After four weeks:
Learned to enjoy the incredible amounts of tea consumption. I have stopped asking "Where is that cow's owner?" Shaken the hands of thousands of Indians. Learned that English is weird (think about it: The soles of our shoes are very different from our souls.) Most importantly is that daily I'm being reassured on how awesome my God is.
I have relocated to Pune. This is where the HCC headquarters are and a city my group from North Park visited in January. My living accommodations are great.
Everyday from around one to three I help teach ~30 children in an upper room in the middle of a poor-slum area. The children are so excited to take in whatever it is we have to teach them. I'm working with a church member named Surita (she is a lovely women) and a lady from the area named Maya (very very kind). (I'm up for suggestions on fun games to play in a 15x15 room with anywhere from 20-30 students!) Tomorrow morning Surita and I will start visiting the homes of the parents of the children. We'll just spend time with them and pray for them. Not many people in this area are Christian but a church has been there for several years now and they know about the Christians and their willingness to come to their homes, listen to their stories, provide an informal education for the children, and pray for them.
In the afternoons I have been visiting with ex-commercial sex workers. HCC (with the funds provided by the Evangelical Covenant Church!) constructed a rehabilitation house for them. It's a beautiful house! The view from the room is amazing!! Because it is a new home the women and I have some decorating days ahead of us. Four women live there as well as a few children. In the coming days I will start tutoring the children in English lessons.
Those are the basics of what I have been up to. A quick list of other things: prayer meeting with another church ~30 minutes from here, lots of motor bike rides, eating out, eating at Surita's house, lots of rickshaw rides, visited Akshay's (the guy helping me plan all my work and my roommate) family, and help in Sunday School.
Everyday I'm learning how to lean more on God and look for ways he can use me. I have a heck of a lot more to learn in this area and others.
I hope that all of you are well. I'm disappointed that no one is leaving comments. Many tell me that they are reading, but I want to see some feedback people! Words of encouragement. Advice. Anything!
Love from India,
Hannah Joy.
Learned to enjoy the incredible amounts of tea consumption. I have stopped asking "Where is that cow's owner?" Shaken the hands of thousands of Indians. Learned that English is weird (think about it: The soles of our shoes are very different from our souls.) Most importantly is that daily I'm being reassured on how awesome my God is.
I have relocated to Pune. This is where the HCC headquarters are and a city my group from North Park visited in January. My living accommodations are great.
Everyday from around one to three I help teach ~30 children in an upper room in the middle of a poor-slum area. The children are so excited to take in whatever it is we have to teach them. I'm working with a church member named Surita (she is a lovely women) and a lady from the area named Maya (very very kind). (I'm up for suggestions on fun games to play in a 15x15 room with anywhere from 20-30 students!) Tomorrow morning Surita and I will start visiting the homes of the parents of the children. We'll just spend time with them and pray for them. Not many people in this area are Christian but a church has been there for several years now and they know about the Christians and their willingness to come to their homes, listen to their stories, provide an informal education for the children, and pray for them.
In the afternoons I have been visiting with ex-commercial sex workers. HCC (with the funds provided by the Evangelical Covenant Church!) constructed a rehabilitation house for them. It's a beautiful house! The view from the room is amazing!! Because it is a new home the women and I have some decorating days ahead of us. Four women live there as well as a few children. In the coming days I will start tutoring the children in English lessons.
Those are the basics of what I have been up to. A quick list of other things: prayer meeting with another church ~30 minutes from here, lots of motor bike rides, eating out, eating at Surita's house, lots of rickshaw rides, visited Akshay's (the guy helping me plan all my work and my roommate) family, and help in Sunday School.
Everyday I'm learning how to lean more on God and look for ways he can use me. I have a heck of a lot more to learn in this area and others.
I hope that all of you are well. I'm disappointed that no one is leaving comments. Many tell me that they are reading, but I want to see some feedback people! Words of encouragement. Advice. Anything!
Love from India,
Hannah Joy.
Hey, I got to catch up with Kaj the other night for the hockey game! He let me in on some of your good lessons learned and transitions. I'm happy to hear (and read) that you're happy serving in Pune! The joy of the Lord is your strength, and this joy will carry you through the challenging times, images, people you encounter along the way. Thanks for the update! Peace and Joy,
ReplyDeletePeter
I sent you an email this morning! :) I cannot wait for next fall to hear all the stories that will come from Pune...!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that the move has gone well! I will think of some youth ministry games that you could play with them :) It is so encouraging to me to hear how God is working in and around you. Continue to pay attention to the little conversations and notice where God is showing up in the perhaps mundane or things that might not seem as important.
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds so wonderful! And I can see that you are really loving it Hannah & you are such a light to the people around you. I am so proud of you (wow i sound like a mom) and love reading your stories and experiences.
ReplyDeletePraying for you mate :)
MOST MONEY RAISED.
love eva