TNL Friends of India

Back Home

2008-10-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Nearly 72 hours after leaving Mussoorie, we have finally arrived home safe and sound.

It was a 12 hour train ride from Mussoorie, followed by a 14 hour "layover" in Delhi, followed by a 15 hour plane ride to Chicago followed by a 3 hour plane ride home. Quite the marathon, but we are all in one piece, and excited to be back amongst family and friends (a hot shower with legitimate water pressure does AMAZING things for the soul).

Already, we have struggled with the desire to adequately describe our experiences with friends and family. I have already used the phrase "it's hard to describe" a dozen times just in chatting with DJ about a few stories from the trip. We are all identifying more and more with Ryan; it has always been difficult for him to adequately describe what his life looks like in India. It is a place that defies explanation in many ways. Hopefully now that we have four new voices to contribute, the picture can be made a bit clearer (especially after the jet lag wears off).

We will post more pictures soon, and are all looking forward to sharing some thoughts tonight at TNL. We will try to keep our loss of words to a minimum. :)
[Simeon Turner]

Farewell to Mussooire

2008-10-19T04:10:00.001-07:00

We spent Saturday afternoon in the bazaar shopping for spices and teas, along with picking up a few gifts and hand tailored clothing for Dave (yes friends, that is correct – Dave Terpstra with two tailored shirts – at a wonderfully Dutch price of $6 each). There was a birthday for a 7 year old boy who is a part of Ryan’s church that we walked to and were able to spend some time in a normal Indian home – one room for sleeping, eating, and entertaining. Thanks to the generosity of friends from TNL we had brought several coats. Every coat but one was adult sizes. The one child size Colorado Avalanche jacket fit perfectly. His mother said he had needed a coat for the winter and that God always provides.

We had dinner with Matthew and Ivy, coworkers of Ryan at EMI. They will be married one year next month. Matthew has taken on Indian cooking with vigor and cooked the best Butter Chicken, rice, and daal we have had since being here. It was a wonderful evening of conversation as Matthew is a reader and kept Simeon and Dave intrigued with Russian literature and theology. Before we left we prayed for Matthew and Ivy, for EMI, and the community that Ryan works with everyday.
Sunday we returned to Friends of Garwahl Church for service. It began at 11am and we left shortly before 3pm. The congregation is in a season of deliverance and healing from much of the darkness and oppression they have come out of. The second part of the service was prayers by the pastors and elders for many of the people while others prayed or provided counseling to new believers. The music played throughout the time and from an outsider looking in it was quite charismatic in nature. As I prayed God allowed me to see a few parallels to home: even though we may not have overt spiritual oppression that we seek deliverance from, our addictions and vices, choices and compulsions keep us from fully knowing God’s love in similar ways; it is good for confession among Christian community, to ask for healing and for a better understanding of God’s grace; and finally that God uses the miraculous to bring others to Himself. In a society full of spiritual practices the supernatural here is evidence of God’s presence. In the same way, the way God frees us from our pride, lust, greed, and control His presence is seen and known,

We leave tonight on a 12 hour overnight train for Dehli – open air, public cabin – to get the proper Indian experience as Ryan says. We fly from Dehli to Denver Tuesday morning at 12:15am, arriving by 9:15am. We plan to be at TNL on Tuesday and hope to see many of you there.

Grace and peace.
[Jared Mackey]

Coneheads

2008-10-18T00:24:00.000-07:00

Pinecones might not be the first thing one would expect to find in India, but here in the mountains of Mussoorie, the hills are covered with white pine trees. As a way to be a more self-sustaining community, and to build a little camaraderie amongst the EMI team, they go out twice a year to search for pinecones. They use the pinecones in the winter as firestarters to help heat their buildings.

Because Oaklands (the main EMI building) is on the top of a mountain, we began hiking down the back slope into the pine forest. It took only 20 minutes to get down with empty packs, but about an hour to get back up with backpacks overflowing with cones.

So if you want to get a picture of what pinecone hunting looks like, imagine a sheer mountain cliff with pastors, elders, architects and engineers holding on to a few puny blades of grass while they stretch and contort their bodies trying to reach a pinecone on the edge of a precipice. Once the pinecone is acquired it is then sent in a relay to other team members positioned in similarly dangerous locations along the windswept ledges.

