5/27/10

• Christianna and I were on our own until about one o clock today with the girls! We were more than "didi's" today; we were teachers! :) Opened the day with reading some of Matthew aloud. The sang in Hindi. Krishma* prayed intensely and so unselfishly for so many people; she is really not as self-centered as she comes across at times. Lord, I pray this rough/external shell she projects would continue to be softened and transformed more and more into your likeness!
• Girl watched the epic "Planet Earth" dvd as Esther and I braved making a fire outside for the chai (because the power went out and the girls insist on having their "tea break"). I never realized how difficult it is to keep a fire going (esp. long enough to get milk and water boiling on separate occasions)! I went through almost an entire box of matches before realizing there was a candle in the school room I could use to re-light the fire... It was long and tedious work for sure, but I was so impressed with Esther's positive attitude throughout it all. She never gave up, because she knew it was her responsibility and wanted to do something kind for the girls.
• I was SO happy and encouraged with Shashikalla began to understand more of the alphabet, and it is evident she is LEARNING the material! Thank you God for small improvements!
• Christianna also thought of playing "hangman" which was a genius idea! I'm convinced any creative outlet we can combine with an educational challenge/lesson is MUCH more likely to stick in their memories than copying down something on a blackboard repeatedly! We even played a little hop-scotch to help them learn to count better (at least until her rained)!
• Ate lunch at the Malstead Resort... I mean house!
• Ate dinner w/ the Palms! Christianna and I ate well today! :) I look forward to Thursdays, because there is always such fun as we cut up and laugh together over a huge meal!
• This was the night we also found out Mala (little Mala) had a change of heart! Thank you, Jesus!

Mala's graduation day.

5/26/10 - Wednesday

Today was a special day for one of the girls. She completed her 18 months in the Freedom Firm program, and today was a commemoration/graduation service for her. Her name is Mala (as to not be confused with Mala Malstead, one of the founder's of FF). For this reason I call her "Smala"on occasion. :)

We had school with the girls this morning, but the focus of the day was really about Mala. Everything else seemed to fade in comparison. I found it funny that they celebrate such events with purchasing a meat instead of a cake. We all sat in a circle and she had the "hot seat" and we each went around and had a time of encouragement for her. She also shared what a blessing FF had been to her. The girls gave her their handmade cards they had created earlier that day (thanks to Katherine for her homemade cards and idea!) and it was beautiful to see what they told her (in Hindi and was then translated into English). I think she felt more honored and recognized than possibly she ever has. Many were moved to tears. Mala was.

Now, you have to know, however, that none of us wanted Mala to go. Just because she had finished the program did not mean she was ready to be "on her own". She is not a fast learner and either has some learning disabilities or trauma blocks, and so FF made it abundantly clear she could stay longer if she wanted to. (The girls have the freedom to come and go as they wish; no one is going to be "held" at FF against their wishes.) However, where Mala was going home to is no "home" to her. The conditions of her village are the worst the staff has encountered yet. Her very brother forced her into prostitution, and although she said she wanted to go home to "continue her education," girls in her village are not allowed to go to school. If she wanted to make money, she would have to either dig mud ditches or be thrown into the vicious cycle of prostitution again. . . Even some of the ladies (upon visiting last year) told her to go back to Ooty, and that this village had nothing for her. Obviously, there is NO future for her here, and yet she is foolishly strong-willed and insisted on going home.

Yet, I felt like there was such a balance of truth and love. The situation was fragile, and yet we had to lovingly encourage her while also pointing out the "holes" in her thought process, while altogether praying we would not push her away. I have seriously never witnessed such an equal balance, so Holy Spirit, thank you for being in our midst. Jesus, Mala is out of our hands, but she is in Yours. May we fully entrust her to You, and I pray she would be willing to hear your voice and follow it.

Thursday:

Even more so today, after so many toilsome and grueling conversations and prayers, Mala now says that she wants/is willing to back to Ooty and live at another government home! (I found out another reason why she wanted to leave is because she is often the girls who gets picked on/bossed around by the other girls and has a strong victim mentality because of it. She has yet to learn to stand up for herself and is thus easily controlled. . . Anyway, the girl who picks on her the most lives at the same govn't home she would be moving to. . . )

However, this is TRULY MIRACULOUS! The situation has gone from her being totally obstinate to her being willing and wanting to come back!! Prayer changes things!!!!! This is one phrase that I will say and I don't care how overused it is, because it's true! Jesus, you are understatedly good. . . Mala is leaving tomorrow to go see her family (though they travel for "business" so she doesn't actually know where they are) but wants to return. If you pray for me for anything, please pray she comes home sooner than later and that she is protected while she is there and while she is traveling. She is so gullible and vulnerable, and if her own family is willing to sell her into prostitution, then she has no home there.

...On a lighter note, I jazzercized with the girls last night and ate a delicious grilled cheese sandwich number two (christianna made it because my attempts were...sad at best) with a hot bowl of soup. I spent the rest of the evening chatting with her and her dad who is a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals (insert drool here)!

