Real Life India: 5/29/09 - 7/29/09 - Making Disciples; Reaching Our World

Back in the States

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Just a quick update to say that the India team made it back. Those that are staying over night and flying out in the morning are at the hotel and the few that are flying home today should be on their way.

Blessings,

Chad M.

A Trip Update from Asha Mission/ Laj Pat Negar Team

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The last couple of weeks have been really awesome. We celebrated three birthdays, preached the gospel to a leper, fundraised a lot of money for the kids at Asha Mission and spent the fourth of July at the Taj Mahal!

Ministry at Laj Pat Negar Leper colony has been really interesting. The colony is really big, 205 people! So at first it was difficult to direct our energy. Now we have each started to build our own friendships! We spend the first part of our time at the colony with out friend Sharnaima, who has been at the colony for over 40 years. She is always sitting in the temple by the entrance waiting for us. Last week was really great when our conversation turned from tatoo's to Hunduism to Jesus! We asked her if she had any questions about Christ and then we were able to share the gospel with her. We prayed with her and her friend Ratnabhaiat our next visit which was great, but the bonds of the Hindu tradition are holding strong. They have heard the truth of one true God but are having a hard time shedding their Hindu traditions of many gods. Please Pray for our last week at the colony that we will be able to help them find Christ.

Ministry at Asha Mission has been FABULOUS!We continue to praise the Lord that the kids are able to go to school, that we were able to raise enough money. Thankyou to all of you who financially supported the Kids here. Our days at the mission are filled with bible stories, songs, games and tutoring. A couple weeks ago we got to take the kids to the park for a picnic. Their home has no court yard or green space, just an open room with a floor of Marble, and the kids haven't been to the park since the fall! So it was a lot of fun to go with them. They took advantage of every minute and hardly stopped playing, even to eat Pb and J sandwiches. The kids also have a very strong faith which has been such a testament to how the Lord is changing lives here in India. Its a blessing to be a part of their walk with God. Let me tell you - watching a 7 year old lead worship and prayer for 20 other kids (all under the age of 12) everyday is AMAZING! The kids sing and pray so loud! (With all their Heart!) Wow! Thats all I can say! Next week 5 new kids will come to the orphanage and we are so excited to meet them. Please continue to pray that Asha mission would have the financial support needed and that Gracie and Saji (who run the orphanage) would be blessed - Its hard work taking care of 20 kids!

As this is our last week of Ministry, we are excited to pour all of ourselves into the people here.We are also getting sad about leaving and saying goodbye. Regardless, we praise the Lord for this time in India and the privilidge of serving the people here.

Thankyou for your support, love and prayers. We Love you all and Miss you!

Update from Alyanna

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hi everyone!

I hope this note finds you doing well. J

I just thought I'd update everyone on how our week of ministry is coming along here in India! I miss you all incredibly and encourage you to message and write me! I don't have an abundance of time on my hands to read everything at the moment... But I most definitely will find priority to do so soon!

Today was our free day and we took the Delhi metro to C.P. and the vintage india market... It is always fun taking the metro... I sat in between autumn and an Indian man.. As I read thru Psalms next to him, I noticed how he glanced over my shoulder and gave off a curious composure as to what the pages held... It was actually really thought provoking to think that this may have had been the only bible he had ever seen... I was praying for him..

I just want these people to know what an incredible God is out there who pieced them together beautifully..

So this is what our week looked like:

Monday: Ministry prep

Tuesday: We went to Pastor Lomony's house to have the most incredible chai tea and pick up his family. J Then we drove to the slums.. Our message was shaped around the passage in matthew where Jesus washes His dicipals feet out of love and example..

So as each child came to our small buckets of water in the crowded room, we asked their names and then prayed for them as we washed their feet. It was honestly so beautiful...I felt so privileged to be able to serve them like this. Most of the children are Hindu, so it's really cool to be able to do this with them. We're only allowed to stay in the slum for about an hour and a half for safety reasons, because what we're doing is illegal.

Then Kenny played some worship songs, and the boys were so excited to see the guitar!

My favourite part of slum ministry is definitely giving hugs and kisses to the kids as we part our ways. So precious!!! They love reaching up to poke my ribs too haha.

Wednesday: P.G. Leprosy colony- There are 5 of us in our particular group and Abby and I have developed a close relationship with a 21 year old woman named shaunti and her family. She has two sweet, sweet children and sometimes her husband is home....When we walked into her house her husband was playing video games! Lol. It was definitely an older fashioned video game system but so funny! It caught me off guard.

