I was wishing, and hoping, and thinking, and praying!

Well here is another installment of the life of Mel.  I have had a lot on my plate lately, and a few days I ago I felt extremely overwhelmed.  I did not have a job, I had lots of homework, and a play to direct.  I just felt like everything was crumbling around me.  I just keep wishing and hoping that something would change or get better.

I found myself sitting in my friends house just crying about everything.  That day I had had two interviews for jobs and they had both gone terrible!  I just did not see how anything would be getting better anytime soon.  I was thinking that I might as well just give up and run back to Oklahoma with my tail between my legs.

I started praying and had others praying as well.  That is one thing that I love about this school, people will just stop and pray with you no matter what is happening.  Sometimes they will even pray in other languages(because they are international students), which just makes me so excited for some weird reason.  We were all praying that something would happen that good would come!

I came home from church on Sunday, and felt a little better.  Classes were officially done til January 7th, and all I had left to do was write 3 papers.  I had already started one, and was making good progress on another.  I walked in my front door, set all my stuff down, and then decided to check my phone.  I had apparently missed a call, which I get excited when I have a call, because I do not get them often!  I listened to the voice mail that was left...and it was from Office Max(aka one of the terrible interview), they wanted me to come in to do the background check and the drug test!  Now I am still wishing, and hoping, and thinking, and praying that I get this job!  If I did it would be one of the best options for me right now.

Once I hear anything I will try to post it! For now I just have one more paper to write, and it is not due til tomorrow!  I am just glad that things are starting to possible look positive, and that there is a way to make it through life here another day!

Interesting Title Here

Hey all,
   Sorry for the lack of a good title.  My brain does not seem to want to function.  It is now week 9 of the quarter we only have one week left!  Then there is finals week.  I am amazed how fast this quarter went.  I though it would be like Undergrad that quarters took forever to get over.  Here things are just so fast paced that the quarter ends so soon.  Also since we are on the quarter system, I will come back from Christmas break and be taking all new classes.

These last few week have been great but busy.  I am getting to direct a play here on campus, and I am so excited! I am directing The Actors Nightmare by Christopher Durang.  It is a funny script that I have actually been in while I was at UCO.  So I have been trying to get ready for that and start having rehearsals.  I have also been getting projects for classes turned in, and now all I really have left is one more normal paper and 3 final papers.  I am actually ahead on one of my finals(which is totally not normal for me).

Then I have decided to try to get sick.  I have a wonderful stopped up nose and sore throat.  I am trying to sleep it off as much as I can but it is not always working.  Hopefully it will not get much worse.  I am not wanting to be sick during the Holidays.

On the job front I have had 2 interviews this week with 2 very different jobs.  I am just waiting on the Lord to provide.  I just don't always have the patience.   I just get worried about not having enough money for something, and I try to scheme something new.  I have to remember that the Father is in control and he knows where the money and things are going to come from.

One thing that I am super excited about is the fact that the Webster Family is coming to visit from Oklahoma!  I have been trying to get everything ready for them.  I am very excited to see some people from home!

Well I am going to go! I think I need to try to work on at least one of my papers soon.  Thank you so much for reading my blog, and for all of your support!  I really wish I could tell you all enough how much I appreciate all of you!

Fun and Stress all at once

So lately life has been a total mix of fun and stress.  I felt like I was going crazy, but was told by other that I am completely normal!  I was feeling really good, and thought that I was completely on top of things.  Then one day it hit how I was really behind.  So I was rushing around trying to catch up.  After that of course everything that came up just made me more stressed.  I had 2 paper due, a group project, tons of reading, and auditions this week alone.  I have felt that I was sooo disconnected with people and life in general.  I just want everything to be normal.  I thankfully was given an extension on one of the papers so I am feeling a little less stressed.  I am also still trying to find work, but that is just not happening.

So that it does not sound like I am a Debbie Downer I also want to share what awesome things have happened these past few weeks.  With money I have been stressing that I have not had a job.  I had not shared it will tons of people here in California.  I had just realized the other day that I scheduled auditions on the same day that I was suppose to be babysitting for a school event.  I was mad that I was not going to get that money.  As I walked back to my house I saw some thing sitting on my front porch.  When I got up to my door there was a box full of groceries.  I just got so excited that someone had been so wonderful to give me some food.  Then I open my door and I find a card.  I thought that it was just going to be a card saying who left it.  Instead it was a card with money inside.  I have no idea who gave it or where it came from but that person blessed me soooo much.  Then I had been hired forever ago to work as a substitute teacher for a support group here on campus.  I had never been called in, but I have now been called in twice now.  Also there is a family that I have been babysitting for that wants me to keep doing it for another 3 weeks.  I know that I have been so worried about money, but I should have remembered that the Lord has me.

On the fun front, I have gotten to spend lots of time with some wonderful people here.  The other day we went to the beach, and just enjoyed each others conversations.  We had a chance to encourage, and to be encouraged.

Well that is life right now, and I am just waiting to see what happens in the next few weeks.  I know that things may not happen just how I wanted them to ie get a job, but I am going to keep reminding myself that my plans never work.

Time sure flies when you are having fun or working hard

Well it does not seem like I should be saying this, but I am now 1/2 way through my first quarter of Grad school.  I did not think I would see this day this quickly.  I know that for some people time has not moved that fast.  You might be saying to yourself, well she has not been gone that long.  To me it feel like forever that I have been gone.  I think I have finally gotten past the honeymoon phase of moving to California and started realizing this is where I live.  I have loved getting to explore things around the area and hope to discover even more.

