Meet Valentine!

Here's what Valentine had to say. I, for one, am challenged by his sincerity and the respect with which he approaches the task we are all about to take on for the Lord. I hope you will be challenged by his attitude of service, as I was.

Have you ever been to India before? No. What's your connection to India? My Father loves India a lot. He even sent His Son to die for the people of India (and for all others, too) and that's why I love them, also. Besides, I have a lot of brothers and sisters there, and I would love to meet them for the first time! Any interesting stories or memories? Not yet, but wait until I come back: I won't stop talking about it!

How did you decide to go on this trip? I had the desire to go for many years, but I did not have a convenient opportunity. However, after taking the Kairos course, I realized that Jesus did not wait for the convenient time, so neither should I.

What do you feel your role is on the team? I feel blessed to be a blessing. The honest answer-- I don't know what my role is! But, I am thrilled to be a part of the team.

What are you most excited about doing in India or as part of the team? To attend and serve others; to meet my Indian brother's and sister's and worship our Father together.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge? Communicating clearly; however, "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength!" It's His mission, not mine.

And last of all... What is your favorite Indian dish? It is hard to say because I have had Indian food only a couple of times. However, I enjoyed everything I ate at that Indian restaurant where we went to as a team. The best part is that I can eat with my hands. :)

Prayer Requests

Thank you for everyone's prayers! Below is a schedule with specific prayer points. All prayer is helpful. Thank you, again, for this most powerful form of support!

Monday, October 8th. Packing day. It is important to be ready for the trip and have all we need. Sometimes this can be stressful or hectic. Pray for wisdom to pack everything we need and nothing we don't.

Tuesday, October 9th. Leaving Fresno in the early morning. Pray for all of us to get to the airport on time, to pass the security and customs without any problems. Pray for all of the connection flights to be on time. Pray above all for safe travels.

Wednesday, October 10th - Friday, October 12th. Rest from the long travels and visiting Delhi. This is an important time for us to rest after a long trip and to get adjust to the new time, new culture. We also need to get energized before the Big Job! Pray for safety, team unity, and God to prepare us in all ways for our mission. Pray for our health as we adjust to the new environment, food, and water.

Saturday, October 13th. Travel to India and spend time with those in need. This could be a time of culture shock especially for those of us who have never been to India before. But, it is also an awesome time to meet our brothers and sisters in India!

Sunday, October 14th. Day of worship and fellowship with the local church. We cannot wait for this moment! This will be a great time to praise God in different languages, declaring the wonders of God – almost like the day of Pentecost! Pray for the Lord to begin His work in the hearts of those who have not surrendered themselves to Him. Pray for the Lord's blessing on this awesome time.

Monday, October 15th. Day of preparation. Today we will set up and decorate the meeting place. Pray for unity, peace, health, courage, and wisdom. Continue to pray for safe travels for the attendants.

Tuesday, October 16th.  Pray for God to enable each member of our team as we will be speaking. We need God to speak through us; we need God to make us say what He wants to say. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in that place. Some of us have years of experience in public speaking, others have none or little, but it doesn't matter for we are each an instrument in God's hands, a conduit of the Holy Spirit to bring His message. Without Him we cannot do anything, but with Him all things are possible!! Also, pray for protection from those who oppose Christianity. Satan does not like what we are doing and he will try to disrupt our time of meeting, worship, and service.

Wednesday, October 17th. Pray for us to stay uplifted, strong, and healthy to proclaim God's words with courage. Also, continue to pray for unity and peace as we are serving the Lord and our brothers and sisters. Pray for the Lord to continue to use us and speak through us. Pray for their hearts to be receptive and for us to be able to encourage our brothers and sisters as they are serving the Lord in a very hostile situation.

Thursday, October 18th.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to come and fill that place, for us to say the last words of encouragement to those who are around us, and for the the Lord's name to be glorified as we are worshipping Him together. We may not see some or any of them again until we meet in front of the White Throne our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our loving Heavenly Father. This will be a very emotional day for all of us. May the name of the Lord be glorified! Pray for the Lord to use them in their local congregations powerfully!

Friday, October 19th. Visiting with others: Pray for the Lord to use us as we are visiting and teaching the Indian people. Today we also rest, pack, and prepare to leave early the next morning.

Saturday, October 20th. Leaving for Delhi and flying back to the U.S. Pray for safety, unity, and for us (and our luggage!) to make our connections.

