L-R, Back: Dan, Me, Andy, Katie. Front: Deanna, Melissa, Jade.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Jolly World!
Almost all of the IG's with the creepy monkey/bear at Jolly World for Andy's Birthday!
L-R, Back: Dan, Me, Andy, Katie. Front: Deanna, Melissa, Jade.
L-R, Back: Dan, Me, Andy, Katie. Front: Deanna, Melissa, Jade.
More about my ministry...
So far I have told you a lot about the fun times being had in Ooty, but I figure I should probably fill you in on some of the actual work I'm doing here as well :) It is also fun, so I guess this will be another post about fun times - only centered more on the classroom and dorm.
I am working as a teachers aid in the morning with 2nd,3rd, and 5th graders in primary school. Then a couple afternoons a week I am co-directing a play! I have half of the 6th grade class, and we are doing a fun little play called "The Truth About George". We finished assigning parts yesterday, and now have a bunch of maidens, townspeople, a knight, a mayor and a couple of others running around campus memorizing their lines like crazy. We will be performing in 7 weeks. Here at Hebron everyone in 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade is in a play the first part of first semester. It's really fun! Each class is divided into two except for the seniors, so there will be 7 plays performed. They are all types - from "The Diary of Anne Frank" to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to one called "Readin', Writin', and 'Rithmitic" to "Murder in a Cathedral" to one where they all talk like New Yorkers and throw pies at each other... can't remember the name of that one.
So my days are full and fun :) I am hoping to travel around a bit and see India while I'm here... we (the other IG's and I) have every Monday off, and so we are planning on riding elephants, climbing a couple nice mountains around here, and riding on a miniature steam engine in the next few weeks. We also hope to go to Mysore, where there is a great old palace that gets all lit up at night. So much to do!!
The city where I'm at, Ooty, reminds me a lot of the mountains of Ecuador, so I actually feel quite at home here. The Eucalyptus trees, mangoes, bananas, altitude of 7500 feet, and open-air markets help with that also. The brightly colored sari's and salwaar kameez that all the women wear are very different though - so that helps to remind me I'm actually half-way around the world from Ecuador!!
Oops... I got off topic again! Now, back to what I'm doing in the dorms:
I am connected to Gables dorm, which is where girls in 6th and 7th grades live. I get to put them to bed a couple of times a week, go on outings around Ooty with them, and make sure they are getting their homework done. Some of them are in my play, so it is fun seeing them several times a day! I live at Selborne, which is the girl's dorm, and is located about a mile from the main school campus. It is a nice walk, except when it is raining!
I will also be teaching a Good Book study this semester every other Sunday on lament, and will be tutoring students for the SAT, helping them with math, and quite a few other random things. We are definitely kept busy around here!
Several of the students at Hebron have parents who are in politics or who are missionaries in dangerous places, and so you won't be seeing pictures of the students on my blog, newsletters, or facebook. There is face recognition technology now that makes it easier for people to find out information about these children and subsequently their families. Also, I won't be using a lot of religious language in my updates because of the same reason. Hebron is a very solid X-tian(if you don't get that term, think X-mas... :) school - I have been so impressed! - but they also have to be careful with what they say because of the delicate situations many of these children are in. So you'll be seeing some rather different language in my posts, but I'm sure you'll be smart enough to figure it out!
I am working as a teachers aid in the morning with 2nd,3rd, and 5th graders in primary school. Then a couple afternoons a week I am co-directing a play! I have half of the 6th grade class, and we are doing a fun little play called "The Truth About George". We finished assigning parts yesterday, and now have a bunch of maidens, townspeople, a knight, a mayor and a couple of others running around campus memorizing their lines like crazy. We will be performing in 7 weeks. Here at Hebron everyone in 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade is in a play the first part of first semester. It's really fun! Each class is divided into two except for the seniors, so there will be 7 plays performed. They are all types - from "The Diary of Anne Frank" to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to one called "Readin', Writin', and 'Rithmitic" to "Murder in a Cathedral" to one where they all talk like New Yorkers and throw pies at each other... can't remember the name of that one.
So my days are full and fun :) I am hoping to travel around a bit and see India while I'm here... we (the other IG's and I) have every Monday off, and so we are planning on riding elephants, climbing a couple nice mountains around here, and riding on a miniature steam engine in the next few weeks. We also hope to go to Mysore, where there is a great old palace that gets all lit up at night. So much to do!!
