Settling In India- Week 2

If you come to India, wear white pants.  You will not be culturally relevant or stay cool in the day. They will tarnish. They will make you stand out. This will come as a welcome and laughable disappointment as it serves to remind you that through grace alone your rags have been washed clean, compelling you to be unashamed of His power.

Over the weekend, we decompressed with time alone to study, give thanks, set objectives for this summer, and sing together (Rebekah leads because when she opens her mouth, I feel compelled to shut mine.. so, so good). We did make it out to the park for a camel ride (these walk down the street though, no bid deal), bumper cars, and Frisbee. Kelsey celebrated her birthday on Sunday and what a perfect day for it to fall on! We sang happy birthday to her and some new friends when we met in the evening. It was as tender as a butterfly with sore feet on a gentle breeze gingerly seeking a soft place to land (true statement).

In following days we have transitioned out of orientation into a new routine of study/teaching (Papa Heath!), outings, and event time each day. Monday was the first day following this routine. I experienced it sick in bed but with meds and prayer, was better the next day (Hallelujah!). The guys met one of our local brothers/translators and caught up over chai and the girls did outreach and prayed over the city from the heights of the mall roof. Evening was an adventure as everyone went to Inspiration school where Rachel presented on family life. We also presented on American culture, education, and leisure acticities. Travis and Alecia (who has now made it into this blog) demonstrated how to shag! Then we broke into smaller conversations with the students, which was somewhat overwhelming. So many questions!

Tuesday morning, Carly had a waffle for breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed it (best she ever had). A few of the girls met with some students from Inspiration and the others met a local sister, whom they were able to begin teaching and to greatly encourage. Also, Mary Emily was able to return 4 Rupees that she accidentally stole. The guys traveled to Rajwada to meet a man Heath knew 2 years ago and hopefully we will eat with his family soon. We walked slowly through the frenzied market streets p-walking and stopped in a music store our local brother frequents. We spoke at length with the young employees and neighboring shop owner sharing the good news. In the evening we all returned to Inspiration where the students presented to us on traditional Indian dances and things that could only happen in India. The best part of the day was back at home when our local brother played his newly repaired guitar and we sang together!

On Wednesday, the guys met another brother and his friend in the mall and after much debating discovered we each had brothers in the other. It is so uplifting to find someone with sound beliefs living here. The friend was from one of the cities we are visiting next week so hopefully we will see him again! The girls were in the mall coming down an escalator with such grace and style that they stole the attention from a cricket trophy photo shoot! They were flattered but humbly and politely declined, walking on un-phased. At night we attended a local gathering of the body, personally one of the most encouraging things on our trip yet! To hear them singing in their native language was phenomenal. Being with them and hopefully encouraging them is why we are here! We concluded the day with a family dinner at pizza hut and walked home from the mall in the cool evening air (which occasionally carries a whiff of stank). So far the week has gone well and the work is going well. We are so excited for what more is to come for us and the people of this city. We give thanks for you and your on-going support!

SummerLINK Honduras: Week 2 Part 1

Hey there from Honduras!

It's been great being here and getting to know one another for the past week and a half and can't wait for what God has in store for us the rest of the trip.  We have done so many exciting things and had really awesome gospel conversations with some of the people here.

Let's do a quick recap of what we've been up to.  We pretty much travel along the northern seaboard of Honduras each week going from the slums (called The Dump), to the Bilingual school, to the recreation fields in three nearby towns all week. That's to say, we pile up, all nine of us (excluding some of the Pirkle family that comes along), in one large truck to get to all of these places.  Here's a few pictures from a couple of the places.

God already has shown His sovereignty and His love for His people while we've been here.  He's provided for us several opportunities to share the Gospel and shown us some true Christ followers.  Just today at the bilingual school we had an awesome conversation with one of the seventh grade students, Jonny.  He was such an encouragement for a boy rooted in the Word and living his life for the Lord.  We began to tell him the story of Shadrach, Mishach, and Abednego, and he tells us the story in great detail.  So then we ask him to relate the story to Jesus and his crucifixion and he gave an astounding answer.  He told us that just as Satan believed Christ was dead for good on the third day yet God raised him from the dead, so did King Nebuchadnezzar think that these three were dead in the fiery furnace but God protected them their as well.  The conversation continued where we encouraged him in his faithfulness to the Lord and to doing His work in a town that, just like us, needs Him. We really look forward to growing in our relationship with him in our time here.

