Nothing is everything

"It does seem strange that such unnumbered multitudes should bloom in the wild places of the earth where perhaps nobody ever sees them and the goats and cattle can walk over them and crush them to death. They have so much beauty and sweetness to give..."
-Hinds Feet in High Places

*several weeks ago I had the privilege of sharing my testimony at a small church about 45 minutes outside of Nuzvid, the following are some swirling thoughts encompassing that experience*

BROKENNESS.

Often I find myself overwhelmed at the poverty here-- I've encountered gripping scenes of homelessness in Chicago and various cities, but nothing compared to what surrounds me here. Even homes that are supposedly "nice" have next to nothing. Grass-roofed homes with one room, maybe a bed frame with an old, dirty mattress. Stained linens. Little to no electricity. These people are the poorest of the poor, yet here they sit, joyfully singing, attending church with contented, beaming smiles on their faces.  Puts American Christianity to utter shame... myself included.

Syam and Melody asked me to share a brief testimony at the church, but as we drove through the ravaged land, passing mud huts and countless canvas tents and pulled up to a half-finished white cement slab, the only thing I could think was, how can I possibly share? What do I have to say that will possibly encourage these people?

The thing is, these people, I feel, know him in far deeper ways than I do. They should be the ones sharing their testimonies with me. In American churches, we may look like we have "everything"-- air conditioning. Awesome bands. Nice coffee shops. Yet, we are the ones with little. These people have seemingly "nothing," but they are the ones that truly have it all. Their reverence, humility, and genuine faith inspires and challenges my own. They know Jesus because he is literally, everything.

"Then the Lord said to him, 'You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy- full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside..." Luke 11:39-40

"How big is your heart, mad'am?"

...I wandered up to the 2nd floor of the school. The bright outdoor walkway led me to the very last classroom. Poking my head through the doorway I found myself face to face with... one student. Due to doubling up of grades and their desire to expose as many children as possible to a native English speaker/teacher, my usual classes contain anywhere from 50-60 kids. But that's younger children. The upper classes have fewer kids and on this particular day, the only other 7th grader was absent. This left me 45 minutes to spend with one, very tall 7th grader-- Dileep.

On that particular day I was covering for the science teacher, so I was to help him with anything he didn't understand. Science isn't exactly my strong subject, but as long as he had his book, I was willing to assist him with anything he needed. After simple introductions, he told me he would just study. Simple enough. I sat back and pulled out a notebook. The overhead fan whirred. After about five minutes of silence I decided to check up on him-

"Dileep, you doing ok?"
"What, mad'am?"
"...you... understand your science?"
"Yes, mad'am."

More silence. Cool. Well, I guess I'll just sit here some more. But I couldn't just sit there-

"You have brothers and sisters?"
"Yes, mad'am, one sister."
"Very nice... I have two brothers."

He just smiled politely. Probably wished I would just keep quiet so he could study. However, when I am in the presence of another human being, I find myself wanting to dive into their infinitely complex mind and explore the exquisite coral reef of who they are and what makes them come alive-

"What do you want to do after school?"

A blank stare.

"What do you... what is your goal in life?"
"What is my aim?"
"Yes! What is your aim?"
"I would like to become a pilot."
"No way, my brother is a pilot! He flies helicopters."
"Helicopters? Nice. I like too."
"Maybe someday when you are a pilot, you take me up in the sky for a ride?"

Dileep grinned and nodded emphatic. Bonding moment success! Deciding to bother him no further, I left him to his studies when he looked up, sincere, and asked-

"How big is your heart, mad'am?"

My heart? How big is my heart? I'm sure the confused look on my face gave me away because he stood up, approached me with his science book, and pointed to the diagram of a human heart.

"Oooh...um...I think it's about the size of your fist, maybe a little smaller."

I lifted my fist to demonstrate and he did the same against his chest. Then with another smile and nod, he sat back in his chair-

"Thank you, mam."

I smiled and nodded, but the only thing I could think about was that profoundly simple question, "How big is your heart?"

