Sunday, March 3, 2013

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!

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