Real Life India: 9/8/08 - 12/8/08 - Making Disciples: Reaching Our World

settled in for debrief

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The team is doing well. I just spoke with Jennifer and they are all resting well tonight in the hotel here in Gainesville. We had a great time with them this afternoon enjoying hamburgers, Starbucks, and fun India stories. We'll have a full day tomorrow with them processing all that the Lord has done during this past season in India. It's great to spend time with the team, and I'm sure you all are looking forward to having them home on Friday.

Debrief in Georgia

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The team arrives into Atlanta Wednesday morning and will be involved in debrief for a couple of days. This will be a valuable time to debrief and process both as a team and individually. We, as AIM staff, are looking forward to this time to pour into the team, celebrate what the Lord has done, and help bring closure to this last season of their lives.

Based on the original plan, all of the students have flights to depart Atlanta on Monday, December 8^th to their respective homes. However, with the recent change of events, it is now possible for them to return home early. We will be finished with our debrief on Thursday evening. Therefore, the students will be able to fly out as early as Friday morning, December 5^th.

We would ask that you, as parents, contact the airline and switch their domestic flight to depart Atlanta Friday (Dec 5^th) after 9am. In the event that you cannot make these arrangements please let us know.

We know that you are anxious to get your son/daughter home and we appreciate your patience with all of this.

Finishing Strong

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I just talked to Jane and the team is on their way to church for the last time in India before they come home. I am constantly reminded that with only a few days left we need to be praying that they will finish strong. Especially with recent events it is easy to give up on the ministry there and to start thinking about home, but; we need to be praying that these last few days will be incredibly fruitful. The events and the changes in the team's plans were in no way a surprise to God!

I was able to change the flight back to the US for the team with the help of an incredible travel agent! The team will be leaving India on Tuesday night and will be arriving in the states on Wednesday morning. They will have a time of debrief together before separating and returning home. This is an incredibly important time for the team and with the recent events in India I am sure they will need additional time to process. Be in prayer for them as they process what God has done in and through them and all of the other events during their time in India.

I know that some on the team were asking whether or not they would be going home early. I do not as of yet know all of the specifics of the debrief plan but as soon as I do I will let you know if that causes their trip to end earlier than originally planned. For now, know that they will be back in the US on Wednesday morning. I will be able to communicate more specifically the details of the debrief plan on Monday at the latest. If I know something sooner I will let you know.

Thanks for your patience as this plan continues to unfold.

Scott

Teams plans are changing

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I pray that everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

We wanted you to know that we are still following the situation in India closely. The team is doing fine; although the recent attacks have cause apprehension in everyone in India. As things unfolded, we made decisions to change plans and because of this the team has stayed in their ministry location instead of traveling for debrief.

The Christmas parties they have been planning and raising funds for are being moved up and we are working on plans to get the team back to the US early. Instead of spending their debrief time in India, we will debrief them in Georgia upon their return to the US.

We would ask that you would continue to pray for those in India that have been affected by this situation. We would also ask that you would be praying for the team as they finish up their ministry and begin to get ready to travel home.

We will continue to keep you updated as plans progress.

Thanks for your support and prayers as we make decisions regarding how best to care for the team.

Scott

Midnight update

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I just spoke with a very sleepy Jennifer in India. The team is doing well and really nearing the end of their time there. I am excited about all that God has used them to accomplish while they have been there and I am so proud of their passion and perseverance.

I did want to ask everyone to pray for those in Mumbai India where they have just had another bombing. This one was on a different level than the ones we have seen in Delhi and that is why I am bringing it to your attention even though it is so far away from the team.

We are evaluating the situation for the team there and if anything changes we will let you know. For now we continue to ask for your prayers for the country of India. It is an amazing opportunity to serve God in this area and we are thankful for the service of those on the team. Our prayer is that these teams will continue to be God's light shining in the darkness. We ask that you remain diligent in your prayers for those in India.

Let's Celebrate

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hello again to all of my sponsors, family and friends! Sorry that I personally have not been able to give many up-dates on here; life in India has kept me pretty busy and there are a lot of us trying to get blogs up! Before I go into other things, I wanted to again thank everyone who has financially supported this ministry. Without you, none of the amazing progress happening over here in India would have been possible. So THANKS! J

As time goes on and the weather continues to cool, living conditions have become much easier. I can see a significant change in every person's personality as each of us become more comfortable and more in love with the children at the orphanages. Along with time passing, we have come across several days worth celebrating!

How we celebrate in India

BIRTHDAYSYep, we have celebrated quite a few of these here! I can only imagine how difficult it must be to be away from family and friends on a day such as this. (One year older and!!...I'm in India?) If it is someone's birthday while we are here, they are allowed to:

Call loved ones & use the internet

Go out for a nice dinner with the team

Get a yummy homemade ice cream cake J

Do something fun for the day

o Shopping, coffee shops, ect. with the leaders

Birthdays have been a fun event for the whole team. Better yet, I'm sure another birthday celebration will happen as soon as they return home! (No pressure if you know one of these people)

Although this is not a Christian holiday by any means, we made sure costumes and candies were present on this day! The children at the orphanages have never heard of Halloween. Shocked, our team decided to throw a Halloween party for them. The party included candy bags and fun Halloween stations! After ministry for the day, a few of us put together a little Halloween party in our "living room". The room was lit by candlelight. We had carmel apples, sparkling apple juice, candy, music and ridiculous costumes. Characters attending the party included a sumo wrestler, two teenage mutant ninja turtles, a gangster and an umbrella! We all danced and laughed the night away.

THANKSGIVING; a holiday that has yet to take place. I believe I can speak for everyone when I say we will all be missing the turkey, gravy and stuffing we would normally be enjoying on this day back home! This year, though, we have an amazing opportunity granted to us for this celebration. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving at the leper colony. Our team will supply all of the food, and the women of the colony (along with the ladies of our team) will cook a feast for everyone to enjoy! How many people can say they had the opportunity to eat thanksgiving dinner with the Untouchables?

CHRISTMAS Although we will not be in India for Christmas, that does not stop a party from taking place! As most of you have read, we are putting together a Christmas party for the orphanages. We have the planning well under way. The party will contain Christmas carols, presents, cookies, hot chocolate, craft stations and games! The orphanages will also be transformed into winter wonderlands; fake snow included. J If you have not done so already, I ask you to deeply consider donating toward this cause. This is the only holiday these children get to celebrate; they deserve a good one! For more information, take a look at the Christmas Party Blog.

I hope all is well for everyone back home! We miss you all so much, and are thankful each day for the ways in which each of you have helped to make this mission trip a success!

God Bless & much love,

Kelsey Scherven

Unlovable

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dear family and friends,

Words cannot express how much God is doing in me. For example I can't even think of what to say to you all when I get to talk to you on the phone because well, there is so much to say and I cant form words. My birthday was on the third and it was awesome to see how my team took time to make it special and fun for my sad heart. I got to thinking about it though and realized something, how many people get to say they turned 18 India?!?! I do!

I have a story about the way god is growing my love for his children in miraculous ways. Her name is Radha, she is 5 and spontaneous. This past Sunday we went to an orphanage called Emmanuel for the first time to go to church, and I think I speak for all of us - we fell in love! This is the same orphanage talked about in the book Red Letters. The church service was extremely long and I was kind of well bored, until she caught my eye with her playful smile.
Sitting perfectly still for three hours, Radha was a bombshell after we got done. She ran around and playfully teased some of the other girls. After lunch most orphanages take rest and it was the same for here we didn't quite know what to do until one of the staff smiled and told us we were welcome to go rest with them. So we did.

I walked in and the first bed had two girls on it and they invited me over and told me to lay with them. Radha saw this and ran over and laid down on the bed as well! She got this worship book and started picking songs for me to sing with them. We sang so many songs and at one point she told everyone to be quiet so she could just listen to me sing. She told me I was beautiful and that she loved me. I looked into her beautiful black eyes and told her I loved her too!