Classes: My classes have been great! I find myself walking out of every class having to wrestle with new ideas.  None of them in a bad way, just having to think hard about them.  I have been loving the challenge of work here.  I am not feeling overwhelmed, but just challenged.  I am constantly having to stay on my toes with my homework load, and balancing that with some social time. Let face it if I did not have some social time I might internally combust.  This week alone I had to write 3 papers, organize a group project, read a ton of pages, and work on final topics for 2 classes.  I keep seeing the Father provide time for all of this.

Work:  I have been looking for a job since before I even came to Pasadena.  I have yet to find one!  This has been one of my main frustrations and moment of crying out to my Father.  I have applied everywhere and anywhere(with in reason).  I have had interviews , but nothing yet.  I had one interview on Thursday, and they said that they were really interested in hiring me.  They just have to wait for HR to process all my documents...including a credit check....now I don't know if you have this problem, but my credit is not the greatest to say the lest.  So now I am asking that my credit will be OK enough to make it for this job.  It is an on campus job, the hours are great, the pay is good, and I don't have to work during finals week.  So now I am just waiting to hear back from them hopefully in a week or two.

Church: The church I have been going to has been great.  They have made sure that someone picks me up for all the services that I would like to attend.  They have really been a big encouragement.  I have not been able to get involved with their small groups but I hope to this week.  I am just excited to try and get some more faith family here in California.  I am also thinking about volunteering in their children's ministry.  I have felt a little weird going and not feeling like there was something that I can do.  I know that they are in need of people so hopefully I can help fill that need.

Social Life:  The Almighty has been kind to me in this aspect.  He has been bringing people around me that are truly amazing and I am loving getting to know them.  I hope that these friendships made will be carried over to the field.  I love just getting to sit and listen to the passions and desires that these people have for our Father.  They all strive hard after their desires.  I have loved getting encouraged and getting to encourage these lovely people.  I think that if I had not found them(if God had not brought them) then I would have already been running home with my tail between my legs.

Thank you all for your prayers and support.  I know that I have not been great at keeping in contact, but you saw my work load :D I hope that this post finds you well. I ask blessing on all of you.  

Catching Up!

This last week I felt like I was playing catch up.  I got behind one day of studying, and now I feel a bit behind.  I know that it sounds dumb but with the amount of work we have to do one day can kill you.  I did not just waste that day. I was applying for jobs.  The job scene here is not great. Everything on campus takes forever to get, and all the off campus stuff is just as hard.  They know they can get the perfect fit if they wait long enough, and they don't have to settle.  This makes things frustrating, but I know my Father will provide. It is just waiting on him(which as some of you know I am not good at).  I have a great community here, because so many have said that if I need things then they will help out.  In fact there is a family that is letting me borrow some furniture so that I do not have to buy it.  It is even nice Ikea leather furniture. Once I get it then I will take some pictures.  I have loved that I have found a supportive community here at school!  It has made a world of difference for me.  I have also loved the church I am going to.  It reminds me a bit of Highland.  I actually found out that they have a church from their same organization in Norman...It is Antioch Church.  I was kinda excited to hear that.  I keep finding these great connection back to home.  This church is soo big on community, and love to support and encourage each other in word/deed.  I have had someone pick me up for any church event I would like to go to so that I don't have to walk.  Which is nice, because walking to the church takes 1hr.  I have also found the Fuller Co., which is the theatre club on campus.  We are working on producing at least 1-2 plays this year.  I have loved the idea of getting to do theatre again, but from a Christian perspective.

For now I am just playing catch up and waiting on God.  Hopefully I will get to see him move in mighty was in getting me a job.  I know that He has the perfect plan for me.  I just pray that I have the strength to wait it out.  Please feel free to message me at mel.s.chambers@gmail.com or if you would like to mail me letters my address is 130 N Los Robles #6, Pasadena, CA 91101.  Thank you all for your support and care!

One down...so many more to go!!!!!!!

So the first week of school has ended.  I am so excited about my classes, and the professors that are teaching them.  I can not wait to see how much I am going to learn in these classes.  But before I get to much into classes let me tell you about orientation the week before.

Orientation:
This week was soo much fun.  We had so many times to hang out and get to know other new students.  We even got to have breakfast with President of the seminary.  I do have to say the best times were just getting to hang out with the other people in my program.  We all have very interesting stories, and histories of ministry.  I actually got to meet someone that has lived in the same city in China that I lived in a few years back.  It was nice to be able to talk about the city again.  Our department actually even did a scavenger hunt in Downtown LA.  Then I have also found a great church.  They have been awesome, and love to support their community.  I am hoping to get involved with them in some way sooner or later.

1st week of classes:
I am taking 3 classes which in Grad school that is full time.  So I will be super busy.  I am taking an Introduction to New Testament, Theology and Arts, and a Globalization, Poor, and Christian Mission class.  The New Testament class is a basic overview of how to study scripture and break it down.  The theology and arts class is a class looking at how to mash theology and the arts together.  We are looking at the history and methods of making that work.  The Globalization, Poor, and Christian Mission class is looking at what Globalization is and how it is affecting the poor.  Then with that how we as Christian should be supporting the poor.  All of my classes have been great. They have tons of writing and TONS of reading.  This week alone I had to read about 300 pgs.  That seems to be the norm here so this should be fun.  I have no papers due this next week but I have 2, 4-5 pg papers due next week.  I am going to really work on scheduling my time well.