(Oh. The power just went out by the way. It's about 10/11 at night on July 11^th hahaha......The power goes out whenever it wants to, it's fun.)

Anyhow then her husband invited me to play!!! It was funny... It was a car racing game....and the really funny part is that I was actually getting quite into it....eventually I gave up though.

Shautni is such a beautiful person...she has shown me more about self sacrifice and compassion than I have ever seen... Though she and her family have very little and close to nothing, she gives all of the food she has to us...which consists of little vegetables, broth and rice. But I have to admit I have a weakness for the coffee & chai that she gives us. J Sometimes she braides jasmine into our hair and gives us small gifts even if we don't ask, or do anything in return. It's just so sweet. So genuine. Please be praying for Shaunti and her family as well as all of those in the Leprosy colony sites that we are ministering to!

Thursday: Kenny ended up staying home with one of our team members who wasn't feeling well... Thus, much of our ministry ideas for this day changed...But we prayed and worked through it...We did songs and colouring pages.... But the thing I love about Tuesdays and Thursdays is the drive to the slums. I love driving in india! It's so....I don't know if you could place a word on it....except that it's so spontaneous. All of the time. Our drive to the slums starts out thru the city, then towards the end we get to drive thru the country side a bit..In total it's probably about an hour and a half drive.

Friday: RAIN!!!

On the drive to P.G. there were these girls knocking on our windows at the street stop, so we gave them our sandwiches..The hard thing about wanting to give here in india, whether it be thru money, gifts, or food is the fact that there's a specific time and place that is appropriate to do so. And one really has to go about it with great care... Some of us have definitely learned that the hard way. I'm definitely learning that it's what the Lord places on your heart and it helps to surrender and give as He leads...

Oh yes..And ah..The bathrooms of the Leprosy Colony...Okay....So shaunti gave us bottles of slice mango juice, water and coffee....and to say the least my bladder was well occupied...is that the word?

...so the roads in India are not smooth at all...and I really really didn't want to hold it..So I used the bathroom ( this was the second time during our two months or so here) It' s quite an experience....There are literally piles of really watery light coloured poop all over in the hall, with rows of squatty potty stalls on each side.. and some people don't close the door. In fact a little girl just squatted in the hall and went....Inside my stall there were words written in poo on the wall... but you know what, I'm so humbled because these people tough the bathroom every day of their lives..

I have surrendered my rights and expectations and am totally humbled to simply be here, stinky bathrooms or no bathrooms at all...

Just thought it would poke some interest...

Anyhoo...

Actually I think I'm going to cut this short and hit the sack.. J The power is still out anyway...There's 87% battery life left on drew's computer.....hehehe.

We had a long day today!!

But praise God, He is always good.

I love and miss you guys incredibly.

Jama Siki! (Praise God!)

Have a beautiful day, def write me...

And I'll see some of you in less than 17 days!

Love and Prayers from India!

Aly

"Being Visible to an Invisble World" Pt:2

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How many times a day do you search for the parts the world that you can't see? How many language barriers do you go through before you can talk to someone who lives in this world? How many times a year do you go somewhere, where they can see us but we can't see them? It's not very often that we notice this stuff, but when we do take notice of the invisible, what is your initial reaction? Initially how visible do you really want to be, and how invisible do you want to be to the visible?

Lately, I've come to see how visible we actually are to the invisible. I'm not sure what to think it's definitely going to take some time to process it all. The one thing I do know is how invisible we are to to the visible Either that or we do see we just choose to ignore it. I'm pretty sure we choose ignore it at first, on purpose;but after a while it just becomes routine. We see on the televisions how different organizations are helping, sending money, and more or less sending some type of relief to help out. We have all these resources at our disposal but none of them are really being used; Media, News, Government, and Religion. We have over a million different organizations, groups, and a million ways to make a difference.

Corrections

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So earlier I talked about my blog, but the website didn't appear on the blog post. My personal blog can be found at http://embracetheprocess.wordpress.com. Hopefully that clears up any confusion.

Indigo nights

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's been 24 days since I ventured from my home
5 of those days were spent in Georgia meeting my teammates and preparing for the next several weeks
1 day of just traveling from GA to Amsterdam to Delhi
1 day lost in the midst of time zone changes
17 days in country

At training camp they spoke about giving up our rights and expectations. For the most part I was fine giving up my rights, rights to comfort, to foods i like, to cleanliness, to communication, to personal attention. But one of things said about expectations was you don't know you had them until they weren't met.