In a land where there are no trashcans but the ground and the smog is generated at an alarming rate, it is great to see the small steps that EMI takes to be more self-sustaining and eco-friendly.

And as always throughout this trip, it was great to not just be outdoors, but to spend time with the entire EMI team and participate in their everyday activities.
[Dave Terpstra]

Haridwar & Rishikesh (A Journey to Hindu Holy Cities)

2008-10-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

Today we took a trip to two Hindu holy cities on the Ganges river: Haridwar and Rishikesh. We piled into a taxi – quite literally – and left the now familiar and comfortable Mussoorie. Hindus journey to the Ganges once a year to bathe in the water to wash away their sin, and to deposit the ashes of their dead loved ones to give them favor in their next life. We traveled there (about a 2.5 hour taxi ride) to pray over these two cities and to remind ourselves that the India we have been experiencing in Mussoorie is not representative of all of India.

Both Haridwar and Rishikesh are dark places, in their own way. Haridwar is without a doubt the most oppressive and thirsty place I have been. Hindu people are very good at worshipping. The amount of energy and devotion poured out in Haridwar is impressive. But poured out for what? The atmosphere is overwhelming and the volume of darkness made this place seem without hope. Jared and I share the same physiological response to places like this: tightness in the chest and shortness of breath. Standing on a bridge over the Ganges, out team prayed for that city and these people. I personally prayed that God would intervene: to remove the blindness from these people’s eyes, to let his light shine through the darkness, and to glorify himself in Haridwar. It felt like one of the biggest prayers I have ever prayed.

After praying, we got back in the taxi and headed further up the Ganges to Rishikesh (about another 45 minutes). The drive took us through an India national park and was actually quite pleasant. The atmosphere in Rishikesh was similar, although the scene was quite different. In Rishikesh we found the highest concentration of white people we had seen since being here. Ryan explained that a lot of Europeans come here for a “spiritual” retreat – to tap into Hinduism without fully immersing in it. After the intense fellowship with God and the folks from EMI of the last two days, this town felt empty, dark and desperate. We walked the streets and prayed. God please come to this place. Purge it of this worship of false, dead gods. Show these people the wastefulness of their ways. Bring light. Again, the prayers felt large. We reflected over lunch (a fine menagerie of Indian and Middle Eastern food) that we were all so thankful to know the true, living God. Sim and I talked about how we have a new understanding of the stories in the Old Testament where God demands that entire cities and peoples be completely destroyed. Dave shared how he prayed that these people would remain thirsty, that the water of the Ganges would not fulfill them and that they might come to see their need for living water – much like the woman at the well. Jared shared how he fears our own world in the U.S. is just as dark as what we see here, we just don’t recognize it for what it is. The enemy is not stupid, and in places like this it feels like his grip is oh so tight. Our God is big though and there is hope.

The return trip to Mussoorie revealed some of that hope. My chest loosened up and deep breathes came easier. Maybe it was the cool, cleaner air. Maybe it’s because Christ has a strong hold here in Mussoorie. A place from which His light will shine forth into India and the world – join us in thanking Him for his presence here and in praying for His light to shine.
[Bobby Rinehart]

Community Defined

2008-10-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

After two days of prayer and fasting, we had the exciting opportunity to share a meal with the people of Ryan's home church here in Mussoorie. His church is called F.O.G (Friends of Garhwal), and the BBQ was held at Ryan's pastor Edwin's home. We had what Ryan would describe as a "very proper" Indian BBQ, complete with a chicken liver appetizer and yellow curry chicken and rice. After two days of fasting, the team attacked the meal with different levels of enthusiasm, but all were satisfied.

After dinner, we all joined together in the living room to share in a time of worship, testimony, and sharing. It was quite fun to sing (or at least clap) along with the people of F.O.G., and we even got roped into some Garhwali dancing. Many of the members of the church shared their testimonies with us (translated through Edwin, or at times his Wife, Nivedit. Ryan tells us that most of the members of the church have been believers for 2 years or less, so it was exciting to see such vibrancy and excitement in their faces as they listened to both Dave and Jared share some thoughts.

