A short update

Namaste!

To all my friends and family, i'm doing really well, but usually too busy to blog.

But here I am!  Blogging away as we speak....

So life here is exciting, to say the least. Another intern and I are teaching at one of the slum schools here twice a week.  The first week has been challenging, considering none of them really don't know English and I am still trying to pick up the basics of the Hindi language, but we'll "make it happen."  After all, love can be hard work sometimes, right?
Three days a week we're still writing the syllabus, which is actually turning out to be more like a book.  But the subject matter (poverty) requires a lot of thinking, both conceptually and practically.  Hopefully the youth pastors and kids who read this will catch on to what we're trying to tell them, and run with it!
Other than that i'm doing various things:  driving around town, visiting the markets, experiencing India!
 Oh! And Sunday i'll be giving my testimony in church!
By the way, my skype name is garrettthebrown if you want to chat.

The bed is calling my name, everyone.

Goodnight!

India! Post II

Namaste!  ("Greetings" in the Hindi language, kind of like "Aloha" or "Shalom").  It's been over a week since I boarded a plane to Delhi.  Oh how time flies!  Anyways, it feels like I've been everywhere this week, not necessarily ministering to people, yet, but just checking things out: learning culture and language.  One thing I have learned is that driving here is crazy!  In this culture, there are no such things as lines.  If you want something, you gotta fight and claw you're way in.  Well, this thought process applied to the road is just insane!  I'll have to show you all a video clip sometime soon.
          In regards to what me, Mike, Janna, and Bethany have been doing,  it's been just being part of the culture, whether it be going to the slums, walking the ritziest of malls, going to the market, going to a Hindi-speaking/Talmut-speaking A.G. church, eating at homes of some Indian Christians here, inviting them to ours, among other things.
          What we've been focusing on mainly,  though, is developing a 5 week program that will bring awareness of poverty to youth groups back in the U.S.  What we have so far are just ideas and a basic outline, but I think our finished product has the potential to absolutely rock the worlds of the kids in the U.S.  I believe this program is going to do more than make some kids get goosebumps and teary-eyed; it will completely change their lives.  So if you so desire, pray that we gain wisdom in exactly how to structure this project, and that we do it efficiently so we have more time to love on (and be loved by) the kids in the slum schools.

Namaste

Garrett

India: Day 1

Reality struck really hard today, my first full day of being here.  I was walking around one of the markets, in Delhi when a little boy, not more than 6 years old came begging for money.  I could have given him some change, but since he was, as most child beggars here are, slave workers, all of my "charity" would have ultimately gone towards the mafia.  By giving him food I could maybe fill his stomach, but it doesn't take him further away from his dire situation.  By tring to heroically swoop him out of the streets and into our family care system, the mafia would just steal him right back, and possibly harm lives that would not have otherwise been touched.  Maybe the police would help if this was America, but in India law enforcement often have ties with the mafia.  So what we have here is a hopeless situation for this boy.  It's a flawlessly evil system that no human can wage against.
           But we have hope, and victory in Christ's name.  Here's why:  Eph. 1:19-23:  ¹⁹ I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power ²⁰ that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. ²¹ Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. ²² God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
           And the letter continues: Eph. 6:10-12 Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
          Above the power of the demonic, and I mean demonic system that lies behind these people who enslave, abuse,  and even prostitute children is the power of the risen Christ, who has given the church His authority.  So by the authority of the mighty power that raised Christ, we have hope for this child.  I don't know exactly how, yet, on my first day here.  But I know He reigns.  So, Father, release this little child from the hands of his captors.  May he end up falling right into Your grace.  Give me and my team wisdom to not only find ways to save these children, but to help disarm the evil powers of this world.  We are given the keys to the Kingdom, and with the full armor of God we are called as a church to face the enemy head on.  So let's do it!