I'm not sure what I expected in coming here. People try to prepare you by telling you about extreme poverty and cultural differences. I suppose these preparations helped as much as words can, but nothing quite compares to experiencing things for yourself. I don't know if you're like me, but it takes seeing things for them to become real to me (you can imagine what a struggle faith has been for me at times!). I haven't had the chance to process much of what I've seen, but I figure real time updates are more important than pretty words sometimes.
The poor in India live on the side of busy roads. They have little tents they've made, or shanty-type houses. They don't have real walls, windows, roofs, or doors. But there are whole communities of people living everywhere. Naked babies will walk alone on the side of the road. Children dig through trash right in the open. No one looks twice. I've found it hard to look away.
In addition to the poverty right next to the road, people drive crazy. Over half the drivers are on little mopeds that they use to swerve in and out of traffic. It's been raining here, which is unusual, and has caused problems with the roads (they're mostly all made of dirt). Today (or would that be yesterday?) I saw an elderly woman vomit from a window of a bus, onto a guy riding a moped. I guess some people never get used to the stop-and-go traffic.
The culture is unlike anything I've ever experienced. Women all wear long skirts, they don't drive, and are very quiet. There is such respect for elders and authority. We had a staff meeting, and afterwards I wondered if I spoke up too much, giving my suggestions and input on the topics at hand. I'm not used to being quiet. It's made me think about what it means to have a gentle and quiet spirit.
Men that are friends hold hands. They're very affectionate.
The children are so well behaved. And yet, they still love to play. They call me sister, and their English isn't bad (what a relief, since I cannot say even "hello" in Telegu).
I think the most incredible thing that I've experienced so far has been meeting Indian Christians. We've been able to talk about how we are living for the next life and not this one. I cannot explain to you what it is like to find someone who grew up half a world away, in a culture that can be difficult to understand, speaks a language of which I do not know one word, and yet know that we are one in Christ. There is one Spirit and He is living inside each of us. There is nothing sweeter than to meet a brother or sister.
Finally, I ate banana potato chips from a street vendor. I saw a monkey on a gate on the side of a road. There was a rainbow in the sky amongst the most intense clouds, proving once again that God is always the most beautiful creator wherever you go.
