There and back again

We got to spend the night in a fishing-cast village with a small group of first-generation believers and their devoutly Hindu neighbors!

Monday, after a morning spent with the Lord and packing, five of us jumped into the jeep for a long trek across the Indian landscape. Our party included Pastor David, two white Americans, 80-year-old Uncle (an elder at Hebron Prayer House), and David’s wife, Suhasini (a temporary traveler on our expedition). Along the way we picked up three of Suhasini’s co-teachers from the school and they thoroughly enjoyed utilizing their English to ask us questions and insist on us singing a Telugu song for them. After a roadside stop for coconut water (drinking straight from the coconut shells, of course) we said farewell to all the teachers and Suhasini and turned our tires towards the wild jungles of India.

Here's us in the back of the jeep

In a small town further along the way we picked up two pleasant looking men in white shirts and white pants: Prabhadas and Remesh – two of HBA’s faithful evangelists.  We now had a several-hour journey ahead of us. The four men sat in the front half of the jeep and conversed happily in Telugu, allowing Chelsea and me to spend time enjoying the scenery and chattering about all the sorts of things that young, pretty girls enjoy discussing ;). 

Our grand tour guide, David, gave us several valuable details along the way about the mountainous roads and animals living in that area. For Chelsea and me, who grew up around the Washington mountains, this drive through the hills was a refreshing outing and a small reminder of home (minus the 95 degree air and the lack of evergreen trees). It was both beautiful and peaceful.

A little hot and sweaty, we pulled into a small community of thatched and brick houses and were greeted enthusiastically by Samson, the HBA evangelist working there. This is one of the more recent villages that HBA has reached out to and there are currently only a dozen or so Christians living there. We entered the yard of a goat herder’s house through an opening in the stick-and-leaf woven fence. The wife is a Christian while the husband is not, but the Lord has continued to give grace and peace in their marriage and home (2 children) while the wife serves her husband and works to win him to Christ. This family owns a small two-room, brick building that serves as their house and storage, a round, thatched-roof building that acts as their kitchen and dining room, and a low but large thatched hut that protects and houses all the goats. 

This is our hostess holding their newest-born goat

We spent the afternoon resting, reading, enjoying tea, bathing, and (Chelsea) sleeping during the heat of the day.  As I sat there with everyone sleeping around me, the thought came to me again (as it so often does): “I’m actually sitting out in the wildlands of the nations, in the places that are just starting to hear about the hope of Christ! I get to watch them make tea, sweep their porches, scold and fuss at one another…and be a part of it all!  Where I am, the Lord’s eyes are focused; He loves them with a deep, core-penetrating love and I also am sharing in His love for them.”  What have I done that He has blessed me with this great pleasure and honor? I smile, nod, shake hands, jabber out my few Telugu words, smile some more, try to understand what they’re telling me to do (or are they asking me a question?), and move about peacefully among them, knowing that my God speaks across languages and customs and reveals Himself to them through my weak, “unqualified” self.  Blessed be our Great Lord!

Villagers making food and sorting rice

As people began to stir from their naps, our delightful hostess took the opportunity to lead Chelsea and me on a walk around the village to show us all the views, buildings, people, and activities taking place. On returning to the house, the women gathered around to attempt a remarkable feat: French braiding my hair. After attracting a crowd to gawk and offer advice, they set about to brush and plat my foreign locks. I doubt more than a few of them have ever even seen white people before and less than that have seen a blond girl. Chelsea demonstrated the technique of French braiding on her own hair and they attempted to mimic on mine (they regularly braid their hair down their backs but have never seen it done up like a French braid). I think they did pretty well for a first time!

 Bethany getting her hair braided by village women while the community looks on

As the sky began to grow darker and people returned to their homes, the team of evangelists and their wives, other believers, and some children, took to the road with megaphones, drums and tambourines to sing the truth of Christ through the village. We marched down one road, up another, across to the other half of the town, and stopped in front of an ideal place for people to congregate. Chelsea and my role in all of this was primarily to avoid stumbling or walking through the animal waste while everyone else sang in their native tongue.

Singing in the streets

At our halting point, Pastor David shared why all of us (the evangelists, local Christians, and us) were singing about Christ. He then called upon Chelsea and I to sing a song about praising Jesus in Telugu; it helps to keep the crowd engaged because of the strangeness of seeing two foreigners sing in their language. I then got to speak (through translation) the truth about Jesus Christ and share a short example about my life. In reflection, I see how much the Lord has been growing me in my ability to share, on the spot, the hope which I have in Christ. Compared to the first village where I was handed a microphone, I am much more confident, Christ-focused, and clear in my words. This is definitely the grace and training of the Lord.  David then invited everyone to a meeting that would be held on the road outside our hosts’ home.

Declaring the greatness of Jesus Christ

We took a brief respite and ate dinner while the men set up mats on the ground outside and ran power out for lighting. A definite praise from the Lord is that in spite of not having any prevention spray, we didn’t get bit by mosquitoes the whole trip, even during their primary feeding time! I think we must’ve had Holy Spirit bug spray on!

We got the program started with some rousing singing and Indian beats (unlike any of the beats I hear at home: they sing to rhythms that are simultaneously subdivided in all different ways; very confusing initially). As the music rolled over the village, people began to gather. The believers and the few others who were better acquainted with them came and sat on the mats. Most people from the village stood at a distance, just past the edge of the light, where they could watch in dark safety and slip off whenever they felt the need.