You guys, I have never felt this much love for a child in my entire life! Radha told me I couldn't leave, and so I pretended to sleep. It didn't work, sadly. So I got up and grabbed her hand. I pulled her into the room that held my purse and wrote her a letter telling her she was loved and always would be. We walked out to the cars hand in hand, she hugged me and told me I had to come back to see her. I couldn't tell her yes. That killed me! I told Radha I would try and with sad tearful eyes I grabbed a bracelet I had made and gave it to her. I told her that I would never forget her and I would try my hardest to come back. As we pulled out she held onto my hand and ran for a few steps before letting go. I cried to myself out of a broken heart for this single little girl.

When I think about it now I feel as if my heart is somewhere else, and it is. I believe Jesus wanted it that way. I believe he desired for us to love people all over the earth and have our hearts spread out over oceans. Well guys, mine is and always will be. I never thought God would bless me with a love for his people that is so strong. I said from the moment we landed that I never wanted to come back to India ever again! He has changed my heart. I long to come back and see the people I have fallen in love with. I will never be the same and I love it! I pray that I never lose this, I want to come home and bring it to everyone I encounter, the love of Jesus!

Could you guys do me a favor? Would you pray that I get to see little Radha at least once more? She inspired me to hold onto the child inside of my heart. I see Jesus in her eyes, I feel Jesus in her touch, and I love Jesus through the least of these. I will never see people the same. I will forever see Jesus in their eyes. It blows my mind that we are living out Gods word. We are taking care of the lepers, widows, and orphans. It is humbling and amazing. If you are struggling with loving people I challenge you, spend some time out of your comfort zone! Go to a homeless shelter and volunteer, God will open your eyes and heart to his presence around you. He will give you a love that is stronger than anything you have ever known. Love the unlovable, for theirs is the kingdom of God. You will be surprised how loveable the unlovable are. They just need your love, they just need Jesus' love. Stop holding back. Start loving.

Well until my next blog, I love you so much and I hope you take me up on my challenge. I am praying for you and I know your praying for me. I can feel it strengthening me. Thank you for your support and love. We will be with you in a month. Hugs and kisses all around!

Living in Him,

Kaley Ann

(pic of kaley and rada)

update from India

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I spoke with Jennifer and Jane, our team leaders, this afternoon and they gave a great report on the team. They're continuing to engage in ministry and are falling in love with the people of India.

We also received news of bombs going off in New Delhi again. Today's bombs went off in an area called Assam, located 1.5 hours drive from where the team is located in Dwarka. We wanted to let you as parents and supporters know that we are aware of this and have been in constant communication with our team there. The team was nowhere around where the bombs that went off today and they remain safe under the careful watch of our staff and ministry host. Their host is taking utmost care of them and is very aware of any happenings in the city. The team trusts him and feels safe under his watch.

We're are continuing to watch this situation carefully and are constantly evaluating the safety of the team. At any point when we deem it unsafe for them to remain in this area, immediate action will be taken to unsure their safety. We understand the importance of frequent communication with the team and with you all. We will continue to keep you posted with the happenings there and look forward to sharing incredible stories of all that the Lord is doing in and through this team.

Less of US and more of YOU

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Life is good here. I feel like I've finally gotten adjusted to this culture, and my heart for the orphans is bigger than ever. Man, these orphans have just stolen my heart. They are so loveable!

A few stories for y'all:

So, on one of our shopping days I got several really cheap children's books at a Christian bookstore. One of the books I got was a Childrens Bible Story book with pictures and everything. We've been using it a little bit at the orphanages when we share stories with them. And the absolutely LOVE it! They will just sit and look through all the pictures, remembering little details from the stories and naming the people in the pictures. I have quickly discovered that one of my most favoritest things EVER is just sitting with a group of orphans around me as I read them Bible stories. It just doesn't get much better than that.

I've also discovered how much joy there is in praying with the children. One of the little girls at the orphanage was really sad one day, and so I was asking her what was wrong. I found out that her mom (Yes, many of the orphans still have living parents that just can't support them financially, and therefore send them to an orphanage) had broken her arm. I've never seen someone so sad over a broken arm before. I asked her if I could pray for her mom, and her eyes lit up and a smile came across her face. After I prayed for her, her whole demeanor changed. She was so happy, and therefore I was too. We found out a little later that her mom was doing better. Prayer is so powerful.

A lot of us have come to really notice the selflessness and humility of everyone at the orphanage. Ok picture this: There are 22 children total. The oldest is a 15 year old boy, and the next oldest is probably only 10. I'm telling you - if that 15 year old was about 8 or 9 years older, I would so be in love with him. He is such a servant! And he does everything without complaining. I have NEVER heard him complain. And he is always so full of joy, and eagerness to help out with everything they ask him to do and more. And the thing is that this 15 year old never really leaves the orphanage except to go to school. How many 15 year olds do I know back home that would complain themselves to death if this was a way of life for them.

But this is just the way of life for him. The orphanage "parents" and the other 2 workers there are the same way. I got to thinking about how all the workers at the orphanage do all day long is serve. I mean, they get up and fix breakfast for the kids, give them baths, wash clothes all day long, and fix lunch. Everything they do is for those kids. Usually they don't have time for themselves until about 3. So that's when they'll get a shower and eat for themselves. SO SELFLESS!!

Their attitude is so much like that of Christ's - like in Philippians 2. I think about them when I read those verses. I want my life to be that selfless. I have been praying so much recently that I would have the eyes of the Lord, and that I would take care of the things on His heart. I want the humility that sees people as better than themselves.

Oh God, less of me and more of You.

Less of US and more of YOU.

Hotel California

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave."

Living in India is opening my eyes. It's scary but it's real and I think that is what's important. 2/3 of the children on this Earth are living in dire poverty. 2/3! Did you know that? I didn't. I didn't know that slavery still existed either, but it does. Nor did I know that there are over 10 million children involved in the sex-ring industry. I guess involved really isn't the right word to use - they are forced - because what child would choose into that horrid lifestyle?!

If you are anything like me, these statistics might make you sick to your stomach. They might make you want to close your eyes and pretend that they aren't real, which works for a second until we reopen them and nothing has changed. The truth of the matter is that God doesn't want us to close our eyes. God wants us to know what's up with our brothers and sisters in need. After all, we are family. Would we walk away from our family when they needed bread or water? Would we leave them in the cold, alone and scared? When our mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters become sick and beg us for help, do we turn away? God keeps the poorest of poor closest to His heart and He asks us repeatedly to do the same.

In Matthew 25:35 God tells His people, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Then the righteous will answer Him, "Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

The LEAST of these! God straight up hits us with the truth, that when we help a person in need, when we visit a wrongdoing prisoner, we are doing these things directly to Him! It's pretty exciting to think that when you gave that homeless man a dollar last week you were actually giving money to Jesus, huh?! He says something else in this chapter though too. "Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." That one is a little harder to stomach.

Over the last 10 years 60-100 million little girls have gone completely missing from this Earth. Missing as in no one has any idea if they are dead or alive, starving and thirsty, being forced or tortured to do horrible things. Jennifer Toledo, an amazing Believer and passionate speaker, asks us to put faces to these statistics and to stop thinking of these children as numbers. When I do this, I think of my little cousin Emma and imagine her lonely and scared, hungry and homeless, it breaks my heart. Try putting the face of your favorite little girl into these numbers and you might start looking at them differently too.

Let's continue to pray for these suffering babies all over the world, but as your sister in Christ I challenge you to do more. I read a story the other day about a pastor who was praying with his congregation for a group of needy people. They were praying and praying for God to bless these people with a certain amount of needed money, a few hundred dollars. Finally the pastor stopped praying as he had a realization. He and the rest of his congregation where already abundantly blessed financially. They could easily each give a little and completely cover their brother and sisters needs. God doesn't just want us to pray. He wants us to walk with the poor, to give what we can, and to trust that he will provide. "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." (Matthew 5:42)

It will be easy for me to leave India. It will be easy to hop on that plane in December, knowing that my family and a Starbuck's pumpkin spice latte are waiting for me. But as easy as it will be for me to check out of this place, I can never really leave. I know now that in the summer the orphans sleep in 125 degree heat because they have to keep their doors shut due to thieves. I know that in the winter they don't have enough blankets or clothing to keep warm so they all huddle together on the cold stone floor like puppies, relying on each other's body heat. I know that they pray for everyone else first and themselves last. I know that they are God's children and that He loves them immensely. And, I know that He expects us to do the same.

