tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43805525335947367592024-03-05T06:28:22.841-08:00Journey to India 2012Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-8262715785173565432012-08-15T07:51:00.002-07:002012-08-15T07:51:54.815-07:00You are Invited!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You are invited to a Journey to India: Mission Presentation.<br />
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I would like to share what I learned, saw and experienced when I was in India. There will be a photo presentation, Indian desserts ( Gulab Jamun, Besan Barfi), some savory snacks, and tea (Chai Masala). <br /><br />Everyone is welcome!<br />
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It will be held at New Hope Community Church<br />
244 S. 79th St., Shelby, MI <br />
(Email me if you would like directions.)<br />
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Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.<br />
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I hope you can come!<br />
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Linda<br />
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Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-51221342674600188682012-07-27T11:17:00.002-07:002012-07-30T04:03:07.092-07:00Some Final Thoughts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here are some images that were burned into my eyes, ears, tastebuds and nose:</div>
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I saw more garbage and flies than I knew existed.</div>
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I saw whole families on motorcycles. Once I saw dad in a helmet, two toddlers and a mom on the back. One of the toddlers was asleep and mom held him, so that he wouldn’t fall. This whole scene was taking place in three lanes of stop and go city traffic, flanked by autorickshaws, buses, tiny trucks, big trucks and bicycles. </div>
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I learned that what can’t be carried on a person’s back, is put on a bicycle (I saw someone riding a bike with at least 20 re-rods that are used to reinforce concrete). If the bike won’t handle it, then put it on a motorcycle. (I saw two men riding a motorcycle with a goat between them.) If that won’t work, jam it in/on an auto-rickshaw or a truck of the same size. </div>
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I learned that the roads and roadsides are a constant stream of chaotic humanity, yet, we only saw one accident.</div>
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It isn’t ok for women to show their legs or upper arms, but it is ok to show your belly when wearing a Sari.</div>
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Cows really are sacred, they are ignored and given free reign in all settings. I’ll never use the term, “Holy Cow” without realizing where it originated.</div>
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In the mountains marijuana grows everywhere, so the name ‘weed’ makes sense. I’m not sure that is why it was called that, but in the mountains, it is true.</div>
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I smelled jasmine and manure; curry/turmeric based body-odor; our guest house room had a teakwood floor that made the room smell wonderful; many indoor bathrooms had an outhouse smell. I smelled sandalwood incense and smoke from marijuana as I passed by a shop in downtown Manali. </div>
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I realized that the reason we were given a typhoid shot to go to India is because their rivers and streams have raw sewage in them. I saw a river that looked like it had ice on it, except that it was 102 degrees that day. It must have been a sudsy type of pollution. I saw people washing their clothes on the riverbank, downriver from the pollution. I wondered what else was in the river that I couldn't see.</div>
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I saw rice paddies, water buffalo, a cobra in a basket charmed with a flute, wild monkeys and camels ridden in New Delhi traffic.</div>
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I saw a man with his hands, feet, and nose taken by leprosy. He was sitting on the pavement in an alley in New Delhi. He wasn’t begging, he was just sitting.</div>
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As we shopped in a storefront bazaar, I was pursued by a little girl selling beads. She said to me, “Buy some my mother, I give you a good price, my mother.” I got 100 Rupees out of my bag and kept it in my hand. She said she would sell them to me, 20 strands for 100 Rupees. I said, ‘How many are in your hand?” She began to count them in English and miscounted, ending up at 20. I recounted them with her and she had 24. We exchanged a look when she realized her mistake. She said that she would give me a good price Rs 100 for 24. I bought them, but she continued to follow our group soliciting other team members. I said to her, “My friend isn’t going to buy any, but remember, I did. I asked her, “How old are you?” She told me she was 11. I asked if she goes to school. She said, no. I asked if the lady with the baby who was begging was her mother. She said no, her mom wasn’t there, and that she was very poor. I asked if she had any brothers or sisters. She said she had an older brother.</div>
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She also told me her mom made the beads that she was selling. (There were probably 10 other people selling identical bead strands. I wondered how much of what she had told me was a ‘sales ploy’ and I wondered what had happened to make this 11 year old so street-wise. I also wondered what her life would be like in the future.)</div>
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We saw children begging. Uma told us not to give them money. He said Slum Dog Millionaire was accurate. There are people who use the children as slaves to beg for them. He said if we feel a need to give, give food. The children would at least get some benefit from it.</div>
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I tasted amazing, wonderful, and spicy Indian food. I can’t begin to say the names of the dishes. I hope to learn to make some. I love the mint tea we were served at the Children’s Home. Masala Chai tea is also something I intend to make. I had watermelon juice and ice cream made from roses.</div>
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I found most of the people to be curious, helpful and gracious with their time and resources, no matter how limited their time and resources might be.</div>
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I haven’t really processed all of facets of this trip yet. I know God wanted me to be a part of this team. I think some of His reasoning was because I had some things to offer to people. I think some of His reasoning was for me to gain from people and experiences. I don’t really know the big picture yet, and it may take a long time to unfold for me.</div>
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I did have one experience that I am pondering. When I was in Manali, in the chapel and the children were singing, “How Great Is Our God” There was a sense of Holiness listening to the children’s voices and this thought popped into my head,</div>
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” This is why I brought you here.” I am prayerfully pondering its meaning. I do know my thought each time we sang with children in each setting, was an awareness of God's great love and Holiness in worshiping together that transcends culture and language differences.</div>
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Here is a story and verse which have more meaning for me now that I have been to India. </div>
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It is adapted from “The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley.</div>
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A man was walking along a deserted beach. As he walked, he could see a young boy in the distance, as he drew nearer he noticed that the boy kept bending down, picking something up and throwing it into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things into the ocean.</div>
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As the man approached even closer, he was able to see that the boy was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and one-at-a-time he was throwing them back into the water.</div>
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The man asked the boy what he was doing, the boy replied, “I am throwing these washed up starfish back into the ocean. The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”</div>
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“But,” said the man, “you can’t possibly save them all. There are thousands on this beach, and this must be happening on hundreds of beaches along the coast day after day.</div>
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“You can’t possibly make a difference.”</div>
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The boy smiled, bent down and picked up another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied, “Made a difference to that one.”</div>
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My prayer daily is to love people as God loves them. To move my heart in the direction of His, means loving people one-at-a-time. Helping them meet their needs is showing them love and respect. Hopefully, God’s love will flow vertically down through me and out of my mouth, hands and feet to the people He loves.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #470d00; font-family: Verdana;">Matthew 25:44-45</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #470d00; font-family: Verdana;">The Message (MSG)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <b>44</b>". . . Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <b>45</b>"He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.</span></div>
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It is my hope and prayer that this blog entertained you, opened new aspects about India for you, and maybe gave you some new insights to aid you in your relationship with God.</div>
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My thanks to Anna Van Wyck and John Balyo for the use of their photos.</div>
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If you would like to see the rest of my photos and to hear about the whole trip, let me know.<br />
If God has laid it upon your heart to help support these ministries, I can give you the contact information.<br />
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Linda <b><span style="color: #470d00;"></span></b></div>
</div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-35794909876396189962012-07-27T10:47:00.001-07:002012-07-27T10:47:34.838-07:00When you are told to bring toilet paper to India . . . do it!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems that much of Indian life is lived in public
alongside the road. Just about every item imaginable is sold by roadside
vendors: food, religious supplies, tires, motorcycle helmets . . . I saw men
getting haircuts sitting in a roadside barber chair.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we rode in the bus at night, there were many men
congregated alongside the roads. Rarely did I see any women. I am thinking the
men use this as a time to hang out with their friends. In the city, I saw a lot
of men laying on the ground sleeping both at night and in the daytime.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It appears to be socially ok for men to urinate in public
along the roadside, as long as they turn away from the road to do it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The women’s bathrooms were also of interest to me. In places
like the mall or airport there were toilets with seats and toilet paper much like here. They
also have what looks like a hose that in the U.S. might be attached to a
kitchen sink. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I saw this for the first time at the airport. (I’d been told
that sometimes the international airports offer showers. Being the good little
blonde that I am, I thought, “How nice, the Delhi airport offers a shower right
in the bathroom stall.”)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, as we traveled and as I saw many more bathrooms, I had
to refine my ‘shower theory’. Many bathrooms didn’t have a toilet to sit on.
There was a hole to squat over, no toilet paper to wipe with, and one of those
hoses. (In most bathrooms, if you <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>happened
to bring-your-own toilet paper, you were expected to deposit the used paper in
a waste basket and not in the toilet itself.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9_OlXvEwTRng4-Y9Vyh7d70k0_3zNGiDNIFZZ1GoxUR1eG_SiocOBY26j_idTqh4oPdmlyPt9qG6vNQ8ami7R7wELpBYrnhe4yEFGUhMGNY8fX0s9VoNQuM44JuhBwrfXIrTSR8Sxr94/s1600/HPIM0981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9_OlXvEwTRng4-Y9Vyh7d70k0_3zNGiDNIFZZ1GoxUR1eG_SiocOBY26j_idTqh4oPdmlyPt9qG6vNQ8ami7R7wELpBYrnhe4yEFGUhMGNY8fX0s9VoNQuM44JuhBwrfXIrTSR8Sxr94/s320/HPIM0981.JPG" width="165" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmdiDJDX0yfyX0LjbVhudeXaPPqd07UazxL0qQxDalzpOFpvhoFzxBaYz4HMd3tfgwtyo0Hsn9im4vr1807RMU4H3MFyUwH98YdYsfJIvTt0NS7Evo99XQgAj6oHWj4dNuRbLfYjddgtk/s1600/HPIM0982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmdiDJDX0yfyX0LjbVhudeXaPPqd07UazxL0qQxDalzpOFpvhoFzxBaYz4HMd3tfgwtyo0Hsn9im4vr1807RMU4H3MFyUwH98YdYsfJIvTt0NS7Evo99XQgAj6oHWj4dNuRbLfYjddgtk/s320/HPIM0982.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I can’t figure out is how a lady can use that sprayer
without getting herself and her clothes wet. I guess that will have to be a question I will need to find the answer for in the future. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is one final piece of advice for traveling. Many of our
team members expressed some distress about being constipated due inactivity,
dietary changes and not being able to relax. One of the team members did suggest
a cure for constipation that none of us wanted to try. She said suggested taking another ride through the mountains might have a
laxative effect especially if we did it in the day time so we could see how close we were to the edge. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-8408890839335267152012-07-27T10:36:00.000-07:002012-07-27T10:36:15.999-07:00Make Friends, Help Meet Needs, then Share Christ<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(We were asked not to put the faces of the children in these slum ministries on Facebook. So I have more photos that are part of my presentation, but that won't be included here. If you want to see or hear more, let me know.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday, Friday, our team went to a slum in the northern
part of New Delhi. We drove for over an hour in the clamor of horns and the
chaos of buses, trucks, delivery vans, auto-rickshaws, bicycles and motorbikes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We turned off the major road onto very rutted and bumpy side
roads. There were the Hindu shrines, and roadside vendors selling everything
possible alongside the road. The ever-present trash piles seemed bigger and more numerous. I did see people picking through the garbage looking for items of use, to eat, or to sell. There were pigs, chickens, and cows wandering everywhere.
