Indian Immersion 101

Welcome to my first post from India! It's only been two days, but I've seen and experienced so much already that I hardly know where to begin. I'll start with my first flight out, to London, because I had one of the best experiences and found so much assurance towards my purpose.

When I got my flight tickets, I realized that I had not asked if window seats were available so I went back to the counter and asked. The last two window seats were taken as she was looking at them. Not too dejected, I accepted my original seat thinking I might be with 'fascinating people I have great conversations with', to quote myself to my family and Peggy. It was like God heard me and said, 'Let's make that happen!', because I got the privilege of sitting next to an extraordinarily caring British woman, Beth, and her four-and-a-half month old son Reuben. Now, before you get all exasperated over the endless commotion possibilities, take a look at the little guy:

I know, right? The kid's got it goin' on. But the best part of the trip was my conversation with Beth, who was right in the middle of a nasty situation and had made the terrible choice to do what was best for her and her child. I was given the humbling opportunity to listen to her story and provide advice to someone who needed it badly. The conversation went on for half the trip, and I was so blessed to find blatant assurance from God that I needed to be in that seat, for that woman and her child. Divine orchestration. Those moments consoling and just being there for someone I'd never met before set the tone for this whole trip, and I found myself confident in my abilities, for whatever capacity in which I find myself.

I spent a few hours in downtown London, complete with shots of Parliament and Great Ben, Buckingham Palace and the changing of the Guard, and a breathtaking tour of Westminster Abbey. The day was cold, and I wore sandals. Wasn't too bad actually. I slept most of my other flight and got into Delhi right at 5am, breezed through customs, exchanged currency and found my luggage. I and another IVHQ volunteer, Mathilde from France, were picked up around 6 and brought to the IVHQ coordinator Ananta's apartment where some other volunteers are also staying. I decided to stay up so that I could make the sleeping transition easier, which has fared well so far. This morning was a breakfast of toast with peanut butter and jam (so Indian, right?) with hot tea (scratch that: British). Then the three volunteers  already here and I spent the morning wandering around the mostly sketchy, completely fascinating neighborhood. Back home to an Indian lunch of rice, a curry of some delicious sort with cauliflower, and fresh naan, then the five of us (Mathilde joined this time) decided to take the train to downtown Delhi for the afternoon: a most excellent choice.

How do I begin to describe this place, these people and the shopping district of Delhi? Things I experienced: many many stares; a dogfight wherein the winner limped away with the food and a bleeding ear; languid cows and pigs; a child sitting on an elevated bed under a tree waiting for passersby to request one of his many coconuts, which he then would chop open with a machete; many well-dressed Indians (most of them, actually) nonchalantly walking through garbage-laden streets (a paradox I still can't fathom); every rickshaw in Delhi slowing down next to us, hoping we'd hop in... then the drivers staring at us while slowly driving away into traffic unawares; an obviously rabid dog with most of it's hair gone; more people in one rickshaw than I could count; more shops selling the same items than I could count, and more pungent smells than I've ever before experienced. To name just a few. On the trip in, I sat next to an Indian fellow around my age named Garin who struck up a conversation with me. We covered a broad range of topics, mostly discussing differences between the U.S. and India and disparity within India and how he believes it's changing for the better more and more each day. Did you know that, once you complete school in India and go into the workforce, you never get a vacation day? Garin also said that family binds make it extremely difficult to leave the country and that he has wanted to get out for years. He's finishing up his Masters though, and going into the workforce soon so he had little hope in his eyes of travelling. He especially liked to hear me try to explain snow and delighted in trying to prove to me that Indian people are polite, curious and engaging. It was really a lovely talk, and I was glad I got that opportunity.

I have few complaints healthwise, other than a cold which seems to be confined to my nose (a blessing actually, as I can't smell the putrid air as much) and my one reaction to Indian food so it seems: Gas. De-airing your derriere, tooty fruity in my booty, cutting the cheese... no matter which way you say it, Indian food has given me a bit of flatulence. I know you really wanted to know that. You're welcome. Actually, I don't think it's disgusting at all here, after the things I've already seen (dog going number 2 in the middle of the street, anyone? a person going number off the sidewalk, like some sick trick shot that probably completely missed the bowl. Goal? Net. That's the word.), a little fart doesn't even reach one's ears or nose. It is a rather fascinating combination, though: farting and nose sniffles.

Now, it's off to bed with me. Going to start my project of becoming a morning person and doing prayertime/devotion reading in the mornings so I need to get up early. I think that, with my last sleep being on a plane and having walked miles and miles today, I shouldn't have trouble getting to sleep even with all of this noise. Oh, did I mention that I scored a full-size bed in a room of my own? Yeah, holla. The internet connection is great too, so I shouldn't have any problem there.

