I'm sitting here at work, listening to Punjabi (East Indian) music, missing India... Found some spicy peanuts in my desk, and brewed a little chai latte kcup.... Really missing India... Wondered what the exact dates were when we went, and found my blog... it was May 11th, 2011...technically now, since it's 2am currently in Mumbai, the exact time of our arrival, 7 years ago today....Do you ever wonder if God brings things to remembrance, just at the perfect timing, to remind you of what He's called you to? I have a perfect job, dream home and neighborhood, decent car....but I'd give it all up, to go back to the place that God placed in our hearts. To love on the people and embrace the culture, in the sole desire of leading them to freedom in Jesus Christ!
aheartforIndiaandBeyond.blogspot.com

...We're planning to return....perhaps next year.....

India...and Boulder

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Or tormented, lol. In a couple months (May), it'll be 5 years since our trip to India. Sometimes it feels like an eternity, and other times just like yesterday. All I can say is that when God puts something in your heart, calls you to a nation, a people, it's both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you know that the God of all creation has called you to something great, something not many people would agree to, or be willing to give up so much for. A curse, because until you actually fulfill that purpose, until you see steps being made toward it, you feel often tormented. You can question a lot, you can get easily frustrated. Every single time you see a video or news clip, hear a sound byte resembling anything even close to Indian influence, your heart is both filled with joy and sadness. I happened to see the newest Coldplay video for "Hymn for the Weekend" recently in the news, which was all based in Mumbai. I know many people, especially Indians had issue with it, but for me it just reminded me, yet again, to what God has called us to. Another little video, about a South Indian ice cream seller feeding ice cream to a crow, stirred the joy/sadness emotions within me. When you hear of a couple being sent back to India (for the second time), when you hear of others planning to go, you are happy for them, and grateful that more people of that nation will hear the gospel of Jesus. But you also wonder when that "call to go" will ever happen for you. All you can do is keep having faith that He will remember what He has called you to. :)

 

The other day, however, we did get the privilege to meet a couple from our fellowship of churches, out of Austin, TX. He is in town to minister as an evangelist, and she flew in separate to celebrate their anniversary. She and I actually "met" on Instagram years ago, and after chatting at different points, came to realize we shared the "call" to India. So, we decided to finally meet in person, and what better way than at an Indian restaurant. My husband said it felt like we were going on a blind date with this other couple. But it turned out to be a great time of sharing stories and great food. And we now have a couple more friends, which everyone needs! The crazy thing about this "meeting", is that he was originally from Boulder. A place that we have in our hearts to reach with the gospel, as well. Both Boulder and India are HUGE endeavors for a couple that is currently in a tiny church. But I must remember that if God calls us to it, He'll bring us to it!

3 Years Later

Wow, can't believe it's been 3 years since we took our trip to Mumbai, India! It feels like it's been forever. I remember missing an annual Indian dance festival here in Denver, which was totally worth it to be in the real place lol! I was thinking trying to find out when it is this year, realizing I missed it now, and then. I also had on my ritualistic housecleaning Indian music, this morning, and heard broadcaster mention the haaj, of which also reminded me of when we saw a bunch of pilgrims at the airport when we were leaving Mumbai. It really feels like it's been a lifetime since. I still constantly have those moments of deep longing to return. Some trigger, a sound, a smell, a taste, will suddenly and without warning overwhelm me and I'm mentally there again. My revelation... God's little reminders of what He placed in our hearts, and has called us to. His way of helping me not forget. Like I would lol!

Sooji Ka Halwa - Semolina Halwa

Some people think I have an obsession with anything Indian.  Well, according to Webster's Online definition, they are absolutely correct! 

~ Definition of OBSESSION ~

1: a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling; broadly : compelling motivation obsession

with profits>

2: something that causes an obsession

~ Synonyms ~

Passion, enthusiasm, fascination, attraction, etc.

 

I would say that MOST people on this planet have an obsession of some kind.  Whether it's sports, cars, books, other people, fashion, religious conviction, and on, and on.  As a Christian, we believe that we are to have passion and zeal in loving and serving Jesus and people. 