I love you all,

Kasey

P.S. God CHOSE to be born poor. Something to think about.

P.P.S. I miss you guys! And Starbucks. And America in general. 6 weeks!

An Orphan Christmas

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Christmas brings a lot of things to mind for many people: snow, Santa Claus, stockings, food, family, gifts, etc. It tends to be a time of year full of joy and excitement for many people. Small children fall asleep Christmas Eve anxiously waiting to open their eyes on Christmas morning.

However, this is not the typical Christmas for most people around the world, including here in India. There is a great need here, and this is a call for YOU to step up and be Jesus to the children and staff at Asha House and Asha Mission through giving. Jesus did not come and die so we can sit back and enjoy life. Jesus came and died to save us because we cannot save ourselves, and He has called us to love. That love needs to extend to all people of all nations, including the children of Asha House and Asha Mission.

We, the India team, are asking you to be Jesus to these children and staff by giving. Your giving is not going to useless wants, it's going to lagitament needs. Here is a list of items that the orphanages have a need for:

Asha House: Asha Mission:

-soap -winter clothes

-shampoo -closed toed shoes

-toothbrushes -sweaters

-mittens -blankets

-hats -bed sheets

-sweaters -new bunk bed

-underwear

Some of these items seem so basic to us, but the means to attain them do not exist for these orphanages. We have included the address and other information t o send money to below. You can be assured that every cent sent in will go to these orphanages for their Christmas.

Please prayerfully consider giving even just a little so that these children will be taken care of as best as possible. PLEASE don't finish reading this and ignore it as you continue on in your comfortable life while these children continue with so little.

Step up. You have the opportunity to be Jesus to these children.

"Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" James 1:27

--India Team 08

Address:

First United Methodist Church

301 South Main Street

PO Box 35 Randelman, NC 27317

-Make checks payable to: First United Methodist Church

-Write "orphan fund" in memo line.

Website: www.sixty1.org

www.ashahouse.org

www.ashamissions.org (Soon to be available)

Perceptions

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hello! I pray that you are all doing well. India is a very interesting place. Sometimes I find myself irritated with the "inconveniences" of the culture but I am quickly reminded that it is not that India is so inconvenient but my home in the U.S. is irregularly convenient in comparison to the rest of the world. This is one of the many truths I have been learning while I am here that I hope to remember for the rest of my life. Another thing I have been noticing is how exceedingly hard the people work here. Everyday on the way to the orphanage I see women, young and old, in their multicolored saris digging ditches or pits for water. There are people who sit in the medians all day long in the scorching sun pulling out weeds for miles on end. There are tiny rickshaw drivers that up to four people to their destination. They pedal over potholes and up hills for a miniscule pay. (For a half hour ride to the market in a rickshaw carrying three of us we pay a little over a dollar.) There are people who transport farming goods of different packaged things on a cart stacked several feet high through ridiculous traffic. When I observe these people I find myself wondering if I could ever work that hard. I know I never have before. I work so little for so much more pay in comparison to the people. I'm insulted by my own complaints of exhaustion from work when I realize how little physical effort I really put into it. This is just another truth that has been put in front of me each day.

Outside of the cultural truths I have been learning, God has been teaching me truths as well. I am learning that I am very prideful and doubtful. I have been praying for the Lord to help me in these areas. While I desire to be God's zealous yet humble servant I find my motives to be placed on worldly things and not righteous things. I would really appreciate prayer for this. I have been struggling with my doubt a lot. I'm seeing more and more that I have a lot to learn about God and his crazy ways. Please pray that I will be open and faithful towards whatever the Lord is teaching me.

The orphanage is so much fun. If there were one place I would choose to live in India it would be there. The children are precious and the staff is wonderful. There is one boy, Ravinder, who is the oldest and is constantly helping the little ones with whatever they may need. He is always happy and willing to help. While I haven't gotten to know him real well I am very appreciative of him and I am in awe of his strong commitment to the Lord. One of the little ones I am really attached to is Maryam. She is new to the orphanage and doesn't speak Hindi, the language spoken in that area. She's about 2 years old. I have been trying to teach her how to use a writing instrument and while she hasn't gotten it yet I can see improvement each day. We also try to learn the ABC's and numbers there. Right now she only repeats what I say but I am convinced that she will learn more as I work with her. Outside of her academic improvement I am thrilled to see her grow socially each day. She was very, very quiet and pretty unresponsive but as she has gotten to know me she has started to loosen up. She calls me "Didi" which means big sister. I am teaching her to call me "Mama." I really want to take her home. J The children are such a joy and blessing to us. It's a privilege for us to see them when we do. Also I have been trying to connect with the women working there. I really admire their wholehearted service to God and I feel pulled to encourage them in it. Whether it's talking about their home or doing little chores with them; I try to spend time with them in addition to the children each day. Their joy and devotion is inspiring to me.

The leper colony is also interesting. The last time we went we taught one woman the "Macarena." It was great. We met another woman, Mary, who is very old but acts as if she is a child. She's hilarious; always cupping my face in her hands and pulling my hair out of my eyes. She is playful and sarcastic and makes the place pretty lively. The children there are desperate for our love and attention. We have been singing songs with them and doing a skit or a short activity. They are full of energy and need us to love on them. This is not always on simple task for us because of all the chaos they create but I think with each visit we get better at it. Prayer is pretty helpful too.

Living in the house has its ups and downs - as does living with anyone. One thing I really enjoy about the trip is the quiet time made available to us. While sometimes it is difficult for me to do it every single morning I find it to be more and more beneficial.

While I can't go through all our individual prayer requests I ask that you would pray for truth and unity over our team. Pray for our leaders to be strong in mind, body and soul and to give them encouragement as well. Pray for the leper colony that the people would be made aware of the true God and fall to worship him and only him. Please pray for the orphanages that the children would continue to praise God and live in his glory each day and that the staff would be encouraged and that all their needs would be met through the Body from all around the world.

God Bless You!

Transformed Vision

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"The transformation of the mind produces a transformed vision of reality. What the world calls real' will lose its clarity. What it calls unreal will gain clarity and power." Elisabeth Elliot

I am finding that my vision of reality is being transformed daily as I continue life here in India. Looking into the eyes of broken people and people so in need of Jesus generates such a brokenness in my own heart. I have asked God to continue to break me for these people, and to continue to grant me His joy and His love for these people, and He has been so faithful in that.

I have experienced many frustrations here. Sickness, bug bites, the language barrier, exhaustion...the list could go on and on, but God has enabled me to look past the frustrations and soak up every second I have here. The other night while I was lying in my bed pondering my life here in India and just the frustrations I have been experiencing, God gave me a little insight into His thoughts concerning the matter. This is kind of what He told me.

"I love you like crazy. You are my daughter. I planted this dream...this vision...India...in your heart a long time ago, and now it is coming to pass. You need to soak it all up. I want you to take hold of every second you have here. You may or may not be coming back here, and if you do...you don't know when. I know, but you don't...so embrace EVERY second of it. Take it all in. Make the most of each day here because if you don't, you will regret it. I can tell you that for sure. I have offered you my joy and my love for this place and these people. Grab hold of that and live each day for me. Take every opportunity captive and use it to glorify me. Find ways to encourage, to love, to bring joy. I love you so much, and I want this opportunity for you even more than you want it for yourself. This opportunity is a gift. You have no reason to be discouraged or bummed out or disconnected. I am walking the streets here. I am with you always. Act like you know this truth. You are my daughter. Do you not realize what that means? You are the daughter of a King, theKing. Live each moment for my glory. Take it all in."

God is good, eh? He has used so many different means to bring so much truth into my life over these past weeks. My perspective of life, of the kingdom of the world, and of the kingdom of God has shifted. One thing I have noticed is that the more truth and life spoken to me, the more hungry I am for more of it. I love that. I love this hunger for truth, this hunger to know God more. I also desire more than ever to be Jesus to this fallen and broken world, and I love that.

