India Videos

 

Update! By Heather

Hi all! I found out some exciting news that I wanted to share with everyone. The person that I gave a Bible to in India is actually reading it! Praise the LORD! Please Pray that the Spirit will continue to speak in unmistakable ways to this individual through the living and active word of God.

Additionally, I want to invite anyone that lives close by to join us at First Baptist of Elizabeth City this Sunday night. David and I will be sharing about our experiences in India during the evening service. It starts at 6:15 in the sanctuary. FBC is located at 300 W. Main Street in downtown Elizabeth City. Hope to see you there!

It’s Finally Quiet, Can’t Sleep, Dreaming Still! By Heather

 India was a dizzying swirl of noise, color, activity, and humanity. Since returing home Monday night, I am still and all is relatively quiet for the first time in a long time. There is the sound of our dog, Lyla snoring and the melody the nightingales are singing but compared to the swirl of India or the swirl of this past semester at Campbell– all is quiet here at home.

 

Despite the peace and quiet, I have not slept completely through the night since we returned. I think it is partly jet lag and another part over active brain syndrome. I am still processing everything and trying to reconcile my recent experiences with my regular life.

 

I know I have come away from my noisy time in India with some clarity on God’s call in my life. How I heard his voice through the noise, I am not exactly sure but sometimes God just speaks so loudly you cannot help but hear him!

 

While in India, not a single day passed that I was not somehow involved with or sought out by women and children. All of the ministries we were involved in included women and children. Whether it was at the medical camps, the VBS, our visit with Sajeena, the children’s camp at the library, or passing out fruit, both women and children were a central part of our intentional activities in India. However, there were unique chance encounters with women and children too. The last week of our trip several women walked up to me and placed their babies in my arms. Throughout the trip, countless groups of children and young people approached me to chat. Women of all ages sought me out of crowds to talk and to take photos. One group of women even drew a traditional Indian design on my hand with henna after I told them they had beautiful smiles. The multitude of intentional and chance encounters I had with women and children in India left me saying, “Okay God, I get it! You must want me to minister to women and children.”   

 

 

 

 

 

 

The many inter-religious experiences I had showed me the importance of study and preparation for ministry. Basically, these experiences affirmed for me why I am currently in Divinity School. In speaking with people of other faiths, I drew heavily on what I learned this past year at Campbell. The Spirit brought to mind so many things I had learned as I talked with people of other faiths. It was really an amazing thing as much of what the Spirit prompted me to say I had completely forgotten or had not thought about for a long time.

 

The cross-cultural translation and proclamation of Christ’s presence through these inter-religious dialogues became a central theme for me during the second half of our trip. It was exciting and I felt at home in these conversations. It was an unmistakable clarification of God’s call that left me saying: “Okay God, I get it! You want me to point people who do not know you towards the presence of Christ.”

 

 

 

 

In the quiet of these restless nights since returning home, I have come to understand how central the role of the Church is in helping one to discern and express God’s call. David and I are so thankful for our FBC family, as they have allowed us the freedom to “try on” different aspects of ministry both in the church and as representatives of the church. Throughout our trip, we felt connected to FBC despite the distance through support, prayers, and encouragement. We also felt connected to our friends and family members who supported us, prayed for us, and partnered with us. However, mere words cannot adequately express the Christian love we have felt since returning home. It has been such a wonderful gift from God to experience the excitement and love of our church, our friends, and our family upon our return!

 

Sometimes, it is hard for me to understand why God has given me such an intense love for Indian people especially when they live so far away from my home. To be honest, a big piece of my heart will always be in India no matter where or how I serve in ministry. Thus, while coming home to church, friends, family, and modern conveniences is a truly happy occasion, it is also an intensely introspective, reflective, and slightly sad time for me personally. That is why the love we have experienced from all of you means so much to us. Your acts of kindness, care, concern, and expressions of love, have made our transition home much easier. We are so incredibly thankful for all of you that words fail to express our gratitude fully!

 

While this specific “journey of hope” has ended, I have a sense the Webb’s journey as partners in ministry is really just beginning. So tonight as I sit here wide awake, I am dreaming of all posibilities for us in ministry together. Since I have known David, I have never been prouder of him than I was on this mission trip! He allowed the Lord to use him even in areas completely outside his comfort zone. I consider myself a lucky woman to have David as a husband and a ministry partner. He is such a servant-hearted, compassionate, and supportive man of God! (Stop blushing now, Dave! I love you!).

