a walk through the garden

(1.22.11)

Later on, in the cool of the evening, Melody, Syam's wife, took me on a tour of the grounds. The church is directly below the house. A long, oval shaped sanctuary with wide open windows. Behind it, the gardens. This is where most of their food is grown. Bright, purple eggplants. Large banana and plantain trees. Ripe, baby tomatoes. A stone well.  As we toured the garden, Melody's daughter Hadi began to tug on a thick vine. Melody immediately chided, "No, Hadi, it you break the vine, the rest of the plant will die." Right away the verse in John 15 was brought to mind, "I am the vine, you are the branches, remain in me as I remain in you..." That verse came to life in a new light. Scripture breathed before me in a living analogy...

The food hasn't really been that much of an adjustment... or maybe they've been taking it easy on me and not making things quite so spicy. Either way, learning to eat with my hands has been challenging yet almost fun. It's like every kids' dream come true- you mean we don't have to use silverware! Awesome. It's a little bit like Never-never land around here. You know the scene from Hook where all the Lost Boys are around the table teaching Pan how to use his imagination and eat. That's a little bit how I feel, out of place, but learning to adapt quickly...

Monkeys, wild dogs, and cows, oh my!

Well, friends, I've made it. India in all its splendor at my very doorstep. Thank you all for your prayers and support. This trip is a joint-venture and I hope you experience the joy right along with me!

Can't believe it's been a week already. I feel as though I've learned more this one week than I have in the past several months. I'd describe it best as being the Karate Kid, encountering the Cobra Kai for the first time. It's been challenging mentally, emotionally, spiritually.And beaten me up even physically- about 20 new mosquito bites around my feet. And just yesterday around midnight spent about 4 hours bouncing between the toilet and nearby bucket. Worst bout of vomiting and "the motions" I've ever experienced in my life. Not sure what from, but it doesn't matter. I echo Paul in Phil. 3:8-9 when he exclaims, "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all garbage, so I could gain Christ and become one with him..." Thankful to have the Lord as my patient teacher and faithful friend.

*the following are excerpts from various journal entries

(1.22.11)
India, I am here. Stepping off the plane into the Hyderabad airport was strangely calm, but then again, it was 2:50 in the morning. My first reality check was stopping to use the bathroom. A porcelain hole in the ground, no TP, and a basin next to it. (thanks to those of you who forewarned me of this, my stash of Kleenex is coming in good use!) Once through customs I proceeded to claim luggage and out to find Syam Bandi who would drive me to Nuzvid. For a fraction of a second I did not see him anywhere, actually made it all the way to the curb where taxi drivers began to approach me and I had to shoo them away. My heart panicked a beat. What if they don't come? What if they got stuck in traffic? What if... and then, "Alisha?!" I turned and saw Syam and his two friends. Never been more relieved to see the wide, friendly smile of my new acquaintance.

We piled into the van and began our 7 hour journey to Nuzvid and my new home for the next 6 months. The country-side was lush yet I've never seen a more devastated land.... shacks of straw huts for neighborhoods. Women sweeping dust porches with wooden brooms. Stray dogs darting across the road. Men smoking pipes. Abandoned concrete establishments. Wild monkeys skip along the gravel. Road-side fires burning rubbish. (Dad, you might want to skip ahead this next part) All the while we went close to 100mph the entire trip, unless of course we had to slow for trucks. We weaved like crazy teenagers looking for a thrill, only this was no joy-ride, this was the norm. Fast and Furious, scene set: India. We played chicken countless times. Beeping was the name of the game. Thank the Lord for the invention of the car horn. (Ok, dad, you can read again)

The city of Nuzvid itself is busy, over-crowded, similar in nature to the above, yet there is a trace of what feels almost like a beach-town, campsite. Tall palm trees loom, dark blue crows perch, monkeys call and fire smoke from distant burning wafts spices and sweat through the humid air.

I am very blessed by the Bandi's already. Their hospitality unlike any I have known. In the crazy van-ride Syam was telling me about the Love in Action Fellowship's ministry and his heart behind it. He said, "This is not my ministry, it is the Lord's work..."

Savor the Frosty

Sam: This is it.
Frodo: This is what?
Sam: If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.
Frodo: Come on, Sam. Remember what Bilbo used to say: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." 


Pack- check. Arrive at airport on time- check. Savor your last Wendy's frosty- check! Well, friends, I made it... to Washington D.C. that is, and currently waiting to board a plane to Dubai. From there... India! Yes, my journey has begun, but truth be known, it started a long time ago. There's no way I could have arranged all this. As Emily drove me to O'Hare today, all I could exclaim was, "This is crazy!" Our God is crazy unpredictable, yet absolutely reliable. He has been so faithful all my life and looking back at the steps that led me to this point only makes me more stand more in awe of who He is and how intricately beautiful he weaves the tapestry of our lives.


An unexpected emotion pin-pricked my heart a few short hours ago. As the plane lifted off the ground in Chicago there was a sudden sadness to leave the people I have grown to know and love so deeply, yet soaring anticipations of all the beautiful people I will soon encounter and grow to love as well. 


Change. I embrace yet despise its all in one stun-slap. 


The other night a dear friend shared a super encouraging verse with me, I hope it encourages you:
"...He knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure gold. For I have stayed on God's paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food... Whatever he wants to do, he does. So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny..." -Job 23:8-17


Savor that last frosty, my friends... there's no knowing where you might be swept off to next...

No turning back

"So far as I know we did not set sail to look for things useful but to seek honor and adventure. And here is as great an adventure as ever I heard of, and here, if we turn back, no little impeachment of all our honors..." -Reepicheep, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader


Hello, friends! So, I leave for India in exactly... well, counting today, 4 days. FOUR DAYS! How did it come to this? People keep asking me how I feel and to be honest, I'm not sure exactly. It's a blender of emotion. Some days I'm super excited and can't wait to get there. My heart jolts a beat, let's go already! The blender is on full blast. Other days, I'm more apprehensive, question my sanity, then simply shrug it off. The blender like a smooth whir. Then sometimes I'm even a trifle afraid. Blender, pause. Of what? The unknown perhaps. Yet that is the very thing that intrigues and beckons me forward... The unknown. Four years ago I waded through similar emotional complexities. As my dear friend Rachel and I packed up Flo, her little, trusty Honda, and left small-town Muncie, Indiana and hit the road for big-time Los Angeles, the surreal adventure kicked into reality.  A quote from Donald Miller became especially meaningful for us throughout that semester:


"It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it? It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out. I want to repeat one word for you: Leave. Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn't it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don't worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed."


I guess I should finish packing right? I've got a plane to catch in 4 days.  


*this blog will generally be comprised of thoughts, experiences, prayers, quotes, etc. I don't plan to edit it really but rather allow more of a verbal flow. We'll let the ameba take it's shape as it slithers along.  All that to say, I apologize in advance for any grammatical error. At minimum, I'm hoping it will help me process this outlandish, phenomenal journey. At best I'm hoping it will encourage and update my support team back home that helped make this trip possible! I can't thank you guys enough. And if anyone else happens to stumble upon it and finds it interesting enough to read, by all means, eat up this protozoan of a blog. Enjoy!