We walked into a really really nice hotel at 2AM and Onkar came down to the lobby and got us. He took me to our room and I said, “This is like a 2nd Honeymoon!” It was a beautiful room all to ourselves and NO children.
I didn’t really have much of a clue what the conference was about til I got there. During the first meeting on Wednesday I got my workbook and saw that the conference was sponsored by MentorLink* and there were 2 teachers there from the US and 3 Indian teachers. There were about 45 people in attendance. Indian leaders from our state and the surrounding states.
The material was fabulous. So great for our team.
We all had a similar experience of initially coming at the material and teaching as if this is good for somebody else –eventually we all came to the realization that – this is for me.
We were blessed to spend 5 (or 3) days sitting under wonderful scriptural teaching. We met many brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we desire to continue a relationship.
*http://mentorlink.gospelcom.net/
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Getting There
In January our team was invited to a 5 day conference in a large city in our state. I really wanted to go and so I signed up O. and myself and 3 co-workers immediately. We paid our small fee on the spot.
As the date neared I started having 2nd thoughts. I couldn’t bring E. & C. with me and I couldn’t leave them home! I had never ever left my children – even for a night. (other than the 1 night in the hospital after giving birth to C. and technically she was with me and E. was with O.)
This was a BIG deal for me and at last I said, sorry, send somebody else in my place. I was disappointed but I really didn’t know what I was missing.
O. went and took 3 co-workers. By Monday night they were calling and saying – Come!
Yeah.
I resisted. Our vehicle was there with them but was returning Tuesday night and could take me. O. continued to tell me to come.
3 hours there, 3 hours back, all that diesel would be wasted – I’m very frugal. Nah Nah Nah.
On Tuesday he continued to encourage me to come. I wasn’t responding. I said “Lord, if you want me to come, have O. Tell me I Have to come.”
Tuesday evening O. called and said that the conference coordinators were asking for our worship leader to come and since Shalom was coming anyway then I Had to Come.
Ok, Got it Lord.
So we left Tuesday night and arrived at 2AM.
I had missed the first 2 days of the conference.
As the date neared I started having 2nd thoughts. I couldn’t bring E. & C. with me and I couldn’t leave them home! I had never ever left my children – even for a night. (other than the 1 night in the hospital after giving birth to C. and technically she was with me and E. was with O.)
This was a BIG deal for me and at last I said, sorry, send somebody else in my place. I was disappointed but I really didn’t know what I was missing.
O. went and took 3 co-workers. By Monday night they were calling and saying – Come!
Yeah.
I resisted. Our vehicle was there with them but was returning Tuesday night and could take me. O. continued to tell me to come.
3 hours there, 3 hours back, all that diesel would be wasted – I’m very frugal. Nah Nah Nah.
On Tuesday he continued to encourage me to come. I wasn’t responding. I said “Lord, if you want me to come, have O. Tell me I Have to come.”
Tuesday evening O. called and said that the conference coordinators were asking for our worship leader to come and since Shalom was coming anyway then I Had to Come.
Ok, Got it Lord.
So we left Tuesday night and arrived at 2AM.
I had missed the first 2 days of the conference.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Back To Wiping Noses
I got back moments ago from a wonderful 3 days at a conference in another city. I'll have to write more about it later, but it was the first time in my life that I'd ever spent a night away from my girls. I said to O., this is like a 2nd Honeymoon. 3 days with no kids. Wow!
I actually survived AND so did they!
Thank the Lord for my sister-in-law. (She took care of them and our home.)
I actually survived AND so did they!
Thank the Lord for my sister-in-law. (She took care of them and our home.)
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
The Drama
So much drama. Archana’s father and brother in law showed up today. They were incensed - and who can blame them. If it were my daughter or my sister-in-law…
Anyway, she went back with her father and they will arrange to have a ceremony there in her home place some time in the near future.
Why in the world the bride and groom didn’t talk to her father in the first place – I’ll never understand.
Anyway, she went back with her father and they will arrange to have a ceremony there in her home place some time in the near future.
Why in the world the bride and groom didn’t talk to her father in the first place – I’ll never understand.
The Church Wedding
If you need a wedding put together in under 24 hours call me and Vinita.
We were sent to get Archana ready for the 5PM wedding. She brought nothing with her but the clothes on her back. We needed a white saree (hard to find!). Once we got that we had to get a tailor to agree to stitch a blouse for it in under 4 hours. I went to my own tailor (who takes usually a week or more to stitch my stuff) and she agreed to do it.
Once that was out of the way we needed a veil, underwear (she literally came in only what she had on), a petticoat for under the saree, bangles for her wrists, earrings, pins and hairclips, sandals.