I was never sure of what my expectations were. In fact I questioned my very presence here in the first place. Despite getting the funds to come and everything falling into place, to me my desire to be here was based off a whim.
Fueled by good food, documentaries, and rich culture, to me the country was the goal. It was India. So my expectations all revolved around just getting there not necessarily what I'd be doing. All I knew was everyone was telling me my time here in India would be life changing.

The ministry we are doing is very much relational and showing love to orphans and lepers, rather than preaching the gospel.

[James 1:27] Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after the orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

We do bible stories with the kids, sing songs that are somewhat related, and mainly just play with them. When school starts we'll help them more with homework and English. At the leper colonies sometimes we have a translator and sometimes not. We just split up into two groups and sit with the people. Sometimes we'll help them break up pea pods, other times we sit in silence. This past time we were blessed with a group of ladies where one of them spoke a bit English. Mainly there we are laying down the groundwork , [openness to foreigners] for future groups to be received and the word to be planted in tilled hearts. [I'll have more ministry stories later]

Now I definitely am loving on these kids, the lepers and their families and I know I'm doing God's will here. But I felt ...less than satisfied. What drew me to India was human trafficking and the sex trade, and I knew I wasn't doing anything here related to that, but I still didn't feel like I was fulfilling my purpose here. Problem was I didn't know exactly what that purpose was, just somehow that it was supposed to change me life.

So here I was in India, a week in, not experiencing culture shock, everything just fitting. Its just like any other country that has that third world atmosphere. It wasn't exotic to me [except for the peacocks but then their screeches all night long pretty much killed that for me], it wasn't exciting. My heart didn't break being with the kids or the at the colonies. I was simply living life. I was trying to be patient, but I was telling God, " I don't know how this is going to be life changing. What else ya got?"

A couple days went by, more ministry days, more hanging with the team, and I was hanging out on the roof. I finally had one of those surreal moments. I took in my surroundings, took in God's presence, and just started to write in my journal.

"The night is a dusty indigo
The lights of the city mix with the dirt of the earth and the smog in the air. It all fades into a muted indigo void of vibrancy, yet finally sinks into a a murky dark almost rich black. A smattering of pinpoints of dim light be-speckle the sky.
They still twinkle in spastic motions. The pathetic fallacy of my mind is complete. I long for clarity, yet I'm finding contentment. There's beauty in the night eclipsed by the sun. Somethings can only be exposed d by the darkness. Beauty unveiled.

I will wait."

I poured out my heart to God of all the things I wanted to know, all of the things I wanted revealed; himself, my future, my purpose in India, how to love like he loves.

I waited. He blessed me with contentment in reveling in the beauty of creation, and then reveling in the beauty of his command and view of pure religion as stated in James 1:27. Even if I wasn't sure of myself at the moment, I knew I was exactly where he wanted me to be and that was enough.

I hung out a bit longer, not wanting to leave the gift God had given me. In the midst of sitting and being he spoke. He told me my purpose, answered some of my questions and corrected some of my thinking in one swift deposit in my spirit.

He affirmed that my time here would be life changing, though not because I was India, but rather because of him. He would be the source of the changes, not what I experience, or see, or even do. He's placed me here, with my teammates, leaders, and just this community because of the questions it would cause me to ask him. I'll change because of the answers he'll give me.

Then linked with that was the question of purpose. He affirmed what I had heard at training camp, but of which I wasn't sure. My purpose was simply to seek him, delight in him, and in his word. It was because I sought him that I was here in the first place. Through seeking him, I'll be changed. Through seeking him, he'll pour out during ministry. Through seeking him, I'll delight in his commands. Through seeking him, he'll prepare me to be a witness here in India, back in the states, or anywhere else he leads me.

Given that deposit, I have a new found freedom and joy in what I do daily. Not only am I satisfied in obeying his commands, I rejoice.

A Quick Update from India

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hello Family and Friends of the India team!

I'm just dropping a quick line to let you know that all is well here in India. The team is almost through our second week of ministry and things are running smoothly. Everyone is healthy and dealing well with the heat. Actually, for the last few days the temperature has only been around 40 C... So at least it has cooled down a little bit.

The team has been split into three sub-teams for ministry and we each set off to our different ministry sites every ministry day. Among the ministry sites are children's homes, leper colonies and the slums. We've been praying a lot about how to most effectively communicate God's love and his good news to the people here. And God is not only working through us in ministry, but in our own hearts as well.

