Mango Season and Holy Underwear.

Well it is beginning to be a wonderful mango season here in India. I almost got mugged by a falling mango the other day. I was on the phone, minding my own business when all of a sudden something fell to the ground next to me. I looked down and there was a green mango. It nearly missed me. At least a person is 99% likely to survive a mango falling on you. If it was a coconut or jack fruit I could be dead.

In India they cook with something called a "pressure cooker" and I personally am terrified of them. It is like a normal pot you cook in, except it has a cover that is fastened down with a "whistle" on the top which lets the steam/pressure out when it gets too much. I wish I was not afraid of them because it cooks things super fast! You can boil potatoes in no time with these pressure cookers!! It's quite amazing. However, there are so many horror stories of them exploding and people getting scalded and killed even. So, that is why I'm terrified of them. Anyway, the real point to this is my life feels like a pressure cooker right now. There is something building, and building, and I keep getting closer and closer to this wonderful thing about to happen, but it continues to be just farther than a hand reach in front of me. Just out of my grasp and so I move closer, and then it is still just out of my reach. My excitement is building up and my emotions are building up and very soon I will finally be able to grasp this thing and it most likely will be one of the best moments of my life! But living with the building pressure is the hardest thing. I just want to explode now and get rid of all this steam and excitement inside of me, but it is not time yet.

We have begun the prophets today. For the next three days we have class morning with a lunch and work duty break, then class in the evening also. It is sort of like the first three weeks of the school where we did that every day for three weeks. Yikes.

The students need to learn all the new ways to study the prophets. The foundation is still the same, observation of the text, interpretation of what it means to the original reader, and application of how to apply it to our lives today. But now they have new things to look for. Predictions, Oracles, Prophecies, and the constant cycle of sin, judgment, and restoration. They also need to know about the different types of literature throughout the prophets: poetry, narrative, apocalyptic writing. Also a review of the figures of speech.

Now we're getting serious. The Prophets are difficult, long, and basically all about the same two things. Going into exile and then the return from exile. It's quite easy to interpret if you know the history. Not very much is about Jesus and not very much is about the 2nd coming. Here are some statistics of the prophecies in The Prophets of the Old Testament:

1. Less than 2% of prophecies are messianic, or about Jesus Christ coming as Savior.
2. Less than 5% of prophecies describe the church age, or basically the time from when Jesus first came until his 2nd coming.
3. Less than 1% of prophecies have yet to be fulfilled. Basically, 99% of all the things in the prophetic books has already happened.

Hows that for interesting? Everything in the book of Daniel has already happened and is history. Same with most everything in these books.

Something rather peculiar happened the other day. It was one of those, "you never know what will happen in India!" moments that frequent my days, weeks, and months here... I really lucked out in the apartment I am renting. My land-lady and her two sons are catholic. They have no problem with what we are doing here and I am able to be completely honest with them about what I do and when I teach and what I teach. Now, the first time the oldest brother knocked on our door around 8:00 at night he started yelling at us because a friend of ours came over and did not close the gate and so the dog got out of the yard and was "thrashed" by a street dog. This was not okay with our landlord, and the dog's owner, because his dog is a pedigree labrador and he wants to breed her with another pedigree labrador! Heaven forbid she should get pregnant by some rufian, mutt street dog. Yikes. I had never seen him so angry. And after that happened they brought poor little Debbie (that's the dog's name) to the vet and got a doggie abortion. Yikes. But, this is not the story I wanted to tell you...Anyway, that's what happened the last time he knocked on our door. On Monday night around the same time we heard a knock at our door and were not expecting anyone so of course we are afraid that he is upset again for something we did horribly wrong!! So, I opened the door and there he was standing right there! He explained that every year on the day after Easter they have a priest come and bless the house and suddenly out of nowhere this Indian Catholic priest jumps out with this long white kurta-robe. He asked if it was okay for him to come in and bless our apartment also. I said, "sure! That's cool!" so the priest walks right into our house and begins sprinkling this holy water all over everything! He walks into all the rooms sprinkling holy water from this eye drop bottle (that's what it looked like, I can sprinkle visine over things too and say the name of Jesus). As he enters each room he sprinkles water, says something like "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." you know, the usual Catholic blessing I suppose. In our bathrooms, kitchen, our bedrooms!! Good thing I didn't leave out my dirty underwear or anything, but I definitely had my clean underwear hanging on our clothes hanger inside the doorway to dry. At least now I know for the next week my underwear has been blessed and sprinkled with holy water. Thank you, Jesus.

