Without Wax

India so far...

2010-02-12T07:22:00.000-05:00

Well, my intentions were to Blog every day I was here in India, but after a rough couple of days adjusting sleeping habits, time change, busy schedules & the wall mounted crooked toilet in my hotel room. Needless to say I was beat by evening time to even think straight let alone share my random thoughts.
But today has been a good day. After surviving our 20hr journey, its good to be back in the "motherland". This year is been a different experience so far, than the last 3 years of me coming back to India. As I stood on the terrace of one of the churches we ministered at, I couldn't help but think about God's favor on my life. As I looked out into what seemed like a sea of tin shacks & a maze of slum land, how my life would have been different if God had not placed value on my life. For those of u that have never heard my testimony, the cliff notes is this. I was born in a catholic orphanage in India, adopted by Indian parents, lived in the middle east for a while, parents split up, bounced between them, mother in India & father in Bahrain. Finally moved to Ohio in '97. Gave my heart to the lord, felt the call to full time ministry & the rest is history. So back to my moment on the roof of the church...
I wonder how my life would have been different if the above chain of events never happened. If I had never been given the opportunities that I did. Would I be Muslim or Hindu? Would I be a slum dweller or made my way up the social class. Maybe its because I'm with a team of 23 women that the estrogen levels are becoming toxic, but when I stood in a room full of Mission of Mercy sponsored children receiving their gifts from their sponsors, tears welled up in my eyes. Each of them are getting a break in life. A second chance if you will. Hope. Education. Food & medical care. All because someone cared.
I've never felt more small or insignificant than standing in a room full of these children who were excited about small things thy we in America take for granted. Shoes, coloring books, clothes. Its a privilege to serve the ones who God. cares so deeply for. Seeing the girl that Jennie & I sponsor for the second time since my last visit was great. She lit up when I have her the bag that we put together of things a little girl should have growing up. A couple of combs, stuffed animal, hair bands & ties, stickers, coloring pencils etc. All this made me feel small for having complained about my hotel room not being up to par.
So we're into day 2 here & I got sucked into playing Jesus in a human video. Thank God for my masters commission training on the art of the human video. I faked a pretty cheesy Jesus. Rockford would be ashamed! But the slum ladies loved it. I on the other hand was not so thrilled, but never the less compliant. I got sharpie nail scarred hands to prove it!
There has been plenty to laugh about & at. I love this country. One of my life mantras is never forget where u came from. This brings me full circle to give back a little to my nation. Making a difference in one child at. time. Who knows what plans God has for them. Well it's time for dinner & I am loving the food. More to come. I'm out.
~Robert

Firing it up

2010-02-04T17:40:00.002-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been so... long since my last official blog on here. I guess between being crazy busy with things here in Mansfield Ohio, Jennie always having some kinda project for me at the house & my freelance stuff, I haven't had time to share any thoughts. I am however getting ready to embark on a journey back to the motherland(India) to do some filming at a couple of orphanages, churches & possibly even rescue work being done at a red light district!! So here I am firing this blog up for those who will be following along with me on this new adventure. Pics, videos, & funny stories hopefully will follow in the days to come. Well dinner is on the table, so I'm out.

What's been going on?

2008-11-14T15:14:00.003-05:00

So for those of you following me, I kinda went dark for a while. It has been a ridiculous last month & a half. What exactly have I been doing you ask? Well let's break it down. First. We moved to Ohio in the first week of Sept. We bought a house & are in the process of remodeling the Kitchen & Bathroom. When I say remodel, I don't mean some paint & hanging some pics. Oh No! I mean gut the thing completely down to the studs ceiling, walls & floor. In the bathroom, we rearranged the toilet, removed the shower & put in a tub, & ripped out the tile floor to put down different tile. Easy said than done. On top of that I had started a new position as the Worship Media Pastor/Director for Mansfield First Assembly. My home church. It has been awesome being home. The staff are truly amazing people. It's been great. I do greatly miss my old friends from PA. So its great that I am sitting currently in Hershey Pa at the District Women's conference where I am the technical director. It's a record year with over 3000 in attendance. Jen & Tally are here too. Jen is currently hanging out in Kate Gosselin from John & Kate plus 8 on TLC's hotel room. I'm in the convention hall listening to Kay Arthur sitting with my good friend S. Poole. So we're still alive. It's just been busy busy busy. I went for 54 hrs without sleep this week. There are truly not enough hrs in a day, so something has to get cut out to get it all done. So there went the luxury of sleep. It's was nice when my head finally hit the pillow. Well pics from the conference will follow. I'm out.

