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It was a quiet month in India, but we were busy. I wish I had a long list of things worth mentioning.
Two's seem to follow us. The first time I hit someone on the road it happened twice on the same day, first a rickshaw and then an old man on a bicycle. (No cars or people were seriously injured during these incidents.) After shopping one day I realized two things were missing: eggs and ice cream. The next week I went to buy eggs again and as I wanted to pay the man did not want to take my money. He smiled and spoke in Hindi (I understand much more but cannot hear it that fast yet). With the help of hand signs I understood that I forgot my eggs the previous week. Kind of embarrassing, because it's the only thing I bought from this man. But by now I've started to acknowledge the two-principle and walked full of hope to the ice cream man. He smiled and explained that I forgot my ice cream the previous week. I understood immediately. I was truly amazed at these two strangers’ kindness towards me. And in my mind I connected two and caring. During a difficult time we got the same verse on the same day from two different sources. Jes. 41:10 "You're my servant, serving on my side. I've picked you. I haven't dropped you. Don’t panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you." – God, The Message.
In the movie "The Endurance", there is a scene where someone is released from jail and his brother is waiting outside. They embrace and the one that was in jail said he experienced the most awful things and there was no one to help him. Let us walk arm-in-arm with, share our hope in God with them and use everything at our disposal to help others, because two is better than one. How will we be able to do this? Jesus says in Mat. 10:38-39 "If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me." – God, The Message.
"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."- Mother Teresa
Friday, July 18, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Heaven and earth
Many things happened since our last letter. Extreme ups and downs. For example Stephan went to Delhi again, but to fetch his brother on the airport. They went to watch an IPL game, but Stephan's wallet and passport were stolen. They went on a daytrip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal (pronounced Taj may hell), but had a 7 hour bus trip - one-way. We went to Shimla for 2 days, but stayed in Hotel Dalziel (pronounced Dalzi hell) - shared a room with a mole. We went for holiday in Dalhousie, but it was too short. And many more...
We watched the movie, Narnia: Prince Caspian, in one of Chandigarh's new theaters. It made the invisible visible for me. Do you see our enemy that uses every possible means to distract us from God, that surrounds us and wounds us left and right. Do you see our God, our loving Father, that stays at our side, that turns every sad story into a triumph at the end. Do you see us in the struggle, broken, but hoping in God. Do you see us declared worthy in God's eyes to be loved, proven by Jesus that died for our sake. Will we stand one day before our majestic King, worthy, and say that we fought until the end to love others, because they are also worthy in the King's eyes, even if it cost a earthly price for a heavenly hope? In such a God I can believe, even if no one else does ...
"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither."
C. S. Lewis
See our Dalhousie photos at http://indiavdm.blogspot.com.
Love
Stephan Irene Nadia Anandi
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The gardener's wife
Namaskaar
Somebody forgot to close the oven door. It is steaming hot.
Except for the sun, there are a few other hot spots in our lives. Our arrival in Chandigarh was the spark for many explosive situations. It is like falling into a pot of chillies and the more you struggle, the more the people closest to you get hurt. But we have learned that there are some things we cannot change. We accept this, but keep hoping things will get better. I believe it will through prayer and perseverance.
Our gardener was blessed with a new baby daughter. Unfortunately his wife became very ill after the birth and he missed many days at work. He took her to the doctor who prescribed medicine, but nothing seemed to work. After using the excuse too many times and seeing the dejected expression on his face, we decided to do something about the situation. We arranged with a local pastor to go to his house and pray. But the day did not progress as we thought it would. Our boss informed us that we might have to move to another house in August... My reaction was not positive, but maybe you will be able to sympathize with me if you know our moving-history. I was disappointed to say the least.
In the evening we went to the gardener's house in a small town on the outskirts of Chandigarh. With house I don't mean the picture you form in your minds. They stay in an oblong, red-brick building with a flat roof. It is divided into 4 equal-sized rooms. One room per family. The walls in between the rooms have openings on top. On the sides are holes and if you put your eye next to the wall, you can see what's happening next-door. No space for privacy. There is a familiar smell in the air, they stay next to the water buffalo camp. The fan and the TV make loud noises and a mouse watches from the corner.
