Study Abroad

Natalie Rogers This last week has gone by very quickly, and it feels like we have just begun to learn about life here in Shamshabad, India, about each other, and even about ourselves. My husband Austin and I have been blessed to have growing relationships here on the MBCB campus and we know that when the time comes for us all to leave the campus it will be difficult. We have had an amazing woman, who is around 68 years of age and might as well be called our Indian grandmother serving us food and true Indian hospitality since day one. Her name is Shandralayla, (that is by pronunciation not spelling). She kept the food spice mild as we adjusted, always encouraged us to eat a lot of food (Ken Friesen can attest to this), made us soup if we felt sick, learned how to make peanut butter for us (we eat it up before the day is over), and she even took me aside to fix the sari I attempted to wrap. She has been with us the whole time and has kept us going. Some of us have gotten the chance to help with the dishes and experience how the “Indian dishwasher” works, there is no machine. Each time we have helped she thanks us with great sincerity and appreciation. She has been a person for some of us to talk to, even though the English is not clear, she understands a lot and she is welcoming to conversation. She has shown us a lot of love and I am sure she has a reputation doing this since she began working here which has been an astonishing FORTY YEARS. We will miss her laughing, smiles, her care, her loving eyes, her humble heart, and her cooking when we leave here.

Kalyn Mello Wow, only two and half weeks left in Shamshabad.  I remember the first week seemed to drag on forever with everyone getting over jet lag and the initial culture shock. Now it seems to be flying by to the point we aren't sure what day it is and trying to keep up with homework in the midst of it can be tough.  Getting to see and learn about more of India and its culture, people, religions, society, food, history and just all around diversity has been fascinating and eye opening.  We have had so many experiences already that I could write for days about them all, so I'll just focus on one for now. Last night a few of us started some internship hours at an organization called Christian Concern Mission, or CCM.  This is a an orphanage run by a beautiful elderly couple that has been taking in unwanted or abandon children for almost thirty years.  Right now, they have about 30 kids and they are all girls except for one boy.  This makes sense when you learn about how India has always been a very patriarchal society and that having daughter is seen as an economic liability or as someone else's assets.  Having sons is more important because they are the ones who will contribute more to the family and take care of the parents when they grow old.  Having a daughter means that they will arrange a marriage, provide a dowry, and then the girl leaves her family to become a part of her husbands family.  This has led to feticide, infanticide and abandonment of girls from any caste level.  It was interesting to find out that the majority of the girls were actually from high castes.  It is hard to see such beautiful girls with so much potential be unwanted or abandon. Hannah and Joseph, the couple who run the orphanage, have such amazingly big, beautiful, and caring hearts to be able to do this for so long and for so many kids.  They don't do it for the money, which there is little of anyway, or any conceived prestige, they do it out of love for all God's children.  They have 30 kids in a  couple small rooms and they nurture them with faith and love and help them get a good education.  A couple of the older girls have gotten a bachelors in communication and yet another couple are in a nursing program.  Unfortunately, they are having a hard time with their funding and don't have enough sponsors.  They are living off of 1 dollar a day for all of them and it is very difficult to keep up with all their educational and hygiene needs with such little funding.  We are hoping to find ways to help bring awareness and support to this organization and the beautiful kids they raise as their own.  If anyone would like to help or know of any people or organizations willing to sponsor a child or donate, it would be a great help to the children and the organization.  We took them out into town for snacks, played games, and just loved on the kids all evening as they touched our hearts. I'll try to post some pictures as well.  

Nick Swan Wow things are going by so quickly. Early this morning we had to say good bye to Ken Friesen as he is starting his journey back to Fresno today. These last couple of days have definitely been a milestone in the trip for the team with the transition from Ken's class and starting a new class. We're all also moving past the worst parts of culture shock and we're all pretty well adjusted to living here at the Bible college. We've even managed to find peanut butter and nutella so we're pretty much set! Along with this, we're also starting to work with different ministry projects in and around the area we are living in. Sam is working to start a sports ministry at local schools here in the Hyderabad area so some of us are going to be working with him on that. Just down the street from us an older Indian couple has started a sort of orphanage and so a few people will also be working with them before we leave Hyderabad. Finally, we're also starting to work with a few students here at the Bible college to start English conversations to help them practice their English as part of their classes. We're all really enjoying getting to know the students here on the campus and it's been a lot of fun spending time with them during tea time or after their classes. We've all been invited to their rooms in the dorms for food or chai multiple times over the last three weeks and I know I've tried to keep up with the invites but I can only drink so much chai before I burst! Everywhere we go the hospitality has been fantastic and a very interesting experience overall. We're all excited for the remaining four weeks that we have here in Shamshabad and the Bible college, but with how quickly these last three weeks have gone by, I'm sure we'll all blink and we'll be leaving for Goa. Thank you all for your prayers and support!    