The sense of close-knit community we experienced at Edwin's home was a fitting conclusion to our days of prayer and fasting. I found myself imagining a room similarly packed with new believers in the days of the early church, and I am sure this is exactly what it must have looked like (though I doubt they were drinking chai and eating ice cream with pancakes and syrup in the bottom of the cup). Seeing the people of F.O.G. thriving as a community reinforced in my mind the necessity of such community in my own life, and I found myself deeply thankful that I am blessed in that way. Best of all, it was wonderful to know that from an eternal perspective, the community I share at TNL and the community Ryan has with F.O.G are all part of the same community we share in Christ.
[Simeon Turner]

days of prayer and fasting

2008-10-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

days of prayer and fasting at eMi2 have been a traditional of ours for about three years now, but this season was a little different for two reasons. This year is different for us, because we are celebrating 10 years of existing in India, serving ministries and serving the poor. As part of our office's collective efforts to mark this year as special, we gave these two days to simply praise and thank God for the greatness of his work through us and in us over the past ten years. Our days were also different this season because we had the four guys from tnl joining our team as we prayed and praised over the two days. It was significant for our team to have the additional covering of friends and partners from tnl and for Jared, Dave Simeon and Bobby to experience the more intimate time of prayer and worship with our staff here.

For me (and I think others too) the most significant joy in the days was our intentional setting aside of two, three-hour sessions (one morning and one evening) for worship and praise and prayer togehter. We specifically did NOT bring our personal needs and petitions, but instead only prayed out of our thankfulness and gratitude for what God has done. Let me tell you, this was a discipline that was not easy to hold myself to at first (because we so often bring our needs before God), but it was really beautiful to limit ourselves in this way. Two days out of 10-years previous, we chose to simply say thank you, and recount His kindness, provision and grace.

Although I cant speak specifically for the whole eMi2 team, I know for me, it was a great encouragement to have the team from tnl here to both see how we do this, and to simply agree with us in prayer in how we were exalting God. Though these guys cannot know all the details of how eMi2 thanks God for his work in us, we all know his character and how he has made this work possible. I feel refreshed by the team's time with us in those days, because they have now seen how our eMi2 team operates togehter, and what we are praising God for. It is good to know they have that perspective on my / our lives here.
[ryan k]

A Gift

2008-10-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

Our day began, after the walk in the rain, with the staff of EMI in prayer and worship through song. The room was full of architects, engineers, and the four of us - not exactly musical geniuses. Today and tomorrow the staff of EMI planned 2 days of prayer and fasting with times of reflection, praise and worship through song, and prayers of thanksgiving for God's protection and provision. This year EMI India celebrates it's 10 year anniversary. As stories were told and prayers were said it became clear of God's blessing and purpose for the ministry of EMI here in India over the last decade.

Bobby commented on the obedience that each person sitting in the room had shown in being a part of the work God has done through EMI. In our short time here we have come to appreciate and deeply respect the staff who live here (most for over 5 years) and the interns who have given 6 months to 1 year to support the ministry here. Ryan shared his deep gratitude for the team and the community of TNL. He went on to express how unique it is for 4 people - 2 pastors and 2 who did not know him well (Bobby had not met him until the airport in Dehli) to come visit simply to encourage him. I told the staff and interns the story from our side. That two months ago when we were looking at schedules and task lists, finances, families and feasability, the timing was all wrong to come visit Ryan. I called him on a Friday morning to tell him that it wasn't going to work out this time. Yet in his voice I heard a clarity and a gentle nudge that although it looked wrong on the outside it was the exact right time from God's perspective. That decision would be confirmed with our incredibly affordable plane fare, the generosity of several who allowed us not only to come, but to come with financial gifts for the community here, and a community that has allowed and encouraged two of its pastors to come encourage our friend.

As I prayed later in the afternoon, I thanked God for the gift it is to Ryan, but also the gift it is to us to be here with him. When asked, "what did you do when you went to India?" my reply will be, "I went to see our friend, to pray with him, eat with him, laugh with him, and thank God for the work and life he has given him."
[Jared Mackey]

Monsoon is over...

