It really is the little things...

So I’m a little homesick.  After a month and a half, it’s set in.  I can’t say I didn’t expect it, but let’s just say I’m looking at it with the same perspective I’ve been looking at typhoid: it’s a sickness and please make it go away.  It’s natural I suppose to find myself missing home, missing people, missing American food, missing everyday (western) life, but honestly, it’s no fun.

So in order to help get over this sad and depressed feeling, I’ve decided not only to spend extra time in the Word (because that’s where true encouragement and joy comes from), but to also put myself through a little exercise I’d like to call “Although”.  Basically, I contrasted something hard about India with something I’m thankful for.  Some are really trivial, some aren’t at all, but I thought I’d share a few of them with you.  After all, there are lessons to be learned - even in homesickness.

 

1.  Although I’m far away from friends and family and I miss them a lot, I’m thankful for two very good friends I have here.  They have been encouraging and loving at every turn, and we keep each other laughing.

 

2.  Although I am already tired of eating rice and dahl (a curried lentil mixture) every single day, I’m thankful I have food.  Especially since people living less than a mile away from me don’t have it. 

3.  Although I usually have about 5 flies in my room at all times, I haven’t seen any cockroaches or scorpions yet!! (This is way more important than you think)

4.  Although my shower does little more than spit at me and I have to heat up my water, at least I can take one, and there is instant running water.

5.  Although I can’t actually drink the water here, we do have bottled water!

6.  Although we have to walk everywhere we go (which means uphill both ways…not kidding), I’m thankful that I have two working legs, and that I actually enjoy walking!  Not to mention these hills have been a good substitute for running.

7.  Although I miss playing the piano…really bad, I have a guitar that was given to me, and I’m learning another instrument.

8.  Although I really miss cooking and planning my own meals, I haven’t had to do dishes in over a month!

9.  Although we don’t have air conditioning, I’m really thankful for this little fan Michael bought me because it’s really hot outside.  And soon, it’ll be monsoon season, which means it’ll be cold anyway.

10.  Although I miss Sunday mornings at Countryside SO much, I’m thankful I can listen to the sermons online.  They’ve been such an encouragement, and it’s nice to hear a familiar voice :)

11.  Although I got Typhoid and it was pretty miserable, I’m mostly better now.  Thank God for antibiotics and a (terrible) vaccine!  I’m learning to value my health even more than I already did.

12.  Although it’ll be 5 more months till I see my friends again, I’m thankful for Skype and Voxer and Facebook because it helps me keep up with those I love, and makes me feel like I’m not forgotten about :)

13.  Although I miss wearing tank tops and shorts (especially in this heat), I was happy to find that Indian clothes are actually quite comfortable.  And cheap!  I had an entire outfit made for me, and from fabric to tailor, it cost me less than $10.  Score!

14.  Although this wifi is sketchy at best, at least I have it.  And usually it allows me to do most of the things I want to do.

15.  Although I miss Kansas, I’m thankful Mussoorie and Landour look nothing like it.  These mountains are beautiful!

16.  Although I miss hearing English and seeing English, I am learning to speak Hindi.  And the more I learn, the more people I’ll be able to reach.  My heart just bleeds for the children here.  Can’t wait till I know enough of their language to tell them that they are loved.  (By the way, I’m starting a project about the children of India, involving a few trips to orphanages and research around Landour and Delhi.  More on that later…)

17.  Although there are many cultural barriers that I’m learning my way around, I’m thankful that a smile transcends all of those.

18.  Although India is the loudest place on earth (especially at night), I have a sound machine that could block out the sound of a nuclear bomb.  Puts me right to sleep, no problem.

19.  Although traffic in the city is so crazy it makes me want to cry (why do they waste paint on lane dividers?), I’m thankful that God has kept us safe through some very close calls. And you think I’m a crazy driver…

20.  Although I miss driving, I have my beautiful car waiting for me when I get home.  I couldn’t drive here anyways.  They drive on the left side and I’m still not used to it.

21.  Although I’m tired of being stared at because I’m a white female….wait….I can’t think of anything good about that.  It’s super annoying and really awkward.

22.  Although I’m not being spoon-fed spiritually by a pastor or small group or a mentor, I’m learning straight from the Word, and to me that’s way more special.  I love hearing right from the heart of God.  He can teach me things no one else can.

23.  Although sometimes it's exhausting living your ENTIRE life out of your comfort zone, I’m thankful I’m always learning because that means He hasn’t left me alone

24.  I’m thankful that I just heard about a bakery shop down in the village that sells chocolate chip cookies.  I’ve been craving those for weeks.  No drawbacks about that!  Can’t wait to check it out later tonight.