5/25/10

• Kyle left for Kenya today for 2 weeks. May You lead both Kyle and his team and help them "to find a need and fill it"! I pray they would see SO many lives get touched by you, Jesus!
• Rode the bust in to town with the girls today for our first "real" day at Smyrna! [I even spotted 10 rupees on the ground amidst the trash when waiting for the bus on the ride home!)
• I was so impressed with how fervently their prayers are-- and it occurred to me; they understand urgency and certainly pray with a sincere earnestness.
• Helped check a few math problems; the girls are actually quite good with mat so far; I think the objectivity of it all is why they like it (as opposed to the contradictions and complexities of English).
• Because we studied different animals this week, I had two of the girls, Sussi and Sangita read to me, and they learned the the word "rhino" (among some other words I hope) by the end of it! The really lit up by the end and I think they felt more confident afterwards because they wanted to read me a third book (even though I think we were just supposed to do one)! This made my day! Amol (Sangita's 5 year old son) even stepped into help and learn; he is such a bright little boy!
• Christianna and I later took Amol and Joanna (Sussi's one-year old girl) to the park and met some other great kids to play with! I was glad they had some playmates.
• Loved rocking Joanna and having her fall asleep in my arms.
• Loved helping the girls learn the alphabet, its sounds and began some light reading with them! I even braved the world of electronics/computers and we did some educational/interactive cd's on the computer today, which they really enjoyed! (Lord, now we just need consistent power in the building, so we can use the computer!)
• Christianna and I ate dinner with the girls at Rojaand didn't get back until after 8:30! Gone from 8 to 8! But now we have Saturday off and may even get to go to an animal wildlife reserve!
• I was SO touched tonight when Krishma* showed us her photo albums--oh what stories these pictures tell! My head was in my hands when we finally to the picture of her younger sister, who is 14 years old and was just given into a child-marriage. (The marriage was forced upon the girl by her grandmother who is the same woman who coerced Krishma into prostitution, so she could live off her wages.) The husband is twice her age, and she is already pregnant. . .There is speculation that this man will also force her into prostitution. Just a couple weeks ago Krishma went home to her grandmother's funeral of all things, and she pleaded with her sister to come back with her to Ooty, yet the Enemy's stronghold is prevalent over this poor girl that she doesn't want to disobey her dead grandmother's wishes in exchange for freedom and to be with her only family (Krishma). Naturally, this broke Krishma's heart. . . Oh Jesus, make sense of this all. I pray justice would come to fruition for her sister's behalf.
• *name has been changed

5/24/10

• Helped Christianna (the latest FF volunteer) and her dad (who is visiting India for 2 wks) move into Farley! Felt SO much better today--basically 100% with only slight dizziness.
• Helped orient Christianna as best as I knew how. I'm so thankful for our friendship already and I only met her this past Sunday morning when I went to church (and then went home right away because I felt more sick) I think we are going to make a great team!
• Played a couple games with Kevin (her dad) and Christianna. One was called "blink" and the other was a simpler version of scattergories--so fun!
• Ate my first "Indian/American" grilled cheese which ended up being slightly burnt but good nonetheless!

MIA--Sunday

5/24/10

. . . So I was sick all day, with enough pain in my head and body that I could not really move or stand up without feeling faint. I rarely get headaches (thankfully) and yet there was even pain behind my eyes, so I did not even to to read and my computer has its own set of problems, so I couldn't even watch a dvd (which is also a rarity). There I sat in bed feeling nearly/almost totally immobilized and unproductive. Yes, even bored! It occurred to me as I tried to think of the last time I had eve been so confined or had so little to do (or that I could do) and I honestly could not ever remember having a day like this. (Even when I had my wisdom teeth out the medicine knocked me out for a full 24 hours!) I sat stunned for a moment, and yet as I was thinking back just recently to my 4 yrs of college, I never got terribly ill (though I have had a few scares). When others had flaring allergies and others were catching the "swine flu" I have not dealt with a major illness or bone break since middle school! And we all know how difficult it can be to miss and make-up college classes! My self-pity was replaced with a gratefulness and although i was bored, I felt like God was asking me to still offer this day up to Him and he could still teach me things as I simply laid in bed!

In the hours that I laid on my cot, the Lord reiterated the same message(s) to me THREE different times by THREE different sources! (Yeah, just try to tell me that's coincidence; I dare you. :) ) . . . Because it hurt to keep my eyes open, I placed a cool wash cloth over my eyes and head to help temporarily relieve some of the discomfort, and I "randomly" decided to listen to a Bethel podcast I had uploaded by accident a long time ago. Now again, I rarely again almost ever have the patience or desire to sit through yet another "lecture" after sitting through a week's worth of listening to them. However, there was so much overlap in what He taught me today about divine order. how we are purposeful creation as opposed to the philosophy of naturalism and contrary to what is taught in schools and popular by evolutionists. The podcast touched on the Biblical side to this. When my eyes began to feel better, I picked up Charles Colson's book, which did the same thing but brought to light the logical arguments for why there is an order; it's so simple and makes so much sense! Then Desiree was so kind to bring me up some hot chamomile tea and we began casually talking. The next thing I knew that came out of her mouth in direct alignment with what I had been listening to and reading! Desiree even quoted someone who said it actually takes more faith to believe in the Big Bang/evolution, because there is no rhyme or reason to it. Poof. It happened. And the statistics and age of the earth/fossils etc is consistently changing. . .

It makes so much more sense to think (at least to me) that there is an order. There is a natural order. We have hierarchal order(s). We have establishments, governments, natural laws and moral ethics. There are both written and unwritten rules. Chaos does not produce harmony; order does.

Jesus offers us a unique freedom because of the law.

5/23/10 - Saturday

• Day of relaxation; yes I had the day off.
• Began with a 200 rupee pedicure which is the equivalent of 4 dollars! This was a nice luxury, because I almost never go to get my nails done!
• Desiree and I spent about 6 hours dabbling around Ooty, pricing different souvenirs, and haggling over different deals. (Reminded me of the days I used to go to yard sales with my mom!)
• Bought some groceries including some fresh apples!
• We ate lunch at a place called Willy's that serves western foods and is owned by one of the ladies who attends the "jazzercize" class (which is the ever popular exercise class in town). We scarfed down the ever healthy choices of a tomato, cheese and garlic pizza which naturally had hints of curry flavoring instead of the typical tomato paste used on "American pizza". The French fries tasted quite "American,"however, and we even topped off the meal with a brownie fudge sunday. . . And our total bill was under 4 dollars I believe!
• On my way home, however, I experienced the "kiss of India" and began to feel sick. For the remainder of the day and all day Sunday I was feeling quite queasy and my body "ached" all over. . . Not exactly the ideal way to end the day, but God is so faithful. . .