-Elizabeth Flores My summer (don’t worry I won’t talk about it long) was mostly uneventful (that’s it, that’s all I had to say about my summer) and since this semester began our days have been full. We have had our down time (thank you, Jesus), which has been much appreciated. For instance, today was quite relaxed. We had breakfast in the morning, headed over to the morning worship service (only 30 minutes long, yay), had Ken’s class (in the spiffy new Peace and Conflict Conference room), and ate lunch (I think it was a late lunch, as in later than 12:00pm, but I am not sure as I am trying to not pay much attention to time, here). After lunch we were able to do homework, take a nap, check facebook, do nothing at all, whatever. Then around 4:30 a group of us left for the tailor’s home to give her some items that needed tailoring and to check out her fabrics. Sarees, sarees, and more sarees! Almost all of us found a saree we loved (it took me a while but once I was holding my saree, I loved it). After spending, maybe three hours there we went back to the school and ate a late dinner. The best part of today was not the downtime though, but rather the time we spent at the tailor’s (unfortunately I cannot remember her name). She is a wonderful woman, who I am glad we met and were able to appreciate with our business and with our excitement for her work (I really hope she got just how happy and thankful we were to be there). She even made us chai before we left! So that’s it, that was today, nice and compact with a lot missing (thank goodness or else this would take entirely too long to write).

Jesica Uriostegui It has been over a week since we left home and arrived in Shamshabad, a suburb of Hyderabad in the district of Telangana, India. The journey from West to East continues as we are continually adjusting to a new setting with much to see and soak in. At times it becomes easy to compare the things we see with things back home.  Personally, I must remind myself I am living in a different country, in a new context where things are different- language, social scripts, the way traffic functions, smells, food and currency. Although we are 8, 516 miles (according to Google) from Fresno I feel a sense of familiarity, a homelike feeling amongst a different culture and people. However, I realize I am a foreigner in a foreign land and I am not an insider in the community around us because of the differences that separate us. Yesterday, we travelled to Jadcherla, about an hour away from Shashabad, and visited the Mennonite Brethren Medical Center, Bethany Church of Jadcherla, and the MB Junior College for girls and boys ages 16-17. The Mennonite Brethren Medical Center was started in 1952 by Dr. Jake and Ruth Friesen and is still in operation by Dr. Arnold. Our visit was not only to see the M.B. Medical Center but also to see Dr. Ken Friesen’s home, next to it, where he grew up. Following this visit we headed to Bethany church in that same village. Church service was mainly in Telugu and after the team was presented to the church community we headed to the kid’s church. We lead the kid’s church service in English with some Telugu translation (most kids have some English understanding and can speak it) something the team was not expecting. We had loads of fun singing, bible story-telling and playing games. Spending time with these children was amazing and so much fun. After the church visit we headed to the M.B. Junior College where we were greeted warmly by the students and staff. Once we were properly presented we were surrounded by the students, mostly girls. The girls, very happy to see us, asked for our name, grabbed our hand and took us to their room. They were full of energy and as we sat on mats they all sang songs in Telugu; it was a beautiful and melodious sound. I noticed they had henna tattoos which were so intricate.  A few minutes later they asked if it was okay for them so do henna on us, we agreed. It was absolutely beautiful to see these young ladies gathered around us, singing, laughing, joking around and showing us their artistic abilities. Our henna tattoos were done in a few minutes with quickness and delicacy; they even wrote their names on our hands so it would be easy for us to remember their names. We were instructed to wait 30 minutes for the henna to dry and did it not realize it would be troublesome when trying to eat and use our hands. After a long day we headed back to Shamshabad and on the way we stopped for chai. Believe it or not it was the fourth cup of chai we had that day. Chai tea seems to bring people together just like coffee does in the States, it is incredible. Today has been a relaxed day; a day to catch up on rest and academics. There was a bit of rain fall but it stopped suddenly leaving behind a fresh breeze. I am excited and looking forward to the many more adventures, the challenges, the colors, sounds, smells, foods, insights, knowledge and the people we will meet. For now let’s keep the chai coming.

-Emily Broomfield We have just come to finish our first full week here in Shamshabad. Each day has been an adventure, full of surprises around every corner. We have spent days on the MBCBC campus getting to know the students here and exploring different topics surrounding life in India. We have also spent many days out in the city, touring historical landmarks as well as getting to see how daily life functions in India. One of my favorite memories from this week was the opportunity that a few of us had to drive out to a local village and spend some time with the children at school. The school taught 1st through 7th grade with two teachers teaching all one hundred kids. We took all of the kids outside and played with them through the afternoon. The kids were thrilled to not be in class! At first, we thought that we would be the ones teaching them new games, but boy were we wrong. They taught us a ton of new games, including one that has become notorious in our team called cupordi. The goal of the game is to tag someone from the opposing team before they have the chance to tackle you. If you can get back to your side without being tackled, you stay in. If they manage to catch you, you are out. We split the kids up between boys and girls, and it was hilarious to watch the difference of the two games. The boys were super intense about it, willing to hurt themselves if it meant keeping the other team from getting back. The girls however were a lot more timid, and not wanting to hurt anyone. You could tell that the children really enjoyed having us there, and we had a wonderful time getting to know them. Needless to say, we are all anxious for when we can go back again. Along with the trip to the village, we were able to take a few trips out to some historical landmarks such as Golconda Fort and Charminar. It was incredible to see these 100 year old buildings and to learn the history behind them. It has been a great time for us to really understand what it is we talk about in lectures, as we have covered the historical time periods in which these landmarks were at their prime. I am so excited to continue to learn and explore India through the rest of this semester.