Sunday, October 21st. Continue traveling home. Pray for travel safety, health and peace as we are finishing our last hours of travel. We arrive at Fresno at 5:30 pm, which means we will probably stay up all night sharing with family and friends exciting stories!

Happy People Dancing on Planet Earth

Watch this. You will love it. I promise. :)

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120710.html

What I Learned About Yoga

John Maxfield asked, "What are the origins of yoga and should Christians be involved in yoga in any form?"

So, most of you are probably familiar with yoga-- it's big business in the health world in America. A yoga class consists of stretching and strength positions as well as breathing exercises. These positions have names like downward facing dog, crane, and mountain.

Yoga was first mentioned in the Vedas, ancient Sanskrit scriptures. Yoga is also mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. The word "yoga" is usually translated as "yoked" or "union" and refers to the union of the body and the mind through the meditation and stretching done as a part of yoga. According to the Bhagavad Gita, there are three types of yoga: "Karma yoga was based on selfless action; bhakti yoga was a form of devotion and prayer; and, jnana yoga referred to scholarly pursuits." (www.howstuffworks.com/yoga). Later texts, the Yoga Sutras of the Patanjali, were more precise about how yoga should be done. But this text emphasizes philosophical and meditative principles rather than exercise, which is just mentioned briefly as helpful preparation for meditation. Hatha yoga, an athletic yoga, was developed throughout the 1800's and Ashtanga yoga was developed out of that in the mid-1900's, which is basically the athletic yoga you can take at gyms pretty much anywhere in America. It was during this time that Westerners went to India to learn from yogis there, then brought the form back.

One of the major figures to bring yoga to the United States was Indra Devi, who de-emphasized the mystical aspects and emphasized the physical benefits. He realized that celebrities would be a great way to popularize the form, and even worked with Marilyn Monroe. Not much has changed in the culture of American yoga. In America, yoga continued to be popular as a form of exercise, which angered the yoga purists, who felt they had missed the boat as the exercise was really secondary to meditation. There are lots of different types of yoga: from ashtanga yoga, in which you move quickly from pose to pose, to bikram yoga, which is done in hot room, to lyengar yoga, in which you hold poses longer than in ashtanga yoga. Other types of yoga forcus more on the spiritual elements: jivamutki, kudalini, and ananda. (www.howstuffworks.com/yoga)

Yoga is widely known for its health benefits, but how should we deal with its spiritual aspects? The second part of John's question-- should Christians participate in yoga-- I am far less comfortable answering. I have heard Mark Driscoll state that Christians should not. I have also heard John MacArthur agree that Christians should not participate. I think it is important to consider the spiritual aspects and background of yoga. It is obviously not Christian in origin. I also think it's important to understand the ways in which Eastern meditation differs from Christian meditation. Where Eastern meditation focuses on emptying the mind, focusing on nothingness, as well as attempting to achieve union with the universe, Christian meditation works in the opposite direction: it requires focus on a particular verse or Biblical doctrine; it is a filling of the mind rather than an emptying of it; it seeks to unify with God (the creator) rather than the universe (creation). The meditation that would be done as part of yoga is then the opposite of what Christians do. Nonetheless, I am not a pastor or spiritual leader. I can only adjure each of you to consider this issue for yourselves. You should pray about it and research it yourselves. If you feel a strong conviction about it, then follow what you feel God is telling you through your time in prayer and research. I would be curious to hear what other leaders in the Christian community have said regarding this.

I got most of my information from this website How Stuff Works (one of my favorites). Here is their article on yoga: http://www.howstuffworks.com/yoga.htm

Meet Linda!

Here's what Linda said. Literally, the best answer to the interesting story question! I laughed so hard. Thank you for sharing, Linda!

Have you ever been to India before? YES! This will be my fourth time! What's your connection to India? Shiny, my beautiful daughter-in-law, her family, and those that do not know Christ there. Any interesting stories or memories? Yes. I accidentally wore the beautiful underskirt and top from Mama Pushpa's house to Shiny's mom's house so they could help me put the sari on, not realizing that the skirt and top are considered underwear! Oh my!

How did you decide to go on this trip? A love to lead teams to India, so that other Christians can experience what God is doing around the world.

What do you feel your role is on the team? To help others see how God looks at the world: it's not all about America, but it is about all the amazing people and cultures God has created for His glory!