 

So, yes, I have an obsession with India.  Want to know why?  Because God Himself put it there, and has verified it numerous times publicly and personally, to both my husband and I.  It goes beyond a cultural thing, even though it helps to know the many cultural aspects of the Indian subcontinent.  It's an unexplainable heart-wrenching, deep down inside, that when you see pictures of the people, when you hear of tragedies that beset them, both by default and design, or when you simply hear the speaking accent or the aroma of spices, you are instantly enraptured.  You choke up, tear up, take deep breaths so that you can gain composure, but no amount of mind-over-matter can truly cause this feeling to dissipate.  It's especially obvious, when only so many years previous, you can remember the times a relative took you to eat Indian food, of which you swore you'd never, ever eat again.  Or the times you'd call a customer service center, and demand the desperately-trying-to-speak-English Indian to connect you to someone that can speak English clearly and understandably!  And again, when you know beyond-the-shadow-of-a-doubt that you'd {previously} never give up wanting to own a happy American home, and would never leave the safety, comfort and cleanliness of American soil.  And here you have come full circle, wondering what life will be like in so many different circumstances, when you finally do go to that country, of which God has called you to (definitely NOT your original "white picket fence" plan).  Yes, I've been there once, and it definitely scared me and brought me to my knees!  But at the same time, I am still compelled to return.  I'll never forget the moment we (husband and I) were in the worship service of one of our sister churches in India, and the overwhelming voice of God telling me that these people needed someone to share His Gospel with them.  Other churches had closed down in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, and He reminded me of that.  "Who will reach them for Me?"  I broke down and told Him, "here am I, send me."  Recently, I was questioning how it would be possible for us to reach them, and God quickened to my heart that it would not be on mine or my husband's ability, but on His.  We will merely be His instruments, and it'll all come from Him.  Not my strength, but His. 

 

So, in my continual pursuit of widening my Indian cooking skills, and keeping the dream alive in our home, I have found a wonderfully tasty recipe, that just tonight I made successfully!  If you like Cream of Wheat or Malt-O-Meal, your sure to enjoy this treat!

Sooji Ka Halwa Recipe

By Petrina Verma Sarkar, About.com Guide
http://indianfood.about.com/od/sweetsanddesserts/r/Sooji-Ka-Halwa-Semolina-Halwa.htm

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 and a 1/2 cups sooji/ rawa (semolina)
• 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter - super easy to make at home, just google it!)
• 3/4 cup mixture of cashews (coarsely chopped ) and whole raisins/ sultanas
• 3 cups hot water
• 1/2 cup whole/ full cream milk (half & half works splendidly)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 pods of green cardamom split open

Preparation:

• Heat a deep pan on a medium heat and when hot add the ghee. When it melts, add the Sooji and mix well.
• Roast the Sooji (stirring frequently) till it begins to turn a very light golden color and give off a faint aroma. The roasted Sooji will have the grainy consistency of wet sand. Now add the cashews and raisins to the Sooji and mix well.
• While you are roasting the Sooji, in a separate pot and on medium heat, bring a mixture of the milk, water, sugar and cardamom to a boil, stirring often.
• When the Sooji is roasted, gently add the water and milk mixture, stirring all the while to prevent lumps from forming. If any do form, make sure to break them with the back of the stirring spoon so you get a smooth paste-like consistency. Cook the mixture till it is thick and begins to come away from the sides of the pan.
• Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool to a warm temperature. Serve now in individual bowls.

Dreams & Reality

The past couple nights, I've dreamt about a return trip to Mumbai.  This can be a bit of a torture, because when you wake up, you're faced with the reality that you are, indeed, still at home.  How is it that dreams feel so real, but not totally?  This reminds me of something my daughter mentioned recently.  She said that she wondered if when we die, will heaven be less real "feeling" than life now?  I told her that I bet heaven will be more real than our current lives.  Kind of like when we wake up from a dream that seems real, but contains some fuzziness, some unreality to it.  Another thought is why does it seem like past experiences feel as though they are a dream? For example, I lived in California as a young girl, then moved to Colorado when I was a teenager.  Life in Cali seems almost like a dream I had once.  Like it never really happened.  Also our trip to Mumbai back in 2010.  I KNOW we were there, have pictures of us being there, but still think back on it as a distant memory, a dream.  Sometimes I wonder if it'll feel like that when we leave our current city/state/country to start or take-over a church.  Will this current life feel like a dream?  Most likely, yes.  And I bet it'll be the same once we go to heaven.  This life will be a distant memory for us, almost like a simple dream we once had.