Catching up

2008-10-16T22:35:00.002-04:00

So I kind of left you my readers hanging while I was in India. Sorry, but when you're traveling with 29 white ladies, life can get a little hectic! lol I am back in the States & glad to be home. Missed my little girl & Jen. They are amazing & make my life a joy. India was great, but the hardships the people face for believing in Christ is unbelievable. I thank God for keeping me safe in some pretty hairy situations. Now being home for over a week, I have been sucked back into the vortex of remodelling our kitchen & Bathroom, getting things ready for the Penn Del Women's Conference & gearing up for my first Christmas here @ Mansfield First. All a wee bit stressful, but little by little I'm hacking away at the tasks before me. I do miss laughing with my ladies, taking pics with them sleeping on the bus, plane, Taj! It's getting colder here in Ohio & I am not looking forward to what's ahead... WINTER! @#$%^& I do lothe it with a passion. It's been a long day. Worship practice was a little taxing on my voice. Jen's out chilling with a new friend. I'm happy for her. She's fitting in. Tally's in bed, & I'm sitting here wishing we had cable already! I miss my Thurs night shows, Office, 30 Rock, Survivor, CSI, ER. Soon I will have DVR & a 52" PLasma to go with it! Can't wait. Well that's all from me. Living the cushioned american life. No worries if I'm going to have food, water or shelter tomorrow. Thank You God for your many blessings that I take for granted so easily. I'm out.

Here goes...

2008-09-27T14:07:00.008-04:00

So here's a blog that I wanted to write yesterday, but was just too tired. I find myself in the same state of tiredness as we have been going non stop since we got here. I am definitely looking forward to our trip to the Taj Mahal. Since I am tired, I am going to get straight to the point. Yesterday after our main Kids crusade was over with & the team boarded the bus, a few of the leaders & myself, 4 to be exact went in another vehicle, with one of the pastor's & his wife. They are the pastor's to the church who is located on the outskirts of the slum that you might have seen in a lot of my India footage.

We were only supposed to sneak into the slum so we could go see the finished church built right in the middle of it. I say sneak, bec there is still alot of tension & violence happening to Christians, by a Hindu extremist group. The church was beautiful. A great place for people & kids to come & be educated & learn about Jesus. Then we were supposed to get back to our hotel, but the pastor made an unexpected stop. Mind you by now it's pitch dark & we're in the middle of a 8 mile radius of slums, if not more. So I have my mono pod to use as a weapon if things go south. He took us to a hut where one of the kids sponsored through mission of mercy lives. I was kinda irritated to be there. Maybe because I was tired & hungry, Maybe because we had by now drawn a crowd that was surrounding us at this hut, & the ladies were inside but I was the only 1 that couldn't fit inside. Indian's have no concept of personal space bubbles. Absolutely NONE! So I am being pressed upon by people outside. It took everything within me to not flip out. God did check my heart in that moment. I have to be honest & transparent. I have lived in India before & have seen all these things. So forgive me if I'm a little jaded. But in that moment at this little boy's hut, I was disgusted with my level of compassion. So much so I could have thrown up! I call myself a Christian? Yeah right... Jesus would have sat in their hut & talked with a mother who was grieving the loss of her other son. All I cared about was my comfort. I am ashamed to admit this, but I believe God was showing me my heart in that moment.Not condemn me, but to grow me. I was so ashamed of what I saw I wanted to hide it. Know one must ever know. But duh! God knows. & He still loves me. Ugliness & all. Although we were in a potentially unsafe situation, he was watching over us. God is working on my heart condition. I need it. I feel sometimes the American church has got the motions to perform Christianity as may seem down. But where's our heart in all of this? think about it.... thoughts? I'm tired but that's what I wanted to get off my chest. I'm ugly inside, but my God trades beauty for ashes! wow I am posting some more pics below. I must warn you, some are of the violence that has happened up here over the last 2 weeks. They are disturbing. You've been warned. I'm out.