We meet the gardener's wife, his two sons and his new baby daughter. The pastor explains clearly that prayer in the name of Jesus is not a magic formula, but that they have to believe that God can heal them. After the prayer a few things changed that evening. The gardener's wife has a smile on her face and says she's feeling much better. My heart is filled with thankfulness for the house we have even if it is just for a short time. The gardener smiles every day when he comes to work and says everything is going well.
Thank you for your letters. They are like icy cold water in a desert. Thank you for your prayers. It makes us soar like eagles. We are praying for you too.
Somebody forgot to close the oven door. It is steaming hot.
Except for the sun, there are a few other hot spots in our lives. Our arrival in Chandigarh was the spark for many explosive situations. It is like falling into a pot of chillies and the more you struggle, the more the people closest to you get hurt. But we have learned that there are some things we cannot change. We accept this, but keep hoping things will get better. I believe it will through prayer and perseverance.
Our gardener was blessed with a new baby daughter. Unfortunately his wife became very ill after the birth and he missed many days at work. He took her to the doctor who prescribed medicine, but nothing seemed to work. After using the excuse too many times and seeing the dejected expression on his face, we decided to do something about the situation. We arranged with a local pastor to go to his house and pray. But the day did not progress as we thought it would. Our boss informed us that we might have to move to another house in August... My reaction was not positive, but maybe you will be able to sympathize with me if you know our moving-history. I was disappointed to say the least.
In the evening we went to the gardener's house in a small town on the outskirts of Chandigarh. With house I don't mean the picture you form in your minds. They stay in an oblong, red-brick building with a flat roof. It is divided into 4 equal-sized rooms. One room per family. The walls in between the rooms have openings on top. On the sides are holes and if you put your eye next to the wall, you can see what's happening next-door. No space for privacy. There is a familiar smell in the air, they stay next to the water buffalo camp. The fan and the TV make loud noises and a mouse watches from the corner.
We meet the gardener's wife, his two sons and his new baby daughter. The pastor explains clearly that prayer in the name of Jesus is not a magic formula, but that they have to believe that God can heal them. After the prayer a few things changed that evening. The gardener's wife has a smile on her face and says she's feeling much better. My heart is filled with thankfulness for the house we have even if it is just for a short time. The gardener smiles every day when he comes to work and says everything is going well.
Thank you for your letters. They are like icy cold water in a desert. Thank you for your prayers. It makes us soar like eagles. We are praying for you too.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Delhi
Nameste Ji
It is swarming with life here. It's spring! Our lawn is full of squirrels, birds and other creatures. The garden is a rainbow of flowers. I've seen my first gecko and after 5 years my reaction was still eeeehhhhhh! Stephan showed him the door with a free flying lesson to the neighbours. I know .. harmless creatures that like to have their meals in my house .. I don't think so.
We had 3 journeys since we've written last. Khasauli, Delhi and Texas (Stephan for work). You can see the photographs on our blog. I will share our Delhi trip with you. After shopping in an enormous market the first evening, our car disappeared. At first we thought it was stolen. But a very helpful man on the pavement, that greeted us so friendly when we parked there, told us the police took it away. He's like the internet and tells us everything we want to know: who, where, how, how much. Just a bit too much, I think. I suspect that his purse is a lot thicker after the transaction and that he gave us away. Apparently we stopped in a no-parking zone (there is no board and 10 other cars!). I am furious and want to make gestures as
though I am calling down all kinds of evil on him (they are sooo superstitious), but reconsider. I am here to share Jesus' love with these people. I think I didn't manage that and the man look half sorry especially after Anandi starts crying.
We took an auto-rickshaw to the police-station. We are at the mercy of the rickshaw-driver, because we have no clue where he is taking us. Eventually we reach a large parking area where hundreds of cars are chained on a lease like dogs. After some fruitless protests and Rs800 later, our car is free again. Now we can get back home. But we have no idea where we are and there is no-one to ask. I have a feeling where we should go (Stephan thinks we have to go the other way - so I know I'm right). We drive, but I don't recognize any of the names on the few road signs. We are stuck in Delhi Saturday evening traffic ... I have visions I've seen in movies of aliens and flood waves storming at the cars in the traffic jam. I realize I cannot even open my door if I want to get out, because the others are too close. Eventually I am able to attract one of the driver's attention and he tells us we are
completely wrong. We have to turn around. Half an hour later we manage to turn. Stephan grabs the map and works out a route to get back home. It takes 2 hours and 3 wrong turns to reach home. We decide to avoid Delhi in future.