It all came to about $25. (How many fathers are considering sending their daughters to India to get married now!)
Vinita had the bouquet and a circlet for the veil.
The cake and garlands were taken care of by the menfolk. Vinita and I got Archana ready and that’s that.
(Please ignore the sidewase picture, I didn't have time to fix it.)
Vinita getting Archana ready.
Pastor Anoop presenting the marriage certificate.
We were sent to get Archana ready for the 5PM wedding. She brought nothing with her but the clothes on her back. We needed a white saree (hard to find!). Once we got that we had to get a tailor to agree to stitch a blouse for it in under 4 hours. I went to my own tailor (who takes usually a week or more to stitch my stuff) and she agreed to do it.
Once that was out of the way we needed a veil, underwear (she literally came in only what she had on), a petticoat for under the saree, bangles for her wrists, earrings, pins and hairclips, sandals.
It all came to about $25. (How many fathers are considering sending their daughters to India to get married now!)
Vinita had the bouquet and a circlet for the veil.
The cake and garlands were taken care of by the menfolk. Vinita and I got Archana ready and that’s that.
(Please ignore the sidewase picture, I didn't have time to fix it.)
Vinita getting Archana ready.
Pastor Anoop presenting the marriage certificate.
Wedding In My Living Room
I never imagined when I woke up on Friday morning that we’d have a wedding in our living room that night. But we did. Our newest co-worker, Suresh, went to his home state to collect his mother, sister and 2 nephews who live with him and brought a girl back with him. O. knew it might happen.
I had no idea.
The girl was the daughter of a pastor that Suresh was friends with in that state. Her father engaged her to her 1st cousin and she didn’t want to marry him. (yeah, ewww). Anyway, the girl, Archana, told Suresh last week that she had been praying for him for 6 months and that she wanted to marry him and she would also love and care for his family. (Which is a big thing, I know, they’ve lived with me in the past.)
Long story short, she came with Suresh and his family on Friday, without informing her parents of what she was doing. They were married by the courts in our living room on that same night and married in the church the next day.
If I hadn’t known Suresh very well for the last 8 years I’d think he was crazy. None of us were real happy that the girl’s family hadn’t been consulted at all, but we were stuck between a rock and a hard place by that point. Once again, we were trusting in Suresh’s character.
Here are some picture of the service Friday night.
I had no idea.
The girl was the daughter of a pastor that Suresh was friends with in that state. Her father engaged her to her 1st cousin and she didn’t want to marry him. (yeah, ewww). Anyway, the girl, Archana, told Suresh last week that she had been praying for him for 6 months and that she wanted to marry him and she would also love and care for his family. (Which is a big thing, I know, they’ve lived with me in the past.)
Long story short, she came with Suresh and his family on Friday, without informing her parents of what she was doing. They were married by the courts in our living room on that same night and married in the church the next day.
If I hadn’t known Suresh very well for the last 8 years I’d think he was crazy. None of us were real happy that the girl’s family hadn’t been consulted at all, but we were stuck between a rock and a hard place by that point. Once again, we were trusting in Suresh’s character.
Here are some picture of the service Friday night.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
The Fall
I have just a whole bunch of entries in mind to post today but since I can’t find O’s computer (I think it’s in his office) and because of a sore thumb I’m not sure I’ll get to them all tonight.
I had such a wild weekend. I can’t wait to post about it, but pictures are a must and without O’s laptop I’m stuck.
Then there is my thumb.
O. and our main ministry guys were at my house all morning and afternoon watching the one day cricket match between India and Pakistan. Actually, everybody in India and Pakistan were watching I think, not all at my house tho. Anyway, they were supposed to leave at 11AM for a 5 day conference on Leadership but the match slowed them up a bit.
So, it came that it was almost 3 PM and since I teach my class at 3:30, I was really hoping to catch a ride to school so I wouldn’t have to walk. It’s gotten really hot in the afternoon and 15 minutes in the 3PM Indian sun didn’t sound fun.
So, I changed into a saree and started walking down our large marble staircase to get a drink of water from the kitchen. Everybody was there. O. and 4 main guys who work with us.
Halfway down the steps my beloved Reef flip flops that my mom gave me and I wear ALWAYS - except to bed, while taking a bath and into other people’s houses or church - slip. (I think I’ve worn the bottom totally smooth).
So, there, in the middle of the staircase in full view of EVERYONE, not only do I slip, but I fall on my behind and bounce down about 3 (maybe it was 4) steps until coming to a full stop spread-eagle.
At this point everyone is on their feet coming to my rescue. I immediately proclaimed that I was Uninjured and then ran into the kitchen where I proceeded to laugh hysterically with Phoebe for a good 10 minutes before composing myself enough to enter the living room again.
