What Time is It?

Since the last time I was here a medical clinic has been built in front of Naveen's parents' apartment.  They have a little porch that overlooks the clinic and we find ourselves out there quite often.  The clinic serves the poorer of the population, and some days the line forms early and gets long fast.  The other day the line wrapped all the way around the building out into the street.  Naveen told me that possibly there was a well known visiting doctor that everyone wanted to see.  I watched for a minute as a little girl laid her head in her mother's lap, and a woman next to her nursed her hungry baby.  Then Naveen said something to me that was very insightful.

He told me about how he remembered waiting for hours in similar lines while growing up.  He said people look down on Indians a lot because they are late to things or start things long after said time, but when you're used to always waiting for the things you need like medical attention it doesn't matter how long it takes or what time you're finished you just do what you have to.  That's why Indians don't worry too much about time.

It was eye opening to me.  Yes I've been one of those said people before waiting for others to show up for dinner with a grumbly stomach irritated because we were supposed to start forever ago.  This led me to think about all the ways time affects the American daily life.  I had a friend comment on one of my posts that her sister is so outgoing and friendly and when she tries to talk to some people on the bus or other places they seem annoyed that their life has been interrupted.  I must say that I might not be so different if I was walking down the aisles of the grocery store trying to get things done in a "timely" fashion in order to get to the next thing in life if someone tried to strike up a conversation with me.  Here in India I know that if I needed help with something, or if I wanted to talk to someone on the street even if they were busy they wouldn't hesitate to drop everything and take some time out for me.  It's relationship over convenience really.

As I write this I think about how little I've clock watched or thought about the time here.  It seems like a lot less pressure. I understand the importance of keeping things on a time frame.  We need schedules sometimes to keep us motivated and progressing.  Sometimes I wonder though if we worry too much about time.  When I go home I want to live this out a little more.  When a little old lady asks me about my baby in the grocery store instead of a quick answer and a smile I'll actually keep the conversation going for a few minutes.  When my neighbor waves hi to me, I'll actually walk over and talk to them and see how they are doing.  I really just want to be less tied to the clock and more about loving others.

Khammam and Mayberry

So I like to listen to country music sometimes.  I like the way a lot of the songs tell a story, and at times secretly wish I was a cowgirl (can an Indian be a cowboy?  I've asked Naveen this before because I think this would be a fun life for us)  There's one song Mayberry by Rascal Flatts.  Part of the lyrics goes like this "I miss Mayberry sitting on the porch drinking ice cold cherry coke, where everything is black and white.  Strumming on your six string, people walk by and they call you by your first name, watching the clouds go by."  I think it paints a picture of a close community that feels welcoming and homely.

Yesterday we went to a friend's house for dinner.  They wanted to show me what their house looked like, and while there Naveen wanted us to visit some other friends' homes.  In this little neighborhood my husband spent most of his growing years, and there were still people living there from when he lived there.  We went to the different houses and visited with people from my husband's past.  Neighbors came over to each other's houses and talked to each other and played with kids like they were their own.  The kids knew them well and were excited to see them.  As we were all sitting around eating a snack and drinking tea as all the adults were deep in conversation catching up with each other, and the kids were playing, that song started going through my head.  I think I might have even started humming it a little bit.  (People might be starting to think I'm a little bit crazy around here).  I didn't grow up in the time of Mayberry really, but sitting there seeing all this community with these people that I could just tell knew each other so well, and visited with each other daily I thought maybe this is kind of what Mayberry feels like.  Then I thought about all the evenings Naveen and I ask each other what we should do and end up just watching a movie because we can't figure anything else out.  These people don't ever have that problem.  They always have someone to do something with and talk to.  It's a neat thing these people have.  Almost like Mayberry except they put a dot of red powder between your eyebrows before you go home :)

Prayer Requests

I thought it would be a good idea to ask my friends who are reading this if they can lift a couple things up in prayer for us over the next couple days

1. The mosquitoes.  I was told at the travel clinic in SLC that the area of India we are in isn't a super high risk for malaria, but precautions should be taken for mosquitoes especially if I decided to forgo the medication.  Since the medication made me feel sick all the time last time, and I didn't see any mosquitoes ever I decided we'd just bring bug spray and call it good.  This time even though it's the same time of year as I came last time is a lot more wet.  That has been a blessing in the way of heat, but not in the way of mosquitoes.  Will you please pray for protection from bites and malaria.