I've written an update on my own blog

"The Eagle Has Officially Landed"

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I am officially in India. I arrived at my destination 09/June/2009 10:30 P.M. The Flight was good, definitely tired from flying, but what do expect when a 6'5 guy sits in a seat designed for person the size of half that,LOL! Anyway I got to the house last night at 11:30 P.M. and pretty much crashed after after talking to a good bit of the team.

10/June/2009 2:45 P.M.

Today I am gettingacclimatedto my new environment and just chilling

at Travis's House in his room with his A/C baby its freaking awesome.

Earlier I got on the back of the bike with Travis and cruised around town

for a little while went and had this amazing Ice coffee, ate some pretty B.A.

food that Travis made for me and him. Drank some Ice cold coke and just

chilled.I willtry to update every two weeks or more depending how much

free time I get.

In Christ Love All of Ya

Byram P. Bishop

Update from the Team

Sun, 7 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Team India has safely arrived! The strategic activities, and cultural/spiritual sessions at training camp enabled us to bond and prepare for the mission field in every aspect. After spending a few days in the summer weather of Georgia we embarked on a long air conditioned journey to New Delhi, India.

The plane ride, although long lasting, served as an excellent opportunity for the team to relax and get ready for the whirl wind awaiting us in India. We watched movies, attempted to sleep, and invested in quality time/conversations with our fellow team members.

Our nightly arrival allowed for a graceful ease into our new home culture. The first night we explored our new house, and unpacked our luggage. The house is very spacious which gives plenty room for ministry development and team building. While we are having to get used to not flushing our toilet paper, we have well adjusted to the cool showers that temporarily alleviate the heat. Weather is very warm in India and we are still trying to get used to the high temperatures but we are all drinking plenty of water. We have well adapted to our new surroundings, and we are all healthy; praise God.

We were treated to dinner our first night; this was a nice break from our everyday meal of PB and J. The team enjoyed the Indian food, which was a first time experience for some members. We had to travel through the market place to get to our dinner destination and we were all in amazement as we viewed our first glimpse of Delhi. Our first few days have consisted of physically adapting to our new setting and growing more knowledgeable of the Indian culture; our host has greatly assisted in this endeavor.

The team will start ministry this Wednesday after we tour one ministry site on Tuesday. We are praying that the Lord continues to prepare us for His purpose for us in India. God has truly blessed this journey. Thank you friends, families, and supporters for your continual prayer and support.

"Being Visible to an Invisible World"

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

More and more everyday we become visible to a world that that exists inside our world.The closer we get to knowing God the more visible we become to this world. Pretty soon you're able to see it not clearly but for sure clear enough. There's also a war going taking place in this world, a war that's been happen since the Garden of Eden. First it started with a "delicious fruit" then it grew into "shame", "blame", "lies", and so forth the list is endless. The crazy thing is we don't see it half the time.
Invisible or Visible what difference does it make were apart this world whether we like it or not it's just a matter of how we act upon it and what we deal with it. Four the past and a half weeks I have been through parts of hell that I in ways I may have chose to go through but in other ways I didn't choose. Originally I was supposed to go to Greece this summer and work at a watersports camp. I had all the paper work filled out and completely ready to go when the rug just got pulled from underneath me. At first I didn't even know if I was honestly going anywhere, this is where the invisble world meets the visible world. For what ever reason God has had bigger plans for what they are I'm still not sure but in time I'm sure they will be reaveled even if I don't realize what that is until I get back. We all have exspectations even if we say we don't we don't. We all have rights too right? wrong we don't God gave us life that doesn't mean we have the right to live, we all have cell phones does that give us the right to call friends and family? nope, God gave us ability to walk and speak does that give us the right to do those things? nope. You see we have in our mind that we have all these rights but we don't. God is sovereign and He is the only one that has rights and the rights to us. Exspectations can be good or bad the ones that are bad are the ones that turn into the notion of rights. Which in turn, turn into selfish notions of what we want/self desires. Thats all right are self motivated, selfish ambitions, and stuff that surrounds you and your perfect little world that you think you have in the midst of the broken one.

