the b unit.

As Sara mentioned in her post a few weeks back:

“Our b-team is off shooting the documentary all over the state of Uttaranchal. The three Ecclesians plus one host are traveling, as much as eight hours in a day by car to get the footage they need--this is not an easy task in these road conditions. They've met so many inspiring people already, and been treated to a hospitality that is the norm in these parts. Their days have been full and committed and they are happy with the work they've completed so far.”

Having been in Los Angeles for nearly two weeks now we felt it was about time to expand on this paragraph with a brief synopsis of the B-Teams’ adventures.


I couldn’t begin to describe our experience in India without first introducing our ministry partner. He grew up in a village in the Garhwal region of Uttaranchal, converted from Hinduism to Christianity at a young age and is now a full-time pastor in Mussoorie. He holds a handful of master degrees, runs the ministry with his wife and trains disciples among the Garhwali, Tharu and Kumaoni people groups of northern India. On top of all that he’s a father of four beautiful, intelligent and hilarious children.

He was the mastermind behind the documentary that brought our small crew of filmmakers to India. He also turned out to be an amazing teacher and friend. And cautious and responsible driver…can’t forget that one. I often felt humbled and honored that our team was able to travel half way around the globe to offer our skills as a service to his ministry. He has such a rich wisdom about him, relentless persevering spirit, hilarious dry wit and an impeccable taste in music.

Much of our time with him was spent traveling to specific villages to film the home churches that his ministry has planted and conduct interviews with the disciples he has trained. Life in this region isn’t easy. Although the landscapes are mind-numbingly beautiful in their terraced fields and meandering streams the people are constantly battling for survival. He mentioned that the dry monsoon season this past year left many families eating just one meal a week! This region is also what he refers to as “the Hindu stronghold”. The people groups in this region are extremely superstitious and a form of animistic Hinduism has flourished. There are gods, idols and spirits lurking around every corner and the people are constantly striving to keep them content. Endlessly attempting to win their favor. Their forgiveness. Their mercy. This sort of god/devotee relationship leads to a multitude of sacrifice – vegetable, animal, and yes, sometimes human.

These factors, paired with the isolation of the villages, make the job of ministering to this region a strenuous task. The disciples that they trains are native to these tribal areas. They grew up in the villages. They know the land, the dialects and the intrinsic mindset of the people groups. Some disciples will walk for ten days through mountainous terrain to reach a village and share God’s word. They share with those that may have never heard the name of Jesus let alone the Bible. They risk exhaustion, injury and persecution but it’s the path that God has called them to follow. It’s their vocation. To spread the Gospel each and every day through unreached areas, to plant and guide home churches in the villages, to nurture new disciples and show these people the love of Christ. The conversion to Christianity is not taken lightly. It’s transformative and freeing which can seem threatening to Hindus tied to their gods, idols and ancient ways. It causes conflict in the communities, amongst families, friends as well as internally. Often those that have converted will feel attacked by their old gods, angered by their acceptance of a new and greater God. There is constant and devout prayer amongst these people and they look after each other like one family, continuously taking in new members.

And that’s what the ministry wanted us to capture: simple moments in the life of these people, their testimonies, their struggles, devotion and ultimately the joy of their life in Christ. In the nine days we spent with him we covered a tremendous amount of ground. The roads we traveled were often dirt, steep, winding and only wide enough for one vehicle. We visited three villages and their subsequent home churches. We interviewed a multitude of pastors, disciples, and Christ followers. We filmed the baptism of a family that walked five hours through the mountains to a beautiful river valley so our partner could pray over them and then, after 30 minutes, they said good bye and began the return trek just as the sun began to set behind the Himalayas. We filmed the people in prayer and in worship, singing beautiful songs in Hindi and even taking the time to teach us one.

We also witnessed the darkness of India, the suffering, the injustice, the cycles of oppression and the logic of the people that at times was overwhelming for our Western brains. I was constantly reminded of the complexity of the culture, feebly stretching to imagine the world through the eyes of a native, reflecting on my simmering feelings of sympathy, empathy and anger. In that time God reminded me that he was far greater than all I saw before me. Far greater than this world. He was generous in his patience and support, reminding us that the simple matter of our presence there was a blessing.

Obviously we have so many stories and experiences we’d like to share, far too many for one blog post, and we hope that the completed film project will do it’s part in furthering awareness and support of the ministry. His main goal for the finished film is just that, to spread awareness of the Gahrwali people, their struggles and the dedicated work of his ministry. He often reminded me that spreading awareness and nurturing prayer support is much more important for them than financial support, although I do feel it’s been put on our teams’ hearts to help them with both. :: Andy

Visit our photo streem on flickr for more from the b team.

