So I've been in Chennai a little more than a week. It seems so much longer than that! I've had some really good days and I've had some not so good days. It's all a major learning curve and sometimes I feel like I'm so far from catching it. I've had thoughts of coming home just for something familiar and comfortable. I actually miss wearing jeans and not have them stick to every part of your body. And this is only February. I think all in all I'm doing OK. I'm not great at getting around by myself pretty much because I doubt my ability to communicate to the auto drivers where I want to go. Yes, this is something that I will have to get over and it causes a lot of frustration for myself. I would like very much to just be able to talk with them but this is not the case.
I'm also horrible at taking pictures of the people I'm with. Sorry! I'm just trying to get adjusted and this means that I often forget my camera at home. I will get better I promise. As soon as I get into my permanent home I will make sure to take some pictures.
As far as getting involved in the ministries here, it's slow going. Right now the Dark Is Beautiful campaign is taking so much time that everything else is falling to the wayside. I'm hoping that I'll be able to start mentoring some girls in the next month or so. I wish it were sooner but I need to be realistic about my expectations. I think that meeting with some of the young girls would be the best way to use my gifts but it all depends on if they want it.
I have met some really great people here and I'm super thankful for that. The people I'm staying with, Steven and Rebekah, (who I want to call Jason and Jennifer and they call me Sally. It's great.) are wonderful! They've made me feel right at home and made the transition easy. I've met some great people at Powerhouse Church that I look forward to getting to know better. Once things slow down a little bit maybe there will be more time for socializing. Maybe.
Yesterday I decided that I would walk to the Powerhouse offices just to see if I could. It felt great to be able to be a little more independent and to be in the streets. It was a little frightening trying to cross some of the busier streets. It's not like in the US at all! There are crosswalks here but you may die if you stand the way of the drivers trying to make u-turns. So I went with the flow and watched what some of the other people were doing and this meant that you stood in the middle of the intersection! Cars flying by you on both sides like it's no big deal. Once I made it to the other side and on a less busy street, I just strolled along like I belonged there. I of course, was the one to watch by every passerby due to the color of my skin. One my walk I had to cross the small river/stream that semi-flows through the city. It's almost neon green in color and the odor that permeates from this stream is toxic! I almost lost it while crossing the river but I picked up the pace a little and held my breath as best I could. Sweet baby Jesus! It was nas-ty!! It took me about 30 mins and by the time I made it to the office I was drenched in sweat! And I can't begin to tell you what the bottoms of my feet looked like! Needless to say, my walking long distances in Chennai are done. No one needs to do that more than once. Really.
And the mosquitos LOVE me! I wake up with new ones every day. It's so special!
All in all, India and I are trying to get along. Sometimes I win and sometimes She wins.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
13 things! :)
Here are a few things I've learned about life in Chennai.
1) Eating with your hand does require a lot of skill.
2) Your thumb can be used as mini shovel in this eating process.
3) You will make a mess!
4) It's super fun to eat with your hands and not be looked at like your "special"
5) March-May are going to be hot and miserable! Oh what fun!
6) You get used to having a fine layer of dirt on your skin at all times.
7) I have developed an art at killing little "shower buddies" They all find themselves from which they came. The drain!
8) Flip flops in February are FANTASTIC!!!
9) Dirty feet...all the time!
1o) I have lost count of how many mosquito bites I have acquired. Those suckers are vicious!!!
11) The auto-rick driver will stop in the middle of the road if doesn't think that you're paying him enough. Um, fun!
12) No one else on the road seemed to notice that we just stopped. They all just went around us like we were a cow in the road.
13) High powered fans are DA BOMB!!!
1) Eating with your hand does require a lot of skill.
2) Your thumb can be used as mini shovel in this eating process.
3) You will make a mess!
4) It's super fun to eat with your hands and not be looked at like your "special"
5) March-May are going to be hot and miserable! Oh what fun!
6) You get used to having a fine layer of dirt on your skin at all times.
7) I have developed an art at killing little "shower buddies" They all find themselves from which they came. The drain!
8) Flip flops in February are FANTASTIC!!!
9) Dirty feet...all the time!
1o) I have lost count of how many mosquito bites I have acquired. Those suckers are vicious!!!
11) The auto-rick driver will stop in the middle of the road if doesn't think that you're paying him enough. Um, fun!
12) No one else on the road seemed to notice that we just stopped. They all just went around us like we were a cow in the road.
13) High powered fans are DA BOMB!!!