5/21/10

Woke up to my phone ringing--Mala wanted me to come in to the office and finish photographing the jewelry for Ruhamah. With only a third of the line shot, I was nervous I wasn't going to finish it by the time they needed it done, but by the grace of God (seriously) I got it done! Even amidst charging the camera battery (quite a few times) and working with limited fabrics/backdrops/lighting I think/hope they look good! Thank you, Lord for multiplying my time/ability and giving me the ability to focus and get it done!

Ate leftover spaghetti for lunch (Yes, Tarrah was concerned I was eating pb sandwiches and instant soup every night) so she sent me home with a tub of it! Spent the rest of the day at Smyrna talking about my responsibilities as a volunteer with Mala and Jaya (the girls' teacher) and my role as a tutor/second teacher. Then I met with some more of the staff to go over the how I could help with launching the jewelry as a separate entity/mirco-enterprise, so the girls can hopefully sustain themselves eventually! (Right now the jewelry is under Freedom Firm but will soon break off to be its own business called Ruhama.)

Lord, you have brought me this far; I pray I would not become overwhelmed, but I pray you would give me an endless bout of creativity and prepare me to be the best/most effective teacher I can be. I want these girls to grow, succeed, and I know You desire this for them even more so! Thank you for this opportunity, Lord!

5/20/10

I worked in the FF office for the first time on Thursday. I felt honored to be the one doing a final revision of the new FF website! (Way to put my English degree to use!) AND I have had the honor of being the photographer for Ruhama's jewelry line--editing and photography?! I am in my element. Who knows if I'll ever go home?! :) May my efforts continue to make a way to bind up the brokenhearted.

I also worked on the "bounced" email list for over 1300 people who receive the FF updates. Granted, I only got to number 30 which means I have quite a bit more to do! Whew!

I ate an "vegetarian pizza puff" for lunch . . Had "coffee day" with the Palm children--"coffee" consisting of 4 hot chocolates with extra whipped cream, that is! Joined the Palms for dinner as customary for their Thursday evenings--all the staff is invited to their home for shall we say though cliche, "food and fellowship"? I hate to say it, but I've never been so grateful for western food! (Disclaimer: Indian food is good but it is VERY repetitive/very little variety.) Spaghetti (okay not exactly "western") has never tasted so good--that or cereal, and these are two food that I typically don't rave over! Ate broccoli (finally!) and cheese bread (oh cheddar, how I've missed you!) and double chocolate brownies for dessert--Tarrah has already learned of my chocolate addiction and made them especially for me which was just too thoughtful!. . . I might have possibly pulled a Kyle/Joye scenario and eaten 2/3 of the pan--whoops!

Played a German game called "bonanzo" (or more commonly referred to as "beans") with Jayson and Tarrah. They are loads of fun, and I felt we became increasingly more comfortable with one another as the night progressed. Thank you Lord, for yet another answer to prayer. you know how secretly and badly I wanted to be around "family" and I have already had a few meals and evenings with different families! Jesus, your Body, your community is so intimate and unique...Only through you could I feel like an extension of a family I have just met. . . And though a stranger may be hospitable to another "stranger," in the Christian sphere of hospitality is the potential and assurance to go so much deeper--to be able to worship the same God and even bypass the awkwardness and triviality of shallow relationship and create it into something enjoyable and great.

May you bless the "Palm Six," Lord Jesus. Bless them beyond their wildest dreams. We achieved comfort last night--something that happens in a friendship generally over great lengths of time.

Day at Avalanche Camp!

5/19/10

I hiked an hour into the camp with Mala and Tarrah. We had quite a scenic drive and hike, and the rain even held off the whole day! I look up to both of these women so much; Tarrah even hiked the whole time with Jovi on her back! It really was so wonderful to speak frankly with these women and learn how they truly live (as both of them once lived in the US) and hearing of the challenges and victories they have faced...

Anyway, it was fun to observe the camp for the day! I found it ironic that we made girly flower pens and painted our nails at this "wilderness" camp, where there is an emphasis on the "rugged outdoors". The girls tent-camped and even went kayaking (jealous!) and rappelling!

Jesus, I want to thank you again for not allowing me to go the camp. They were more than fully staffed and I think I was much more effective helping Mala in that time they were away. Also, for some reason I had the "Americanized" version of camping in my head; I pictured dorms with cot beds, warm (as opposed to the cold and overcast weather it actually was) and I packed very little warm clothing in the first place! Thank you, Lord for ensuring my health, as I would have inevitably grown sick and probably irritable. Thank you for changing my heart and for your provisions.

5/18/10 Day in reverse (again)

• Dinner with the Fazers (the people who own Farley Guest House where I stay).
• Actually had fun cooking and making homemade bread (a swiss dish) and eating a yummy veggie salad (I finally had some fresh vegetables)!
• Even got the fee the rabbits the vegetable peels--actual rabbit food!
• Helped Mala organize the jewelry and "purge" the different designs and select which ones will eventually go towards their online micro-enterprise they want to begin for the girls (called Ruhama) Felt good to have such a productive day!
• Read some of Charles Colson's book--it's so good! Just wish I had read it earlier on in my schooling...

5/16/10

Attended 2 church services with the girls today! So cool to attend a service lead in Hindi (though I ended up watching two of the girls' kids) because they were becoming restless.

Went to Roja afterwards (where the girls who haven't graduated yet live) and ate lunch with them. Sat outside in the sun with them. Had my first henna design drawn all over my arm by one of the girls! Spoke with the "house-mom/volunteer" named Yuimi who has one of the most incredible testimonies I have ever heard. I was captivated by what she had to say for 2 hours plus. I told (more like pleaded or demanded) that she write these accounts down and turn it into a book...I seriously had chill bumps almost the whole time she was speaking!

Had some great talking time with the girls, and though I wish more than anything I could carry on a conversation with them in Hindi, I understand learning English for them is only going to help them (esp. in their hopes of getting a job one day--other than jewelry making if they so desire).

