No time to write anything now. But above you will find photos from our holiday, me in my saree and the new terrorist look that I tried out to protect my sunburnt face! Happy new year!
Monday 31 December 2007
Christmas Photos!
No time to write anything now. But above you will find photos from our holiday, me in my saree and the new terrorist look that I tried out to protect my sunburnt face! Happy new year!
Saturday 22 December 2007
HOLIDAY AT LAST!
Hi everyone,
Well, I finished work yesterday and now have a break until the 2nd January- we really need it! This week has been the craziest week so far in terms of business, and you can tell by the state of our flat: glitter, paper, pens, clothes, dirty plates, etc covering our floor. And the bathroom has become a cockroach graveyard! But it has also been one of the best weeks so far, especially with all of the special Christmas activities we have been doing.
We attempted to teach the Christmas story to the Balwadi children with no translator and it was actually quite successful. We had a great time journeying around the classroom to Bethlehem, following the star and pretending to be shepherds! I had one of those memory-sticking moments at Balwadi the other day. I was sitting on the floor supervising the cotton wool sticking (we were making snowmen!) and a little girl came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my neck, as the kids often do (usually to my annoyance!). And I was just sitting there listening to her sing her own version of "If You're Happy and You Know It", in my ear and I was thinking about how privileged I am to be able to work with these kids and spend time with them. It is so rewarding to hear them proudly performing the songs they have learnt or to see a kid who has been crying for the past hour come over to me as I leave and say goodbye. I had to go home that night and comb out a big fat juicy nit from my hair, but I'd say it's worth it!
Fun Station has been excellent this week. We decided to do the classic chocolate eating game, with the knife, fork and dice, and the kids LOVED it! They, of course, went away and told all their friends that we gave them chocolate, so we are now ambushed by children asking for chocolate when we walk through SD Puram. I discovered some "Number One Hits" music on my iPod, so we ended up spending one evening dancing to YMCA with them. I would have never guessed I'd be in a classroom in India dancing to YMCA with a bunch of 12-year-olds! I feel like I have wrapped about a billion pass-the-parcels as we have done them with almost every group we have. But all the preparation was worth it and we had a great time. We could hardly get out the door when it was time to leave because of all of the cheek pinching, kissing, hugging and making us promise to be there on the 2nd January. Oh, and Mum- we gave the stickers you sent to them as a Christmas present and they were VERY pleased!
And, of course, Jacob's Well: it really has felt like the end of term at school there and I'm not sure that the girls have really done much work this week. On Thursday we had parents evening, although actually it is only the mothers who come to hear about a daughter's education. The girls were VERY excited about us meeting their mothers and we had a good chance to practice our Tamil with them! Oasis also held a short health and hygiene presentation for the mothers as they are mostly from the slum, and after that we got the girls to show them their books and folders. I was quite proud of them all! We have had a lot of Christmas activities this week for them, too: singing "The 12 Days of Christmas", playing pass the parcel with forfeits (hilarious), dancing... And then yesterday we had a party with them and brought a big cake in the shape of a Christmas tree- it resulted in a lot of cake-feeding (a cultural thing where it is normal to shove a large slice of cake in someone else's face) and food fighting. We said our goodbyes to them, too- it feels very final even though we will be back in a few days! The girls all come over and say to us, "Teacher, feeling, 10 days," which translates to "Teacher, I am feeling sad because I won't see you for 10 days." It is nice to feel appreciated! Once again, there was a lot of cheek pinching and kissing- I think I need to invest in some cheek padding before we leave for England.
We have had a lot of rain again this week, apparently unusual for this time of year. We have also had to go out quite a lot in the rain, which involves wading through rivers of water thanks to the poor drainage. Vijay has taken to wearing a woolly hat everywhere which we find hilarious. He says it is cold, but I feel just about right now. We were all singing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..." at the office yesterday, not that any of the people who work there have ever even seen snow!
Our flat is now being infested by red ants who have made their home by our front door. I take great pleasure in pouring boiling water over them every time I make tea. In fact, we also had a bit of an ant issue in the kitchen. And trust me, these aren't just any old ants: they are the most vicious red ants in the world! If they crawl on you they will sink their evil little pinchers in and give you a good old bite. Why God made ants and termites I do not know, but it is my personal mission to remove all of them from our flat!
We went saree shopping this week (a fairly stressful ordeal with all the Christmas shoppers) and I now own a rather beautiful dark brown silk saree that I have no idea how to wear! Becky says she will show us for Christmas cos the whole wrapping thing is pretty complicated. We have decided to start doing sit-ups everyday, given the amount of belly that is on show when you wear a saree!
Naomi left us this morning for Kerala and is then going home to England. It has been really nice to have her with us, although we now have a bit more space in the auto without trying to squash four people in!
So that is pretty much my past week. Last night I was so exhausted from all the late nights staying up preparing, rushing around, trying to get everything done. But we have a nice holiday coming up and are looking forward to going to Ooty next week (so you probably won't hear from me for a fortnight). It feels like our time here is going so fast now- only two working months left, and then we have a two week holiday. I want to make the most of my remaining time here!
There are a couple of things you could all pray for:
- Safety on our holiday that we really need to organise a bit more!
- A good rest over the Christmas break.
- The new projects starting up after Christmas at Vyasarpadi and Jacob's Well.
- Many new ideas, energy and enthusiasm as the three of us plan our work for the next month.
- That in every area we are working in, we really will strive to be imitators of Christ and point people to Who we trust in by our actions.
- For all three of us and our families as we are away from home for Christmas.
So, thank you all so much for the support so many of you have given and for the Christmas parcels and cards and the like.
Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year if I don't post again before then! Something Becky was talking about has stuck in my head: how amazing is it that the AWESOME God of the universe would choose to be humble Himself to the extent of becoming a helpless, dependant baby? It is hard to comprehend!
Take care,
Love Kandace
1 Peter 5:5-6
And all of you, serve each other in humility, for
“God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.
Jeremiah 1:12
Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it."
Well, I finished work yesterday and now have a break until the 2nd January- we really need it! This week has been the craziest week so far in terms of business, and you can tell by the state of our flat: glitter, paper, pens, clothes, dirty plates, etc covering our floor. And the bathroom has become a cockroach graveyard! But it has also been one of the best weeks so far, especially with all of the special Christmas activities we have been doing.
We attempted to teach the Christmas story to the Balwadi children with no translator and it was actually quite successful. We had a great time journeying around the classroom to Bethlehem, following the star and pretending to be shepherds! I had one of those memory-sticking moments at Balwadi the other day. I was sitting on the floor supervising the cotton wool sticking (we were making snowmen!) and a little girl came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my neck, as the kids often do (usually to my annoyance!). And I was just sitting there listening to her sing her own version of "If You're Happy and You Know It", in my ear and I was thinking about how privileged I am to be able to work with these kids and spend time with them. It is so rewarding to hear them proudly performing the songs they have learnt or to see a kid who has been crying for the past hour come over to me as I leave and say goodbye. I had to go home that night and comb out a big fat juicy nit from my hair, but I'd say it's worth it!
Fun Station has been excellent this week. We decided to do the classic chocolate eating game, with the knife, fork and dice, and the kids LOVED it! They, of course, went away and told all their friends that we gave them chocolate, so we are now ambushed by children asking for chocolate when we walk through SD Puram. I discovered some "Number One Hits" music on my iPod, so we ended up spending one evening dancing to YMCA with them. I would have never guessed I'd be in a classroom in India dancing to YMCA with a bunch of 12-year-olds! I feel like I have wrapped about a billion pass-the-parcels as we have done them with almost every group we have. But all the preparation was worth it and we had a great time. We could hardly get out the door when it was time to leave because of all of the cheek pinching, kissing, hugging and making us promise to be there on the 2nd January. Oh, and Mum- we gave the stickers you sent to them as a Christmas present and they were VERY pleased!
And, of course, Jacob's Well: it really has felt like the end of term at school there and I'm not sure that the girls have really done much work this week. On Thursday we had parents evening, although actually it is only the mothers who come to hear about a daughter's education. The girls were VERY excited about us meeting their mothers and we had a good chance to practice our Tamil with them! Oasis also held a short health and hygiene presentation for the mothers as they are mostly from the slum, and after that we got the girls to show them their books and folders. I was quite proud of them all! We have had a lot of Christmas activities this week for them, too: singing "The 12 Days of Christmas", playing pass the parcel with forfeits (hilarious), dancing... And then yesterday we had a party with them and brought a big cake in the shape of a Christmas tree- it resulted in a lot of cake-feeding (a cultural thing where it is normal to shove a large slice of cake in someone else's face) and food fighting. We said our goodbyes to them, too- it feels very final even though we will be back in a few days! The girls all come over and say to us, "Teacher, feeling, 10 days," which translates to "Teacher, I am feeling sad because I won't see you for 10 days." It is nice to feel appreciated! Once again, there was a lot of cheek pinching and kissing- I think I need to invest in some cheek padding before we leave for England.
We have had a lot of rain again this week, apparently unusual for this time of year. We have also had to go out quite a lot in the rain, which involves wading through rivers of water thanks to the poor drainage. Vijay has taken to wearing a woolly hat everywhere which we find hilarious. He says it is cold, but I feel just about right now. We were all singing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..." at the office yesterday, not that any of the people who work there have ever even seen snow!
Our flat is now being infested by red ants who have made their home by our front door. I take great pleasure in pouring boiling water over them every time I make tea. In fact, we also had a bit of an ant issue in the kitchen. And trust me, these aren't just any old ants: they are the most vicious red ants in the world! If they crawl on you they will sink their evil little pinchers in and give you a good old bite. Why God made ants and termites I do not know, but it is my personal mission to remove all of them from our flat!
We went saree shopping this week (a fairly stressful ordeal with all the Christmas shoppers) and I now own a rather beautiful dark brown silk saree that I have no idea how to wear! Becky says she will show us for Christmas cos the whole wrapping thing is pretty complicated. We have decided to start doing sit-ups everyday, given the amount of belly that is on show when you wear a saree!
Naomi left us this morning for Kerala and is then going home to England. It has been really nice to have her with us, although we now have a bit more space in the auto without trying to squash four people in!
So that is pretty much my past week. Last night I was so exhausted from all the late nights staying up preparing, rushing around, trying to get everything done. But we have a nice holiday coming up and are looking forward to going to Ooty next week (so you probably won't hear from me for a fortnight). It feels like our time here is going so fast now- only two working months left, and then we have a two week holiday. I want to make the most of my remaining time here!
There are a couple of things you could all pray for:
- Safety on our holiday that we really need to organise a bit more!
- A good rest over the Christmas break.
- The new projects starting up after Christmas at Vyasarpadi and Jacob's Well.
- Many new ideas, energy and enthusiasm as the three of us plan our work for the next month.
- That in every area we are working in, we really will strive to be imitators of Christ and point people to Who we trust in by our actions.
- For all three of us and our families as we are away from home for Christmas.
So, thank you all so much for the support so many of you have given and for the Christmas parcels and cards and the like.
Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year if I don't post again before then! Something Becky was talking about has stuck in my head: how amazing is it that the AWESOME God of the universe would choose to be humble Himself to the extent of becoming a helpless, dependant baby? It is hard to comprehend!
Take care,
Love Kandace
1 Peter 5:5-6
And all of you, serve each other in humility, for
“God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.
Jeremiah 1:12
Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it."
Sunday 16 December 2007
Nit combs, Byriani and Christingles
Hi everyone,
What a week this has been! It feels like we have been going non-stop since Monday. There is just so much to do, especially with all of the Christmas stuff! I know it must have been a stressful week because we have felt the need to visit the Fruit Shop a total of 5 TIMES. Terrible.
Anyway, last weekend was spent doing some Christmas shopping for each other. Trying to secretively buy presents for each other when we are all in one tiny shop is a tad tricky! And we took Naomi clothes shopping. I am terrible when it comes to clothes shopping here- I want to buy everything! Maybe I will keep wearing Indian clothes when I am home... We also discovered that one of the things we miss most about home is eating boiled veg! I never would have guessed it, but with almost everything being fried here, it is a refreshing taste to have grease-free, boiled potatoes and beans. It is strange, the things you miss. I am also looking forward to having fresh air to breathe. The pollution is pretty bad in the city and my lungs are starting to suffer a bit.
On Sunday we visited Sparky's and were greeted by the most amazing Christmas decorations you can imagine! They really go in for the over-the-top, tacky decorations here. There are so many Christmas events and productions, too. We have been invited to so many that we could spend every night of the week at one if we wanted to. On Monday we did go to a big open-air concert which made us feel very Christmasy. When we arrived, there was a company hading out leaflets on the door- it turned out to be advertising termite killer! Made us laugh. We did enjoy the concert, although it was a bit long. By the end I had stopped noticing if they were singing in Tamil or English. We also found our claim to fame, because the neighbour whose flat we borrowed after the fire was conducting the choir. We didn't realise quite how well known he is in the musical world!
Yesterday we had two Christmas parties. In the afternoon we had our work get together, with everyone's families, too. We carted our Christmas tree and decorations over to make the hall look a bit festive. There was some hilarious dancing going on and we had the joy of Byriani for lunch. Byriani is the Indian equivalent of a roast dinner, but I just can't see what is so special about it. I have certainly tasted better Indian food! I was a bit worried that we would be forced to eat it again that evening at our church Christmas party. Thankfully, though, we had the closest thing to a proper roast dinner that we are likely to get here. Sparky's were catering and we had mash and chicken and stuffing. It was so good! (I know, you are all thinking that I have finally lost it, telling you about my dinner. Trust me, it was good!)
Sabrina and Helen have had a bit or a rough week as they have both had a nasty stomach bug that had them in bed for a day. There was a lot of sick flying around in the flat! Nice. So far I have kept clear of it (the bug and the sick!), and hopefully it will stay that way. Naomi has been fine, too, other than the fact she realized that a lot of the children we are working with have a proper nit farm going on. As a result, she decided to try to buy a nit comb, armed with a piece of paper with 'nit comb' written in Tamil. It was hilarious watching her go into the shops and show the owners the paper, who immediately try to stifle their laughter. I said she should go up scratching her head furiously, just to add to the effect!
We have had some fun since Naomi has been here- it is nice to have some new company, as lovely as Sabrina and Helen are. We are forever teasing Sabrina about her 'poshness', being from Kent and all. The other night I told her that my house didn't have a fire place and she was shocked, informing me that she couldn't imagine a house without one. I also get my fair share of teasing in return, apparently for being too competitive and having bad table manners...
Enough rubbish- I should really tell you all about work. We have taken to walking to work to try to keep fit, seeing as we are no longer members of the gym (it was too expensive in the end). One of the roads we walk down is covered with big advertising posters (something Chennai is famous for) and I found it hilarious to see a group of goats munching on one straight off the wall. Wish I'd had a photo! We are also getting a lot more confident to venture out alone , which is something I really appreciate. Just walking to work on my own is a welcome break from always being in the company of other people.
Tamil classes are going well, although I do need to practice more. Last week I learnt how to say, "You have a big stomach." Could prove useful... We do spend quite a lot of time just chatting to our teacher rather than learning Tamil!
Balwadi has been going well this week. On Monday one of the kids came in with the most horrendously infected thumb I have seen- there was (what looked like) green mould growing all over it. We took him to get some antibiotics and sprayed it with antiseptic, and were glad to see it looking much more healthy and pink on Friday. We are going to try carrying some antiseptic spray with us to put on the little cuts and scratches we see, just to keep them from getting infected. We are doing musical instruments as our topic this month, so I thought I would bring in some household objects that we could use to make music (loo roll shaker, coconut shell clacker, etc.) When I got out my glass bottle and blew over it, for the first time in history, there was silence in Balwadi! Their eyes went so huge and they just stared in amazement. It was hilarious! They then all had to try to do the same, with little success.
Jacob's Well is also keeping us busy. I am getting to know Deevia (the new girl) a bit better now. She knows more Englsih than we thought, but is just so lacking in confidence. I did have one atrocious English lesson this week because my class was split into two warring factions. Whenever I asked one of the girls of one group "What is her name?" (pointing to a girl in the other group) she would refuse to say the name of whoever it was I was pointing to. Made the lessons a bit difficult and I let them know I was not happy about it. The next lesson was much better, though. I guess like most girls they spend all day, everyday together and are often having their disagreemets. We were also talking to them about getting married this week. They all think that we will be old ladies when we marry if we wait for 5 or 6 years! They marry so young. We had fun making various Christmas crafts, with a lot of glitter flying around and far too much cheek-pincing going on (a strange Indian sign of affection).