The only animal more common than cows, are the stray dogs; they are lean and
constantly looking for something to eat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When our 'rich person’s bus' made its way through the narrow
streets, people would look up and you could see them wondering why were we there. I feared that this predominantly Muslim community would think our visit was
to stare at their living condition the way people stare at animals in a zoo. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Honestly, we had spent the past week observing many aspects
of rural and city Indian life. Hopefully, we were observing with curiosity the
way life in India varies from life in Western Michigan, without passing
judgment. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Yq3WlLx0EprRMxXZVybKgz1rH_Gl2cEEgPPTmMOK_gqGeFZ5TTxT7uwT3JB8blrueIIgFY7IFIexO73_EaE0t6cMK-XTjjymG7MsUtyFff3n8r2OLOj7kyt8MekHhys2MQpjejIXpSaY/s1600/HPIM1160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Yq3WlLx0EprRMxXZVybKgz1rH_Gl2cEEgPPTmMOK_gqGeFZ5TTxT7uwT3JB8blrueIIgFY7IFIexO73_EaE0t6cMK-XTjjymG7MsUtyFff3n8r2OLOj7kyt8MekHhys2MQpjejIXpSaY/s320/HPIM1160.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Bj0pLFHzhw3-n1-2vXJHL7uYfnBjeCHllB96UjT9gzw1UNgse8xzHVsM4s0FiYcTXgEihilyHUgI6vKUYq4mYgwSV9bEKnnhuqjEIsAffHNC6wgaQf4WSVlvcSic7Eu5PJSHevSvZYg2/s1600/7631150354_407629e0fa_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Bj0pLFHzhw3-n1-2vXJHL7uYfnBjeCHllB96UjT9gzw1UNgse8xzHVsM4s0FiYcTXgEihilyHUgI6vKUYq4mYgwSV9bEKnnhuqjEIsAffHNC6wgaQf4WSVlvcSic7Eu5PJSHevSvZYg2/s320/7631150354_407629e0fa_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8iOO-58JPH3dd0DWZuT5H4Cdj78sWgStJH26R6tsJg1t3F8HUzaKOpcu-CVkM89XZ1q2cjrmE3iW4c0b37GpRC4AL_AHUw91GaxtscdD5g1AjrPu_P1ScmE8sLtyQr46-swxoSCHnHco/s1600/7631082370_25d1160d2d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8iOO-58JPH3dd0DWZuT5H4Cdj78sWgStJH26R6tsJg1t3F8HUzaKOpcu-CVkM89XZ1q2cjrmE3iW4c0b37GpRC4AL_AHUw91GaxtscdD5g1AjrPu_P1ScmE8sLtyQr46-swxoSCHnHco/s320/7631082370_25d1160d2d_b.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we entered the slum community, it appeared that the role
of curiosity was reversed. It became our turn to be the spectacle as the bus
came to a stop. People from all over the neighborhood gathered outside of the
bus. Uma encouraged us to hurry getting off of the bus because the longer it
took for us to gather our supplies, the larger the crowd of onlookers would be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully, we had been joined by the two women and two men
who run this Christian ministry, and school. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I need to say that as we got off the bus into that crowd, I
was scared. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I put on a fake smile. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We couldn’t walk directly down the alley to the school,
because there was a death in the community. A 12 year old boy had died that
morning and was laying in the alley outside of his house and surrounded by
mourners. His body was to be burned before sundown that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had fallen 2 years ago and had been
paralyzed since then. I wondered about his mother and if he had been a part of
the school we were getting ready to visit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We entered the school building through a narrow doorway that
led to narrow, and tall steps. As I neared the top I stepped over many pairs of
shoes shed as the children entered their classroom. I turned from the stairs
and entered a room to see 50 brown, smiling faces. They were all seated on the
floor on mats. There were 25 young children and 25 older boys seated separately
in rows. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They were clearly curious about us, but also very happy we
were there. The fear I’d been wearing fell off like a thick winter coat. We all
waved and smiled at one another. There was much love that could only have come
from God passing between all of us in the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Interesting how it can be, there were such differences between us and very little ability to
communicate, yet the love and peace of God was in and through us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’d only been told that there would be teenage boys at the
school about 30 minutes before we arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because we were expecting only little kids in the slums, we had left all
older kid activities in Manali. It was my responsibility to plan activities for
the older kids, so this left me with nothing for them to do. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had brought two suitcases with activities, donations and
candy. The activities we had planned to do (pasting foam pieces on a book mark
and coloring a Bible story picture) would be an insult for these teens. (There
were only a few girls in this age group, the only one I remember was the
teacher’s daughter). I went downstairs to the place were the suitcases had been
put and I prayed that God would help me to find something in there to do with
these boys. I opened it and saw paper that had been cut to fold and assemble to
make paper Frisbies. Thank you, God!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t know how to make them, but I located two team
members who had done them in Manali. They agreed to lead the session.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I saw once again the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>power that music has to join believers in worship to the God we share.
Chris, from our team, led several accapella worship songs and Annette played
the violin. The kids were attentive; I think it was their first time
see/hearing a violin.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The boys surrounded us, and were eager to fold/assemble
the Frisby. They were patient with my lack of skill, and it was clear that they
were very bright and learned as quickly as we were able to teach them the
folds. The thought came to me that many doctors and engineers come from India. I
could see this aptitude in the boys as we worked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Several of our team members offered to paint the boys faces.
I wondered how this would be received. They weren’t interested in that, but did
like to have designs painted on their forearms. They said, “tattoo”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anna’s comment was that they related some of
the designs with Hindu dieties.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I mentioned before, we had a lot of young beautiful women
on our team. Before the afternoon ended the guys surrounded them to flirt and
ask questions. It was appropriate, but a little more of the uncomfortable type
of attention men give to western women in this culture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All too soon, it was time to pass out the candy and to
leave. We didn’t have enough candy bags for all of the kids, so we dumped them
into a bag to distribute: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10 pieces per
child. Once again, I saw their street smarts. The two men who had been
interpreting for us and photographing the activities with our cameras, told me
to count the 10 pieces of candy into their hands so that they could give them
to the boys.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did, but when the boys approached me, I asked if they’d
already gotten some and they said no. The man helping me let me know that they
were scamming me and that he should be the one to pass out the candy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The teacher was a petite little lady with beautiful green
eyes and was wearing a white Sari. She made a point to introduce herself, although
we didn’t share a language. She also wanted me to meet her son and daughter who are both in the program. When was time to leave, we hugged and she told me, it wasn’t
goodbye, because we would see one another in heaven.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The walk to the bus was again lined with curious neighborhood
people, but also with the children and adults that we had just sent several
hours getting to know.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The crowd surrounded our bus, waved, and smiled. One woman
held up her baby so that I could see him. I saw one of the younger girls,
probably about age 6, that had gone to the roof for the little kids lesson and
crafts. She had her candy and the items she had made held in the folds of her Kurta
so that she could hold them and wave at the same time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we drove off, I felt deeply thankful for the opportunity
to meet these people and to serve God in this way. I did learn later, that
there is no water available at this school. They don’t have any money for a
well and are unsure if the government will give them permission to get one. In the U.S. if there isn't water available for school, we close and send the kids home.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While we were in the school, the camera and money belonging
to one of our team member was stolen from the bus seat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today we were guided to a slum in the southern part of the
city. This made the buildings and lack of water at the previous school look
like a palace.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSK3wsLAaeiRa_LyTjw0t4A83LUhFgeQx6Cvr5BV4LqCMyTbI9ruHHxzfq9oZgudsBLEO_Ylsr8ioJ8zUfzbBw44ryZLBK-7bq0w3CKsRj0tD-BbQi8dKgdyaUFThbPuYi4UBpXqCFZ6k4/s1600/7631435968_baf058dc52_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSK3wsLAaeiRa_LyTjw0t4A83LUhFgeQx6Cvr5BV4LqCMyTbI9ruHHxzfq9oZgudsBLEO_Ylsr8ioJ8zUfzbBw44ryZLBK-7bq0w3CKsRj0tD-BbQi8dKgdyaUFThbPuYi4UBpXqCFZ6k4/s320/7631435968_baf058dc52_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztofEGaii7dRZSjaOQ56Zuj6EzEqQOr4Yl6vjP7EqTQhirWkyZ7G2eFXm5ZxrknsORt1pXj6AapTBpmpiVF74F_55gqYTblBtQX955JQTOI5K7bcYbEpdOEP_zf5p131ynLbitQ5Gop4A/s1600/7631438734_5bb1765b8e_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztofEGaii7dRZSjaOQ56Zuj6EzEqQOr4Yl6vjP7EqTQhirWkyZ7G2eFXm5ZxrknsORt1pXj6AapTBpmpiVF74F_55gqYTblBtQX955JQTOI5K7bcYbEpdOEP_zf5p131ynLbitQ5Gop4A/s320/7631438734_5bb1765b8e_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIWDJKlkFDHOIh4LpNBKFneB5AR1o7jzPRHegLaTYQwWKLvnJefl5mbXuQ_wACXnD4mvsUoVk_xVhn2ktJT3dDZKfFqxTSENjJTNxINNF4hfXuyd9Y2xT2OgELha3MPftzsH7ghlDqYsg/s1600/7631432334_187e2c941f_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIWDJKlkFDHOIh4LpNBKFneB5AR1o7jzPRHegLaTYQwWKLvnJefl5mbXuQ_wACXnD4mvsUoVk_xVhn2ktJT3dDZKfFqxTSENjJTNxINNF4hfXuyd9Y2xT2OgELha3MPftzsH7ghlDqYsg/s320/7631432334_187e2c941f_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We walked from the bus down a street lined with vendors and
corrugated metal pieces that had been assembled into ramshackle dwellings.
There were tarps and sacks used to join the metal piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Families lived under them. Each was joined to
another so that there were rows of adjoining cells of families. Again we were
joined by 3 of the people from the previous day who are also involved in this
school and women’s ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we
followed one of the women., she led several of us into a yard surrounded by
scorched brick walls. We were told that there was a fire there 2 years ago.
