, my standby ticket is booked . . . departure 21 Jan . . . Richmond, Atlanta, Amsterdam, Mumbai, return Mar 25th in the opposite direction.  This is the first of many prayer requests . . . that I would make all of these standby flights.  I spent an extra day in Amsterdam going last year, and an extra day returning in Mumbai in March!  Now that I have that under my belt, it isn't so scary as the Lord looked after me so well . . . no surprise, I know . . . last time, and I am confident He will again.

So, if all goes according to plan, I should arrive in Mumbai about midnight, India time (they are 10.5 hours ahead of us) on Jan 22nd.  Once again, I am planning to get my India legs under me and see a couple of Woodstock old students in Mumbai before flying up to Kolkata on the 25th.  I also don't want to book a flight up too quickly out of Mumbai because I just might be delayed en route.

My Ukrainian friends will be in Kolkata when I arrive, and I am very much looking forward to spending time with them in India.  I am, as you can imagine, also looking forward to seeing my Kolkata family.  I expect to overlap a few days with Dave and Cathy Hicks of AlongSideAsia before going up to N. Bengal for 2.5 weeks by train.  That's another prayer request . . . an overnight train, and my stop isn't a long one.  I will be met there by one of the Narginarys, no doubt.

In Dec 2009, I went to visit Nicholas Narginary, a former colleague from my days in Calcutta in the 70's.  I have met him again both in Kolkata and at ASA Retreats.  The invitation to return has been an open one. This seemed like the year to accept it.  Joshua, Nicholas's son, runs an English medium school on the property of NORTH BENGAL OUTREACH CENTER.   He has asked me to help with English acquisition.  I plan to leave Kolkata on Feb 5 and return the 22nd.

I will then fit into my usual roles, I expect, in Emmanuel Ministries of Calcutta.  They include English and Bible teaching as well as seeking to be an encouragement to staff and children whenever possible.

India 2014 . . . when, where, why!!!???

Since my arrival home from India in March of 2013, I have been planning to return in Jan 2014, after celebrating Christmas with my family in Pensacola, FL.  Initially when I wrote to the EMC leadership about this plan, they suggested that because of so many other foreign guests coming in Jan that I think of coming at another time.  So, I contacted a former OM colleague that I visited with mutual friends in 2009 who has wanted me to return to N. Bengal and spend more time with his ministry.   I thought everything was more or less set.  I would return to Kolkata towards the end of Jan so that I could overlap with the team from Ukraine that I have grown very fond of, especially after visiting them in Aug.

Then I learned that my standby ticket would not work on the departure date that I had proposed.  What initially seemed like a set back now seems like wisdom from above!!!  Why did I think I could leave again so soon after returning from Christmas?  I have realized this past week just how travel weary I am!!!  Getting ready to travel and the long trips are the challenge . . . not being with the people I love!

So, today I began investigating leaving on Jan 21 with a Mar 25 return.  Let's see how that works out.  I would fly through Amsterdam to Mumbai . . . hopefully not being delayed anywhere along the way . . . and plan to reach Kolkata on Jan 25th.  That arrival date would make it possible for me to be in Kolkata with the Ukraine team for a week.

What about a return to Hamiltongunj, in the northern part of Bengal state?  I am investigating that.  Nicholas Narginary has been used of God in his home area, a tribal one.  A Children's Home, a school, lots of outreach and church planting are the major focus of his ministry.  His son Joshua has asked that I help in the school.  Going in Feb or Mar is what I am purposing.

I want to return to Kolkata to continue relationships there especially with my spoken English students, several of them are also in the women's Bible study that I have lead during my past visits.  I am also looking forward to deepening relationships with the children, teens, and young adults and various and sundry others who work in EMC that have become very precious to me.

It's Christmas time in the city . . .

A post on this blog is long overdue!  As I write, I have just returned from helping at the STEP (Strategies To Elevate People) breakfast.  STEP works in one of the neighborhoods in the city that could be described as 'challenging'.  Along with breakfast, there is a chance shop in a 'store' of donated gifts for a discounted price.  I do enjoy doing such things . . . talking with people, holding babies while mother's shop, et al!