2008-10-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

So Ryan tells us Monsoon season ended a few weeks ago. This means the torrential downpours and gale force winds are long gone for this year here in India. Right....

This morning we awoke to the sounds of rolling thunder; an ominous harbinger of things to come. We had to leave Tipperary extra early this morning to begin the 2 days of prayer and fasting we are participating in with EMI, and we were lucky enough to do so right as an incredible jungle/mountian/supernatural rainstorm/hailstorm attacked the side of the mountain we had to ascend.

Imagine what Noah must have seen in the first twenty minutes of the flood. I found myself wondering if 40 straight days of such rain would actually end up completely immersing the mountian. I would give it 50/50 odds.

Long story short, by the time we reached Oaklands 20 minutes later, all of us were soaked to the skin and shivering. The first three hours of prayer, fasting, and worship were spent tightly gripping our sides as we tried to keep our teeth from chattering. Thankfully, the sun came out mid-morning, and we were able to enjoy a wonderful time of prayer and fasting in the sunshine where we were able to dry out and finally warm ourselves.

I sure am glad Monsoon is over...
[Simeon Turner]

Encouraging Ryan

2008-10-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing schizophrenic experience in Mussoorie yesterday. The day began quite pleasantly; we joined the EMI staff at Oaklands for morning devotions, followed by a fantastic morning enjoying the peaceful serenity afforded by our location. We took turns testing out a lovely hammock, spent some time in deep conversation, drank chai, and overall found ourselves pleasantly relaxed and refreshed.

At about 3 PM, Ryan announced that we were going to depart from Oaklands to make a foray into the Mussoorie bazaar. We were all excited to make the trip, so as a merry band of intrepid adventurers we ventured out for the hike into the bazaar.

This is where the day shifted from a quiet, reflective, refreshing morning into what can only be described as a surreal caricature of Indian culture driven and instigated by our mad tour guide, Ryan. In order to best capture the experience, we have decided to present the afternoon in four distinct episodes. We are confident that our words can by no means give an accurate rendering of the experiences we encountered; literary justice simply cannot be served in this case, but our hope is that the reader will be able to in some small way get a glimpse of our surreal Mussoorie bazaar adventures.

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Episode I - Every Paan has a Silver Lining
We had been in the bazaar for a short time. The sights and sounds and smells were exactly what I had expected. Lots of people, lots of shops, lots of strange and exotic things to see and do. It started out simply enough with a stop at Ryan’s local tailor, where several team members were fitted for dress shirts. From there, slow wandering through the streets teeming with people, vehicles, cows, dogs and monkeys led us to a particular spot a couple of miles from where we had started our journey. It was here that Ryan turned to Jared with a gleam in his eye and asked, “have you tried Paan?”

“What’s Paan?” was Jared’s innocent reply. Ryan’s eyes twinkled with what can only be called mischievous excitement. “Oh, we will all have to have some Paan!” With that, he led us to a small, open-air store front with an odd assortment of colorful leaves, fruits, and other mysterious concoctions resting on a small counter top. Without pausing to make sure we were in agreement, Ryan ordered 5 servings of Paan. After the man behind the counter began constructing our order, Ryan turned to us to describe what we were about to encounter.

“I don’t really know what’s in it…it has fruit and stuff like that. You take the leaf, wrap the different things inside it, and then put the whole thing in your mouth and chew it all up!” He said this with a smile, as we watched in confusion with a mixture of horror and curiosity as the man behind the counter took leaves from a bowl of water which Ryan assured us would not be a problem.

Somehow suddenly Bobby found himself holding a fully wrapped Paan leaf, sealed with silver foil which Ryan also insisted would not cause intestinal distress. Without really fully comprehending it, Bobby shoved the whole thing in his mouth and began chewing. Before he could even lend a comment to the experience, I was doing the same thing, followed by Jared, Ryan, and finally Dave. It was as if we were lemmings leaping off of a cliff, happily following the leader all the way to a horrible demise.