In Rabi Maharaj's book Death of a Guru, Rabi really drives home the point of John 14:6-7 which says is one of the most fundamental/famous verses Jesus ever speaks:

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (7) If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

When I feel the Lord is really trying to teach me something, He repeats a verse or idea/thought more than once to me. (He knows I have a terrible memory, ha!) Well I had just finished this riveting book, and thinking about it for the past few days and as soon as I walked into Union Church, the one verse that was on a plaque over the altar was John 14:6.

I think this idea that Jesus is the only way (aside from being offensive to the world) is such an important element for ex-hindu's to believe. Many times they just associate him as one of the gods or a "Christian god," and although they acknowledge he is a "good teacher" or a "good" god, they do not really care what He has to say about himself. Believing Jesus for who he actually is (and not what others say about him but what he has to say about himself) is a huge difference that many people skim over. He is who they want him to be but have never actually read or contemplated the red letters. And if the Bible isn't true? Then where else are you

finding his teachings from?

This is still an unfinished thought-process but I thought it was worthy of mentioning, because I feel God has brought it to my attention (more than once).

5/17/10

Highlights of the past 2 days:

Avalanche Camp is this week for the girls, but other girls from IJM (International Justice Mission) and girls from a Hindu rescue group called Rescue Foundation came down for the camp as well! A team from a church in Texas came down to lead the camp, but this first day was a day for everyone to become comfortable with one another and tour around Ooty of the day.

• What a treat it was to work with girls from both FF and IJM (since I have been attracted to both of these organizations for a long time)! It was a dream come true! Girls who hardly knew me were affectionate towards me and called me "sister".
• I had a great time spending time with the "American team" (which was actually made up of many Europeans!) too and swapping stories of how they felt called to India.
• Jesus, may you bless this camp--take what little seeds they give you and multiply the harvest like a wild vine!
• Went to the boat docks after coffee* (cough or cake in my case. . . for breakfast with tarrah) and rode a small motor boat in the lovely [sewage] water. (The water is so bad that apparently a few days before all the fish in the lake were "belly up". )
• Went to the Rose Garden (a different garden from the one I went to the other day) and it was absolutely breathtaking! I've never seen so many types of roses in my life!
• Experienced what it's like to have paparazzi--with the white skin, we became part of the tourist attraction; I was asked to take so many pictures to teh point that one of the IJM staff said to charge them... ha, I can see it now. I'm holding up a sign "Rupees for grad. school!"
• Tasty Indian lunch at a fairly clean restaurant!
• Finally saw Mala (first time in what 5 years?!) Tlked with her on the bus ride to her house for the girls to get a taste of "horse therapy". I could frankly see myself as a "Mala wannabee" (she and her husband began FF)--she's simply lovely.
• Horse therapy at the Malsteads--so fun! Helped the girls brush the horses/saddle them up etc and begin to build trust with these once abused animals. Got to lead the horses as they courageously mounted and rode them! For many of the girls, this was their first time on a horse!
• Malstead's home is one of the most beautiful homes on earth, and they deserve every inch of it after living in the heart of Mumbai for 5 years and in Ooty for another 5. In fact, I just learned this is the first house they have ever owned, because they have been renters their whole lives! I am so happy for them!
• Took an auto home for 50 rupees, which means I didn't get "ripped off" (which is more than typical as being a "white" foreigner.

We are all Truth-seekers...

5/15/10

Woke up refreshed. . . until I stood up. Experienced some sharp stomach pain, but the combination of Jesus + pepto bismol + the carbonation of a diet coke helped cure the pain rather quickly. I was thankful to have the day off though; I felt it was a gift from God! When I started feeling better, I went out shopping for a good majority of the day. Ate some delicious chocolate cake with Desiree (a Swiss girl who is here to work in some of the orphanages in India). Then ate some rice and curry when we got home (yes, the meal was in reverse but for choc. cake at only a dollar a slice, why not?) :) I took some pictures. Walked a LOT. Began to feel that elevation difference but was thankful for the exercise. Ooty is 8,000 ft. above sea-level! Finished Rabi Maharaj's Death of a Guru and it is simply unbelievable and so timely! It is especially fitting when reading it right alongside with Charles Colson's book How Now Shall We Live? (Thanks again for letting me borrow it, J.M.!) . . . Jesus, you are SO good. I wanted to read exactly the kind of material I have been reading. Identifying the falsities and holes in eastern mysticism and replacing them with a wholly and holy Truth. Are my desires Yours? I hope so!

Here is a sample from Death of A Guru. I would challenge everyone in any walk to life to read this book. It's a quick read and SO eye-opening and is most importantly, culturally relevant and sound in its arguments.

Nor was it only a matter of my five senses versus my inner visions. It was a matter of reason also. The real conflict was between two opposing views of God: was God all that there was, or could he make a rock or a man without its being part of himself? If there was one Reality, then Brahman was evil as well as good, death as well as life, hatred as well as love. That made everything meaningless, life an absurdity. It was not easy to maintain both one's sanity and the view that good and evil, love an hate,life and death were one Reality. Furthermore, if good and evil were the same, then all karma was the same and nothing mattered, so why be religious? It seemed unreasonable, but Gosine reminded me that reason could be trusted--it was part of the illusion.

If reason also was maya--as the Vedas taught--then how could I trust any concept, including the idea that all was maya and only Brahman was real? How could I be sure that the Bliss I sought was not also an illusion, if none of my perceptions or reasonings were to be trusted? To accept what my religion taught, I had to deny what reason told me. But what about other religions? if all was ONE, then they were all the same. That seemed to deify confusion as the Ultimate Reality. I was confused.