What are you most excited about doing in India or as part of the team? I love to see the teaching and serving that is already going on there and the hard work these people are doing.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge? The greatest challenge will be to prepare the two lessons and to make those lessons relevant to those hearing it.

If you've been to India before, what do you think is the biggest difference between India and America? Indians care more about the "inside": relationships, how you treat others, taking time to really talk. Americans care more about "outside" things: neat and tidy yards, washed cars, material things.

And last of all... What is your favorite Indian dish? Which one do I pick? There are so many! How about chicken tiki masala? Tiki means boneless – I'm not a big fan of bones in my meal!

Meet Jim!

Here is the result of my "interview" with Jim. I love the memory he shared with us.

Have you ever been to India before? Yes, on several occasions. What's your connection to India? My son married a beautiful Indian lady with an incredible Christian family. Any interesting stories or memories? India is interesting and the stories are abundant, however one of my fondest memories is when I had the opportunity to worship with believers in a nearby village. Totally spontaneous and very impacting!

How did you decide to go on this trip? I'm always challenged by the work done for the Kingdom in India. So, when the opportunity presented itself to be apart of a short term mission there, I had no hesitations. I'm going!

What do you feel your role is on the team? Supporting and encouraging.

What are you most excited about doing in India or as part of the team? I'm most excited for the team to find out what ministry is all about.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge? Preparation for the many lessons.

If you've been to India before, what do you think is the biggest difference between India and America? Materialism and the caste system.

And last of all... What is your favorite Indian dish? The one in front of me when I'm eating. It wasn't always like that.

Meet Tommy!

About a week ago, I sent out a questionnaire to everyone on the team. I hoped that it would be a fun way for us all to get to know the team members a little better together. :) Tommy was the first to respond to my email interview. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have. Here are his answers:

Have you ever been to India before? Yes, 8 times. What's your connection to India? My wife comes from India, so I have a lot of family there. Any interesting stories or memories? India is the place my wife fell in love with me. She resisted until I told her that I wanted to be with her for life. She panicked for two days, then her heart melted away for me. :) That's my side of the story, anyway!

How did you decide to go on this trip? I love being apart of teams from Northside that serve in India. It's a great joy for me.

What do you feel your role is on the team? I am on of the leaders of the team. That carries a lot of responsibility in making sure everything goes smoothly and that the communication between our team is clear and on target.

What are you most excited about doing in India or as part of the team? I look forward to serving with my family and friends. So excited!!

What do you think will be your greatest challenge? Preparing my three messages.

If you've been to India before, what do you think is the biggest difference between India and America? Relationships. Indians always have time for relationships. Americans are very efficient and place a high priority on getting things done in a timely manner, not always giving time for relationships. When these two work together it really is a beautiful thing!

And last of all... What is your favorite Indian dish? Absolutely butter chicken and naan!!! Saloni is quite good but that's more of a snack.

Henna or Mehndi

One tradition that I've learned about during this time has been henna or mehndi, in Hindi. This is something that Shiny has shared with me before I knew I would be going to India because it is just plain fun. Henna is an all natural dye made from a plant into a paste. It can stain the skin for up to a week. It's really something that can be done for fun anytime, but it is always done for Indian weddings. The henna is drawn in beautiful designs from the toes to the knees, and from the fingers to the elbows. Because you have to sit still for it to dry, the bride is honored by all the bridal party serving her throughout the preparations of the day. The more intricate the designs, the more beautiful the henna is considered to be. Wedding henna would look like this:

But, everyday designs would be much simpler and smaller.

Now, in the West, henna has also been associated with tattoos. I'm not sure why, except that it seems to be a common name for them. Henna really isn't a tattoo, as it isn't permanent and it isn't placed under the skin with a needle. In Indian culture, Henna would be similar to painting toe nails here. Girls get together for sleep overs and draw henna on each other for fun. You can also get henna done at shops, just like going to the salon for a manicure. It has no pagan association or significance. In Indian culture it's done just for fun and because it's pretty. Obviously, it's also something girls look forward to on their wedding, just like getting a wedding dress.