The only thing I can say about Paan is that it tastes as if you were eating window cleaner wrapped in a leaf from the jungle. How I managed to get it down is beyond me still. Perhaps the worst part was that the Paan continued to linger for some time following the encounter. Little chunks of God knows what kept surfacing from the nooks and crannies of my teeth, surprising me in unpleasant ways as I struggled to work my way through the bazaar on my way to the next insane encounter. They say Paan is a digestive…I believe it. Windex is also a digestive, I hear. I think I’ll try that next. Apparently there is some interesting (and apparently disturbing) information about Paan on Wikipedia and such. Our internet access is sketchy enough that I have not been able to look it up yet, but I fear that when I do, my stomach may start doing somersaults all over again.
[Simeon Turner]

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Episode II - Human Powered Pandemonium
Not long after our encounter with Paan, Ryan got another gleam in his eye saying almost to himself, “Oh, we are all going to do this!” As we topped a little hill we were greeted with the sight of a ferris wheel. Of course this wasn’t he was talking about right? On the contrary, this is exactly what he was talking about. Ryan proceeded to barter with the operator and again, before we could really comprehend what was happening, Ryan and Dave were in a cart and on their way up. Sim and I soon enough found our way into a car. Note that Jared, as self appointed photographer, remained on terra firma. Convenient.

I hadn’t noticed it earlier but this particular Indian ferris wheel was not equipped with a motor. I’m not sure how I missed it at first, but I did. Several Indian men were slowly rotating the wheel manually – by pushing and pulling on the cars as the passed – and stopping it where appropriate to load on other riders. Once all the people were loaded on, a particularly skilled Indian 20-something climbed up one of the side columns and out onto a series of cross-members, using the axle of the wheel for support. He began walking, stepping onto the angle-iron supports as they came and we began rotating. Soon we had completed a couple revolutions and our driver was basically running. All the while, my mind is busy forgetting several semester’s worth of basic engineering classes like steel design, mechanics of materials, dynamics, fatigue analysis, etc.

Somewhere in the middle of forgetting hard earned knowledge, our driver decided it was time to go the other way. He started slowing us down and eventually started walking backwards on his human sized hamster wheel. Soon we were going blue blazes in reverse. I have several memories of these few moments, the most vivid of which include Sim laughing hysterically the whole time and the less-than-pleasant taste of Paan on more than one occasion. Jared continued to snap photos safely from the ground and we were on our way to the next adventure.
[Bobby Rinehart]

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Episode III - My Horse Speaks Hindi
We continued through the bazaar (an appropriate word for our afternoon experience). The mist rolled in and the scene is best described as a Tim Burton movie where everything seems unreal and almost two dimensional. Ryan’s pace increased and he said, “one more thing we have to do.” Ominous words for our afternoon. As we approached the end of the mall I saw the foreshadowing of our next adventure. Earlier this year I had read about Ryan riding a horse through the bazaar during Diwhali, the Hindu holiday near Christmas. As Ryan walked over to negotiate with men half his size we looked around and realized riding a horse to dinner was inevitable.

All of us were helped onto our horses and led down an alley to a path across the backside of the mountain. The horses responded to the instructions of our guides. My comment, “Ryan, my horse speaks Hindi!” We galloped along for thirty minutes. As we began to reenter the town Dave, Bobby, Simeon, and I looked around to see Ryan nowhere in sight. His horse had to stop for water. There we were, four men sitting on horses, being led by guides who couldn’t reach the saddles, and the only person who could speak to the guides, or the horses, was no where to be found. Ryan appeared a few minutes later out of the mist. Simeon turned to me in disbelief, “This is where Ryan lives – everyday.”
[Jared Mackey]

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Episode IV – Nectar of the Dali Llama
We dismounted on the front door of our dining destination for the night – Friend’s Corner, a local Tibetan restaurant. We were seated up stairs and opened up the menu to the drinks. I immediately saw “Butter Tea” and asked Ryan if it was good. Thoughtfully he said, “It’s actually more of a soup,” not really answering my question. He added, “It is very properly Tibetan though.” Sold. I had to have Butter Tea.