My only hope was Yoga, which Krishna in the Gita promised would dispel all ignorance through the realization that I was not other than God himself. At times this inner vision had dazzled and excited me--I had felt so close to Self-realization that I could almost see myself as Brahman, the Lord of all. Almost, but now quite. I had told myself it was true and pretended that I was God; but always there had been that inner conflict, a voice warning of delusion. I had fought against this as the vestige of primordial ignorance, and at times had felt that I was on the verge of conquering this insidious illusion just as my father had. But never had I quite been able to bridge the chasm separating me and all of creation from the Creator.

I began to think of the Creator as the true God, in contrast to the man Hindu gods, some of whom I was convinced I had met in my trances. I felt increasingly the stark difference between the terror they struck in my heart and the instinct I had that the true God was loving and kind. There was not one of the Hindu gods whom I now felt I could really trust--not one that loved me. I felt a growing hunger to know the Creator, but I knew no mantras to recite to him, and I had the uneasy feeling that my pursuit of Self-realization was not bringing me nearer to him but taking me farther from him. It troubled me also that, in spite of my attempts to realize that I was Brahman, the feeling of peace I achieved in meditation never lasted very long in the everyday world... (98-99).

"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." 1 Corinthians 14:33

5/14/10

Well I don't feel like writing a novel tonight, but I will touch on some bullet points I remember:

• I showered for the first time while in India and actually had hot water! (furnace run) The chickens blocked my entry at first as they were devouring a dead fish that made me almost gag...
• I got 10,000 rupees out today--sounds like SO much money when it's really only around 200 dollars.
• MET THE GIRLS!!!! They are lovely. Jesus, may you keep doing redemptive and renewing things in their lives!
• Helped them a little with their English and math but mainly observed for the 1st day.
• Ate lunch with them at Smyrna (the name of their school) and ate with our hands! (Insert slight culture shock here.) I thought eating rice with chopsticks was challenging enough, and now I was expected to eat with my hands?! needless to say, I made quite a mess but no one seemed to mind; I was even corrected to use 5 fingers instead of 3. (So much for trying to be delicate!)
• Susai (such a kind man and the driver for FF) drove all of us to the 114th annual Ooty flower show. I stuck out like a sore thumb being the only white girl there, but I had a great time! The girls immediately called me "Didi" which means "sister" in Hindi; it made my day for sure!
• The girls are very affectionate. They asked me to show them a few dance steps at the school, then told me to not dance in public--haha. I couldn't help it; there was music playing in the gardens and I couldn't help but sway ever so slightly!
• One of the girls, Esther, said she likes to "worship the Lord [in regards to dance] but doesn't like the kind of dance that's in the movies". . . Something about what she said struck me. It was as if God was in the process of her redeeming her innocence by that statement alone, as she was drawn to the purity of dance.
• Visited Anik's home today--I am so impressed she speaks 3 languages fluently! She is so wise and has SUCH a big heart (as she has to because she is the direct person in charge of the girls)! Possibly the most influential person to these girls...and rightfully so!
• Came home, napped for an hour.
• Skyped some favorites til the wee hours in the morning!
• Realized how "cool" (for like of a better word) God is (yet again). I feel like He's been telling me "the prayers of my people are sustaining you" and that's EXACTLY what Leah has been praying for me! She's been praying for safety (my other leading "personal" prayer request at the time) and that "God would sustain me" because she "didn't really know 'exactly' what to pray for"...funny, right? Meg also sent me an incredibly encouraging and jam-packed message with a verse about sustainment and a ton of other stuff I still need to process through. Thank you again, Megan!
• Slept the whole night for the 1st time since leaving for my trip!
• Funny God/moth incident. There was a giant moth in my room making a lot of noise and (having a slight girly girl streak in me regarding bugs) I was not about to go to sleep, although I was exhausted. So I begged God to let it leave my room (Meg is teaching me to "barter" with God, haha) and just seconds later after it was spastically flying around my room it got caught in one of the rafters and that was the end...Thank you God for caring about the little things.
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5/13/10

And now I will talk about the day in reverse. After conversing with Jayson (one of the staff of Freedom Firm and Tarrah's husband) I found out which room was Amy Carmichael's room! Eventually I will sort through some of her photos and I am determined to find the book that has her signature inside! How cool is that?! She was basically my first missionary hero! I remember studying her in Mrs. Bergstrom's fourth grade Sunday School class, and Leah I I even wrote a research paper about her on the way to Vogel State Park one year! From what I can recall, she was (one of) the first to rescue girls from being sold and prostituted into the Hindu temples and has quite a riveting biography!

I just had a delightful dinner with the "Palm 6" (Tarrah and Jayson) and Anne (who runs the horse therapy program at FF). I really believe having that root in the Lord allows for a genuine comfort among people who are otherwise strangers; there is this unspeakable harmony that I believe he creates and forges over any time that would normally produce awkwardness or discomfort. . . It was also so great to be around kids and even eat mashed potatoes! The kids have such extraordinary imaginations; one of the girls Sydney (the three- year old) insisted we "go outside and catch fish and foxes and kill them and eat them with sugar and salt"! Where do they come up with things like this?! This was the same girl who made me a "fashion purse" ( a drawing on a sheet of paper) and made demanded that each day I "put things in it". (Mom, how did you she already know I liked "purses with things in them?!) I also found Sydney and Jovi (means "joyful") on top of her closet shelf sulking that she didn't know "what dress to wear because she didn't know what was pretty".

Conversing with the adults afterwards was great too; I was baptized into the the world of chai--black tea, milk and sugar! We feasted on a sugary dessert containing a whole stick of butter, a cup of sugar, and condensed milk...Oh the scale is going to hate me when I come home!... It was great brainstorming with Jayson and Tarrah about how to present and bring awareness in the U.S., and I felt very honored that they listened to what I had to say and were genuinely interested! I felt needed, as part of their team, and felt I contributed something of importance. I also found out I won't be going to the Avalanche Camp (an annual camp for the girls) but i feel okay knowing I am really needed and can assist Mala elsewhere. She is preparing to go to the States and there is a LOT of organization and inventory that needs to take place in regards to the girls' jewelry- making, so thank you Lord for an opportunity to effectively serve! I pray You would help prepare Greg, Mala, Jayson, and Tarrah as best as possible before they depart for the States. May they have a true sabbatical, and may you multiply their fruit(s) and effort(s) with ease.