The city where I'm at, Ooty, reminds me a lot of the mountains of Ecuador, so I actually feel quite at home here. The Eucalyptus trees, mangoes, bananas, altitude of 7500 feet, and open-air markets help with that also. The brightly colored sari's and salwaar kameez that all the women wear are very different though - so that helps to remind me I'm actually half-way around the world from Ecuador!!
Oops... I got off topic again! Now, back to what I'm doing in the dorms:
I am connected to Gables dorm, which is where girls in 6th and 7th grades live. I get to put them to bed a couple of times a week, go on outings around Ooty with them, and make sure they are getting their homework done. Some of them are in my play, so it is fun seeing them several times a day! I live at Selborne, which is the girl's dorm, and is located about a mile from the main school campus. It is a nice walk, except when it is raining!
I will also be teaching a Good Book study this semester every other Sunday on lament, and will be tutoring students for the SAT, helping them with math, and quite a few other random things. We are definitely kept busy around here!
Several of the students at Hebron have parents who are in politics or who are missionaries in dangerous places, and so you won't be seeing pictures of the students on my blog, newsletters, or facebook. There is face recognition technology now that makes it easier for people to find out information about these children and subsequently their families. Also, I won't be using a lot of religious language in my updates because of the same reason. Hebron is a very solid X-tian(if you don't get that term, think X-mas... :) school - I have been so impressed! - but they also have to be careful with what they say because of the delicate situations many of these children are in. So you'll be seeing some rather different language in my posts, but I'm sure you'll be smart enough to figure it out!
Birthday party Indian/American/British style :)
I am still alive and well, which is something that can't be said for everyone here. Everyone is still alive - don't worry! - but several are coming down with colds/the flu and spending days in bed. Hopefully I won't catch it!
The food is great - think my tolerance for spicy is growing a little bit! A couple nights ago the IG's (International Guests - the title given to all the 6-month short-termers here) went out for supper, and one of the guys poured tabasco sauce on my food and I barely even tasted it :) I am also enjoying the fruit salad served here with custard after most meals, and better start exercising soon or there will be more of me to love in December! :) I do walk an average of 2 miles a day, uphill both ways (really, it is!! the school is on a big hill, and so is my dorm!) so I am getting some exercise. I have gone shopping in the market a lot, buying Mangoes almost every time! I really love those things. I also got a couple big bags of dates (for about $3 total!) and some lychees. Lychees are red and hairy looking, but almost like a grape/apple in the middle.
Yesterday there was a soccer game, and the whole school took the afternoon off and went to watch. It was the finals for the under 19-year-olds team. (probably similar to a varsity team in the States). Hebron won, 2-1, which is both fun but also sad because we beat an Indian school, and at that school the team gets beaten if they lose. Physical beating. :( No wonder some of the players were crying after the game. Quite the incentive to win if you know you are going to get pounded if you lose! Their team had been practicing for over a month now, and our boys have only been back for 5 days or so, and we still won. It was probably all of our cheering, drumming, and general mayhem & loudness that inspired the win. I made the whole crowd do the wave about 6 times... Lots of fun :) We were at the game during afternoon tea, and so they brought it to the game! Yep, these people need their afternoon snack! Definitely a good tradition... we need morning and afternoon tea to come back into style in the US!
On the way back from the game (Mom - you might not want to read this part!!), our bus driver smelled like he was drinking and was a little too friendly, so we talked to the principal and one of the Indian staff members rode the bus back to Ooty with us. (Before he got on, it was just 3 of us female IG's and about 20 girls). We got back safely, but it was a pretty crazy ride! Made me think about the part in "It's a Jungle Out There" book where author Rani talks about some of the crazy roads in Peru where the only people willing to drive on them were drunks or his dad :) This road was about that crazy - with trucks passing cars passing motorcycles around a curve in the rain driving up a mountain. But as you probably caught on by now, we arrived home safely, had some lovely Indian curry for supper, and I got to hang out with my dorm girls for a while last night. I am helping with the 6th & 7th graders, and they are a lot of fun. They are very giggly though... especially when in the presence of the boy IG's. So silly. I am sure I was never that immature... :) They are sweet girls though, and I am having fun getting to know them. A couple of times a week I put them to bed, time showers (3 minutes of water three times a week is all they - and I - get!), and make sure they do their homework.