In the midst of all this hard work and early mornings, we do make some time to play.  This past Saturday the team was divided into three smaller groups and we had a little fun doing a photo scavenger hunt in and around the hospital community.  We had to take pictures doing all sorts of funny things like pretending to eat a gecko, doing the chicken dance with the front guards and things of that sort.

God is good and continues to show us His love and power through all we've been doing.  We are looking forward to the opportunities He presents us with to share the Gospel and to just love on His people.

This post was written by: Ceci Colón

Summer LINK Clemson: Week 5

I know there were some doubters, but the Clinkers have successfully arrived at the halfway point for Summerlink Clemson! So much has happened over the course of the last 5 weeks, and this week has been a great time to reflect back on what God has been doing in and through our group this summer. For our social on Saturday we went to River Falls Lodge for a contra dance. In case you are unsure about what exactly contra dancing is, I’ll give you a brief definition. Contra dancing consists of a little bit of line dance, a little bit of swing, a little bit of mountain folk, and a whole lot of awesome. Our team had a great time contra dancing and we have vowed to return soon. 

On Monday night, June 25, we were privileged to have equipping night at Michael and Jackie Van Strien’s home. They provided us with a great dinner including but not limited to: ribs, green bean casserole, corn on the cob, cookies, and of course ice cream. We were able to hear the Van Striens’ personal testimonies and really get a look into their lives. It was a great time of fellowship! We were also able to play with their dog, Dozer, who was an older pup, but had plenty of energy.

Summer LINK 2012 | Boston, Clemson, Honduras, India

The highlight of our week was definitely our trip to Myrtle Beach (aka The Dyrtle). Our team left on Wednesday to head for the beach. We carpooled together and had a great time riding/sleeping to the Dyrtle. We all arrived at the plush Sea Mist Resort and began our few days of fellowship at the Dyrtle. It was a unique experience because all of the Summerlink teams (Boston, Clemson, Honduras, and India) gathered at the beach to fellowship together before we all departed to our respective locations. It was really great to put a face to the names of all the other Summerlinkers. During our stay in Myrtle Beach we were hosted by Cornerstone Church, which is a church plant out of Crosspoint Church. We were blessed to sit in on a seminary class about evangelism. Dr. Robinson, from Southeastern Seminary, taught the class and definitely brought a strong word for all of us. He spoke on the importance of sharing the Gospel with While we were at the beach we got to apply what we were learning in the class. We went out into the community and initiated Gospel conversations with people who we came into contact with. This was a growing experience for us as we boldly and intentionally shared the good news of Jesus Christ with strangers. We saw that living a Gospel-centered life style is not easy, but it is what we are called to do as disciples of Christ.

Summerlink Clemson is a little different from all of the other Summerlinks because we are at our halfway point, while the other Summerlinks are just beginning. This gave us an opportunity to reflect on the last 5 weeks through celebrating, evaluating, and planning how to continue serving the Lord. As our few days of fun were coming to a close at the Dyrtle we were able to have a worship night on the beach. It was a great way to send off the other Summerlink teams and have a night of Christian fellowship.

On a side note, we had two of our Summerlinkers get engaged! Congratulations to Jordan (aka Red) and Nichole!

The old man,

Brock Bass

Summer Link INDIA: Week I Cont'd

 Only a few days have passed since our last blog, but it feels like so much longer. We have seen and done so many things already that it is impossible to post about them all, but we are going to try to give you a little insight into our journey since arriving.


The girls shopping experiencing was a bit overwhelming at first, but we had our first taste of bartering with natives. We won some and lost some, but our skills are improving each time. The boys are still sore from their "man adventure" which turned out to be battling to the death in Squash. Heath dominated and despite his arms being so weak he must use both of them to drink a beverage, he says that the cost of victory was worth it. Nathan has tried to understand women's minds by creating flow charts to make dating and the feminine mystique as "logical" as possible. Overall, the boys are experiencing more culture shock from their female teammates than from the Indian culture.