Some things to be praying for are:
A job!!! I have not been able to find a job yet and just keep waiting on God to provide something.  I know that he will provide, but I just have to be willing to wait for the right thing to come.

Developing good friendships.  In this adventure of seminary everyone keeps saying that the friendships you make here are some of the strongest things that help you grow.  Since you can shoot ideas off each other and  for iron to sharpen iron.

Also for my studies. That what I am learning in class will sink in. That as I am working on papers that God will just help me write the proper information.

Let the madness begin!

So today is officially the first day of orientation for school.  I don't have much to do today since most of the session have to do with international students.  I do have a cool dessert Jazz concert tonight to go to, and then tomorrow starts meeting all day for the rest of the week.  I am kinda excited. I did not end up going to my undergrad orientation(was suppose to but got bored) but people have told me that this is not something to miss.  I am very excited to see and meet a ton of people. Since school is not in session right now the campus has been a bit dead.

I have gotten to meet some people this last week! I got invited to the beach with about 50-60 other Fullerites.  We got out there at like 4pm and then some stayed til the beach closed at like 10pm.  It was a bit awkward at first since I did not know anyone, but everyone was super sweet and talked to me like crazy.  They all wanted to hear about India, and even Oklahoma.  They all thought it was funny that this was one of the few times I had ever been to the beach in my life.  We all brought some food out and had a giant BBQ.  At one point some other girls and myself walked down to the water, and after about 20 mins headed back up to our tent...to find that most everyone was gone...we were very confused.  Then we look to our left where there is some music coming from...and lo and behold there was most of our group having an impromptu worship session with a group from another Christian University...then a group from a church came over till we had like 100-150 people standing on the beach together singing worship to God in different languages.  It was really cool to see it all happen.  Before we all left the beach we made sure to pray for this new school year, and that God would bless us.

Then yesterday I went to church....now I know what you are thinking of course you did...a bunch of us did...but I walked to church...it took me 1hr to walk to church.  I had heard of this great church online that I have been dying to try even before I came.  I was not feeling good last week so I decided to not go, but this week I had to get there.  After my walk I finally find the church and it was great! Everyone was super friendly and really excited about serving.  I loved getting to hang with them, and they even made sure I had a ride home so that I did not have to walk(the ride home took 5 mins).

Last night we had a community event to get to the people that live around us.  People got up and performed any talents they might have and lots of people brought some baked goods for food.  It was lots of fun. Most of the people that came out I had already met but it was nice just to hang with them.

Then today like I said I have the dessert thing, but then tomorrow I think I actually have stuff from like 8:30 am-7 pm.  I am ready for things to get going but also super nervous.

Below I am going to post some pictures from the beach.  I got some great ones of the sun setting.  Thanks for reading this, and thanks for all your support!!!!!!

Start of the Worship Session

1 week down...a ton more to go

Well I'm back.  I am living in California going to Seminary.  If you had not heard I did make it back safe and sound from India.  I really surprised my mom...who did not know that I was coming home 3 days early. Here is a video of my mom seeing me for the first time in almost a year...I do have to laugh that one of the first things she says to me is that I have a nose piercing.




Well now I am at school in Pasadena. I actually live like 2 block from where the Rose Bowl Parade happens.  So maybe I will get to see it in person this year.  I will try to hold a sign telling my mom I am on TV.  Well like I said I am going to seminary.  I am going to be studying Intercultural Studies with an emphasis in Theology and the Arts.  I actually get to enroll in classes at noon tomorrow.  I can not wait.  Then one week from Monday we start new student orientation then the fun of classes begins.  It will be interesting trying to get back into the swing of studying and writing papers again.  I have loved getting here early to have time to explore the city.  Pasadena is very pretty...I keep wanting to take picture of the city but I don't want to look like a tourist.  But I have been taking pictures of the school   I will post them below if you want to see them  I am going to try to keep posting on here, but know that it might be a bit random when I get to post.  This is Grad school and I will by typing my fingers to the bone trying to get papers done.  This school does not work on semesters...they do quarters so each class only gets 10 weeks to get all the info in.  This will be fun!!!!!!!!!  Well I will post the pictures then I should most likely go to bed. Thank you all for your support and if you would like to also get email update about once a month then feel free to email me at mel.s.chambers@gmail.com and I will add you to the list.

Jesus Statue

Prayer Garden

One of Fuller's Office buildings

Main strip of campus

Front of my housing building

My front door

Another Post

Hello All!

  So here is another post from Mel.  It has been too long since my last post, but it seems that every time I tried to get onto here the schools/my computer would block it.  So again and as I seem to say in most post...sorry for the delay.

Life here at school has been crazy!!!!  Today was the last official day of school.  All of the students besides a very small handful have all left.  These past few weeks have been a bit of an adventure.

It is weird to think that by the end of this month I will be sitting in my house in the US.  My roommate and I were talking about that just the other day.  It does not seem like it has been a year since I left for India, with no idea about what I would be doing.  Now that my time here is drawing to a close I have to look back and reflect on the things I did.  I can honestly say that I have very very few regrets about any of it, and that I would love to do it all over again!

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog as I have posted about my life here, and I am sure that there maybe at least one more post before I am home.  I cannot wait to see you all and I am ready for some really big hugs when I see you!

-Mel

Slowing Down

So life here has been slowing down...not because the school is slowing down, but I am.  So sit back and enjoy the story of how Mel got crutches!