25.  Although sometimes a 10 and ½ hour time difference can be frustrating when trying to communicate with people back home, I LOVE waking up to a bunch of messages that people left me overnight.

26.  Although radio is not an option here, I still have my country music playlist on my iPod that makes me happy every time I listen to it.

27.  Although I’m lonely sometimes, I’m thankful that it’s just in my head.  I was promised that I would never be left alone, and I am learning to choose to believe it.

After writing all that, I’m already encouraged.  The right perspective is so important, and sometimes, it really is the little things!

Yeah...I got sick.

I hesitated writing a post this week because it would be about nothing but illness.  How boring.  But I guess this is something that God had in mind for this week so I suppose I should write about it.  It’s been a crazy week, and even though I’ve been fighting discouragement, I feel like I’ve been given a lot of grace to match.

It started last Saturday when Laura started feeling sick.  I woke up on Sunday morning feeling quite ill, and it got worse from there.  Our symptoms started out the same – fever, headache, and some nausea for me, and from there it snowballed.  Apparently Typhoid can have different symptoms and different levels of severity.  Laura and I both took the oral vaccine before we got to India, and although it’s not as effective as we hoped (obviously), it did prevent us from getting a more severe case.  We went to the hospital on Tuesday and were given antibiotics, so that should keep us from getting worse.  We were told by the doctor that it could take up to a week to even start feeling better.  Awesome.

My main complaint now is severe fatigue.  I can’t walk very far, and my legs continually feel like they’re going to give out on me.  We both generally feel bad with no better way to describe it, but thankfully no more nausea (yay!!!).  We walked around for about 15 minutes yesterday, and I had to go back to my room to lie down because I felt like I was going to faint.  Very frustrating and discouraging for someone who used to run five miles daily.  Although, this sickness not only varies in symptoms but also in strength depending on time of day.  We usually feel okay in the mornings, but by afternoon we’re both back in bed.

So that’s my physical sob story.  Emotionally, we vary depending on the time of day.  We are keeping each other laughing and encouraged by making fun of ourselves, so typically we’re in high spirits.  We laugh about getting our butts kicked by a 200 year old illness, and how it's almost embarrassing how quickly I got sick. Spiritually, we are trusting and persevering. Thank you so much for all your prayers and thoughts.  They make a very evident difference; we can see it on a daily basis.

So as far as location, we left Mussoorie for a few days in order to avoid any more contact with typhoid germs.  There are a few people that have it in our guesthouse, so in order for us to get better and to avoid getting John sick, figured the best thing to do would be to leave.  We’re in Chandigarh, about 100 miles away, and we’ll be here for the next 4-5 days.

Hopefully by this time next week I’ll be completely better.  Hopefully!  I want to get back to the reason I came here.  So more pictures and posts about India to come….hopefully this is the last post exclusively about me.  But again I emphasize, thank you for praying and for asking about me and checking up on me.  It is very encouraging to know that people care about you when you’re sick and thousands of miles from home.  Keep praying! :)  Miss you all!

New Normal

   With time comes familiarity, and it’s nice to be familiar with my new home.  I’m learning my way around the streets and the culture, slowly becoming accustomed to the ways of the land.  I’ve picked up Hindi phrases and words that allow me to communicate (on a very base level) with people, and I even gave directions to tourists from Delhi earlier today!  It’s the little things, you know…

   This week I started language school.  I am taking one class a day, Monday through Friday, and so far it’s been fun.  Ask me how I like it in three weeks and I might give you a different answer, but up to now I’ve enjoyed it.  I’ve decided that I’m going to put a lot of effort into it, not only because it’ll keep my mind busy and occupied, but also because it will prevent me from feeling isolated in a foreign country.  Referring to the above paragraph, knowing a little of the language will help me feel at home.  And in this case familiarity does not breed contempt, but rather contentment.  Or to put it plainly, less homesick.

   It’s been fascinating to learn both the culture and the language simultaneously, as you can’t truly know one without the other.  An intriguing example comes from a conversation that Michael, Laura, and I had after our classes today.  Michael was telling me that in Hindi, the sentence structure to describe someone being late to something is not “I am late”, but rather “lateness happened to me”.  It’s not “I am sick”, but instead “sickness happened to me”.  How indicative of Indian culture!  Everything comes down to fate.  They take no personal responsibility for what happens in their lives (which might be why their country has not progressed much farther than poverty in 4,000 years), and they hold true to the belief that they are bound to one inescapable fate.  From incarnation to the caste system, their beliefs indicate that they don’t have a choice about what happens to them.  And here it is - reinforced in simple vocab and sentence structure.  That might be boring and irrelevant to some people, but I found it incredibly interesting.