 

 

 

My prayer is that God will continue to use us together as a team in ministry right here in Elizabeth City. I also pray that God will allow us to serve together in India again one day. In fact, it is a dream of mine to lead a team from Elizabeth City on a mission trip to India in the future! But for now, I should just try to get some sleep. Sweet dreams everyone!  

Homeward Bound Theological Reflections on the Color Orange By Heather

We have reached Delhi that Capital of India and our final destination of this journey. We leave tonight after midnight for home. Hopefully, we will have a short stop in London and arrive in Raleigh on the afternoon of May 26^th. We should be home by Monday night if all goes according to plan. We thank all of you for your support and prayers along the way. We hope to post a few more blog entries from home as we are sure to experience some reverse culture shock. For now, we will leave you with some theological reflections on the color orange.

Not long ago, I was driving home from Campbell and realized that I had seen the sunrise and the sunset along the exact same stretch of road as I traveled to and from school that day. As I looked at the sunset, I began thinking about the color orange and how it was both beautiful and ugly at the same. For example, an orange India mango, a saforn colored flower, and a pumpkin colored sunset are all beautiful expressions of orange. However, orange cones and construction barrels are ugly and often signify danger ahead.

The more I thought about the color orange, I began to realize that orange is a very popular color in India and that India is a place that is simultaneously beautiful and challenging, incredible and harsh, and captivating and painful. I began to realize how much the Christian journey we are all on is also reflected in the color orange.  As we follow Christ there is joy, there is sorrow, there is dancing, there is mourning, there is singing, and there is suffering. The experience of the cross was ugly but the resurrection was beautiful. We experience every shade of orange as followers of Christ.

In the car that night I promised myself and God that I would be on the lookout for experiences that illustrate both the beautiful and ugly side of orange while in India. When we first arrived in Bangalore, I couldn’t help but notice that Westfall’s home was beautifully decorated in soothing soft shades of orange and blue. Here in India, I saw orange trucks, orange signs, orange flowers, orange temples, orange idols, orange saris, and a wide variety of orange fruits just to name a few. One of the most memorable “orange experiences” came as Sajeena our sponsor child told me her favorite color was orange. However, as I walked among the Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists, the orange colored temples, robes, ceremonial fires, tombs, and  mosques slapped me in the face, broke my heart, and stirred my compassion. These “orange experiences” became too numerous to remember so I began taking photos of orange things to document my time here.

The images below illustrate a few of my own “orange experiences” here in India. It has been a beautiful and ugly journey full of hope and hopelessness. However, for me, the pictures below have become far more that just various shades of orange that I saw along the way. Instead, these photos encapsulate my own Christian journey as expressed through the vibrant, warm, soft, sweet, pungent, and shocking shades of orange found in India. As a follower of the Way, I have learned to love the dichotomy that is orange, that is India, and that is the Christian pilgrimage. We sing, we suffer, we dance, we cry, we shout for joy, we mourn, we experience every shade of orange as we seek to follow the footsteps of Jesus whether the path is beautiful or ugly.

 

(I love the photo directly above! I saw it outside of a Mosque and Muslim Burrial Ground. The path from where I was standing looked like an orange cross.)  

 

(NOTE: The photo above is my favorite of the trip. It was taken just today and after I wrote this entry! God is really amazing. He speaks to us in so many ways.)

Random Things in India By David

Just Imagine:

 

A garage with equality for all- motorcycles and cows.

 

A cow sleeping inside of a women’s clothing store as the people shopped around the animal.

 

Dogs sleeping on raised medians as traffic zooms past.

 

Children selling pellet guns while standing in the middle of the road

 

Just when you thought you escaped the souvenir shops here they come on two different boats! In addition to a boat fully loaded with necklaces and trinkets, there was actually a guy selling DVD’s in the middle of the Ganges River complete with a demonstration TV on his rowboat.

 

Women swimming fully clothed in traditional Indian dress instead of bathing suits.

 

Traffic lights, stops signs, and other highway markings that are purely decorative.

 

Indian music videos that were clearly inspired by the American and European musical greats of the 70’s and 80’s.

 

Ox carts, bicycles, motorized rickshaws, bicycle rickshaws, cars, trucks, busses, pedestrians along with cows, dogs, goats, pigs, and water buffalo ALL traveling in the same lane of traffic. (However, one must realize the concept of traffic “lane” is totally relative in India).

 

People ridding on top of busses whizzing down the bumpy rural highways at breakneck speeds.