Lately I have been pondering what it will be like to return to the States. I know that many emotions will be involved. I

was imagining myself on my plane ride home from Atlanta to Indy, and what a weird time that will be. We had to say goodbye to a woman, Anita that the Asha Mission team has grown close with over the past month. She was only here for a month, and is returning to the States. I had to fight off tears as we walked down the street away from the orphanage to our vehicle. It was not easy to leave her, and that made me ponder how truly difficult it will be to leave everyone at the end of this journey. On that plane ride from Atlanta to Indy I will be filled with so many different emotions: excitement, anxiety, sadness, and so on. Adjusting to life back in the States will not be easy. I know that for sure. I desire to see family and friends, but leaving the place I am learning to call home and the Indian people that I truly love so much will be a very painful thing to do. God has given me so much joy. Truly. I am experiencing a joy that is so pure, so real, that it can only come from God. It is unlike any joy that I have ever experienced, and I am praising God for granting it to me.

I really do consider this place home. I have noticed that I tend to refer to "home" as simply "the States" now. This place has become my home. My teammates, the orphans, the staff...they have become my family. The thought of having to leave the people who have truly become like family to me scares me...honestly. It would be one thing if I knew I would see them again, if I knew I would return to India, but only God knows those things. I am incapable of possessing such knowledge, and that truly scares me...because I love these people. But that just places even more of a desire in me to love these people with everything in me and to embrace every single moment I have with them.

One thing I am for sure excited about is taking what I have learned from this experience and applying it back home. God has really been placing on my heart the need to live out the love of Jesus back home in my everyday life. He has been so faithful in just showing me practical ways to be Jesus to the people I encounter as I go about my day. I am pumped. I am so pumped to be Jesus to the world.

God is so good. For realio. He is faithful here in India, and He is faithful back in Indiana...because the same God is walking the streets here that is walking the streets where you all are.

Continue to pray for my team and I as we strive to be Jesus to the people of India, and as we strive to know and love Jesus more.

I miss all of you so much, but India is home right now. Praise God for the joy and peace He has given me about being here.

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!" Psalm 96:3

I love you all. Truly.

--Megan

Namaste

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"You shall open your hands wide to your brother,

To your poor and your needy, in your land"

-Deuteronomy 15:11

Namaste to everyone back home! I miss you all very much and think of each of you daily. I cannot wait to share all of the amazing things God has been doing in my life here in India! I have been stretched and pushed to my limits more than I could ever imagine. Picture me constantly dirty and sweaty, living in a home with bugs, dirt and twelve other people. Those things mixed with culture shock itself makes for some hard adjustments! If you know me well enough, you can imagine how I have been stretched. Those are only the little things, though, and truly do not matter that much. The way our Lord has been working in me and all the others here is on a much larger scale, and cannot even be described in full!

I have never been more thankful for things in my life! Until you see poverty such as this in real life, it is too hard to picture how amazingly well we live in the states! I wake up every day and find at least one more thing that I am so blessed to have back home. Never did I think I would be so thankful to have a place to lay my head at night, the ability to flush toilet paper (or have toilet paper for that matter!), and having all of the food items I can afford to eat every day back home (oh, how I miss Caribou!).

It is crazy to be calling this place home, but I would never change it for the world! I love all of my new brothers and sisters, as well as all of my little nieces and nephews at the orphanage, slums and the leper colony (I am called Kelsey Auntie or Kelsey Didi).

I will write again as soon as I can!

God bless and all of my love,

Kelsey Scherven

Namaste!

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Namaste; that is the proper' Indian greeting! You can't go anywhere here without hearing it at least a million and one times! I can't believe it has only been three weeks since I left! I miss you all so much it literally hurts me sometimes and I have to go to sleep just to shake the pain away! I keep thinking about how I would stay here almost painless if I just had one of my family or friends with me. It is a lot harder than I thought it would be!

The good news is that I just saved a lot of money on my car insurance by switching to gieko! Just kidding... but seriously I feel as if I have been with this team for a lot longer than three weeks! It honestly feels like we have known each other for ages! I love them all! We have split up into two ministry groups and we are going to separate orphanages. I think it is working out really great.

Asha mission... that's my new home! I am blown away by the staff and kids! There is so much love and hope (which by the way is the meaning of asha) it is truly inspirational! These kids will worship God and do it with such passion that it has brought me to tears many times. Little hands held high and voices shouting out praise and worship. I have never understood how to worship with other tongues but now I do! God has allowed me to look into the heart and worship through prayer... I have never experienced such raw and true love. One of the most rewarding moments is when they tell you they love you and draw pictures of us. I honestly thought that I would be the teacher before I came and now I realize that God brought me here to learn and grow.

If you have not read the leper colony story on Carlye's blog you need to... it was the hardest and most emotionally draining day I have ever experienced! Basically I have experienced more in the two weeks in India and one week at training camp than I have learned in years! The Lord is good and faithful... I spend alone time with him and I learn... I look into beggars eyes and see God... I look into the mirror and see beauty in the imperfection. Guys... just a little side note... not wearing makeup is extremely difficult for me! Please be praying for me and asking for God to reveal his truth about who I am and not who the world wants me to be... Thanks!

I would like to thank my supporters and my family. You have been on the mission field with me... you have held orphans and street kids, touched lepers, and been humbled and broken by a beggar girl... your doing work for the kingdom of God through me... I could not have done this alone and your prayers and money have been worth every penny!

Living for him and missing you,

Kaley Ann

Joy. Love. Surrender.

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Joy. God has given me so much joy for the people I have been ministering to. Our team has been split up into 2 smaller teams for ministry. My team has been assigned to one orphanage, Asha Mission, and the other team to a different one, Asha House. It proved more difficult than I would have thought at first because I already had such a love for the children at both orphanages, and knowing I would hardly get to visit the other orphanage was hard. However, I was incredibly excited to work at Asha Mission because those children were absolutely precious to me.

Joy. God has given me so much joy through those children. There are about 20 or so children there. Asha Mission has been around for not much longer than a year. Those children are loved so much, and are growing up to have a love for the Lord. I have NEVER seen children worship the Lord the way these children do. Praise God for the environment they are in. One day they won't be there anymore though, and our job is to pour the love of Jesus into them so that they may hold on to the truth of Him for the rest of their lives. Once they leave the orphanage, many other religious influences will be pressing in on them, and our job is to increase their love of Jesus so much that they will never turn away.

Joy. I look at these children, and I truly experience joy in my life. I love them all so much. Holding them. Talking to them. Playing with them. Teaching them. Singing with them. Praying with them. I cannot even imagine how hard it will be to leave them in a little over 2 months. These children are absolutely precious. I cannot express how much joy it brings to my life to have a little boy come up to me with a card saying, "Megan I Love You Very Good Didi (Didi means sister)." All of the children are absolutely precious. I cannot say that enough. One girl in particular, Coman, has a big piece of my heart. She doesn't speak any English, she has a crazy amount of energy, and she is quite a handful, but I love her to death. Every time I hold her, every time she smiles at me.....I experience so much joy. She and her sister are very new to the orphanage. They arrived around the same time we did. I love watching how well she takes care of her sister. I've never seen such a young girl play mom so well. Coman truly does have a big piece of my heart, and I would take her home with me if I could. The thought of ever leaving her is a hard one to handle, but for now I will use the time I have to pour the love of Jesus into her and invest into her life as much as I am able to. Pray for me as I continue to minister to her and to the rest of the orphans that I love so much.

Love. God continues to show me His love for India and for the people here. Despite the dirt, the chaos, the inability to experience much comfort, the heat, the rude and just mean people.......despite all of that and more....God has given me so much love for this place and these people. The orphans, the lepers, and the people on the streets.....I love them. Truly. Some of my team had/has a hard time going to the leper colony, but mayhaps God has blessed me in the fact that I haven't. I fell in love with the lepers the first visit I had there. They are some of the most lovely and beautiful people I have ever met. Despite the deformities, they are beautiful...because Jesus made them. He made them lovely. He made them in His image. The leper colonies are a hard place in the sense that Satan has a strong grip there, but I am determined to bring Jesus there. Satan thinks He's winning, but that won't last.