Fun Station is proving to be more and more exhausting! We get about 10 girls and 10 boys now, but they can be so hyperactive. We did a proper dressing up and acting out Nativity with them which was great, tea towels and all. The wise men brought a pack of eclairs, baby Jesus was a teddy, the kings were wearing our curtains and cuddly Tigger was our sheep! I think we enjoyed it as such as they did. We also went on to look at why Jesus came (to save us) and I did the classic four points with them. We asked them to share stories of when they had been saved / saved someone else, expecting some funny tales. One boy shared about how his mother had had an evil spirit and a priest had cast it out of her. Another boy said that his Dad had tried to kill himself one night by pouring kerosene over himself and lighting it. This particular boy woke up before he had lit it, though, and woke his Mum up, who saved her husband. Playing games and having fun with these kids, it is easy to forget what difficult backgrounds they come from. In many ways they have had to grow up so quickly. The young girl who is usually looking after her younger siblings has been able to come more often and I am getting to know her quite well. Every time we walk past her house she comes out and walks with us for a bit. It is just so good to be able to spend time with them having fun and letting them be kids. We tried to teach them Little Donkey this week, and on Friday we made Christingles. They loved that!
On Thursday (Human Rights Day) we went to Vyasarpadi to participate in a rally that Oasis had organized. It was the first real event that Oasis have held in that community and it went pretty well. The work there is still scheduled to kick off in January, so please keep praying for that. The best part was that on the way there I got to travel by motorbike and for the first time practiced riding with both legs on one side (cos I was wearing a skirt). It is definitely one of the best modes of transport!
It is only one week until our Christmas holidays and I cannot wait! We are spending Christmas day in Chennai, probably with Becky and her family, but that evening are taking an overnight train to Ooty where we will spending 5 days with the Bangalore team. I really feel like I need the break! Being here really makes mes appreciate all the people who are working so hard around the world for God's Kingdom. We meet such amazing people who have given up everything, good careers, comfortable lives, prestige- all to work with some of the poorest people. And I know, particularly from those people who work for Oasis, that the work can be so difficult (living in England it is easy to have a rosy view of helping people and of them being so grateful and accepting) and unrewarding and plain exhausting. But they keep going! Try to take some time to pray for the missionaries you know this week. I enjoyed reading the updates from Mali and South Africa in the Vision magazine!
So quickly, a few prayer requests:
- For our health, that Sabrina and Helen will continue to recover and Naomi and I will not catch this bug. Also that the pollution here will not bother my lungs.
- For a good rest over the Christmas break so we are refreshed and ready for work in January.
- For safety and a good time on our holiday to Ooty.
- For the Jacob's Well girls to have good relationships within the group and also for the new class to come together in time to start in January.
- For the health of the Balwadi children to improve and particularly for the little boy with the infected finger.
- For the kids at Fun Station- thank God for the increase in numbers and pray that we continue to see more kids attending and that discipline does not become a problem.
Have a great week everyone!
Kan x
Sabrina (who is going to Cambridge) "You know, apple is like a fruit."
Psalm 97:5
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.
1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
What a week this has been! It feels like we have been going non-stop since Monday. There is just so much to do, especially with all of the Christmas stuff! I know it must have been a stressful week because we have felt the need to visit the Fruit Shop a total of 5 TIMES. Terrible.
Anyway, last weekend was spent doing some Christmas shopping for each other. Trying to secretively buy presents for each other when we are all in one tiny shop is a tad tricky! And we took Naomi clothes shopping. I am terrible when it comes to clothes shopping here- I want to buy everything! Maybe I will keep wearing Indian clothes when I am home... We also discovered that one of the things we miss most about home is eating boiled veg! I never would have guessed it, but with almost everything being fried here, it is a refreshing taste to have grease-free, boiled potatoes and beans. It is strange, the things you miss. I am also looking forward to having fresh air to breathe. The pollution is pretty bad in the city and my lungs are starting to suffer a bit.
On Sunday we visited Sparky's and were greeted by the most amazing Christmas decorations you can imagine! They really go in for the over-the-top, tacky decorations here. There are so many Christmas events and productions, too. We have been invited to so many that we could spend every night of the week at one if we wanted to. On Monday we did go to a big open-air concert which made us feel very Christmasy. When we arrived, there was a company hading out leaflets on the door- it turned out to be advertising termite killer! Made us laugh. We did enjoy the concert, although it was a bit long. By the end I had stopped noticing if they were singing in Tamil or English. We also found our claim to fame, because the neighbour whose flat we borrowed after the fire was conducting the choir. We didn't realise quite how well known he is in the musical world!
Yesterday we had two Christmas parties. In the afternoon we had our work get together, with everyone's families, too. We carted our Christmas tree and decorations over to make the hall look a bit festive. There was some hilarious dancing going on and we had the joy of Byriani for lunch. Byriani is the Indian equivalent of a roast dinner, but I just can't see what is so special about it. I have certainly tasted better Indian food! I was a bit worried that we would be forced to eat it again that evening at our church Christmas party. Thankfully, though, we had the closest thing to a proper roast dinner that we are likely to get here. Sparky's were catering and we had mash and chicken and stuffing. It was so good! (I know, you are all thinking that I have finally lost it, telling you about my dinner. Trust me, it was good!)