Praying with the team this morning was dynamic. (Every Thursday morning there is a prayer time for all the FF staff.) Thank you for the hearts and transparency of the staff. Thank you that in you, Jesus, there is unity in the Body. May what they sow come to fruition. I pray I would truly bless them and assist them in their efforts in my 50+ days here.

I only spent 20 bucks today at the grocery store and got a ton of food! Looks like Kroger has competition for my affection after all! I also met with Tarrah and Anik (the coordinator for the Aftercare program) today and felt good having more discussion about FF and how to interact with the girls. . . of whom I meet TOMORROW! . . . Calm my nerves, Jesus. Help me to be me and exhibit your peace, joy, love, grace, mercy, tough love and so much more. . . I am mainly observing school tomorrow and then going to the annual flower show with them! (Ooty has countless lovely flowers!) I also "brave" the shower tomorrow (which I am thankful to have because I was told I would only have a bucket of water to bathe in)! And yeah, I like foreign diet coke all of a sudden (Yes Andrew, I can't believe it either!) Strange indeed.

5/13/10 - Ooty, India

I am so glad to be here! I am now grateful for the restlessness I experienced while in London, because it allowed me to not only sleep nine hours upon arrival but 5 more during the night! I consider that quite a feat, when considering all the time zones I've travelled through! And whoever complained about eating m&m's at 5 A.M? :) Tarrah Palm (the coordinator for the volunteers at Freedom Firm) was kind enough to to bring me some snacks to help "tie me over" including the richest milk I have ever tasted; it tasted more like whipped cream than anything else! The house I am staying in is like a rustic/Narnia/farm house. The home continually houses guests and the family of seven live in a cottage right behind the house, so it is comforting to know I have a community close by! One of their five, Sunita (the only girl in the family) began playing the piano last night, which happens to be directly below my room; I thought to myself that I can't get much more homey than this , because at home my room is right above the "piano room" and that is something I love about being home! Annette and David Fazer are the people who own "Farley Guest House" and they are both lovely people who would gladly welcome anyone into their home. They speak candidly of their faith, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize Who they serve; it is so natural and I think anyone who steps inside their home tastes this peace and joy they exhibit. Like their home, their relationship with the Lord has been comfortably and thoroughly "lived in". . .

The home is painted a mint green and is such a "life-giving" home! After driving through 3 hours of shack towns, this place is such an oasis. It is nicely hidden away in the Tami Nadu Forest Reserve, and there are brilliant colored flowers strewn all over the front yard. With each tier of land, there's a different animal that occupies each hill. There are rabbits on the first hill, 2 sheep on the second, and their dog who roams lazily about from shady one shady spot to another.

I was shocked to hear music playing from downtown at 5 A.M. Even prior to the music, the rooster was crowing and that one pesky mosquito was singing oh so pleasantly in my ear. My back doesn't hurt though, thankfully (and I thought it would considering the cot-likeness of the mattress). I don't feel 100% back to myself yet, but I trust I will soon. I want to live fully while I am here; I want to "not grow weary in well doing" as the verse in Galations refers to, so please prepare me, Jesus, with ideas and opportunities of how to personify Love.

If you'd like to read more about Freedom Firm...

http://www.freedom.firm.in/

and there's a new website on its way to the public, that I am actually getting to help edit!

Beauty in Ooty. . .

5/13/10- Ooty, India

After flight delays, 3 plane rides, 3+ bus rides, 1 layover, and 1 taxi ride I am here! I am now grateful for the restlessness I experienced while in London, because it allowed me to not only sleep nine hours upon arrival but 5 more during the night! That is quite the feat considering traveled through quite a few time zones! And I mean, whoever complained about eating peanut m&m's at 5 A.M?! Tarrah (the coordinator for the volunteers at Freedom Firm) was kind enough to bring me some snacks to "tie me over," including about the richest milk I have ever tasted! The house I am staying at is like a rustic/Narnia farm-house and is owned by a missionary family with five children. They are wonderful, and I am comforted to know there is always something lively going on--whether that is tending to the animals or playing a game outside with the neighbors. I just enjoy knowing I am not cloistered here all by myself, and the community that Farley (Guest House) exhibits is a most welcoming home! The house is conveniently close to town, yet it is still sequestered away from the chaos of the town and stands a bit higher on the mountain, providing a lovely view! It is painted green and is such a life-giving home! After driving through 3 hours of shacks, this place is nicely hidden away in the Tamil Nadu Forest Reserve. There are brilliant colored flowers strewn all over the yard, and tier of mountainside, there is a different animal sitting on each hill. There are rabbits on the first hill, followed by a couple of sheep on the next, and the dog and cat roam lazily from one shady spot to another. The chickens and baby chicks also freely wander.

One of their five kids, Sunita began playing the piano last night, which happens to be directly below my room! I can't get much closer to home than that, because at home my room is right above the piano room as well! Even this first night, Annette (the mother and landlord) sat with me and candidly struck up conversation as if we'd known each other for ever. Like her house, I can tell her relationship with the Lord has been "thoroughly lived in," and both her home and her very disposition reflect the peace she has found in Him.

When I woke up at 5 A.M., I was shocked to hear the faint sounds of music playing downtown! Even before the music were the sounds of the roosters and the one pesky fly or mosquito buzzing oh so pleasantly in my ear. . . I am amazed and grateful my back doesn't hurt, however, because normally it does when I wake up! The cot I am sleeping on is significantly thinner than my bed at home, so I was so thankful and surprised when it didn't hurt! . . . I want to really take the verse in Galations to heart; the verse that talks about "not growing weary in well-doing". . . God, please prepare me with ideas and opportunities to personify Love!