Love. God is showing me more and more to love the person He created me to be, and to love my team. I will admit that I have has frustration towards my team at times. It's just what happens when you're with people 24/7, but God is teaching me to love them more. Love is patient....and He is teaching me to live that out more and more. Pray for me as I continue to work on this.

Surrender. Surrender is something I can speak my thoughts on for hours, but I will attempt to keep this short. God is showing me daily what it means to surrender. To surrender my wants...my needs...my desires...my plans....my attitude...to surrender everything to Him. Surrendering is HARD. It's hard to fully trust God with everything. It's hard because I'm scared. I'm scared to give Him my wants and my needs, because what if He doesn't meet them? I'm scared to give Him my desires, because what if they aren't fulfilled? I'm scared to give him my plans because what if people think I'm crazy? What if He takes me places I can't handle? I'm scared to give Him my attitude, because I'm prideful. But here's what I'm learning more and more: God will meet my needs. God will fulfill my desires. People may think I'm crazy, but so what? God won't give me more than I can handle because He said He won't. And concerning pride, God hates pride. Pride is the opposite of love. So I need to get rid of my pride ASAP.

Surrender. God is working so much in my life concerning this. It is hard. Let me tell ya...but God IS faithful. I read all these stories of people doing crazy things for Jesus. I want to be one of those people. But there is one thing that all these people have in common: they gave up EVERYTHING for Jesus. I cannot say I am at the point of being able to give up everything for Him, but I want to get to that point. I want to get to the point of complete surrender. God desires me to be there, and I desire me to be there. Pray for me as I struggle with surrender in my life.

I want to share with you something that's been on my heart lately. This thought goes through my head everyday now..."I too, go up to Jerusalem." Let me start by quoting some Oswald.

"In the natural life our ambitions alter as we develop; in the Christian life the goal is given at the beginning, the beginning and the end are the same, viz., our Lord Himself. We start with Christ as we end with Him-until we all attain to the stature of the manhood of Christ Jesus,' not to our idea of what the Christian life should be. The aim of [a disciple] is to do God's will, not to be useful, not to win the heathen, he is useful and he does win the heathen, but that is not his aim. His aim is to do the will of his Lord.

In Our Lord's life Jerusalem was the place where He reached the climax of His Father's will upon the Cross, and unless e go with Jesus there we will have no companionship with Him. Nothing ever discouraged Our Lord on His way to Jerusalem. He never hurried through certain villages where He was persecuted, or lingered in others where He was blessed. Neither gratitude nor ingratitude turned Our Lord one hair's breadth away from His purpose to go up to Jerusalem.

The disciple is not above his Master.' The same things will happen to us on our way to our Jerusalem. There will be the works of God manifested through us, people will get blessed, and one or two will show gratitude and the rest will show gross ingratitude, but nothing must deflect us form going up to our Jerusalem.

There they crucified Him." That is what happened when Our Lord reached Jerusalem, and that happening is the gateway to our salvation. The saints do not end in crucifixion: by the Lord's grace they end in glory. In the meantime our watchword is-I too, go up to Jerusalem." (Oswald Chambers)

I also want to quote a couple verses from Romans 8:

"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, the heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." (Romans 8:16-7 ESV)

My life is my walk up to Jerusalem. I will have good times, but I cannot disobey God's will to continue on just because I like the point in life that I am at. I will have hard times, but I cannot disobey God's will and be passive during those times or try to escape them. My life will NOT end in crucifixion. My life will end in glory. However, I must suffer with Christ in order to be glorified with Him. I too, go up to Jerusalem.

I want to end with one more thought. Right now I'm reading Under the Overpass. It is an amazing book about two college men who decided to live homeless for 5 months. One of the men decided to write a book about the experience. This is what he said he came out of his experience with, and this is also what I am learning while I am living here in India.

"We decided to go past the edge with God. One day soon, I pray you will, too. And when you do, I think you'll find what we did...

A bigger world, and more reason to care for it.

More forgotten, ruined, beautiful people than we ever imagined existed, and more reason to hope in their redemption.

A greater God, and more reason to journey with Him anywhere."

God has given me joy, love, and a desire to surrender.

I am taking up my cross. I am fighting for joy. I am loving. I am striving for surrender.

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." (Isa. 61:1)

Broken. Desiring. Loving. Surrendering.

Megan.

Expect the Unexpected

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey guys, a few of you have emailed me and asked when I was going to write a blog so I decided now would be a good time to include you into my journey. These past 2 weeks in India have been possibly the most interesting time in my life. India is wild. There is no way that I can completely convey to the adventures we have had and it is only the beginning. Let me just start by saying to all of the other parents, your kids...are my best friends hands down. Thank you for birthing them... J Secondly I miss you! Everyone at home! <3 you will be tired of hearing my stories once I am there to share them in person.

Now to the fun stuff!

India is never normal, we are taught to expect the unexpected, and not be surprised by the inevitable Indian surprises. A boring day never exists in India. For example. The first day our team loaded into our van to head to the leper colony we were a little nervous some un-easy as we didn't know what to expect. Many of us had never seen a leper and we weren't told a lot about our surroundings. Our driver's name is Sapsing (spl?) He is an extremely nice man who we know nothing about and speaks hardly any English...which is normal around here. While he was driving us to the colony we were stuck in the usual insane traffic in India. A beggar woman was poking her head into our window while we were being polite as possible in that situation, we noticed a man walking up to our window to argue with Sapsing. We thought nothing of it until our driver got out of the car and a fist fight started in the middle of the road. I am completely amazed at how calm our team was as the driver and a stranger were slamming each other onto the side of the car. We prayed... A lot. Long story short we sat in the hot car for an hour and a half while waiting for our driver to come back to the car after filing a police report. During this time in the car our team got to know a little more about each other and wondered if we would ever make it to the leper colony. At one point a group of Indians came to the van and pushed it to get us out of the way on the road.

THEN! When we finally got to the leper colony we were lured by a pleasant fragrance of incense and flowers, which was definitely a surprise. Not many things smell good in India. As we got closer an Indian woman in the colony greeted us and took us to the room with the smell. As soon as we saw what was smelling so good it immediately became sour. We were standing in a room where a man had just died and the family was pulling up chairs around the man asking us if we would like a drink or refreshments... Really??!!! Really?? This was insane. I had never sat in a chair this close to a dead man in my life. We were stunned. We prayed for the family and loved on them and went on with the other lepers holding there hands or what was left of them and praying with children and men and woman who lived there. That day was a journey. Since then we have seen men getting beat in the face with hammers and motorcycle wrecks at that is just the first week of our journey together in India.

Something that God has really taught me already through this all is how different life is everywhere, but how he is the same God and he is everywhere. I see him directly through the childrens faces. Our group has been split into two ministry sites and I have been helping at Asha Mission and will be there until the end of the trip. Yall...these kids are precious. I've seen them worship and praise Jesus more passionately than a group of Pentecost at a revival I am literally amazed. I came thinking I would be there to serve them and reach to them telling them about the love of God. The first words out of there mouths when we walked into the gate was "praise the Lord" as each shook our hands and greeted us like little men and woman. I am so excited to see the relationships he has already built between the kids and us. So that's about it for now. That's just a little of my experiences here in India. The past weeks from my point of view. I love you guys and continue to pray that God will humble us to his love for these people and each other.

A Higher Purpose

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hi everybody!!!

These past few weeks of living in India have been packed with tons of crazy adventures. I could easily write pages and pages of all the ways God has already been working over here, but I thought I'd just take the time to share one particular story that had a humongous impact on me. It's not really an earth-shaking, jaw-dropping kind of story; it's pretty simple. But it had a monstrous impact on me and reawakened my passion that I thought I had lost. A little over a week ago, we went to worship with the kids and staff at one of the orphanages for the first time. After the intense, passionate service, I went up to sit by a wall to rest for a little bit while some of the others went out to play. A couple of minutes later, a little boy came in and timidly sat down about five feet away from me with a Bible story book. I moved over to him and asked him if he wanted me to read it with him. He eagerly accepted my offer, so I began reading the Bible stories in English. But he surprised me by saying the words with me at the same time! Gradually, he just started flipping through the book and explaining all of the Bible stories that he knew in broken English. We sat there for at least half an hour as I filled in the gaps and asked him questions about what he was telling me. At one point, he pointed to a picture of Jesus on the cross and said, "He is hurt. It makes me sad." So I asked him if he knew why Jesus died, and when he said no, I was able to tell him all about how much Jesus loves him! His eyes lit up when he remembered that. It was just so cool to see how naturally and easily God was able to crash through the language barrier to share more of the Gospel with this little boy. It was so encouraging and fulfilling for me, and God used that simple experience to totally refuel my passion for teaching! I could have sat there for hours with him. Not even the fact that Snowball (a tiny kitty that is no bigger than a dollar bill) was crawling all over me was able to distract me from this little boy. I am so excited to get even more opportunities to teach and work with these precious kids for the next few weeks!!

