Never A Dull Moment

So most of you have probably heard me mention this before, but there is never a dull moment in this country.  This time around I am living in a megacity for the first time in my life, and I am constantly made aware of this fact by the never-ending buzzing and humming that inevitably exists in a city with over 10 million people.  There are days when I long for some peace and quiet, some solitude and rest from the hustling and bustling of big city life. However, there are those days when I have to admit that big city life really does have some perks.  For instance, last week I used the fanciest public toilet I have ever seen in this county.  So occasionally one can find public use toilets in the big cities, but generally it is not a pleasant experience for reasons that I am sure you can imagine, and so I won't waste the space describing the environment.  Suffice to say it is not anyone's best life now.  However last week I saw a sign advertising "She Toilets" hanging above something that looked like a fancy porta-potty.  Now I usually try to avoid using public restrooms like the plague, but this situation presented a conundrum for me because I was also very curious about these flashy looking "She Toilets."  I stood before the silver, space-like boxes staring for several minutes while a battle raged within me.  Would common decency and my aversion to such places prevail, or would my curiosity and the desire to have a great story to tell get the best of me?  If you who know me well, you know which side won out.  Yes it's true.  I couldn't resist the urge to try out the new elaborate lavatory.  And since there is really no graceful way to describe a bathroom, I have attached a few pics.  The whole point of this random post is this, sometimes big city life isn't that bad.

Basically you put the equivalent of 3 pennies in the money box on the left, then the door unlocks and you are free to proceed inside.  On the inside of the door, there was a button you could press to have the floor washed after your exit.  I felt like Ellie Mae Clampett trying to figure the thing out.  There are not bathrooms like this in the village that's for sure.  As an added bonus, there was some classic Whitney Houston playing inside.

a TREASURE that does not fade

As the result of change to the legal, cash tender in this country, most of the ATMS in my neighborhood have a sign hung hastily on the door letting all-comers know that there is NO CASH available.  As I have learned recently, it is jarring and even a little scary to discover that cash can become worthless in a blink of an eye.  As I have been navigating this process the last few months, Father has reminded me again and again of what his Word says in Matthew 6 about the fleeting nature of earthly treasures.  In this time, He is also reminding me of how I can be confident that my treasure in heaven cannot be destroyed.  I am never going to wake up and discover the hope I have put in Him is now worthless.  I am never going to wake up and discover that which I have done in pursuit of His Kingdom is pointless.  That is why I set my mind and heart on the things of heaven and a treasure that will never fade.

Getting off the Slough

For Christmas Sister bought me a facial cleansing brush system.  I had been telling her how dull and dry my skin had become since moving back to South Asia, and Sister, being the generous, thoughtful person that we all know her to be, bought me one for Christmas.  (Now my guess is that you men will have no idea what this contraption is, but basically it is an oscillating brush that helps to remove dead skin from the face.) I have already started to use it as part of my nightly grooming session. While others might not be able to notice, I can already see tiny differences.  Today I was staring at the brush sitting on my shelf, and the thought occurred to me that I needed to get some slough not just off my face but off of my spirit as well.  Slowly, slowly over the last 6 months I have let the slough build up on my spirit to the point where I have become spiritually dull. Dull to Father's voice. Dull to the things of the Word. Dull to the sin in my life.  I am not sure exactly how it happened, but it probably involved a mixture of apathy, weariness, and misguided focus.  Toss in a dose of busy and an alarming shortage of deliberate communion with the Creator, and there you have it.  So armed with the realization that I needed the HS to slough away some deadness in my life, I turned anew to the Word and worship today. And you know what? He did it.  Some spiritual exfoliation took place if you will.  As I sat still before Him, He gave me this picture of the dead skin being sloughed away from my heart as HS worked through living Word.  He sloughed through some dead spots.  And while it might not be super obvious to anyone else at this point, I can tell the difference.  There is more that needs to be done.  It's the same as with this facial brush.  A one time use will not yield lasting change.  It is intended for daily use.  

I am thankful for HS who works in my life to remove what is deadened, for a Father who is faithful and patient, and for the Son who makes it possible for me to come.  Today, if you are like me and in need of a good deep cleansing, don't put it off.  Turn to the One who is able to gently remove the impurities and dullness in your life and bring renewal. 

This is me 6 months ago before I hit the open road for South Asia. A lot has happened since I left. There has been quite a bit of homesickness and loneliness.  Psalm 42 has been one I have gone back to again and again since I left.
Check out the song Satisfied in You by The Sing Team.  It is based on Psalm 42. 

A Time for Everything

For everything there is a season,

 and a time for every matter under heaven.  Ecc 3:1

There was a time for me to live in South Asia:
      a time to learn a new language and culture;
      a time to fall in love with my city,
           and a time to experience culture shock;
      a time for sweating it out in the crippling heat,
           and a time to discover cooking with mutton;
     a time to make new friends,
           and a time to share stories of Truth and Hope;
      a time to help the least of these - the poor, hurting, dying;
      a time for learning really hard lessons;
      a time to learn to depend on Him alone;
      a time to be outside of my comfort zone,
           and a time to be stretched beyond what I thought possible
      a time for trials and difficulties, and a time for laughter and fun;
      a time to see Dad working among the nations,
           and a time to rejoice as I saw Him move. 

