India Update Weeks 10 Thru 12

The last few weeks have been about New Friends and Saying goodbye to old friends (3 months old friends). It is much quieter here at HBI as most of the students have gone home. School ended on April 18th for the summer break. It was sad to see some of the students go home, that I have come to know since I have been here. The good news is I will be here in June when the new school year will start and I will see most of them again. I took a break and spent a few days with a few of the students. Barnabas was one of the students that I spent a lot of my time with during my time here as he is on of the musicians that I have been playing with. Many many nights we would learn music together in my room and just sit and worship God. He told me once that he had never gone to a Movie theater so my hope was to take him one night before we left, but no English movies were playing anywhere, so I broke out my Projector that I brought from home and converted my bedroom into a mini theater. Barnabas, myself, Robi, and a few other students enjoyed snacks and The Last Samurai. It was a fun evening and a good stress reliever for the students as they had just finished their final exams. We had a few more dinners together and also I went to the train station with him while he made some changes to his train ticket. I was sad to seem him go. There is a chance, in June, I am going to visit him in his tribal village that is in the extreme north east of India, and I am praying that that happens. While watching the Last Samurai, the village that was used in the movie for the Samurai people; Barnabas saw that and said that the village looked the same as his village in the state of Manipur.... that would be awesome to see!

It's funny.... not, as lately here at HBI am being referred to as pastor Bob. Christy, an employee here at HBI is getting married and on of the customs is to have an engagement ceremony. I was invited to attend and the second I get there Christy's father ushers me to the center of it all. He sat me down right behind the couple to be. For the hour following had to not look nervous and act like I knew what was going on in this all Tamil speaking service. When I first sat down there was a little girl sitting near the front and I smiled and waived at her, and as soon as I did that, her smile went away and she hid behind her mom the rest of the evening. Was it something I said? Did I smell, or was it something I ate? Afterwards, her mom came up to me and I was introduced to the girl and I their picture. We ate well and then left to return back to HBI. It took us 2 hours to get there by hired bus and as late as it was, the people that I traveled with decided that that took too long, so we took the local train back. This by the way, was my first passenger train ride ever that wasn't attached to a steam engine. I had a ball and made everyone nervous as I sat next to the door. The train was extremely smooth and quiet and was traveling at about 40mph. after the train ride, we walked about a half of a km, and then reached a public bus stop. If you are keeping track at home, I have now traveled every mode of transportation that India has to offer except cross country train travel that will happen this weekend as I travel 12 hours to Ooty. If I visit Manipur in June that will be a 4 day train to get there.

Samson recommended me to someone to help them with an audio project that he was working on. It was a children's music DVD that was to be distributed in Australia. After a few hours of working on this audio, I found out that was a video music DVD. I explained to him HBI's video services, and the next thing I know we had 2 days of video production and DVD duplication. He is also interested in having us produce the next video music DVD that his company is producing, and is wanting me to record the music. That would be a massive project and a few months of work if we do it. This project would also mean a significant amount of money for HBI as well.

I have spent a significant amount of time resting and watching Cricket over the last few days. My neighbors often have student over there house to watch cricket and lately I have been joining them. A major cricket tournament has began and that is all everyone is talking about right now. A few of the remaining students and myself crowded around my neighbors TV to watch Chennai beat up on another Indian team, and that was a lot of fun. normally cricket matches go for days, but the format of this tournament allows the matches to finish in 3 hours. This format is exciting and has helped me understand the game much more. Cricket is this country's Ohio State football. The major difference that they play all year long.

I found out a few weeks ago that I can get 300 channels of satellite TV here for 8 dollars a month, so I decided to get it and my room has been a favorite place for many to watch cricket among other things as well. I am not sure if it is the me, the TV they like or the Air conditioning, but I am enjoying the company non the less.

I have a few prayer requests. I am now preparing to go to China with New Life in late July, so please pray that getting the visa in India will not be an issue and that the ministry that is done in China will be pleasing to God and a blessing to the people. Also I am going into a time where I am going to be traveling a lot over the next several months. Please continue to pray for my good health and that as I travel to some of these places that I will impact the kingdom somehow and that I will be a blessing to others. Earlier I mentioned that I may be going to Manipur. Along with that trip we would also be going to Nagaland, and West Bengal. This trip would be to get video footage for HBI and to see and visit the people in some of the tribes and villages that are there. Please pray for the financial provisioning that HBI will need to finance this trip in late may to early June. Next, please pray for me as I am starting to feel the effects from the the heat. I have been complaining since I have gotten here that it is hot. It was cold when I got here compared to how warm it is now. Day by day it is getting hotter and hotter. It was 101 yesterday and 103 on Monday, and I am still being warned that it is nowhere close to being done warming up. I am drinking 6 to 7 liters of water a day right now, and getting very tired quickly now. Pray that I will hold up during the summer months. And lastly, I am leaving for Ooty in 2 days. We will be camping in a jungle for a week and pray for my safety and comfort. I was told one rule so far.... Stay away from the wild elephants. I have been looking forward to this trip since I found out that I was going and I pray that I have a good time. This is a young adult camp, so we will be doing a lot of singing and a lot of ministry, so pray that the 60 or so that are going will be blessed and that they will encounter God. I was told that there are many non Christians that are going, and from the practices that I have been attending in preparation this camp it is going to be hard for anyone to miss God's presence there. Thanks for the prayer and for caring. I miss you all, and will see you all in December.