Our team here has been becoming more like a family every day. Every person has amazing gifts to share with the team. Kaley's constant joy puts all of us in a good mood. Carlye's extraordinary faith and trust in God are an inspiration to all of us. Maribeth's wisdom is so calming and comforting. Kayleen's compassionate heart is revealed through her desire to become closer to the female staff members at the orphanage. Kelsey Scherven's positive attitude is always an encouragement to us. Megan's genuine and levelheaded personality is so refreshing. Kasey has an awesome ability to speak truth. Wally has a never-ending energy that makes it so easy for him to connect with the kids at the orphanage. Evan has already become like an older brother to all of us by sharing his humor and maturity. Jane always has such a joyful attitude, and Jennifer always takes the time to ask how we are doing. Everyone has a role to play here, and it is awesome to watch God work through all of us!

Living on the other side of the world in a place full of darkness has naturally had its frustrations and challenges. It has taken a while to get used to the strange culture. We have seen police come to the store outside our house to settle an intense fight over an overpriced onion. We have been dropped off in the middle of nowhere by crazy rickshaw drivers. We have watched TV with lepers. We have had beggars literally reach into our car windows to grab food. We have had our rickshaw pulled over by obnoxiously curious policemen who just want to cause trouble (fortunately, Travis randomly happened to be driving by us on his motorcycle at that time and was able to save us from that little predicament). We have to keep remembering that God has called us here for a reason; we may not know what He's got under his sleeve, but we have to "live by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7) and make the choice to follow Him anyway. It's sometimes difficult and almost always uncomfortable, but that just goes to show that God is definitely a part of this. We are able to rejoice in the tough situations by remembering that we are now working for a higher purpose than our own, and fighting for a cause that has more worth than our own comfortable lifestyle.

Thank you so much for your support, everybody! Please pray that God will show us how to become more like Jesus with every passing minute so that we can bring His light into a place that is filled with darkness. We love you all!!

- Kelsey M

"Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." - 1 John 2:6

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." - Matthew 16:24

India update

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I spoke with Jane, our team leader, this morning and she gave a great report on the team. They're really diving into ministry and loving the people of India. They're also full of God's peace that He is protecting them and are praying the same peace will fill their loved ones back home.

Some of you may have read about a bomb that went off Saturday in a crowded marketplace in the Mehrauli area of New Delhi. We are aware of this and have been in constant communication with Jane and Jennifer, the leaders of our Real Life team there. The team was nowhere around where the bomb went off on Saturday and they remain safe under the careful watch of our staff and ministry host. Their host is taking utmost care of them and even leans on the side of over protectiveness, which we appreciate. He is a very knowledgeable, respected man in this community and is very aware of any happenings in the city. The team trusts him and feels safe under his watch.

Just to offer some perspective on the location of the team, they're staying in a rural farming community called Dwarka which is located outside of New Delhi. They do not do ministry in New Delhi and spend very little time in the city as their entire ministry is outside of New Delhi.

We're keeping a careful watch on the situation there and are in frequent communication with the team. At this point we have decided that the team will do everything possible to avoid New Delhi to help ensure safety.

We, as AIM, have full confidence in these leaders, our staff, and the host relations we've developed in India over the years. They're doing an incredible job leading this team and monitoring what's going on in the nation around them. We'll continue to keep you posted with the happenings there and look forward to sharing incredible stories of all that the Lord is doing in and through this team.

A side note on communications:
They've found that communication through email is much more difficult than expected. In the area they are staying there are very few cyber cafes and the internet is very unreliable in the ones they have found. Thank you for your understanding and patience with this. Please know that the leaders are doing their best to find ways to communicate effectively with you back home. We will do our best to assist them in the effort to keep you updated on everything that God is doing through the team there.

Impractical, Illogical LOVE

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Namaste loves!

Well, we are in India. I can tell this by the snake charmer[ish] music that is constantly blasting outside our window, and the skirmish that just broke out over the price of one onion at the little market across the street. Training camp took its toll on me physically and emotionally, but being there was worth every day. So far we have had the opportunity to visit two orphanages and a leper colony. I have to say God is most definitely alive and working in India! The orphans stole my heart the minute I met them. Not only are they the cutest little things, but their love for Christ is beyond evident. When asked what they want to do when they grow up, almost every one of them will reply "Go to Bible College". Also the three-year-olds lead prayer before lunch. It's adorable. To the Asha House orphans, who I will be working with most of the time, I am "Kasey-Auntie" or just "auntie". We will get to work with the orphans three days a week, tutoring and loving on them!!!

My first leper colony experience was unforgettable. To see people with extreme deformities continuing to do everyday things with little or no help amazes me. After speaking with the colony leader we were allowed to go hut-to-hut to talk with and pray for lepers and their families. All were extremely hospitable, letting us sit on their beds, their only piece of furniture- and offering us food, even though they have to beg for money every day. Hopefully as our relationships grow over time, we will be able to talk more intimately about God and share His word.

Things you should know about India:

-It's not crazy hot. Today I was even cold for about 20 minutes!

-There really are cows EVERYWHERE. They don't look very holy though. They're actually ridiculously skinny. There is also a crazy amount of stray dogs, pigs, camels, peacocks and water buffalo roaming around as well. Oh and our neighbor keeps a monkey on a leash.

-Blondes don't exist. I am possibly the only one in this country at the moment. People kind of go into shock when they see me. I am looking into buying a scarf so I can stop giving them heart attacks.

-Traffic is ridiculous. There are stop lights but apparently red and green can both mean go. I swear today there were six lanes of cars on a two lane road. We're adapting and starting to view each ride as more of an adventure now. Possibly even fun?!?

Basically, India is awesome. Our team rocks, and we are learning how to speak love and life into each other daily. Indian babies are absolutely gorgeous and I kinda wanna sneak one home. (just kidding mom!). Our house is amazing and we are turning it into a home. God is good.

I miss you all so much!

Love, Kasey

P.S. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARRIE and EMILY!!! I love you girls.

First Few Days in India

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So ... Culture Shock. This trip so far has been totally out of my comfort zone, but so great at the very same time. I can't believe we are 1/9^th of the way done with the trip. Only about 10 more weeks here. I can't believe that.

I am reminded of what Paul tells us in Ephesians 5 to "make the most of every opportunity in these evil days." And let me just tell you - India is a hard place to minister. There is a lot of evil here. And there is a battle - a huge war going on between the authorities in the unseen world (Eph. 6). And we are here to fight with God for these people. I want them to know God and the grace He offers through Jesus. Keep fighting for me and my team in prayer.

I am also reminded of a verse that my mom shared with me to have on this trip. In John 13:6 it says, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." I totally feel like that. Right now, I have no idea exactly what God is going to teach me, or how He is going to use me but I'm excited to see what happens.

Ok, let me just share a few things I've experienced during my time here:

Tastes of India: Well to say that they eat curry here is an understatement. We've only eaten out at an Indian restaurant once so far and it was delicious. Spicy ... but delicious. We've been doing a lot of our own cooking. And actually, I am one of the "cooks" on our team. Me and one of our leaders, Jennifer, are in charge of planning out the meals, getting the ingredients and cooking. I like this job. We've made sauted veggies and chicken for the past couple of nights. We have pb&j everyday for lunch. I think by the time we're done with this trip, I might be a little tired of peanut butter. I don't know - just an assumption.