Frustration
Today was the first day that I felt a little frustrated with myself being in a different culture. I find myself wondering if I should have thought all of this through a little more before I jumped on a plane. This is only based on my not being able to be as independant as I'm used to being. I can't get around by myself yet because I know nothing about where to go or how to get there. English is common but with the auto-rick driver's, it isn't always understood. It's hard for me to depend on people to help me get around and get things. It's something that I will have to get used to because I have no other option.
The way they communicate among themslves is so different than what I'm used to as an American. I was at a small group the other night, jet lagged out of my mind, and I had a hard time participating because I could follow the pace they were going at. Once I figured out how the flow of the study I was a little better but frustrated with myself that I wasn't able to contribute anything. I'm hoping that next week is better.
I guess you can call this culture shock. I don't know if that's what it is, but I feel a little bit like a fish out of water. It's frustrating but I also know that I've been here 4 days and it's going to take a lot longer for me to be able to feel as though I'm somewhat comfortable. It's just as simple as me giving this over every day and taking one step at a time and being patient with myself. I need to give myself the benefit of the doubt and relax a little. It's not all going to happen over night and I'm going to make some huge mistakes on the way.
The way they communicate among themslves is so different than what I'm used to as an American. I was at a small group the other night, jet lagged out of my mind, and I had a hard time participating because I could follow the pace they were going at. Once I figured out how the flow of the study I was a little better but frustrated with myself that I wasn't able to contribute anything. I'm hoping that next week is better.
I guess you can call this culture shock. I don't know if that's what it is, but I feel a little bit like a fish out of water. It's frustrating but I also know that I've been here 4 days and it's going to take a lot longer for me to be able to feel as though I'm somewhat comfortable. It's just as simple as me giving this over every day and taking one step at a time and being patient with myself. I need to give myself the benefit of the doubt and relax a little. It's not all going to happen over night and I'm going to make some huge mistakes on the way.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Welcome to Chennai!
Here I am! I have arrived in one piece and all went great! The flights were easy but long! I forgot how hard it is to be on a plane for that many hours all at the same time. They should really knock people out for those things! I got in about 12AM Tuesday and made it my lovely bed around 2AM. I didn't sleep much right away and after I was up for a few hours, I went back to bed and slept all day long. I was woken up @ 6PM to go to dinner. I had been asleep since 8AM!! To say the least, I wasn't able to sleep last night at all and to my surprise I'm not tired now.
I love my temporary host family! They are a young YWAM couple from Ohio with a little 2 year old girl Gloryanna. Rebecca and Steven are wonderful!! They're sarcastic and witty. Right up my alley! I'm not drama and Rebecca likes that a lot! She's also happy that I'm not one of those pretentious Christians and I know how to have a little fun. This is how I know there is a God! :)
Not much has happened in these first 2 days. Sleep and eat just like a baby! I've been around the city a little bit but not too much. I have a lot of time to do that!
I have been talking with Kavita about the Dark is Beautiful campaign that WOW is launching in March. Check it out!!! I am privileged enough to be able to participate with them in this fantastic women's equality campaign and I couldn't be more excited. There has been a lot of press around the conference and we are praying for a great turn out. Keep it in your prayers! This is huge for Chennai and many many more women are effected than what we realize.
There has also been some talk about my mentoring young women at a few of the "tech" colleges and I'm looking forward to exploring that as well. As many of you know, that is where my heart truly lies and so the opportunity to give of myself in this way is overwhelming! Soon I'll have more details on that.
This really is a dream come true for me! I cried when I stepped into the airport that early Tuesday morning. This is real and every day I wake up and it's real. I'm in India and it feels like it was meant to be.
Again, I am blessed. So so blessed!
I love my temporary host family! They are a young YWAM couple from Ohio with a little 2 year old girl Gloryanna. Rebecca and Steven are wonderful!! They're sarcastic and witty. Right up my alley! I'm not drama and Rebecca likes that a lot! She's also happy that I'm not one of those pretentious Christians and I know how to have a little fun. This is how I know there is a God! :)
Not much has happened in these first 2 days. Sleep and eat just like a baby! I've been around the city a little bit but not too much. I have a lot of time to do that!
I have been talking with Kavita about the Dark is Beautiful campaign that WOW is launching in March. Check it out!!! I am privileged enough to be able to participate with them in this fantastic women's equality campaign and I couldn't be more excited. There has been a lot of press around the conference and we are praying for a great turn out. Keep it in your prayers! This is huge for Chennai and many many more women are effected than what we realize.