 

India for Jesus! :)

Just wanted to share some India-inspired sites, mostly for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nation of India! :)

The Door Christian Center, Thane (Mumbai) India
http://www.youtube.com/user/SsSsSs9898?feature=watch

FEBC.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0Nid2OAKJB0

Mission India
http://www.missionindia.org/

Pray for India song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvm9crdi6k0

India Travel Info
http://goindia.about.com/

Twitter, Time and Testing

It's been a while.  Quite awhile.  Although I could almost sum of most of my adult life that way.  Everything takes time...wait.  Wait to find that right, special someone to marry.  Wait to get pregnant and start a family.  Wait to get sent out to start a church, or take over a church.  Wait to go to India.  Wait to get back to India. Wait to move.  Wait on paychecks that seem to always not come on time.  Wait to buy needs for the kids or household.  Wait on dinner.  Wait on a slow computer.  Wait for online orders to arrive.  Wait, wait, wait. 

It's not been an easy road.  Especially with an impatient person like me.  I learned long ago to not pray for patience, because the only way it'll come is with waiting, and learning to be patient! Ugh.  I'm slightly embarrassed to admit, but it can bring out the worst in me.  But ultimately, it all comes to surrendering my will for my Heavenly Father's Will.  That, and trusting that He really does love me unconditionally, and wants the best for me, wants to bless me, wants to prepare me to be able to handle any situation that this life brings me.  Including a crazy place like India! 

As in previously mentioned posts, my husband and I are called to India.  And since 2008, we've done almost everything we can to learn as much as we can about this nation that God has called us to.  But the one thing we cannot just learn instantly from watching a video and reading books or blogs, is the precious gift of waiting.  In a fast-paced, get it now, westernized society, we expect everything NOW!  We have instant/fast foods, instant message, instant live streaming, instant video & music downloads, etc.  So the one thing God's been preparing us for and testing us in, in these numerous times of wait, is how to....wait. 

So, while scanning through my Twitter feed today, I found a tweet by someone in India, with a link, which eventually took me to this blog of an Australian expat who became an Indian housewife.  Of course I was immediately (see fast again) interested and started from the beginning of her adventures.  Then, I happened upon this one:

http://www.whiteindianhousewife.com/2008/01/readjusting-to-life-in-india/comment-page-1/#comment-66269

While reading this particular post, realization and revelation began to dawn on me!  All my years of waiting, surrendering my will (my plans, expectations), trusting Him is in preparation for our call and eventually being missionaries in India. 

This is the part that really got me:
"Again the dreaded western mentality was lurking — I was wanting everything and wanting it immediately. In a country such as India, it’s extremely difficult to control the outcome of anything, and everything takes time! The easiest way forward is acceptance and surrender, as well as appreciation of the concept of impermanence. Given this, these troubled feelings wouldn’t last forever, and neither would I remain in this exact situation.
So, I decided just to trust the universe (I replaced universe with "God") with my dream and the outcome of what’s in store for me. It was also apparent that the more I sat around thinking about what needed to be done, the longer the cloud would hang over my head and continue to overwhelm me. Not only would this affect me, but it would also worry the people around me as well."

Once I read this, I began to cry.  The mental light bulb turned "on".  And in my heart and mind, God spoke to me.  "This is what I've been preparing you for.  The years of waiting have been readying you for the country I've called you to.  Keep trusting Me daughter."  How (obviously) smart our God is!  He knows that nothing happens quickly or on-time in India.  And if I can learn that here, then I'll be able to handle living in India, at least a little better, lol!  ;)

Hindi & Byki

Wow, 2 posts in a month?!  I'm really gonna try better, but sometimes it's kind of out of my control.  This blog is mostly about our heart for India (and beyond, meaning the rest of this great big Earth), and since I don't always have pertinent experiences, I can't always justify blogging. But, I do have a nice little incident that involves a semi-local Indian store and Hindi.  Long story short, I was buying some necessary items (jaggery, dosa mix, curry leaves, sooji) today.  While I approached the checkout counter, I realized I needed the sooji (semolina/cream of wheat), and without thinking about it immediately responded with, "Ek minute," to the owner.  Basically I was saying "one minute", as in I needed to grab one more thing.  Now this may not be a big thing for you, but it was a great moment for me, because I naturally, without thinking, responded to him in Hindi!  My brain has actually surprised me like this a couple of times in the past, but it just really made my day!  So, once I got back home, I decided to re-download a former language program on our new computer that I had on a previous "dead dinosaur" computer.  So, no, I'm not getting paid for endorsing this, but if you are interested in learning another language, I recommend trying Byki (no relation to daughter's babydoll, lol) language learning.  There is a free downloadable program for many languages, and you can eventually upgrade to the paid deluxe version.  Here's a link, http://www.transparent.com/language-resources/free-software.html.  This really helped me a couple years ago when I was teaching the kids Hindi in our homeschooling, and will continue to.  So, go ahead, enjoy the journey of learning a new language...you may thank yourself one day!