Some Sounds of India: Peacocks sound like loud cats meowing. And by the way, they're a little annoying when they're outside of your window when you're trying to sleep. People in our neighborhood play Indian music pretty loudly. There's an airport near our house, so we hear planes flying in quite often. Horns - oh my goodness! People honk like nobody's business in traffic here.

Smells of India: Curry; Car Exhaust; Body Odor, etc. The areas that we've been in so far have actually not been nearly as smelly as I expected. I also expected for it to be much more hazy and polluted than it has been. I mean, we haven't really seen much of a blue sky since we've been here, but I can't decide if that's because it's been pretty overcast and rainy over the past few days, or because of the pollution

Sights of India: My favorite thing is that - seriously - there are cows/bulls/water buffalo just standing around in the road. No lie. They just walk around everywhere. I mean, there are animals everywhere. Dogs, goats, pigs, camels, monkeys on leashes, peacocks - you know the normal.

By the way - the traffic is insane here!! I love it for some odd reason, though. It reminds me of traffic in Brazil, but it's a whole lot worse. People drive cars, rick-shaws (carts), bicycles and tractors on the main roads here. And every traffic law is merely a suggestion - completely optional. And just in case you were wondering, when people think that laws are just suggestions, it turns into a crazy mess on the road.

The people are beautiful! ... Especially the kids, of course. We got to go to 2 different orphanages this week. I fell in love immediately. My favorite thing to do is just hold them so close to my heart. And they just eat it up, and let you hold them tight. I. LOVE. THEM.

First we went to The Asha House Orphanage, and then we went to Asha Mission Orphanage. "Asha" in Hindi means "Hope." And both of these orphanages are offering their children a lot of hope. They teach their children about Jesus, and how to be responsible, obedient, well behaved children. Each of the orphanages has about 20-25 kids.

Our team of 10 people divided into 2 different ministry groups, so that we could divide up during the day and go to both orphanages. My group will be going to Asha Mission, and the other group will be going to The Asha House. I'm pretty excited about being at Asha Mission, because the kids there speak English, and need help with their homework and stuff. So I'm gonna get to tutor! When we were there the other day, they were teaching us the songs they knew, and we taught them some songs, as well.

Everyone will go to their designated orphanages 3 days a week, a leper colony one day a week (Our group has yet to visit a leper colony, and I am excited/nervous about meeting them). We will all worship at the orphanages on Sundays. They have a church service there each Sunday. I'm so super pumped about it.

Our team has been affected by Jet-Lag a little bit recently. I mean, we're 11 hours ahead of you people. I usually have no problem going to sleep, but then I'll wake up in the middle of the night and just stay awake for a while before finally going back to sleep. But I've had some pretty great conversations at 3 in the morning with my roomies who also are having trouble sleeping. Our team is getting along well, and we're becoming more and more like a family.

Continue to pray for us. I love you guys and miss you terribly! Blessings

P.S. If Kaley's boyfriend is reading this, she loves you a lot.

Embracing

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So check this out...

This morning I woke up in India. Crazy, eh? I'm going to start this off by saying that God is absolutely amazing. Just in the week of training camp He taught me so much about myself and the world around me. It was a week full of ups and downs, but a week that I am so thankful for.

There have been a few things that God has really pointed out to me this past week and a half or so.

First off, God has shown me that I need to be a little less skeptical and just open to trying new things and to allowing Him to use me in a way I didn't think possible. I need to be more aware of if and how I'm limiting God. I can't put God in a box. God is bigger than anything I can think up, and I need to live that truth out in my life. Because if I don't, and I choose to limit God....then what kind of servant am I being?

God is also showing me that I'm beautiful. Mayhaps that's a weird thing to say? But it's true. God is showing me that I matter to Him, and that I am created in His image. The image of God is reflected in me. That's a thought that has been present in my thoughts lately. God's beauty is reflected in me, and I need to live that out. I need to have a confidence in who I am in Christ, and how He views me as opposed to how the world views me.

"Satan does not tempt us to do wrong things; he tempts us in order to make us lose what God has put into us by regeneration, the possibility of being of value to God." (Oswald Chambers)

Another thing that God is really hitting me with is this: My job is NOT to make people accept Christ...my job is to love Jesus and to live out that love in every detail of my life, which in return will make me a witness to the world of the love of Jesus and of His saving grace. This is something I have known for awhile now, but just these past few days He has really hit me with that truth. The majority of my ministry here and just back at home or wherever I'm at in daily life will be non-verbal. It will be through relationships and through actions. People watch me. People see what I do. People see how I live. I can't just shove that to the back of my mind. I need to be aware of it, and live out every area of my life in line with Jesus. I'm not perfect, and I'll fail at this at times, but that's what grace is for.

The culture is so different than anything I've seen, but I am choosing to embrace it. God has been showing me the importance of breathing it all in, and just embracing every opportunity and experience (both new and old). The smells, the sounds, the food, the lack of order, the cultural norms and values...all of it. I could choose to live in my little American bubble, but I am choosing to embrace every moment of this experience. The good and the bad. I remember on the drive to our house from the airport I had to make a conscious decision to trust my driver and trust God because it seemed like complete chaos driving through the streets of India. Order was /is non-existent. After making that decision, I had a huge cheesy smile on my face all the way back because I chose to embrace the chaos and trust Jesus.

Paul, in a letter to the Corinthians, talks about becoming a slave to everyone:

"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do this all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

In order that I might save some, I am choosing to embrace what I do not want to hold on to. I am choosing to love the unlovable. I am choosing to make myself a slave, although I am free.

God is broken for these people, and He has given me His heart for them.

I am broken. I am embracing. I am breathing it all in.

"I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness, I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison, those who sit in darkness." Isaiah 42:6-7

--meg

End of Training Camp Blog 9-15-08

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well we survived training camp. It was a challenging experience, but so necessary before we dive into this challenging experience together in India. We bonded as a team, learned about the Indian culture, talked about the spiritual warfare going on all around us and especially in India, worshipped together, and planned a little bit about what we would be doing specifically when we get to India.

They told us going into it that we would be roughin' it all week, and well ... that's exactly what happened. I was thinking we would be sleeping on the floor all week, and I was pleasantly surprised to have a pretty decent mattress - and on the bottom bunk too! I didn't really care about not having mirrors, and I actually didn't mind the cold showers - they were usually very refreshing and VERY needed as well.

We got pretty sweaty and dirty with all of our team building activities all week. It is amazing what you can learn about a team by putting them through an obstacle course. We quickly found out who the determined ones were on our team, the quiet ones, the problem solvers, etc.

Have I told y'all that I love my team? Because I do. I LOVE MY TEAM. It's crazy because we are all so different and we all come from such diverse backgrounds, but I absolutely LOVE them. Just to give you an idea of what we're dealing with here -

I am the oldest person on the team.

There is one guy who is also 22 and just graduated from college like me.

Then there's a girl who's a sophomore in college.

And then the rest of my team just graduated from high school.

And those are just the differences in our ages. We all come from different backgrounds from all over the country. But I love it. I know that there will be some days that we will have to fight for unity, but I believe that God placed us so specifically together for this trip. I mean, people don't just go to India for fun. I believe we were chosen to go. We all feel very much in the will of God about this trip, and we're all excited to see what God does in and through us.

And I love our leaders. I believe God placed them so specifically together to lead this team.

JANE is 27 and has traveled all over the world as a missionary. She did this thing called "The World Race" through AIM where she and other young adults went to 11 countries in 11 months. She's amazing and she has amazing stories.

JENNIFER is 23 and just graduated from Clemson University. She has been to India before through AIM and has such a huge heart for the people of India. It makes me so excited to hear her stories about the kids she knows at the orphanages we're going to.

Keep us in your prayers as we begin this adventure! I love each of you and I miss all of my friends and family so much. Let God change you while I'm gone just like He's changing me here.

Blessings

Training Camp Highlight Video

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A long time AIM leader and the worship leader for the FYM Awakening in South Africa, Kristen McMullen, put together a great highlight video. We'd like to share the video with you so you can have a picture of the events of the last week. Thank you for all of your continued prayers and support.