Tomorrow morning: the beginning of Orientation week! SO excited to find out the details of my placement and get rolling on learning Hindi!

Take care friends, and I shall leave you with a parting gift. I read this on a poster a vendor was trying to sell: 'If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a dear. Wipe clear.'

Heh.

Goodnight from India!

Mail Blessings and Orientation Week Schedule

Fantastic news: My license arrived in the mail today!! I will update you all on what my decision is regarding whether I apply by mail or apply in person. I'll make that decision tomorrow, which will mark 16 days before I leave. I have options and time which is, you know, nice.

In the meantime, and because I'm feeling particularly fantastic tonight, here's the itinerary of my orientation week! This way, you all can be 'in' with me as I wade through culture shock.

Day 1 (Monday): Welcome to India, introduction to the program staff and procedures in Delhi. The short history will include history about India, religion, caste system, marriage, festivals, dress, family values, geographical features, safety issues, food, and transportation. You will be provided with details regarding your volunteering project and accommodation in India following orientation week. Then you will have an introduction to the Hindi language.

Day 2 (Tuesday): Hindi language class for approx. 3 hours. Learn basic letters and words of welcoming, greeting, short expressions, as well as learning about important and handy words which would help you while you work at your placement. You will get a chance to explore by yourself around Delhi in the afternoon and evening; visit local markets, internet cafes, coffee shops and practice Hindi.

Day 3 (Wednesday): New Delhi sightseeing (5-7 hours) - Lotus Baha'i Temple, Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar.

Day 4 (Thursday): Old Delhi sightseeing: India Gate, Red Fort, Jama Mosque and Raj Ghat (Gandi Samadhi).

Day 5 (Friday): Hindi language classes during the daytime covering more words and vocabulary to help you in daily use. In the evening explore the local markets, visit internet cafes, practice your new Hindi or visit restaurants with other volunteers.

Day 6 (Saturday): Hindi language classes in the morning. Hand washing clothing and preparation for your departure to your home stay. In the afternoon go to see a new Bollywood Hindi movie. There are more movies made every year in Bollywood than there are in Hollywood! If you have not seen a Bollywood film you have not seen India, so they say!

Day 7 (Sunday): Optional extra: The Taj Mahal tour. (I AM doing this, folks!!)Those doing the Taj Mahal tour will travel the next day to Dharamsala and your local briefing will take place on Tuesday morning.

I have overcome the World

It happened. I knew it would eventually, in one form or another, but I wasn't quite expecting it to be this way, about something so vital to my getting to India. I messed up horribly, laughably.

I know very well that something always goes wrong when you travel. You never know when or where the trouble will strike, but you know it will. Why? Well, that's simple. We plan too much. We like to have all of our ducks in a neat little row. No one wants one of the ducks to stray, to forget something or come accross an issue without being completely ready to tackle it. In my case, I definitely forgot something and wasn't ready to tackle the problem, certainly not so close to leaving!

This all happened this past Monday. I actually debated even bringing it up on here, partly because I'm embarrassed and partly because I wanted this blog to be about all of the best parts of my trip. But that would be doing all of you a great disservice. It's even more important that I talk about all parts of my trip. Like everyone else, I make mistakes. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes they're causal mistakes that lead to huge roadblocks, but I can't deny you those tasty morsels of fail and adventure. This is a learning experience for all of us, and I want you to learn right along with me, so here we go.

I filled out the application for my visa on Monday. It may seem really late to have done that, but the Indian visa is only good for six months and goes into effect on date of issue. Since I'm going to be there for five months, I wanted to make sure I was within that time frame that would allow the visa to get me back into the U.S. at the end of my trip, so I was good on that end. Everything went swimmingly, and I printed it off and read the directions for sending it in the mail... and my stomach plummeted. I'm required to send in a copy of my driver's license. No big deal, right? For anyone else, you are so correct. I, however, neglected to change the address on my driver's license back to my home address after I moved from my apt... back in April. Because it takes the mail-in application 7 to 10 days to process, I didn't want to run the risk that they'd send it back because the addresses didn't correlate, and run out of time. "No big deal", I thought to myself, and ran over to the DOT to get my license updated over the lunch period. One very, very long wait later (seriously: they need to delegate separate lines according to reason for visit there, because their current method is time-appropriate for NO one... anyone feel me on this?), I received... a temporary, paper license. My real license, I found out, would be sent to me in the mail. "Ok, don't worry. Not a big deal", I thought to myself. Upon returning to work, I called the Indian consulate in Chicago to find out if a copy of the temporary license would suffice. "Absolutely not." was the reply. Crap. How long would it take my license to get here? I called the DOT to find out. Correct answer: 20 TO 30 DAYS.