Masala Dosas and Sikh Shooting

I don't usually do two posts in one, especially a light-hearted one, and an extremely tragic one, but my time is limited these days (with a dead computer at home, and relucantly using a library computer), thus I will proceed.  PLEASE, don't be offended by combining the two...if you know me, you know my sincere heart for anything Indian!

Masala Dosas: : )
So, I've had another LOOOONNNGG lag time in posting, but had some great stuff happen recently in connection with masala dosas.  A couple months ago I "subscribed" to a youtube video series called EatEastIndian, which I absolutely love!  So, while watching a recent posting for aloo (potato) bhaji, I was inspired to try it as the stuffing for masala dosas.  Basically, these are crepe-like savories that are stuffed with a spicy potato filling.  Something I tried in Mumbai, and really liked!  So, I decided to attempt it, and it was great!  Very tasty, although I added some sanaam chile that I ground with a mortar and pestle, which made it a tad hot for my kids, but very tasty.  I didn't have time (or gumption) to make homemade dosa batter (since it's very time-consuming with soaking lentils and rice, then grinding), so I found an "instant" recipe that simply uses rava (semolina/cream of wheat).  But, I'm getting ahead of myself, because in order to make the "filling", I needed fresh curry leaves, which meant a trip to MyIndia up in Broomfield, near hubby's work.  I was happy to find what I needed, but more ecstatic about meeting a friendly middle-age Indian couple there.  While waiting to ask the owner about prices on ghee (clarified butter), my phone began to ring.  "Haule, Haule" played on and on (as my ringtone, lol), and the gentleman remarked, "I like the music!"  I laughed, said thanks, and after finally finding my insistant cell phone answered the call.  After the very brief conversation, I returned to the cue.  The couple and the owner were talking (Hindi?), thus I didn't understand much (a word here and there), but then the owner told me that the man teaches music lessons.  I responded with a lame "oh", and smiled.  We made friendly conversation after that, and they also told me that the woman taught cooking classes.  I kindly responded that I knew how to cook a lot of Indian dishes, but could probably use more instruction.  I told them that I really wanted to learn Hindi, and the man responded that I'd learn it through cooking.  We exchanged phone numbers and went seperate ways.  Funny thing, they live about 10 minutes from me!  Looking forward to pursuing this new connection!

Sikh Shooting :'(
My heart is heavy today as well though.  Found out late last night that there was a terrible shooting in Milwaukee at a Sikh temple.  I know that all tragedies are very heart-wrenching, but with David and I, if it ever involves Indians, it breaks our hearts even more.  Kind of like how deeply saddened we were when we first heard about the Mumbai terrorist acts in November 2008.  Or when we hear about the bride burnings, honor killings, train wrecks, capsized boats, "ragging" of college students in other countries, etc.  Every tragedy is horrible, but when it comes to India (and the people from there) it probably hits us harder than most Americans.  Probably because we have a "heart for India".  We can never truly understand the senselessness of these types of acts, especially when if you have any sense as a person, you'd know the difference between Sikhs and Muslims (duh!).  Not that it would've been any better or worse if it was a Muslim.  That truth is that ALL people need Jesus Christ!  HE is the way, the truth and the light...HE is the only way to the Father...HE is the only One that can save us and forgive us of our sins...HE is the only One that has changed the hearts of many, given them new life, set them free from drugs/alcohol/etc., reconciled marriages, healed the broken hearted, and so much more, that all the books (and blogs) in the world cannot number the wonderous acts that HE has done, and will continue to do.  Argue with my all you want...I know what HE has done in my own heart and life, and I can tell you that I never could change on my own...only HE can change me.  And only HE can change the rest of the people on this Earth, provided they let HIM.  My prayers go out to the familes, friends and community that has been affected by this appauling tragedy.  Prayers of comfort in time of mourning, peace in time of fear, and salvation for their souls, to be reconciled to the Father through Jesus Christ!

