Electrical supply is sporadic at best.The sun seems to be playing the same game at this junction. No more sunset or sunrise picture taking either. Riding in the evenings on the scooter has changed from squinching up our eyes to avoid the midges, to scrunching up our eyes to keep out the rain drops. Though one thing that changes not… the people are still great.
We have moved to a new rented room... it has AC when the power is working, so that means we left our chordless kettle at Evershine, this is the first time my can opener has been larger than my kettle - not that we own such a large tin opener...
We are able to get amazing granadillas here.
They are just like one can get at home only nothing like that all*--*
I know, bit confusing but hey… hubalookmadam (as they say at the markets in Thailand)
We have hired a motorcycle. It’s the closest thing we are going to get to an aircon at this stage. At least while driving around we get to feel the stifling hot air move! It’s a great way to get around as we have experienced before.
The bike wala who hired out his bike was very friendly, didn’t ask for any papers or proof of where we were staying, nothing, nada, rien, and happily handed us the keys and directed us to the nearest (only ) petrol station to fill the tank. Go figure. Try that back in Sunny South Africa, mate and you’ll be looking for a new bike.
There are Catholic churches/chapels all over the place, in different states of disrepair and always locked. Sunday evening we saw people placing candles on the windowsills outside the doors and standing praying in front of the church. They are spotted like shrines around the area , sometimes crosses are adorned with faded garlands.
I don’t understand.
This is the view from our current place of residence - the crows wake us in the mornings....
The south of India is so different to where we have been so far. It seems more relaxed and slower paced. Old hippies congregate at the cafes and bars. Lost souls searching for who knows what in a place that sells all sorts and what not. From the good hashish, the kind from Afghanistan, not the Chinese rubbish I’m told, to Opium, the real good stuff –also hearsay. The whole of Goa used to be a Portuguese Colony, therefore for the most, it’s a catholic area. Sadly, the rest of India regards the druggies and dopers, drinkers and smokers as ‘Christian’. And have no reason to change their opinion.
Quite something.
This is our room, we don't have a television but we do have a huge kitchen clock to watch if we so choose...
Then there is beauty. Beauty in the simplicity of the people. The lady running the guest house, has been very good in supplying us with hot water for chai. We looked around to buy our own kettle only to discover that they were rather pricey in the local supermarket, mentioned it to our host who said she has one that previous guests left behind. When she brought us the chordless kettle, she was a little confused, saying that she thought it was coming apart, but maybe we would be able to figure out how to use it.
Well it dawned on me that she was boiling water in a pot on the stove for us, not sure yet whether the stove is electric or fire or gas…. But she had no idea on how to make use of the electric kettle….. now for a cup of chai!
Some more unusual sights to be found in this area.... did I mention on the way down this way I saw a cart being pulled by a CAMEL? The cows, dogs and goats seem to get preference on the roads... I figure the elephant would too, probably just due to its size....
This is a beach town, and sunset happens over the water...
The hotel we stayed in while in Benaris, was a pure eye opener. The air we breathed could be classified as a solid rather than a gas... the ash from the pyres swirled around us as we moved in our rooms. Breakfast was had to the accompaniment of bells - to waken the gods - and smoke drifting in off the river bank - to flavour the meal.... what an amazing experience. Being Burned on the Ganga River and Ashes fed to the Mother River, is a sure way to to stop the Cycle of birth and rebirth to these people. The destination of choice is Varanasi to those who are dying, old or infirm and fortunate enough to have the money to travel... Gratefully, we camp on grace.
Few people escape the fires... babies - innocent.
people with leprosy - they are deemed pure, the reasoning is that they cannot do harm, as they are unable to steal and run away - go figure.
And then there are those who die from snake bites - these are supposed to already be purified by the poison of the snake, which is a god too...
Then there are those who have already died to self. Renunciates too avoid the flames, as they went through a rtualistic version of the fires... they get tied to a flat stone, loosely tied mind you and get taken out to the river and dropped into it - fish food, honestly.
I just pass on what I learned, I don't claim to believe or understand this at all.
Work team finally got themselves into gear….. no not true, we have all been pretty busy. We just somehow feel as if we need to perform more, but we seem to tend to forget that God is doing His own work… in us! Ji ji ji, we know this with our heads, but the heart is another matter completely.
When any operation takes place, in a surgery for example, there is going to be some pain, but in the long run, things get fixed and are better…. Right now, some of us are under the knife in the surgeon’s hand, and pain is, well as pain is. To say that God is at work in and among us would be an understatement.