So of course I thought well I should be going to Greece, I want to do this, Why can't I have it this way? All these questions start to fester up soon doubt settles in, next thing you know you're battling axiety attacks questioning all the time, before you know it your in depression or as I would say it oppression. Sure enough guess who's got the door opened all the way? Satan. First it start off has a knock on the door, Secondly you opened that door but guess what no one was there, Thirdly you shut the door but when you went to shut Satan got a few of his fingers in before it shut all the way so you thought you shut all the but you didn't, Fourth you notice a slight draft but don't know where it's coming from because your mind is clouded by despair, Fifth the crack of the door becomes a little bit bigger and your mind becomes cloudier and more distraught, Sixth your mind is filled with all these different emotions of doubt and despair and the door opens to the point of all the way but not quite there yet, Seventh you sink into a state of depression/oppression the door is finally all the way open and Satans in the house of you mind. I went through all these and you know what it wasn't fun not one bit, but through by the grace of God it didn't last very long. A couple of weeks went by and still didn't hear anything about me going on a mission trip so my mind became restless I couldn't sleep I was going out wandering around like a mindless zombie completely in a state of oppression and disillusion. Finally the end of the second week and I got a call that I was now possibly going to peru, well to make long story short I didn't end up going to peru. So I went back into this state, so I get a call the end of the third week and and find out that I have three choices now one being the Phillipines, Kenya, and India, here's the kicker I had to tell them that day where I wanted to go. the crazy part was I already knew where I wanted to go and that was India. The other two would be great, but this one truly was a God sent. I mean Slumdog kind of influenced it but I felt a peace in my heart my mind became clear and I realized that God had something up His sleeve.

Team Arrived Safely

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hello family, friends, and blog readers-

I just wanted to give a very quick update that the team has arrived safely in India and that they are with their local hosts. They are at the team house and are ready to get some rest after a long journey. We will post additional updates in the next few days.

Blessings,

Chad M.

Training Underway

Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hello Parents, Friends, and Supporters!

Training camp is now underway! The participants for all the Real Life summer trips showed up in Gainesville yesterday afternoon, and we hit the ground running. Yesterday evening we just had dinner and then a welcome and worship session before getting some rest. But today was jam-packed with prayer, team time, teaching sessions, and team builders.

So, just wanted to let the blog-followers know that everyone going on the trip made it here and that training camp is going well! Thanks so much for your prayers and support of our team. God bless you!

"How I Was Called To The Mission Field"

Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We were asked to write a blog about how we were called to this mission trip. here is my story

For some reason, what i was going to do this summer had been a pressing issue for me since early fall. In one of my journal entries for october, i had written "pray about what im going to do with my summer" bc I knew i didnt want this to be just another summer. I didnt want to be your average college student, and just have a mediocre(sp?) job and get through the summer as easy as posisble. So i started praying about it. alot. Then one day in early february i googled college summer missions and somehow God let me to this organization. I spent about 4 hours on the website, just reading everything about every trip, and then i found the trip about India, and i was SOLD. For some reason, when i read that we would be working with the children over there, my heart was captivated. I immediately, without telling anyone, including my parents, applied for the oppurtunity. India was all i could think about until i got a phone call saying that i had been accepted and that everything was working out for me to go. I have never done anything like this before, but im really excited to give my summer to God, and not just have a "me" summer.

"Expectations of My Mission Trip"

Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We were asked to write a blog about how we felt before leaving on this mission trip. here is what im expecting....before i officially made my mind up about going on this trip, fear was always on the back of my mind. what would people think? what would my parents think? would we be safe in india? etc.. but as soon as i gave ALL of my fears and worries over to God, an overwhelming peace came over me and now all im feeling is anxious. i'm so anxious to see how God is going to use us to minister to the kids. I expect God to fill voids in peoples lives they did not even know they had. I expect God to show himself to us through the relationships we will build with the people there and with each other. Basically I expect God to be glorified like ive never experienced firsthand. This kind of mission trip is WAY WAY WAY out of my comfort zone, i dont think id ever want to go to India specifically either, but i do believe that God has a purpose for me on this trip, that He is gonna humble me and use me to show the kids that God's love satsifies. and that it is enough.

Details on Training Camp

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One Week to Training Camp!

Can you believe that? Here are a few details that you will want to know.

Sleeping:

You will be sleeping in either Cabins or Tents. The Cabins have mattresses but the tents do not. So if you are assigned to a tent you will want to bring a pad to sleep on. If you do not want to take the pad to country, you can leave it at AIM and we will let the next group use it.

Here is how we divided the sleeping arrangements:

For the Girls the breakdown looks like this:

Tents:

Nicaragua

Swaziland-One Month

Kenya-One Month

Central American Expedition Team

Cabins:

Amazon Jungle

India

Kenya-Two Month

Swaziland-Two Month

Philippines

For the Boys you will all be in a cabin together.

Everyone will want to bring a sleeping bag and a great idea is to bring a sheet as it does get hot in GA and for some, it gets hot in country. Most of you will want to sleep on top of your sleeping bag.

