OM-ness

Where to start .......... it has been just amazing being here, we all feel so blessed to have been able to come here - I know I’ve gone all “cheesy Christian” with my jargon but it has !!

When we got to Lucknow it was really late and there were so many people everywhere -seems to be a common theme in India, even in the country, people are just everywhere, not like bonny old Scotland ! As usual people trying to get stuff form us, or offer us things we didn’t want, Judith was very bad at saying no, oh the joys of being white. We didn't know where to meet the OM crew only that they would pick us up at station, Andrew kept declining offer for taxi's and Tuttut's and told this one guy maybe about 3 times to go away, that we didn't need a lift... turned out to be the OM guy, we all felt a tad guilty, he was lovely about it .... these Christians there all the same!!

We arrived late at night, but all a bit excited to be around other Jesus freaks. Our first morning here we were taken to one of there schools outside the city in a rural setting, looked quite funny this big blue building that could be seen from afar with little shanty type villages dotted around. We visited every class and they asked us to do a song in each, t’was a tad random and awkard, as we turned up and just sang with the kids, but they seemed to enjoy it. Me and Sofie did praise ye the Lord ...not going to lie we did regret it, after 10-12 classes of doing the song twice, our thighs were felling the burn of the continual up and downs of the song!

We have spent quite a bit of time here actually one base getting to know the brothers (there terminology not mine -don’t get too freaked out with the jesus chat) which has been so lovely, hearing there stories, getting to know them. One night we went to a home group in the getto of Lucknow, wasn't far off a slum but it was bricks and mortar. Just crazy, there was 30 of us in a house for 3, people everywhere, including kids who heard the singing from the street and joined in. So the evening consisted of songs -in Hindi of course, a 'message' by us and prayer. We asked if anyone would like us to pray for them and it was amazing how many people came for prayer for healing. The faith that people have if so inspiring, how there first protocol is to pray for healing, to continually pray till something happens, where we just pop on down to the docs and then if still feeling a tad off with our antibiotics in hand and then we limply ask that God would make us better, put us to shame, well me anyway. These woman who asked for prayer were so full of gratitude, there whole evening was just so humbling.

We had Indian church experience yesterday. Here on base they have a church that meets weekly, they usually get 70 kids every week form the neighboring slums, more kids than adults. These kids then tell there parents, then they start coming along. We were asked again to sing for the church -totally random - and then we went to help with the kids club. We did some more songs with actions, then told a bible story - David and the lions den - then off out side for tig. Playing tig outside in heat in over 40 degress centigrade wasn't such a good idea but it was fun all the same. That evening we were invited to attended at graduation ceremony for Lucknow theological collage with Brenda (our South African friend on the base - amazing retired nurse who has been here for several months), it was something else. The speakers really didn’t need a microphone, the decibels that they could reach were impressive, all in all the 4 and a bit hours ceremony that included 5 preachers was an experience !!

Lucknow is famous for its Tandori chicken so after we went to sample it -so good. Me and Hatch have been collecting recipes while we have been here- because we are sad like that - so thinking of having a big curry/OM night when were back...all invited of course!!

Today we were in the slums, we went with Brenda to do medical-ness (have become an honorary medic on the trip), we saw many a thing to say the least! At one point this older lady had been sitting don and was complaining of pain, her tummy seemed very distended, so got her to stand up and realised we were mistaken on what we thought it was...turned out she was just very well endowed and lets say very thing goes south in life...was very comical when we realised! Medics were in there element -I was drug administrator!

There has been so much more but I won’t bore you with it now!! All in all I think I can safely say that we all have been put out of our comfort zones while being here, from them asking us to do random songs at meetings or to preach at something or prayer for the sick we met (sofie in her element at this-I’m sure you can imagine!)

We are heading off this eve at 11 to catch the train to Varinassie, our first over night adventure on the Indian trains, praying that we wont have Delhi belly -you don’t want to know about the toilets on these bad boys !!

Hope you are all well,
all our Indian love.
Andrew, Ciara, Judith and Sophie