We’ll be sharing more about our experience at Ecclesia on Sunday November 8th, 11am.

no walls in this home.

The team has been home for over a week now, and everyone is settling back into their lives in Los Angeles. Most had to hit the ground running with our jobs, some had to battle remnants of whatever illness got hold of us while in India. Regardless of our circumstance upon returning, we have all been reflective in our time. I hesitate to say any sort of conclusion has been drawn as to how we will proceed with the knowledge we now have—but I do think our hearts are matured and open to God’s calling for the work He will have us do with these ministries in the future in a way that they could not have been before visiting.

One of the many blessings of our time in Northern India was the opportunity to attend a Christian church. Our hosts in Mussoorie run the facility, which is a small room on the side of the road, overlooking a vast landscape of mountains and trees. Most members walk there, many for one or two hours each way, surely a weekly commitment beyond our own in Los Angeles. The morning started with the team splitting in two and leading the youth group and younger children in activity and song. After this, service started and we were lead in worship through at least six songs. They sing praise in Hindi so beautifully, and we hope to be able to share a sample with you. As guests, we were made to stand and introduce ourselves. It was fascinating to witness the varied ways in which people praise the Lord. We were all struck by a man speaking in tongues, pointing to individuals as he prayed. It was clear the spirit was alive in that space. Admittedly, we did not know how to react to his loud calls, but upon reflection we liked seeing that he was so moved. The Ecclesia team was then invited up to the front and sang, “Lord we Lift Your Name on High”. Jennifer gave her poignant testimony, which includes stories of previous visits to India as a non-Christian. Kevin followed with a reading from the book of Matthew and an explanation of our background in Hollywood. We spent another hour there after service, meeting people and buying clothing, handmade jewelry, candles and blankets to support the church.

It was so special to see how affected people were by our presence there on this day. We did only what we were compelled to do as followers of the Lord; as guests of our hosts. But we could see in people’s response to Jennifer’s testimony, their embraces, the flowers we received, the dance moves the young ladies taught us…that they knew we were family. This church’s regional positioning is so important—they have about eighty congregants and every single one of them carry a responsibility to their community. It is one that we certainly share in Los Angeles, but because of the scarcity of believers, their calling holds a gravity that an American could easily dismiss as outside our domain of obligation. But this is not so and the heart of the matter is that as a church we have committed to supporting the livelihood of this town through the work of our incredible ministry partners. The supreme way in which our team can serve Ecclesia is to educate everyone else on how to properly pray for what our family is striving toward in India. They need us and if they didn’t, God would have placed us somewhere else. He sent ten of us to return with this knowledge for you and we will spend the months ahead doing our very best to deliver. ::Sara

Pictures from the day at church

Please join us in service on Sunday, November 8th at 11am as we begin to unfold a portion of our enlightenment.

lights.

Things are winding down as we have returned to Dehli. Today in our team meeting we went through every day of the trip and what was experienced, accomplished and felt. It was incredible to recount the details of each day, and be filled in on all of the things our b-team saw while away. 

There are a mix of emotions among the ten of us, mostly discussion on how to convey the stories of our travels with the weight they deserve. 

Our final week in India was spent at a children's school in the slums of Dehradun. It was an eye opening experience for us because we physically felt the needs of the kids--their affection and desire to be around loving bodies. We could not walk down the hall without being bombarded with handshakes, high fives, asking for pictures, signatures of our "Hollywood name". They are starving for attention and love, and we were so blessed to be able to give it to them. It is one thing to emotionally sympathize with the circumstances children on this level of poverty undergo; but it is an entirely new feeling when you add the physical aspect to it. To have a true understanding, you must have both. 

Our program was structured in such a way that the seven of us on the a-team took on the role of teachers for the week. The first four periods of class we spent in the courtyards with a group of students from five to eleven years old. We read stories from the book of Daniel with a corresponding activity like coloring and crafts. Then after lunch, we would classroom hop for the remaining four periods; sharing the same story, but followed by discussion, as the students in these classes were older. It was an honor to be in this position, entrusted with the responsibility of taking over an entire class as if we were the instructors. We took respectful ownership of the school for five days and it was fully encouraged.

Throughout the week we were broken up into pairs and taken on a tour of the neighboring slums which was a different experience for each of us. The day we walked, my partner and I felt hopeful with the work our ministry has been doing in this particular slum for the last fourteen years. A lot of the housing has been built up with brick and wood and there are paved roads where mud used to be. Dehradun has a total of 105 slums, this one inhabiting 5,000-6,000 people, a third of which are children. Of those children, about half are in proper schooling. 

A lot of Raven and Lily goods were being prepared for us to take back to the U.S. and it was pretty cool to see the workshop in which that takes place. 

