life, youth conference, etc.

Hello Everyone. I havnt had too much access to internet lately, thus the lack of updates and delay in responding to emails. Last night was the RAVE youth conference finale, which went really well. I’ve been really busy all this last week with doing things for the conference. With being sick all week with a cold, it was a whirlwind of a week, but it went well. During each day of the conference I helped lead musical worship in both the morning and evening sessions. On Tuesday I fully lead the morning session. During the days I did different things, as going to breakfast with friends from the church, ate lunch in the church cafeteria, rest and hung out. Everyday there was a contest called “RAVE Idol” in the veins of American Idol. Three others and myself were the judges of the contest, which was set up exactly like American Idol. They especially wanted me to be a judge because I am American. At first I wasn’t too excited about being a judge, but it ended up being a really good time. The night of Wednesday was a huge blessing, the last night of the conference. At the end of the message, there was an extended time of prayer. I prayed over 5 or 6 boys during the time. God was moving, and it was a very powerful time. Near the end I ended up talking with a guy named Paul, whom I met a few days before. I talked with him and another guy named Mark. Mark told me about a ministry that him and his parents do at their house on every Sunday night where they invite people on the streets of the city, rickshaw drivers, street children, etc, over to their home to worship God. He invited me to come, and I will try to next week. It was really encouraging to hear him talk about their ministry, and I am excited to join them next week, and possibly more in the future. I talked to Paul for awhile about his conflicts with his parents. He is 19 and living with his parents (as is customary in India). His parents are Catholics, and are far from supportive of Paul now attending the Assembly of God church. He started coming to the church 2 months ago, and God has met him there in powerful and mighty ways. His parents are fully against him going to the AG church instead of Mass with them. They have threatened to kick him out time and time again. He was trying to hide from them about going, but now is quite bold with them about it., which I think he is going about in a wise way. I then met a man and his wife, Russell and Jane, originally from Lakeland, Oregon, but have been living in India for 7 years, and Kolkata for 2. They also have a 12 year old daughter. The man helps the church out with some business aspects of an orphanage they run, and him and his wife both work with the deaf people in the church and in the community. It was really good talking with them, and hope to talk with them more in the future.

Ive had numerous talks with people at the church, which has been really enlightening to hear the stories of the people here. More on that to come.

Ive hung out with all three of the teams here from APU some. Mainly with the India/Bangladesh team, and the Bhutan team. Adam Carpenter, the head of the Office of World Missions at APU has been here as well. It has been really nice seeing all of them. Team Bhutan went with my host brother and I to the AG Bengali church yesterday and also went to the RAVE finale last night.

Now that the conference is over, I am looking forward to a new pace of life here, and hope to start my internship with CINI here really soon.

Hope all is well with everyone. Thanks for tuning in. Blessings.

Scott

First Post...

Hello Everyone! I am writing you from the cyber cafe down the street from my home here in Kolkata. I have been here now for 6 days, and its hotter than ever. I am staying with a local Bengali family near the center of the city. The family consists of my Aunty and Uncle ( for which I call them) and their 31 year old son Sudip. Uncle is retired, so both of them are around the house most of the time, unless they are out to the market to get food. Sudip is a teacher at the Bible College at the Assembly of God church here in Kolkata, as well as the Bengail youth pastor. They have brought me in as one in the family, and treat me as such. I have meals with them 3 times a day, as well as a custom tea and biscuit time between lunch and dinner. It is always a good time when hanging out with Aunty and Uncle. Uncle has been trying to get me to play the guitar for him for the last couple days, and finally had the chance last night. We ended up recording a few songs, mainly consisting of Uncle going crazy and singing chants of random things. I have a feeling we will be making a few cds worth by the time I leave :).

Since I have been here, everyday I have been at the A.G. church practicing for a huge youth conference they are putting on starting on sunday called RAVE. They asked me to play guitar for musical worship, and possibly lead musical worship in the mornings of the conference. It is the same conference that I helped out with a little bit last summer with my team from APU. It was a really amazing time where God did some huge things in the lives of the youth, and I am excited to see how God is going to move this year. An hour from now, we are having a prayer time for the conference at the church. They asked me earlier today if I would lead musical worship for the prayer time.

Today I also went in to meet with the program director of the organization Child in Need Institute that I will be working with. I will be interning with CINI under the unit called CINI Asha, which works specifically with children living on the streets, slums, red light districts, and brothels within Kolkata. The meeting with the program director went really well, and I am excited to start helping out with the organization. If you would like to check out the organization, you can read about them on their website: http://www.cini-india.org/.

Thats all for now. I need to head off to the church here in a few minutes, and I really need to urinate, which means I need to walk all the way back to my house... Blessings.

Scott