 

An invitation to sit down and talk with someone can quickly turn into a sales pitch for a palm reading.

 

Realizing that many Indians believe all Americans live in New York, California, or possibly even Texas.

 

Being frequently asked about our political opinions regarding the US presidential race… even by random people we did not know.

 

Hindi Pop music blared over loud speakers- 3 feet in diameter- attached to a farm tractor, driving on a rural highway with a trailer carrying 20 or more people in tow. (it was so unbelievable- we could not find the camera fast enough!)

 

Using IST (Indian Stretchable Time), 6:30 pm could really mean 8:30 pm depending on whom you ask.  

 

Learning to eat messy food with only your right hand when you are not my nephew Caden’s age (one)!

 

Understanding that sometimes things work here and sometimes they don’t and that is just India.

 

Continuing a conversation as the power goes out without pausing or giving any reaction at all.

 

The use of a car’s horn and lights mean, “Hey look out, I’m coming through.” Thus, with such a dense population and crazy traffic, horns are always honking and lights are always flashing.

 

Trucks painted and decorated that use their crazy chortling horns to announce their movements.

 

Dogs barking like jackals in the middle of the night.

 

Street venders chanting, shouting, and even singing what goods they have to sell from 5 AM to 10 PM on streets with 2 houses, 10 houses, on busy streets, on quiet streets (until they come with their bells). I was always impressed that in Bangalore I could set my alarm clock by the 6:30 AM laundry collector ringing the bell on his hand cart- by the bedroom window.

 

Maximum occupancy of a two-seat auto rickshaw could be as high as twelve especially if one person is lying down on the roof.(we counted)

Backpacks Full of Fruit and Bushels Full of Tears, By Heather

Greetings from Benaras or Varanasi (new name) in Northern India. This city is a pilgrimage site for Hindus because it is along the Ganges River. Hindus come from all over India to wash in the Ganges, as they believe it cleanses them from all sin and ignorance. Benaras is also a place where many Hindus are cremated along the riverbanks. After cremation, the ashes of the dead are thrown into the water in the hopes that the soul of the deceased will obtain freedom.

 

The last two day we have been prayer walking and handing out fruit throughout Benaras. Over the last two days, we gave out over 15 pounds of apples and mangos to children, elderly people, disabled individuals, and the genuinely poor of the city. Despite all the fruit we gave out, we encountered more people in need than we could ever have imagined possible. Thus, we were constantly wishing for many bushels of apples and mangoes as we walked around the city and along the banks of the Ganges River. One particularly meaningful moment occurred yesterday as we realized that the Hindu taxi driver (Nathu) that we hired to help transport us around the city was watching us give out fruit outside of a Hindu temple. He was smiling and observing us with great interest as he had taken us to buy the fruit at two local markets earlier that day. Before we saw him watching us, we never considered that we might be witnessing to him too by giving fruit to the poor. 

 

To be honest, our time here has been hard on us emotionally and spiritually. While we have enjoyed watching for monkeys, chuckling at the antics of the cows, and finding hidden dogs sleeping everywhere, observing the people in the midst of their religious practices has been hard. We have witnessed hopelessness, sickness, extreme poverty, and many blind rituals that are difficult to describe. To stand as a Christian presence and boldly pray to the Living God for people participating in idol worship and purification rituals has been an unforgettable experience. However, it has really broken my heart into more than a million pieces all over again. I have quietly cried bushels of tears in the quietness of our room. Nevertheless, I am glad we came here as I believe God has allowed me to shed a mere fragment of the tears he has cried for the lost of India; as well as for all the lost of world. I believe there is a purpose in my tears that God will allow me to understand in His time. 

 

This morning as I watched the sunrise over the Ganges, I realized that the light of Christ breaks through even the darkest clouds and into the darkest places. While most of the people in Benaras walk in darkness, the presence of Christ is already here! Christ is here in this culture waiting to be translated and proclaimed! He is embodied here in the actions of local Christians and others like us who come here to serve. Yes, the very presence of Christ is walking among those who walk in darkness. Directly below is a photo I took this morning while reflecting on the way in which the light of Christ penetrates the darkness here in such a beautiful and powerful way!

 

The Face of Christ

 

 

For years, a song called The Face of Christ by Chris Rice has been particularly meaningful for both of us. The chorus of the song reads:

 

How did I find myself in a better place?

I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face.

When I stoop down low, look him square in the eye,
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing with the face of Christ.

