When Words Fail

Often times when we have teams come and serve with Praying Pelican Missions in Jamaica one of the activities they will participate in is a visit to the infirmary. An infirmary is similar to an assisted living facility and a nursing home and a mental facility all rolled into one. Each of the 14 parishes (states) in Jamaica have one and many of the residents are there because they have no family to care for them and are homeless or because they are disabled.

Teams have a variety of responses toward the infirmary visits, including shock and discomfort (because it's awkward when you are dealing people you aren't sure how to respond to). But one thing is always true of the infirmary visits - we go to be a blessing and end up being blessed. The residents have a faith that is rooted so much deeper than many of us will ever be able to attain. These individuals leave impressions on our hearts that are not soon forgotten. Here is an account of one such visit:

We arrived in the early morning to spend the entire day with the residents at the infirmary nearest us. Most of us spent time one on one with residents, talking to them even if they couldn't respond to us in word, combing their hair, painting their nails, shaving their faces, helping the nurses where we could lend a hand. Those who could would share their life stories with us about growing up in Jamaica and telling us about their families and dreams.

Towards the end of the day one of the residents named Donavan was rolled over to sit with a group of us who were seated on benches. Since his English accent and Patois (Jamaican language) is very thick I translated for the group. We laughed with him as he began telling us about his girlfriend and co-resident Deloris, who is a mute. He spoke of the way they care for one another. She brings him his meals even when he doesn't feel like eating, and does his laundry, and even cuts his hair. Playfully, we asked him what he does for her and he quickly turned our smiles to tears as he told us that he holds her when she cries and dances with her, even though he is wheelchair bound.

Donavan began telling us about how unhappy he is living in the infirmary, not because it's is a bad place to live, but because it is like a prison for him. Because he is wheelchair bound, with no use of his lower body & limited use of his upper, he is never allowed to leave the property. He spoke of his dreams to travel on the sea. After living at the infirmary for nine years with various groups coming in and out to visit, he was finally happy today because of our visit. He said he saw the Bible verse about loving one another come to life in us (John 13:35) and that he would keep us in his heart and prayers.

As if we weren't already massively moved by his words, he began to tell us about how sometimes he asks God why he has to live with these disabilities. Why can't he dance? Why can't he travel? Why doesn't God heal him?He said that sometimes when he gets depressed he asks God these questions and God tells him that he needs to trust Him and remember that He has things under control, and that gives Donavan comfort and strength.

He shared with us about how he wanted to call his mother for Easter but he didn't have any more minutes. His mom lives in the States and she never comes to visit. He said he wants to ask her why she left him at the infirmary. But then he reminded us how glad he was that we were there to visit with him and how he wishes we could stay.

Before we left he asked us to pray for him, that God would help him to be content in his circumstances and that God would bless the nurses who care for him and for Deloris. And that's when my words failed me. It was easy for me to remain detached from Donavan's story as I translated, but now as the group looked to me to pray for him, I had no more words. How often do I ask God to help me be content in my circumstances? He could have asked us to pray for his healing, and I almost would have preferred that because then I wouldn't have been so convicted. Instead, he asks one of the most unselfish requests and we are left in tears and speechless.

I managed to squeak out a prayer asking God to bless Donavan the way he blessed us. As we loaded the bus he reminded us to pray as a group on the bus before we pulled out & that he would be praying for us too. And once again I left the infirmary being blessed despite my best efforts to be more of a blessing.

Donavan is 49 years old and is full of life and faith is Jesus Christ. Here he is with his girlfriend Deloris.

My Current Time in Jamaica

I'm nearing the end of my second week in Jamaica and the time has been productive. My first week I served with a team in the parish St. Mary, in a town called Hampstead. Each year the same church returns to this area in Jamaica and partners with Hampstead All Age School during the week in the classrooms teaching the students about the love of Christ through songs, crafts, games, and Bible stories. It's amazing the things you can teach simply using the Bible.

My second week was spent in the parish of Trelawny, in an area called Granville. This was a particularly sweet trip because my first mission trip to Jamaica was spent serving in this same area - Granville, Clark's Town, and Duncan. For this week the church that came partnered with Granville Primary School. For the past three years this church has come and partnered with this same community and their relationship is growing strong. This church was able to raise extra funds to help with construction at several other locations in the community as well. (The pic included is of Granville Primary School.)

You never know the impact just sharing your life with someone will have. Many of the children we work with at the schools come from broken homes and your simple smile makes a bigger difference than you know. For instance, one of of team members was sitting with a child at the school as they were drawing pictures. The girl was drawing a picture of her family but there wasn't a father in her picture. Our team member told the girl she was sorry her dad wasn't around, but the girl smiled and drew another figure on the paper. She said that she wasn't sad because now she had a new sister, meaning the team member sitting with her. And that's what gets me through long weeks. Just knowing that sometimes our presence alone is enough to change their lives for the better.

