Hi everyone! This is Becky McKenney, back at home in Wisconsin. Very happy to be home with my family (and sleep in my own bed!) but also very sad to be away from all the wonderful people of India. If only I could be two places at once!
I know I have a lot of blogging to catch up on and that I left people hanging with my last post, so I guess I will pick up where I left off and share the rest of Team 3's traveling and teaching adventures with you while India is still fresh in my mind and heart.
Wednesday morning (July 3), Vanessa and I decided to check out the gym that was downstairs in our hotel in Tirupati. We didn't learn until we got down there that there were designated times for "gents" and "ladies" and we were about two hours too early for the ladies time slot. However, the hotel worker who took us downstairs to see the gym did not inform us of the time slots until we had walked all the way there and approached the door. He asked if we would still like to look at the gym, so we did and were met with blaring Indian music and men lifting weights. It was a very nice gym equipped with a variety of workout machines. The hotel worker asked if we would like to sit and wait in the waiting room, but we smiled and said we would wait in our hotel room. Vanessa decided she would do her workout by walking the stairs of the hotel and I decided to spend some time journaling instead.
Later that day while Matt was teaching pastors, Pastor Bhaskar and Pastor D. Paul's son took us to a large temple in Tirumala. They said it was the largest temple in South India. Having had an unintentionally negative experience at a previous temple earlier that week, Vanessa and I were a little apprehensive about visiting this temple, especially when our Indian friends warned us not to take our purses with us and that the only thing we should bring is a camera and water bottle. Originally we had been told that even cameras were not okay to bring, and not wanting to risk our cameras being taken away or offending any of the worshipers at the temple, Vanessa and I left our cameras behind at the hotel and came with absolutely nothing. We finally understood the concerns about bringing stuff when we drove up and discovered the intense security procedures that people go through to even drive on the road up the mountains to the temple. The security people search cars, scan bags, sniff soda bottles to make sure you aren't sneaking in alcohol, and pat you down before letting you cross the "border." Kumar (our driver) had only wanted us to leave our bags behind so that it would save time going through security, but we hadn't quite understood what to expect until we were actually there. We regretted leaving our cameras behind when we got to the temple because many people were taking photos and our Indian friends took many pictures of us with their phones. Oh well!
The 28 minute drive to the temple was beautiful as we drove winding mountain roads with the windows down and cool breezes blowing in. The view from up high was breathtaking as we looked down on the city below. While I was up there looking down at the buildings and landscape below, the Bible references about Jesus going up to the mountains to pray came to mind. I imagined what it might've been like for Jesus as he sat on the mountainsides and looked down at the cities and villages below Him while praying. I found myself praying for the residents of the city below as I looked out at the beautiful scenery and thought about the thousands of souls who have yet to hear about the Savior who loves them so much He wants to gather them together in His love like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings.
Those prayers continued as we walked around the temple. Bhaskar said we were not allowed to enter the temple because we were visitors, but thankfully we had him to navigate and guide us around to areas we could visit outside of the temple. There were so many pilgrims there to visit the temple and worship the gods. Bhaskar told Andrew that there were 15,000 people in line to enter the temple (I think that's the number - Andrew can correct me if I am wrong) and that many people will be waiting in line for days just to get in. They were all lined up, packed into a fenced hallway that made me feel claustrophobic just looking at it. Looking at the vast, elaborate temples and idols and watching the thousands of people walking around broke my heart and brought to mind passages such as "When Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd" (Matthew 9:36) and "My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their resting place" (Jeremiah 50:6). So many lost sheep who need to find their true Good Shepherd! The experience of seeing the Hindu temple was sobering but also rekindled my motivation to go and spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus and carry out His command to "feed My lambs" and "tend My sheep." (John 21:15-17)
If I am remembering correctly, we taught VBS in Chittoor that evening (we visited so many places that it is hard for me to recall which village/town/city we actually taught in each night, so I apologize for any mistakes in locations). When we arrived in the village, the people asked us to wait in the street so they could first "give honor" to us before we walked to the church. After a few minutes, some men returned with flower garlands that they put around our necks and then we were led through the village to the church. As we made the walk, children and adults followed behind us with drums beating and singing, children were skipping and laughing, and more people joined the "parade" as we trekked through the village. I had Jesus' life on my mind a lot that day apparently, because this experience brought to mind Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and how this jubilant display of praise and affection must be only a small taste of the joy and hosannas that Jesus received as he rode the donkey into Jerusalem. I have never been met with such a sincerely joyful and enthusiastic welcome before and it took me by surprise and lifted my spirits as I prepared to teach my VBS lesson to the children.
Children crowded into the church building to hear us teach. This group was more rowdy and distracted than some of the others we had taught previously, but they displayed so much joy and love for God! Some sangs songs prior to the lessons and a couple girls danced for everyone. The children and adults made many exclamations of "Hallelujah!" that were so genuine I could not stop smiling! We were presented with more shawls, and they cut open fresh coconut and poured us cups of coconut water, in addition to their delicious sweet and milky hot tea.
After the lessons as the children lined up at the door to receive their gifts, I was helping Matt by passing new bags of puzzles to him when he ran out. As I was standing there working, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and a group of school girls put out their hands for me to shake. One of them asked me for my name, and when I told them what it was they could not contain their giggles. I am not sure if they were giggling from happiness or if they found the name Rebecca to be funny, but either way, I smiled and began to turn back to help Matt. But soon another girl came up to me and introduced me to dozens of her family members, who each received a handshake or a "namaste" bow from me. The girl even introduced me to her grandmother, who smiled at me with such a deep appreciation in her eyes that I felt the tears beginning to well up in mine again. The girl who introduced me to everyone ended her meeting with me by telling me, "You are very beautiful" in her lovely Indian accent. I felt so unworthy for such love and affection from these people who shine their lights for God far more beautifully than I feel that I ever could, and all I could do was keep smiling at my dear Christian Indian brothers and sisters and thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to meet them all. Many people asked me to stop and pose for photos and the people followed us all the way to our car, shouting "Bye!" and waving with huge smiles on their faces. I turned to look out the rear window and watched and waved as long as I could until the the people faded out of view and we were back on the highways dodging motorcycles, cows, and buses as we made the long drive back to Chennai (with another stop at KFC to restore our energy!)
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