There has also been some talk about my mentoring young women at a few of the "tech" colleges and I'm looking forward to exploring that as well. As many of you know, that is where my heart truly lies and so the opportunity to give of myself in this way is overwhelming! Soon I'll have more details on that.
This really is a dream come true for me! I cried when I stepped into the airport that early Tuesday morning. This is real and every day I wake up and it's real. I'm in India and it feels like it was meant to be.
Again, I am blessed. So so blessed!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Time to Go
So today's it. Today I get on a plane and fly to Chennai. I'm SO nervous! Everything in me is trying not to throw up or pass out. It's great! I wish that I wasn't so nervous about all of this and I'm sure that I'll be alright once I land and see that it was smooth sailing. I just anticipate the worst and expect it to be a little more difficult that it may be. I'm praying for the most easy going flights ever. Can't I just pass out and wake up in Chennai? Wouldn't that be the easiest? I think.
So this is it for a few days. I'll post again when I have landed in Chennai and have somewhat gotten over the jet lag. Keep me in your prayers and write me!
Love you all!
Sandi
So this is it for a few days. I'll post again when I have landed in Chennai and have somewhat gotten over the jet lag. Keep me in your prayers and write me!
Love you all!
Sandi
Thursday, February 12, 2009
3 days to go!
So today I woke up much earlier than I would have liked. I don't have a job and I should be sleeping in, not waking up at 6:30 with a list running a mile long of things left undone. It's just not right I tell you. NOT RIGHT!
Even though my head is full of things to do and take care of, I'm feeling pretty good. Had a few moments of "What am I doing?!" But there are no twinges of "this is the wrong thing to do". Which I think is a good thing considering I am 3 days away from moving half way around the world! I'm so completely jazzed! I got out of my small town and I'm doing something that I NEVER imagined I would ever do. I didn't know what I wanted to do with myself but I knew that I didn't want to stay in a small town. Maybe one day I'll have have the desire to stay put and make my life in one place, but for right now, I have been ruined for "life as usual". I've seen too much, I've been given too much to stand still and ignore the small voice in my heart that says,"Go and see. Touch and feel. Be among the one's who don't know love like you know love" When you have as much as I do, there's no way you can stand still and not share it with others. I'm not talking money, any one can write a check and call it a day and a good deed. I'm talking about giving of something so much more valuable, a piece of your heart. There's no way you can go into a place with such injustice and leave without it touching every part of you. It's on your skin, in your hair, in your nose, in your eyes. It is on you like a second skin. Unless your heart is completely detached, you cannot walk away untouched. It's not the way we were designed to be. We were created to give so much of ourselves that we are forced to run to the arms of our beautiful Creator to fill us up again. What if we did that?! What if we didn't live our lives as though we are living only for ourselves? What if we gave so to someone else just because we could? What I'm doing in India shouldn't be looked at as this amazing, selfless act. It should be the norm and expected. We have got to learn to get out of ourselves and give something of who we are to people who need the encouragement. Learn something about yourself. See the world through someone else's eyes. Learn to love the way we are loved;selflessly.
Even though my head is full of things to do and take care of, I'm feeling pretty good. Had a few moments of "What am I doing?!" But there are no twinges of "this is the wrong thing to do". Which I think is a good thing considering I am 3 days away from moving half way around the world! I'm so completely jazzed! I got out of my small town and I'm doing something that I NEVER imagined I would ever do. I didn't know what I wanted to do with myself but I knew that I didn't want to stay in a small town. Maybe one day I'll have have the desire to stay put and make my life in one place, but for right now, I have been ruined for "life as usual". I've seen too much, I've been given too much to stand still and ignore the small voice in my heart that says,"Go and see. Touch and feel. Be among the one's who don't know love like you know love" When you have as much as I do, there's no way you can stand still and not share it with others. I'm not talking money, any one can write a check and call it a day and a good deed. I'm talking about giving of something so much more valuable, a piece of your heart. There's no way you can go into a place with such injustice and leave without it touching every part of you. It's on your skin, in your hair, in your nose, in your eyes. It is on you like a second skin. Unless your heart is completely detached, you cannot walk away untouched. It's not the way we were designed to be. We were created to give so much of ourselves that we are forced to run to the arms of our beautiful Creator to fill us up again. What if we did that?! What if we didn't live our lives as though we are living only for ourselves? What if we gave so to someone else just because we could? What I'm doing in India shouldn't be looked at as this amazing, selfless act. It should be the norm and expected. We have got to learn to get out of ourselves and give something of who we are to people who need the encouragement. Learn something about yourself. See the world through someone else's eyes. Learn to love the way we are loved;selflessly.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Finally making sense!