Because people burn cow manure patties for heat and to cook food within their
dwelling, fires are always a concern. Most of the dwellings also have a blue or
white tarps covering a portion of it. The proximity of the dwellings and the
types of material inside, makes fire a real and deadly threat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I learned from one of the women that these people are in such
temporary dwellings, because the government can relocate them at any time. She
said that she was from Darjeeling Pradesh and her people had also been
relocated. This helped her have something in common and it helped her establish
trust with the people in this community.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have never seen filth like what we walked through to get
to the school. Not only was there garbage everywhere, there was standing water
that clearly had sewage in it. One of our bags fell in the water, we were told
to leave it there. A well-meaning person from the school picked it up, rinsed
it at the school’s pitcher pump and then handed it to me. I was unaware of the
events that led to the wet bag in my hands, I was advised to put it down and
use hand sanitizer. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We entered the school’s courtyard<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>through an wrought iron gate to find an open-air
room. It had a red tarp over it to block the sun. There were also 4 small classrooms with tables and benches and a leanto against one of the rooms to provide another area of shade. The dirt and brick floor had been swept very clean. There was no
furniture in this main meeting area. We saw 50 children were sitting on
the floor on red blanket-like mats waiting for sand again, God's Spirit was clearly apparent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Friday, we had joined these same children on a field trip
to a doll museum in New Delhi. They were very unresponsive to us at the museum,
but in their own setting, they seemed happy to see us again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were neighborhood children on the roof next door
watching us as well as children outside the iron gate watching us through the
bars.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition to the two ladies, Adelade and Tonge, the
program director who had also been with us the day before were acting as our interpretors.
WhenI showed the program director all of the school supplies we planned to
leave with them, he explained that all supplies had to be taken to the main
office for storage because people break into the school at night to take
anything that is left there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once again we sang to them, and Annette played her violin. Their
little faces were amazed to see the violin and to listen to the songs. The
story of Jesus' death was told to them. We divided into 3 groups for coloring
and crafts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have never, in my life, experienced flies like what are in
that place. Mid-morning it was very hot and a teacher asked if it would be ok
to serve some juice to the children. At that point the kids were busily
coloring. Two young women mixed and served the juice, another teacher spent her
energy waving away the flies so that they would stay out of the children’s cups
until their their juice was gone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(On the way out of the school, we walked past a butcher
shop. I didn’t see it, but was told by a member of our team that a man was
cutting up a chicken on a block on which the flies were so thick, the top of
the block looked black. Two other women said the floor of the shop was black
with flies and as the man walked in his shop it looked like a black cloud
lifting off of the floor.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before we left, our team surrounded the children to pray for them. It was a touching moment to see them in the center of the circle with their heads bowed during the prayer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I am beginning to process these two experiences, here are
some of my thoughts:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, in the US, kids have much more than the children
we met and yet, I don’t think they are any happier than these children.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Second, although these people have very little to offer,
they made sure we were given a beverage in each of the schools, and we had full
meals in Manali. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the people of
India are people of great graciousness and hospitality.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Third, in each place we visited, they were very appreciative
of our gifts, and that we would just come to share music, crafts and ourselves
with the children. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fourth,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In each of
these settings, I was reminded that we are all under God. At the DUF Children’s
home, the teacher said to me, “I will not forget you, please pray for us.” In
the northern slum the teacher reminded me that we would meet together in heaven
one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we left the southern slum,
the woman who helps run the women’s purse sales told me how grateful the women
were that we purchased their hand-bags. I told her that we took lots of
pictures to help us remember to pray for them. It made me realize that is a use for our pictures in addition to recording our memories.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fifth, and of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the utmost
importance, these ministries are doing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>like Jesus did: He made friends, He helped people meet their needs, and He
then shared the hope of heaven and salvation with them. Not only are these
ministries in India making friends with outcast people, they are helping them
to meet either needs. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the northern slum, women were coming to bank money they
had earned in a women’s ministry to help them manage the money they earn. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the southern slum, the women have been embellishing
handbags to sell. They had a display out for us to purchase. Some of the money
will be given to the women and some will be used to purchase more supplies to
make more. This women’s cooperative both with the banking and cottage trade
gives some of these women money to help support their families. The teacher
said that substance abuse within the male population is very high. This
training is a huge help for these women and children.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29uUZt-exFY0gnemx1oScENmYkCeGxMa6dCdPuMV8Bw_BFD_coNox7LVMv3RP6B8XKdKyywLj_qxefyiWl6v-XWR2cC5wp2EN-0XahiK2XGzSki5qlMI6NjpyYDJxg2EHcFv0jv3eETBP/s1600/HPIM1252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29uUZt-exFY0gnemx1oScENmYkCeGxMa6dCdPuMV8Bw_BFD_coNox7LVMv3RP6B8XKdKyywLj_qxefyiWl6v-XWR2cC5wp2EN-0XahiK2XGzSki5qlMI6NjpyYDJxg2EHcFv0jv3eETBP/s320/HPIM1252.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When a person feels respected and knows someone cares enough
to help them meet some of their needs, that is when their heart will open to salvation
that Christ offers. Jesus was a great example, He cared, healed, and fed before
He shared His life’s mission.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-61172647363938855112012-07-27T09:54:00.000-07:002012-07-27T09:56:37.765-07:00Wednesday and Thursday Highlights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On Wednesday early a.m. we left DUF Children's Home after a very sad goodbye. Auntie is such an inspiration. She got up to come to our guest house to say goodbye at 5 a.m. as the teens put our luggage on the tour bus.<br />
<br />
We traveled 2 hours to the nearest airport in Kullu. We arrived, went through a ridiculous amount of security (including a woman who checks the bathroom stall after you finish) and then we sat . . . for hours. The only flight to New Delhi was in question due to weather conditions. Eventually with some prayer, whatever the problem was ended and we were able to fly to New Delhi.<br />
<br />
It was too late to go meet more kids, so we relaxed and went out for dinner. This was a welcome rest.<br />
<br />
On Thursday we traveled 10 hours round trip on a small bumpy bus (no one was able to read or type a blog) to Agra and the Taj Mahal. The heat index was 114 degrees, I don't sweat and became seriously overheated. Thankfully, an ER nurse on our team took care of me both that day and the next when we went into the slum which was also very hot.<br />
<br />
Before we left Delhi, we were sitting at a red light, two camels with riders went across the intersection!<br />
Here are some photos of other things we did and saw.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XNKRzbvGQrHRgbKy2nF-XyAbQ8KOkftkh-PgyQi3l2tBLyyr6ooiJgqpUoufAfZHH6s9axOZy307aBzm2h-GsmOywYAqjDHrjH8c0YRJ0iEIQA39fcOrh3bFvZcwNdQwtIPWf0igeh-y/s1600/P7190148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XNKRzbvGQrHRgbKy2nF-XyAbQ8KOkftkh-PgyQi3l2tBLyyr6ooiJgqpUoufAfZHH6s9axOZy307aBzm2h-GsmOywYAqjDHrjH8c0YRJ0iEIQA39fcOrh3bFvZcwNdQwtIPWf0igeh-y/s320/P7190148.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although there are wild monkeys all over like squirrels, these are some alongside the road that people can be photographed with.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXsjvqcJSHV8qURVgN6-gmG-6xM5H6Rbb1BRpy61S_styp57MlhsrVgVu3blasTF82dwNMx53GJ90H_uTFkXx1P1WKpaHGkcyPDkgCVSd9iGcSB_LoQhprs1UsBX2SN0z-0Mdv17FpKgg/s1600/HPIM1147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXsjvqcJSHV8qURVgN6-gmG-6xM5H6Rbb1BRpy61S_styp57MlhsrVgVu3blasTF82dwNMx53GJ90H_uTFkXx1P1WKpaHGkcyPDkgCVSd9iGcSB_LoQhprs1UsBX2SN0z-0Mdv17FpKgg/s320/HPIM1147.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, that is a cobra in a basket and a snake charmer with his flute. Just like you see in cartoons!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bus driver, against the wishes of Uma, opened the bus door so that we could get a better look at the cobra.<br />
When the charmer was done, he put the lid on the basket and the cobra went back into the basket!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-66872755845888483882012-07-23T12:17:00.002-07:002012-07-23T12:17:37.337-07:00Tuesday July 17, A Picnic in a Mountain Valley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On Tuesday we took the kids from the home and the Rainbow School kids for a picnic in the mountains. In addition to eating, we played with bubbles, balloons, a parachute, made salvation bracelets, and had face painting. This is also a ski resort, so the kids were treated to a gondola ride up the ski slope to see the magnificent views from the air. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the ever present cows. </td></tr>
