A day in the life...

The first days in M-town have been full. Every day is an adventure. We laugh, we cry, we sing, we shout. God is faithful, and we are his, so we trust.

What does a day in M-town look like? Well, every single day is a brand new adventure. There is never any telling what the next hour will bring. Monday was one of those days!

Monday morning, the alarm sounded and the day began. Cathy & I had agreed to help prepare for a training that was to begin at 10am. The center for the training had been rented, but the floors needed sweeping and to be mopped. The beds had to be made, and the bathrooms had to be cleaned. Now, I know it won't surprise you that we did these things, but imagine it in a salwar kameez, complete with dupatta (large scarf)!

A couple of hours was enough time to finish that task. I don't think I have been quite that hot, nor have I sweated that much since an Alabama July mid-afternoon softball game. It was just hot and humid! But, the opportunity to serve made the task sweeter.

We have a friend who also lives in the city, Ashley. Ashley has only been in country a few weeks and wanted to go to an open market, one that only takes place on Mondays. So, we told her to come on over and we would head out. In the meantime, the househelper was here, so I was trying to continually dialogue with her in Hindi. Before Ashley arrived, a sweet national girl stopped by for a visit. It was a wonderful opportunity to speak with her, share a snack, and be encouraged by her testimony.

Ashley arrived during Monica's visit. Shortly after Monica took her leave, Ashley, Cathy & I walked down the road and caught a local bus. This happened to be my first Indian bus experience. I typically use alternate forms of transportation. The bus was quicker than a bicycle rickshaw, but it was quite crowded, to say the least. We arrived at the market and shopped for a while, mingling with so many women and picking up a few new items, as well.

After finishing up at the market, we headed back to the bus route to catch a bus back to the home of the family with whom we are staying until we have apartments of our own. During the bus ride back, a friend called and told us to hop off of the bus and go to the apartments that we are wanting to rent. We reached the apartments and the property dealer was not in sight. I called and I had misunderstood. He was expecting us at his office. We waited and he came to the apartments. He reported that we would not be able to rent the apartments that we wanted, the owners were not comfortable renting to us. So, on to the next plan. There were two other apartments that we looked at and agreed for the negotiating with the owners to begin.

We left the apartments and grabbed a rickshaw back to the house. We arrived and showered. The water ran out between my shower and Cathy's, but returned after some time. Some friends who happened to be in the area stopped by. I greeted them, served them some cold water, and got them settled. A few minutes later, a national stopped by with her 1 year old little girl. We sat and chatted a little while. Supper had to be started and since the house was full, we would be serving a houseful!

When bedtime finally came, exhausted only grazed the surface of my condition. I praise him because his mercies are new every morning and his faithfulness is great!

There is no typical day. The only constant right now, is the necessity of flexibility with the ever-changing plan. These are good days, they are hard days. We are hearing language and seeing culture take place all around us. It is such fun to continue to interact with people more deeply every single day.

~Heather

*Ask the father to allow Cathy & I to be enabled to rent apartments and get settled soon.
*Ask that my language abilities would increase quickly.
*Ask that the father would provide language helpers that would become long-term partners.
* Ask that the father would call the people of the state of UP (where M-town is located) unto himself.
*Ask that the father would continue to strengthen Cathy & I's relationship, that he would use us to encourage and support one another, and to share his love with those around us.
*Thank the father for his continued protection and provision.
*Thank him for new friends.

Goodbye A'bad

The A'bad days of Cathy, Rachel & Heather have come to a close. It was an adventurous 6 weeks. We laughed, we cried, we learned from one another, we served one another, we thrived and survived, together.















Rachel has moved on toward her new assignment now. We miss her being with us, but can hardly wait to see what the father has in store for her months ahead.

Cathy & I are currently taking Hindi Intensive classes in the capital, but a move is coming soon! We have decided to move to M-town. We will complete our language learning time there, begin forming networks & relationships, and hope to get to tell and craft some stories over the next several months. These are exciting times! May he continue to show his hand at work in, around, and through us!

~Heather

*Ask the father to give us the stamina to finish Hindi Intensives well.
*Ask the father to grant us great housing, quickly, in M-town.
*Ask him to give us wonderful relationships with national women who will be captivated by his amazing story, that they would come to know the truth, and that he would use them to draw others into his family.

Brokenness

Brokenness, brokenness is what I long for.
Brokenness is what I need.
Brokenness, brokenness is what you want from me.
Take my heart and form it.
Take my mind, transform it.
Take my will, conform it,
to your's, to your's, O Lord.

Brokenness is what the Father wants us to bring to him. Brokenness is truly what we need. Only the Lord can heal our brokenness. But, is brokenness really something we long for?