Now it is time to say goodbye.  It is time to say goodbye to all the places and people I have come to love.  Saying goodbye is bittersweet.  I am going to miss living here.  I am going to miss my friends.  I am going to miss the sights and sounds and smells to which I've become accustomed.  I am going to miss the unpredictability and the warm, relational way of life.  I am sad to say goodbye to this time of my life, but I am also so thankful for the season I had overseas.  And I am excited to see what is in store for the next season of my life.  I am trusting in the One who controls all time because I know that just as He was sovereign over my last 2 years, so will he be sovereign over my next 2 years.  All time is in His hands, and I rejoice for the time I spent in South Asia and look eagerly to the future.

 

My Miss List

These days I've been fielding a lot of questions about what I will miss from life overseas when I return to the States.  Being the list maker and super organized person that everyone knows me to be (no comments), I have made a list of what I will miss the most when I leave next week. 

The People

 I will miss my friend Z dearly.  We formed a fast friendship that has only deepened with time.  Here we are on one of our city adventures.

This group keeps me on my toes.

                                   

My friend RJ is a constant source of joy and encouragement. I will visiting and sharing life with her. This is a picture from her birthday.

I will miss telling stories to groups of women.

The Village

I will miss sitting outside at the village visiting with my friends and their families.

 

I will miss the beautiful countryside.

 

The Food

My love for street food has already been well established.

The mango shake.

Even though there are only 2 main kinds of meat here, mutton and chicken, my city can cook 'em up with some serious skill.  I will definitely miss tandoori chicken
and mutton seekh kabobs. 

Samosas, spinach pecora, and chutney.  Enough said.

I will miss the convenience and freshness of local fruit and vegetable vendors. 

Hanging Out With Friends



When people ask what we do for fun in our city the answer usually centers around hanging out, eating good food, drinking coffee, and laughing as much as possible.



I will especially miss my friend in the cap.  He helped pick me up from the airport my first day in the city, and he hasn't stopped helping me.  He gives me a daily dose of sarcasm.

 

The City

I think my city looks especially beautiful when the picture is taken from above and you can't see all the trash.

 

I'm going to miss all the awesome markets and shopping in the city. 

South Asian Specials
The awesome things which are commonplace here that I will miss experiencing on a regular basis.

 

I love living in a place where it is normal to see elephants on the street.

The monkeys are cute, but they will eat your face off.

I probably won't miss cows being free to wander all over, but it will be strange living somewhere that isn't normal.

I will miss public transportation and how incredibly easy it is to
get around without a car.

I will miss cute, mischievous kids who call me Didi (big sister) and are constantly
asking for toffee (any type of candy).

I will NOT miss the trash that is everywhere, but I will miss coming across crazy sights that make me shake my head in disbelief.  Let me break down the picture.  There is garbage everywhere, most of it not in one of the town's few dumpsters, cows feasting on the garbage, dogs inside the dumpster having a little party inside the dumpster.   All the animals seem oblivious to the fire that is burning in the middle of it all.  This is definitely a South Asian Special.

I will miss driving and parking being a team sport.  There is always someone willing to help drivers get in and out of tight spots.

I will miss wandering the side streets of the city.

After I leave, there will be a hold in my life where the tandoor and
its wonderful creations once thrived.

The wedding season with all its fanfare will be missed.

I will miss seeing the tonga carrying its load all over the city.

I will miss all the rich and flavorful South Asian spices.

I have never personally gotten a roadside cut and shave,
 but I love that it's available for those who so desire.

 I will miss being able to buy fresh squeezed juice anytime I want.

I will miss the smell of fresh henna.

I love how easy it is to shop for clothes here.  I love that the whole outfit is sold together and then tailored to fit.
  

Confession.  I will not miss boxed milk.  What kind of milk doesn't need to be refrigerated?!!! However it will forever remind me of my time in South Asia.

 



Parting Shots

Here are some pictures from my last 2 months in the city.

This is me enjoying a fresh lime soda sweet.  It is kind of like a limeade.  It is one of my favorite drinks, especially in the summer.

I love to sit and talk with girls about health and life and the Way.

I will miss all the cute little South Asian kids.

This is a picture of a food vendor in the city who sells all kinds of yummy snacks.  The samosas and paneer pecora are my favorite.  They serve the pecora with a chutney that I think is as close to BBQ sauce as I've seen.

This little girl comes to our house 3-4 times a week and asks to hear
stories from the Book. 

The Kansas City crew

LHug and I bright and early on Easter morning.  I have loved living with her these last 3 months.  We have had more good times and laughs than I count.  I will miss living with her.

The girls eating at the famous meat dhaaba

 Enjoying a nice picnic South Asian style.