A Good Teacher

"A highly effective foreign language teacher is more than a giver of words and the rules that govern them; she is a window on the cultures that have developed through and because of those words. She transmits the culture through vocabulary and grammar, but also through authentic stories, idioms, songs, and sayings.” - Anonymous

My Hindi language lessons are going well.  I am currently learning to read children’s books and conduct introductory conversations in Hindi.  It’s a slow process, but my teacher, Santosh, is building a solid foundation of how the language works.  Thus, I am not memorizing a bunch of conversational phrases for mere survival purposes, but rather gaining a true appreciation and understanding of the Hindi language and culture.  She is a good teacher.

Santosh and I have built a solid friendship in the process.  On May 12, she and her older daughter, Surabhi attended a Mother/Daughter Luncheon held at my church.  A good time was held by all, as the pictures reveal.

Me and Santosh

Santosh, Sis. Bertram (my pastor's wife), and me

Me, Santosh, and her daughter Surabhi

Saying Hello

नमस्ते Namaste.  Hello.

No. I didn’t accidentally turn on the symbols key on the computer keyboard.  LOL.  It’s how you write and say “hello” in Hindi.  I began Hindi language classes three weeks ago with a private tutor.  I love my teacher!!  She is the best!  After one week of study, I could distinguish Hindi from the other script languages.  It no longer looked like Chinese, Greek or Arabic.  After two weeks of study, I could write part of the Hindi alphabet.  Now, I can translate some of the letters to form words.  I don’t know what the words mean, but I can spell them. LOL.

Learning a new language is a HUGE challenge for me with my hearing loss.  I cannot hear all sounds, thus making it difficult to learn audibly, which is how the majority of foreign language courses are taught.  My teacher’s primary focus is teaching me to read and write Hindi; speaking and hearing the language are secondary skills.  This works so well for me.  (See, I told you she was a good teacher.)  I am having fun watching the preschool videos where they sing the alphabets and write the scripts in Hindi.

She is not only teaching me the language, she is also instructing me on the Indian culture.  I love this aspect of our studies together.  I am learning so much from her!  In the process, we have developed a genuine friendship.  She is a special person.  I LOVE and adore my Hindi teacher!

The Unsung Heroes

This past weekend, I set up my very first missions table at the Alabama Ladies Conference.  I met some very interesting people and made new friends.  I absolutely love talking to other people about missions.  It's not just about raising financial support.  It's about inspiring a young person to pursue her dreams.  It's about encouraging someone who gives sacrificially to continue.  It's about receiving strength from unknown sources.

I met an 18 year old young lady who dreams of going to Uganda someday to work in missions. I was happy to give her some information about the AIM program and a CD about finding God's will for her life.  I pray that God will use her mightily as she pursues her dream.

I also met an older lady who works a full-time job for the sole purpose of financially supporting missionaries.  She could easily stay home in retirement.  Instead, she chooses to sacrifice her time and money for the sake of God's kingdom in another country.  I encouraged her to continue giving because it is as equally important as those who actually go to the field.

Then, there were those precious ladies from Mississippi who circled me in prayer.  I was feeling a little weary with the overwhelming tasks that lay before me as an AIMer when they approached me.  They circled themselves around me, lay their hands all over my body and began to pray.  I felt the heaviness lift and a spirit of rejoicing take its place.

I felt so honored to meet these precious people over the weekend.  These people are not in the limelight, but a missionary could not exist without them.  They are the ones who dream, give and pray.  They are the unsung heroes of missions.

Pray for Orphans

This morning, I did a presentation in childrens' church entitled, "Pray for Orphans."  I talked to the them about orphans in India explaining that many of the children do not have homes, food, water, clothing, or toys.  I briefly mentioned AIDS and how people were dying from the disease, causing some of the children to become orphans.  Then, I told them about Happiness Home, a shelter in India for people with AIDS.  I described how the orphan children living there were happy because God was taking care of them by providing them with a place to live, people to love them, food to eat, water to drink and filling them with the Holy Ghost!

After we watched a short slideshow of orphan children in India, I told them how God instructs us in the Bible to pray for orphans.  Defend the weak and the fatherless (orphans); uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Psalm 82:3.  Take up the cause of the fatherless (orphans); plead the cause of the widow. Isaiah 1:17.  We then prayed for the children.  Oh my, it was so touching to see them pray so sincerely on the behalf of other children!

Each child was given a picture and information about a child in Happiness Home, along with scriptures and prayer points. You know how kids are always leaving their Sunday School papers behind for the teachers to clean up?  Not this time!  Every child held on to their picture as if it was a prized possession.  I'm happy to report there are now 27 children in Bessemer, Alabama praying for children in India.  They were really touched by the needs of these children and accepted the call to pray.