It came out innocent looking enough. Not dissimilar to any other chai. The smell was warm and buttery – reminiscent of hot buttered rum. Time for sip…the taste, oh the taste. So familiar. So easy to describe. Butter. Nothing more nothing less. Just butter.
In order for you to share in this experience, I am providing the recipe below. Straight from Tibet – through India – with love:

1) Unwrap a stick of butter
2) Place butter in tea cup and microwave on high for 2 minutes
3) Add tea bag, if available – based on my experience this step is optional
4) Serve and enjoy.
[Bobby Rinehart]

Church in Mussoorie

2008-10-12T23:10:00.000-07:00

The team joined Ryan today at his church in Mussoorie. The church is assuming, to say the least. In fact, had we not been with Ryan, we would not have even realized the small building we were walking into was a church at all. The church doubles as a store front; the women of the church work to sew clothing and make other trinkets which are sold there when the service is not in session.

There was a small level of apprehension in the team as we joined the service. Ryan had told us that lately their services had been running from roughly 10:30 AM to as late as 4:30 PM. This was a bit intimidating, to be sure. However, today the service only lasted about 2 hours, and Edwin, the pastor, delivered a great message to his congregation (translated for us by his wife) about the need to stay rooted daily in reading and dwelling on the Word. It was a great service overall, and it was punctuated by a great opportunity to meet and pray with a young married couple who was spending their last day in town before going to Southern India for new missions work.
[Simeon Turner]

From the kitchen table at Tipperary, Sunday, 8:15am.

2008-10-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

All the guys are sitting around reading Scripture and other books and drinking chai. The occasional car horn goes off, but over all it’s quiet. An altogether normal scene really, but then I look up and I see many things that make this abnormal, at least for me. The topography of this place stirs something inside me, the amount of green, the houses seemingly miraculously affixed to and held up by hillsides, and the people outside speak Hindi – this is India. But, this is India Together – together with brothers in Christ, both from here and choosing to live here and choosing to visit here. The scene is normal in that God has placed his people – believers and followers – all over the world, and time spent with Him is in some ways independent of location. It is abnormal though, in that four us of don’t live here, in that God has chosen to bless us by allowing us to traverse the globe and end up nearly opposite where we were to be with these brothers; Together in India. Abnormal also in that in some cases, time spent with God is location dependent. Not because God changes, but because in our limited ability to see him, he looks different – sounds and feels different – in some places. At home God feels safe, comforting and reassuring, and loving. Almost patient. In the Colorado high country he feels big and awe inspiring. Here he seems powerful and less safe. Maybe impatient. No less loving or comforting or awe inspiring, but just more of the rest. I’m excited to see how He moves here – and humbled at the opportunity.
[Bobby Rinehart]

Tipperary

2008-10-12T23:07:00.001-07:00

The walk to Tipperary from Oaklands takes about 5 minutes. The walk from Tipperary to Oaklands, however, takes more like 15 minutes. The reason for this is a simple one: Tipperary is nestled into the hill several hundred feet below Oaklands, and the roads between the two are divided between steep paved switchbacks and crazy jungle pathways covered with broken slate winding through the trees. These jungle paths wind up and down at dramatically steep angles and emerge onto yet more impossibly steep paved switchbacks. The walk UP to Oaklands is quite a workout; anyone looking for an excellent weight loss program would do well to consider simply moving to Mussoorie and joining Ryan in his daily commute to and from work! Several of the male staff members at EMI live at Tipperary, but everyone works at Oaklands, so Ryan gets to walk this crazy commute everyday (I have yet to talk to him about what that is like when there are several inches of snow on the ground).

Jared described Tipperary this way: “it’s like a bachelor pad, or a frat house, only tranquil and holy.” I think he summed it up nicely. There is something special, indeed, holy, about a place filled with men who love the Lord and are seeking to serve him. There is a peacefulness in the building that permeates everything. Sitting in the kitchen/dining area drinking chai and talking in quiet tones, I can’t help but believe that this is a place with which God is well pleased.
[Simeon Turner]

Shedding Some Light on Things…

2008-10-12T22:56:00.000-07:00

This morning we have had the opportunity to join the EMI staff at Oaklands (the central working office for EMI here in Musoorie). The scene is almost surreal…unimaginable. I’m sure there is a level of instant nostalgia involved, as things encountered for the first time always seem to hive a brighter sheen and a warmer glow, but it must be said that the folks here have really established an amazing place to live and work. I feel like I’m getting ahead of myself though, so let me back up a bit.