 

During our stay in Gaya, we experienced what the lyrics of this song are attempting to covey as we visited a home for mentally and physically disabled individuals. The Missionaries of Charity, a group associated with Mother Teresa’s order, run this project. The brothers that manage this particular establishment are very caring and sensitive to the needs of the people who are living in the home. To see the compassionate way they touched and responded to the 30 individuals living there was remarkable.

 

We took fruit and vegetables to give out to those living in the home. Each person received two bananas, one cucumber, and some watermelon. The response to our simple gesture of love was just amazing. All of people expressed gratitude as we handed out the cucumbers and bananas. However, one elderly, physical disabled man really captured our hearts. When we first approached him, he looked sad. As we gave him the food, he began kissing our hands. Then, we bent down to look at him in the eyes, Heather was overwhelmed as she noticed a smile had replaced his sad expression. There were even tears of joy in his eyes. She locked eyes with him as tears began to run down her face too. She had no doubt she was dealing with the face of Christ as she looked eye to eye with this sweet man. He mumbled a few words to her in Hindi and she said a prayer for him, kissed his forehead, and paused for a photo with him. Although this was a brief encounter, it was such a rich blessing to us! The gift of fruit and vegetables costs us so little, yet we experienced something so priceless: The face of Christ.

 

5  Watermelons                                  60 Rupees ($1.50)      

30 Cucumbers                                    40 Rupees ($1.00)

60 Bananas                                         150 Rupees ($3.75)

Dealing with the Face of Christ            Priceless

 

 

Note: The photo directly above is of us with Brother Lewis who is in charge of the project we visited. Using funds given by our FBC partners, we were able to provide lunch for those living in the home the following day!

Go Light Your World by David

 

When we visited the temples of the Buddhists in Bhodgaya, I saw the face of spiritual darkness in a powerful way. Their temple complex has a tree where Buddha is said to have gained enlightenment 2,552 years ago (their calendar counts from that year). Beside the tree is a temple that dates to the 3rd or 4th Century A.D. As we walked around praying, we saw people worshiping statues of Buddha and bowing before the Bhodi tree.  I think Buddhists want to make everyone feel that their pathway to truth is valid and that their ways make everyone feel happy. They also say that all religions are good if it makes us better people. There is a big problem with this- where does our belief that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life fit in?

We also met a man on a train that was asking us why we were in India. When we said we are from North Carolina he said oh- a southern accent. He was also asking if we were missionaries or born again Christians who think everyone is going to hell if they do not accept Jesus. Before we could answer, he was giving us advice on being in India. He told us that we should be doing a “pre-emptive strike” when we meet Hindus and tell them we do not eat the cows in India. He said it is good to show your do not want to kill their mothers (the cow is sacred because of a belief that a cow gives milk like a mother). He went on to tell us there is a place in Delhi where they have social security for cows that cannot give milk anymore. We did have an opportunity to tell him where we worked and Heather said she is a Children’s Minister. He did not attack Christianity anymore after that and even helped us take our luggage of the train.

 

It was interesting to hear what Indians believe about Christians. The opinions seem to vary. In contrast to the man on the train, our host in Gaya, Anjun is a Muslim. She was telling us that she thinks Christians do the most to help others of all the religions. 

 

During our stay in Gaya, we were surrounded by people of other faiths. We ate meals with Hindus and Muslims. We walked and talked with the Buddhists. We stayed in a Muslim home. To be honest, sometimes it felt like a heavy responsibility being only the only Christians around. My prayer is that we have carried our candles well and brought the light of Christ into the darkness.  

 

  

An Acts 17 Experience

 

 

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. Acts 17:22-23

 

The Spirit has been present throughout our entire stay here in Patna. Furthermore, we have sensed that our experience here has been fully bathed in prayer from our partners back home. In fact, a significant inter-religious conversation took place yesterday. Heather is extremely thankful for all that she learned about World Religions this past year in Divinity School. Dr. Braswell, if you read this post, thank you for your passionate teaching and the knowledge you passed on to Heather! God really used what she learned in your class and working in the Center to help her translate and proclaim the presence of Christ as Paul did in Acts 17. Without going into too much detail online, God gave Heather an opportunity to share several passages of Scripture and give away a Bible. It was particularly meaningful to Heather that the Bible she gave away was the same Bible that David’s parents (Jane and Lloyd) gave her on the day of her commissioning at Campbell this past fall. Giving away a copy of the Bible so closely connected with the beginning of her own ministry journey was a clear affirmation and clarification of God’s call for Heather.