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<br /></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-76989474051852253172012-07-23T11:32:00.002-07:002012-07-23T11:32:47.383-07:00Monday, July 16 The Olympics and Vacation Bible School.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On Monday, the morning was spent doing Vacation Bible School activities. The little kids were in the eating area of the home, I was upstairs in the chapel with the older kids. Many of you here at home, made these activities possible with your donations of money and materials. These are memory boxes. We had 4 lessons that had objects to go in the boxes to help them remember the lesson.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfDxafiyaWkZ6O-cCB2RHifn0slFM8NjFNn8kxBulXuVow-KQJc3ajXEuz1cyY5axtOr5GP-k_-xcuNPoCx3aJULzrnQmUuJVdLYuxPu72nGTNiyI2Bk7ctN2jzIwSY3MfIah1mprmcHY/s1600/DSC_0339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfDxafiyaWkZ6O-cCB2RHifn0slFM8NjFNn8kxBulXuVow-KQJc3ajXEuz1cyY5axtOr5GP-k_-xcuNPoCx3aJULzrnQmUuJVdLYuxPu72nGTNiyI2Bk7ctN2jzIwSY3MfIah1mprmcHY/s320/DSC_0339.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In one activity, the kids were asked to write a prayer for themselves. <br />Anna later told me that a boy in her group prayed for his heart to be<br />broken with the same things that breaks God's heart.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was able to use my new Macbook to share some photos of the Silver Lake Sand Dunes<br />with the kids. Our lesson was from Psalm 139 where God thinks about us as many times as there are<br />grains of sand. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the afternoon we had the olympic events. Here is the opening ceremony, complete with team flags and bandanas.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Anna and her team.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the guys prior to worship.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFagnI2r8Wl33CSJq7klliBSiMdVe16It3FTktICNK1q-ZTtxKJtmyWOuzWCNY6Y9kA1K1WT6Fg1nfLr2j3YqlKbqheu_fHgvkFj6pDrUsxHiJjbzaax_6T5anH8x8OSsY-_EuZ5Gi5Gi/s1600/P7160248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFagnI2r8Wl33CSJq7klliBSiMdVe16It3FTktICNK1q-ZTtxKJtmyWOuzWCNY6Y9kA1K1WT6Fg1nfLr2j3YqlKbqheu_fHgvkFj6pDrUsxHiJjbzaax_6T5anH8x8OSsY-_EuZ5Gi5Gi/s320/P7160248.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the ladies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-40505994043260129952012-07-23T11:15:00.001-07:002012-07-23T11:15:03.796-07:00Sunday p.m. Worship and a Performance.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrytDAu6ryDKhK4WZYlydHv6_BLNqEZIqQXc9hD2sDTPAvtTLpm5mrqxgAx_4tKJ5vfZq9CSCxY2mEMS8d0XkjhaS24GDiOoQRUNVu_VfU9AORPqIz1WiOOmIYAwdj8BrOwIiBbJ97kmoE/s1600/P7150171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrytDAu6ryDKhK4WZYlydHv6_BLNqEZIqQXc9hD2sDTPAvtTLpm5mrqxgAx_4tKJ5vfZq9CSCxY2mEMS8d0XkjhaS24GDiOoQRUNVu_VfU9AORPqIz1WiOOmIYAwdj8BrOwIiBbJ97kmoE/s320/P7150171.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After supper on Sunday, we had a worship time and the children performed for us.<br />These girls are dressed in clothes from Tibet and performed a dance from Tibet.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhEcYa4s1HFvx4oE7yvC9UT5Wv_uDMMGLDEbk2YvQ1l173pOqePKpKYdK9NkTH6Ire9BV7hJe5faNpqPlcwuDDxYvxL7gM3U3OxXxfZdBH-YVR1KdkdGkTxJTc2guDaiX6XZRsAwQOgpH/s1600/P7150190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhEcYa4s1HFvx4oE7yvC9UT5Wv_uDMMGLDEbk2YvQ1l173pOqePKpKYdK9NkTH6Ire9BV7hJe5faNpqPlcwuDDxYvxL7gM3U3OxXxfZdBH-YVR1KdkdGkTxJTc2guDaiX6XZRsAwQOgpH/s320/P7150190.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The older boys sang a worship song for us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3z1DkrrV-Lv949KXb5vUWc128CaSkxAyRPpXGaW7OmvcdT-8MYqbZM17I0C00ibHUQUbNR7hr-uGgUnNzVet2oHtcScclR2_cyOYKb7Y4SJ9I3la2qYFE691ESNaZbt05lRXy_jPd8Jl_/s1600/DSC_0239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3z1DkrrV-Lv949KXb5vUWc128CaSkxAyRPpXGaW7OmvcdT-8MYqbZM17I0C00ibHUQUbNR7hr-uGgUnNzVet2oHtcScclR2_cyOYKb7Y4SJ9I3la2qYFE691ESNaZbt05lRXy_jPd8Jl_/s320/DSC_0239.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The older kids dressed performed the dance of the state in which they live, Himanchal, Pradesh.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWJDoKMbPMp1QEWPXULIo0vFokmTaOu0kSjrq0VxjwOf4_RdjfJvXe-ts_RbyuJhyphenhyphenL5ipm5y1bLdQ0FNPMcNz8hYOcCXX7zjnUwYFot5JqKt2VFBdSURdHHIGoyk4eu3-Xpu3m5JJV-5c/s1600/DSC_0240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWJDoKMbPMp1QEWPXULIo0vFokmTaOu0kSjrq0VxjwOf4_RdjfJvXe-ts_RbyuJhyphenhyphenL5ipm5y1bLdQ0FNPMcNz8hYOcCXX7zjnUwYFot5JqKt2VFBdSURdHHIGoyk4eu3-Xpu3m5JJV-5c/s320/DSC_0240.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br /></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-19501629490713993312012-07-23T11:01:00.000-07:002012-07-23T11:01:00.894-07:00D.U.F Children's Home. In a word, awe-inspiring!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After our mouton hike on Sunday morning, we arrived at the orphanage. We were told the children we anxiously waiting for us on the other side of this wall. As I waited for the gate to be opened, I was very anxious to meet these children. I'd been picturing them, and finally it would become reality.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5XCETJeQxSF5nqlGXjZJy1w17lzyfMkWsRbgzVRUw5E6F2pR4f_3LW1XM_JYI8w6Qyznygtrzv7Z0HjU4oMv-9bJnbqfVoAZ-7NsLQKVSccRx2NnFrG9ammuoSnyrKq1o4iUTKBdDpqa/s1600/HPIM1063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5XCETJeQxSF5nqlGXjZJy1w17lzyfMkWsRbgzVRUw5E6F2pR4f_3LW1XM_JYI8w6Qyznygtrzv7Z0HjU4oMv-9bJnbqfVoAZ-7NsLQKVSccRx2NnFrG9ammuoSnyrKq1o4iUTKBdDpqa/s320/HPIM1063.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the orphanage. Dar-Ul-Fazl means House of Grace.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3hJumQwK2O2y-FTFldF0iXkl5mXYQLICDcf4MKtqgoqX5rRWopJHGFNb9W_vh3hFTQlCXFVIacUk3zoeQPjjzbWmY2S7Dq_dhPzsEN0klKw-IzYia1XIh68-P-3oMm8uL7dXK0-9a1fj/s1600/P7150149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3hJumQwK2O2y-FTFldF0iXkl5mXYQLICDcf4MKtqgoqX5rRWopJHGFNb9W_vh3hFTQlCXFVIacUk3zoeQPjjzbWmY2S7Dq_dhPzsEN0klKw-IzYia1XIh68-P-3oMm8uL7dXK0-9a1fj/s320/P7150149.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the girls dorm. As you can see, doing laundry is an ongoing task when there are<br />
80 children.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu16pExOb6naIufUP7RvQUOLCspinXLVawhLLH9Rqf4kn16cTB5v_JhYZPzNt5La12oUAKD4QoHCto7qbDX_NpfQyb3ON4Vd4VR19QeBsbd-OsQej5WliL9LYHoAlPS3kurVxV08kjtzh9/s1600/P7160219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu16pExOb6naIufUP7RvQUOLCspinXLVawhLLH9Rqf4kn16cTB5v_JhYZPzNt5La12oUAKD4QoHCto7qbDX_NpfQyb3ON4Vd4VR19QeBsbd-OsQej5WliL9LYHoAlPS3kurVxV08kjtzh9/s320/P7160219.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Rainbow School. <br />
All children in the orphanage that are age 14 and under attend this school.<br />
Needy children from the village can also attend here. Orphan Outreach has <br />
a sponsorship program to raise support for the expenses of the kids at the home <br />
and for the supplies for the kids who attend the school. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzjbixLMf9lmgZDjgP651sYNoV9S146x_sOpAIB1AACaMWnABLvmAxJvHa4OPIxGYikFpOPZRCfoH44wNPIxOZrlTjjHBnsLjKBslLk58YozHQxQXsfcRZLpmzgBQOC47WjKn9_Y-AFSH/s1600/P7150135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzjbixLMf9lmgZDjgP651sYNoV9S146x_sOpAIB1AACaMWnABLvmAxJvHa4OPIxGYikFpOPZRCfoH44wNPIxOZrlTjjHBnsLjKBslLk58YozHQxQXsfcRZLpmzgBQOC47WjKn9_Y-AFSH/s320/P7150135.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Auntie. God called her to open a home for children from the surrounding mountains.<br />
The home is 30 years old and has had hundreds of children raised there. Auntie has been living on her faith in God<br />
for many years. Her passion and dedication to God are inspiring to me. The children aren't adopted out of this home. and they consider this to be their home and family. Kids can stay even after they graduate from the high school in the village until they have a plan for jobs or college. Even when college breaks, the kids return home, just like our college kids do.<br />
Not only are these kids getting a quality school education, they are in the Word of God, they worship and serve one another. We were with these kids for 3 days, I didn't see the behavior of any child corrected the whole time we were there. It was like a Utopia. The kids and adults played, shared and worshiped God. Wow!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjOkQ5PZ3mngdt7Q1SJlnll0Bva8-K7ko9waO3rTy-hlR5lOfT6sy_ACWcYeuxK0UGpdxXpL4x4zrZ4nyuvT3ndWNsxSHm5ZT-iIgvqweeW8Jrg-1eq0iaW8Dt-FumEpv3XCpa2ciO5Fn/s1600/P7150119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjOkQ5PZ3mngdt7Q1SJlnll0Bva8-K7ko9waO3rTy-hlR5lOfT6sy_ACWcYeuxK0UGpdxXpL4x4zrZ4nyuvT3ndWNsxSHm5ZT-iIgvqweeW8Jrg-1eq0iaW8Dt-FumEpv3XCpa2ciO5Fn/s320/P7150119.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first activity with them was to make t-shirts for the D.U.F Olympics and vacation Bible school to be held on Monday.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As the shirts were drying, it was time to play. The lady in this photo is the principal and also teaches in the school. She also sleeps in the boys dorm. It is her responsibility to look after all of the little boys. There are 2 rooms of little boys in the dorm. She lives and works at the home. </td></tr>
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<br /></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-35679802876154048242012-07-23T10:26:00.002-07:002012-07-23T10:26:52.633-07:00Our mountain trek to the orphanage on our first day in Manali.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is the sequence of the trip events for the mountain portion of our trip: <div>
On Thursday, July 12 we flew out of Grand Rapids. Due to time zone changes we arrived in Delhi on Saturday about 1:00 a.m. We checked into the hotel for a short sleep.</div>
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Saturday about 10:00, we left on the bus for Manali, located in the Himalayan Mountains.</div>
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The bus trip took 18 hours, so we got into our guest house about early Sunday a.m.</div>
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On Sunday we got to meet the kids at the orphanage. </div>
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To get to the orphanage, meant a 30 minute walk. It was more beautiful than these photos can show, so this is just a sample:<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKoBX6TDmNqgO7WpgXNHAtr-NQtE001zwNhnD9OfHQl75UXzawOZaOyM3MkZ5WBirPtPzpqpyAbz2dZDCq2Qvas5k5Re28mwk6qKmIcXmjku5lvm7Dwnug0aAkgm6N7mLCNf6fNPxMBfZ/s1600/HPIM1076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKoBX6TDmNqgO7WpgXNHAtr-NQtE001zwNhnD9OfHQl75UXzawOZaOyM3MkZ5WBirPtPzpqpyAbz2dZDCq2Qvas5k5Re28mwk6qKmIcXmjku5lvm7Dwnug0aAkgm6N7mLCNf6fNPxMBfZ/s320/HPIM1076.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These ladies are planting lentils. Lentils are used in many Indian dishes. Rice is also a favorite.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBn06N1LjpmdnEao71JMZrUSAmm7sotkWTle9woAB3ZyfK7v7CXK5nclpBGrK_qvJxyUkxUufSDIV1sTWf_-5OemM_YblZdea8unNS6266IVc5pKr0VVC0gqObf9MEzfudjlE-G6GKuQ6/s1600/HPIM1053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBn06N1LjpmdnEao71JMZrUSAmm7sotkWTle9woAB3ZyfK7v7CXK5nclpBGrK_qvJxyUkxUufSDIV1sTWf_-5OemM_YblZdea8unNS6266IVc5pKr0VVC0gqObf9MEzfudjlE-G6GKuQ6/s320/HPIM1053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This lady is weaving a shawl. The women in these mountain villages<br />have organized a coop to market these shawls made of wool, cashmere, angora and other fibers.<br />I was able to purchase one. :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhxGf2NqBpzNSh_zO0mv_R-TZYsL0pnqkSOCMyAqj87iRfKTkN4wZcjMiUPY-DfHssbR3hC9Jn0tVsBiS8CdhD3pXjBLqfSlV6B7THCUpEQZ9RYhwvQirdEbQi8duVedzExCyZdePx6Fp/s1600/HPIM1028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhxGf2NqBpzNSh_zO0mv_R-TZYsL0pnqkSOCMyAqj87iRfKTkN4wZcjMiUPY-DfHssbR3hC9Jn0tVsBiS8CdhD3pXjBLqfSlV6B7THCUpEQZ9RYhwvQirdEbQi8duVedzExCyZdePx6Fp/s320/HPIM1028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll let you guess what this is. It grows everywhere!<br />Here is a hint: When plants grow everywhere we call them weeds.</td></tr>