For the past couple of days I have felt a strange sense of guilt and obligation since our post about our experience in Agra. I wish we could have had a chance to access the internet sooner, because our impressions of this place have been so radically altered in the past 48 hours! Previously, I had posted that there is a lot of darkness in India, and this is true. Now we have had a chance, however, to see India in a whole new light (literally). After our trip to Agra, we returned to Delhi and spent a few hours sleeping in our hotel before making our way to the train station once again for a 6 hour trip north to the town of Dehradun. The train ride that morning was interesting, as the topography of the landscape slowly changed from the sweltering plains of India to the hilly beginnings of the Himalayan foothills. The change was a slow one, but over the six hours we were on the train we were amazing to see the transformation of not only the land itself, but of our impressions of things. We suddenly found ourselves in a hilly region with large, well maintained farmlands and a clean tang in the air. The contrast was dramatic, and we all held a sense of hopeful expectation for what was to come next.

After we arrived in the Dehradun station, we met up with one of the folks from EMI who took us by car on an incredible 90 minute ride to our final destination, Musoorie. As much as I was at a loss for words over the darkness we saw in Agra, I am equally fumbling for description of the ride up to Musoorie. I will let the pictures we are posting do some of the talking, but suffice to say, there is something peaceful and transcendent about this place. The subcontinent of India collides with the main continent of Asia right here; the sweltering heat of the Indian plains colliding head on with the unimaginable heights of the Himalayan mountains. Suffice to say, the juxtaposition of the two locales is incredible; God’s creativity and limitless imagination is demonstrated so clearly in this it takes my breath away.

When we arrived at Oaklands two nights ago, the entire team felt as if we finally had found a place that could be “home” for a while. The compound is nestled high in the clouds on the side of what feels like a mountain, but what is in reality barely the beginnings of the tendrils of the Himalayan foothills. Musoorie rests at about 6000 feet above sea level, so the temperature is very similar to what we are accustomed to back home (though the humidity is dramatically different). The jungle clings to the sides of the mountain face at what seems to be impossible angles, monkeys jump through the trees, unseen and unnamed insects chirp and buzz in the thick canopy overhead, and in the midst of all of that the crazy switchback roads wind their way through the hills to the buildings that dot the landscape everywhere. Oaklands itself is tucked away high on one such hill, with a commanding view of the whole world, it seems. It was amazing for the team to walk into Oaklands and feel immediately welcomed, accepted, and loved by the people here. We shared a wonderful meal together, toured the complex, and then walked down to Tipperary, the compound where Ryan and a few of the other male members of the EMI staff live.
[Simeon Turner]

Arrival

2008-10-10T05:29:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Delhi late last night after our flight was delayed in Chicago. After an easy trip through customs and baggage claim, we met Ryan; it was great to finally see him and begin our journey together. Ryan took us to the hotel we had reserved for the evening: "The Cottage Yes Please" (no really, that's the name of the hotel).

Today, after about 3 hours of sleep, we embarked on a train trip into central India. I am certain now that I was not prepared for the crush of humanity we have encountered here. India is about as big as the western US, but holds 3 times the population of the entire US. The stench of refuse, diesel fuel, and overwhelming humanity still clings to my nostrils as I write this, and my ears are still ringing with the blare of car horns, animal cries, and truck engines. I can't really describe the sheer volume of people we have been surrounded by today. Even the pictures we have taken can't really demonstrate what we have seen. I'll try to come up with an apt description later...right now my senses are too overwhelmed to do it justice.

One thing is certain; there is a lot of darkness here in India. Jared and I chatted about the lack of respect and value for human life here, partially due to religious influences and partially because there are just so many people....either way, it was difficult to see dogs lying in the street half dead, and people doing the same thing.

* [edit to orignal post]
We travlled to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. It is closed on Friday. This is as close as our tour guide (Ryan) could get us.

Waiting

2008-10-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

After several weeks of waiting to visit Ryan we will have to wait a few hours more. A short layover in Chicago has been extended as we are delayed due to a mechanical issue. The hesitation of the 15 hour flight has been replaced by a hope to begin this journey in full. Good books, a game of spades, and snacks thanks to Simeon have made the time pass by.