Cultural Differences.

It is 100 degrees every day. Not a cloud in the sky. I will melt like butter one of these days and no one will find me and I will become like an unsolved mystery.

Yesterday I was walking home from the coffee shop I frequent, and the leader of my base was driving by...with seven children in his car plus one other adult. It reminded me how different everything is here (as if I could ever forget). But seriously, entire families drive down the road on one motorcycle. 3 year old child in front, followed by Dad driving, then infant, and finally Mama. AND if Mama is wearing a Sari, then she's riding the cycle side-saddle with the infant in her lap.

There's also this great "normal" thing to do for men who have been driving for so long and have to go to the bathroom. Pull the car over and pee anywhere you want in public against a wall! Totally acceptable. If I had a dollar for every accidental glimpse of an Indian man's private part I'd have at least 14 dollars right now. It's gross and disturbing.

The other most shocking and sad thing is the way people litter. They don't even think about it. They eat a candy bar and simply drop the wrapper to the ground. On trains they throw their garbage out the window, in cars, same thing. Walking down the street they just throw any garbage they might have on the ground. Even the "Christians" do it. It's so heavily engrained in their minds from when they're kids and in the culture as a whole, that even Christian people here throw their trash on the ground.

Sometimes it is hard not to let these cultural differences frustrate me. I could get so angry and upset that I never want to come back! Instead I am constantly confessing my bitterness and challenges with the culture. I am constantly trying my hardest not to flip the bird to passers-by who feel the need to honk and stare and shout at me simply because I'm white. It can be hard to look for the good things this country has in its culture, but when you find something which is inevitable, it makes you fall in love with the people and place even more.

I love how anyone will invite you to their home and insist you stay the night. Most people are more than willing to help you get where you need to go or pay the right price for something so you don't get ripped off (which tends to happen as a foreigner a lot). When traveling on trains people love to share their food with you and children want to know your name and why you are here. They love stories, so this country is the perfect place to share stories of Jesus or even in the Old Testament, Moses, Abraham, Ruth, Esther, all these are just exciting stories everyone loves to hear! I love their curiosity. I love that everyone stares at my lip ring like I'm crazy and asks what it is because they've never seen one before. I love that one aunty thought I was hiding a bag of Lay's chips up my sleeve because of my color tattoo. They have never seen color tattoos before either. I love that every woman in this country is beautiful. Literally, every woman. This place is so colorful. The houses, the clothes, the big goods carrier trucks, even the cows sometimes have colored horns! I love that there is a mango tree in my yard and it is almost mango season!

Sure there are so many things I could complain about and grow frustrated with, but if I just learn to focus on the good...if I just stop seeing myself as "superior" which most Westerners tend to do when they come here...then I only fall more in love with this place. I know this is my home. Now I just have to figure out what my purpose is in India.

Two down, One to go!

I had a lovely week vacation. Our Spring break is over and today marks the beginning of the third quarter of this SBS. Things are getting exciting. I teach the book of Esther in 2 weeks! I love that book because it is just like a real book, a story, it could be a movie, well, I think it is a movie. I like that it's full of irony. That wretched Haman who had it in for Mordecai so badly, but in the end all that he hoped to do to Mordecai was done to him and all that he wanted done for him was done for Mordecai. Isn't it ironic? Don't ya think?

For my Spring break I did what every American likes to do, went south. Only this is South India which is super hot and super conservative. I attended the SBS graduation ceremony of a really good friend of mine. I had a lot of fun and it was really nice to see another SBS house and how they run things and how committed these staff and students were. They all got along really well and were like a family eager to welcome myself and my friend as guest members of the family for a few days. I learned a lot and saw a few familiar old faces from my SBS a few years ago!

Also, it seems as though my immune system also tends to go on vacation when I have a holiday. Every time I have a break from school ever since I can remember, I always seem to get sick! The day after I came back from Mysore I was in bed all day trying my best not to vomit or poop my pants. Honestly, that's the way it is in India sometimes. You will get diarrhea, it is inevitable. Fortunately it was only a 24 hour "bug" but then on Saturday I started getting all these hives all over my body! At first I thought there was some phantom mosquito that wouldn't leave me alone, until I realized it's the middle of the day and that cannot be possible for a mosquito to bite me hundreds of times on both my arms. You see, I've never had hives before, and living in malaria infested mosquito Las Vegas I immediately assumed I was getting bitten at first. It came and went and came and went, and finally, after almost ripping my skin off to just get rid of the itching feeling, I got some anti-histamines, took one and then it was all better. Ahhh. It just sucks to know I have to go to the pharmacy to get something because I have to walk in that super hot sun, sweating, and I'm already going crazy with hives covering my body and so tired. Fortunately, I have a wonderful and very good looking friend who went and got them for me while I sat comfortably in Coffee Day studying Esther.