The b-team has finished all but one small part of shooting for the documentary and feel passionate about the things they were able to capture traveling all over, as far as ten kilometers from the border of Nepal! They spent the last few days in Mussoorie, overseeing a youth camp run by friends of our church. Their days on the road were extremely ambitious and adventurous; God's hand made swift moves to direct the three of them in the exact spots they needed to be in order to aide and influence others.

We took the train back to Dehli last night and have returned to the first home we stayed in upon arriving in the country. It is currently the Diwali Festival of Lights all over this region, so we have been surrounded on all sides by the sound of blasting fireworks. The city is covered in strings of lights, a sweet parting gift and certainly symbolic to those of us who view life through that lens. 

Tomorrow evening we fly back to Los Angeles (Sunday morning for you), please pray for our safe return. We all miss our respective friends and family so much...thank you for taking the time to follow us on here. More to come post trip.... ::Sara

mussoorie. dehradun.

So much has happened in the span of three days!! God is heavy at work here in India.
We shared Sunday at the church of the organization we worked with in Mussoorie. We started with the sunday school kids and the youth group. We taught them the dream story from Daniel and they seemed to really enjoy it! The kids were so well behaved and eager to learn. The extent of their knowledge of Christ is overwhelming! These children know so many songs and scripture by heart- far more than I did as a small tyke.

The overall experience at the church was remarkable. Our new friends are literally fighting to know Jesus and The Most High God. They walk miles to get there and enjoy every ounce of it. We were told that most of the members have come to Christ through miracles of healing and you can see that mustard seed of faith.

After the service the women opened up their shop of goodies for us to go through and oh, the treasures we found! I mean, sincerely beautiful handmade purses, clothing, bags, jewelry, pillowcases, blankets etc. Needless to say we went to town. As the women were thanking us for buying so much, tears filled their eyes. The few things we bought , which by American standards were super inexpensive, will help the livelyhood of their entire family! I wish I could accurately describe how blessed we felt to take part in that.

After the service, we headed down to Dehradun to start our kids program in a school for slum children. The couple that started the school are just absolutely delightful. They are the most precious, gracious servants of Christ. The work they have accomplished in the area is positively groundbreaking. Not only did they start a school in the slum, but they have worked tiredly to make changes in the slum like paved roads and a womens empowerment program.

It goes without saying that the children at the school are unbearably cute. Everyone on the team had the best day! We were shaking hands, drawing pictures, signing autographs, signing arms and just plain old playing. We shared a story from Daniel and followed it up with games and the children were just thrilled. The joy in their face is makes all the work worth while. You can see Christ shining through these little kids, and most of them, if not all, go home to completely Hindu families. We were told that none of the 5,000 people inhabiting that slum are Christians, so we must pray fervently that these Children break the chain. And we can see the progress. We can see the fruits of God's work!!! There is hope for these beloved children of God.

That is just a glimpse into the last three days. We were able to tour the slum but I will save that for another time.

As a team everyone is doing well. Just minor head colds but we are pushing on. God has been, well, COOL. Really! He has absolutely prepared us for every single thing we have encountered. We ask for prayer for endurance to keep up our energy for the children.

Also, an update on the B team:

They are safe so many many prayers have been answered, They are traveling in very difficult areas but we hear they are on schedule. They were able to attend church at a Home Church a few hours away and said there were all sorts of neat things to be seen there. We got to meet up for dinner this week as they headed back to Mussoorie and their spirits are still high. Please pray for protection on them. Cover them in your prayers!

Until next time Friends... Namaste! ::Greyson

our first month* in india

The team has been in Mussoorie, a region in the foothills of the Himalayas since Wednesday. Today we leave for Dehradun to complete our kids program. There is a lot to fill you in on since the last blog but I'll try to stick with captions.

Our last night in Dehli before heading North, we visited a house in the slums. The ten of us, along with two hosts sat in a bedroom the size of two kitchen tables. Within minutes there were about a dozen small children crowding in, even pouring out of the doorway to get a look. We spent time with them in song and prayer. We taught them "this little light of mine", which they sang perfectly. Their faces, their eyes, they way they light up when given the chance to speak or interact was so moving in light of their situation. Alive with hope defined this experience. 

Since arriving in Mussoorie, we have been staying in a hotel with the most breathtaking mountain views you can imagine. Every road is one that winds, and every plan you make gets changed. As a team, we are solid in these challenges. We have been more mobile than any of us had anticipated, never spending two days the same way. The bulk of our time has been under the guidance of our hosts. 

One of our brothers, Matthew got all of his camera and computer equipment stolen on the train up here from Dehli earlier in the week. That was a heavy weight on all of us and a hard day. He lost $8,500 worth of things, including all the photos he had taken of our trip up until that point, as well as basic losses like keys and credit cards. His faith really shined in how he handled it and made us want to be strong for him.  