Food:

You will not be able to take food in the cabins or the tents. The ants are horrible here in GA and they will get
in your sleeping bags and they will bite. So no Food! There will be a place to put food inside so make sure it is marked well with your name.

Cell Phones:

A friendly reminder that you are not to have cell phones while at Training Camp. You will be able to call your parents upon arrival if you would like to.

Laundry:

This is the largest Training Camp ever! Count on not having your laundry done while at Training Camp.

Extra Luggage:

You can only have one suitcase in the cabin or tent. All your other items will be put inside in one room. Count on not getting to that luggage as your may be on the bottom of the stack.

Items you will DEFINETLY want:

The two most common items that individuals do not bring are a flashlight and a toothbrush holder. It is dark on our property with very limited outside lighting.

Your toothbrush and toothpaste will not be kept in your cabin; you will want to put your toothbrush in something to protect it from germs.

Rain:

It is forecasted to rain most the week. Plan accordingly! The dirt in GA is red clay and will ruin your shoes and clothes to the point that you will want to throw most of the them away at the end of Training Camp.

Final Paper Work Past Due 1 Week

Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Your final paperwork is past due!
This was expected to be in the office. If your Account Page does not show that all is in; you need to get that done today, NO EXCEPTIONS!

You need to mail ALL the documents to:

Adventures In Missions
Admissions Department

6000 Wellspring Trl

Gainesville, GA 30506

Megan Archey

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey yall! i'm so pumped to be finallyyyy officially part of this trip! So a little about myself: i'm 19 and have lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana my whole life. Crawfish, Mardi Gras, and just good southern culture are some of the awesome perks of living in Baton Rouge. I'm a HUGE LSU fan(GEAUX TIGERS) so yall will prob see me wearing LSU stuff basically every other day during the trip. I now live in Ruston, La where im majoring in Business Marketing at Louisiana Tech Univeristy. I have danced since the 6th grade, and was on the Regal Blues, Tech's danceline, my freshman year where i made some of my best friends here. My dance strengths are technique(leaps and flexiablitiy and such) and hiphop dances. I cant hear a good dance song without bobbing my head and wanting to break out in dance lol. I wish i still had the time to dance in college!!

My family is basically my everything. My dad is actually serving as an attorney for the army in Iraq right now, so I cant wait for him to come home this thanksgiving! I have two little sisters, Rachel who is 15, and Madeline who is 12. They are goobers, but i love them and wouldnt trade them for the world. And then theres my mom, who is a wonderful stay at home Godly woman who has helped mold me to be the woman I am today. I'm really close to both of my parents and i know how fortunate I am to have parents who are christians that genuinely care so much about me.

I'm pretty random. I also tend to make friends anywhere i go, just because i will stir up a conversation with a total stranger. I am OBSESSED with peacocks and penguins. I dont know what it is about them, but they make me smile. Naps are the absolute best. i prob sleep more than i am awake... lol.

On a God note, this year in school my relationship with Christ has grown more than it ever has. I'm pretty sure that's due to God making himself evident in all of my circumstances. My quiet times have been deeper and more personal, more than just a 5 minute devotional and a quick prayer. Ever since being introduced to this opportunity, being accepted, and getting ready to leave, India has been on my mind.... constantly. The week after i was officially dedicated to this trip, India was EVERYWHERE, whether me hearing about the country on the radio, or on a Seinfield episode(no kidding!). I'm so anxious to see how God is going to use us to minister to the people. I have never done anything this extreme in missions, so I cant wait to see whats in store. I expect that God will do God sized things. As usual.

im so excited to meet you all!! only a couple of weeks!!

-megan archey =)

Expectations of My Missions Trip

Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Like most of you, I have no idea what to expect. I'm expecting I'll be pushed out of my comfort zone. I expect to learn about a new culture. And I expect to grow closer to God and to make wonderful friends. All of that is pretty vague though. I don't know how I'll be pushed out of my comfort zone, or what I'm going to learn about a different culture. And I don't know in what ways I'm going to grow closer to God. What I do know is I am very excited for it all! I'm excited for this unknown, wonderful experience that I know I will have.

India Exit Information

Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

India Exit Information

To be able to exit India you will have a $27 exit fee. Everyone is to bring a $20, $5 and 2-$1's with them in US Dollars. You cannot bring the cash in any other form.

We will collect this from you as you register for Training Camp. We will issue you a receipt for the cash and you can fill out a reimbursement form for that fee if you have the extra funds in your Support Account.