The Father is at work. He is at work in me, and I pray that he is at work in you. I am quite stubborn. I like things done my way. I like to be in control of how things are done. Too often, my strong, independent spirit becomes an obstacle. I have to often ask the Father's forgiveness for doing things my own way, rather than his. He loves each of us so much though, so much that he doesn't ever stop working on us, to mold us and make us who he has for us to be, vessels through which he chooses to work. I want to be one the father chooses to work through.

In order for the Father to work through me, I must allow him to empty me of myself and fill me with himself. This means altering my prideful, I can do anything, WonderWoman attitude, and coming before him, and others, humbly, to be used to love, share, and serve.

The last months have been full of lessons on humility. I am so thankful that the Lord doesn't give up, he just keeps working on us and loving us. He accepts us each and every time we return to him. The task that is ahead is so much larger than anything any person could accomplish in and of themselves. The father has used and is using this time to show us that he is still in the miracle making business. He is, and will continue to be, at work in, around, and through us.

These weeks and lessons haven't been easy ones. Hindi has become difficult for me. I haven't enjoyed the learning process that must take place. My body isn't handling life overseas near as well as I would like. I have experienced hospitals in two countries in less than a month. Cathy & I have been on the move and without a home of our own since our arrival. We are so ready to settle. I miss people and places in America. I miss getting to be present for special occasions and I miss being part of ordinary days. These are just hard things.

I know that our God is faithful. I look back and see his faithfulness. I am choosing to look forward and trust his faithfulness. He has truly amazing plans. He will see his plans come to fruition. What an honor it is to be part of them. There are incredible days behind us, and before us. May we humbly choose to accept each opportunity as one through which to praise him!

Brokenness, brokenness is what I long for.
Brokenness is what I need.
Brokenness, brokenness is what you want from me.
Take my heart and form it.
Take my mind, transform it.
Take my will, conform it,
to your's, to your's, O Lord.

~Heather

*Ask the father to continue to heal my body completely and to protect me from further illness.
*Ask the father to allow Cathy & I to find wonderful homes quickly in our new city.
*Ask the father to grant sweet relationships with fellow workers and nationals in our new city.
*Ask the father to provide the mental capabilities and attitude to learn Hindi well and joyfully.
*Ask the father to continue to mold me into a vessel that he can use to make himself known amongst the nations.

Worth it all!

On a hot Sunday morning, Cathy, Rachel & I were worshipping the father with our fellow workers in A'bad.

Rose is a househelper of one of the families. She speaks no English. We usually speak only Engish during worship. It was hot. The electricity had been out for quite a while. Worship usually lasted about 2 hours. This particular morning it lasted over 3 hours. Sometimes a few nationals joined us for worship. On this morning, one of our Indian brothers was happy to translate the entire service (which is why it lasted an extra hour).

The father had a divine appointment for us on this, our last Sunday in A'bad. He allowed us to see his hand at work. He called Rose to be a daughter in his kingdom. She accepted. The angels in heaven rejoiced. Our hearts leapt for joy. The father reminded me, "This my child, is why I have brought you here."

Mornings like that last Sunday morning in A'bad make it all worthwhile.

~Heather

*Ask the father to continue to reveal himself to Rose.
*Ask the father to use Rose to draw her family, and others, to know and trust only him.
*Ask the father to allow there to be many more mornings of seeing new brothers and sisters added to the fold.

More to come...

Life is a great adventure! Living cross-culturally is a fairly wild adventure. Each day is sure to bring about something new.

Last week I became quite ill. Not to worry, I am doing much better now. However, I did spend a few days in a local hospital. I am so thankful for the services that were provided, but, it was an extreme cultural experience, to say the least.

I have thoughts to share and stories that will be priceless, but am just not quite ready to share those yet. I will share them as I am able to fully process this crazy experience. Know that the father has continued to provide for and take wonderful care of me.

• Please ask him to continue to strengthen and heal my body so that I am able to soon be up and going, as strong as ever.
• Please ask him to protect Cathy, Rachel, and I from illness. It certainly seems to be the enemy's sharpest and most relied upon weapon these days.

~Heather

Ari's Family

Ari comes each morning and patiently assists in the learning of Hindi. Some days are certainly better than others, but she is ever patient, continually listening to and correcting my toddler-like Hindi sentences.

Ari happened to join us for fellowship and worship on Sunday morning. She became a believer just last year. Monday morning as she arrived for a language session, we had a sweet, honest discussion about believers in this culture, especially regarding how they are viewed by those who have not yet become believers.

Ari brought her cousin with her to fellowship on Sunday morning, so I enquired of whether she was a fellow believer and of her siblings, as well. Ari's cousin, Pippy, has two older brothers, one who is a believer, and one who is not. Pippy's father is a believer, but her mother is not. Ari has two younger sisters, neither of whom are believers. Also, her father is a believer, but her mother is not. As the conversation continued to get more complicated in trying to label members of Ari's family as being believers, or non, she finally looked up with the most gentle, compassionate expression on her face, and said, "I am praying for the day that my whole family believes."