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</div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-20094201696354305652012-07-22T15:17:00.005-07:002012-07-22T15:17:50.336-07:00Needed: Flexibility When Plans Change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="" name="_GoBack"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Slowly, I Post</span></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">I really intended to post this trip so that you could journey with me. It hasn’t worked out as I intended,.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I have learned was the nature of this trip and most mission trips is that they don’t follow a set-in-stone itinerary. We were told at the beginning to be flexible and that was surely needed. The moment when arrived in India we discovered we had no way to get to Manali and that our hotel rooms had been cancelled for the first night. Our team had to learn to accept each twist in the plan as God’s hand in our trip. We just went by bus and had an 18 hour adventure and it turned out better than the original plan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">We had planned to have a popcorn and movie night with the kids at the orphanage, the brand new Blue Ray DVD got fried by the electricity and a new lesser quality one had to be purchased at a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>local mountain store. The show did go on, just the following night. The kids got to see Kung Fu Panda.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">On Wednesday, when it came time to fly back to Delhi, we got to the airport and got checked in with time to spare . . . except, the weather forced a flight problem. We had to wait for at least an hour and a half to hear the pilot’s decision whether or not he would attempt the flight. This is the only flight leaving from the airport for Delhi each day, so a cancellation would put us back one day or have us on the bus for another 18 hours. Prayers were said, God lifted the fog and we flew back to Delhi.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The forced airport delay on Wednesday meant rescheduling our ministry time at one of the slums. We did get to meet the children on Friday morning at a doll museum and then again in their own school in a south Delhi slum on Saturday a.m.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">On Friday afternoon as we were traveling to do activities with the kids at a north Delhi slum, we found out that there were about 25 boys ages 12 – about 17. This issue fell in my lap. I had left all of the older kid materials in Manali. We got to the school and I still didn’t have a plan. I stood in front of the materials suitcase and asked God to show me something in there that we could use . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the answer . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>folded paper frisbies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boys also found the ‘facepainting’ done by Anna and the other team members appealing . . . they just had the designs put on their arms and called them tattoos.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">On Thursday we went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. The heat index that day was 114 degrees. I became sick and thanks to a kind and knowledgeable team member, whom works in an emergency room, I was able to be back to myself in about 12 hours.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">No, I didn’t post as often as I intended: no WiFi, jet lag, illness, and our team kept us very busy. I hope that you will still stay with me. I took notes on the many things we did, observed and learned. I have many photos that I still intend to post when I get to an internet connection<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that can handle posting them. (The Amsterdam airport had free WiFi, but after a half an hour trying to post one photo, I gave up on that. My only chance to post any photos would have been at the hotel in Delhi, but I was sick and needed to sleep.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">In addition to the challenge to be flexible, here is something else I have learned; when God takes us out of a familiar situation, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we are forced to learn new ways of doing things. The holes and weak spots in our character come out. This trip has brought my fears, pride issues, control issues, and selfishness to my awareness. God in His gentle correcting way is bringing me into new surrender to Him and to new levels of service in His name.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Please watch for the next post. I am very anxious to show you my photos and also to share our time in each of the slum settings. Both have profoundly affected the members of our teams.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">I am heading home to sleep. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Later,</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Linda</span></span></div>
</div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-24169666976415984622012-07-18T11:30:00.000-07:002012-07-18T11:39:01.574-07:00Lack of WiFi in Manali<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today is Wednesday and we are back in New Delhi where I have access to WiFi at our hotel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the view from our room at the Shanti Guest House in Manali</td></tr>
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I have been journaling and photographing for the past 4 days until I could get back and post. I think it will take many months for me to process my thoughts, feelings and the spiritual lessons I have gained from this experience with the children and this trip to India. I will continue sharing our trip as I experienced it, but if you'd like to jump ahead of me, go to John Balyo's page on the WCSG website: http://wcsg.org/blogs/morningshow/ He has posted many thoughts, pictures and a video or two.<br />
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Here is my next installment:<br />
We arrived safely in Manali with applause for our driver. The 15 hour trip actually took 18 hours!<br />
The adventure wasn't over for the night though. We had to carry our carry-on luggage up a dirt road, then onto a winding sidewalk. Mind you, there are not any street lights. The way water run-off is handled is that pipes and trenches carry waste water and run-off to creeks and streams. There are trenches all over and are easy to fall into. There was one of these trenches running alongside the dark sideway we were climbing to get to our guest house. Every 5 or so feet, a pipe would cross the side walk and there must have been a rock that was too big to move when the sidewalk was made so it required a step up and then a step down in the dark carrying your bags. (Our big luggage was brought from the bus to the guest house by jeep because the bus couldn't get up the street to drop us and the bags off directly.)<br />
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We were greeted at the guest house by the owner.<br />
Anna and I were assigned a room in the yellow room. The teakwood parquet floor gave the room the lovely smell of teakwood. The bed was hard, but very welcome after the long several days of travel.<br />
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After breakfast at the guest house, we began the trek to DAR-UL-FAZL Children's Home. This means House of Grace. The ministry houses about 80 children from 3 years old to college age children. The ministry also includes Rainbow School. All of the children up to age 14 attend this school the older children go into the village. There are also some village children from poor families that are sponsored and also attend Rainbow School.<br />
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The trek is best viewed rather than described. We hiked single file over and around some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever encountered. I need to go to bed now, so I'll prepare the pictures of our trek and first meeting with the kids for the next post tomorrow when I'm on the on the bus to see the Taj Mahal. (10 more hours round trip).</div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-11461169302809755502012-07-18T10:29:00.000-07:002012-07-18T10:29:20.634-07:00The Road to Manali<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Saturday, July 14 - Onward to Manali<o:p></o:p></div>
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When we got off the plane in India last night, we discovered
that our tickets to fly to Manali this a.m. were of no use. The only airline
company to fly to an airport close to Manali decided to go on strike. Our leaders
got us into the same hotel we will be staying in later in the week. To
accommodate our 17 plus people, the Orphan Outreach leader and our Indian
leader had quite a task. We arrived at our hotel at about 2:30 am here. We were more than exhausted having been 24 hours awake.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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While we waited for the bus to take us to the hotel, there
were many people hanging around the airport in the middle of the night. One
person in our group saw a man walking with his family who had two knives
strapped to his belt.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As we left the airport, I saw 5 guards parked in a jeep with
one seated behind an automatic weapon, aimed a what, I don’t know. I saw
another armed guard as we left the airport grounds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After a short night , we met for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>breakfast at the hotel restaurant and had an
amazing Indian breakfast. I had a thin crepe-like fried pancake on which I put
three flavorful sauces on different pieces as I ate them. The sauce flavors
were coconut, like a basil pesto, and a mixture with lentils in it. There were
other mixtures that included chickpeas and curry. Rice seems to be a favorite
staple. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>We boarded the bus and I was thankful to be able to go to see the children I've been imagining for so long.</o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Orphan Outreach has a full-time employee to arrange all travel, meals . . . in India. His name is Uma and he works very hard to accommodate the many changes like what happened to us. He said one good thing about this bus trip instead of flying is
that we would get to see the countryside.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Going through the city of New Delhi was amazing. It was truly crazy. I will tell you as much as I can about the many things I have seen and am experiencing that are so different than our culture in the posts to come. I think everyone but Uma had their cameras up to the bus windows as we experienced India for the first time. We make jokes about tourist buses full of Japanese picture takers through the bus windows, well, I now am one. I have many photos to share as I have time to assemble them. I also hope to have a travelogue at church and with as many of you as would like to see them and to hear about this amazing trip.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Once we left the city, the land was flat and there were many fields of rice. I saw water buffalo for the first time. For lunch today, we stopped at McDonald’s. This is India, so on the menu, there were no hamburgers, but they did have a Chicken Maharaja Mac. While we waited for our food the electricity went off and on twice. As I walked into the building, I got to see and smell jasmine flowers along the sidewalk. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p>We have been told that the men like to approach women who encourage them. Some of our young and beautiful team members didn't realize that the men we encountered were encouraged by the way they related to them when we would stop for a bathroom break. There was a car load of them that showed up many miles into the mountains at two of the breaks. This was scary, and we all learned not to make conversation, eye contact or do anything that might be thought of as encouragement. </o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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After about 10 or so hours the land began to become mountainous. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Here is what I wrote as the bus traveled into the mountains. Picture me sitting in a bus seat with my lap top in the dark typing like crazy so I'd be distracted from looking out the window.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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I will agree, it was VERY interesting. I will add to his
thought, it is very good that we entered the mountains at night. This ride is
interesting and a bit scary. Right now we are on the only road to Manali and it is a
major truck route. It is 2 lanes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although it is 9 pm on Sat. night, the road has
bumper-to-bumper trucks in both lanes. It is now dark, so we can’t see how
close we are to the edge of the mountains. When I asked you to pray in the last
blog entry, I didn’t imagine how dangerous the mountain roads would be. Our
leaders had to sign a waiver to prevent us from suing them if there should be
an accident. The roads are very narrow and there is only inches between
vehicles when they meet each other. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
road has many switchbacks and the surface is very bumpy so we are bouncing and
swaying. There are hairpin turns and very short straight sections between the
turns. The mountain comes right down to the road and there is very little
shoulder on the opposite side of the road. Another contributing factor is that in
the straight sections there are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>trucks
parked along side the road on both sides to rest and stop for the night. Our
bus driver has to have skill at turning this bus on the switchback roads and
quick reflexes as cars are parked and are meeting us at the same time. Picture
this: our bus, a long vehicle, has to make wide turns on these hairpin curves.
(Remember, we are in the left hand lane<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in
India.) The on-coming traffic (which includes trucks, cars, and motorcycles) is
coming toward us. So this is what we see: headlights coming at us IN THE RIGHT
HAND LANE and we are over there making a wide turn, now factor in NO
GUARDRAILS. Oh, yes here is one more factor. Because this is an uphill grade,
some vehicles move slowly, so it means that vehicles must pass on this road.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I just looked out the window and saw two black cows
wandering alongside the road. They are everywhere, just like you have always
heard. Since they don’t wear headlamps, they are a bit difficult to spot in the
dark.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I decided I couldn’t watch much more, so I practiced calculating
Rupee–to-dollar tables in my head then I decided to write this. Anna just
mentioned that our 35 or so pieces of luggage in the bottom of the bus helps
lower our center of gravity and makes us more stable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me say that all you have heard about Indian driving is
true. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has to be experienced to
believe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Uma said that traffic rules are just suggestions and the
lines on the road are for decoration. When a vehicle comes to a blind curve,
another vehicle, or pedestrian in the road, they blow their horn and just keep
going figuring that the other people driving or walking have been warned.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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At one hairpin turn a truck broke its axle. The nose was up against the mountain and the back was hanging out into the road blocking one lane and part of the other. There were rocks along the cliff side of the shoulder of the road. It looked like the truck had been abandoned, but then I noticed the door was open and I could see the bottom of two feet where the driver was laying down in the cab. I could see the axle laying on the pavement. Our bus came to a stop so our driver could decide if we could get around the truck without going over the cliff. He decided he could. He inched forward between the cliff and rock (guard rail) and the truck. There was only 2 inches between us and the truck as we went past it. I was on the side of the truck, I am thankful I wasn't on the side of the bus where I'd see how close we were to the cliff. </div>
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<br /></div>
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(We heard later that after we passed through, there was a huge traffic backup. Others weren't fortunate as we were to get through.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The good thing about this bus trip instead of the plane is
that it has allowed us to share with one another, and to bond before we meet
the children tomorrow. We also have had a chance to rest and recover from the
jet lag. If we’d flown into Manali we would be jumping in tired and without
this time together.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh yes, I see lightning in the distance. We were told that
there could be a thunderstorm tonight. It is now 10pm. We left Delhi at 10.00
am. There are another 5 hours left before we arrive. Uma just said when we see
the kids tomorrow and see how much they are looking forward to our visit, it
will make this crazy bus ride all worth it <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I thought in my head, kinda like childbirth.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Please continue pray for us. We meet the kids tomorrow and
will be here until Wed. when we take this bus ride back to New Delhi if the
airline is still on strike.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God is good. I have heard the stories of some of my team members.
They are very inspiring. Last night when it ‘hit the fan’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and it looked like we might not be able to
come to Manali <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at all, our leaders and team
members were very calm. I saw two team members with their heads bowed asking
God to be in charge.. . . . and here we are on our way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you want to follow this trip there is also a blog and
there is a photo of us with all the luggage last night at the airport. It was
taken as we waited for the bus to take us to our hotel. John Balyo is with us
from WCSG 91.3. He posted the picture on Facebook so you can go to their page
to see the picture. He tagged me, so it might be on my Facebook page too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BTW: India would be a great place to be in sales for vehicle
brakes and horns.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keep Praying,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Linda<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-55273887669165791782012-07-13T21:20:00.002-07:002012-07-13T21:20:19.554-07:00We are here!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Please pray. The airline that was to to take us to the mountains has gone out of business. We have to take a 15 hour bus ride from Delhi to Manali. The day will be long and the roads mountainous.<br />
I can't write more because we are in a hurry to catch a bus that has been chartered at the last minute.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-49420350469406957522012-07-13T00:03:00.002-07:002012-07-13T00:03:44.731-07:00Breakfast at 11:00 pm<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought you might like to have some details about the
trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 17 of us, mostly from
western Michigan. We are currently in Amsterdam. We had breakfast in the air before landing . . . at 11:00 pm our time. Right now my body says it is 4:00 am. We will be flying for about 17
hours. There is a 10.5 hour time difference. India’s time is ahead of Michigan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are bringing with us 16 suitcases of items for the kids
and adults we will be meeting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The photos were taken on Tuesday night at the packing party
where all donations were packed into suitcases. We literally had a living room
full of items to divide into three locations: Manali, South Delhi and North
Delhi. Some of the items are for gift bags for the kids and adults, some are
vacation Bible school supplies, and some are sports equipment. All suitcases
and items will be left in India when we finish. So for example, each location
will have a soccer ball and lots of school supplies when we leave.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We will be doing vacation Bible school activities in each
location and playing games. In Manali our theme is the Olympics. In addition to
items to donate, we also have 3 suitcases of materials for lessons, crafts and
sports equipment for the ‘Orphan Outreach Olympic’ games. In the evening we
will eat with the kids and have a movie/popcorn night. We will be with the kids
from the The House of Grace Orphanage on Sat after we arrive, and all day
Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday we will go on an outing and have a picnic with
the kids from Rainbow School.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the Northern and Southern Slum Schools we will also have vacation
Bible school activities, crafts, and games. We won’t be able to do the Olympic
theme, because we won’t be at each site as long as we are in Manali. One
highlight is an outing with the kids to a doll museum.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can see from the photos that the suitcases contain the
types of items I mentioned above and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>also
have hygiene items, over the counter medicines, lots of school supplies and
candy . . . lots of candy. We have one whole suitcase with only candy in it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I asked a friend, who is also a missionary in India what kinds
of things we should bring for the adults who help us and who help the children.
She said they would like a really good pen, one that the ink flows nicely
through and has a good grip. She also said that the ladies might like scented
individually wrapped bars of soap. Her words, “It would be a prized
possession.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we were waiting for the security guards to go through
our luggage at the Grand Rapids airport this is what I saw. The guard opened a
suitcase which revealed it was brimming with a mountain of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>multicolored toys. I watched him poke through
it a bit and he must have decided it was too much trouble to take things out
and have to put them back, so he zipped it back up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am unsure when I will have another opportunity to write
again. I was disappointed to find the airplane from Detroit to Amsterdam didn’t
have WiFi. I don’t know if the next plane to New Delhi will have it or not. The
next hurdle is going to be to purchase a plug adapter to charge the computer
when we land in Delhi. I did read that type of adapter will be available for
purchase. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>(I tried to upload some photos, but after half an hour I had to stop trying.)</o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-19497779676720917712012-07-11T06:43:00.001-07:002012-07-11T06:43:48.912-07:00An Astronaut with ADDI've decided that I know what it would feel like to be an astronaut with ADD. I have a mission to go on (tomorrow) and my head is filled with so many thoughts that I cant' figure out what to take care of first.<br />
Here is a sample of my stream of conscousness thinking: the carryone luggage can only weigh 24 pounds total, be sure to pack the electricity converter, there is no adapter for India in the set! get one there?, can't get an India ATM capable debit card at my credit union - Anna got one, can I go to her credit union on the way to the airport?, the floors have dog hair all over them, this house is a pig-sty, there is stuff growing in all of the toilets, my dog nanny/housesitter will be living in filth if I don't clean, gotta get out clean sheets/towels, go to the library, pay the bills, weed garden, weed flowerbeds, get irrigation set, is my will up-to-date?, where ARE those scissors . . . <br />
<br />
I have piles of stuff in each room that need to be packed or put away. When I walk from one room to do something in another, my ADD kicks in and I don't do the task I came there to do. I forget why I am there and begin to do a task in that setting. This task means getting something from another location or putting something away, so I go to the next location and find something to do there. Consequently, nothing gets finished! Yesterday I put on a pot of water to boil. I went away to do something and forgot about it. I came back later to discover it hadn't boiled dry, but it was close. I also put milk in a pan to warm for cocoa and did the same thing! Thankfully, it boiled over and I heard it.<br />
<br />
I have been thinking about my teammates, many are leaving fulltime jobs, children, households and one person works fulltime, is in the middle of an intense summer grad class, and her back went out of place last night. I have it easy!<br />
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I'll post pictures from the packing party as soon as I get a few more things . . . done.Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-37495839739419562242012-07-09T15:44:00.000-07:002012-07-09T15:44:01.003-07:00Donations and the Packing Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66SnCr1mJ-a7Y46yDrs2HJUsbtAOt5Xyi15QnsIi63sggJ-Yq2irm1LQ92Dc6InuU02KEOab4mNZWiKzOg6wa925eleZ0y33E2UbHFdPPX6OlQ_TJfwlhg1RQRT2l9A9GQFGRak1tV7Lx/s1600/june-+july+2012+155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66SnCr1mJ-a7Y46yDrs2HJUsbtAOt5Xyi15QnsIi63sggJ-Yq2irm1LQ92Dc6InuU02KEOab4mNZWiKzOg6wa925eleZ0y33E2UbHFdPPX6OlQ_TJfwlhg1RQRT2l9A9GQFGRak1tV7Lx/s320/june-+july+2012+155.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
These are two suitcases of vacation Bible school supplies to be used at the orphanage in Manali, India. The funds for these items were donated by the people and friends of New Hope Community Church. I also have a third suitcase with items for the children and their caregivers donated by my students and friends. Today, my dentist office donated 96 tubes of toothpaste. Thank you Dr. Johnsen and staff!<br />
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In addition to our own personal suitcase, each of us will be able to bring a suitcase full of donated items and vacation Bible school supplies. Because there is a 50 pound weight limit on suitcases, we need to be as efficient as possible. Tomorrow night, Tuesday, the 18 of us going on the trip will meet in Grand Rapids to have a Packing Party. We will bring suitcases (that will stay in India) and all the items we have received as donations. We will pack, removing items from packaging that adds weight and takes up space. We will distribute the items in various suitcases so that none of them exceeds 50 pounds.<br />
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Please continue to pray for us. This trip starts in 3 days and there is much to do: packing, finishing work and school, leaving families, finalizing lesson plans and making sure that all materials needed for those lessons are in the suitcases.<br />
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It promises to be an exciting trip. I am thankful for your prayers and I hope you enjoy taking this journey with us.Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-31475940234379493392012-07-05T02:57:00.002-07:002012-07-05T02:57:37.392-07:00What is an Orphan?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As I read the profiles of the children we will be working with at the orphanage, I was surprised that many asked for prayer for their families. My understanding of an orphan needed to be expanded. </div>
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UNICEF classifies a child as an orphan if:</div>
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<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Their parents or caregivers die.</div>
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<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>They lose contact with their caregivers (street children or refugees)</div>
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<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>They have been separated from their parents (detained parents or abducted children.</div>
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<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Their caregivers have given them over to the care and custody of another (disabled children or children from poor families that cannot care for them).</div>
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<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>They have been kept in prolonged hospital care (HIV-positive children).</div>
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<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>They have been detained in educational, remand, correctional or penal facilities as a result of an administrative or judicial decision (suspected or convicted offenders).</div>
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Today UNICEF estimates that 163 million children are orphans.</div>
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I never realized it, but every year there were orphaned children sitting in my classroom.</div>
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This is sobering. </div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-75728624013619426952012-07-02T06:54:00.000-07:002012-07-02T06:54:13.800-07:00Help Wanted!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Help Wanted . . .</div>
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You may be watching this blog and thinking that you are just that, ‘a watcher.’</div>
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Well, here is an opportunity to become part of this adventure.</div>
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Recently I read something that can help illustrate how you can be a partner in this trip to <country-region><place>India</place></country-region>. Dr. John De Vries has been involved in a ministry called <place>Mission</place> <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> for many years. He wrote about the importance of prayer and included this about his <city><place>Grand Rapids</place></city> neighborhood in his book titled “<u>Does it Pay to Pray?</u>” He wrote, “Near my home is an inner-city apartment complex of a hundred units. They are filled mainly with fatherless ‘families’ and illegal immigrants. Crime was so high that the police responded to fifteen calls there every day.” “But seven senior women in a neighboring church decided to become ‘friends in the middle’ and started to pray for that housing complex. They began intensive prayer, and as a result, two years later, the police reported less than fifteen calls for an entire summer! Much happened, of course, to bring about this amazing answer to prayer, but it was the 'friends in the middle’ in the form of seven elderly women who started the flow of blessing. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">They could never minister on-site in such a situation, but they could pray.” </b></div>
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If you will look back at the my blog entry titled "Ouch and Other Bits of Reality" you will see that <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> is a similar place to that apartment complex. There is violence and extreme poverty both economically and spiritually. If you want to read the full article go to <a href="http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1139.html">http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1139.html</a></div>
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God is ordaining this trip. When we met as a team, I could see how He has hand-selected people with a variety of gifts to be on this team to accomplish what He has in mind.</div>
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One team member shared with me that she had a dream in which God was looking down on the children of <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> with great love for them in His heart. God indicated to her that it was His desire for her and the team to bring His great love gift to their awareness. </div>
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I am filled with anticipation and excitement to see what God is going to unfold. I feel honored to be a part of this work. The Evil One does not want to have people know of God’s great love, nor to have them be in a loving relationship with God. There WILL be opposition to our team. </div>
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Your help is wanted!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please be part of our ‘friends in the middle’ prayer team.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please pray for our safety, for our health, and for us to have unity within the team. Please pray that God’s love will flow through us to accomplish and grow what He desires.</div>
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Watch this blog. I will update you with prayer needs as we go.</div>
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You CAN be a vital part of this trip, even though you are on the opposite side of the world from <country-region><place>India</place></country-region>. </div>
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God is going to do amazing things. I am excited to have you be a part of this adventure!</div>
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<br /></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-28656177339963249292012-06-30T05:36:00.002-07:002012-07-01T10:38:51.790-07:00God's Love Flows Through PeopleWhen this trip became a possibility mid-May, there were 4 details that needed to be taken care of. In my head I told myself, "If God gets these 'impossible' details resolved, I will know I am supposed to go on this trip." The details were: somone to take care of my dog (yep!), to have the camping trip I'd already scheduled with my son rescheduled (yep!), my passport in less than two weeks so it could be included with the rest of the passports to be given a Visa to get in/out of India (it takes 4-6 weeks to get a passport and if you pay extra 2-3 weeks . . . mine came in 8 days) (yep!). The final detail was the money. You may wonder how much does it cost to take a trip like this. The flights, and in-country cost is $4.000, the passport and shots were over $300, other costs include purchasing craft supplies, sporting goods, items needed by the children, and thank you gifts to give to our hosts. The money part of my trip seemed truly 'impossible' and I didn't want to ask anyone for money.<br />
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As I began to talk about this trip, people actually asked me if I needed money to go! I was given a check for $100, $100, and $200. This last week a check came from the estate of a dear friend. She left it in her Will to give some of her estate to friends for them (are you ready for this?) . . . to travel. Her Will was in place long before I had even heard of this trip. Wow, God!<br />
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Yesterday, God put the final reassurance and financing in place. My church family, New Hope Community Church in Shelby, MI put on an amazing fund raiser and raised over $1000! This was beyond my imagination! There were many who gave items, baked, and worked until their bodies hurt. My thanks to you for peeling onions, collecting gift cards to auction off, for washing dishes, baking, selling, making cotton candy, and for the many buyers at the auction. I appreciate and am humbled by ALL of your effort, your love and your prayers. <br />
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God's love comes to us vertically down from heaven. When we are filled with His love, it overflows us and spills out to the people around us horizontally. God's love has flowed into me through so many of you. Here is the bigger picture - this mission trip is a chance for ME to be the person who receives Gods love, overflows and share His love with the children of India! Wow, what an honor!Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-72914903115592736422012-06-27T07:00:00.001-07:002012-06-27T07:00:17.550-07:00Bonding and Empathy<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Our team met last night for the third time. There are 19 of us: our Orphan Outreach leader, two leaders from WCSG radio and 16 of us from various backgrounds, occupations, and with an age range of late teens to 60ish. </div>
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You might wonder what is done to prepare a team to travel together to minister to children who have lived most of their lives not having their physical and emotional needs met. After we discussed travel details, our team leaders led us into topics that are usually reserved for a counselor’s office or a close relationship in which it would be safe to share such personal things. As I said, this was only the third time this group had been together.</div>
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At the second meeting we were given an assignment that made many of us squirm. We had already shared cherished and happy memories from our childhoods. The assignment for the third meeting was to prepare to share memories from our childhood that caused us pain, distress, or deep sadness.</div>
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As people shared last night, it meant ripping off carefully concealed emotional bandages to reveal deep childhood hurts. Within our conversation were vivid descriptions of family life ending through divorce or death, of illness, of abuse, of shame, of blame, of confusion and disappointment, and of childhoods lost. As we listened, heads were shaking, and tears flowed. We left the room last night loving each other in new and deeper ways.</div>
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Not only do we have new depth in our relationships with each other, we were reminded that the children we will be meeting have experienced the same pain, confusion, and loneliness. The difference between our cultures and our ages doesn’t matter. Pain, hope, and love are universal. We realized that our childhood experiences can become tools that God can use to help us relate to the children we will be meeting. </div>
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Many of the people who shared, went on to say that God didn’t leave them broken and without a future. We realized that our empathy isn’t enough to share with the children. God had a plan for each of us in that meeting last night and God HAS a plan for each of the children we will meet.</div>
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Here is a verse God had several people point out to me when I have been in despair:</div>
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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future.” Jer. 29:11</div>
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This is the mission of our group, to show God’s love by helping meet some of these kid's needs and to be living examples of God’s ability to bring a childhood of pain into a life with hope and a future. </div>
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<br /></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-20257869896789068502012-06-26T03:45:00.001-07:002012-06-26T03:56:23.691-07:00Two Weeks from Thursday . . . India!<div class="hide">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Black", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">I thought you might like to see our Itinerary. It is tentative. I was amazed to see how fantastic our lodgings are. I asked someone who traveled with Orphan Outreach on a trip last summer why our lodgings were so nice. Her response was that it allows us a chance to rest after intensive days, it helps us stay safe and provides us with food that is less likely to make us sick.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Black", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">For those of you who can support us with prayer, NOW is the time to begin praying over each section of our trip. Please pray for physical and spiritual safety for each member of our team. Please pray that God's plan to show love to these children will be accomplished through us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Black", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">We have a team meeting tonight, so I will know more of what we will actually be doing with the kids in my next post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Black", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">WSCG Radio Mission Trip to Manali, India</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Black", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">{IN12-07CR} Tentative Itinerary</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Black", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">July 12-22, 2012</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Thursday, July 12</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">1:45pm Depart </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">Grand Rapids arrive Detroit 2:50PM </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">4:00pm Depart Detroit to Amsterdam </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";"> <span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Friday, July 13</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">5:55 am Arrive in Amsterdam</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">11:30 am Depart Amsterdam arrive Delhi 10:50pm, donation bags given to Uma</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">4-5 hours rest at Eaton Airport Hotel </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Saturday, July 14</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">6:05 am Depart for Manali (1 hour flight)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">7:30 am Arrive at Kullu Airport (Breakfast at airport?) & Drive 1 hour to Manali </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Morning Check into Shanti Guest House</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Italic", "Arial"; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://www.highmountainstourism.org/inicio_uk.html" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr>highmountainstourism.org/<wbr>inicio_uk.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Rest & Lunch </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Afternoon Orientation/<wbr>Introductions at DUF Children’s Home/ Time with kids</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">6:00 pm Dinner (pizza with kids at orphanage) and to bed early</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Night at Shanti Guest House</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Sunday, July 15</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Morning Church in Manali with children</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Lunch at DUF Children’s Home</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Afternoon Ministry/Activity Time with kids</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Dinner & Movie Night at Home </span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="0.2__GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Night at Shanti Guest House</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Monday, July 16</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; text-decoration: underline;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">8 am Breakfast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">9 am Devotional with Staff and Kids</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Morning – Sports camp/VBS/Cooking/Projects </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Lunch at Children’s Home</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Afternoon – Continue time with kids</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Walk back to Guest House </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Dinner in town </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Early to bed at Shanti Guest House</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Tuesday, July 17</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">5:00 am Leave Shanti Guest House</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">*Pack snacks/breakfast</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">7:45 am Depart Manali for Delhi (1 hour flight)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">9:00 am Arrive in Delhi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Check into Hilton Garden Inn </span><a href="http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=DELSKGI" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000f5; font-family: "Calibri Italic", "Arial"; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;">http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.<wbr>com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?<wbr>ctyhocn=DELSKGI</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Lunch at Mall </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Afternoon Rest and Tour, Mosque in Old Delhi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Evening Dinner & Night at Hilton Garden Inn </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Wednesday, July 18</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; text-decoration: underline;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">8:00 am Leave Delhi for Agra with breakfast on the way </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Taj Mahal Tour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Drive back to Delhi </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Dinner & Night at Hilton Garden Inn</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Thursday, July 19- Friday, July 20</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">2 days of Ministry at Christian School in Northern Slum, Delhi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Lunch & Dinner in town</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Night at Hilton Garden Inn</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Saturday, July 21</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Check out & leave bags in hotel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Morning Ministry at School in Southern Slum, Delhi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Afternoon Rest & Shopping in Delhi </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial";">Evening Dinner & packing, Leave for DEL airport </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "Arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Sunday, July 22</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">12:50am New Delhi arrive Amsterdam 5:45A</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">8:15am Depart Amsterdam arrive to Detroit 10:45am</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica", "Arial"; font-size: 11pt;">3:45pm Depart Detroit arrive in Grand Rapids 4:43pm </span><br />
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</div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-17458055379948387092012-06-21T04:02:00.000-07:002012-06-21T04:02:03.220-07:00Namaste<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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Namaste is Hindi for hello/goodbye, it is accompanied with a small respectful bow with palms of hands together fingers extended and held in front of the chest or head.</div>
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I have had the honor of gathering advice from two people from <country-region><place>India</place></country-region>. Both were excited to hear of our trip to their home country and were eager to be helpful.</div>
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Both of them told me to learn some Hindi. The man I spoke to said that people will respect my effort. He said people will often switch to English as they realize you don’t speak Hindi.</div>
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He told me the town of <city><place>Manali</place></city> is a vacation spot will have a comfortable temp because it is in the mountains, but he said <city><place>New Delhi</place></city> will be very hot, dry, dusty, and crowded. He said if it rains, “you should go out and let it soak you. It will feel good.”</div>
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He did say that people will be inquisitive as to why we are there. He asked about our purpose for going to <country-region><place>India</place></country-region>. When I told him we are visiting a Christian orphanage and two Christian schools, he asked if we will be wearing shirts with a Christian emblem on them. I said, “Yes.” His advice was to wear them when we arrive at the orphanage and schools. He said people may not receive us well if it appears we are proselytizing. </div>
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He said the people will stare at us. He said the women are harmless, but the men may say things and we should ignore them. He echoed the need to be vigilant, to stay with the group and to rely on the trusted local person our group will have with us. </div>
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Clothes and Shopping</div>
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He said to dress very modestly, no form fitting clothes, no shorts or short skirts. He said a loose fitting t-shirt and jeans would blend-in the best. He also said not to bring too many clothes. He said there are great clothes and shoes of good quality that are reasonably priced. He told me about a salwar kameez (loose fitting pants and tunic type top) worn by both men and women, a kurta/kurti (a long or short tunic) and a dupatta (a long scarf worn by women to cover the head and/or shoulders to protect from heat and dust).</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also said to bring clothes in cotton and colored in grey, orange, blue and pink. White will get dirty.</div>
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He said to be prepared to bargain down inflated prices at open air vendors, but at the mall the prices are set. He said the vendors expect you to bargain and don’t respect people who pay the inflated price. He said, for example, a $3000 price could be quoted for a $100 item. He said not to appear too eager to make the purchase even if you want it. He said walk away, the vendor will follow you to make the sale. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> (This means one thing . . . shopping!)</div>
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The woman I spoke to told me to pack: </div>
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Ziploc bags – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">lots of them</b>, from 2 gallon size and down. There will be many opportunities to use them. There is lots of dust and these bags can be used to keep things you purchase clean as well as for packing.</div>
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Bring toilet paper it is expensive to buy. </div>
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Bring insect repellant, lotion, lipbalm, Advil, a small umbrella, comfortable shoes, baby wipes and Crystal Light.</div>
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She told me to do this and when I return, I will thank her for the advice. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
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He said to bring books for the children in English. He said they are desirable and very expensive to purchase in <country-region><place>India</place></country-region>. He specifically mentioned science and geography books. </div>
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(I am excited because I have some science books I am bringing. I have enough for the orphanage and both schools!)</div>
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When I asked about the food, he said to be prepared to gain weight on the trip. He said that <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> food is VERY good. He said the meals are high in calories and heavy. He said to walk a lot if possible. His advice, “Try lots of different kinds of food. If an Indian person says a food is spicy, don’t eat it, it will very spicy.”</div>
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I discovered there isn’t a book, “Hindi for Dummies” <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">L</span></span></div>
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I bought, The Lonely Planet, <u>“</u><country-region><place><u>India</u></place></country-region><u>” </u></div>
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Here are parts of the opening paragraph, “<country-region><place>India</place></country-region> presents an extraordinary spectrum of encounters for the traveler. Some of these can be challenging, particularly for the first-time visitor: the poverty is confronting, Indian bureaucracy can be exasperating and the crush of humanity sometimes turns the simplest task into an energy-zapping battle.” </div>
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“Love it or loathe it – and most visitors see-saw between the two – <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> will jostle your entire being. It’s a place that fires the imagination and stirs the soul like nowhere else on earth.” </div>
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And with that, “Namaste.”</div>
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<br /></div>Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-16867098283907369522012-06-16T06:23:00.000-07:002012-06-16T06:23:18.874-07:00From the U.S. to India: Kid-to-KidOn the last two days of school, I put up pictures of the kids who live in the House of Grace orphanage. The pictures and biographies were of great interest to my students. They decided to send greetings to each of the 45 kids. This is a photo of some of their thoughtful cards. I can't wait to give them to the children in India.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xxK70RetPhmDFx4h-170tNdpp3RD1FSUqRakZMP5pQqqG97TdemfCXx_KzwLcoBzSq6wWgPIiGvC1_k6-mlEY9esYaw1cxlhc7rY80ovZNwI1iHYxaHH0wf_YB6nNF9c_YUi7xGk8Mx5/s1600/kids+cards+jpeg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xxK70RetPhmDFx4h-170tNdpp3RD1FSUqRakZMP5pQqqG97TdemfCXx_KzwLcoBzSq6wWgPIiGvC1_k6-mlEY9esYaw1cxlhc7rY80ovZNwI1iHYxaHH0wf_YB6nNF9c_YUi7xGk8Mx5/s320/kids+cards+jpeg.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380552533594736759.post-44939329263491251942012-06-15T05:36:00.000-07:002012-06-15T05:49:59.087-07:00OUCH! (And other bits of reality.)<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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Today I had my shots to go to <country-region><place>India</place></country-region>: Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Tetanus. I didn’t need to get Hepatitis B shots because I already had them. I also picked up my Malaria pills. These need to be taken the 3 days before leaving, each day while in <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> and for 7 days when we return. There is also a possibility of Dengue Fever, Influenza, and accidentally getting sick from bacteria in the water. We will be bringing an antibiotic, Imodium, and Gatorade powder in case of diarrhea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The health department said not to drink the water, no iced foods, and to close your eyes and mouth while showering. The advice for food choices is: “boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it.” Because Malaria is carried by mosquitoes, we need to bring insecticide with DEET in it.</div>
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Here are some interesting facts from the U.S. Government website concerning travel in <country-region><place>India</place></country-region>: </div>
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<country-region><place>India</place></country-region> is the world's second most populous country, and the world's seventh largest country in area. All <country-region><place>U.S.</place></country-region> citizens need a valid passport and valid Indian visa to enter and exit <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> for any purpose.</div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crime and Terrorism:</b> <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> continues to experience terrorist and insurgent activities which may affect <country-region><place>U.S.</place></country-region> citizens directly or indirectly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <country-region><place>U.S.</place></country-region> government continues to receive information that terrorist groups are planning attacks that could take place in locations throughout <country-region><place>India</place></country-region>. Recent incidents include the <date day="13" month="2" year="2012">February 13, 2012</date> bombing of an Israeli diplomatic vehicle near the diplomatic enclave in <city><place>New Delhi</place></city> that injured four persons.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Petty crime, especially theft of personal property, is common, particularly on trains or buses.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><country-region><place>U.S.</place></country-region> citizens, particularly women, are cautioned not to travel alone in <country-region><place>India</place></country-region>. If you are a woman traveling in <country-region><place>India</place></country-region>, you are advised to respect conservative local dress and customs.<br />
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Past attacks have targeted public places, including some frequented by Westerners, such as luxury and other hotels, trains, train stations, markets, cinemas, mosques, and restaurants in large urban areas.</div>
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<strong>Scams:</strong> Major airports, train stations, popular restaurants, and tourist sites are often used by scam artists looking to prey on visitors, often by creating a distraction. A popular scam is to drop money or to squirt something on the clothing of an unsuspecting traveler and during the distraction to rob them of their valuables. Tourists have also been given drugged drinks or tainted food to make them more vulnerable to theft, particularly at train stations. Even food or drink purchased in front of the traveler from a canteen or vendor could be tainted. </div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Medical:</b> Monkeys can transmit rabies and herpes B, among other diseases, to human victims. Avoid feeding monkeys. If bitten, you should immediately soak and scrub the bite for at least 15 minutes and seek urgent medical attention. <br />
Medical evacuation coverage is strongly advised. (The organization we will be traveling with does have this coverage if any of us has to be sent home in an emergency. It is in addition to general medical coverage.)<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Travel and Traffic:</b> Travel by road in <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> is dangerous. <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> leads the world in traffic-related deaths and a number of <country-region><place>U.S.</place></country-region> citizens have suffered fatal traffic accidents in recent years. You should exercise extreme caution when crossing streets, even in marked pedestrian areas, and try to use only cars that have seatbelts. Seat belts are not common in taxis.<br />
On Indian roads, the safest driving policy is to always assume that other drivers will not respond to a traffic situation in the same way you would in the <country-region><place>United States</place></country-region>. On Indian roads, might makes right, and buses and trucks epitomize this fact. Buses and trucks often run red lights and merge directly into traffic at yield points and traffic circles. Cars, auto-rickshaws, bicycles, and pedestrians behave only slightly more cautiously. Use your horn or flash your headlights frequently to announce your presence. It is both customary and wise.<br />
On the few divided highways one can expect to meet local transportation traveling in the wrong direction, often without lights. Heavy traffic is the norm and includes (but is not limited to) overloaded trucks and buses, scooters, pedestrians, bullock and camel carts, horse or elephant riders en route to weddings, bicycles, and free-roaming livestock. Traffic in <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> moves on the left. It is important to be alert while crossing streets and intersections, especially after dark as traffic is coming in the "wrong" direction. Travelers should remember to use seatbelts in both rear and front seats where available, and to ask their drivers to maintain a safe speed. <br />
If a driver hits a pedestrian or a cow, the vehicle and its occupants are at risk of being attacked by passersby. Such attacks pose significant risk of injury or death to the vehicle's occupants or at least of incineration of the vehicle. It is unsafe to remain at the scene of an accident of this nature, and drivers may instead wish to seek out the nearest police station.<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Natural Disaster Threats:</b> Parts of northern <country-region><place>India</place></country-region> are highly susceptible to earthquakes. Regions of highest risk, ranked 5 on a scale of 1 to 5 including Himachal Pradesh. (This is the state where the orphanage is located.)<br />
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I think it is necessary to look at the reality of a situation. These facts could be disturbing, but I am not obsessing on them for two reasons. First, if we were tourists in the <country-region><place>U.S.</place></country-region>, and were going to a large city, there would be many of the same warnings about places to avoid and to be wary of sketchy people or scams. Earthquakes are also a concern in parts of our country. Thankfully the penalty for hitting a stray cow isn't as severe here in the U.S. as in India.<br />
Second, and most importantly, God has given me multiple indications that I am supposed to be on this trip. I know, no matter what happens, God is in charge. I am going to trust Him. The focus should not be about possible danger, it should be about showing God’s love to the children we are going to serve.Linda Van Wyckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588605793155682177noreply@blogger.com0