   Helping take care of John has been great.  He is a sweet and willing little guy, and he’s been quite the trooper.  I watch him in the mornings from about 7:30-12:30 while Michael and Laura are in school, and then they come home and we all eat lunch together at the guesthouse.  Shortly after lunch, I leave for class and come back around 4:15pm.  My day is full but not hectic, because nothing is hectic in India (except for traffic).  Time basically irrelevant, and despite the hard day’s labor Indians put in every day, the town has a laid back feel.  Keeping busy is good for me, and I’m thankful for the routine I’m settling into.  I like the pace here.

   Michael and Laura and I have settled back into the easy friendship we had when we were in college, and spending time with them is nothing but encouraging.  God knew they would be the perfect people for me to be with, and I hope to be a fraction of the blessing they’ve already been to me.  Keep them in your prayers!

   So that’s me, one week in.  My spirits are up and I’m glad to be here.  I’m resting confident that I’m exactly where I need to be, and that puts any times of homesickness or fear in perspective.  Thank you so much for your prayers, thoughts, comments, and love!

Finally Here

 

  Well, I’m finally here! It’s been quite an adventure already, and I’m praising God for safety.  In the past 48 hours I’ve been in three countries, two continents, and traveled thousands of miles on planes, trains, and taxis.  I’ve even ridden through Delhi traffic, which is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.  There are no rules; cars, rickshaws, buses, motorcycles, people, and animals basically do what they want through the busy streets, and we had a couple close calls (which is not out of the ordinary), and still God protected me.  I am definitely not taking safety for granted.  It is a gift that I am here with all my limbs, all my luggage, and my sanity basically intact.

   I got into Delhi Monday morning at about 6:30 local time and met up with my friend Laura shortly thereafter.  We didn’t leave for Mussoorie till the next day, so I got to experience some of Delhi.  Delhi is a classic example of what India is, and there are no words to describe it accurately.  The poverty is most evident, and most shocking.  I came in expecting to see it, but was still bothered by its reality.  As we were driving through the city on the way to the train station, I saw people sleeping in the shell of a partially demolished building, on carts parked along the streets, and even on top of their work trucks.  It’s a painful sight, but smell is just as bad.  The city smells like every form of waste you can think of, and the 110 degree heat doesn't help any. The city is massive, but when you’re walking through the streets, it feels small.  Everywhere you turn, there is spiritual warfare. Figures and statues of their millions of gods are placed wherever the eye turns, and you can feel the darkness in the air. 

   On Tuesday morning at 5am, we left Delhi on the train to go to Mussoorie.  This included an hour taxi ride, a five hour train ride, then another hour long taxi ride along curvy mountainous roads.  So much traveling!  I’m thankful it’s done now.  And if I wasn’t jet-lagged before, I am now.  I can’t make it through the day without sleeping, but then when it’s nighttime, I’m not tired.  I’m 10 and ½ hours later than the US, and only 4 hours later than Italy where I’ve spent the last 2 weeks, but the trip and the early mornings have done me in.  Hopefully I should be back to normal in a few days.

   I’m all moved into my little apartment.  Although not amazing by Western standards, in India it’s a rich person’s room.  It’s about 400 sq. feet, but it has a bathroom (thank God) and a shower and a bed, so what more do I need?  I'm very thankful for it. I’ll post a couple pictures as we go along.  I’m only two doors down from Michael and Laura, so that’s nice!

   Elevation is 7000 ft, so I’m actually quite altitude sick.  Been feeling queasy and nauseous for most of the day, which is making me more tired.  Apparently it wears off in a few days, so I’m praying for some relief asap.  I banked on this happening, considering I live in flat Kansas, but let’s just say it’s not fun.  It could be worse though, so I have a lot to be thankful for.

  

 Mussoorie is very beautiful – the view of the mountains out my front yard never get old, and when I look down, I can see many towns and cities cascading down the hills thousands of feet below me.  The people who work at Ivy Bank (the name of the place I’m staying) are wonderful.  Some of them speak English and they are all very sweet and accommodating.  Little John Berkley, the one year old I’m going to be looking after, is a celebrity everywhere we go.  Indians are fascinated by white babies, and he gets so much attention – it’s so cute to watch them interact with him.  He’s going to be spoiled, for sure.

   So that’s me so far.  I’ll try to post every week to keep those who are interested updated.  I’m a little homesick, but God has given me a lot of grace so far, so I’m enjoying where I’m at.  The facebook posts, emails, and comments help so much – keep them coming! :) They mean more than you know.  I'm sorry, I know this was a long post, but thanks for sticking with me!

 Brittany