Last Monday we had our first IG "day off". Every Monday we have the whole day to ourselves, and will hopefully be having many fun adventures! This last Monday we celebrated one of the IG's 18th birthday (18! so young!) with a proper English tea (he's from near London) complete with scones (I looked up a high-altitude scone recipe and they turned out great!), Black Currant jam, and Earl Grey tea with cream. Then after lunch we walked about 40min to a man-made lake near Ooty. On the way we passed an amusement park called Jolly World and just had to stop and take the Go-Carts for a run around the track. After the Go-Carts it was time for a walk through a spinning 3D tunnel. Then we tried to go on a giant inflatable chicken bouncy tent, but they wouldn't let us because we weren't little kids. Then we attempted a pirate ship ride, but either it wasn't working or the people in charge didn't feel like turning it on. Oh, India... :P There was also a miniature train that was flooded, and really, really creepy giant monkey statues everywhere welcoming us to Jolly World. You can see some pictures from the day on Facebook. I've been tagged in several. The park rides looked a lot like those in Ecuador - hanging together by dental floss, a shoe string, and a prayer. It was sure fun though!
After Jolly World, we went to the one and only Ooty Thread Garden. It is a big tent full of flowing plants made from thread. Pretty impressive... in a random, eccentric sort of way. It took 50+ artists 12 years to make! That's a long project. The owner who gave us a tour told us it was going to be in the Guinness book of world records for being the largest (and probably only one) of its kind in the world.
Then we went paddleboating on the man-made lake, which was fun and a little rainy. It rains a lot here... monsoon season and all that. But it hasn't been too cold. I've been told it will get colder, so I am gearing up for it. Nothing can be as cold as MN in winter, so I think I'll be fine :)
So Andy the IG's birthday was properly celebrated, ending with dinner at the Sidewalk Cafe and some card games back at the dorms.
This week I've been with the primary school kids in a couple different classrooms as a teacher's aid, and I have been helping with drama rehearsals. Another IG, Jade, and I are directing one of the 6th grade plays, and we are in the middle of casting characters. It's been great so far - the kids are hilarious! I'm sure it will take up more and more time as the performance gets closer. It's only 8 weeks away!!
I am trying to figure out what to do for our 10-day fall break. The options so far are the beach or the Taj Mahal. The Taj would be cool, but would involve a lot more traveling time (possibly 45 hours on the train) and quite a bit more money. So I'm not sure what to do. We have to decide soon though, cause trains and such get booked quick.
I am learning a little bit of Tamil, but it's an extremely complicated language! There are 200 letters in their alphabet, and some crazy grammar to boot. We'll see how it goes :)
The food is great - think my tolerance for spicy is growing a little bit! A couple nights ago the IG's (International Guests - the title given to all the 6-month short-termers here) went out for supper, and one of the guys poured tabasco sauce on my food and I barely even tasted it :) I am also enjoying the fruit salad served here with custard after most meals, and better start exercising soon or there will be more of me to love in December! :) I do walk an average of 2 miles a day, uphill both ways (really, it is!! the school is on a big hill, and so is my dorm!) so I am getting some exercise. I have gone shopping in the market a lot, buying Mangoes almost every time! I really love those things. I also got a couple big bags of dates (for about $3 total!) and some lychees. Lychees are red and hairy looking, but almost like a grape/apple in the middle.
Yesterday there was a soccer game, and the whole school took the afternoon off and went to watch. It was the finals for the under 19-year-olds team. (probably similar to a varsity team in the States). Hebron won, 2-1, which is both fun but also sad because we beat an Indian school, and at that school the team gets beaten if they lose. Physical beating. :( No wonder some of the players were crying after the game. Quite the incentive to win if you know you are going to get pounded if you lose! Their team had been practicing for over a month now, and our boys have only been back for 5 days or so, and we still won. It was probably all of our cheering, drumming, and general mayhem & loudness that inspired the win. I made the whole crowd do the wave about 6 times... Lots of fun :) We were at the game during afternoon tea, and so they brought it to the game! Yep, these people need their afternoon snack! Definitely a good tradition... we need morning and afternoon tea to come back into style in the US!