Sabrina and Helen have had a bit or a rough week as they have both had a nasty stomach bug that had them in bed for a day. There was a lot of sick flying around in the flat! Nice. So far I have kept clear of it (the bug and the sick!), and hopefully it will stay that way. Naomi has been fine, too, other than the fact she realized that a lot of the children we are working with have a proper nit farm going on. As a result, she decided to try to buy a nit comb, armed with a piece of paper with 'nit comb' written in Tamil. It was hilarious watching her go into the shops and show the owners the paper, who immediately try to stifle their laughter. I said she should go up scratching her head furiously, just to add to the effect!
We have had some fun since Naomi has been here- it is nice to have some new company, as lovely as Sabrina and Helen are. We are forever teasing Sabrina about her 'poshness', being from Kent and all. The other night I told her that my house didn't have a fire place and she was shocked, informing me that she couldn't imagine a house without one. I also get my fair share of teasing in return, apparently for being too competitive and having bad table manners...
Enough rubbish- I should really tell you all about work. We have taken to walking to work to try to keep fit, seeing as we are no longer members of the gym (it was too expensive in the end). One of the roads we walk down is covered with big advertising posters (something Chennai is famous for) and I found it hilarious to see a group of goats munching on one straight off the wall. Wish I'd had a photo! We are also getting a lot more confident to venture out alone , which is something I really appreciate. Just walking to work on my own is a welcome break from always being in the company of other people.
Tamil classes are going well, although I do need to practice more. Last week I learnt how to say, "You have a big stomach." Could prove useful... We do spend quite a lot of time just chatting to our teacher rather than learning Tamil!
Balwadi has been going well this week. On Monday one of the kids came in with the most horrendously infected thumb I have seen- there was (what looked like) green mould growing all over it. We took him to get some antibiotics and sprayed it with antiseptic, and were glad to see it looking much more healthy and pink on Friday. We are going to try carrying some antiseptic spray with us to put on the little cuts and scratches we see, just to keep them from getting infected. We are doing musical instruments as our topic this month, so I thought I would bring in some household objects that we could use to make music (loo roll shaker, coconut shell clacker, etc.) When I got out my glass bottle and blew over it, for the first time in history, there was silence in Balwadi! Their eyes went so huge and they just stared in amazement. It was hilarious! They then all had to try to do the same, with little success.
Jacob's Well is also keeping us busy. I am getting to know Deevia (the new girl) a bit better now. She knows more Englsih than we thought, but is just so lacking in confidence. I did have one atrocious English lesson this week because my class was split into two warring factions. Whenever I asked one of the girls of one group "What is her name?" (pointing to a girl in the other group) she would refuse to say the name of whoever it was I was pointing to. Made the lessons a bit difficult and I let them know I was not happy about it. The next lesson was much better, though. I guess like most girls they spend all day, everyday together and are often having their disagreemets. We were also talking to them about getting married this week. They all think that we will be old ladies when we marry if we wait for 5 or 6 years! They marry so young. We had fun making various Christmas crafts, with a lot of glitter flying around and far too much cheek-pincing going on (a strange Indian sign of affection).
Fun Station is proving to be more and more exhausting! We get about 10 girls and 10 boys now, but they can be so hyperactive. We did a proper dressing up and acting out Nativity with them which was great, tea towels and all. The wise men brought a pack of eclairs, baby Jesus was a teddy, the kings were wearing our curtains and cuddly Tigger was our sheep! I think we enjoyed it as such as they did. We also went on to look at why Jesus came (to save us) and I did the classic four points with them. We asked them to share stories of when they had been saved / saved someone else, expecting some funny tales. One boy shared about how his mother had had an evil spirit and a priest had cast it out of her. Another boy said that his Dad had tried to kill himself one night by pouring kerosene over himself and lighting it. This particular boy woke up before he had lit it, though, and woke his Mum up, who saved her husband. Playing games and having fun with these kids, it is easy to forget what difficult backgrounds they come from. In many ways they have had to grow up so quickly. The young girl who is usually looking after her younger siblings has been able to come more often and I am getting to know her quite well. Every time we walk past her house she comes out and walks with us for a bit. It is just so good to be able to spend time with them having fun and letting them be kids. We tried to teach them Little Donkey this week, and on Friday we made Christingles. They loved that!
On Thursday (Human Rights Day) we went to Vyasarpadi to participate in a rally that Oasis had organized. It was the first real event that Oasis have held in that community and it went pretty well. The work there is still scheduled to kick off in January, so please keep praying for that. The best part was that on the way there I got to travel by motorbike and for the first time practiced riding with both legs on one side (cos I was wearing a skirt). It is definitely one of the best modes of transport!
It is only one week until our Christmas holidays and I cannot wait! We are spending Christmas day in Chennai, probably with Becky and her family, but that evening are taking an overnight train to Ooty where we will spending 5 days with the Bangalore team. I really feel like I need the break! Being here really makes mes appreciate all the people who are working so hard around the world for God's Kingdom. We meet such amazing people who have given up everything, good careers, comfortable lives, prestige- all to work with some of the poorest people. And I know, particularly from those people who work for Oasis, that the work can be so difficult (living in England it is easy to have a rosy view of helping people and of them being so grateful and accepting) and unrewarding and plain exhausting. But they keep going! Try to take some time to pray for the missionaries you know this week. I enjoyed reading the updates from Mali and South Africa in the Vision magazine!
So quickly, a few prayer requests:
- For our health, that Sabrina and Helen will continue to recover and Naomi and I will not catch this bug. Also that the pollution here will not bother my lungs.
- For a good rest over the Christmas break so we are refreshed and ready for work in January.
- For safety and a good time on our holiday to Ooty.
- For the Jacob's Well girls to have good relationships within the group and also for the new class to come together in time to start in January.