The Drunkard's Son

A couple years ago, I happened upon a website that offered a week of "culture" through a video series about Children's Bible Clubs in India.  The organization was Mission India.  After watching the videos and reading up on all that they do for the precious souls of India, we decided to support it.  We still occasionally get emails from them.  Today I received another email from Mission India, which had the following video link:
http://vimeo.com/28123957
Please watch it, and allow Jesus to touch your heart as well for the lost souls of India! : ) ~ Heather

One Year Later

Lunch w/Pastor Sandeep &
Margaret Kamble in Thane, India

 I can hardly believe it!  It's been one year ago this week that we went to India.  It was the day after mother's day that we began our maiden voyage, which I MUST say was the longest trip EVER! Lol!  The days leading up to it were a bit hectic, and a bit nerve wracking.  Having never been away from my kids so long, or out of the country, was a tad sad and scary.  We barely got any sleep the night before, with a thousand thoughts and feelings.  I remember how it took all day (and then some) to get from Colorado, then to New Jersey, then off to Mumbai, India.  Such anticipation.  So many unknowns.  Lots of airline movies, times of sleeping, trips to the teeny-tiny restroom...and then, the arrival!  Funny enough, everyone started clapping and "woohoo"ing when the plain finally touched-down.  As with most inbound international flights to Mumbai, it was night, so we couldn't see much.  Once we finally got out of the plain (which seemed to take forever), I remember 2 things that "hit me"...the humidity and the smell of the sea.  We just followed the group of people through to customs, which was a bit intimidating to say the least.  After no issues, we continued to follow the masses to baggage claim.  A nice girl came up and offered assistance, so we knew what to do.  I have to stop here and say that I WISHED I would've gotten her contact info.  She would've been a good source of Mumbai knowledge and such.  But alas, hindsight is 20/20.  After the baggage claim, we went through a final security check, and then headed over to the money exchange and taxi counters.  What comes next is where the real adventure began.  Or should I say "culture shock".  As soon as we stepped out of the safety of the airport, we saw a huge mass of people standing behind a gate on the left, with signs of people they were picking up or meeting.  We took an immediate right, and started walking when another nice Indian lady steered us in the correct direction of the prepaid taxis.  Suddenly 2 men walked up to us and were trying to take our bags, which we were extremely hesitant to do, but they were simply trying to help us over to the taxi.  We got in (still leary), and gave the taxiwallah our prepaid taxi ticket.  We began to drive away from airport, and then out taxi stopped at a little office (the size of a shack!).  The driver went in for a couple minutes.  As we were waiting, an intimidating beggar man was asking for money.  I tried to use a little hindi on him (nahi - no, kuchne - nothing, ruko - stop), with lots of hand gestures to go away, but he persisted.  Of course, we were in a taxi with no A/C, and so it was too hot to roll up windows.  Finally our taxiwallah reappeared and threatened the beggar away, and off we drove into the city of Mumbai.  All I really remember from that ride is that it was long, very dark most of the way, and TONS of people EVERYWHERE!  By this time it was about 1:30-2am, and yet there were throngs of people still out on the streets!  I kept looking out for street signs that gave me an indication that we were indeed heading in the right direction to our hotel.  You never know with the few horror stories of tourist kidnappings and such.  After about a 45 min. drive, we did arrive to a part of town that was very dark, but eerily, no people!  The taxiwallah confirmed that we were in Ballard Estate, but was completely clueless about our hotel location.  We saw a stranger standing in an alley, and the driver stopped to ask directions.  We were quite leery, but knew that we desperately needed help finding the hotel.  After a couple minutes, the directions came clear, and it was really only about a block or two away until we finally found it.  Relief washed over us, since we were exhausted from all of the travelling and such.  The place was not 5-star, but when have we ever stayed in one of those? Lol!  It was however clean, and so after several minutes of checking-in (old fashioned way using a ledger, not computer), we finally went to our room and just sat there dazed and tired.  We finally fell asleep.