So it all started about 1 week ago....(blur into flash back) I was playing football with some of the students when I stepped down wrong on my left leg and felt a small pop...I knew this pop from when I was a cheerleader, and knew that it could mean nothing but bad.  But did I stop playing or tell the students that something was wrong...of course not so I kept playing...when the game was over I hobbled up to my flat trying to hide that my leg kinda hurt.

Then it started feeling a little better. I was icing it and trying to rest(but I am not very good at it).  Then came Saturday. My dorm was going on a trek to a peak called Snowden.  I thought that I would be ok, and told my dorm parents that I would be there rain or shine.  Well we got into this trek for about 30 mins and I felt that same little pop...I still had about 2 hrs up the mountain, and about 2 hrs down the mountain.  I did not tell anyone till we were about 30 mins from the top.  Then it became obvious that it was not feeling good since I was limping.  I had to finish the walk off before I could do anything.  In this time I also had to fight off a cow for one of my little girls.  It kept coming at her, and finally I grabbed it by the horns and led it away from the little one.  Then when I finally got down I got some ice on my knee and rested it...for about 2 hrs...then it was time for more football(I think I am getting addicted).

So I went out and got a lesson on how to kick and shoot the ball.  It was fun but my knee started hurting again.

I did not want to go tell Hoz, but they found out of course.  They told me to rest it and ice it.  Well I hate having to sit and do nothing, so I just limped/walked around on it since Saturday.

Then today came...I was sitting down resting my knee just like Hoz told me to.  When one of the nurses came and asked how it was.  I told her it was still hurting, and she said that it should not be if I was resting it.  I told her it was impossible to rest it here at school(the whole school is up and down stairs).  Then she said the one thing I had been dreading...Well then I think you need CRUTCHES.  I asked her if it was an order...she smiled then told me to ask the Father how I should take care of myself and then decide if it was an order.  So now I have crutches...I hate them...and am asking the Father to fix my knee soon so that I can get rid of the crutches.

What's that dizzy feeling...oh it's vertigo!

So this week has been spent spinning!  I never ever want to have vertigo again, and Deb sorry for ever making fun of you for having it when we were kids.  I HATED feeling dizzy constantly.  I used to stay off merry-go-rounds so that I would not feel like this, but now I get it every day.  Thankfully the spinning is starting to go away.  I have been very luck with this vertigo, because some of the other staff were telling me their stories...lets just say not eating for like 3 weeks or puking every time they moved. I was at least still able to function day to day.

Well that is enough about Vertigo...just talking about it is making my head spin.  This weekend was pretty laid back.  I slept in for the first time in a long time.  I have been getting up around 6 or 7 am every morning, but on Saturday I slept til like 10 am.  I was planning on just staying in bed, but one of the other staff members came into my room and jumped on me.  She told me that I need to get up and be a human.  So I finally did get up, and walked into town.  I have decided to try to learn how to play football for real, and not just run around like a crazy person.  So I commissioned some of the 13s boys to help me buy a football(I know that it should not be hard, but things here are not always as they seem).  They found me a pretty blue and red one.  Now as soon  I stop spinning completely I am going to start practicing! BRANDON you better be ready to play a lot when I get back in June.  Then later on Saturday I got to be a judge for the Std 11 talent show.  I got to play the brash American(I wonder how I got pick for that) judge.  It was soooo much fun.  I actually got pulled up on stage to sing, and do the splits since they were all performing.  The performances were great.  Some of them were just so funny, and some of them were just amazing.  One group was just two girl and a guitar.  They mashed up like 12 songs, and did it all in perfect harmony.  It was so hard to pick a winner.  In the end we pick the top 3 and they all won the prize.

Then church was today.  Wow is all I can say.  First off I decided to wear my new shoes I bought aka 5" stilettos. (not a smart plan since there is no level ground here)  Then I got to church and the music was just amazing, and when we were waiting to finish the song one person began just to cry out to the Father, and then another, and another...it was just amazing!  The message was just purely the gospel nothing more or less.  It is just nice to be reminded sometimes of what the Son went through because of the Father's love for us.  I hope that I never forget any of the passion the Father has for me and his people.  

And the world keeps spinning.

Well I guess it is time for another installment of Mel's blog.

So this last week has been a bit stressful!  First I got called into the Principal's office.  I don't think I have ever really been called into the Principal's office in my whole life.  I was super nervous.  Basically I got in trouble for something that had happened a few days before(sorry I can't give details).  After that I was so nervous that I was going to do something else to get into trouble.  So I spent the whole week trying to be perfect, and not mess up at all.

Then also last week I was told that it was very unlikely that I would be able to stay on as staff here at Hebron.  I was a little crushed at first, but now I am ok. I know that the father has the perfect plan for me, and that I should not worry.

Then we had the school Swimming Gala.  I have never been to one, and I had sooooo much fun.  I got to sit right next to the pool to keep kids from walking past the pool during a race.  I know that it does not sound super stressful, but it is when you are trying to control 60 kids close to you.