You may think you have nothing to give, but you can give yourself. That's enough to brighten the life of a child. Christ will give you the strength to give when you feel like you have nothing left to give.

The truth is, though, that you don't have to travel to Jamaica to do this. There is plenty of need right at home. Look for those opportunities to share Christ through a smile or a few minutes of your time.

Continue to pray for me, Praying Pelican, and our teams over the next two weeks. I'll post dates when I can. Thanks!

India 2013

Besides having some jet-lag I have been sort-of procrastinating writing this entry. Not because I don't have a ton to tell you all about India, because I could fill books with all I saw and learned and experienced. I have been pushing it off because I'm not sure where to start.

India is unlike any other place I have traveled so far. It is almost impossible I think not to experience some form of culture shock while there. Everything from fashion to transportation to everyday living is different than it is here in the States, and in many respects I prefer the Indian way. :-) For instance, all the women always look like they are ready for an evening with royalty. Women wear saris or salwar kameezes typically.

The beautiful woman in the middle is wearing a Sari, while the other three of us are wearing Salwar Kameezes. Sari's are usually worn by married women and are one long piece of fabric over a cropped top.

 The women even work in their beautiful saris.

Also, the driving is insanity. There may be two painted lanes of traffic, but in India there could be five on that two lane road. And they use their horns constantly - so much in fact, they have foot pedals for horns! There are more motorcycles on the road at any given moment than there are any other mode of transportation, and they weave in and out of traffic. Once, I think we saw five grown men on one motorcycle! Of course, they have modern cars/vans, as well as trucks and buses. It is also common to see motorized rickshaws - these have one wheel in the front and two wheels in the back. Rule of thumb - the larger the vehicle, the greater right of way it possesses... except for cows: they rule the roads. :-)

This is a rickshaw - a popular mode of transportation if you need a taxi.

If you look carefully you can see there is a child on that motorcycle. Her only seat belt is mom's arms. Of course mom has no seat belt and is riding sidesaddle!

For those who you who don't know, there are Western and non-Western toilets. While I was in China I was introduced to the non-Western toilet, which in many respects I prefer to the toilets we spend so much time on here at home. Non-Western toilets are not elevated, and are really just porcelain fixtures in the floor. Overall, I find these toilets just as easy to use because I never sit on public toilets anyway. But when you add an outfit that has a scarf and a long shirt and enormous pants going to the bathroom becomes an event. Some of the toilets don't flush; you must fill a bucket with water and pour it down the bowl. It really wasn't so bad after you got used to it though.

This is a bathroom in McDonald's.

The people of India are hard workers. They fill their days with hard labor in the fields and in the home. Sugar Cane is a huge industry where we were and they grow it in such quantities I don't think they will ever run out! The people work hard in the fields harvesting the cane by hand and loading it up and onto large trailers pulled by a type of livestock called bullocks. These animals are large like bulls with longs horns, but they have a large hump behind their heads (certainly one of the most interesting looking animals I've ever seen.)

 This is a bullock - look he's smiling!

After the load is ready to go drivers take the long trek to the sugar cane factory.

These are migrant worker's homes. These individuals will travel from place to place looking for work.

These homes can frequently be seen near where their hired work sites are - near sugar cane fields and construction projects. When they are done with the work, they will pack up and move on.

The caste system is a huge part of everyday life in India. In Hinduism the castes are defined in several divisions, Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisyas, Shudras, and Untouchables. Castes are hereditary and determine many aspects of the individual's life, such as occupation, education, and marriage. While in India we were able to see the caste system in progress - although it is illegal to discriminate against a person because of their caste, you can tell that some are viewed more favorably because of their caste. 

This woman is making cow pies out of hay and cow dung - once dried they burn for hours and with more intense heat than wood burning. 

Women and children are also considered second class citizens in India. Frequently they do not have a say in community or government matters, although for a few higher caste women they have more influence. The discrimination towards women is seen more clearly in social settings. For instance, it is improper for women to address men in conversation. Also, in social gatherings men and women sit on separate sides of the room, or in separate rooms entirely. Even in the churches and house churches we visited, men and women sit on opposite sides of the room.

You can see that even in the orphanage we visited, the girls and boys are separated. (They are so adorable.)

Even in the churches, men and women sit separate.

The majority of our time spent in India was focused on ministry to women. Each day we journeyed far into the countryside and visited house churches. Because it was day-time mostly women gathered with us in the homes, since men were at their jobs. Each visit looked very much the same - one of the men from our group gave a short sermon and then the other three of us took turns giving our testimonies. It was such a humbling experience to be able to speak to these women. They were keenly interested in what we had to say and hung on every word of our life stories. The amazing thing is that each of the four of us had drastically different backgrounds and so it seemed that everyone in the room could relate to one of us. The women were so engaged in what we were saying that they would tear up as we shared things they could relate with in our lives. After we shared with them, many of them shared their burdens with us and asked us to pray for them.  I count it a privilege for them to have shared their lives so freely with me, a complete stranger. Their hearts broke for their husbands and family members who do not know Christ. We prayed for sick loved ones, children, for God's provision, and that God would raise up these women and children to do great work for the Kingdom of God. I am honored that I was able to be a small part of their lives.