When you exit the country, we will give you the cash to pay your fee.

Expectations

Sun, 17 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There are not many things that i expect for sure about the next two months. But I definitely expect it to be really hot. I expect there to be a lot of people everywhere, all the time. I expect that we are going to see a lot of things we have never seen and will never see again. I expect my heart to get more broken than it has ever been for other people. I expect to love you guys a lot...a lot. I'm pretty sure God is gonna rock my world. I'm sure we are all going to go home completely changed people. I expect to learn a lot about the character of God. I expect to cry a lot but to laugh more. I expect that God's going to use me even when i feel like there's no way someone like me can be used. I'm so excited. Less than two weeks!

India Visa Status

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey Guys:

Wow, less than two weeks in we'll be in India sharing the Love of God:)

Where is everyone with there Visa's?

Do you have yours, are you awaiting for it to arrive? Do you have any questions or concerns, if so please feel free to ask.

Hope your enjoying the Journey. We are praying for you all!

Expectations of My Mission Trip

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I wish I didn't really have any expectations going in to this experience but I do. I am definitely thinking God is going to rock a lot of us-which will be awesome. I know I will be in a lot of situations that will put me out of my comfort zone but I am totally cool with that. I think life back in the U.S. will be a little different when we return as well.... I totally expect to be hot, haha. I know God is going to show up in big and powerful ways. I guess I really don't know what I expect, I am just trying to expect the unexpected.

Baggage Regulations

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Many of you have been asking about luggage regulations for travel. For your flight to India from Atlanta, the regulations are 2 checked bags, not weighing more than 50 pounds each. If you go over the limit, you will be responsible for the excess charges. Please weigh your bags before you come.

Also, you need to check with your airline for your domestic flight to Atlanta when you come for training camp. Many airlines only allow 1 bag for their domestic flights. The excess charges can sometimes be a little steep. Those charges are not reimbursable

Ministry Supplies

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey Guys (or maybe I should say "hey girls, and guy")

There have been some questions about how the ministry supply list works and who will be bringing which items. Just to clear it up, what we'll do is have each person sign up to bring a few units of each type of item. Here's the list of items needed:

Shampoos

Conditioners

Lotions

Toothbrushes

Toothpaste

Protein Powder (large containers)

So there are 6 types of items, we should have 3 people signing up for each type of item. That way everyone is pitching in, every item gets represented, and (like Cassandra said) we don't all end up bringing toothpaste. If it's possible, have these items donated by some of your supporters.

Reimbursements General Facts

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Once your entire trip and airfare is paid for, you may submit your additional trip
expenses to us for reimbursement from your account. The allowable reimbursements
are those expenses which you incur as a direct result of your participation on this trip.
The IRS limits us on what can be reimbursed - things they consider direct expenses for
this trip.

The items you can submit for reimbursement are:
Airfare tickets
Medical insurance
Shots needed only for this trip
Passport and Visa expenses for this trip only

To be reimbursed for these expenses, you MUST submit your receipts to us prior to
training camp. The original receipt is the only form we can accept. WE CANNOT
ACCEPT CHARGE CARD STATEMENTS OR A COPY OF A CHECK.

We will process those receipts and reimburse you only if you have the amount to cover
the cost in your support account. We will provide a partial reimbursement if the funds
left in your support account do not cover the entire receipt after your trip is complete. We process reimbursements:
After you leave on your trip
Mid-Way through the trip
Upon completion of the trip

Sometimes in the summer months it is difficult to keep up with the demand of
reimbursements. Plan on your reimbursement check taking about a month to process
from leaving on your trip to a month after the completion of your trip.

Any additional money which comes in after your trip is complete will go toward covering
any trip deficit you may have, but cannot be used for reimbursement of expenses.

When submitting receipts to us, please fill out the reimbursement form that you can find
from your Account page.

Again, ALL REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO US PRIOR TO YOU GOING OUT.

How I Was Called to the Mission Field

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Last summer I went on a mission trip to Lusaka, Zambia for two weeks as an Ambassador for eight children one week and seventeen children the second week. Before I left I had no clue what I was getting myself into. My parents had decided I needed to go with them, and I was not given much of a choice about it. I was not real excited about it, but after I got there I was so glad they insisted I go instead of giving me the option.