On the way back from the game (Mom - you might not want to read this part!!), our bus driver smelled like he was drinking and was a little too friendly, so we talked to the principal and one of the Indian staff members rode the bus back to Ooty with us. (Before he got on, it was just 3 of us female IG's and about 20 girls). We got back safely, but it was a pretty crazy ride! Made me think about the part in "It's a Jungle Out There" book where author Rani talks about some of the crazy roads in Peru where the only people willing to drive on them were drunks or his dad :) This road was about that crazy - with trucks passing cars passing motorcycles around a curve in the rain driving up a mountain. But as you probably caught on by now, we arrived home safely, had some lovely Indian curry for supper, and I got to hang out with my dorm girls for a while last night. I am helping with the 6th & 7th graders, and they are a lot of fun. They are very giggly though... especially when in the presence of the boy IG's. So silly. I am sure I was never that immature... :) They are sweet girls though, and I am having fun getting to know them. A couple of times a week I put them to bed, time showers (3 minutes of water three times a week is all they - and I - get!), and make sure they do their homework.
Last Monday we had our first IG "day off". Every Monday we have the whole day to ourselves, and will hopefully be having many fun adventures! This last Monday we celebrated one of the IG's 18th birthday (18! so young!) with a proper English tea (he's from near London) complete with scones (I looked up a high-altitude scone recipe and they turned out great!), Black Currant jam, and Earl Grey tea with cream. Then after lunch we walked about 40min to a man-made lake near Ooty. On the way we passed an amusement park called Jolly World and just had to stop and take the Go-Carts for a run around the track. After the Go-Carts it was time for a walk through a spinning 3D tunnel. Then we tried to go on a giant inflatable chicken bouncy tent, but they wouldn't let us because we weren't little kids. Then we attempted a pirate ship ride, but either it wasn't working or the people in charge didn't feel like turning it on. Oh, India... :P There was also a miniature train that was flooded, and really, really creepy giant monkey statues everywhere welcoming us to Jolly World. You can see some pictures from the day on Facebook. I've been tagged in several. The park rides looked a lot like those in Ecuador - hanging together by dental floss, a shoe string, and a prayer. It was sure fun though!
After Jolly World, we went to the one and only Ooty Thread Garden. It is a big tent full of flowing plants made from thread. Pretty impressive... in a random, eccentric sort of way. It took 50+ artists 12 years to make! That's a long project. The owner who gave us a tour told us it was going to be in the Guinness book of world records for being the largest (and probably only one) of its kind in the world.
Then we went paddleboating on the man-made lake, which was fun and a little rainy. It rains a lot here... monsoon season and all that. But it hasn't been too cold. I've been told it will get colder, so I am gearing up for it. Nothing can be as cold as MN in winter, so I think I'll be fine :)
So Andy the IG's birthday was properly celebrated, ending with dinner at the Sidewalk Cafe and some card games back at the dorms.
This week I've been with the primary school kids in a couple different classrooms as a teacher's aid, and I have been helping with drama rehearsals. Another IG, Jade, and I are directing one of the 6th grade plays, and we are in the middle of casting characters. It's been great so far - the kids are hilarious! I'm sure it will take up more and more time as the performance gets closer. It's only 8 weeks away!!
I am trying to figure out what to do for our 10-day fall break. The options so far are the beach or the Taj Mahal. The Taj would be cool, but would involve a lot more traveling time (possibly 45 hours on the train) and quite a bit more money. So I'm not sure what to do. We have to decide soon though, cause trains and such get booked quick.
I am learning a little bit of Tamil, but it's an extremely complicated language! There are 200 letters in their alphabet, and some crazy grammar to boot. We'll see how it goes :)
Friday, August 5, 2011
I'm in India!
வணக்கம்!
Hello everyone!
I just wanted to write a short note to let you all know that I have arrived in India safely! I flew out of Minneapolis on Tuesday morning (Aug. 2) and finally arrived at Hebron school on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 4), after 40+ hours of traveling! Thank you so much for your prayers - all of my flights were on time, my luggage actually arrived in India with me, and I have been adjusting well, without much jetlag (the time here is 10.5 hours later than Minnesota).
Over the last few days I have been meeting people, resting, learning a lot about the school and the city of Ooty where it is located, and have tried several new foods :) School officially starts on the 18th, but first we have orientation which starts on Monday and then run a camp for the staff kids while staff orientation and training happens.