By: Alexa Fox India, otherwise as known as where East meets West. After about four days, our team has finally been able to experience a taste of what this diverse country has to offer. Being nearly half way around the world has shown us that the world has much to offer, it is just up to those who are willing to explore it. After arriving about four days ago, our first views of India included the Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College, which is where we are residing for the first half of our semester here. Our first cross-cultural experience included seeing how things are ran here at the college and getting a very warm welcome from the students, staff, and faculty here. These welcomes from our fellow Mennonite family here have made us felt at home. However, the beauty of being here in Shamshabad is the ability to be in a smaller city compared to Hyderabad. To put this in perspective, think of the distance between Fresno and Clovis and times the amount of people by ten. As we continue exploring this diverse culture, including all the delicious curry, our minds will be broadened and challenged to dive in and absorb everything India has to offer.

7/18/14 Elijah Roth Today was our last day of field study. I am a little sad. I’m ready to be home, but I am not ready to leave. Anyways, we began our day in the Old City, and made our way to the Catholic Church that commemorates the Upper Room. This building wasn’t as ornate as what I am used to seeing in the historic churches. There were still decorations common to the Catholic Church, but all in all it had a simple appearance. While in this room we read the passage on the Last Supper. While we read, Brian brought up the idea that Judas’ intentions were not necessarily evil. It is possible that he saw Jesus as the Messiah who was going to free the Jewish people from Roman rule. By turning him over to the priests, Judas may have thought that he was helping to expedite the process of the Messianic restoration. There is evidence for this in how Judas interacts at the Last Supper and also in his response to finding out that Jesus was going to be sentenced to death. This was very interesting and I am looking forward to wrestling with the idea for a while. Anyways, after the Upper Room, we moved straight to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This church commemorates Jesus’ death and burial. Tradition says that they have the bedrock where Jesus’ tomb was and the bedrock for the site of Golgotha. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to go into it, but I am looking forward to trying my luck tomorrow. From here, we raced to the bus and made our way to Caesarea. We arrived at the remains of an aqueduct in Caesarea and had lunch on the beaches of the Mediterranean. It was absolutely beautiful. After this, we went to the ruins of the port city at Caesarea. The amount of history that this site has is absolutely amazing. From Herod the Great’s palatial harbor under Rome, to the Christian Byzantine port town, to the Islamic city, to a crusader fortress, back to an Islamic town. It is amazing! While the sites with the kurkar, marble and limestone structures were amazing; I took the most from the discussion, yet again. The passage that we looked at was Acts 10, where we find Cornelius, a God fearing Gentile, whose prayers and almsgiving had ascended before the Lord as a memorial. This presents the first set of interesting information. It was his giving to the poor and his prayers that pleased God, not his adherence to the Laws of Moses. As we continue reading, we come to the part where Peter has his visions of the unclean animals and the voice telling him to eat. However, we find the interpretation in scripture where Peter says that God told him not to call anyone unclean. This has to do with people, not food. Since this does not appear to be the dissolution of kosher laws, like I used to think, then this begs the question, “what should the Messianic Jews do with these laws under the New Covenant?” I really like the way Brian said it; some Messianic Jews would say that they now have the freedom in Christ to obey the Law more faithfully with the forgiveness of sin through Jesus. For us as Gentile Christian, this leads me to ask the question, “How ought we to best serve and obey God according to the Word He has given us?” I know that I will continue to wrestle with this question as I discern God’s Will for my life, but one thing I do know is that I am called to love; simple as that. Love my neighbor, the foreigner, my friends, my enemies, and my God. This has been an experience of a lifetime. God has blessed me in this opportunity and I am truly looking forward to my return to Israel … the Holy Land.

Haylie Copeland Wednesday July 16, 2014 Shalom! Today we started off our morning with a beautiful boat ride across the Sea of Galilee! We took pictures and enjoyed singing hymns as we sailed across the Sea. We have been walking where Jesus walked and today we got to swim and sail where Jesus walked! We went and saw a boat that was found and dated back to Jesus' time. It was interesting to learn about how they preserved the boat! We went to the Church of the Beatitudes! This is my personal favorite church to visit because it is the commemoration to the sermon on the mount! It was cool to sit up in the garden and read The Beatitudes! We finished the day up by visiting The town of Capharnaum, which was beautiful! Today was one of my favorite days of the two week course! We really focused in on the teachings of Jesus and it was such an amazing experience to be here and see these places. [caption id="attachment_189" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Some of the guys having fun on the boat![/caption] [caption id="attachment_191" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Beautiful Church over looking the Sea of Galilee[/caption]