The first week was full of excitement; I was able to truly connect with the kids and I learned so much from them. However, during the second week, things started to get a bit more challenging. Out of my group of 17 girls, two who were twins continued to be a problem for me. All week, they would make fun of the other girls for crying, pick fights and run away from the group. I would ask myself everyday why they insist on coming back if they were just going to be a problem. Then on the last day as I am telling my girls goodbye and putting them on the bus, the twins once again started to pick at the girls who were crying. At the last second I see the twins start getting up out of their seats and then I noticed they were crying. They run up to me and told me how much they loved me and how they wanted to go home with me, because they were going to miss me too much. That is when it hit me that I did make an impact in these girls' lives, and everything I said they heard.

On my way back home I realized how much I truly enjoyed being with these kids, and how much they taught me just as I taught them. That is when I realized what it meant to be on the mission field and how much of a pull it had on my heart to help others.

How I Was Called to the Mission Field

Sun, 10 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, its been a pretty stressful, drawn out process to get where I am now. This past December I went on a retreat called Radiate with Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU). While I was there I really felt God pulling me towards missions this summer. So, I figured that if God was telling me to go on a mission trip while I was on a CRU retreat than I was obviously supposed to go on a CRU organized mission trip. As soon as I got back I looked into all of the mission trips they offered and figured that I was supposed to go on their mission trip to Ocean City, MD. I applied, got in, and started the process of going...well I wanted to start the process but something was holding me back. I all of a sudden felt very, very confused about what it was that God wanted me to do. I prayed about it a lot. I prayed that He would make it so abundantly clear what my summer plans should be. And I realized that though I felt led by God to go on a mission trip this summer I had assumed it was one through CRU and I assumed it would be Ocean City, MD because it seemed convenient enough. So, basically I tried taking control of things. I figured this out in February, and even after I figured this out it was still difficult to break away from these plans so I kept with it until March. Between March and April I finally was able to give it all to God. And by the end of April I had felt God pulling me towards this India missions trip. Although it was really stressful to go through all of this, to not know what I was going to do, to have everything be up in the air for so long, it was worth it. God's plan was so much bigger and greater than mine! There are many other details I could share. I could write an essay, really. Hopefully I'll get to share more with you guys once I get to meet you all in GA :-)

How I was called to the mission field

Thu, 7 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Last spring i was trying to figure out what i was going to do during the summer... whether i was going to work in boulder, live with my family... whatever. And when i was praying and thinking about it I started looking into mission trips and different places i could go to over the summer. I got on the AIM website and started looking at the summer trips. I cruised around the site and kept being drawn back to the real life India trip. I had never been so sure that i was being called to do something as I was when i was thinking about the India trip. I talked to my friends and spiritual leaders in my life about it and they were all on board with me going. I started talking to my parents about it and they were not down with the idea of me going away last summer because they have a rule that they get to have me and my siblings at home for the first two summers during college. I struggled a lot with them saying no because I was trying to figure out why God wouldn't get my parents on board too if he was really calling me to go there. I ended up listening to my parents and stayed home. When i was dealing with the confusion, one of my mentors told me that I should just be patient because it could be God planting a seed for something I would do in the future.

Last summer was an unbelievable time of growth and it was clear that God wanted me to stay at home that summer because of how much i learned about him while i was home. This year i decided to sign up for Messenger, a program at my Church that sends college students all over the world every summer for two month mission trips. This year, 23 students signed up and we went through some interviews and different stuff with the "messenger committee" who prayerfully placed us each on different teams, each going to a different country. As a messenger, you have very little control over where you end up or who you end up with. And little did i know.....there are no coincidences with God and He's sending me to India! The night Rachael and I found out we were going to India together was unreal. I have honestly never been as excited as I was when i found out. Praise God for his plan and his timing and the way he makes us wait even though waiting for him to do his thing can suck when we think we know what's right.

Another Journey Reminder

Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey India Team!

I'm just dropping a line to remind you about the Journey. The Journey is a bible study/devotional/workbook sort of thing that we'll be going through on our trip. We'll all begin together on Friday, May 8th. There is a pre-trip section 3 weeks long that you should all have covered by the time we reach training camp. This section of the Journey covers some really neat stuff about God's heart for missions, what the church looks like around the world, and research for our host country (India).

You can download the pre-trip section of the Journey on your Account page. Just sign into your Account page, under "Application Status" click the link to download appropriate documents. Then under "Required reading" is "The Journey: The First Three Weeks" -- click download and you're set.

So, I'm reminding you to start the devotionals with me on May 8th, and over the next few weeks we can discuss what we've been learning/what God is showing us.

Man, I'm getting stoked about India. I'll see you guys in a little over 3 weeks!

Journey Reminder

Mon, 4 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Have you started your Journey?

If not, do so today!