So this week it begins again. I hope and pray that this final quarter we all give our all and our best to this school and to this campus. That we wouldn't "check-out" which I am so good at doing when I know the end is near, but in knowing the end is near we would work all the more and get the most out of every situation, every chapter, every book, every minute. I cannot wait to see how I experience God this quarter and also to hear how my students and fellow staff members are experiencing Him. All I know is that I am done with stress and I am done with anxiety. I am ready to see the glory of God and to stop putting Sarah first.

Along with the hot weather comes sleepy heads. I could just curl up and fall asleep at any time these days. Getting back into the schedule of the week is going to be a lot harder than I thought. I better get to bed early tonight. Tomorrow is not so busy of a day, but still always have to wake up early for something. Always. It will be nice once i'm not in SBS any longer. Speaking of which, I am praying about my future here, about what to do after this SBS. I know I committed for two SBSes, however I am beginning to think that perhaps God is once again changing directions here with my life. I have decided (in short term vision) to staff the next Titus Project, at least the training phase, or first three weeks. Titus Project is the outreach portion of SBS that I did as soon as I came here last June. It is three weeks of training where you are taught how to teach and prepare lectures and sermons, then after three weeks of that you go out somewhere for 2 months and teach and preach! I will not be able to lead an outreach because I have to come home by that time again for another visa run. But this time I will not be coming alone!

Please pray for my dear friend who will be applying for a visa to the states. We are not sure which one yet, tourist or for an internship. Pray that one of them works out and that this person is able to get their visa on the first try so that they can come and experience our culture and another way of life and meet all my friends and family!

I hope this entry finds you well and in good health, unlike me. Enjoy your spring because I am so jealous of the nice weather and thunderstorms! There won't be a cloud in the sky until July most likely and it's only going to get hotter. It's already up to around 100 degrees every day by lunchtime. Yikes.

Cooking and Murder Plots. Yes, Murder Plots.

I have become a cooking machine since moving back to India. My previous six months here ended up in many cooking disasters and a loss of hope that I will one day be the perfect house-wife. I don't want to be a house-wife anyway, so that's probably a good thing. However, since arriving back to Mother India, I have been cooking and baking quite often, and you know what? The food I make is actually tasting good! I mean, it is quite excellent if I must say. I'm not normally one to toot my own horn, especially when it comes to cooking, but I think this calls for some sort of recognition. I roasted four chickens on Friday night for our school's Love Feast. Now, it's quite nerve-wracking knowing that you are in charge of making the chicken for everyone to eat. What if it turns out wrong? Some people don't eat Pork, so there is no other option, they have to eat your chicken no matter what it tastes like. Fortunately, they turned out wonderfully with matching mashed potatoes to boot!

Perhaps God really is preparing me for married life.

On another, more terrible note, I keep getting boils. I mean, the first one was a surprise, and when it finally started going away I was so relieved. Then, another one sprouted up right next to where the first one was, just days after the first one healed. At least with the second one I was more prepared as to how to deal with it. Then, just a few days ago I thought another one was coming in, but nothing even came of it, so I thought I had mastered boil combat. I hit that one fast and hard with cleanliness and topical ointment. But, I wonder if that one was even a boil because it did not hurt at all. Now, there is another one on the same leg. Not right next to the first two, but about four inches below them. I'm doing all I can think to do to thwart its efforts of growing and becoming terribly painful, but my scare tactics are not working this time. I really wonder what is causing this to happen.