Then the fun began.  On Sunday I started feeling a little dizzy and nauseous, but I thought I might have just been on the swing here at school to long.  So I just sluffed it off.  Then Monday came around and all the IG girls went shopping for saris.  I have now bought 4 saris and plan to wear one of them one Sunday when I am back at church.  Then we had lunch, and the dizziness and nausea came back.  I thought I had not had enough water so we came back up to school and chill.  After drinking water I still felt weird so I went to Hoz to let them know about it.  They checked my blood pressure and it was 160/110(for those who do not know 120/80 is normal).  The nurses were a little worried, so they scheduled me an appointment with the Doctor.  I slept at Hoz, and in the morning they took my BP again and it was 146/100.  They had me just stay as calm as possible, and I waited for my appointment.  Finally the time came to go to the doctor.  I went back to the same hospital my friend had been to.  After waiting for almost a hour and having to make a few people mad to push in I finally see the doctor.  He checks me out and of course my BP is back to normal 127/70.  He has me do some things and then proudly announces it is vertigo, and he will give me shot to make it better and some tablets.  But he also wants me to do some testing to check for other things.  So I have to get all these test done.  One of the test was a ECG...well lets just say their machine was old school.  To put the leads on my they use suction cups...yes you read that right...SUCTION CUPS!!!  I was like WHAT?!?!  Now I just have to wait till the meds kick in to stop feeling like this, so that means no exercising or anything that might make me lose my balance more than I already am from being dizzy.  Which kinda makes me sad since I have been learning to play Football(soccer).  Last week I played like 4 times.  Well now I guess I need to rest, and try to get better.  Thanks all for reading about my crazy life, and the weird things that happen to me.  I hope you all have a great day, and know that I think of you often! 

Let the Final Scene Begin!

Well it is the start of the LAST term of the year.  I am sitting outside of the dorm waiting for all my little angels to get back from holiday.  I can not believe that I have already been in India for almost a year.  This next term will be filled I am sure with excitement but also goodbyes.  If I do end up staying at the school then the goodbyes would not be as bad, but if I am leaving it is going to be very hard!

All of the students have become like little brothers and sisters.

I remember when I first came to Hebron everyone said to be careful since this place gets into your blood and under your skin.  I thought they were just joking, but it is soo true.  The thought of leaving this place sometimes makes me really sad.  I think about my little girls in the dorm that I have literally put my blood sweat and tears into them, and I think about what will I do when I am not here to see if they are ok or if they need something.  I feel like their mom sometimes.  For most of the students that I feel like I have to look after them  They are all so young.

Part of me is hoping that I will get to stay.  I could see myself working here for a while if they would have me.  If not then I know the Father has other plans for me.

There are a few things that I would really ask you to talk to the father about on my behalf. One is for good conversations about the Father with students.  Many of the students here do not know dad yet, but I have been able to share some with them.  Second that I would be a good example of how to live for the father.  I know that I will make mistakes, but that I will live the best life I can so that show them the father's love.  Also just for good times with all of the people that I have learned to love here.

Another Couple of Weeks Gone By

I am currently on Mid-Term break...I thought I was going to spend it alone, but some of my lovely A-Level girls(aka seniors) offered to let me tag along with them today to visit Bangalore.  I love that

things like this happen here at the school.  At other school it would be totally looked down upon for a staff to go on holiday with students, but here no one thinks it is weird at all.

Lately things have been very crazy trying to finish off the term right.  This week was parents week, so all of the parents were on campus every day of the week watching everything we did.  We had a really big Student Council Event that got rain and hailed on.  I had been outside setting a maze up most of the day, and then it was destroyed in about 20 mins.  The poor Student Council Presidents were so stressed I think they wanted to rip their hair out.  But they pulled it together and put on one amazing event.  The theme was Brazil, and each dorm came dressed as a dorm so we had Amazon Women, Clowns, Tourist, and many many more. Then we also had a sports day.  The students here are amazing.  The kids who were just dominating at sports day are also the ones who are amazing artist.  This school is really good at pushing kids to be the good at everything and not just sports or just arts.  For the high jump was actually had a kid clear 172 cm (which is almost 5' 8").  I actually got to "coach" a cheer squad for the sports day.  In my eyes it looked horrible, but since the majority of the school had never seen cheer squads they were very very impressed. One staff member said that it might become a new Hebron tradition.

 Now I know you are going to think I am crazy...because I was all excited to go to Seminary...well I keep having this weird feeling like I am suppose to stay on at the school.  I have a meeting soon with the principals wife to try to see if there would be an option for me to stay.  I just wish I could see the Father's plans laid out on a blueprint.  That would just make life soooo much easier.  There are just so many things to consider in this choice...I just hate that it is sooo hard.  I will keep you updated on that front as much as I can.

Some things you can talk to the Father is for health(a lot of the
students and staff are hitting that breaking point, one student had to be ordered to bed from being so exhausted/stressed), wisdom as the school bring on new staff for next year, and that the next semester will glorify the almighty.

 -Mel
 PS I know I have been really bad about updating my blog but I will try harder.

Interesting Weekend/Week...

So Mysore was INTERESTING!!!!!  On the way there I saw a very rare animal...it was a flying elephant!!!!

Just Joking!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I actually did not get to go to Mysore.  I spent the weekend being sick.  Everyone else got sick earlier in the week, but I got the bug late! My bug was not as bad as everyone else, but I just felt super nauseous and had a low fever off and on.  So I spent my Saturday watching sport...Cricket and girls Field Hockey.  Our school invited another school from about 10 hrs away to come play matches against our teams. We won both the matches.  I would tell you the cricket score but most of you do not watch/care about cricket so I will not bore you.  In hockey we had 2 of our team and 2 of their teams playing against each other and we took 1st and 4th.