• Please join Ari and I in pleading with the father to bring this desire to complete fullfilment.
• Ask the father to use Ari to make an eternal difference from within her family.
• Ask the father to use me as an encouregement for Ari.

~Heather

Big Changes

Big change happened over the Memorial Day weekend.  I retired my Toile bedding for the summer. This is HUGE.  Some of you may know my habit of becoming attached to things.  And, well, the toile was known to make a few road trips. But, I am moving on to a new pattern.  And learning to let go one day at a time.....   :)

On another note, it was nice to have my Mom and sister, Kimberly, in town for the weekend. I had really been looking forward to taking some of my family to my church, to introduce them to the fabulous Dr. Wicker. Heather and I just love him -- and I knew they would, too. 

~Sarah.

life's journey

We are all on a journey. Journeys have a variety of destinations and purposes. Some journeys turn out to be more adventurous than others. Many come to South Asia on a spiritual journey. These wandering hearts are often misguided and looking for peace in all the wrong places.

We took the day to spend some moments experiencing and praying over some of the spiritual strongholds of the area, including the Triveni Sangam, a confluence of three rivers (Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati). The Saraswati is invisible and is said to join the other two underground.

This Sangam is known to be sacred amongst Hindus and it is believed that a ritual bath will wash away all one's sins and free one from the cycle of rebirth. The Sangam is also a respectable location to scatter the ashes of a loved one. The family accompanies the ashes with great pomp and circumstance to show honor to the deceased and offer the ashes to the gods as a last sacrifice.

Join us in asking the father to reveal himself as Creator and Redeemer, especially to those who have set out on a spiritual journey. Ask that their hearts be spurred on to continue searching, until they find eternal peace in him.

~Heather

I have so far to go...

The more I learn, the more I realize that I have to learn. Isn't it like that with everything? Several years ago, I was at a particular place in my life that drew me very near to the Father. It was then that I realized how much more there was to learn and experience, of and in him.

The past week was full of cultural experiences. There were, of course, the good, the bad, and the ugly. There always are, I guess. Because I want to be seen as confident, I often come across as someone who is quite familiar with and understanding everything that is going on. I have a bit of a knack for playing it cool, for shooting from the hip. When I am shaking in my boots, I want it to look like I have it all together, like I am confident in my knowledge and understanding of every situation.

Well, don't you worry, the Father is allowing me to see every moment that I have so far to go.

• I want to know the Father's story in such a way that it freely flows from of me.
• I want to communicate that story on a heart level with those around me, in their heart language and in a way that is most meaningful to them.
• I want those around me to hear my heart's song.
• I want to find myself in perfect harmony with the Father.

I don't just want these things, they are what I long for. May each day he give me the courage, the energy, and the humility to get one step closer.

~Heather

A few "snaps" to share

Recent Realizations

As the Spring semester has come to a close, I have wound down quite a bit. Slowing down and not having so many things to be focused on has provided the space and time to realize. Below is a list, ever growing, that I am becoming aware of:

1.I am auditory. All the way. I enjoy reading; but, as far as soaking up information, give it to me MP3 style. It takes me forever to read and process. But put it to me over speakers and I am on it. This is probably why I enjoy NPR so much.

2. My all-or-nothing worldview/way of approaching things permeates everything I do. My faith, my work, my school, cleaning my apartment....everything.

3. I need to find a balance. Scratch that. I need to know what 'balance' is and then find it.

4. My unsocial tendencies are working against me. When I do stop, from work, school, etc, I find that I am deeply lonely. Not just bored. Lonely.

5. My knack for shooting from the hip, ability to build my parachute on the way down, figure out what I need to do and know, reliance on my ability is severely hindering my relationship with the Lord.

6. I work too much; and, when work is too much, I work some more. (Thanks, Daddy) I need to learn to enjoy.

7. I take myself too seriously.

8. I don't know how to see my good qualities.

9. I am hating this list right now.

~Sarah

on purpose

The most quoted phrase from the book of Ester is sure to be, "for such a time as this." The father has been teaching me this week more of what it means to be purposeful. I am often found saying, "The father has good plans. There is great stuff in store."

I memorized Jeremiah 29:11 as a youth. The father does have plans for us. I know that he promises that they are plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans for a hope and a future. However, it is easy for me to get caught up in the plans to come and forget to be purposeful in the "right now." The father is teaching me that he does have plans and a purpose, and eventhough much of what he is teaching us and molding us for might be still to come, there is purpose and meaning in each day.

May we find his plan and purpose in each day. May we not sit idly by waiting for a huge plan and purpose, only to miss the everyday wonders and miracles that are wrapped in opportunities to share his story. May we earnestly seek to live each day, "for such a time as this."

~Heather