We are at real peace here in the Ashram though, and sometimes we forget that we are in Varanasi and as soon as we step out from under this wing, it hits us – hard! There is an incredible amount of peace around us, and a sincerity and gentleness in the people.
The view gets interrupted by death regularly. Corpses burn upon the smoking pyres outside our hotel day and night. Smoke sometimes stings our eyes, as we focus on the amount of love God has for these people. Dollops of dung decorate the streets as do bells on young girls’ ankles.
Chocolate eyes ringed in kohl, stare at us from babies faces. Red spit on the cobbles marks the time spent with friends, betel-nut is abundant. And in all this colour abounds. Singing prevails in the early morning air, while mothers dip their babies in the chunky waters of the River. Fathers lead their sons in ceremony as the sun rises above the Great Mother.
The train will be our mode of transport to return to Delhi…another “interesting” experience.Chai wallas and more sprinkle their wares along the compartments, the aroma of Tikka Mirche Alloo garam teases us from the passing platforms and all this breathes India.
The natives speak Hindi so well! All around me they spout off and with absolutely no effort at all! My vocab is increasing, sure, but I am no where even close to the youngest speaker in this country! A three year old speaks better than I do, sigh…
Diwali was spent at the Ashram with SwamiJi, and it was something to behold. Very interesting indeed. We needed to get outfits for the occasion, we were told the night before, and thought we would get something cheap and off the peg for the event, only to discover cheap and off the peg was not an option for these westerners. Our size has a lot to do with it!
Eventually, after a lot of running around, fabric seduction – silk which we graciously declined- we were measured and ready to go home….Home is a place on the Ganga River… where the ashes off the cremation pyres drift in through our windows, where monkeys fight with you on your balcony, where the neighbours sleep on their rooftops accompanied by goats and chickens… where firebomb crackers split the air at irregular intervals… and where the people are friendly…
Teamwise, there are some interesting dynamics taking place. We are able o see the hand of God at work. We are thrilled to be experiencing this country, even though the poverty and filth is so in our faces. What scares me the most is because there is simply so much poverty and filth and spiritual death around us, we could start to take it as the way things should be. The task being so huge that to change anything of real significance would be an utter waste of time, so then we might try to accept more easily what we see as being right…. Hmmmm, I wonder if this makes any sense at all.
Till next connection….and thank you for your prayers.
It is with joy that I write from home the of Biryani and chai, mango lassi and tandoori chicken, colour and dust. The contrasts in the space of two seconds is breath taking, not necessarily in a good way either. Open urinals litter alternate street corners, while a chai vendor shares one of those littered walls. Dogs lay around all day, their senses non existent, numbed by the hustle and constant noise. Cows own the roads, 'roads', like the word ‘hotel’ is freely thrown around. And has absolutely nothing in common with what you would imagine.
Spiritually we see the poverty, punctuated with the physical proof. The life here is ‘in your face’, one is unable to be unaffected by it. When beggars start tugging at you, asking for ‘one rupee – for rice’ or blocking your way as you pray whilst walking the streets, one is strangely human and shakes them off, trying to forget they are there, and thereby wondering who are you really here for? Who am I praying for? What am I doing here in the first place?
Deflated I start praying some more, praying that God would raise up honorable men, honorable fathers and leaders in their households.
...at 03h35...
yawn! What a trip, plane not too full from JHB to Doha....then we got what it feels like to be a sardine for the next four hours! India welcomed us with open arms, I could tell, as she hasm't used deoderant in a while....
Early morning as it was, the bustle had already begun for the day. the air already chewable and the assault om our ears relentless...
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Woke up and went for dinner, missed the final train of the night - tuk tuk amd nore sleep...
Two of us leave tomorrow morning, other team mates leave on Friday and still others leave on Saturday! Time are few, with lots to do. Rita managed to complete the year Financial Year End just in time. Granny celebrates her 84th birthday today, so we tootled off for breakfast this morning too. Jean-Pierre has a quick unexpected trip to the dentist and Rita a badly planned/timed hair appointment this afternoon. Sometime in between and / or after we need to consider the 'packing' thing!
Its getting close to departure time! India is waiting... or would that be India lies in wait? hmmm, final pre-trip briefing in just a few days. We all have 'assignments' to do to help prepare us for the trip. Too much to do with the amount of days remaining. Booklets are done though.
On the home front – Summer is here with a bang! It is amazing to see how quickly things change with the new season – suddenly there is colour in the laundry basket.There is colour inthe streets and gardens, let’s just say the near future is bright!
