Remember the ladies Erin and I met at the park from a couple posts back? Remember how they invited us to lunch the following Tuesday?
Well, Tuesday rolled around. We were all ready to go - and we were even bringing an American friend with us who was in town for a couple of days. We found our way back to their neighborhood and to their house. I was the first up the stairs, so I knocked on the door...
and I was greeted by a tall, shirtless, hairy-chested man... a very nice, tall, shirtless, hairy-chested man.
It was the husband of one of the ladies (the one not pictured in the post from before)... and he looked very surprised to find us at his door.
I asked where his wife was, and he said that she, the other woman, and all the children weren't home. In fact, they had left the city! I told him his wife had invited us to lunch that day... and he just laughed! He didn't seem to know when they would be returning - or at least I didn't really understand what he said... so I gave him my number and told him to tell his wife to call me when she returned.
On the way back down the stairs, we ran into the other husband and asked where an older lady, an "Auntie" that we had met the week before, lived. We thought, "We might as well visit someone while we're here!!" Well, it turns out she left town too... so Husband #2 takes us around the corner to someone else's home.
The family is standing at the railing of their balcony looking down on us, and Husband #2 motions for us to go up. Again, I'm the first up the stairs and I greet them with, "Namaste!" They smile and greet us back... They take us to a room and chat with us for the next hour or so, serving us water and a snack, and showing us their children's report cards. We're sitting there with the wife, her husband, their two sons, a niece, nephew, and grandmother. In the midst of trying to talk with them, I realize this woman is one of the women we met the very first day in the park. I knew her face was familiar... but mostly I remembered her lipstick (from now on I will call her "Lipstick")! I asked her if she was in the park that day, and she said she was! So, that was good news... but also funny because that meant the second time we met with the ladies at the park we had only met one of them before! We didn't realize the other one was new!! Maybe we should be embarrassed about that, but their names are so hard to remember and they kind of look the same! In our defense, the new woman was Lipstick's sister - so, same genes!
Anyway, turns out Lipstick wants us to teach her children too. We asked them some questions and did a short oral quiz, but they don't really have enough basic knowledge of English for us to use the curriculum we have. Still, the mom wanted to know when we would be back to start teaching them...
She also invited us to come again for lunch, so we decided on Sunday.
Sunday before Fellowship, I called Lipstick just to make sure she hadn't left town... she was still around and our plans were still set.
After Fellowship, Erin and I went to their home. They served us a small lunch of rice, dhal, okra, and dahi (dahi looks innocent, but it does not taste awesome). While we were eating, we chatted with her sons and niece... all the while Grandma was on the couch puffing on her hookah. (In South Asia the host almost never sits to eat with the guests. They are always busy serving during the meal and will usually wait to eat after the guests have gone. Lipstick did sit to eat with us at the end though.)
In our conversation, dancing and roller skating came up... so of course I request that the boys break out the skates... and they did...
Once again - things last week didn't quite turn out like we had planned. Still, the L made a way and opened up another home to visit. Lipstick's sister and the other lady still aren't back from being out of town (At least I don't think they are. Maybe hairy husband forgot to give her my number!), but Lipstick has invited us back to her house this week!
Please lift up Lipstick and her family. Ask for our relationship to grow. Ask for more opportunities to share. Ask for their hearts to be soft and ready to hear. Ask that our communication would be clear... but that we would also remember that the Father isn't limited by our language and He can do what is impossible for us!!
Well, Tuesday rolled around. We were all ready to go - and we were even bringing an American friend with us who was in town for a couple of days. We found our way back to their neighborhood and to their house. I was the first up the stairs, so I knocked on the door...
and I was greeted by a tall, shirtless, hairy-chested man... a very nice, tall, shirtless, hairy-chested man.
It was the husband of one of the ladies (the one not pictured in the post from before)... and he looked very surprised to find us at his door.
I asked where his wife was, and he said that she, the other woman, and all the children weren't home. In fact, they had left the city! I told him his wife had invited us to lunch that day... and he just laughed! He didn't seem to know when they would be returning - or at least I didn't really understand what he said... so I gave him my number and told him to tell his wife to call me when she returned.
On the way back down the stairs, we ran into the other husband and asked where an older lady, an "Auntie" that we had met the week before, lived. We thought, "We might as well visit someone while we're here!!" Well, it turns out she left town too... so Husband #2 takes us around the corner to someone else's home.
The family is standing at the railing of their balcony looking down on us, and Husband #2 motions for us to go up. Again, I'm the first up the stairs and I greet them with, "Namaste!" They smile and greet us back... They take us to a room and chat with us for the next hour or so, serving us water and a snack, and showing us their children's report cards. We're sitting there with the wife, her husband, their two sons, a niece, nephew, and grandmother. In the midst of trying to talk with them, I realize this woman is one of the women we met the very first day in the park. I knew her face was familiar... but mostly I remembered her lipstick (from now on I will call her "Lipstick")! I asked her if she was in the park that day, and she said she was! So, that was good news... but also funny because that meant the second time we met with the ladies at the park we had only met one of them before! We didn't realize the other one was new!! Maybe we should be embarrassed about that, but their names are so hard to remember and they kind of look the same! In our defense, the new woman was Lipstick's sister - so, same genes!
Anyway, turns out Lipstick wants us to teach her children too. We asked them some questions and did a short oral quiz, but they don't really have enough basic knowledge of English for us to use the curriculum we have. Still, the mom wanted to know when we would be back to start teaching them...
She also invited us to come again for lunch, so we decided on Sunday.
Sunday before Fellowship, I called Lipstick just to make sure she hadn't left town... she was still around and our plans were still set.
After Fellowship, Erin and I went to their home. They served us a small lunch of rice, dhal, okra, and dahi (dahi looks innocent, but it does not taste awesome). While we were eating, we chatted with her sons and niece... all the while Grandma was on the couch puffing on her hookah. (In South Asia the host almost never sits to eat with the guests. They are always busy serving during the meal and will usually wait to eat after the guests have gone. Lipstick did sit to eat with us at the end though.)
In our conversation, dancing and roller skating came up... so of course I request that the boys break out the skates... and they did...
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| This is Lipstick's 8 year old son, showing off his roller skates! |
In the meantime we moved to Lipstick's bedroom to sit on the bed (this is normal) - and the niece turns on some music. We listen for a while, and then we finally convince her sons to dance for us. They do (one of them even attempts a little break dancing)... and then Lipstick takes a turn... and then the niece! Grandma kept encouraging me to take a turn, but I told her maybe next time. :)
Between the skates and all the dancing, Lipstick mentioned that she has been having a stomach pain... so Erin shared with her the story of the bleeding woman who was healed. Then before we left, we were able to pr@y for her! (Erin had also pr@yed a short pr@yer in their language before our meal. We didn't think anyone was paying attention - but Grandma noticed and mentioned it later!) Lipstick seemed to enjoy the story, and she seemed happy for us to pr@y for her - so, that's a start!
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| Front Row, L-R: Lipstick (28), youngest son (8), oldest son (9), Grandma Back Row, L-R: Niece (16), Me, Nephew (18?) |
Please lift up Lipstick and her family. Ask for our relationship to grow. Ask for more opportunities to share. Ask for their hearts to be soft and ready to hear. Ask that our communication would be clear... but that we would also remember that the Father isn't limited by our language and He can do what is impossible for us!!
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