Heart attack.

In case you don't remember, I leave on the third of February. This happened on the third of January. That's 31 days. I admit I got just a little worried at that point. There is little chance I will receive the license in time to send the visa application in the mail. I have one choice left to me: make an appointment and go to the Indian consulate in Chicago to apply for my visa in person. I have to make sure I get there right when it opens so I have a better chance of receiving it that day, thought it's not guaranteed. It might make two days.

The prayers started falling like waterfalls out of my lips.

So, here's what I'm going to do. When I get within the timeframe of being able to make a reservation for an appointment, I'm going to make one for the Monday before I leave, which is on a Friday (unless, of course, I magically receive my license much sooner, in which case I'll go sooner). The weekend before I leave I plan on going to see my brother Martin in Michigan, as I haven't been able to make it out there since he moved. On the way back, I can stop in Chicago and get this all completed and be good to go.

And now, I'm pretty calm. I think there was a great propensity for me to freak out and handle this wrongly, but I really believe I did the best I could. I've looked at all aspects of the problem I created, went through it step by step and came up with a viable solution that will still get me to India on time. I have no doubt that I will be able to get my visa and get on that plane on the third. I've found this whole situation highly ironic, as I talked heavily in my last post about how circumstances change on us and how we must have a great reliance upon God when we can't understand or control happenings in our lives. It's almost like God saw that and said, "Ok, let's test you out on this."

Even though I'm still in this current hiccup, I've found peace and understanding with my situation and am affecting an even greater foundation on the one who is my Rock. This whole situation has turned out to be a blessing, as they are often wont to do, because of that. Now, I actually feel even more prepared for my trip because even though I don't have it all worked out and will make mistakes, I stand firm in the power of God's hand in my life and over my journey. This has been a great re-centering exercise for me. I pray that you've been able to identify with an area of struggle like this in your own life, and that you find yourself willing and able (btw: you are always able, but not always willing) to let God take control of the things you've messed up, or can't control yourself. Grasp onto that reliance and don't let go. Somehow, fantastically, things will start to get better and your situation won't seem quite so bad anymore. You find yourself capable of doing what you need to do when you weren't able to just a little bit ago and then (and this is the best part!), you get to bring the joy you feel back around and praise God for his steadfast faithfulness. We're all going to fall down, mess things up and make life more difficult, but no one ever said life was easy to begin with. That doesn't change the fact that your whole life is an opportunity to get back up and serve others, love, forgive and grow, and to rely on God when you can't do it yourself.

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Peace,

Aaron

The Year Ahead

Happy New Year, everyone! I think it goes without saying that this coming year will bring extroardinary change to my life, in my worldly travels and conversations but also in my self-focused, inward journey. To be sure, I'm excited about my trip to India and the opportunities to experience new places and cultures, but I'm more excited about what it will do to me and in me. I desire to develop a mindset that is outward-focused, one which grows joy and furnishes love towards others that will in turn enhance my capabilities and desires to love and give more in return. I pray that it will be an ongoing cycle of deepening grace and faith. I believe India will provide the landscape and the situations for me to confront these desires head-on. It will challenge me in ways I can't even imagine right now, and I am so excited for that.

However, I am trying to be very careful that my own desires and plans do not get in the way of God's desires and plans for me. I've found it a very prevalent theme in my life (as I'm sure everyone has at one point or another) that I oftentimes do not understand the way in which circumstances took place and how they were meant to change me until after the fact. Simply put, when we are head-deep in our struggles and day-to-day living, it's really hard to maintain clarity and peace of mind. Later on, though, we find ourselves capable of looking back with wisdom and discernment on the concerns of our past, by which we learn more about ourselves, make changes and grow. One of my prayers for this upcoming trip, and one which I think God desires for me as well, is to be able to step outside of the things I struggle with at home and examine them clearly and objectively through a clearer lens. I presume that the challenges I face in India will become metaphors and analogies for the problems I face at home and in my own life. Hopefully, I will keep my mind sharp and recognize these correlations, though I am sure that I will miss many of them. God reveals things in His own time, and it is my duty to wait on Him whilst serving, as He has taught me to, in the meantime. The knowledge that I can't see things clearly now (and I desperately want to... to be able to just fix all of my issues, my family's issues and the issues of the world) just deepens the comfort I find in the assurance that I will one day understand.