 

This afternoon we leave for Gaya. Our hosts here in Patna have arranged for a driver to take us to Gaya so we do not have to go on the train! While in Gaya, we may not have reliable Internet access. Thus, if our blog drops off for a few days, please forgive us. We will write more as soon as possible. Also, we love reading your comments. Keep them coming!

 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers! We will be prayer walking and performing small acts of kindness such as giving out fruit and water at a Buddhist pilgrimage site over the next few days. We will also be staying in the home of a Muslim family and ask for your prayers once again.

 

Please enjoy the pictures below of the second and third days of the arts camp at the Storytelling Library. Our time here has been wonderful! The kids and the volunteers have had so much fun. It has been a real treat to teach such eager and loving children.

 

Lions, Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!

 

 

Yesterday the arts camp at the Storytelling Library in Patna began. The theme for the camp is “It’s a Jungle Out There.” Over 80 kids attended yesterday with many more expected today as Saturday was a school day for some children in India.

 

The children were so excited! At the start of the day, the kids performed several stories and poems they learned to share with us in English! They were so cute and very proud to show us what they learned!  All the children enjoyed animal themed songs, drama activities, stories, crafts, and games throughout the day.

 

David was in charge of the crafts and the games. Today he had the children create animal masks and make scratch art animal ornaments. The kids particularly enjoyed making the scratch art animals, as they were very skilled at creating intricate patterns and designs. 

 

Heather led the singing and helped the children act out several stories. Their favorite book of the day was a book that David’s mom (Jane) gave Heather entitled “Giraffe’s Can’t Dance.” We used this book to talk to the children about how each person is a special and unique creation unlike anyone else on earth. In a culture where belief in reincarnation is common, the message “you are special and unlike anyone else” is greatly needed. You should have seen David as Gerald the Giraffe when Heather introduced this book! He was spectacular and the kids just loved it! Later on, the older children acted out the book too. The children also enjoyed singing several of the songs that children at FBC love: Shake My Sillies Out, Down By the Bay, and even Germs (The Invisible Dog Song)! 

 

Our host Sita runs this library. She and the volunteers are absolutely amazing. At the library, children from all economic, social, and cultural, and religious backgrounds learn and play together. What a wonderful expression of community in a culture where separation based on these factors is very common.   

 

One thing that continues to amaze us is how God uses every experience, every job, every gift, every talent, and every bit of knowledge he has ever given us to accomplish his purposes and glorify his name. God does not waste a thing! Instead, he weaves it all together into a beautiful tapestry as he works through us! We find this especially true in situations that take us our of comfort zones and call us to depend on him fully.

 

For example, David was reflecting today on how he is thankful he led educational tours at historic sites several years ago as God used his experiences in leading large groups yesterday. This was no easy task especially with the language barrier! However, many of the volunteers in the Library were telling Heather what a wonderful man David is and remarking how good he is with the children. As you can tell, Heather is writing this part of the blog as David would never share the volunteers’ reaction with anyone. In fact, Heather is proud of David and the servant-hearted way he is handling all the challenges of India. He has even learned to tolerate Indian food!!!

 

One of the most interesting moments at the camp yesterday occurred when the children were leaving. They began touching our feet followed by their own faces. Feet are considered unclean in India. To touch someone’s feet and then take your hands directly to your own face is a great expression of honor and gratitude in this culture. In fact, it means that person is part of your family. Thus, these children told us in their own way how much they appreciated us being here and leading the camp. Additionally, we also learned that this expression is a way of asking for a blessing from a respected elder. If the children do this to us again, we intend to say, “The Lord bless you and keep you” in response.

 

Please pray that all the volunteers and the children see and experience the love of Christ through our actions, our energy, our smiling eyes, and our touch. Since followers of many religious traditions come to the Library, we are not able to speak openly with the children about Christ. However, we are constantly reminded of the words of St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the gospel at all times — If necessary, use words.”

 

Speaking of St. Francis of Assisi, it is interesting that although our host Sita is a Hindu, she has a framed copy of The Prayer of St. Francis in here home. This prayer has always been special to Heather. In fact, the prayer was sung at our wedding by our dear friend Brad. Seeing the framed copy of the prayer in Sita’s home was a reminder for Heather that God has brought us to this library to be instruments of his peace. As you read the prayer below, please pray that we will sow love, pardon, faith, hope, joy and the ultimately the light of Christ as it shines through the cracks our clay vessels. The prayer of St. Francis reads:

 

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

 

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

 

Amen.