The Fall has been a difficult one.  I just re-read my last post, fresh back from a mountain top experience. Surely some of my low moments have come because of the evil one who wants to render me unusable.  In a few days I will become the age that my dad was when he died.  That thought is sobering in and of itself.  But, the next sobering thought is that I have my mother's good genes, and it is likely that I still have a third of my life to live!!!  (I know that this is biting off more than I need to chew, but it has been overwhelming!)  What AM I going to do with the next third of my life?

I came home in Sept to find my church in the midst of a Capital Campaign!!!  Oh my, that knocked me off my feet in a way that I could not have predicted!  The church that I joined and loved for many years, the one where at one time I knew and was known . . . now every time I go to a function I not only don't know people, but I have never even seen many of them before!  Now, grow more . . . !!!???  How will I ever feel apart again if I am always going somewhere else!?  Experiencing the death of a vision of sorts, I think.

Oct marks my mother's death anniversary.  It has now been four years.  The struggle of not actually belonging to anyone anymore continues to be difficult for me to overcome.  I know that I belong to Jesus, and that He is enough, but I do struggle at times with profound loneliness.

At the end of Oct, I drove to Pensacola to celebrate my sister's big day!  It was fun being with family and also visiting friends in the ATL area.

Since receiving an email from Seth, my oldest great nephew, a year ago asking me if I didn't think it was time to spend Christmas with them . . . in the last four years, I have been out of the country three Christmases! He is about to turn 12 so I thought, "I'll be there in 2013!"  But, what about Thanksgiving?  I would love to have been in FL, but just knew that I couldn't drive down twice more . . .  flying is EXPENSIVE, and then you don't have a car . . . If I went for Thanksgiving I was going to stay down for Christmas which wasn't practical on a number of levels.  Long story short, I had Thanksgiving with friends here, and leave on the 17th to spend Christmas with the Clarkes . . . all 8 of them.  Not completely clear yet when I will return.

Then there is India . . . I have been planning to return in Jan since my return in Mar, but I couldn't get my head around making plans.  Then I did!  The dates were set 31 Dec - 4 Mar.  All set up, planning to fly standby, thinking that those dates would be great for plenty of seats because who is going to fly on the 31st and 1st!?  Alas, I can't fly on the 1st and getting stuck in Amsterdam is EXPENSIVE.  So, plans were put on hold and now I need to make a new plan.

My mother always struggled with making decisions, especially ones that involved travel.  So many times in the past few months I find myself right where Mom often was . . . just unable to decide.  I am plagued with the what about this, or that?  A friend pointed out that she thought I was tired.  Tues I lost my voice . . . my mother always told me that is a sign of exhaustion . . . I think there is more to it than that, but . . . I need to make a decision.  The thought has come this week that I am just generally burned out on travel.  I love going places and visiting people, but I so dislike the process.

The other day in my devotional reading, these verses spoke sweetly to me . . . from the Amplified Version . . . how that I have a Kindle, I have about five translations downloaded . . . I LOVE it!!!

Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief, ease, refreshment, recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.  For my yoke is wholesome (useful, good, not harsh, hard, sharp or pressing, but comfortable, gracious and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.                               Matt 11:29 and 30

Something else that stopped me dead in my tracks recently, from a sermon preached by my pastor, Steve; is a prayer by Tim Keller . . .

"Lord, I have been trying to earn my own salvation and weave my own righteousness.  But you are my salvation and righteousness.  I am accepted already in your Son!  All my problems come because I am forgetting how honored, beautiful, secure, rich, embraced, and free I am in Jesus and among my brothers and sisters.  Let me be so ravished with your love of me that no other love can control me." . . . I say, "Amen and Amen!!!"

On Thurs night I met with some of the women in a nearby neighborhood for a Bible study that hasn't been meeting for months.  One of the take away thoughts was, "The Lord loves you so much that if he had a wallet, your picture would be in it!"

So, Lord, bring on the next 30 years, or so, and help me discern in the next couple of days my next trip to India. You know how much I love those people and how much I want to be with them.  Melt away all of the nagging doubts and fears, the drudgery of packing and the long trip.  I want to be yoked with you, to be useful in your kingdom, to live in your love!  Lead on, oh King Eternal!!!