The art of honking...Intro to Indian driving

5/11/10-5/12/10- Coimbatore, India

Excuse this majorly "stream of conscious writing". This took place after my flight landed in Coimbatore (after my journeying through Atlanta to London, London to Chennai, and then Chennai to Coimbatore). I had a 3 hour taxi ride ahead of me to my final destination which was in the lovely mountains of Ooty, India... For me, I wanted to write whatever struck me, so please excuse the "non-sequentialness" of it all.

Daniel was right. The majority of people want only crisp bills; thank you Lord that Daniel gave me some "fresh" rupees before I left, or I wouldn't have had anything to even get out of the taxi parking lot with! And here I go... Beep Beep! Honk Honk! Trash. Dust. Trash. Brilliant colors. Female drivers steering mopeds? Never the case when they are on a bike with a man, though. SO many "skinny angels" bridging the gap between us and the others drivers--and it's only been five minutes in the car! Poverty reeks... and yet You speak. The driver turns on Christian music of all things--in English! Something along the lines of "You are good and you are strength". . . Shacktown yet the roads are paved and painted for the most part. . . Please obey the traffic laws!. . The horn as a blinker, the horn as a greeting, the horn as a game of chicken! . . . I am choosing to find the humor in this. With all the obstacles I've already encountered, I am surely going to make it to Ooty...in one piece! . . . Only days ago I graduated from college. In 3 days I've been on 3 different continents! . . . Trying to pass lanes without blinkers--on a two-way road! The have almost NO clean water, yet they have a xerox company?! . . . I'm coming to India in mango season-yay! . . . I just had an epiphany...I just realized why almost all New York drivers are Indian--because they're the only daring enough one to drive this craziest of conditions! ...Yep, definitely just had 3 cars sandwiched together in a 2 lane road, driving opposite ways from one another...We lost the game of chicken this time (and hand to pull over into the dirt to let them by). Maybe it was providential that I'm sitting on this side of the car; that is, I'm sitting on the side that's farther away from the center of the road. . . Why hello herds of aimlessly roaming goats skinny cattle! . . . Coconut palm trees . . . . Trees with white paint on them? My guess is that the paint acts as a marker to give the drivers as "friendly" (or last) reminder of how much shoulder room they actually have, which happens to be little to NONE! . . . Okay skinny bulls without fencing or even being roped up! . . . A man on a bicycle with a pile of either dirt or feces in his basket, though I'm leaning towards the latter (?!) . . . I thought for a millisecond that the widening of the road would be a good thing....NOT! The widening only encouraged more changing lanes with the whole idea of "whoever has the bigger vehicle has the right of way"! . . . It is truly miraculous, however, that through all my complaining, I do not feel anxious. I have total faith I'm going to make it to Ooty. (And as I wrote this , a HUGE truck sailed so closely to us that I could feel the heat of their exhaust pipe(s) when it cut in front of us, ha). . . and then again, we haven't made it to the mountains yet! ha! Leather-less motorcycle drivers and riders. . . Thinking of Kyle in his Tom Cruise/Top Gun/Zac Efron/17 Again leather jacket. Thinking how Leah would have obsessed over the coconut palm trees in middle school. Thinking of how Emily would probably settle for a goat, since I haven't spotted an elephant yet. Thinking of how Megan would probably just want one of the local shacks. . . Livestock rummaging through trash for food. . . Just saw a moped called "scooty"--made me chuckle. . . "Fresh" produce stands everywhere! . . . God, where are you amidst this people? . . . Thankful the roads are at least paved! Picturesque image of a family picnicking in a field nearby. . . Just saw 2 shepherds! . . . Little boys playing baseball! . . Oxen actually pulling a wagon! . . . Families of 4 on 2-seater scooters! . . . Lone donkey holding up the traffic. . . Brilliant fabrics. Filthy streets. . . Honking out of boredom? . . First mosquito--pray it's the last. (I've been cutting back on bananas lately and trying to "up" my garlic intake to ward them off!) . . . Ah! The mountains! Shade! Second sign for Ooty! . . . The most palm/coconut trees I have ever seen and will probably ever see! Hello Tamil Nadu Forest! . . . Just had my first monkey sighting! View becomes progressively more unbelievable--like a mixture of Puerto Rico, Chile, Vogel, and Amicalola! . . . Not even carsick (hallelujah!)! "Our God is good, all the time" as the song plays. . . Fresh honey comb on back of a bike. . . Entire bus pulled over to let little boy "relieve himself". . . Ooty = 37 km left to go! . . . Monkeys galore! . . . Body odor--and it happens to be me this time! . . . Honking as a revised morse code? . . . Oh I know--honking as a means of radio for those who don't have it--honking as instrumentation, of course! . . . And the bus in front of us just stalled out and started moving backwards, on an incline, on a mountain. . . Lived to tell about it. whew! . . "Hair Pin Bend"--sounds like fun. . . READY TO DANCE UPON INJUSTICE!!. . . Ad on the streets "truth is in my every breath". . . I am quite possibly the first or one of the rare "white people" who come through this area, because upon seeing me, these little boys starting smiling and screaming at the car; hello paparazzi. . . Makes me think of Kyle's trip to Kenya last year and how the kids thought he had a white powder on his skin and rubbed to try to get it off of him! . . . I am digging this "natural AC"-- one benefit of impatient driving! :) . . . Thank you God for the little things; I haven't had to stop in 3 hours to go to the bathroom! . . . Ministering to a microcosm. . . Oh Holy Spirit, flourish! . . . Just saw a sign that said "Redeemer Prayer House"--quite a shock after seeing countless mini-hindu altars and temples. . . Sign on back of rickshaw reads "Nobody is perfect. . . I am nobody"! haha

Namaste Ooty! I am HERE!

And the adventure begins...