Several highlights so far have been meeting all of the wonderful Indian staff (they have such servant hearts and ready smiles! A great inspiration for me :), getting to know other school staff from all over the world, exploring the open-air market downtown, seeing a bunch of monkeys on the drive up to the school, having tea parties with several of the staff members (this is a British school, you know! We have breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, supper, and sometimes evening tea :), enjoying the green plants and flowers (Hebron is on the same grounds at Ooty's botanical gardens), and spending time in prayer with the staff and my fellow co-workers (It is amazing to pray with people from Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, England, India, the United States, Canada, and several other places. About the only thing we have in common is our love for Christ and ministry at Hebron). Being here is a little overwhelming at times, but I know that God has lead me here and I look forward to seeing how He will work!
I will try to keep you updated as I have opportunity.
Please continue to keep me in your prayers,
- Liz Lackey
The school address is
Hebron School
Lushington Hall
Ootacamund
Tamil Nadu
643 001
India
I've heard mail usually arrives fine, but packages sometimes have problems.
A Letter From Liz: India #1
Blessed. That is the word I would like to use to describe my life right now. I am blessed. Blessed to have graduated from college, blessed to be spending time over the summer with my family, and blessed to be going to India this fall!
Yep, you read it correctly: India! I have been given the amazing opportunity to spend almost 6 months in southern India this fall, serving as an International Guest (IG) at Hebron School. Hebron is an international Christian boarding school with about 300 students. As an IG, I will build relationships with the international students who live in the dorms, act as a chaperone for field trips, be involved in the school's drama and music programs, and mentor young women. I am especially looking forward to the relationships that I know God will help me to develop with these precious girls!
If you take a look at this map, you'll see where I'll be living for the next few months. Hebron is in the city of Ooty and has a beautiful location - 7000 feet up in the mountains right next to a national forest preserve.
I have never been to India before, and am trying to prepare myself for jet lag, lots of curry, auto-rickshaws, and many opportunities for ministry. As a missionary kid myself, I lived in a dorm for my last two years of high school. I am excited to see how God will help me to connect with these kids, whether through our shared history as missionary kids, or through other common interests. However I end up getting to know them, I look forward to showing them the love of God and providing a listening ear and counsel when they need it. Please be praying for God-given wisdom and patience!
I also have some other news for you: I graduated from college! Finally! I now have my Bachelor's degree from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL.
I spent two wonderful and challenging years at Moody, learning more than my brain could hold, developing great friendships, and being well prepared for ministry. I thank God that he made it possible for me to attend Moody, and am grateful for all of the professors, fellow students, and staff members who made an impact on my life. My degree is in Bible and Pre-Counseling, and I will be using the skills I learned at Moody to support and be a resource for the kids at Hebron.
A Prayer Card and some Prayer Requests
If you would like one of my prayer cards to help you to remember to pray for me and my time over in India, please send me your address!
Send me an e-mail: liz.moncherami@gmail.com and I would be happy to mail you as many as you would like. :)
I am leaving on August 2nd, and will return to Minnesota on December 18th.
Health. India is home to over a billion people, and probably a billion diseases as well! I have been vaccinated against some of them, but would appreciate prayers that I stay strong and healthy!
Safety in my travels. I will be traveling alone for over 24 hours to get to India. Please pray that I will catch all of my flights, that my seat-mates would be friendly, and that I would be able to share the Gospel with someone!
Relationships with students and staff. I will be working closely with students in the dorms and with my fellow IG's. Pray that I would be a compassionate listener and that God would give me wisdom to know how best to love and counsel the kids under my care.
Financial provision. God has been faithful to provide for my needs, and has enabled me to graduate from college nearly free from debt! It truly is a blessing to be able to head out on the mission field so soon after college to put into practice what I've been learning! I am still in need of finances to support my trip to India and to pay back a few small educational loans. If you would like to partner with me in this area, either visit WMPL online (enter my name in the designation box) or use the contact info below. Thanks!
Future Plans. I know where I'll be spending the next six months, but after that I have no plans! Pray that God would reveal what He would like me to do after my time in India.
World Mission Prayer League | Liz Lackey
232 Clifton Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403
E-mail: liz.moncherami@gmail.com
Skype: liz.lackey
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