2.Travel:  On Sunday morning, which would be Saturday night to those in the US we're going to a city about two hours away to check out a water park there.  In India there are no carseats, and with my wiggle baby I get a little nervous over the fact that I have to try to hold her on my lap for at least 2 hours.  The traffic here also terrifies me.  There's no way for me to describe it for you, maybe you could find a youtube clip of Indian traffic.  Please pray for us for safe travels on the way there and back.

Thank you so much for your prayers and supports.  I feel so blessed to know there are friends like you who care about me and pray for me.

A Better Understanding of my Husband

The last time I came to India Naveen and I were engaged.  Now it's been 5 years since we were here and nearly 5 years of marriage.  That's 5 years of living with Naveen and learning all his strange quirks and differences from me.  As we spend time here and I see him in action among the other Indians I start to understand some of the things he does so much better.

In the store for example if he needs something he'll go right to the front of the line and ask the cashier while the cashier is in the middle of helping someone else.  I see that it's a necessity to do this in India.  If you don't push yourself to the front of the line you'll never get helped.  If it were up to me I think we'd never get our food ordered at the restaurant.  I've had it so drilled into me to wait my turn and be patient that I would have a hard time pushing myself in among the people at the front counter and trying to get the attention of the servers to take my ticket.  Also I've noticed when we go shopping if he doesn't know where something is right away he'll go ask someone before even really looking.  I'm quite different in the aspect.  I would spend forever looking for something before I asked someone to help me find it.  In the stores here in India you don't go looking.  You ask for something, and they bring you every variety they have.

Another thing I've wondered about Naveen is why he's never been bothered to share his pajamas with the world.  When he works from home he'll be in his pajamas all day and will walk outside wave to the neighbors even talk to them and not seemed bothered.  In my house growing up my parents never even opened the curtains until they were dressed and ready for the day.  This thought came when the neighbor came across the hall hair uncombed and in her PJs to say hi to Leela yesterday. With such close shared living space I think it doesn't matter here too much how people appear to each other.  They see the best and the worst and feel no need to try to look all put together like we do in America. There are people out on the street brushing their teeth everyday spitting and gargling for everyone else to see.  There are others sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk on busy streets.

It's not only eye opening to understand my husband better, but to also realize there's no one way to do something and what works in one place won't always work in another.

I can't wait to see what other interesting things I'll understand better about my husband.

The Trouble with Drawstring Pants

While in India I wear the same clothes as the locals.  I already stick out in all my tall whiteness, I don't need to draw more attention with my western style clothes.  The other day when I was putting on my pants I thought these guys have it figured out.  The pants are huge at the waist, but you draw it all in with a string at the waist to fit you perfectly.  You never have to worry about gaining or losing a few pounds and pants being too tight or too lose.  Maternity clothes? Forget those, I'm sure these pants would still fit fine.  It's brilliant brilliant brilliant!

The problem came when I needed to use the ladies room, and quite badly.  I had been busy with Leela, and needed to wait until the last possible minute.  I went to untie my pant drawstring and there was a knot in it.  Not just any ordinary knot, but the most stubborn knot there could be.  I pulled and pried using my fingers to the best of their ability, with a deep sense of urgency.  Finally I gave up calling Naveen to come to my rescue (it was almost like a fairytale except not).  He couldn't get it undone either.  I was getting desperate, so eventually I made myself as skinny as I could and escaped my confining pants.  Don't worry the story has a happy ending.  I was eventually able to get the knot out.  I'm just a little scared of drawstrings now and will be sure to give myself ample time when untying them.