Shiny and I have asked friends and family to host henna parties for us, as a means to raise money. It's a fun way to experience the culture and get some friends together. We can also do just one-on-one, private henna. If you're interested in having a beautiful design done or hosting a party for us, please email either one of us: alexandracarmany@gmail.com or shinycorrao@gmail.com. We would love to do it. :)

Getting Ready (Part Two)

Besides a great deal of prayer and reading Bible commentaries to help me with my topics that I will present at the conference, I (and the rest of the team) have had to do some paper work. This is the stuff that falls under the category of "less fun than taking the team photo." Last week we applied for our Visas online. I always wonder, when encountering such activities, does technology really make our lives easier? It's kind of like fail-safe machines: the more complex the fail-safe, the greater the opportunity for failure. Anyway, of course my application is the one that has problems going through. For whatever reason, the online visa application site does not like my computer. The other option could be "operator error," but we all know that is just impossible! In any case, in order to get a visa, one has to fill out the application and mail it to an office in San Francisco, along with one's passport, two passport photos, and a money order of the application fee. Well, I have never taken out a money order before. In fact, I avoid going to the physical location of my bank as much as possible. However, they were really nice there, charged me an extra fee, but I took two of their free lollipops in recompense. Also, who made the rules for passport photos? Literally, the worst photos I have ever taken in my life.

After all of the set backs (I filled out this form online 6 or 7 times before it finally worked on my dad's computer), it all worked out and Val sent in the applications for us. Thank you, Val! :) Although, I shouldn't complain. I'm sure everyone's application had complications. Someone (I don't remember who) was joking that it was funny that we spend so much time being careful to get everything right and bringing the proper documents, when everything is much more relaxed in India. I hope everything will work out... We shall see! :)

Tickets have already been bought. I have my itinerary sitting in my email inbox and it's pretty exciting to just to look at it!

Don't forget to come to our table after each service. I will be there tonight-- come say hi!

Getting Ready! (Part One)

Hi, Everyone!

Welcome to the India 2012 Blog. I will try to keep you updated on all the excitement as we prepare and while the team is abroad through this blog. I should probably start with introductions. So, meet the team!

All the way on the left is Tommy, holding his son, Elijah. You probably already know Tommy as the Missions Pastor at Northside. Standing in front of him in cobalt blue is his wife, Shiny. Next to Shiny is Linda, in the aquamarine, and behind Linda is her husband, Jim. Front and center in bright red and the beautiful smile is Liz. Next to her is Alexandra – that's me, your humble blogger! Behind Liz and me, is Valentine. Finally, next to Val is Jennifer.

Believe it or not, this picture was one of the things that falls under the category of "preparation," but taking pictures is definitely more fun than some of the other things. As you can see, all of us ladies got to dress up in beautiful salwars, the traditional Indian clothing we're wearing. You have probably seen other Indian women wearing them here in Fresno. The guys are wearing Indian clothes, too, but it's hard to tell, except on Tommy. It was a lot of fun to wear these vibrant and intricately patterned clothes because they are so flattering and different from my normal jeans-and-shirt attire.

In addition to taking the team photo, we have been doing all sorts of fun activities to let everyone know what our plans are and how to support us, either spiritually or financially. So, what are the plans for this trip? Good question! We will travel to Madhya Pradesh, India (it is in Central India) in October in order to host a Bible Conference for Indian pastors. Our hope is to encourage those most faithful warriors who serve on the front lines of our spiritual battle, winning souls for Christ. It is often difficult to have a specific purpose for short term mission trips, but this one has a clear and definite task.

So, how can you support us? Please pray! Please pray often! Please pray that the Lord would prepare the hearts and minds of those whom we will meet, that all event planning would go smoothly, and for each of our hearts and minds as we write our messages. Yes, that's right I said messages. If you haven't noticed from the picture above, I'm actually pretty young. If you were wondering what qualifies me to give a message, all I can say is the Lord Jesus Christ! I have never given a sermon or taught the Bible before. Ever. Yikes! And, to teach on the Bible to those who are likely far more spiritually mature than I am is certainly humbling if not downright terrifying!! (Did I say I could use some prayer??)

You can also support us financially. There is a table in front of Northside where you can donate money for the cost of the conference. It is a three day conference and it will cost each attendant $50, which is not a small amount for those living in India. Our hope is to be able to pay for all of them. However, we also realize that $50 is not a small amount for us either. We hope that you will consider sponsoring a pastor or wife perhaps with your small group or friends-- $5 or $10 a person can be pretty manageable. If not, please come to our table and take a prayer card. We would love to see you. :)