After our separate activities, we all gathered to celebrate July 4th. The American traditions that may have seemed simple to us before were relished because they were little pieces of home. We basked in the joy of hotdogs, cupcakes, American flag decorations everywhere, coordinated red-white-blue outfits, dancing on the roof of the house while watching fireworks. We were all glad to survive after one of the fireworks fell over, shot the wrong direction, and started a field fire. Don't worry Mom and Dad, our fearless leader Heath ran over and stomped it out.

The next day, we were let loose in the wild country on our "Big Fat Indian Adventure." We split into smaller groups and our days consisted of: playing cricket in the slums with some children, visiting the market (Rajwada), trying many new Indian "delicacies," met an elephant, and almost played with snakes against our will. Everyone enjoyed these different adventures and the insights they gave into Indian culture.

Yesterday was a more trying time for our whole team. We traveled to Ujjain and visited a holy place of worship for Hindu's. The things we saw and experienced that day can never really be explained to someone who wasn't there with us, but here is our best shot. We were ushered into the temple and placed in never-ending "Disneyesque" lines, where people will wait for hours just to have 30 seconds with their god. Their time is so short because the priests of the temple are shuffling the people in and out so quickly. It was hard for us to see this as a religious place because it had all the qualities of a business. As we walked barefoot through the temple, our feet were soiled with the remnants of sacrificed flowers and milk that covered the ground of the inner room, where the idol is kept. Our team had many different responses, but each of our hearts were gripped and our spirits left that place broken for the lost who remained.

Today, most of us have been experiencing sickness, but thankfully were still able to enjoy the great day the Lord gave us. We separated into different coffee shops or locations throughout the city for half day with the Father to reflect on all that we have experienced and seen. After that time, we ventured as a team to a local park, where we found ourselves riding camels and ponies (Kelsey), teaching Indians how to play frisbee, and battling one another in the bumper car arena.

We then went to house church, where we shared in a delicious American meal together, as well as musical worship and teaching of the Word. We are now back at the hotel for the night after a typical near death experience in the rikshaws and Indian roads. It was our most exhilarating rides yet, because traffic was outrageous, our driver was fearless, and all nine of us were stacked into two rikshaws which usually seat maybe 3.

Our Indian adventure continues...

Much love,
Kelsey and Rebekah

Summer Link Honduras: Week 1

Hola from Honduras!  We have been here for almost one whole week, but our team has connected so well it seems like months have already gone by.  We have been able to visit several of the locations where we will be doing ministry including the bilingual school, the slums, and one of the recreational fields in the community.
 

We have been able to teach several Bible stories and have been able to share the gospel with the kids at the bilingual school.  Today I was able to have a conversation with one boy named Deyner.  He said he attends church every once in a while and often asks God for forgiveness over his wrongdoing.  I asked him if he had ever heard of Jesus Christ, he said no, so I told him how Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection made a way for our permanent and full forgiveness of sins.  Our conversation was cut short, but I hope to continue building a relationship with him over the course of our time here.  Please pray for Deyner, that God would speak into his life and reveal his need for eternal forgiveness.

posted by Will Jackson

Summer LINK Boston - Week 1!

Hey everyone!

Greetings from Boston! We arrived here on Saturday and all went smoothly. Our flight took less than 2 hours and everyone arrived in one piece, thankfully. We have been on the go ever since! We settled into our hotel on Saturday and got started early Sunday morning at Redemption Hill Church (RHC). We can see it from our hotel room windows and it is only about a 2 minute walk, which is awesome. We arrived early to help set up and greet. The people are great! The families are very welcoming and are just as excited as we are about having us serve with them for the rest of the summer.

Jon (one of the pastors at RHC) and Leigh Chasteen welcomed us by having a cookout Sunday night at their home. We met the rest of the staff at RHC and a few other families. After some good food and fellowship we heard more from Jon about Redemption Hill, the city of Boston, the community of Medford, and what our role will look like as we serve here for the next couple of weeks!