We hope to update the blog once we arrive in Dehli. Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers. Peace.

Gifts for Friends

2008-09-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

Here is an excerpt from an email about what we can bring to encourage Ryan's community. If you are interested in sending CD players or clothing please contact Jared before Tuesday, October 7 at jmackey@tnl.org.

"...if any of you have old (working) portable CD players, I need about three or four to give to the guys in the field who live in remote places, away from community and regular worship. I am putting together groups of CDs of Hindi worship music for them and I want to give them CD players and small speakers so they can listen to good worship when they are alone in their remote villages. If you guys have any connection to working CD portable players, please, bring them.

Also, if any of you have sweaters, shirts or warm socks you want to donate to guys and girls living in the Himalayan mountains who have very little in the way of warm clothing, please bring it with you to give away. Close friends of mine at my church here are the target group. Keep in mind, though, Garhwalis are kinda small, it should be small sizes, if possible."

TNL India Team

2008-09-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

September 2008

This October a team from The Next Level Church is traveling to northern India to visit Ryan Koeniger. Ryan works for Engineering Ministries International (EMI) in Mussoorie, India as an architect and a project developer. Ryan has designed a variety of buildings including: hospitals, schools, dormitories, and chapels throughout Southeast Asia. The team is four men from TNLC who have a desire to encourage Ryan and support the community he is a part of there. The TNL India Team is: Bobby Rinehart, Simeon Turner, Dave Terpstra, and Jared Mackey.

The purpose of the team is two fold: to continue to foster the relationship with Ryan as an extension of our community who has been living and working in India for over 6 years; and to encourage the community Ryan is a vital part of, the leaders and workers of both EMI and his local church.

The church will be having a leadership training during the week we are in Mussoorie with twenty pastors and leaders from the churches from the nearby villages and un-reached places in the surrounding area. Each of us will have the opportunity to teach with Hindi translators to equip and encourage recent followers of Christ believers who are leading house churches and beginning new ministries. A significant portion of our time will be spent with the EMI staff and interns listening and seeing the world from their perspective. They have planned two days of prayer and fasting, as their team does at the mid-point of each semester. We are excited about being with the EMI team for these unique days of reflection as together we place ourselves before God, in worship and intercession, on behalf of the various ministries and Christian communities in India.

It is a difficult season for followers of Christ in India. Although the northern state of Uttarakhand, where Ryan works and our time will be, is far away from the state of Orissa our hope is that our travels will be used by God to encourage and strengthen the Indian church. There is current persecution and violence against the Christian community in India across the eastern state of Orissa and has spilled into the neighboring state of Madhya Pradesh. This aggression could be the worst violence and persecution against Indian Christians in Indian history. The latest reports cite the murder of over 20 Christians, 300 villages destroyed, 4,000 homes burned, and more than 100 churches demolished. These events in the state of Orissa erupted after the murder of a Hindu swami (holy man). Mobs have falsely accused and attacked the Indian Christian community in Orissa in retaliation for the murder. In talking with Ryan he and his church see the possibilities and promise for the Indian Church even through this tragedy and are hopeful for God’s grace.

We ask for your prayers for the following for our team:
For Ryan, his church leaders, and coworkers with EMI to be encouraged and refreshed by our visit
That our hearts would be motivated by compassion and love for the Church in India
That we would communicate the hope of Christ to a country in the midst of persecution
For our safety and health as we travel
That God would be honored as we serve, learn, and partner with Ryan and those we meet

Your support of the financial cost of this team is also appreciated. The total cost for our team is only $6,000 – thanks to incredibly low airline fares and traveling via public trains while in India. Together as a team we have contributed the initial $2,000 personally. We need to raise $4,000 for the costs of the team and to be able to provide financial support and generous gifts to the ministries and community there. All financial support should be sent to The Next Level Church, c/o India Team – 3999 South Lipan Street, Englewood, CO, 80110. All support is tax deductible. Your partnership is vital as we seek to encourage and support our friend and the community there. Our hope is for this team to be a catalyst of growth and encouragement not only for ourselves and those we work with in India, but for you as well.

Thank you for your prayers and support. May the peace of Christ be with you.

The TNLC India Team