Today I was asked if I ate with my hands and fingers at home (that’s the Indian way). I replied, “no...why?” And the girl responded, “Oh, Mahadevi was asking because you eat with your hands well.” SCORE. The girls also pull my sleeve up (it’s legitimately fall weather here now so I often have a jacket or something long-sleeved on) and see my practically translucent skin and marvel, making their sign for “very beautiful”...i just laugh and say thank you haha. They think that all Americans are as pasty as me, so I tell them that I’m actually just suuuper pale compared to most! There are lots of interesting misconceptions that I’ve encountered that have sometimes been pretty entertaining: Everyone in the States is white; everyone in the States is a Christian; black people only live in Africa; there are no poor people in the States; silver jewelry means you’re wealthy (it’s expensive here, so my $15 sterling silver ring makes me look like a millionaire).
Onto more relevant information :)! My health is doing pretty well now!! I just finished my last antibiotic yesterday and still have 2 days of an odd probiotic effervescent mixture left. However, I’m planning on still being cautious with food the rest of my time here (limited veggies, the “less spicy” option when available, etc.). THANK YOU SO MUCH for praying….seriously!! I know that a lot of you have been sick in foreign countries (and I have been one other time as well!) so your support was very encouraging also!
I’ve been asking the Lord to give me a renewed vision for what he has for me here, feeling a little dissatisfied, that I feel like he has more for me. I realized that I had been taking the English teaching a little too seriously, wanting sooo much to impart as many important (and CORRECT) English lessons as possible, and that I needed to reengage my crazy camp side back in :). So I have been making some new games for the kids that I teach, including English word bingo, letter flashcard games, etc. And now Shobha wants a few of us older girls to make lots of different bingo boards for numbers, letters and words because she liked that idea (and I got it from another girl that was visiting to help kids with math!).
The Lord has given me a whole new perspective on the word “hope”...what it means to really hope in and for something (and how that should lead to joy). He gave me Romans 5:3-5 (might as well just name the whole book as my India book haha) and then one of my besties, Shelby, also mentioned it to me the other day...don’t you LOVE when the Lord does that :)?!?!?! If you’re unfamiliar with it, here it is: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” THAT’S GOOD NEWS PEOPLE!!!!! So the Lord has been teaching me about placing my hope in him and the reason that it doesn’t disappoint is because even when circumstances are tough, “[his] grace is sufficient for me”! Because his salvation is enough (something I have to remind my humanness of often) I can and should always be living a life of HOPE in Christ and that hope gives rise to joy in the Lord alone!! The other day my devo said this: “When thankful words stick in your throat, you need to check up on your foundation of trust.”….whew, that’s convicting to me!! If I am unable to thank the Lord in every situation, do I actually trust him? That’s good stuff.
Arun, Shobha and their daughter Melissa are all leaving for Thailand on Sunday morning (Melissa is staying for 2 months; Arun and Shobha will be gone 1 week) so please pray for their safety! Also pray for me during that time, that I would be confident in the Lord and not in just other people. Also it’s just kinda anxiety-producing for my main hosts to be leaving for a week!
Please Pray:
-I officially have only 19 days left until I begin my journey home, so please continue to pray for fresh eyes for what the Lord has for me each day, hope, revelation/insight on what to speak on (I speak for about 10 minutes during prayer time most evenings) and JOYYYY!!!!
-I’m giving the sermon for church for the kids on Sunday and planning to speak on the Lord’s faithfulness, giving some personal testimony of mine as well. Please pray that the Lord would direct my thoughts, study and words. And that I would be speaking on exactly what he desires!
-continued good health
-for me to be a huge blessing to the missionaries and ministry here
-that I would be focused on BEING HERE, not seeing family and friends in a few weeks
Well I may have said this before, but I love you all.
Bethany
Onto more relevant information :)! My health is doing pretty well now!! I just finished my last antibiotic yesterday and still have 2 days of an odd probiotic effervescent mixture left. However, I’m planning on still being cautious with food the rest of my time here (limited veggies, the “less spicy” option when available, etc.). THANK YOU SO MUCH for praying….seriously!! I know that a lot of you have been sick in foreign countries (and I have been one other time as well!) so your support was very encouraging also!
I’ve been asking the Lord to give me a renewed vision for what he has for me here, feeling a little dissatisfied, that I feel like he has more for me. I realized that I had been taking the English teaching a little too seriously, wanting sooo much to impart as many important (and CORRECT) English lessons as possible, and that I needed to reengage my crazy camp side back in :). So I have been making some new games for the kids that I teach, including English word bingo, letter flashcard games, etc. And now Shobha wants a few of us older girls to make lots of different bingo boards for numbers, letters and words because she liked that idea (and I got it from another girl that was visiting to help kids with math!).
The Lord has given me a whole new perspective on the word “hope”...what it means to really hope in and for something (and how that should lead to joy). He gave me Romans 5:3-5 (might as well just name the whole book as my India book haha) and then one of my besties, Shelby, also mentioned it to me the other day...don’t you LOVE when the Lord does that :)?!?!?! If you’re unfamiliar with it, here it is: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” THAT’S GOOD NEWS PEOPLE!!!!! So the Lord has been teaching me about placing my hope in him and the reason that it doesn’t disappoint is because even when circumstances are tough, “[his] grace is sufficient for me”! Because his salvation is enough (something I have to remind my humanness of often) I can and should always be living a life of HOPE in Christ and that hope gives rise to joy in the Lord alone!! The other day my devo said this: “When thankful words stick in your throat, you need to check up on your foundation of trust.”….whew, that’s convicting to me!! If I am unable to thank the Lord in every situation, do I actually trust him? That’s good stuff.
Arun, Shobha and their daughter Melissa are all leaving for Thailand on Sunday morning (Melissa is staying for 2 months; Arun and Shobha will be gone 1 week) so please pray for their safety! Also pray for me during that time, that I would be confident in the Lord and not in just other people. Also it’s just kinda anxiety-producing for my main hosts to be leaving for a week!
Please Pray:
-I officially have only 19 days left until I begin my journey home, so please continue to pray for fresh eyes for what the Lord has for me each day, hope, revelation/insight on what to speak on (I speak for about 10 minutes during prayer time most evenings) and JOYYYY!!!!
-I’m giving the sermon for church for the kids on Sunday and planning to speak on the Lord’s faithfulness, giving some personal testimony of mine as well. Please pray that the Lord would direct my thoughts, study and words. And that I would be speaking on exactly what he desires!
-continued good health
-for me to be a huge blessing to the missionaries and ministry here
-that I would be focused on BEING HERE, not seeing family and friends in a few weeks
Well I may have said this before, but I love you all.
Bethany
(well this was an interesting article to find in the paper hahaha)
(I showed Spoorti the classic Judy Bell only top teeth smile and she thinks it's hilarious...and i definitely do too haha!! This is her attempt :)! )
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