On the work front – Still much coaching is happening, and lives are changing around us. It is wonderful to see how God has a plan for each one of us in His Kingdom. Financial Year Endis this month which is a first for the New Kingdom Encounters as its own PBO. We are officially one year old standing on our own, no longer just a Ministry Project of World Outreach. Though we are still related to World Outreach.
We are planning, God willing, to take a team of people to India in the month of October. This is an exposure trip and prayer journey. There will be nine of us all in all, please could you pray that the organizing and planning goes smoothly. And pray too that God would meet each one of us in a special way while out there.
Jean-Pierre taught two sessions of “A Taste of Missions” at Bryanston Methodist Churchin September and it was wonderful to experience the changed lives from just those two sessions. Please pray that the seeds planted would bear much fruit in God’s Kingdom.
On the youngstas front – Dorianne is still at uni working hard on her final subject which will get her the Diploma she has been working so hard towards. Jordan Starts his first round of term tests this week even though the lecturers were striking for the first week or two of term. Micaela smiles, though admittedly she is getting more and more frail. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.
Thank God for His strength and grace
We still praise him for good health and warmer days.
We stand in awe to see how He goes before us, and even more thrilled that He wants relationship with us.
Thank you so much for praying that the finances for the tickets to India would come in, it did.
We continue to pray that God’s hand is oh, so very visible in your daily life.
I have just gone through a rather amazing experience. I signed up to attend a course that would enable me to acquire languages. To be able to test the system completely I needed to choose a course in one of the African indigenous languages. I chose Zulu. I had no intention of learning to speak Zulu. Didn't particularly want to learn Zulu. Never thought Zulu was for me.... etc. etc.
One month after our first classroom session, I was making new friends. One month after our first classroom session, I greet Zulu people in Zulu One month after our first classroom session, I greet Zulu people in Zulu and they understand me. Six weeks after our first classroom session and two hands on days in Alexandra, my new friends are sure that I am serious about learning their language. At the end of each day, one or two more words added to my vocab empowers me. It sets me apart. It strengthens my belief in myself and in the people around me. And... I am starting to understand what people are saying around me.... what a Month!!!
Yesterday... At gym I enquired of an Indian Lady whether she knew enough Hindi to be one of my helpers. As I only know two words. Greeted a Chinese gentleman in Chinese, spoke both English and Afrikaans to people on the phone. French was practiced in the parking lot when I parked my car and Zulu practiced in the grocery store, on the way home, in my car... my music is Italian....
On the home front – Its warming up again, getting ready for an African Summer and all that… Right!
Okay that was a little enthusiastic, everyone who knows anything about the weather, will know that by mid September we are able to start thinking about Spring. Alas, the days are warmer at the moment. The picture just below is the first tree to give any indication of a change in seasons… but she says nothing yet… sigh.
On the work front – Regarding ministry, we had a ‘break through moment’ last Saturday evening.We launched the first Starting Point section of the course Passage to Purpose. It was very well received and now the admin for this begins with a bang. We are excited to see God’s hand in all phases of our lives and ministry. He is so apparent. Now the next phase is to ‘clean up’ what we have developed and move further to the next stage of the course. We did a trial run only and will still let you know when the ‘real thing’ happens. The energy levels are high and the team’s enthusiasm is contagious, so we expect lots to get done in the next month or so.
Plans are underway to lead a team to India during the month of October.Many have booked and paid for their tickets, but others have not as yet.
The KE Board got together for another meeting, things are starting to move along nicely. More people are taking up responsibility for different areas, meaning that the whole ministry is not just dependant on Jean-Pierre and Rita. It is a good place to be.
The KE Mission Fellowship is just over a year old. More thrilling still, is that it functions well without any Dutrieuxs. This is refreshing to say the least, previously, when we have been away for whatever reason, activity on the base has come to a screeching ‘slow down’ if not quite a stop. Praise God for that.
On the youngstas front – Dorianne is still at uni working hard on her final subject which will get her the Diploma she has been working so hard towards. Jordan is on a term break at the moment, though as of next week he will be pushing his handyman business hard. He has finished with two N6 subjects now, having just done his exams. Micaela smiles. She seems fine, she has not gone to hospital this winter with lung problems like pneumonia etc., which is a huge achievement!So we are grateful that God has His hand there too.
Thank God for His strength and grace
We still praise him for good health and warmer days.
We stand in awe to see how He goes before us, and even more thrilled that he wants relationship with us.
Please pray that the finances needed for the trip to India come through in sufficient time.
We are thankful for the impact that the course is having lives so far.
We continue to pray that God’s hand is oh, so very visible in your daily life.