Then on Sunday I was feeling much better!!!! So I went to church and we had 2 baptisms.  They were my first to see in India and they were great.  The 2 people that were getting baptized were the sermons of the day.  They got up and gave their testimonies in front of the whole church.  Then once the service was done we went out back to a small cement bath in the back filled with some really brown nasty water.  They did the traditional asking of questions to the person then dunked them.  As they came up we sang

 "Lord, I give You my heart

I give You my soulI live for You aloneEvery Breath I takeEvery moment I'm awakeLord, have Your way in me"
After both people had been dunked we had our Lord's Supper together outside around the bath.  I loved the atmosphere, and the excitement that was there from people getting baptized.
Since I was feeling better I decide to have a BBQ.  So me and my roomie got some ground beef, and veggies so we could grill.  We made some great burgers, and got to hang with some of the Std 13 boys since they wanted to cook on our fire as well.
The week went on pretty smooth for most of the week until yesterday...I was having a Choreography Club practice.  My part of the club is doing Cheerleading...I know it may come as a shock but most of these kids have never seen cheerleaders except in movies....It surprised me sooooo much, but on with the story. So I was doing a stunt practice with a group of girls after school, so lots of people were out and about on campus.  I had picked an out of the way spot so that no one would try anything we were doing with out talking to me first.  So we were doing single man stunts with me hold the girl by myself.  Well....Things went a little wonkie sooo I was trying to bring her down, but her foot got stuck in my top.  I was wearing a white V-neck shirt, aka a guys undershirt from Wal-Mart.  Well when her foot got stuck in ripped my shirt.  I thought it was just a shoulder rip...well to my surprise it ripped from the V to my belly button.  So there I am standing with my shirt ripped open, and not realizing that I am flashing anyone looking.  Thankfully the spot I picked was out of the way, but one guy was standing close by.  I talked to him later and he said that he did not really see anything, and he walked away quickly.  So that has been my week so far.
This weekend is the SC event.  The theme is Brazil.  I still do not know what I am wearing, but I do know that I am performing 3 times... Twice singing and the last doing a dance with some staff members.  Then next week is Parents Weeks, so almost the whole school's parent body will be here for a bunch of events. Then on Thursday everyone leaves and I get the campus almost to myself.  I am not travelling with everyone else, because I was to save for Seminary in the Fall.  
I hope you all have a great week.  Please keep asking the Father for health here at school, and for a good end to term.

It's been awhile...;)

Well as promised I am going to post a blog.  Sorry it has been so long.  Like I said earlier today, it has been a little crazy around here.  Hopefully this blog will prove that.

So most of my weeks have been pretty routine, but that routine keeps me moving.  I have lessons almost every day of the school week.  I have also added a Choreography Club to my list(currently I am teaching them how to be cheerleaders for Sports Day)  Then came the weekend of  March 9-11.  That weekend was Lushington Day.  This is a day that the entire boys campus of Lushington come together and compete in different sporting events.  I was the score keeper for football(soccer for my American friends).  It was an all day event.  In the evening we had a "Barn Dance", but without girls.  A "Barn Dance" is basically a bunch of line dance being taught by one leader, but I have been told that it is just at Hebron things happen like that.  After the dance it was time to rest and hopefully get ready for the next week that would be just as busy.

Me and two teachers keeping each other company at Lushington Day notice
the middle lady's hat...OU!!!!!!!!!

The weekend of March 16-17 was Leaver's Weekend.  This is a weekend that we take all the Leavers(aka students Graduating from the school this year) to a guest house in Coonor to talk about life in the real world.  Some of these students have never left India or Hebron, and are now stepping out into the Western world.  It can be a shock according to some former students, so now we try to prepare them.  I did a session on the USA hopefully I represented us well.  The great thing about this weekend is that is a great time to get to know the students, and encourage them in any way that you can.  One of the cool things of the weekend is the kids had to find their own way to the guest house, which was really interesting to see how they got there.  We also went on a night walk...we tried to make it to the cemetery but did not make so we had to turn around

View from the Guest House

Creepy Advert on the night walk for people to donate their eyes...I asked to kids about it and they said it is totally normal.