Yesterday was my last day of work. It was a tough day because I enjoy the people there so much. Like all co-worker relationships there are days that you just want to smack them all and shake them a bit, but that's normal, right? It was sweet. We had lots of cake and yummy food and not too many tears. Good day! All day I was hearing really fantastic encouragements about what I'm doing and how noble it is and all thst kind of stuff. And I say thank you and smile and nod but in my head I was thinking, this isn't noble. This is what I was made for! This is what I was designed for! Not going to India is a bigger sacrifice to me than giving up anything here. I know it's hard for people to wrap their minds around it sometimes so I just let it go.
So after I got over the fact that I no longer have a job (totally weird!) I was driving to a friends house and it's like God pulled the cork on my understanding of the season I'm in. My going to India isn't just this thing that I'm doing because I got bored one day. This was placed in my life. This wasn't a desire I ever had until 4 years ago when I saw the beautiful faces of these people. So as I'm driving I'm crying and saying out loud (we all do it!) "This finally makes sense! I'm finally able to do what I've been designed to do and it all fits!" I don't know how else to say that. This is my thing. This is what I'm made for. This is my heart and I get to go and take it. I don't know how many people actually get the chance to live a dream. I am living my dream, or at least I will be in 8 days!
I can now answer that question of "Are you excited?" without any hesitation or reserve. I am sad to leave my loved ones for this season, but I am bustin at the seams with joy and thankfulness because I am able to live my dream.
I am so blessed.
I'm the lucky one, not India.
So after I got over the fact that I no longer have a job (totally weird!) I was driving to a friends house and it's like God pulled the cork on my understanding of the season I'm in. My going to India isn't just this thing that I'm doing because I got bored one day. This was placed in my life. This wasn't a desire I ever had until 4 years ago when I saw the beautiful faces of these people. So as I'm driving I'm crying and saying out loud (we all do it!) "This finally makes sense! I'm finally able to do what I've been designed to do and it all fits!" I don't know how else to say that. This is my thing. This is what I'm made for. This is my heart and I get to go and take it. I don't know how many people actually get the chance to live a dream. I am living my dream, or at least I will be in 8 days!
I can now answer that question of "Are you excited?" without any hesitation or reserve. I am sad to leave my loved ones for this season, but I am bustin at the seams with joy and thankfulness because I am able to live my dream.
I am so blessed.
I'm the lucky one, not India.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Amazing Provision!
Do I have a story to tell! Yesterday I got the most fantastic email! It was news telling me that there is an apartment available for me to share with a woman in Chennai. Hallelujah!
1) I know this woman and I like her. If she lived in the States she would be someone I would want to call my friend! Bonus!! She likes to travel, she's a thinker, she's funny, she loves Jesus, she will understand my sense of humor (God I hope so!) She's just someone I am SO looking forward to getting to know.
2) the rent it low and I love that!!
3) it's close to Sparky's restaurant and close to Power House Church office.
4) right next door is a Christian NGO that does fantastic work with destitute women. I don't know what that entails but I know that PHC has a relationship with them already and it's a great opportunity for me to get involved!
5) God's awesome!!!! All of these things I have been praying for and ta-da here they are just sitting in front of me for me to pick up. I SO don't deserve His goodness but I know that he loves to give abundantly to his beloved.
6)Let's get on the plane and fly fly away! I'm ready to do this!! :)
1) I know this woman and I like her. If she lived in the States she would be someone I would want to call my friend! Bonus!! She likes to travel, she's a thinker, she's funny, she loves Jesus, she will understand my sense of humor (God I hope so!) She's just someone I am SO looking forward to getting to know.
2) the rent it low and I love that!!
3) it's close to Sparky's restaurant and close to Power House Church office.
4) right next door is a Christian NGO that does fantastic work with destitute women. I don't know what that entails but I know that PHC has a relationship with them already and it's a great opportunity for me to get involved!
5) God's awesome!!!! All of these things I have been praying for and ta-da here they are just sitting in front of me for me to pick up. I SO don't deserve His goodness but I know that he loves to give abundantly to his beloved.
6)Let's get on the plane and fly fly away! I'm ready to do this!! :)
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