  Now since our internal time-clocks were all haywire, we woke up quite early, probably only a couple hours later.  We decided to shower, and then venture out for food.  We found our way to Chatrapati-Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus, train station).  I couldn't believe the throngs of people that were there!  As we walked inside, a HUGE rat was dead on the ground, right in front of us!  Indians would probably call it "bad karma", but after our shock, just chalked it up to "only in India."  We found a little stand that sold newspapers, chips (crisps), cookies, etc., so we opted for some little cookies, to tide us over.  We found another stand that sold maps, and purchased one, but then were being approached by beggars and people trying to give us tours (to where, who knows!).  At that point, I'd had it and needed to retreat back into the hotel.  My stomach was acting up, and I needed "the lav".  We decided to just order something from the hotel kitchen.  After that, it's all a blur, with bits and pieces of different events, incidents and memories.  Some of it's mentioned (or explained in detail) in previous posts, and some of it is just distant memories.  We had our good moments, and our not so good moments.  Unfortunately, I was sick most of the time, and experiencing "culture shock".  But, I'm a glutton for punishment, and maybe a bit idealistic.  I think we definitely both learned a lot from that first trip, and hope to go back better prepared the next time.  Know more hindi, have more contacts, stay in a better hotel and part of town, have a list of decent restaurants with different types of foods (including plain stuff for a sick tummy), take lots of probiotics and immodium, have a prepaid phonecard or special cell phone, etc.  Kind of like when you have another baby, and you feel more like a pro the second-time around.  I guess when the time comes, we'll see.  So, to India, "Phirmilenge!"  Hindi: फिर मिलेंगे, Urdu: پھر ملیں گے, English: We'll Meet Again!

Rain

Rain. One of the greatest smells on this Earth.  Well, okay, actually it's the smell of the rain adding moisture to the dirt and plant-life.  I LOVE rain!  Of course not in excess, when there is flooding and severe damage caused by it.  Rain reminds me of summertime, since here in Colorado, that's when we experience it the most.  Strangely, it's only April, but since the weather has been warmer here, we got some rain for the first time last night. Supposedly there was even some hail, and possible tornado sighting.  But yes, the very pleasant and welcome rain blessed us with it's presence yesterday.  And we have already had a little sprinkling today, with a chance for more severe weather this afternoon.  But I welcome it.  MUCH better than snow!  I've lived in Colorado for over 20 years now, and still do not have much appreciation for the white stuff.  It's cold, it's messy, it's not welcome in my mind.  I always tell people that when the day comes for us to move to a place without snow, I will not miss it one bit!  "But we need the moisture," people will retort.  My immediate response is, "That's what rain is for!"  


Rain brings a smile to my face, and joy to my heart.  Although, once in awhile I may also have a little fear, because of those severe weather happenings that accompany rain (thunder, lightening, tornadoes, hail, flooding).  I will always remember being in Mumbai, and worrying about the monsoons.  Now you must understand that most Indians wholeheartedly welcome the monsoons!  Heck, even I was thrilled to have some cool rain sprinkle the city with a smidgen of relief from the May heat!  But I was also not naive enough to forget that sudden downpours also flood the dry earth and inadequate drainage systems of the ancient "Bombay".  But even that does not dishearten the grateful people of India.  And so for now, neither will it to me! 

Women in Asia

The greatest challenge for women in Asia today is to simply survive through a normal lifespan.  From birth -- and even before birth -- to death, a burden of oppression follows her through all the stages of her life, threatening her very existence.

·         Young girls throughout Asia are ravenously abducted and forced into a life of prostitution with every agonizing day one step closer to an early death from AIDS.

·         Widows in India bear the blame for their husband’s death. They’re shunned by their communities, rejected by their families and forced into an inhumane lifestyle. Tens of thousands take their own life just to end the pain.

·         Every year in India more than 7,000 women are doused with kerosene and burned to death—by their husbands. The wife’s crime: an insufficient dowry.

It is no surprise that the suicide rate among young women in India is ten times higher than the world’s average.

GFA Resources:

http://bcove.me/kmvrkmak  

http://www.gfa.org/women/overview/ 

http://www.gfa.org/womens-ministry/stories-videos/

http://www.gfa.org/ministries/widows-a-desperate-struggle/

Websites:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/women-pregnant-girls-pressured-abortions-india/story?id=15103950#.Tx7scYHQcdk  ABC news report on India’s deadly secret.

http://www.thp.org/reports/indiawom.htm  the Hunger Project Chronic Hunger and the Status of Women in India.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jul/22/india-sex-selection-missing-women

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2011/11/06/india-journal-why-does-india-hate-women/

Please pray for the women of Asia, and that the gospel of Jesus can be spread, to open their eyes to see the worth of women and girls.

A Reality We May Never Face

~ From Cari @ Gospel For Asia :)
January 2012 Mission: Persecution

Happy New Year Friends!Let’s kick off the new-year off featuring persecution.

Persecution is a part of life for many Christians around the world. Our GFA-supported missionaries are no different.