- For the health of the Balwadi children to improve and particularly for the little boy with the infected finger.
- For the kids at Fun Station- thank God for the increase in numbers and pray that we continue to see more kids attending and that discipline does not become a problem.
Have a great week everyone!
Kan x
Sabrina (who is going to Cambridge) "You know, apple is like a fruit."
Psalm 97:5
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.
1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
Saturday 8 December 2007
2 months gone and it's already December!
Kaalai Vanakaam! (Good morning!)
It is December already- it feels like I only just arrived here. The
first day of December commenced with me layering myself with a
generous amount of sun screen in preparation for spending the day
outdoors in the SM Nagar slum community. Oasis ran a programme for
World Aids Day there, and we spent a good 6 hours helping out with it.
It was so good just to be there again, playing with the kids,
practising our Tamil, getting a glimpse of the lives of the people who
live there. There were various events: a tent with a number of
educational posters about HIV/AIDS displayed, a quiz for the women, a
street theatre. I spent most of my time there walking around with the
street theatre- there was a little procession of kids who we briefed
with banners and slogans and we did a big walk around the whole slum
area, stopping every so often to perform the drama (which was focusing
on HIV/AIDS prevention). There were a huge number of people who crowded
around to watch and there seemed to be a lot of interest. With my
limited language skills, I was put on leaflet handing out duty (along
with a little helper I acquired called Rosie!). This meant that I was
able to walk right into the homes and exchange a few words or a smile
with the women and children there. I got to see much more of the slum
and the lifestyle of its residents than I have on previous visits- it
just made me want to work there regularly even more! There was also a
testing centre open, and a couple dozen people went to be tested, but
there is still a lot of fear surrounding the whole issue and that put
a lot of people off. Generally, though, I think it went well.
The other projects are also going well. Balwadi continues to surprise
us with how enjoyable it can be, although I still find that screaming
children who are pulling my hair brings out the worst in me. The
hygiene there really isn't good at all- sometimes the smaller kids
will pee on the floor and then just sit splashing in it. I disinfect
all of the resources we bring there as soon as we get home! And (not
surprisingly) a number of the kids are unwell and have various
infections and colds. We are wondering about the possibility of
finding a doctor to bring in. Even basic medical care would benefit
them hugely. But the nursery is actually not run by Oasis, and our
involvement is really the only link they have, so this could be
difficult. We spent hours there yesterday, but we did get to meet the regional
director of the Balwadi centres and he seemed pleased with what we are
doing.
I have good news about Jacob's Well- Deepika has come back! And we
have a new girl called Deevia who is only 12 (we aren't sure if she
will be allowed to stay because of the child labour laws). She speaks
virtually no English- I had to tell her how to spell her name- so
teaching her will be a challenge! Sathya who was a very challenging
pupil for me at first has turned into my star student and helps me out
a lot in lessons, explaining things to the others. I never would have
guessed it when we first arrived! We attempted to teach them some
Geography this week, which they enjoyed. Some didn't even know where
India was on the world map. They have never and probably will never
get the chance to travel outside of this state, so it's not really
surprising. We also discovered that there may be a new class of girls
from January- more teaching work! It would be good if they can get enough girls enrolled to make a class. We are looking forward to starting all of our
Christmas activities with them over the next two weeks.
Fun Station has been split into an all-girls and all-boys group, so
we basically run the same thing twice every night now. It is more
work, but we have a lot more kids attending and they are easier to
manage this way- there is less fighting! We also ran the tuition hour
for the girls once this week, a real challenge given our lack of
Tamil. I discovered that they have no idea how to use a western
toilet- you really don't want to know how! The kids here are still
pretty hyper, but our newfound Tamil skills are helping us out now.
We have been having about 40 mins of Tamil lessons every day with a
lovely lady called Beulah. She tells us we are doing well, and I
certainly feel like I have learned a lot! Sit in a circle, listen, be
quiet, etc, are all proving useful phrases. And in Tamil, 'money'
really is 'time'! It feels so good just to be able to communicate a little and
be able to pick up words when people are speaking to each other.
Whenever we talk to anyone in Tamil, they are so surprised that
sometimes they forget to reply to our question and just start talking
excitedly to themselves in Tamil. Either they are shocked that a
foreigner is speaking their language or I'm not saying what I think I
am!
We have spent a lot of time at the office this week, helping to
translate writing, checking and writing reports, doing typing work-
that kind of thing. As we get to know the people we are working with
better, spending time at the office gets more and more enjoyable. We
have a good laugh with them now! The work ethic is a bit different to
the UK- not sure how efficient they are, but they certainly have fun.
We have had more visitors this week. A guy from Switzerland who is
starting work for Oasis in Kyrgyzstan (is that how you spell it?) and a
lady from the UK who is working in Mumbai. We found ourselves really
glad to be able to help out someone else and show them around. It made
us realise how much we have adjusted to life here. And we also have a
new flatmate called Naomi, who is spending 3 weeks here. She is also
from England and is getting some experience over here before going
back to her job as a youth worker and for Save the Children. We are
already looking forward to taking her shopping and to Sparky's this
weekend!
We moved into a new cinema for church last weekend. It is apparently
the only one of its kind in India, and I can believe it! The seats are
amazingly comfortable, to the extent that you are likely to nod off in
church (combined with the cinema lighting it is lethal!) and they
recline, too, just in case you are struggling to doze off. They
decided to close off the seats at the back that look like giant
armchairs and recline to 160 degrees. Probably a good move. And it
has and Egyptian theme, so we get to sing worship songs surrounded by
Egyptian gods.