"God showed us how much he loved us by sending his one and only son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love- not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we should love each other."
1 John 4:9-11a


*The past few weeks have been some of the most strenuous yet some of the most beautiful times of my entire life. I wish I could share with all of you every shining moment but internet access is limited. I hope these short stories paint you colorful word pictures of life in this foreign land and suffice for the time being. My heart and prayers are with you.

Love,
Alisha

If you could become any animal...

So the other day for about fifty 1st graders I had them fill out a simple worksheet.
It read: IF I COULD BECOME ANY ANIMAL I WOULD BECOME A _________________.
I WOULD BECOME THIS BECAUSE ____________________.

Here is a small sample of some of their answers that I found amusing. Enjoy!

If I could become any animal I would become a...

 "...bear and a rabbet because they be strong."

"...an elephant because it is big and its nose is a straw."

"...a fish because I like fish and dolfish."

"...a rat because it eats whatever it wants and farts."

"...a deer because it runs fast and it will not byte."

"...a parrot because it is green and it will fly."

"...a tiger because I like that it bites and has ziggy stripes."

"...a penguin because it is our national bird."

"...a cheetah because it will run very fastly."

"...a giraffe becos it is very tall and its neak is very thin."

"...a fishfly because I like water and land."

"...a dragon because I like that animal and can breath fire."

"...a butterfly because it is very buttiful."

I will waste my life

*currently listening to Misty Edwards-- if haven't heard of her, go download some of her stuff on iTunes right now :)

"I will waste my life"

I will waste my life
And I'll be tested and tried
With no regrets inside of me
Just to find I'm at your feet

I leave my father's house and
I'll leave my mother
I'll leave all I have known
And I'll have no other

For I am in love with you
And there is no cost
I am in love with you
and there is no loss
I am in love with you
I wanna take your name, Jesus
I wanna cling to you, Jesus

Everyone really does have a water buffalo!

I've been living in India for a little over a month now. For those of you interested, here are some of my simple observations...

1) Dear Caterpillar family, due to the nasty rash all over my left arm bestowed upon me by your kind relatives, you just lost 10 points on my list of cute, fuzzy things.

2) Everyone really does have a water buffalo! Thanks, Larry.

3) The Chai here is seriously awesome. Sorry, Starbucks, I'm gonna have to tip my visor to the shack on the corner.

4) In America, everyone adds sugar to everything; everyone here adds spice-- this does not exclude "cream of wheat" and a wide variety of other breakfasty foods...

5) Due to #4, bottled water is my new best friend. *hug*

6) Jumping rope is an excellent way to make 10 new neighborhood friends... all under the age of 10.

7)  If at first you don't understand, smiling and nodding works pretty great-- unless of course you just ate and they asked you over for dinner.

8) Due to the convenience of toilet holes, I've gotten really good at squats. Billy Blanks would be proud.

9) When attending outdoor functions at night, using mosquito repellent on your feet might save you more than Geico.

10) Eating a raw chili whole will not put a hole in your stomach-- but the next morning it may induce an involuntary cleanse.

11) Rice in the morning, rice at noontime, rice at supper time! If rice is on a tin plate, you can eat rice most anytime!

12) For some odd reason, watching commercials in Telugu is very entertaining.

13) Splish-splash I'm taking a bath... bucket style, baby. Captain Planet, this ones for you.

14) Driving through the streets of India is like living one of those intense Nascar racing video games. Only you don't lost points for hitting cows, stray dogs, or wild monkeys. You simply honk, hope for the best, and dodge the man pedaling his coconut bicycle.

15) Hey, wasn't there 5 chickens in the coop this morning... pass me another drum-stick, will you?

Prayer Needs!!

Hey, friends!
Since I've been here about a month now, I've got a bit of a handle on how you all can start praying specifically for the school and the people here. Below is a short list I've compiled. Please, please pray for us here. I miss you guys and appreciate you with all my heart.