5/10/ 10 -London, England.

I thought I would be on my way to India right now, but I am in England on a layover! There have been quite a few bumps in the road, but I'm not exactly complaining about this one alternative! My flight from Atlanta ended up having a 2 hour delay (due to the volcanic ash in Europe) making my second connector flight fron London to Chennai impossible to make. However, I had family and friends surprise me in Hartsfield, and they stayed with me in line and helped work out the details. By the time we finally reached the front desk to check in (1-2 hours later) the check-in personnel ended up being a total godsend; he invested a good half hour working out my personal details and formulating the best "plan b" for me (which included staying for free at a nice hotel in London with room and board paid for)! This also meant I did not have to spend the night in one of the airports but had a nice cozy bed to sleep in instead! Once arriving in Heathrow, I had the kindest English couple help me navigate through the airport and even locate my bag (which freakishly ended up at another baggage claim area making me worry that they had already sent it to India). They also helped direct me to the right check-in desk to organize my hotel and stay.

Then the next day I was off! I met some wonderful Indian people during my travels, all of whom either helped me with my "directionally-challenged" tendencies or offered me informative advice about India! Here are some "stream-of-conscious" thoughts I had the night at the Renaissance Hotel (in London). I am sharing them now because I thought they were kind of entertaining:

I've had great food. I lost the most important button on my button-down shirt (the top) one and let's just say it was a little too* late when I realized this embarrassing moment. My travels feel like they have been taking a long time, but I believe You are working. I paid the most I've ever paid for a diet coke (2 pounds!) though I don't think I've ever bought a diet coke. My hotel is paid for, and I have food vouchers and a huge bed with a million pillows. I've had two nights of delicious soup. I'm currently watching Glee and am full of peanut m&m's. i enjoyed my last conventional shower for two months. I feel You are telling me that Your purposes are prevailing and GOING to prevail. In any deterrent, You may be saving me from something worse. You are sovereign, and nothing the Enemy can try to do can hold a candle to Your power. May I live in Love and not in fear. Thank you for the prayers that are sustaining me. May I never treat any person I come into contact with as simply "ordinary" as C.S. Louis states (paraphrased). Amen.

Family & Friends,

For a number of reasons, I am finally buying into the "blogging idea"! I mainly am doing this to keep you updated on my "day to day" news, as I am here in Ooty, India for 2 months working with a wonderful organization called Freedom Firm! For those of you who don't know, they are an organization that targets sex-trafficking for underage girls specifically in India. The organization has an effective fourfold strategy that involves: investigation, intervention, prosecution and aftercare. In my time here, I have the honor of working with the Aftercare program as a volunteer A number of you are supporters of me in more than one form or fashion, and I feel it is your right to now what is going on! Also, this will help provide a "back up journal" for me personally! So without further adieu, here I go!

First off, I want to provide you with some of the background information that led up to this miraculous trip -in -the- making. . . The Lord's hand has truly been in this whole process. In regards to Freedom Firm, this organization has been on my heart for FIVE years! I was a senior in high school when I first heard about it, and about the same time I remember attending a certain “Disciple Now” (a youth retreat for teens) weekend where the emphasis on the weekend was on justice. I began to hear about sex-trafficking and recall praying intensely with the youth group for their specific ministry. The Lord proved faithful that last day of the retreat, because when Sunday morning rolled around we received an email saying they had rescued another girl from a brothel! A few years later the founders of Freedom Firm came to speak at Grace and I felt a strong longing to help. I remember talking with some other high school girls to Mala (the founder for the Aftercare program for the girls) after their presentation and asking her what we could do. She said to keep praying and that she would love to have some of us actually come over to India because there is an age barrier between the volunteers and the rescued girls and we could perhaps relate better to them and help assist them in learning a new trade so that they could take care of themselves...

Well the desire was definitely planted then and there to go, but I knew I had to finish high school and attend college, so although the idea was still buried in my heart, it was clouded by circumstances. However, God in His sovereignty has the perfect timing and order for everything. . . Sometime this past Fall (2009) my mom was hosting one of her piano recitals for her students at our church, Grace Evangelical. While she was there, she "happened" to "stick her head in to say hi" during a meeting with the associate pastor and one of the members of the missions board who were discussing the ways they wanted to rewire or revamp the way our church did missions. Apparently a new goal for them was to send a few people from Grace on a few 2-3 month mission trips and thus make missions a more inward focus. Well, to my mom's surprise, they said that they had JUST been talking about me and wanted to see if volunteering at Freedom Firm would be something they thought I would be interested in doing! This is amazing because neither of them had ANY idea that I wanted to go, which means it HAD to have been the Lord prompting the whole missions board! My mom could barely contain her excitement and called me right away! We agreed to prayerfully consider, but it was basically a "no-brainer"! The Lord was giving me the desires of my heart...which also turned out to be His heart!

Working out the details for my graduate schooling was also a test, because grad. school was supposed to begin in June, but through a long journey of sorting everything out, the professors were not only supportive but one of them actually rearranged the entire schedule of one of her classes for one other girl and myself (and she is a stickler about her schedule)! Furthermore, though I felt like the least likely to deserve it and get hired for the desirable "assistant positions" with a professor, one of the professors hired me the day before graduation as his assistant! There are more details to how this happened, and I would love to share with you if you would like to know more!

Other obstacles included passing one of the most difficult courses I have taken since college (in which class I studied for more than all my other classes this past semester combined) and purchasing a brand new plane ticket when my entire flight was cancelled a week before I left! This too was the Lord, because my previous ticket had me on five different plane rides to get to India (we were trying to find the most inexpensive deal) and this new ticket had me dealing with 3 airlines instead and was almost the same exact price and left the same day! Truly unbelievable!

. . . Well on Saturday May 8th I graduated from Georgia College & State University with a degree in English (literature concentration) and a minor in dance, and on May 9th I was at the airport ready for my departure!