Jim Stuff

India 18 - Goin home!

Wrap up. This is a longer blog. You may want to come back when you have time!

I’m on my final leg of the flight home. Still have 3+ hours to go, but I wanted to start putting together a final travel posting. It has truly been an awesome trip and God has worked in so many ways in my own heart. I talked so several long-term missionaries on the ground in Chennai, and it’s strange that I can now look at them and have some understanding of ‘yeah, I can see how normal people can get plucked up by God and moved in that direction’. Having not traveled much, I realize I always kind of viewed missionaries as super-human beings specially rigged to handle all the continental hardships where ever they landed (okay, I’m suffering from watching Superman on the plane earlier this morning, but the parallel just fits).

Sunday morning we had our own church service with all the team (minus 2 who had to leave Sat evening). Some of the final activities are to affirm each other, our friendships, God’s fingerprints, His calling. I really don’t know why I’m surprised, but for some reason I was expecting “okay this is a wrap, good job kidos, pack-it, stack-it, and rack-it!”. God had more specific plans, and it was quite possibly one of the most impactful times in the trip. It is amazing how God just keeps pulling back the curtain. He brings you to a wow and aha space, then just keeps revealing. Not a dry eye in the place. All the tissue boxes empty. God is good.

Sunday afternoon I got out to run a last couple errands, just to see what had been a nice Sunny day turning into yet another rainy day. The dark clouds were looming by 5:00pm and by the time we pulled out from the hotel en-route to the airport at 7:00pm the rain was already falling. Our drivers provided the entertainment for the evening by doing their best to scare us silly in an attempt to get to the airport before the rain really pounded down. It also seemed they were kind of racing each other some of us commented afterwared – thanks for the lasting impression guys J.

The airport was totally jammed on the outside and whatever line was snaking across the front of the airport was clearly just not moving. God inspired our fearless leader to just push through and they let all 6 of us in through by the check-in counters and immigration where the crowd was minimal (we got to enjoy much of the India/’Australia cricket match while waiting). While in the airport I got these 2 pics of the bathroom for everyone to appreciate. Pic1 has 2 doors for the stalls. They are labeled IWC and EWC. I’m quite certain this stands for Indian Water Closet and European Water Closet. Where the Indian has a hole in the floor and a bucket of water for toilet paper, and the European has what us American’s are more accustomed to – a commode and toilet paper (see Pic2).. The houses I visited all had commodes. Some businesses and houses that other team members visited had the traditional style. Both work of course.



Yes - you will find out quickly exactly how strong your leg muscles are using the IWC.

So how has my life been most impacted by this trip at this point! That is the real question. I expect some introspection to come as I step back into my ‘normal’ schedule. Here are a couple points that come to mind.
1. India is truly an amazing place. Not repulsive. The Christians I meet all had warm hospitable hearts with a yearning to reach their fellow brothers and sisters for Christ.
2. Traveling alone can be scary when your not used to it! Loneliness, isolation, fear, loss of control – these are not just experiences of weaklings (yeah, yeah, this is my blog so I get to go with the assertion I’m no weakling ;-) ). God provided an abundance of opportunities to realize my own ugly self confidence and hand it over to Him. Even a couple small panic attacks when pushing into fully unknown areas, realizing that if the taxi or auto-driver where to just drop me at the corner I’d be completely and utterly lost.
3. God shows up when you allow him to. I observed this so many times in my own life, in the group, and with the clients.
4. The powers of darkness show up when you step outside your comfort zone and position yourself to do kingdom work. Again, so many observations – But God has the victory.
5. The Pepsi and diet-Pepsi taste very different and the listed ingredients are altered to be very unreadable so you have no clue as to what type of sweetener is used in Diet Pepsi. Further I basically affirmed that I can exist largely on just water with very limited soda, coffee, and tea intake.
6. I was called by tech-guy-jim (I was the designated tech guy for the trip), dungeon-jim (I was in charge of the dungeon in one of the skits), video-jim, actor-jim, etc,
I learned what a pleasure it is to work with a diverse team from all over the world. The perspectives, stories, and overall fragrant-friendship aromas they bring are so fantastic.

Funny moments – there were many, here are a couple:
1. we were in 2 SUVs being shuttled around Mahabalipuram looking at the widow outreach, orphan school, etc. On the way back we were flying down the highway and went prast a bus stop where a bus had stopped to pick up folks, but everyone had emptied out and were clearly taking a quick break. This stop was not in town or near anything of substance. I had to literally laugh outload when we drove past as there were 30-40 men all lined up on the edge of the road (facing away from traffic thankfully) – watering the landscape. I’ve never seen anything like that before!! (visions of a chorus line came to mind)
2. One of our American consultants arranged 2 different skits many of us got involved in and they were very hilarious.
3. My roommate the Equip portion of the trip was Wayne Cerullo. We got along famously the entire time, and it is definitely an understatement to say that Wayne is a funny guy. On Sunday morning while we were doing ‘serious’ affirmations, he pops out with the following affirmation.
Room 23: (spoof of Psalm 23)
Jim is my roomated, I shall not want any other
He’s ok if I lie down on my gren bedspread by day or by night;
He is still quiet when using the waters of the bathroom.
He restores my internet connection.
He guides me on the path to the electronics store for the groups saving
Even tho I walk thru the valley between large suit cases in a shadowy room, I have not fear of stepping on yourshoes or underwear.
Your skype headset and extension power chord, they comfortme.
You prepare a plate of Masala before me in line, just for the heck of it.
You anoint squeaky sheels with oil, our shower overflows sherever we go.
Shirly, Agnes, and Marcdy will follow me all the days of this venture,
But I’d prefer to room with Jim, whenever
-Wayne
4. Jenna found a bottle from the medical store called Double Action. Its purpose is to make sure your bowel voiding process is pleasant and normal. It was hysterical because it had a little picture of a guy sitting on a commode (largely obscured y the advertisement) – but with an unmistakable large smile on his face. This little bottle occupied the focus of the group for an entire meal. Then there were endless references to it in the following days. Very funny.


I plan to have one more update after a couple days being back with observations integrating back to the norm. FYI.

Jw.

posted by Winya @ 9:07 AM