But the next day is a different story. We visit Delhi Bible Fellowship with our friend from SA. The message is about how David handled difficult situations. I get flashbacks of the previous evening. Afterwards we eat at McDonalds and after a short nap we go to a huge wood in the heart of Delhi. On the hills we see just the tops of the buildings. Who could guess that Delhi can be this beautiful!
We are busy and every now and then I drop one of the balls I try to juggle. But we are going forward, sure of what we must do. We visit the church, the satsang, friends, take Hindi lessons, go rollerblading, walk in the gardens, learn new things, write programs, drive, manage, play tabletennis, talk to Jesus, sketch, etc.
We appreciate you like a comfortable chair that you take along everywhere you go (something special from your own world). Or a bit of sugar after you've bitten into a chili. We need your letters and prayers. Thank you very much for that.
It is swarming with life here. It's spring! Our lawn is full of squirrels, birds and other creatures. The garden is a rainbow of flowers. I've seen my first gecko and after 5 years my reaction was still eeeehhhhhh! Stephan showed him the door with a free flying lesson to the neighbours. I know .. harmless creatures that like to have their meals in my house .. I don't think so.
We had 3 journeys since we've written last. Khasauli, Delhi and Texas (Stephan for work). You can see the photographs on our blog. I will share our Delhi trip with you. After shopping in an enormous market the first evening, our car disappeared. At first we thought it was stolen. But a very helpful man on the pavement, that greeted us so friendly when we parked there, told us the police took it away. He's like the internet and tells us everything we want to know: who, where, how, how much. Just a bit too much, I think. I suspect that his purse is a lot thicker after the transaction and that he gave us away. Apparently we stopped in a no-parking zone (there is no board and 10 other cars!). I am furious and want to make gestures as
though I am calling down all kinds of evil on him (they are sooo superstitious), but reconsider. I am here to share Jesus' love with these people. I think I didn't manage that and the man look half sorry especially after Anandi starts crying.
We took an auto-rickshaw to the police-station. We are at the mercy of the rickshaw-driver, because we have no clue where he is taking us. Eventually we reach a large parking area where hundreds of cars are chained on a lease like dogs. After some fruitless protests and Rs800 later, our car is free again. Now we can get back home. But we have no idea where we are and there is no-one to ask. I have a feeling where we should go (Stephan thinks we have to go the other way - so I know I'm right). We drive, but I don't recognize any of the names on the few road signs. We are stuck in Delhi Saturday evening traffic ... I have visions I've seen in movies of aliens and flood waves storming at the cars in the traffic jam. I realize I cannot even open my door if I want to get out, because the others are too close. Eventually I am able to attract one of the driver's attention and he tells us we are
completely wrong. We have to turn around. Half an hour later we manage to turn. Stephan grabs the map and works out a route to get back home. It takes 2 hours and 3 wrong turns to reach home. We decide to avoid Delhi in future.
But the next day is a different story. We visit Delhi Bible Fellowship with our friend from SA. The message is about how David handled difficult situations. I get flashbacks of the previous evening. Afterwards we eat at McDonalds and after a short nap we go to a huge wood in the heart of Delhi. On the hills we see just the tops of the buildings. Who could guess that Delhi can be this beautiful!
We are busy and every now and then I drop one of the balls I try to juggle. But we are going forward, sure of what we must do. We visit the church, the satsang, friends, take Hindi lessons, go rollerblading, walk in the gardens, learn new things, write programs, drive, manage, play tabletennis, talk to Jesus, sketch, etc.