Street dogs are so incredibly annoying. When I left there were these three puppies that were about three months old a few houses down from me. They were so cute and I played with them many times. They never wandered far from their home. In the two months I have been gone they have grown a lot, and they actually spend most of their time laying and playing outside my gate. The thing is, they are barking like crazy now...all night long. Then, they cause the other dogs around here to bark and it's like any hope you had in falling asleep soon just flew out the window. You have no idea how many murder plots I have come up with to dispose of these street dogs. No street dogs means sound sleeping all night long without having to wear ear plugs! I hate wearing ear plugs. I feel like it cannot be good for my ears to be blocked for 7 hours at a time, but these stupid dogs give me no choice! It is not fair! I know if they were dead it would not last forever. More dogs would come and take up residence, marking their territory, but maybe they won't bark as much as these dogs. Perhaps once these puppies get older they will bark less. They need an older, wiser street dog to guide them. The street dog guru. Or maybe I can just kill one of them as a warning to the others to shut the hell up. They are even barking right now and it is 11:57 PM.

Confessions of a Shopaholic.

It is not really a good combination to have a compulsive shopper as a missionary. I don't know how it is possible to live in the United States for any period of time and not go in debt. I think my shopping habit has been getting better as I grow up, but I still find myself buying things frequently. I am happy to say that I have not purchased anything that I use once for a long time. There was a period of my life when I would buy things and wear them or use them once or twice then never again, mostly thinking, "I'll wear it when I get skinnier" But I never got skinnier. So, then I sold and gave away all those great clothes before I moved to India and now I'm wishing I had them back! I am realizing though, that it's okay to get a few things here and there. Especially since I have been wearing the same 4 outfits for the past 6 months, and I only buy things I can surely use in India also. No more of this, "I'm home for 2 months and I need to buy all these cute sweaters cause it's so cold here!!!!!" only to leave them behind when I go back to the sauna-like weather of India that is sure to welcome me in 11 days.

I was at the Mall of America today. Yes, this giant mall is located but a 30 minute drive from my parent's house. How convenient, right? Anyway, I was there purchasing things for people back in India. This is one thing I will always have to deal with; when I come "home" to America it never fails that I have at least 5 people asking me to bring certain things back with me. The requests range from coffee to bass guitars to laptop computers. Don't get me wrong, I am all for helping my fellow man, and I totally understand how convenient it is to have someone going to and coming back soon from America to bring your things back instead of paying outrageous amounts to ship these things overseas. However, it does get quite annoying because some of these people rarely talk to me, and the one time they do decide to say, "hey Sarah! How are you?" It's always followed by the inevitable question, "So, when are you coming back to India?" Which is then almost always followed by, "I was wondering if you could do me a favor..." Now, am I being heartless and bitter-minded to want to scream and just close my computer screen then and there, never to open it until I am back in India? I am pretty sure my job description does not include courier or delivery-woman. However, I know that my job description does include "selfless" "kind" "humble" "helper" etc. I guess if it really won't be any trouble at all I can totally deliver the goods. Perfume, a book, some lotion, coffee, clothes, small things are great, but those small things quickly add up! I am only allotted so much weight and room in my luggage, and checking more than one bag is costing more and more money these days.

It is a constant battle in my head and heart.

Valentine's Day is coming up. Every single Valentine Day in my past has not included a Valentine. This one is no different. But, for one of the first times in my life, I am okay with that, and instead of dwelling on the fact that my best friend whom I love with all of my heart is on the other side of the world instead of with me, I plan on loving the people here as best I can in the few days I have left with them!

And on that final note of Love, I will leave you to your weekend. I hope it is full of love and laughter, because those are the two best things ever in the world.

The Storms Are Raging on the Rolling Sea

Oh Sweet Jesus.

It is really hard to try to get someone to understand you when they have never, and I mean never, experienced life the way you are and when they have been doing the same things the same ways at the same times for their entire life. Does that even make sense? I am totally a "fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants" sort of girl. I do things that look incredibly stupid and foolish to those around me who do not understand what "obedience" is. People who do not understand that when we obey what God is telling us to do, He will provide us with all the things we will need to get the job done He wants us to do. I really am not worried at all, and just when I start to think that I am finally done worrying about something everyone else thinks I should be worried about because God does not wish for us to live a life of worry and fear. Just when I think I'm getting real good at not worrying, someone points out how worried they are for me and it makes me think, "should I be more worried? Am I being so foolish? Do I look like an idiot to everyone?"

So I go to my mother, and my friends, and my boyfriend. I go to all these important people in my life to make sure I am not being foolish or dumb. To check myself and make sure that it is a good thing I'm not worried and whoever is making me worry more is the fool. BUT who I should REALLY be going to is Jesus. He is the one person who actually really knows how worried I should be, and I'm pretty sure he said something like, "why worry about tomorrow? The sparrow has a place to live and food to eat, how much more important are you than a sparrow??" (paraphrased of course). When I go to my friends and family it causes me to grow in bitterness towards the person who has brought this worry in my life. This person who does not understand me and probably never will. That I know is not the "okay" reaction to all this. However, when I go to Jesus with this information, not only do I feel better knowing my lack of worry is okay, but I don't end up hating the person in my life who caused that worry.