Of course, India is only the first half of this next year. There is so much to look forward to in the months beyond India, including transferring to a new school to finish my last two years of undergrad next fall (stoked), the opportunity to delve further into my field of study through more reading and hopefully a very good, revealing internship with some sort of counseling center, and (selfishly what I look foward to most) the continued deepening and strengthening of my relationship with Peggy. This I feel will just get better and better as we strive to better understand ourselves and each other through our relationship with Christ, as well as struggling to overcome familial issues and the inevitable disagreements that come with a serious  relationship.

Friends, my prayer here goes much, much deeper than myself. For all of these desires and hopes I hold for my own life, I also hold for you. Our lives and experiences are not very different at all, and I know that you struggle with all of the same things that I've talked about, that as you've been reading this note you've been thinking about your own lives and about how much you desire peace, knowledge and understanding as I do. It does not matter that you may not be taking a trip somewhere far away; you have the amazing opportunity, right now, to look on things with new eyes. So may this year be a year of greater hope, greater understanding and greater dependance than ever, for all of us, on the One who delights in us and is ever drawing us into deep love.

A very Happy, very Blessed New Year to you.

Aaron

India-Bound

Hello, and welcome to my blog! I hope you enjoy tagging along with me as I navigate through India and seek to serve in love and joy. It is my desire that this blog will allow those who read it to feel like they are experiencing all of the same things I experience and feeling all of the things I feel as I confront what are sure to be many, many challenges. I hope to update often, and I promise to keep you entertained and, most importantly, provoke dialogue about a variety of issues, the likes of which such culturally and spiritually diverse place as India is sure to evoke. This will hopefully be a learning experience for all of us.

My current situation: I have a little over a month to go before I leave (February 3rd). I figured out today that I have four weeks of work left before I quit my job to do this nonprofit gig. I've never been outside of the U.S. before so this will be a new experience in every way for me. To be able to count down the number of days before I leave on my fingers and toes (x2) is exhilerating and terrifying at the same time. (The answer to the question you're currently thinking is: Yes, I will count through my toes first and leave my fingers for the single days left at the end. It's easier and not as smelly.) I have gotten all of my shots, suffered through willingly ingesting live typhoid and my passport is already in my bag waiting to get stamped. I have 95% of the supplies I plan on taking with me all ready to go and in a neat little pile. The rest I'll get soon, including my Visa which I'm applying for tomorrow. Included in that 5% are the books I have yet to decide on taking (which will be a mini nightmare; I've already narrowed down and expanded and narrowed down at least eight times) and the amount of toilet paper I choose to take to save my left hand from terrible indignity. I am always fundraising, and probably will be up until and during my trip. If the Spirit moves you, or you just find yourself in the giving mood, feel free to message me for my address! Just so you know, you automatically gain two 'awesome' points any time you do this... but you have already received four 'awesome' points just by reading this post. Add up your points at the end of the trip and if you reach a certain level, I'll bring you something from India!! (Promise.)

If you don't have any clue what I'm going to actually be doing for almost five months in India, here's the lowdown. I will be doing 16 weeks of volunteer work in a daycare program in the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. I don't actually know where exactly I will be (and I won't find out until I get there and they figure out where I best fit their needs), but I do know it will either be in Palampur (the 'Tea Capital' of North India), a hill station town in the foothills of the Himalayas, or a little bit farther north in Dharamsala, the home of the Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetan government. I would love to be in Dharamsala, to stay with a Tibetan host family and experience a whole different culture inside of a different culture. To live with and learn about Tibetan buddhists while living in Hindu India would be a mindblowing experience. I'm excited to seek out correlations between these religions and Christianity and reveal the beauty of God that these people are already saturated with. And the children! I am so stinkin' excited to hang out with/teach/love on those Indian kids. I chose such a long volunteering duration partly so I could provide some stability for those kids while they are growing and learning. Volunteering is wonderful, but most people only stay for two or so weeks and children thrive on being able to see the same face week after week instead of watching one leave and a new one come in every week. I hope to build wonderful relationships with the kids and the workers in this program, to show love, grace and proper wisdom so that they can get the best possible chances of success.

After my volunteering ends, I will have two and a half weeks left to explore a bit farther South into India. The first week I will spend on a five-day mountain trek accross a Himilayan pass guided by sherpas and in a group (for your ease of mind, Dad). The last week and a half have not really been planned out yet, but I can guarantee pictures and tales of shrines and architecture, tigers, elephant rides and ventures in unique Indian food.

Anything you want me to do/see while I'm there? Leave me a comment and let me know!

In peace,

Aaron