Jesus promised His followers that the world would hate and persecute them. Many GFA-supported missionaries have come to know the harsh reality of Jesus' words.

Beatings, death threats and imprisonment are a few of the things they encounter on the mission field. But despite great hostility, they continue to press onward as they proclaim the Good News of Christ to the unsaved souls of Asia.

The Persecution section of the GFA website is full of stories and videos of missionaries and pastors who have suffered for their ministry. Please check out the links below and pray about how you can help.

GFA Resources: http://www.gfa.org/persecution/

Websites: http://vimeo.com/9607938 - Francis Chan speaking on Persecution
http://www.persecution.com/public/newsroom.asp - Voice of the Martyrshttp://blogforasia.org. (A work in progress!) On this website you can find links to each month’s missions, there are resources, and a blogroll so you can get to know other bloggers for India. There will be more additions in the coming weeks and months.

Cari Poweziak
Blog for Asia Coordinator
www.gfa.org
800.WIN.ASIA (800.946.2742)

Revolution In World Missions

I cannot believe that we (husband & I) have had a heart for India for 3 years now!  Time sure does pass quickly.  I can remember back to the day he told me about this "call from God", like it was yesterday.  What an amazing adventure we've had, just in learning about this precious sub-continent.  The culture, history, people, food, and so many other things.  And to think, we actually made a trip there!  But thinking back, I remember using a lot of resources in our quest for knowledge of anything Indian.  One particular book comes to mind, that was titled Revolution in World Missions.  I think my husband signed up for the free book from www.gfa.org. This book was very influential to us, since we knew God had placed India on our hearts.  It was such a powerful book about the Gospel For Asia organization.  How it started, how it continued, the struggles and victories.  I remember just being stirred further in regards to the mission field.  How often my prayers were laced with concern for those in need and in poverty, and those who were ministering to them.  The book also showed the different opinions and attitudes that people here in America have towards missions and missionaries. Both good and bad.  I remember times of sadness for the lack of interest in supporting missionary works, compared to the exorbitant materialistic mindsets.  But there were also moments of awareness of the needs that needed to be met.  This book was very eye-opening to the needs, and challenged me to personally support overseas & missionary works, both financially and prayerfully.  Even now, we faithfully contribute to works in Africa and India.  If you want the eyes of your heart to be opened up to God's desire to see other nations & peoples being reached, I highly recommend you read this book!

I also recently received No Longer a Slumdog (also from GFA), and am in the process of reading it.  Looking forward to more of the Holy Spirit's challenging my heart for the nations!

English and Spanish

Yesterday we had the privilege of picking up an international pastor from the airport.  He is from Panama, which is mostly Spanish speaking.  As we met up with him at the baggage claim (which took DIA a VERY LONG time to get the baggage delivered), we had quite a bit of time to try a small amount of Spanish on him, and his small amount of English on us.  Needless to say, it was quite interesting indeed.  Just standing there with a person from another country reminded me of our own adventure in another country.  I will never forget standing at the baggage claim in Mumbai International Airport.  A very nice Indian girl helped direct us a little, since she is from there, but lives in the US and knew English very well.  Later on, I regretfully realized that I wished I had gotten her name and number.  But alas, hindsight is 20/20.

So, once we finally retrieved our pastor friend's luggage, we headed home, into the sunset (literally!).  Since I knew we needed to have dinner ready for his arrival, I decided on Frito pie as the dinner of choice.  Something that can easily be made ahead of time, and thrown in the crockpot for awhile to simmer and wait for us.  Needless to say, he was very satisfied, and even asked for the recipe. You can find the recipe at my food blog: http://heathersmanyrecipes.blogspot.com/.

Now if only we can take another trip to India, and have someone waiting there for us! :)

Indian Food!

So, as many of you may know, one of my most favorite past-times is cooking Indian food!  And I must say, I've gotten pretty good at it.  I love the accomplishment of setting out to find a perfect recipe for a particular dish, and finally having the satisfaction of making it mine!  Samosas are just one of the many recipes I have tried and if you check out my other blog, you'll find a great recipe for them!  Hope you like! :)
http://heathersmanyrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/summer-samosas.html