Some of the most memorable visits we've paid to the local people in this town have been to home churches, gatherings in the small and loving dwellings of other Christians. We share testimonies and songs, pray for each other and have conversation. Everywhere we go, no matter how poor the family, some sort of beverage or snack is offered. The selflessness of this culture is above and beyond what we Westerners know; people will walk with you for kilometers to make sure you get to your destination. 

So far we have spent two days with organized groups of children, the first being at a school on a ledge overlooking the mountain range with kids of roughly middle school age. We played games, told stories and sang songs with them. The following day, we went to a school about two and half hours outside of town to visit an even younger group--mostly seven year olds and under. Both experiences were bright, inspiring and successful. It's hard to formulate thoughts on all of it this so soon after.

To get from point A to B is an adventure in itself. Any one of us could tell you multiple stories about our drives, whether it be a couple hours to pray in a particular region, or a few minutes down the road for dinner. The streets are always alive, it doesn't matter if you are in the most remote location. Goats and cows and other animals are constantly blocking our way when driving. There is always a cliff with no rail to one side of us. Uniformed children walk to and from school by themselves, traveling as much as an hour each way along these same roads. There are waterfalls, terraced landscapes and forests all within miles of each other. In the city, the streets are packed, honking is as common as blinking. People are carrying large pieces of furniture on their backs. Everyone has a beautiful face. 

Our b-team is off shooting the documentary all over the state of Utaranchal. The three Ecclesians plus one host are traveling as much as eight hours in a day by car to get the footage they need--this is not an easy task in these road conditions. They've met so many inspiring people already, and been treated to a hospitality that is the norm in these parts. Their days have been full and committed and they are happy with the work they've completed so far. 

The most fulfilling part of our visit is we get to pray for all of the things we see--not just today, but forever. I would argue that one of our main purposes for this trip was to learn that. All of the tours we have received, all of the house calls we've made are things we now carry home with us. We have learned so much about the culture here, and the work our ministries are doing and how we can help. There is a great amount of need and we are honored to now be involved in the steps toward a resolution.  ::Sara

*week

sew the seed. do the deed. pull some weeds.

Everyone is safe, everyone is calm--those are my biggest praises on our second night in Dehli. It has already been an adventure, but the chemistry of our team is such that every step of the process has been smooth. I think we all felt a bit of culture shock standing outside the airport, waiting for our taxi to arrive. The team was followed around by a relentless young boy begging for money, a very normal occurrence here. These kids will approach your circle as if they are part of the group and just stand there in conversation, wide eyed, trying to engage any one of us that will give them the attention. We could tell them "no" fifteen times, and they would remain. It was our first encounter with how difficult it is to respond to the unfathomable amount of poverty in India.

We have been staying with very gracious American hosts, who have been feeding us a variety of Indian meals, leading us in song and study and introducing us to Indian culture in hours of lecture, video and language training. They live in a wealthy neighborhood, safer than most areas (that's for the parents reading). The team is separated on two floors and the women share their room with the nanny of the house.

We are so blessed in California; we forget. In our teaching today we learned to say "jay ma ski" meaning, "praise Christ" which is so powerful! Another portion of our lesson was our personal doctrine for the work we'll do in India. It starts with sewing the seed, which is the importance of our foundation in God's word. Taking action and living it out follows, referred to as doing the deed. And trying to make change for the better in a country that so desperately needs to see the love of God working through people--pulling some weeds. We know this is no easy task.

This afternoon we visited two temples, one Hindu, one Sikh. The common thread among us on this day was our stillness before the Lord through both visits and travel. That may be our best collective quality as a team. While there were a range of emotions and reactions among each team member afterwards, that blessing stood firm in the midst of the experience.

In devotional time this evening, we realized how heavy the weight of these peoples lives is upon us. We saw a young boy with acid burned eyes drinking water out of a bottle with a long tube connecting it to his mouth. Every person we walk by stares at us and even as we pass they turn their heads to continue looking. The driving is absolutely reckless; incomparable to anything we've ever seen. Cabbies are more like chauffeurs who wait for you at each stop. Monkeys are crawling on roofs. Fathers yank their children's arms in public. Things are different here.

We are happy and excited to be here. Humbled by this calling. Proud to be children in the light. Praise Christ, praise Christ indeed. Our faith and love is shining. :: Sara

we made it.

we've arrived in Delhi after many hours of smooth (yes, praise God, smooth) travel! we're just getting settled and trying our best to acclimate our body clocks by going to bed here shortly (just after midnight Delhi time.) since i'm not the official blog writer, i'm going to leave you all with a few pictures from traveling. expect a more in depth update soon, as we luckily have internet access where we are staying. again thank you all for your prayers. :: matthew.