Bethesda Integrated School- (this is where I am currently teaching English and other assorted classes)
1) PROVISION: they have several busses that they use but the maintenance/upkeep of each is expensive, about $3000 (US dollars) a month; please pray that God would provide the funds
2) ENROLLMENT: there are 6 other schools that are being built/coming to Nuzvid which makes the competition for enrollment fierce; please pray that God will flood this school with kids and the enrollment stays high; they are a non-profit school thus making it difficult to compete with the new, government funded schools that are coming
3) WISDOM: Melody and Syam Bandi are the founders of the school and the gracious family I am living with- please pray that God would continue to provide for them with wisdom regarding important decisions; they are considering getting new interactive white boards for the teachers/students to use and improve teaching methods-- provision of funding is crucial
4) NEW FACILITIES: they are currently building new classrooms to extend to the 8th grade level, please pray the construction workers would be diligent in their work and the buildings would be finished quickly and efficiently
5) OUTREACHES: many big evangelistic outreaches are coming up, one in Mumbai (which I will be attending!), Vijayawada, and various other cities-- pray that the gospel of Christ would be proclaimed effectively and many would come to know Jesus and his great love

Print this out and stick it on your fridge if you have to. Or just cut out one and pray for it daily! Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ! Let's do this.

Grace and love,
Lish

the never-ending staircase

Each day in this strange, wonderful place is like climbing a never-ending staircase. I can only take one step at a time, slowly. Yet I feel it, the strain, in my every muscle- especially my heart.

I think I'm only beginning to understand why people here do not see many tourists in this town-- this place is tough. Every emotion, every mental capacity, every physical sensory is bombarded. The spiritual battle rages... I see it in the faces of the street vendors selling their salvaged crop. The face of the frail boy falling asleep under the blue canvas. The rotting gods caged in their paint-chipped shrines. The dusty roads laden with slow-moving oxen. The trash-infused, open sewage drain. Who would want to visit here? Who would love such a place? Jesus would and does...

This place is me.

"... the Father himself loves you dearly...Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart! I have overcome the world...This is the way to eternal life- to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth..." -John 16:32-17:1-3 (various)

a Rupee story

*excerpt from a 4th grade boy's story, writing class*

"...when I am little one time I swullowed one rupee. my mom and dad take me to the hospitul but it was too late. later it came out in the bathrum and I am glad to have one rupee again..."

I love these kids!

One small smiley sticker= HUGE GRINS

(1.24.11)

...first day at Bethesda Integrated School. The science teacher is absent this week and so they had me step in and quiz the kids in preparation for exams. I visited all the different classes from 2nd-7th and quizzed them on everything from atmosphere to oxygen to using less bucket water?! I was quick to determine a couple things. A) Learning 300 plus childrens' names all in a form of Indian verbose could rival many medical exams. But I'm up for the challenge... I hope, and B) These kids are some of the most beautiful spectrum of God's creativity I have ever beheld.

Most of them are over-eager to answer questions. Their enthusiasm for being the next to answer a question is parallel to enthusiasm on Christmas morning and being next to open a present- no lie. I brought a small book of stickers from America and busted them out at one point for correct answers. Even just one small smiley face or one small star made these kids grin from ear to ear. They would stick in on their notebook and proudly display it to all their friends as if I had just given them the ultimate gift. Even the 6th and 7th graders-- like I had just given them a brand new iPod... or better. One. Small. Sticker.

The kids are super curious about me-- bombarding me with questions about where I'm from, etc. The boys wanted to talk sports, well, cricket mainly, but a few did question me about football. (Go Packers!) Some wanted my autograph simply because I am from America. One boy proceeded to tell me about his dad who is a doctor in Saudi Arabia. The girls are absolutely precious and inquisitive about everything from my earrings to my notebooks. All with braids and red Hindu dots and big, almond brown eyes. One of them pinched my cheek after I told her my name. Startled me a bit, but I just smiled. Found out later this means, "I like you" or "I love you." The kaleidescope twirls...