Missions Table

I will be setting up my very first missions table at the Alabama Ladies Conference next week.  I am so excited! Humbled too when I consider the missionaries who've paved the way before me.  I want my table to be special because you never know how it will impact another person's life.  I know those interesting tables have influenced my life over the years.

I recall one missionary's table where I signed a pledge to pray one minute a day for them.  This introduced me to praying for missionaries on a daily basis.  At another missionary's table, I filled out a Partner in Missions form.  This taught me to give financially to missions.  And then there was the tiny book I bought about a little lady in India who had suffered a lot in her childhood but was mightily used of God to win souls.  Reading the book gave me hope that I too could overcome a difficult childhood and be used of God.  Then there was the missionary who wrote a very transparent blog about life on the mission field.  Reading her blog gave me insight not only to pray for missionaries, but HOW to pray for them.

To this day, I still have bookmarks, keychains and various other small items I picked up at mission tables over the years.  Most of what I have is from the continent of Africa.  (Isn't that where ALL missionaries live?!  LOL)  Imagine the shock I felt when God placed a call on my life to missions.  And imagine the additional surprise when He called me to India instead of an African country.

You know, it's all part of missions in God's Kingdom, whether it's prayer, finances, or going.  A missions table provides an avenue for all three areas.  I pray that something on my table will influence other people to have a heart for missions and get involved, however God chooses to use them.

Letting Go

Letting go and moving on is not always easy.  Changing camp sites may be an adventurous way to live, but it takes courage.

My apartment lease is up next month and I am moving in with a friend.  This arrangement allows me flexibility when the time comes to depart for India.  Plus it will give me a place to come home to at the conclusion of my assignment in India.  I had to make a difficult decision of what to do with my belongings.  Do I put everything in storage until I return from India?  Or do I sell everything except my basic items?  After doing some price-checking, I calculated the cost of storing my furniture was more than the furniture was worth, so I decided to sell everything.

It was not an easy decision to make.  I don't have a lot of material possessions, but when I moved into my apartment two years ago, I purchased nice but inexpensive living room furniture.  I decorated the room with red accented pillows, rug, lamps and pictures.  I gathered books and resources on prayer.  My Bible, journal and pen were nearby.  I hung up a world map so I could visually pray for missionaries and other countries.  My goal - which I achieved by the way - was to create an atmosphere in my living room that was conducive to prayer.

As I sit in this beautiful living room writing this blog, precious memories of time alone with God flood my mind.  It was in this beautiful relaxing atmosphere I learned to pray, REALLY pray.  In this room, numerous spiritual battles were fought and won, first in my own mind, then in the lives of others.  In this room, souls were birthed into God's kingdom and healings were wrought.  In this room, I felt His arms of love around me giving me strength during times of loneliness.  In this room, I learned to recognize His Voice and to follow Him.  It was in this beautiful room I received God's call to India.

I realize I can take the Presence of God with me no matter where I live.  Just like in the Old Testament, whenever the children of Israel moved, they took the Tabernacle, which housed the Presence of God, with them.  When the cloud or pillar of fire moved in the camp, they simply packed up the Tabernacle, followed God's leading to the next camp, and there they once again erected the Tabernacle of God's Presence.

For a little while there, I was having a hard time letting go of the "stuff" I had used to create an atmosphere of God's Presence.  I am blessed with material goods but it will become a curse if I try to hang on to it.  I do not need "things" to evoke His Presence.  All I need is His Word and His Spirit, two things I readily possess at all times because both reside within me.  What does material things matter in the kingdom of God?  What is the purpose of possessions when the majority of the world does not have food?  In some parts of the world, ONE spoon is considered a luxury.

Now that the time has come to move, I am ready to let it all go. As I prepare to leave this camp, so to speak, and settle into the next camp and the wonderful plans God has for my life, there is less "stuff" to transport.   Ahhh...the adventurous life of living for God!

This is My Life

"This is my life.  This is what I have been called to do.  This is where I belong," I thought as I sat among other missionaries at the Because of the Times conference last week.  It felt like the last piece of a puzzle being put into place.

A funny thing happened at the conference which so aptly describes my life.  The first night I arrived early, but it was to no avail as all the seats were taken.  Separated from my friends, I sat on the back row of a 3,000 seat auditorum with people I did not know.  I couldn't see a thing!  The next day I learned that our name tags were color-coded meaning I was supposed to be sitting near the front with all the other missionaries.  I felt both stupid and relieved.

This experience so aptly describes my life because for so long I have felt out of place in the back row of life, separated from my friends, unable to see anything.  With the call to India, God made room for me, up front with a clear view, among my spiritual heros: missionaries.

This is my life...and I LOVE it!

Rebekka (Norway), Cynthia (India), Rachel (Latvia)

Cyndy (Jordan) and Cynthia (India)