It is much better to complain and gossip to Jesus than other humans in your life. You will most likely end up with the right heart that way.

I was told on two separate occasions from God via two separate people, at two separate times that I belong in India. The first was a guy during my SBS who is especially gifted in speaking words from God into people's lives. He simply said, "you have found this place where you belong." Hence the title of this very blog. Then, about two years later, just 2 months ago, a woman told me, "This time when you came to India, you are giving up your life." So, I know that I am supposed to be here. Many, many other times and ways God has spoken to me about this, and so why should I let one single person make me doubt God?

Yikes.

Emotions are on edge lately as I am realizing I leave in just three weeks. You know, they say reverse culture shock is even worse than culture shock. I believe it.

Revelations and Boils.

Today I sent out more "partnership postcards" or PPs as I decided to call them just this moment. I looked up a ton of churches in the area and sent out about 20 of these postcards to all these churches I have never been to in hopes they will have mercy on me and that God will call them to help me in this and stand next to me. I don't know if this is the best way to go about raising support, but It's all I got. I need a little more financial contributions in order to not go insane with stress while I am over there, and next time I have a visa run, which is mid-August I hope and pray to come back to Minnesota but this time I will not be coming alone!

Anyway, back to the PPs. I also sent a few extra ones to famous people I thought I had a 0.001% chance of getting some monetary donation from. These people include Barack Obama, Tom Hanks, and Richard Simmons. The President because he was recently in India and I firmly believe he is a believer. Richard Simmons because he is incredibly humble and loves to help all people. Tom Hanks because, well, he's Tom Hanks! He's just awesome.

In other news, I have a boil. I did not believe it at first, but my best friend, http://webmd.com told me that it is in fact a boil. So I have been researching and reading up on boils and how to get rid of them naturally. I do not have health insurance and so going to the doctor to cut it open and remove all the wonderful stuff inside of it is a last resort. Correction, I do have health insurance, just not when I'm in the US or Canada, but I am covered any other country in the world. Perhaps I should go to Mexico and have it removed. If you or anyone you know has any good home remedies for boils, let me know! Typically people in hot and humid climates get boils, like India for example. Of course I would be the one person to never get one while I was living in India, but when I get to the frigid north country of Minnesota. Very funny.

This past weekend I really had this revelation that, "hey! I am my own person with my own interpretations and opinions on what the Bible says and I don't believe everything everyone tells me anymore!" It's a good revelation to have I think. I used to take a theology class when I was in High School and I thought everything my teacher told me to be right and truth. Then I went to New Zealand and many of the teachers there had differing and conflicting opinions but I thought they were all wrong! Then I went to India and studied the Bible for myself and was given the tools I needed to form my own opinions. It was the first time in my life I was told by the teachers, "this is just MY opinion, take it for what it's worth to you, but please get into these words and form your own opinions on what it means." And so I did that. Now, when I first came back from my school I was super critical of all churches I went to. It has taken me 1.5 years since then to be less critical and just this past weekend I had my moment. The pastor can believe what he wants to believe, and he was even teaching things I used to believe with all of me! I still agreed with some things, but others not even close. The beautiful thing is, that is totally okay! I don't have less respect for the pastor because he believes something different than me, nor do I feel sorry for him because he doesn't know "the truth" because really, in the words of Pilate, "What is truth?"

Superbowl Sunday is coming up. I am a little nervous about it. Who gets nervous about Superbowl Sunday? Look, I'm even capitalizing it like it's a freaking holiday! It's just that this Sunday is the epitome of American culture. It causes Americans everywhere to go insane and live out the day with an excuse to be ignorant, loud, offensive, drunk, and starting fights. People have a lot of money on this game, people get so worked up over football I cannot even begin to understand it. Perhaps it's because I am a girl and have never enjoyed watching sports, playing sports, or really having anything to do with sports. I used to just watch the Superbowl for the commercials, but even now that seems like something stupid. Why would anyone pay millions of dollars to have a 30 second commercial on television when that money could be used for much greater things? I just don't get it anymore. America does not make sense to me anymore, I am not sure if it ever has.