Night meeting: can't see them in the picture, but there are many dozen people standing in the darkness beyond.

Once a sizable crowd had gathered, Pastor David transitioned into the teaching by sharing a bit about himself and the ministry work, having Chelsea and me sing an English and then a Telugu song, and then calling upon me to share from the Word of God.  I started with Proverbs 1:7 and how valuable the knowledge of God is. If anyone wants to be wise, they have to start with pursuing a deep understanding of God; wisdom cannot start from any other source.  Then I shared how much God desires for humans to know Him. Through His Word, through coming to earth as a man: Jesus Christ, and through His continued communication with us by His Spirit (both internal impressions and external manifestations of healings, etc.).  God uses all of these things to lead a person to Himself so that they have no excuse for not finding Him if they search.

With the great help of David’s translating, the people seemed to grasp the weight and value of searching to know God Almighty—creator of the heavens and the earth. As they are searching to know and understand Him, Samson and the other believers will be around to help answer their questions. Concluding the meeting, a large group made up of believers and nonbelievers came up and asked us to place our hands on them and pray for them. Some had situational requests, some had healing requests, and some had requests that what was spoken would remain in their hearts. We faithfully worked through the line of people, enjoying the communion we were able to have with our Lord and Savior in the midst of this “work” in front of us.

All of that made for a pretty exhausting night. As the temperature began to let up, we prepared for bed.

There's the cot we slept on!

As Chelsea took a community “women’s trip” to the wide-open bathrooms, I took the opportunity to snag a few pictures of the area and our sleeping quarters. (Feel free, upon our return, to ask Chelsea about the village bathroom arrangements.) We bedded down for the night listening to the sounds of the goats as they prodded and nuzzled one another 20 feet away. The whole night was restful and cool—we even received a light dew fall in the early hours of the morning.

We woke up before the sun rose and watched as our village friends began to stir from their mats and set themselves in order for the morning routine. Another attempt at braiding my hair, a visit to the adjacent property for morning breakfast of idly and chetni (picture a bready cream-of-wheat ball and some peanut-based sauce and you’re on the right track), and we were just about ready to go.

Last activity of the morning: they planted a church. Our host family happily offered the front corner of their home as the site for a future thatch-hut church building. Even thought he is not yet a believer, the husband cheerfully gave of his land for this. Please pray with us that the Lord would bless this man by leading him fully into His presence and so capturing his heart; and that the Lord would continue to meet his earthly needs as an example to the believers and unbelievers around and so that he can always have enough to share and give away.  The branch that was “planted” will serve as one of the supports for the lower sides of the roof.

Church “planting" (Prabhadas is holding the post)

We drove away after many lengthy hand clasps and very expressive looks. The jeep now contained five people: Pastor David, the Elder Uncle, evangelist Prabhadas, and us (Remesh stayed in the village with Samson for a little longer).

On the drive back across the hills, we saw something I was hoping and praying I would get a close-up of: MONKEYS!!! They seemed to come out just to show off for me (though they were probably coming out for bananas; lots of banana trucks use that road). I got several pictures of them; here’s one of the best:

MONKEYS!!! One of them has a baby with it :)

I also couldn’t help attempting to capture some more of the scenery on our camera. Pictures will never be as captivating as the real thing; *Sigh*

Our several-hour trip home included several stops along the way. The first was in a newly reconstructed village (Indian housing projects) where HBA evangelist Philip is beginning to work (in addition to his current villages). We prayed over the site where they’ve been given permission to build a brick/cement church once they have the $3000 needed for the project; and then we sat and had tea with the few people (some Christian, some Hindu) who were not out working in the fields.

Taking Philip with us, we continued our journey home. In a larger village, closer to Nellore, we dropped both evangelists off so that they could take autos (like a taxi) to their respective homes. Then the remaining four of us stopped near a large lake with an impressive dam to eat a snack and stretch our legs. Finally, we stopped at Suhasini’s school to meet her students and head mistress. What we thought would be a brief “hello” and then home, turned into a personal visitation with every classroom in the school. Chelsea said: “I think we were their cultural studies for the day.”

… “Home again, home again; jig-a-dee jig” …

At last, we arrived home in the late afternoon. We cleaned ourselves up, rested, and spent time with the Lord. As evening came on, we were memorizing scripture and enjoying a snack when Havilash brought us a wonderful gift from his mom, Suhasini: Jasmine flowers!!!

Girls, old and young here, love to wear flowers in their hair. Flower sellers will have chains of little flowers (mostly jasmine or some little orange flower) that women can buy and hook into their hair. It’s only a few pennies for them and we have gotten to wear them on many occasions. They smell so good.

What Havilash brought us, though, was a bag of unchained flowers. With our creative and ambitious intellects being put to the test, we decided to attempt the Indian art of tying flower chains. I think we were very, very successful!

 We successfully made flower chains!

There you have it, friends! A detailed retelling of our almost ethereal (yet, somehow feeling as though it were completely natural) experience of living a day and night in a tribal village. AND WE LOVED IT!!!

All of our praise, honor, dependence, and expectations are on the Lord, and how we do love Him!

Andariki Vandenalu!