The next Monday started very uneventful.  All the IGs went to Selborne to bake, and watch movies.  We ended up not really watching anything, but bakes cookies and started a cake.  After getting back to Lushington me and another IG went swimming, and then just chilled the rest of the day.  At about 7:00 pm me and 2 IG girls went to dance in the Drama studio because we were bored.  So we did, and then headed up about 9 pm.  As we were headed up we see that one of the boy IGs is looking really sick and kinda doubled over.  We got him to Hoz and they told him to go lay down and he was spending the night there.  We get back to the room to find that one of my roomies was sick with the same thing that the boy had.  Then a girl IG from Selborne shows up really ill.  We thought it might have been the cookies we had baked not getting done, but we weren't sure.  About 11pm our flat get a call saying that they need a change of clothes for the girl from Selborne did not bring any.  So after taking a collection from my roomies, I walked over to Hoz.  When I arrived the poor girl was sooo sick.  They decided to try to get an IV in her as fast as possible.  They finally got it in, but then she got the shiver and shakes and her blood pressure was dropping. So at 12:30 we were on our way to the Hospital.  Now I have to say that Indian hospitals are very different than Westerns hospitals.  I am sure that in bigger cities there might be better ones but this one was very basic.  They had no monitors of any kind in the room.  In fact the room looked like a cheap hotel.  They had two hooks from the ceiling to hold the IV bag and that was about it.  When we first get there it is obvious that this was going to be a very interesting adventure.  So once we get the poor girl settled in they have me spend the night with her.  As mentioned before there are no monitors in the rooms...well that was not totally true...I was the monitors.  If IV ran out then I had to get up and go turn it off and then tell a nurse.  If she started hurting, or throwing up then it was my duty to tell the nurse.  There was no nurses button so I would have to roam the hospital looking for a nurse to fix something.  I stayed with her from 12:30 am-2:30pm.  In that time we discovered that the doctors had no bedside manner.  The poor girl was crying and they kept saying why are you crying you are not that sick.  We tried to explain but it did not help.  We also learned that people love to stare at a white girl in the hospital.  We also found out that in India they will not treat you until you can pay.  The nurses would walk in with a scrap piece of paper with a whole list of drugs and meds that were needed.  I would have to take this list down to the pharmacy in the lobby purchase the drugs, and then the nurses would give them to my friend.  There is also no food provided so for every meal the school had to send one of the kitchen men over with a tiffin container full of food.(whoever created the tiffin containers is amazing) (If you don't know what a tiffin container is...here is a link to help)  I came back to school at 2:30 had meeting then went to bed at like 4:00 slept till dinner at 6:00 then slept from 6:20-7:15 got up for my dorm duty then was banished back to my bed for looking tooo tired.  So I slept from 7:25-3:00 am, but from them I could not sleep again.  When I finally get out of bed at 7:00 am I find out how bad the sickness really was.  The day before 44 kids had missed school from being sick, and some staff as well.  That night there had been 22 kids sleeping in Hoz, which is almost double the capacity of Hoz.  I went to class today to teach and from students being sick or needing to work on class projects we only had half a class.  As soon as class was over at 10:35 am it was back to the hospital.  I was there from then to about 6:30, and in that time we noticed even more things.  Like Indians do not care if you notice them staring at you.  In fact a couple a times a whole group of people would open the room door without knocking and just stare at us then say goodbye.  It was the weirdest thing.  We also found out that one of the nurses loves to give me a hard time for anything and everything.  I was wearing shoes in the room and she told me to take them off...I was typing on my computer will the doctor was talking and she snapped her fingers at me and told me to listen.  She is a great nurse and speaks great English, but still gave me a hard time. I left the hospital at 6:30 and came straight back to school.(Just so you know it looks like the girl will be out tomorrow)

When I got back to school I had about 1-2 hrs to myself then off to Dorm Fellowship.  This is just a group of guys gathered together to praise the Father.  It is not required, but still they come to grow closer.  About 15 guys were there, and I was given the privilege to speak to them.  I talked about the father's strength and how we can depend on him even we can't depend on ourselves.  It was nice to talk to them about it, and them be very responsive to it!  I love the fact that I get these chances, and that this group of guys want to hear what the Father has to say through me.

Now I am laying in my room just thinking about going to sleep...since I have had a lack of it lately.  This next weekend should be the Long IG weekend away...we are hoping to got to Mysore, but we need to see how all the others are feeling after with week of sickness.



OHHHHH PS THE MONKEYS ARE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is exciting because that means that the leopard that they said was roaming around town/campus is gone!  I don't think I have ever been soooooo excited to have to hide from the monkeys. These photos are from right outside my kitchen window.

SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey All,
  I just realized how long it has been since I have posted an update on here.  Things have been sooooo busy the last few weeks that I have not really had to time to post anything.  Hopefully by the end of the day I will have time to upload some photos to my computer then post a blog that says something of importance, and not just a mindless ramble on how I never post.  So sorry again.  Hope to have another post up today.
-Melissa

Great Weekends

This post is going to quickly cover last weekend and then a little more about this weekend.

Last Weekend
It was Support Staff Day!!! This is the day that the whole school does all the cooking, cleaning, and washing instead of our Support Staff.  The Support Staff get to come to school as our guest.  They are served a very big meal, and we have tons of fun activities.  I got to work with the kids of the Support Staff.  We played tons of games!  Then I got to serve lunch with some of the other staff members.  It was great to see the smiles of the people that serve me everyday from just being served lunch.  A few of them have come up to me later and said thank you and they had a great time.

This Weekend
We went camping.  Now when I say camping you may be thinking "ohhh lets go to the lake". No that is not what we did.  Our school bus drove all the of Std 5-6 boys and girls and 8 staff members/IGs for about 1 hr.  Then we all got out and walked for 1 hr to get to the camp site.  This is not just a normal walk but we are talking trekking in the jungle.  Now to be honest most of the time we were on a really dusty dirty road, but we did go up and down multiple trails through the mountains.  It was HARD!  Thankfully no one got hurt and we made it to the camp site in great time.  I got to sleep in a tent with another staff girl, and then the kids slept all over the camp site in either a dorm or huts.  This camp site was amazing.  The food was super fresh, and tasty.  Now when I say fresh I mean they were pulling the live chickens off the truck with out luggage out first day there.  The site was so high up that you could drink the water straight from the tap...which you normally can not do here in India.  Now I do have to say that we weren't ruffing it completely.  We did have bathrooms/showers.

This is our bathroom and shower room

The showers were interesting because we had to boil water in an old boiler by putting a fire under it and waiting till the water got hot.  Then you had to put the boiling water in the bucket you see in the picture, and then at cold water to it to wash.  The bathroom as you can see is a squatty potty.  You basically do you business then you fill the same bucket up with water and run it down the potty.  It is very interesting to use.  We also had a wonderful lake to swim in.  It is actually used to generate power for parts of India, but it is also great to swim in.  One thing that was really great this weekend was each dorm got to go on a Gorge Walk.  There is a nice river that flows just below the camp site, and we went trekking through it.  I did really good to stay dry for awhile, but then we hit a point that it was waist deep water on me and no other choice but to get in.  At one point we had to get up this rock face, but it was really slick and wet.  One of the girls in my dorm was like Miss Mel(this is what they call me here) give me your hand I will pull you up.  I kinda had to laugh, because she is one of the smaller girls in the dorm, and did not understand that I would pull her into the water if she tried to help me.  So after convincing her of this she finally moved and let me climb up myself.