We appreciate you like a comfortable chair that you take along everywhere you go (something special from your own world). Or a bit of sugar after you've bitten into a chili. We need your letters and prayers. Thank you very much for that.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
On the road again
No, we are not moving again, but I am on the road again with our new 4-wheeler. It's a white Maruti Suzuki 800 AC. The first day I caused an accident when the guy in front of me stared so much at me in his rearview-mirror that he almost drove over a bicycle. To my relieve, the poor man on the bicycle got up in one piece. I lost a lot of my courage, but it's coming back slowly. My ears are closed for horns/hooters even if I know it's meant for me. There are two things in the traffic that I do not understand. One is the roundabouts/traffic circles. When you are in a circle you have to wait for the cars that are trying to get in - my mind is working in the opposite direction. Another is the robots/traffic lights with counters that tell you how long a light will be red/green. When there is still 3 seconds green left the traffic stops, but they start driving when there is still 3 seconds red left. I tend to do it differently. We enjoy the car and are thankful for it. It opens up lots of possibilities for us.
Sport
We are planning to buy a table tennis table and invite people to a social event each Saturday where they can come and play. We'll also have badminton and paint for the arty people. We hope it will help our church community to get involved with outreach as they invite their unsaved friends. There are many young people in Chandigarh that come to study and we believe they would be interested in such an event. We want to share Jesus with Chandigarh. Pray with us that this will become an event where people will experience Jesus' love and power.
Small group
This Friday we'll start with a small group at our house. There are two other families that want to start with us. We look forward to that.
Hindi
I started with my Hindi lessons. Manisha, my friend, is helping me to work through a 30 week course. After that I will be able to speak Hindi. Let's see.
America
Stephan has to go to America in a month's time to start off a new project. He will be away for a week or two. We don't look forward to that, but we can cope.
Project Provision
Two of our friends, Mannu and Nidhee, have started a project to help people on the streets. Every Friday they buy food and hand it out to people that live on the streets. These people do not have facilities to cook, so they have to buy food that is cooked. It is very cold this time of year so they are handing out blankets also. It is still a new project and they need lots of wisdom on how to handle all the situations. You can imagine how it is if a crowd of people is in need and there is not enough for everyone. If you want to get involved, let us know.
Persecution
About 50 churches and 600 Christian homes were attacked in Orissa (these numbers you won't find in the newspapers). Pray with us for the church that is suffering very much in that region. I would just like to mention that we are very far from were this is happening and we are not in danger at all. India is a big country with lots of disasters.
Our family
As you can conclude from our news we are doing well and are getting very busy. Nadia and Anandi are doing well too. You can look at our new photos. We have pictures of Nadia's art and some of our home (as some of you requested). Our container arrived in one piece and we can now make music together again. Stephan plays piano, Nadia the flute, Anandi the tambourine and I am the audience. I am considering learning to play the Indian drum :-).
Sport
We are planning to buy a table tennis table and invite people to a social event each Saturday where they can come and play. We'll also have badminton and paint for the arty people. We hope it will help our church community to get involved with outreach as they invite their unsaved friends. There are many young people in Chandigarh that come to study and we believe they would be interested in such an event. We want to share Jesus with Chandigarh. Pray with us that this will become an event where people will experience Jesus' love and power.
Small group
This Friday we'll start with a small group at our house. There are two other families that want to start with us. We look forward to that.
Hindi
I started with my Hindi lessons. Manisha, my friend, is helping me to work through a 30 week course. After that I will be able to speak Hindi. Let's see.
America
Stephan has to go to America in a month's time to start off a new project. He will be away for a week or two. We don't look forward to that, but we can cope.
Project Provision
Two of our friends, Mannu and Nidhee, have started a project to help people on the streets. Every Friday they buy food and hand it out to people that live on the streets. These people do not have facilities to cook, so they have to buy food that is cooked. It is very cold this time of year so they are handing out blankets also. It is still a new project and they need lots of wisdom on how to handle all the situations. You can imagine how it is if a crowd of people is in need and there is not enough for everyone. If you want to get involved, let us know.
Persecution
About 50 churches and 600 Christian homes were attacked in Orissa (these numbers you won't find in the newspapers). Pray with us for the church that is suffering very much in that region. I would just like to mention that we are very far from were this is happening and we are not in danger at all. India is a big country with lots of disasters.
Our family
As you can conclude from our news we are doing well and are getting very busy. Nadia and Anandi are doing well too. You can look at our new photos. We have pictures of Nadia's art and some of our home (as some of you requested). Our container arrived in one piece and we can now make music together again. Stephan plays piano, Nadia the flute, Anandi the tambourine and I am the audience. I am considering learning to play the Indian drum :-).
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