My Heart Breaks

Naveen and I committed before we left to India that every morning we would go on a prayer walk while we were here.  We know that there are certain weak areas we're more vulnerable to while we're here that the devil likes to attack.  It's been refreshing to get out in the coolness of the morning and share our hearts with God.  It's also been a little heart breaking to me.

This isn't my first time in India.  I've seen the beggars, children, and poverty on the street.  I think what's different about this time is being right in the street walking with it so up close and personal rather than sitting in a car where you can kind of hide your eyes from it when the hurtful feelings come.  The other day as we were walking this lady with a baby wrapped up close to her was pleading for money for milk for her baby.  Her saddened and desperate face was a stark contrast to her baby who was grabbing at her face and laughing.  My heart broke right there.  How do I get to be so blessed?  I have a baby not much older than hers.  My baby has never known hunger.  My baby has more than she needs.  I never had to look at my baby in helpless desperation as she cries from the pangs of hunger.  I gave her some money, she kissed it in deep gratitude and I turned quickly so I wouldn't start crying in the middle of the busy street.

I've been praying fervently for the broken people here.  I know Jesus moving here is the only thing that can overcome the brokenness and darkness here.  I encourage you to pray also with me as we stay here in India.  Pray for the people of India both rich and poor needing food, money, shelter, but also something so much more fulfilling, a relationship with Jesus.

Pomegranates: the new blueberries

Before we left for India we skyped with Naveen's parents one day when Leela was enjoying her daily breakfast of oatmeal and blueberries.  With her face covered in purple and she thoroughly enjoying the berries my in-laws were worried about the fact they had no blueberries in India and asked if there was a way we could bring some with us.  I assured them there were probably other fruits in India she would enjoy just as much.

My in-laws know how much I enjoy a good piece of fresh fruit, and that it's something I start to miss when in India where everything is very much cooked and curried.  In order to make me feel welcome and comfortable my in-laws bought me a TON of fruit.  I'm pretty sure they bought the whole fruit stand.  Then my mother-in-law wanting me to eat the fruit peeled me about 4 pomegranates.  Have you ever eaten one of those things?  They are so much work to get the fruit out, so I thought it was so sweet she would go to all that work for me.  Of course it's kind of difficult for me to eat it all in one sitting.  I thought I'd try to give Leela a piece.  She loved it!  I have now decided pomegranates are the blueberries of India.  This is now what I've been giving her with her breakfast oats.

This must be what a movie star feels like

So I was thinking yesterday, this must be what a movie star feels like.  We went to visit a family friend's child's school here in India.  It was pretty big.  Three tall buildings.  We walked up a few flights of stairs and over to the classroom where Pandu's class was.  All eyes of the children were watching me through the slatted windows of the two classrooms we passed.  When they were released from class I was practically mobbed.  One kid asked me after an awestruck hi-ii where I was from.  When I told him U.S. a number of kids excitedly repeated the same thing I said.  As we walked back down the stairs to our scooter I made sure Naveen was close by not to get lost forever in this group of kids surrounding me.  Later we sat down at a bakery/sweet shop where our friends made sure I was thoroughly stuffed with food and Pandu told us how all the kids asked him where we were from and how he knew us as soon as they saw us from his classroom with his mom.  I thought this must be what a movie star feels like, but they probably enjoy it a little more.  I'm not one to call attention to myself, but here in India my height and white skin do that pretty easily.  It makes me laugh to think how unique I seem to them, but where I am from there are so many more who look very similar to me.  

So Many Kids So Much Fun

One thing about being here in India there are so many people.  Those people just drop in whenever without a phone call in advance.  It seems strange to my American mind who plans get togethers weeks in advance. Seriously?! We just go over to someone's house without letting them know we're coming?!  Much to Leela's enjoyment there are many children who end up coming over daily.  They play with her constantly.  Grabbing her hands helping her to walk.  Making the little stuffed animals talk to her.  She is going to have some serious withdrawals when we leave after a month of this attention.