Anju, a friend from church, invited us over for a film on Sunday
night. We all came home raving about how good it was to sit on a sofa,
eat pizza and ice cream, watch TV...we saw 'Little Rascals' (ok) and
'Meet the Robinsons' (which I recommend). We also went for dinner with
one of our neighbours called Marjory. She is a bit like a lovely
grandmother who fed us far too much- she just kept coming out with
more food until there were about 7 different curries plus meat and veg
and all kinds of stuff. I haven't eaten so much since last Christmas!
It was good food and she promises to give us some recipes. And we got
to talk to her about her work and her family and that kind of thing.
It is a really good way to find out more about the culture here.
In case you were worried(!), our fish are now doing well and I no longer
think they will die. I decided they had white spot and so went into
the fish shop and tried to explain this to the lady, who disappeared
off and then returned with a bottle of medicine. Seems to have done
the trick! Archibald is doing well, but seems to be getting more
noisy. Sabrina and Helen still don't like him, but I am hoping I can
convince Naomi that he is a good pet to have.
Now, for my most traumatic experience so far: on Wednesday evening I
decided to clear out a shelf in our resources cupboard for Naomi to
use for her things. I lifted up some sheets of paper and was greeted
by a colony of billions and billions of large termites. I did scream,
and stuff like that usually doesn't bother me. But they are the most disgusting creatures ever. We sprayed a lot of termite killer spray that night, and some
cockroach spray, too, just in case. I dreamt about lifting up my pillow and
finding termites under it that night. Urgh.
I am feeling quite settled here now. This last week is the first week that I have really felt like this is home. I think having a few friends and being able to communicate a bit has helped the settling in process along a lot. We were reminiscing about home the other night and decided that we will actually be really sad to leave here, even though there are still things we miss about home. I am even getting used to the freezing cold showers now! We have had yet more rain this week and the other morning we were actually cold- everyone here is piling on the jumpers, but it is still in the 20's!
We are enjoying our advent calendars muchly, now increased in number to 10! I am going to be fat when I come home. Another idea we had for advent is to pray for a different country each day in which Christians are persecuted. If you are interested, let me know and I can email you the details. It certainly is eye-opening to read about it.
So, I think that is about it.
Prayer requests:
- Thank God for Deepika's return! And for the new girl, Deevia.
- Pray that the new class in January will work out with no problems.
- Thank God for increased numbers of children at Fun Station and continue to pray for more kids to attend.
- For the swift and painful death of all the termites in our flat.
- For the health of the kids at Balwadi and the possibility of getting in a doctor.
- Thank God that we are picking up the Tamil well and pray we continue to do so.
- Thank God that we are coping well with the busy schedule and continue to pray we have enough time to do all that we need to.
I'm sure there are more, but my mind has gone blank and I haven't got time to sit and ponder. I'm sure that the HS will remind you of anything I have forgotten!
Take care everyone,
With love from Kandace
P.S. Read Revelation- it is an amazing book, even though we always seem to avoid it because it is complicated.
Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Ephesians 2:9-10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Revelation 22:4-5
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
It is December already- it feels like I only just arrived here. The
first day of December commenced with me layering myself with a
generous amount of sun screen in preparation for spending the day
outdoors in the SM Nagar slum community. Oasis ran a programme for
World Aids Day there, and we spent a good 6 hours helping out with it.
It was so good just to be there again, playing with the kids,
practising our Tamil, getting a glimpse of the lives of the people who
live there. There were various events: a tent with a number of
educational posters about HIV/AIDS displayed, a quiz for the women, a
street theatre. I spent most of my time there walking around with the
street theatre- there was a little procession of kids who we briefed
with banners and slogans and we did a big walk around the whole slum
area, stopping every so often to perform the drama (which was focusing
on HIV/AIDS prevention). There were a huge number of people who crowded
around to watch and there seemed to be a lot of interest. With my
limited language skills, I was put on leaflet handing out duty (along
with a little helper I acquired called Rosie!). This meant that I was
able to walk right into the homes and exchange a few words or a smile
with the women and children there. I got to see much more of the slum
and the lifestyle of its residents than I have on previous visits- it
just made me want to work there regularly even more! There was also a
testing centre open, and a couple dozen people went to be tested, but
there is still a lot of fear surrounding the whole issue and that put
a lot of people off. Generally, though, I think it went well.
The other projects are also going well. Balwadi continues to surprise
us with how enjoyable it can be, although I still find that screaming
children who are pulling my hair brings out the worst in me. The
hygiene there really isn't good at all- sometimes the smaller kids
will pee on the floor and then just sit splashing in it. I disinfect
all of the resources we bring there as soon as we get home! And (not
surprisingly) a number of the kids are unwell and have various
infections and colds. We are wondering about the possibility of
finding a doctor to bring in. Even basic medical care would benefit
them hugely. But the nursery is actually not run by Oasis, and our
involvement is really the only link they have, so this could be
difficult. We spent hours there yesterday, but we did get to meet the regional
director of the Balwadi centres and he seemed pleased with what we are
doing.
I have good news about Jacob's Well- Deepika has come back! And we
have a new girl called Deevia who is only 12 (we aren't sure if she
will be allowed to stay because of the child labour laws). She speaks
virtually no English- I had to tell her how to spell her name- so
teaching her will be a challenge! Sathya who was a very challenging
pupil for me at first has turned into my star student and helps me out
a lot in lessons, explaining things to the others. I never would have
guessed it when we first arrived! We attempted to teach them some
Geography this week, which they enjoyed. Some didn't even know where
India was on the world map. They have never and probably will never
get the chance to travel outside of this state, so it's not really
surprising. We also discovered that there may be a new class of girls
from January- more teaching work! It would be good if they can get enough girls enrolled to make a class. We are looking forward to starting all of our
Christmas activities with them over the next two weeks.