On Monday we had quite the surprise waiting for us, a prayer scavenger hunt all over the city! We split up into two teams and navigated our way around using all sorts of public transportation. We visited Tufts University which has a beautiful campus of old, historic buildings that overlook the city of Medford. The teams also traveled to downtown Boston and surrounding areas. Needless to say, after getting on the train in the wrong direction, we were beyond exhausted and failed to make it to all of our designated locations. That night, a family from the church provided a wonderful home cooked meal for us and brought it to our hotel. We ended the day with our mens and womens time discussing biblical manhood and womanhood.

On Tuesday, our team split up. Half went to the Boys and Girls Club and half went to a government subsidized neighborhood to play with the kids. At the Boys and Girls Club, the kids were energetic and excited that we would be there for the rest of the summer. They wore us out! At Willis Ave. we helped plant some strawberry plants and pull weeds in the community garden that RHC helped get started. We were able to share the gospel with many of the children at Willis Ave. and a few of them were really engaged. We're excited to continue building relationships with the staff and kids at these two locations as we serve at each of them every week.

Tuesday night, we all went into the city to watch the Boston Pops! We enjoyed live music from Jennifer Hudson and many other great artists.

Yesterday morning we babysat the pastors' children, then had the afternoon to rest. Last night we continued celebrating the 4th at a cookout with a Redemption Hill family, followed by the annual Boston fireworks show!

Today we started the day off with a bible study in 2 Peter.  This afternoon we were able to go to a few different laundromats in town and engage in spiritual conversations.  We ended the day at a cookout given by another family from RHC.  The people at RHC have been so welcoming and hospitable!

We've had so much fun so far and everyone here has been incredibly welcoming. We can't wait to see how God will use our team here in Boston over the next 5 weeks!

Posted by: Caroline and Lori

SummerLINK India (Week 1)- Arrival

India Blog Post July 3, 2012

WE HAVE ARRIVED!!! It’s unbelievable that this trip we have planned for and talked about for months is here; that we are here, in India. India is a crazy, amazing place to experience because even as I write in our hotel room tonight, I can still clearly hear the sounds of many horns blasting on the street. As much as movies, books, and pictures can attempt to prepare you for an Indian adventure, they will never do justice to the feeling that dwells in this land. There is a vibe here that makes you feel insignificant and important all at the same time.

I’m going to attempt to give you some details on our journey here, but honestly the days have all run together; time travel does that to you. Our lives the past two days were spent sitting in airports or sitting in airplanes, but many little laughs and joys were shared in the process.

While waiting in Atlanta, many last minute phone calls were made, Chinese food was eaten, tears were shed about leaving our LaLa’s, peeks were stolen to compare one another’s answers on our Personal Development Plan (PDP) and Kelsey kept the rest of the team waiting… as usual.

While waiting in Heathrow, Travis slept like a mummy on the cold floor then did pushups in the middle of the airport to warm himself up, Rachel and I randomly ran into a friend from Greenville who now lives in Amsterdam, and Nathan was taught how to play Spades by the ever lovely Carly.

While waiting in New Delhi, Mary Emily dropped her boarding pass without realizing it but was saved by Travis, most of us purchased items with rupees for the first time ever, and Heath (our fearless leader) proved that he was definitely out of it because he was so tired.

The most exciting thing that occurred during travelling happened today in Delhi’s airport. Before we were even able to discover the joy of the aforementioned experiences, we basically had to repack many of our bags in order to make the weight limit. Apparently, the amount of checked bags we were each allowed went from two to one, so quite a bit of rearranging occurred which involved many of Rachel and Kelsey’s belongings being dispersed into many different bags. We worked so well as a team that even this seemingly frustrating circumstance wasn’t a big deal and we overcame it like it was nothing. I was so proud to see how well we all worked together and stayed levelheaded without getting annoyed or negative because of the change in our circumstances.

On our last flight, everyone was so tired, dozing in and out, that half of us don’t even remember that flight. Needless to say, we all need the rest that our very comfy hotel has to offer. Tomorrow, the girls are going shopping and such, while the boys go off doing some kind of “athletic adventure.” We are here. We are safe. We are tired. We are going to bed. Goodnight. Love from all of us to all of you.

-Posted by Rebekah