Two Norwegian sisters, my new English friend and me, my new Indian friend and me, and then there's the SBS classroom.
Almost done with week 2 of the three week SBS seminar! We unfortunately had to say good-bye to the newest Lil' J addition to my life, Justin. He is going home to the states to staff DTS. He co-led our first week and a half with the other two American boys, but now his Titus outreach is over and he is going home.
Okay, so we are almost done with the book of Ephesians. I have finished my horizontal and first two vertical charts. I am putting off starting number three right now by writing this, but that's okay for now. We will be having ample amounts of time to work today. It is going to be very hard for me to manage my time to do work after this seminar when we're all on our own and will have nothing but open time to study. I would explain horizontal and vertical charts to you all, but you wouldn't understand, and I don't want to give too much away as to the secrets of studying the Bible. All I can say is this inductive method is amazing. I'll tell you the difference between deductive and inductive. This I can do! Okay, so most Bible studies are done deductively. Which means that you already have your own idea or opinion about something and then you go to the Bible to find verses or passages that prove your point. That's how 98% of Bible studies and sermons are lead I would say. Next, there is the inductive study method, which is what we are all busy doing here in India. The inductive method would be to lay aside all your ideas and opinions, all your cultural, educational, family influences on what you think and FIRST you read the Bible and observe, interpret, and then apply what you read to your life. So, read first, then form an opinion whereas deductive is first have an opinion, then read to prove that opinion correct. Ba da bing, ba da boom. Just a glimpse of what is swimming around inside my head right now (figure of speech). Okay, so enough about studying!
I can say that I am very blessed to have these Americans leading the first three weeks. I don't know that I would have understood everything if they hadn't been here. I am very thankful for them to be here. Plus, showing how small your world gets when you join YWAM, they all know a girl from my DTS who is, right now, on the base they all did their SBSs at.
I am slowly getting to know pieces of different students and staff here. It's really fun always sitting with new people at meals or in class. Indian people love to talk. That is one thing no one warned me about before I came, but it's completely true. They love asking questions and most of all they love sharing their testimonies. Sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming, especially when I have homework to do and I feel bad to interrupt them, but I better get used to it.
Hopefully it stops raining here so that I can walk up to the local coffee shop to study later. I don't know what I'd do without this nearby coffee place. You all will hate me, but I get the equivalent to a small iced mocha here for $1.25 whereas in Minneapolis it's around $4.00! That's right. You should all come to India!
I am loving the food here. Curry, chai, curry, chai, curry, chai. Basically that's what we have every day. It's more like chai, chai, curry, chai, curry. With mango pickle here and mango pickle there. I have begun to eat with my hand only for dinner. It's the way real Indians do. I think I am falling in love with this country as much as I hated it when I first arrived. It grows on you. I am more comfortable with it now.
I really want to take a nap, but I have no time for sleep here. Speaking of no time, I better get back to my builds which are on my vertical charts. Ahh, the life of an SBS student. I haven't even begun to taste SBS yet.
Blessings to you and yours! I hope it's not too cold for ya'll yet. Send me some snow if you think about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment