Hello from Bangalore, India!
I left Vancouver about a week ago and I still feel like everything is so surreal. Praise the Lord, the trip here was smooth and uneventful. Thanks to everyone who’s been praying for us. I usually get air sick, but I didn’t get motion sickness at all this time, despite the lengthy journey of 22h in 4 different planes.
Catherine and I visited Jangareddigudem for 24h and then took a bus to Bangalore for our DTS (Disciple Training School). While in Jangareddigudem, we attended the dedication of a church, visited the school construction site, and had a pastor’s meeting. It was so wonderful to see a new church building completed, knowing that will be a place where many people will have the opportunity to meet God face to face. We also visited the school site and were amazed at how much it had changed since our last visit in Jan. It’s fabulous to see how the Lord in action, from the school site in Jan 2010 to now, in Oct 2011.
I have now been staying at Bangalore YWAM (Youth with a Mission) for just over a week. We just finished our first week of class, and class was mind-opening and engaging. I’ve met a few good friends here as well. Some of my fears are coming true, however. The roommate situation has been challenging, as I’m sharing a room and bathroom facilities with 3 individuals from a different cultural background. They’re very sweet and are always sharing their food with me (brownie points!). At the same time, they’re super energetic and hyper, and we have very different lifestyles. When I go to bed at 11pm, they’re often still up and chatting and giggling. I’ve usually been able to fall asleep, but I’ve been waken up in the middle of the night a few times.
Another thing I’m struggling with is the diet. I was ecstatic about how cheap my tuition (including room and board) was for 5 months—a mere $950 USD. Now I know why it’s so cheap. The budget for our meals each day is a measly 66 cents! The breakfast budget is 13 cents, and the lunch and dinner budget is 26.5 cents each. Yes, things ARE cheaper in India, but not THAT much cheaper! We basically eat a rice diet. Our meal consists of a LOT of carbohydrates, some protein (in the form of lentils and sometimes chicken) and a tiny bit of vegetables in the form of the tomato and onion paste they use for the sauce of our curries. I’ve been trying to supplement my diet by buying my own fruit. Often times I spend $1 on fruit & I feel extravagant :P Imagine that—$2/day for food! This week, Catherine and I are going to try to cook some veggie dishes & keep them in the refrigerator to supplement our meals.
Now I understand why it’s so cheap to sponsor a child in a developing country. Yes, living expenses and food are cheaper in developing countries. But it’s also so ridiculously cheap (usually $35-40/month) because the kids usually eat a rice diet. They consume white rice to fill their bellies.
The internet has been frustrating me. I have this 3G connection, but it’s SO absurdly slow. Sometimes a page takes ages to load, and uploading pictures onto facebook is next to impossible. One can spend a whole afternoon to upload 4 pictures. I’m trying to figure out what times in the day will have faster connection speeds.
I’ve met some local kids that I’d like to reach out to. They have had holiday from school this week because of a Hindu festival, and I’ve seen them roaming the streets barefoot a few times. I was invited to visit their homes and have met their parents. One family has a 10-year-old boy, 9-year old girl, and a 3-year-old boy. The 2 older siblings take turns carrying their baby brother around. For some reason, the baby brother doesn’t smile very much. His long fingernails are caked with dirt, his hair is dirty, and his shirt torn. When I asked his brother if I could hold him, the little one reached out his arms to me and instantly rested his head on my shoulders. My heart melted. I met their neighbours with a little boy and his 4-year-old sister. This girl is bubbly and giggly. Every time I leave her family, she starts wailing. This family is from Andhra Pradesh, and it’s cool that I can communicate a little to them with my limited—very limited—Telugu (the provincial language of Andhra).
In general, I’m enjoying my time here, worshipping, intercessing, doing chores, and socializing. There are 23 students in our class, so there are many different groups of people to hang out with. We also have some characters in our class, so it makes things interesting.
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