all the wrong injustices

Twice in a day is a lot of blogging, but I had some fun things happen, and I know how you all love a good picture post (mom), so I thought i'd share with you once more.

Today I got to go to the PMI center in Burari. This is an extremely exciting development -- PMI is six years old and honestly it's expanding like crazy. There are now two off-campus tutoring sites in different Delhi locations reaching out to the communities near the employees who have started them. They're pretty much brand new, and I loved being able to see some ground floor workings in the expansion process. So much blessing; so much rewarded faithfulness; so encouraging. And look at how much I love the students!

I think she is SO beautiful. Wow.

On the road back, I saw some really typically Indian sights. Enjoy them!

After coming back from Burari I gathered my things and headed to care group -- with the two girls from my English class! I was thrilled that they showed up. They're even getting involved with volunteering in PMI... oh, how I hope they stay plugged in and keep asking questions.
Care group was full to bursting with unbelievers tonight! Usually it's strictly a CBC function, but six different people had accepted friendly invitations to join our group, so the dynamic changed a little bit :) I was encouraged and excited to see interest and attendance. My girls have been asking so many questions - they're open, each of them in different ways, to hear what is being said. That sets my heart on fire. The two girls' names are Babita and Ruchika. Please, please, lift them up.

After care group I stayed and had a really good time talking with Heather. She's the only American in my life right now, but she's really so much more than that. She's a sounding board, a welcoming presence, a great mommy and a wise woman who I deeply admire. The other day she was reassuring a friend that I wouldn't be discouraged by some difficult conversations that needed to take place in my presence, and to do so she said of me, "Don't worry, she's a strong bird." I don't think she could possibly have known how this touched my heart. Confidence in my strength from a figure I hold dear to my heart and in such high regard impassioned me to live up to the prediction she had just made of me: she's doing okay, and she will make it. I feel so blessed to have such an encouragement in my life. She and I are going to start meeting Wednesday mornings, which I'm very excited about. Having a mentor in my life is something I've been missing for quite some time, and Heather has such a blend of personality traits as to make her just about the perfect person to talk to. She's easy for me to relate to, she's someone i greatly respect and seek to emulate, and she's someone i'm comfortable around. I'm really looking forward to picking her brain, and just HAVING her in my life.

After eating dinner with their sweet family, I was walking home and hearing a widely broadcasted Hindu home worship session. There was singing and chanting over a loudspeaker posted outside the house which is located between mine and the Malakar's, and the notes were so sweet, so Indian, that I was enjoying them almost as much as I despised the hopelessness embodied by their practice. I wasn't quite ready to head home, so I decided to head into the park that's right outside my house and take a couple of leisurely laps before turning in. Honestly I loved strolling, thinking about the day and listening to the singing voices. The Indian way of singing is something like a haunting warble, which seems like it would be terrible, but has an amazingly enchanting quality when it's done well.
"What are you doing to build up this broken community," I wondered at the house full of Hindus, "Where does your donated money go?" I thought of people placing their coins and food in ceramic bowls set before statues, and my heart was sad. Oh, the good you could do if you found the Truth; oh, the freedom you could find.

What a beautifully broken land, wailing over all the wrong injustices. 

They should know the truth. The truth would set them free.

Love from Delhi,
Julie - the strong bird.