It didn’t last, the composure that it, I walked into the room, tried to talk to O. and burst out laughing. Of course, the one time I’ve ever slipped on those stairs would be in front of a room full of people. I couldn’t have been Alone.
Anyway, if I were going to slip and make a HUGE fool of myself, these are people I could do it in front of. We’re closer than family over here. As soon as they ascertained that I was fine, they laughed right along with me – or at me – or, you know.
I did slightly skin my elbow, bruise my right butt cheek (fortunately I am VERY well padded) but mostly I wrenched my thumb, probably while wildly attempting to halt my decent.
However, the loss of my left thumb has not seemed to shorten my wordy entries in the least. Huh.
*See the pictures in the next post "Wedding In My Living Room" for a view of the offending staircase in the background.
I had such a wild weekend. I can’t wait to post about it, but pictures are a must and without O’s laptop I’m stuck.
Then there is my thumb.
O. and our main ministry guys were at my house all morning and afternoon watching the one day cricket match between India and Pakistan. Actually, everybody in India and Pakistan were watching I think, not all at my house tho. Anyway, they were supposed to leave at 11AM for a 5 day conference on Leadership but the match slowed them up a bit.
So, it came that it was almost 3 PM and since I teach my class at 3:30, I was really hoping to catch a ride to school so I wouldn’t have to walk. It’s gotten really hot in the afternoon and 15 minutes in the 3PM Indian sun didn’t sound fun.
So, I changed into a saree and started walking down our large marble staircase to get a drink of water from the kitchen. Everybody was there. O. and 4 main guys who work with us.
Halfway down the steps my beloved Reef flip flops that my mom gave me and I wear ALWAYS - except to bed, while taking a bath and into other people’s houses or church - slip. (I think I’ve worn the bottom totally smooth).
So, there, in the middle of the staircase in full view of EVERYONE, not only do I slip, but I fall on my behind and bounce down about 3 (maybe it was 4) steps until coming to a full stop spread-eagle.
At this point everyone is on their feet coming to my rescue. I immediately proclaimed that I was Uninjured and then ran into the kitchen where I proceeded to laugh hysterically with Phoebe for a good 10 minutes before composing myself enough to enter the living room again.
It didn’t last, the composure that it, I walked into the room, tried to talk to O. and burst out laughing. Of course, the one time I’ve ever slipped on those stairs would be in front of a room full of people. I couldn’t have been Alone.
Anyway, if I were going to slip and make a HUGE fool of myself, these are people I could do it in front of. We’re closer than family over here. As soon as they ascertained that I was fine, they laughed right along with me – or at me – or, you know.
I did slightly skin my elbow, bruise my right butt cheek (fortunately I am VERY well padded) but mostly I wrenched my thumb, probably while wildly attempting to halt my decent.
However, the loss of my left thumb has not seemed to shorten my wordy entries in the least. Huh.
*See the pictures in the next post "Wedding In My Living Room" for a view of the offending staircase in the background.
April 28th
April 28th. Our house owner has extended our lease until April 28th. 2 months longer than originally, so that's good. I really would like to stay here until we move into our own home, whenever that may be, but at least in the next 3 months our builder should finished building his own home and he's already offered us the 2nd floor apt til we have our own home. It means an extra move that I didn't want to have to make but I keep telling myself... it's almost the last one.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Land Pictures
A view of the land we put a down payment on a couple weeks ago. The entire cleared area to the boy in the back is ours.
Another view. The house in the background is being built by our school builder for his family. He'll build our house as well.
Another view - E. in the background.
Closer on E. In back of the low gray building in the back center is a main road.
This is interesting. The yellow house in the back right is the house we lived in for many years. I stood on that roof more times than I can remember praying for this land that E. now stands on. At that time there was nothing there and it was covered in bushes and brambles. I had no idea what God had in store... Anyway, we love our old neighbors and the area and we also get the best drinking water in our city!
Another view. The house in the background is being built by our school builder for his family. He'll build our house as well.
Another view - E. in the background.
Closer on E. In back of the low gray building in the back center is a main road.
This is interesting. The yellow house in the back right is the house we lived in for many years. I stood on that roof more times than I can remember praying for this land that E. now stands on. At that time there was nothing there and it was covered in bushes and brambles. I had no idea what God had in store... Anyway, we love our old neighbors and the area and we also get the best drinking water in our city!
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Phoebe's Baptism
Here are some pictures from Phoebe's* baptism on Christmas Day. (I posted some pictures right after the baptism but they were taken from far away.) I just got my hands on these today.
* Phoebe has lived with me since Sept. Remember she didn't talk... Still talking!
* Phoebe has lived with me since Sept. Remember she didn't talk... Still talking!
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