Fun Station has been split into an all-girls and all-boys group, so
we basically run the same thing twice every night now. It is more
work, but we have a lot more kids attending and they are easier to
manage this way- there is less fighting! We also ran the tuition hour
for the girls once this week, a real challenge given our lack of
Tamil. I discovered that they have no idea how to use a western
toilet- you really don't want to know how! The kids here are still
pretty hyper, but our newfound Tamil skills are helping us out now.
We have been having about 40 mins of Tamil lessons every day with a
lovely lady called Beulah. She tells us we are doing well, and I
certainly feel like I have learned a lot! Sit in a circle, listen, be
quiet, etc, are all proving useful phrases. And in Tamil, 'money'
really is 'time'! It feels so good just to be able to communicate a little and
be able to pick up words when people are speaking to each other.
Whenever we talk to anyone in Tamil, they are so surprised that
sometimes they forget to reply to our question and just start talking
excitedly to themselves in Tamil. Either they are shocked that a
foreigner is speaking their language or I'm not saying what I think I
am!
We have spent a lot of time at the office this week, helping to
translate writing, checking and writing reports, doing typing work-
that kind of thing. As we get to know the people we are working with
better, spending time at the office gets more and more enjoyable. We
have a good laugh with them now! The work ethic is a bit different to
the UK- not sure how efficient they are, but they certainly have fun.
We have had more visitors this week. A guy from Switzerland who is
starting work for Oasis in Kyrgyzstan (is that how you spell it?) and a
lady from the UK who is working in Mumbai. We found ourselves really
glad to be able to help out someone else and show them around. It made
us realise how much we have adjusted to life here. And we also have a
new flatmate called Naomi, who is spending 3 weeks here. She is also
from England and is getting some experience over here before going
back to her job as a youth worker and for Save the Children. We are
already looking forward to taking her shopping and to Sparky's this
weekend!
We moved into a new cinema for church last weekend. It is apparently
the only one of its kind in India, and I can believe it! The seats are
amazingly comfortable, to the extent that you are likely to nod off in
church (combined with the cinema lighting it is lethal!) and they
recline, too, just in case you are struggling to doze off. They
decided to close off the seats at the back that look like giant
armchairs and recline to 160 degrees. Probably a good move. And it
has and Egyptian theme, so we get to sing worship songs surrounded by
Egyptian gods.
Anju, a friend from church, invited us over for a film on Sunday
night. We all came home raving about how good it was to sit on a sofa,
eat pizza and ice cream, watch TV...we saw 'Little Rascals' (ok) and
'Meet the Robinsons' (which I recommend). We also went for dinner with
one of our neighbours called Marjory. She is a bit like a lovely
grandmother who fed us far too much- she just kept coming out with
more food until there were about 7 different curries plus meat and veg
and all kinds of stuff. I haven't eaten so much since last Christmas!
It was good food and she promises to give us some recipes. And we got
to talk to her about her work and her family and that kind of thing.
It is a really good way to find out more about the culture here.
In case you were worried(!), our fish are now doing well and I no longer
think they will die. I decided they had white spot and so went into
the fish shop and tried to explain this to the lady, who disappeared
off and then returned with a bottle of medicine. Seems to have done
the trick! Archibald is doing well, but seems to be getting more
noisy. Sabrina and Helen still don't like him, but I am hoping I can
convince Naomi that he is a good pet to have.
Now, for my most traumatic experience so far: on Wednesday evening I
decided to clear out a shelf in our resources cupboard for Naomi to
use for her things. I lifted up some sheets of paper and was greeted
by a colony of billions and billions of large termites. I did scream,
and stuff like that usually doesn't bother me. But they are the most disgusting creatures ever. We sprayed a lot of termite killer spray that night, and some
cockroach spray, too, just in case. I dreamt about lifting up my pillow and
finding termites under it that night. Urgh.
I am feeling quite settled here now. This last week is the first week that I have really felt like this is home. I think having a few friends and being able to communicate a bit has helped the settling in process along a lot. We were reminiscing about home the other night and decided that we will actually be really sad to leave here, even though there are still things we miss about home. I am even getting used to the freezing cold showers now! We have had yet more rain this week and the other morning we were actually cold- everyone here is piling on the jumpers, but it is still in the 20's!
We are enjoying our advent calendars muchly, now increased in number to 10! I am going to be fat when I come home. Another idea we had for advent is to pray for a different country each day in which Christians are persecuted. If you are interested, let me know and I can email you the details. It certainly is eye-opening to read about it.
So, I think that is about it.
Prayer requests:
- Thank God for Deepika's return! And for the new girl, Deevia.
- Pray that the new class in January will work out with no problems.
- Thank God for increased numbers of children at Fun Station and continue to pray for more kids to attend.
- For the swift and painful death of all the termites in our flat.
- For the health of the kids at Balwadi and the possibility of getting in a doctor.
- Thank God that we are picking up the Tamil well and pray we continue to do so.
- Thank God that we are coping well with the busy schedule and continue to pray we have enough time to do all that we need to.
I'm sure there are more, but my mind has gone blank and I haven't got time to sit and ponder. I'm sure that the HS will remind you of anything I have forgotten!
Take care everyone,
With love from Kandace
P.S. Read Revelation- it is an amazing book, even though we always seem to avoid it because it is complicated.
Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Ephesians 2:9-10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Revelation 22:4-5
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
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