Be Blessed,

The Admissions Department

arrived in India

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The team just called to inform us that they have arrived safely in India. They're now settling in to their house and will soon welcome a great night's sleep. Our AIM base staff members were there to welcome the team and their leaders. They are thrilled that the team has finally arrived and ready to see what God has in store. Thank you for your prayers.

Goodbye USA=Namaste India

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It's the night before departure. Laundry has been done, bags have been packed, phone calls have been made. We've been "sitting in the boat" with Jesus in a sense for the past week. And now, after all of the teachings, drime practices, team builders, ministry preparations, its time for us to step out of the boat. There is a lot of excitement, anticipation, questions at this point. In some ways we are ready. In others not ready yet. But, sometimes the Lord calls us out whether we are ready or not. So...here we go.

Isaiah 55:11-13

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

Would you join with us in prayer for safe travels, no lost baggage, and a good time of "family bonding".

Also pray for the Lord's love to fill us for the people we will meet, for the joy of the Lord to be our strength, and that many will come to know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ through us.

They're off!

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Training camp has come to an end and the teams are off on their journey to India. They packed in the bus this morning and were soon off on their way. God is at work in mighty ways in this team and we can't wait to see what He continues to do this fall. The team leaders will call us as soon as they land in India and right after that, we'll post that here. Thanks for your prayers and support for this team.

News on India

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Training camp is nearing the end and the team's anticipation is growing as they think about finally heading to India. It has been a great week so far and it has been fun to watch the team grow together in unity over the last few days.

I wanted to take a minute to address something that happened in India this morning. Some bombs went off in Delhi about 40 minutes away from where the team stays. We take these matters seriously and therefore we wanted to let you know what was going on and to ask you to be praying for those in Delhi. The incident was in a very touristy area and so far the reports are that a number have people have died. I received an email from our staff in India with an assessment of the situation. His assessment is that the team should still go but I wanted to give you some framework for that decision.

Although it is rare for Delhi to be a target there is a relative amount of tension in India due to the Muslim extremists there and because of this the team has chosen the neighborhood where they stay very carefully. They haven't had any problems in that area. They are also very careful about going to areas heavily populated by tourists. If they have to go they avoid them when there are a lot of people around. They also keep well informed about areas of tension in the city and avoid those all together. While there is inherent risk when travelling abroad we use our best judgement and exercise caution when out in public. I tell you this so that you understand the process that we use for making the decisions we do regarding our teams and staff in India.

We would ask you to pray for those that were affected by these bombs. It is just one more reminder of how Satan tries to distract us from what God wants to do through us. If you have any question please feel free to email or call me.

Scott Nelson

Real Life Mission Teams

scottnelson@adventures.org
770-983-1060

Parent's Reception

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Many of you parents have been asking about our Parent's Reception we had on Monday when all of the participants arrived. A few of the wonderful folks who organized this event have graciously put together some information here for those of you who may have missed it. Enjoy!

A Peek at the Parents' Reception

The parents who drove their son or daughter to AIM were able to enjoy some refreshments, have a tour of our training campus and meet some of the AIM staff. For those parents who were unable to make it and are curious, here's a peek at what we covered.

We shared a bit about our history and how in 1989 Seth Barnes established Adventures In Missions in Florida out of his garage. In 1996, the headquarters relocated to Gainesville, Georgia on the north end of Lake Sidney Lanier. Seth started this ministry with week long, youth group mission trips. After a few years, he realized the need to go deeper with the participants over a longer period of time in order to disciple them and achieve more significant growth. That's how the Real Life projects and the First Year Missionary program got started.

We briefly described the three major divisions of our projects: Short Term Missions, the Next Step, and The World Race. Short Term Missions are for youth groups or groups of adults or families and last 7-10 days. Next Step is for upper High School and College age individuals and lasts one month to one year. (Ambassador, Real Life and First Year Missionary programs fall into this area.) And, The World Race for people who are twenty-something and travel the globe to minister in 11 countries in 11 months. Overseeing and supporting the ministry is Seth Barnes, the executive director, and the Finance and Operations staff. (The gathered parents had an opportunity to meet Seth after the question and answer period.)

Next, we ventured outside for a tour of our training campus. We use primitive living conditions in bunkhouses and tents to help prepare the teams for how they'll live on the field, whether they will be in rural huts, tents, or just simple accommodations.

Our obstacle course helps each team to work together to build unity. Here they begin the process of working together to overcome personal and group problems. This physical exercise will translate into communication skills and an understanding of each other that will aid them as they address social, emotional and spiritual issues that arise as they live in community.

Many of our daily camp activities take place under the big tent with open sides. The teams meet here for corporate prayer time, teaching on topics such as spiritual warfare and cultural sensitivity, and for enjoying meals together. (Sometimes heavy rain or severe heat or cold can hinder our outdoor activities, so we are in the process of renovating our old 50 x 100 foot office space into an open space meeting room. Although the work is in progress, we are still able to utilize the space for this camp in a limited way. We are still raising funds. Our goal is to be able to train teams year round.)

Our outside kitchen is a small, one room building with refrigerators, ovens, and sinks with a covered porch for the grill and serving area. We cook for hundreds of people in this tiny kitchen. As we outgrow this area, we are including a full indoor kitchen in our renovation plans.

After this tour of the grounds, we re-entered our office building, a two story 50 x 100 foot metal building with stucco siding that houses the operations staff of our international headquarters. There are offices around the sides and cubicles in the middle. (The old building which we are renovating into a training center is attached at its end to one side.) About 45 of our 130 plus staff work out of this office. We have the finance department, the admissions staff, the leadership of the set-up team, the project leadership development team, and the fund-raising staff.

We took a quick peek upstairs where we are finishing out additional office space. (This week they were putting up the sheet rock.) This was a look into our future and imagining what the new accommodations will enable us to accomplish. We definitely need the space as we continue to grow and expand our programs and bring on additional staff. Right now, all the cubicles full and we have two people in each office, sometimes taking turns working from home. Our local staff is waiting with expectation and excitement for the work space upstairs to be completed.

Outside the back door we have a brick patio with a waterfall feature, several caf tables and couple of dining tables. In this informal setting we can have lunches and special events, as well as meetings or commissioning services. It's also a great place to have counseling or prayer time.

We concluded our tour in the newly renovated meeting hall of the old building where we had our orientation and worship time later that evening. It has been gutted, but not refinished yet. We described how this represents our past and our future: this is where we started (our initial building), and now we've outgrown it. Now our need is for an indoor training center with a kitchen and a meeting/dining hall for large groups. This renovated building will meet some of these new needs.

In conclusion, a good deal of time was spent in answering questions. The parents were able to ask any question they had pertaining to their son or daughter's trip. The FAQ's were: How do I contact my child? What ministries are they going to be doing? What are the living arrangements going to be? How safe is it there? (Since these questions are location specific, they are answered elsewhere.) After 45 minutes of questions and answers, the parents had a visit from Seth Barnes, the Founder and CEO of AIM.

Seth shared, as a parent, about how his own five children have each participated in our Real Life and First Year Missionary programs.

"Sound of Hope" t-shirts, and "Timbali" bags were for sale to support our orphan ministry.

Our First Official Family Photo

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It's hard to believe that we've only been here for a few days. The intensity of training camp calls out a persons character and forces complete strangers to commit to one another in love. We've all been pushed and pulled out of our comfort zone and forced to show ourselves. The Lord is good to meet us here. Sitting around during team time tonight I looked at all the new faces in our circle and felt like we were really becoming a family. The Lord has been good to come with His generous spirit and give us all grace and love for one another. I've been trying so hard to figure each of these students out for the past few days, thinking that my love for them would depend on my ability to understand them. Listening to their hearts tonight the Lord stopped all of my frantic thinking, all He said was that each person I was looking at was His child and that they were each deeply valuable to Him. That is all we need to know about each other in order to bear together in love. Each person is unique and marked with a deep worth spoken in to being by the Father. Each has so much to offer; i'm grateful for how they've been knit together, and the beauty in each of them:

Maribeth's wisdom

Kayleen's compassion and humility

Kaley's joy

Kelsey Menke's hunger for truth

Christian's calming presence

Kelsey Scherven's gentle spirit

Megan's affirming nature

Evan's wisdom

Carlye's honesty

Kasey's pure heart