One of the things the kids like the most about camping was the mud bath.  There is a natural spring under the ground that keeps this one area always wet and muddy.  So the kids would run as fast as they could then jump into the mud bath.  They came out covered from head to foot.  Another thing they liked was a late night walk in the woods but we had no torches(flash lights), and we just let the moon be our light source.  It was amazing.  Since we were so far out the light pollution was super low so you could see soooo many stars.  After we walked for awhile we stopped and laid on the beach of the lake and talked of the Father. We told the kids about how he knows each star by name, and that yet he still loves us to send his son.  It was wonderful to just talk to them about the Father.

Well all good things must come to an end, so we all had to pack up and trek out of the camp site.  The walk back was just as HARD as the walk in, but we all made it back safe and sound.  After we got back I had a nice bucket bath here at school, and then went to YF meeting here.  It was just fun to hang out with the students the whole weekend.

Off with a bang

Sorry for no recent updates.  I still have to write one for my last stop on Christmas break...but that will not be this update.

School has gotten off to a bang of a start.  I have not stopped moving it feels like since my last update.

This last weekend I got to go to YF. I have been to YF before, and you can read about it here. This time was for the 9s and 10s which is 13-15yr olds. It was very different from the last camp.  These kids were much more calm.  Our speaker was amazing.  She had some great insight and 3 kids came to know the father from this weekend, and many more started asking questions.  It was such a great weekend.

On Monday, All the IGs went to a water park called Black Thunder.  It was nothing like what we have at home.  In fact this place would most likely be shut down in the USA because it is no where near up to standards.  The one thing I found funny was everything was marked on who could use the ride/pool.  They have a wave pool and it was divided in half.  One half was for men and kids, the other half was for women and kids.  Then they have a pool for only women and kids.  If a man got in then the "lifeguard"(I use quotes because I am not sure if any of them had any training some of them were pretty fat) would blow their whistle at them and tell them to get out.  Another funny thing is everyone got into the pool in their everyday clothes.  The women got in wearing full Salwar Kameez suits including the scarfs.  Most of them had the scarfs just wrapped around their necks like it was just normal to hop into the pool/ride water rides dressed like this.

These are Salwar Kameez

All us girl IGs got lots of looks since we were wearing long(to the knee) shorts and t-shirts.  We might have been showing to much skin.  The Indian guys at the park most of them had shorts on but some guys just ran around in their boxer briefs. Thankfully they were colored briefs

Also in the last few days I found out that I am going to be going to seminary.  I will be going to Fuller Theological Seminary in September!  I am super excited!!!! I will getting my masters in Intercultural Studies with an emphasis in Theology and the Arts.  If you know me at all you know that that is right up my interest.  Now it is just waiting on the Father to provide for me to go.

For some things to pray for...Wisdom for these next weeks as I talk to students so that I can be intentional with sharing with them, energy(these kids run you down fast), and good closure over the next few months.  I know it seems far away but soon this fun adventure will be over and I will have to move on with life.  It is good to start thinking about closure now.

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great wonderful day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  

Jaipur

So last time I left you in the story I was getting on an early morning train to get to Jaipur.  Just getting on the train was an adventure.  When I arrived at the bus stand the gentleman taking me helped me with my bags and checked on my train.  He was told that everything was on schedule, and to head to the train now.  So we get in line to get on the train, and a man approaches us and says that he needs to see my ticket and passport.  Upon looking at all this he tells me that the train is cancelled.  The gentleman that was helping me told the guy he was lying and needed to stop.  We went into the main train platforms and there was my train standing there waiting to leave.  So I got on with no other problems.  This train left at 7 am and I arrived in Jaipur around 4 hours later.  I got picked up by the two ladies I would be staying with.  We went to their place and I got unpacked.  Then all the adventures began.  I went to a restaurant on one of my first night called BBQ Nation.  It was good!!! It was all the meat you could eat and that was just the starters.  After that they had a buffet to get food from as well.  Wow was it good.

I also got to see some really amazing sights.  Jaipur is a city very proud of its history.  To work with the people it is best to know their history just as much as they do.  So some of the days in Jaipur I was going to historical sights to learn the history of the city.  I got to see the worlds largest sun dial which was accurate within 2 sec! I got to see some amazing forts and palaces.  One of the palaces floated on the water.  Then the Amber Fort had a really cool sound and light show at night telling more of the history of the fort and the city.

Palace on the water

Amber Fort

Amber Fort Sound and Light Show

I also got to go to go to a place that they have recreated a village setting from the early parts of Indian history.  They had dancers and performers to show what it would have looked like during a village festival. The sights and sounds and smells were wonderful.  I felt like I was walking in a local village.

Village Recreation

Young Boy Dancing at Village Recreation

Whole family performing at the Village Recreation

Besides doing all of the tourist things I also got to see some of the basic things that people do when working in India for their first few years.  I got to attend Hindi lessons a few time, but they were way above my head so I had no idea what they were saying.  I also got to go to work with one of my roomies.  She would with a group of women making scarfs out of vintage saris. I got to help match them and pick threads for the scarfs. They have a website if you want to see what I mean.

www.villageartisan.com

My time in Jaipur was well spent doing something every single day.  I loved it!!!! I felt useful in a new way.  I  left Jaipur on the 1st of January. On to my next stop of Lucknow!!!!