It's amazing what can happen when you get in contact with an old friend.  Recently, I got wind that a friend of mine had been sent to pastor a church in Bangkok, Thailand.  Of course, human nature stepped-in with the curiosity factor and so I emailed that friend an inquiry.  Lo-and-behold, she and her family truly were in Bangkok!  I could hardly believe it!  She responded with how fast it happened and all that was going on.  Being someone who also feels the "call of God on our lives", I began to really take this all to heart.  What am I personally doing, or not doing, to prepare for that myself?  Am I bogged down with "other stuff" that is not necessarily bad, but takes my eyes off of "a heart for India AND BEYOND"?  (The beyond part can be anywhere...including my own city of Denver/Lakewood, by the way.)  I began to realize that some of my daily pursuits (online social networking, product reviews, giveaways, etc.) were not bad at all.  But are they contributing to the overall higher calling of leading people to Jesus?  Another moment of reckoning came last night, while I was in bed reading one of my favorite book series, "Anne of Green Gables".  In this volume, Anne has come home from college, to discover that a dear school chum of hers is deathly sick.  Anne has a realization that I will type out here, hopefully with the author's acceptance:  "The little things of life, sweet and excellent in their place, must not be the things lived for; the highest must be sought and followed; the life of heaven must be begun here on earth."  I realized that the one true thing that matters in this life is to strive for a better and closer relationship with our Savior and Heavenly Father, and to develop as many relationships with people as we can.  Anne realized this and my friend Socorro is living it.  Now, it's my turn. No more product reviews or giveaways (even though I only truly did one).  No more silly social media stuff (although I'll stay "linked" for others to contact me occassionally).  It's time to live the life of heaven here on earth. 

Giveaways & Product Reviews

I follow quite a few blogs!  Besides my love of anything Indian, I also follow blogs about homeschooling, cooking and other topics of (my) interest.  Two of my favorites are The Traveling Sisterhood and Meet Virginia.  Recently I participated in a giveaway on Traveling Sisterhood and won a whole box (24ct.) of PopChips!  That definitely made me a hero in my family's eyes!  Then I saw some reviews on Meet Virginia, and contacted her about it.  So, since I joined a website that provides blogger reviws, one new thing I'm going to add to future posts are product reviews, and possible giveaways!  If you're like me, you LOVE to get stuff in the mail, especially surprises!  With that said, I get to review my first item that "suprised" me from today's mail.

Funky Monkey T-Shirt

So, I was a little hesitant about selecting this review item, because although I think monkeys are cute, I wasn't sure if there was some "hidden meaning" with this monkey themed shirt.  But, it's actually quite a cute logo!  It's bascilly a screenprint of a fuschia monkey head, colored yellow on the face, with a aqua outline.  The quality appears to be very well both of the screenprint and even the material used for this shirt.  GILDAN Heavy Cotton (90% cotton/10% polyester) was used, and even though the name wouldn't sound familiar, the actual tag is.  I selected a size Large, which is probably a man's size, since this would actually be considered a XL for women.  Oh and the color of the shirt I received was a heathered gray.  Overall, I would be willing to pay $15-$30 for this shirt, probably depending on what logo (or famous band name) was on it. The cute and playful Funky Monkey logo may actually become a conversation starter. 

You can purchase one for yourself at http://www.tshirtprinting.net/printed-t-shirts/

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Morning Musings

Some things stay with you forever.  Even places you have been to that seem as though they were only a dream!  But then something happens, which triggers your rememberance of that destination...a smell, a sound, etc.  A couple weeks ago, I was out running errands and happened upon a cawing crow, which reminded me of the myriad of crows in Mumbai.  After Sunday morning church service, we passed by the smoke shop next to our church, and I smelled incense.  Immediately I was reminded of our hotel in India, where every morning, the owner would light inscense in the reception area and say a quick prayer to his Ganesh shrine.  This morning, as I drove my husband to work, we were sitting at a traffic signal, and a couple blocks away I heard a car honking that induced another trip down the Mumbai-memory-lane!  After he got out of the car, I decided to pop-in one of our Bollywood soundtracks in the tape-player (yes, you heard that right, lol), and proceeded home, escorted by a longing in my heart for the country that only God could place there.  And to top it all off, I received an email this morning with new "mini-episodes" of Chris from Mission India, having gone back to India at the same time we were there!  To see the videos just got my silly heart-strings being plucked again!  I guess I was foolish and naive to think that one trip to India would "get it out of my system".  Yes, it was a trip of mixed feelings and experiences, but now just battle the "I'm a little exerienced now, and would love to try to do it better the next time" mentality.  But for now, I will just have to keep on savoring these little reminders as a reminder from God, that He has given me "a heart for India and beyond"! :)