Keepin' busy..

So, we left for Pudicherry on June 6th and were there til the 12th. Pudicherry is located about 3 hours south of Chennai and is situated right on the Bay of Bengal. It had been colonized in the early 1900's by the French and Dutch - the DUTCH - so there were a few traces of those cultures in the more tourist-y areas by the beach.

During our time in Pudicherry we hosted 4 one-day youth camps for boys and girls (ages 5-17) bused in from nearby fishing villages (and a few children from in-town). Overall, we had about 40-60 kids each day. The four of us students had the responsibilities of writing the programs and schedules for the day (we had the kids from 10am-4pm) and pretty much running the thing with the help of our translators.

During the day we gave sessions meant to educate and encourage Christian virtues such as truthfullness, prayer, reading the bible, obediance, self-esteem, and appropriate gender relations (the last three I spoke about). Each team member also guided a discussion group each day, and we did games, skits, and taught the children English (and Tamil!!!) songs. At one point I think I had just about everybody in the room dancing and singing along to my revised version of the chicken dance. Needless to say, it was great being with these kids.

We also told the children the gospel story focusing on how Christ is the ONLY way and the ONLY God. Though many of these children had experienced regular contact with their village Christian missionaries, nearly all of them came from Hindu backgrounds. So, even though many of them knew who Jesus was and many of them claimed to actually pray to them, the idea that Jesus was the ONLY God was still strange and difficult for them to fully accept.

Two of the days in Pudicherry we actually went out to one of the fishing villages to host one of the one-day youth camps and to participate in a fisherman widows' conference. Both these events were held at a children's hostil that housed about 15 orphans that we were blessed to get to teach and look after them those two days.

One of the first evenings after the first one-day youth camps Shannon-aka (Augustine's daughter) and John-ana (a Word for the World employee) took Shannon, Katlyn, Andrew, and me to visit one of the slums. There we met three missionaries who are deeply involved in ministry at this particular slum. For about 2 hours then we walked the slum alleyways with them. We would find a house the missionaries knew, go inside and meet the families there, and then the four of us students would take turns sharing the gospel, giving messages, testimonies, and praying for the people in that home. Yeah. Um, I really don't know what to say about that experience. It was amazing seeing how God's Spirit worked so beautifully through all of us and the people we met. But I really don't have words to describe the disparity and pure spiritual starvation I saw there.

Change of topic: Leprosy.
Friday evening in Pudicherry we left for a Leprosy hospital/slum with Raja (a missionary student about our age who had been working as our translator). There we met two of the missionaries we had worked with at the slum. We visited both the men's and women's wards there at the Leprosy hospital. The four of us students again got to share the gospel, testimonies, and messages and to deliver some bread to them. I know maybe I shouldn't have, but I knelt down on the floor really up close with some of the women when I shared. It might not sound like this makes sense,.. but when we passed out the bread to them I was just overwhelmed. I couldn't just hand them their bread. I had to get close to them sitting on the ground and touch their hands and arms as I handed them their food. I felt so powerless to help their situations; loving them by drawing near and touching them - treating them like people - I had to do it.

After we visited the hospital we walked through the leprosy slums where many lepers and their families lived. Again we went through sharing the gospel, giving messages, praying for and over people, and just talking them. We met so many people in need, but the one the struck me the most was a woman so FULL of JOY in the Lord! She was missing her legs, hands, and was blind. And yet she smiled and smiled and wanted to pray and share the joy of the Lord with us! I'm so glad Andrew was the one who spoke to her, because I didn't even know what to say. She was the last thing I expected to encounter in a place and situation like that. I can't even begin to express the intimate hope God used her to inspire in me.

So, we headed back to Chennai by bus early after church service the 12th. Now we're all just resting up and enjoying the wonderful people here we've missed! We leave for Mumbai in 2 days (so the 16th?). Turns out we won't be there for 4 weeks like we'd been anticipating. Instead, we'll only really be staying there for about 2-2 1/2 weeks. And John-ana is coming with us which will be somewhat of a relief that we'll have an escort (although I'd been kind of looking forward to not having one in a way).

I don't know if I'll have comp access while in Mumbai, so we'll see when I update anything next!

Prayer requests;

Continued good health for the team
Team unity and harmony in the weeks to come
God's continued work perfecting everything concerning His Kingdom!
The Holy Spirit's continued involvement in our relationships
Help learning Tamil and Hindi (it's been going well actually)  :D
Team spiritual growth and reliance on God! :)

With love,
- Jenni

Back in Chennai

So, the team and I just go back from the youth camp. I forget the name of the county is was in (it was a really long name XP), but it was right on the Indian Ocean.

It was amazing! God is working so much here! The entire weekend was a youth (15-25) retreat focused on the 3 aspects of Discission, Determination, and Discipline for living as a follower of Christ. During this camp, the youth attended sessions led by the Asirs, participated in discussion groups, played games, sang and danced, shared their talents, and basically grew Christ-honoring relationships with one another.

The team and I shared our testimonies, taught the youth "American" worship songs, participated in the discussion groups (with the help of some translation), created and performed a skit/dance to Brandon Heath's "Give Me Your Eyes", and spent a lot of time getting to really know the youth. We had also been asked to prepare session programs, but we didn't actually end up getting to use them at this conference (maybe the next?). Anyways, needless to say, this conference - these beautiful people! - are simply amazing. God is teaching me a lot about what my life needs to look like just through interacting with my friends here and being humbled by how much they have to teach me. I can't wait to be able to put these pictures up. I think we've even got a few video clips from their nightly talent shows!

I think my favorite part of the camp was when we all were finally able to visit the beach. Just the image of the grey sky, blue surf, perfectly clear sand, and all the amazing people I've met all standing together in the waves not caring that our clothes were getting soaked by the tide and spray. I love it :) I told some of the girls that I wanted to find some shells to take home for my family. I was so touched by their desire to help me find seashells. It that silly of me? They just kept of running off to find them and then bringing them back to me! I just felt so cared about, it was crazy. It was sad later when we all were leaving the conference. They kept on saying, "Don't forget us." And I never forget people. Ever. And I def don't intend to start now.

So, now the team and I are back in Chennai for a few days before heading out to the town of Pondecherry (spelling?). It's only about a 3 hour drive (which will most likely end up being 4 with traffic?). I've been told we'll be working with the lepers there. I'm not sure exactly what we'll be doing there anymore, and things are sometimes pretty up in the air here. So, I'll letchyall know as soon as I do what's happenin with that! Meanwhile, it's just wonderful being here at the Asir's house/Word for the World headquarters. They have a family of 4 and about other youth 18-21 who usually live here with them, and they have staff and missionaries who work here and visit all the time. So, there's always people :)

David, one of the youth, has requested for us to make him some "American" salad one night for dinner.
(Jeremy Bork! This is a shoutout to you: SALAD.)

So yeah, thanks still to everyone who has encouraged me and who's supported me with prayer. I was a little discouraged a few days ago about my inability to satisfyingly connect with some of the people here. Also, it's coming into contact with street children is... agh. I have no words to describe it. But it's not good.
But, God is giving me a lot of joy, and He always knows just when, how, and who to use to sustain and encourage you!

Please pray for:
Health in the Asir household - a couple people here have caught colds
Team energy and health - we've been warned the next few weeks we might not be getting enough to eat because of food arrangments?? I'm not sure what that means, but it's not as scary as it sounds
Spiritual formation - Let's get the HS intimately involved!
The lepers we will be working with - that we are able to open our hearts to one another and for this to bring us all closer to God and that is would guide us in furthering His kingdom!

Thanks so much!
- :)