 This beautiful women shared that she is being rejected by her husband because she has been unable to bear him children in their seven years of marriage. Her hearts desire is to raise a child who will do great things for God's Kingdom.

This woman explained to us that she recently came to know Jesus as the one true God and because of that her husband left her. She has been rejected by her family and has no way to support herself. We prayed for God's provision in her life and for her husband to see the Truth.

One afternoon we spent a few hours at an orphanage. My heart melted for these beautiful children. We spent the afternoon playing games and painting faces and eating candy (Pixi Sticks are yummy but make a huge mess!) It was so much fun spending time with these precious children and I think they had fun too. At this particular orphanage they are taught about Christ and his love. And when they sing praises to Him, they sing at the top of their voices. I wish we could have spent all week with these little ones.

 A couple of precious ones during worship time at the orphanage.

Painting faces :-)

We gave each little girl a necklace because they are princesses!

One interesting aspect of being in India is that everywhere you go there are temples and shrines. While I was there I was told that Hinduism has 3 gods for every single person, and there are over 1.2 billion people living in India currently! They have several animals they revere as gods as well, including elephants, cows, and monkeys. Idol worship is a huge part of everyday life for most Hindus. Each state in India has its own patron god, as does each city/village, and then each family. Devout Hindus will rise early in the morning to visit the temple or shrines and present offerings to their idols, such as wine or juice, fruits, and money. They sing songs as well. At the end of their day, sometimes they will return to the temples and shrines. The object of their visits is to persuade the gods to show them favor and give them their protection. Hindus also have religious holidays and celebrations where they sing and dance.

One of the many Hindu gods, Ganesha who is widely known as Remover of Obstacles.

An inside look at a shrine built for Lakshmi, goddess of wealth

Devout Hindus have house shrines, usually made of marble, for their family gods.

The caste system plays an important role in the Hindu religion. An individual is born into a particular caste system based on their deeds in their previous life. The higher your caste, the better of a person you were. Karma plays a large part in reincarnation. Hindus go out of their way to do good deeds and avoid evil so that they can be reincarnated into a higher caste. They even go so far as to say a person's thoughts play a part in your reincarnated status. One hopes to be reincarnated into the Brahmin caste or as a cow, elephant, or monkey - this is the final stage before reaching nirvana where they are finally free from the body and the reincarnation process.

These cows are living the good life. Because cows are sacred, Hindus do not eat them.

If you look carefully in the tree you can see monkeys - another desirable reincarnate status.

Although they don't eat cows, they do use their milk, so some families keep one tied up.

For Indians, the cost is great when considering rejecting Hinduism and converting to Christianity. Renouncing Hinduism and one's family gods is thought to be one of the greatest offenses a person can commit. If a family member leaves Hinduism for Christianity, they are kicked out of their families and villages. In some areas it is dangerous to be a Christian, for fear of being arrested or killed for following Christ. Despite the risk, Indian Christians are full of love and joy, and their worship is genuine and rooted deep in their gratitude for Christ's forgiveness and salvation in their lives. Since returning home, we have heard report that 37 individuals accepted Christ while we were there!

One of the house churches we visited. This particular village is home to a family of albino Indians. Albinos are outcasts in India because their disease is viewed as a curse. This particular family found acceptance in this village of Christians and came to faith in Christ.

The song they were singing was about Jesus being the only true God and the only way to heaven.

The food is wonderful, and very different from American cuisine. Most meals have a veggie, rice, bread, and sauces to dip your bread and pour over your rice. No utensils are required and it is actually easier to eat some dishes with your hands - like goat, which is boney, is easier to maneuver with your fingers. Curry is a very popular spice used in cooking and you will also taste a lot of ginger. McDonald's is a very popular place to eat out, although they don't serve hamburgers (for obvious reasons). They make up for the lack with other tasty items like potato burgers and piri piri fries (spicy french fries).

 McDonald's in India. Open 24 hours a day.

This goat is going to be dinner soon. :-)

Fresh fruits and veggies are sold at road side stands all over town.

I learned so very much about the wonderful people and culture of India in my time there. I do hope to return again in the future. There is great need there and the people are in desperate need of Christ. Please pray for the people of India that Christ would penetrate their hearts. And pray for those who already know Christ, that they would be strengthened in their faith and possess a boldness to tell others of His love and grace.

Out of the 1.2 billion people in India, only 5% are Christians.

I feel like there are so many things I am forgetting to tell you! If you'd like to see more of the pictures from my trip check out my facebook. Maybe next time I go, we can go together!

One of my new friends - adorable!