Day 2

2008-09-25T13:41:00.003-04:00

So today was the first day of the women's conferences & kids crusades here in Delhi. I must say, for running on 2 hrs of sleep, I did pretty decent. The day did end highly awkward & uncomfortable for me. I found myself stuck in the middle of a Health seminar for the women. Not just any health seminar, but a chat about menstration! Hello. I wasn't supposed to be running the powerpoint for this thing, but some how got stuck running the thing. The ladies on the team sitting off the side got a huge kick looking at my face, as the lady talked about "shedding your inner lining" @#$%^&* So needless to say, I have been educated more than I ever wanted to. But it's late & I have some sleep to catch up on so I'm out.

Back in the motherland

2008-09-24T18:00:00.000-04:00

So I am back in India, been a year since I was last here. Already enjoying the food. There is one things majorly different about this trip though. I am with 28 white ladies! Yeah you should have seen the look on the faces of the airport officials when I was strolling off the plane in Delhi with them. It was priceless. I must say though, it's been a pretty pleasant trip so far. No attitudes, or cattiness. But we're only a day in here. We'll see how long it will last. Got to go see the girl Jennie & I sponsor today, well yesterday it's 3 in the morning & I don't know why I'm up. It was a pretty cool moment to see & hug the child you are giving a second chance in life to. It was actually humbling. Weird how that happens. Many of the ladies on the trip got to meet the children they sponsor & so it was just an all round good time. Tomorrow starts the conferences so we'll be at it from 6am to evening. Good times. There has been some recent violence against the church up here in the northern part of India. There have been bombings & killings, by religious extremists who don't want to see people converted to Christianity. One of the pastor's we are working with has been getting threatening phone calls everyday. We have had to cancel some venues where conferences & children's ministry were going take place. So it's pretty serious. Safety is a huge concern so we are traveling in smaller groups rather than one large bus. So all in all it's been a good trip so far. Watched the entire 3rd season of the office on the way here. Definitely helped pass 13 hrs away easily. If you have never watched the office or tried it, I definitely recommend it. It is absolutely hillarious. Well I should go to bed. More to come tomorrow. I borrowed one of the National Mission of Mercy staff's Wireless Broadband card. So no 9$ per hr for internet for me this time. Atleast for most of this trip. Here are some pics to tide you over till tomorrow. I'm out.

Home sweet home

2008-09-13T10:34:00.002-04:00

I know it's been a while since my last post but I have excuses! Maybe it's because I started a new position, or I had to weave through boxes to get to my desk in my new office. Maybe it's because our lender kept changing our loan, & we got 19 versions of our HUD! (That's home owners talk) Never the less, yesterday we closed on our house after signing a mountain of paperwork! 3 hrs of it!(there were some discrepancies) We spent our first night in our new home! It was great. I couldn't sleep though. Getting used to the sounds of the new house. I also kept running numbers in my head making sure that what we signed was right. It is quite a great feeling to know that we are home owners! How crazy is that. To be investors this young. Most people our age are trying to climb out of financial debt or recover from bad relationships & choices. So I thank God for His steering & direction in my life. I have another full week before I head back to Stroudsburg, to fly out to India for 2 weeks. So I might be seeing some of you when I get back from India, while I'm still in PA. Then onto our kitchen being remodelled! Can't wait. Stay tuned for pics of our improvement to our home.

OHIO

2008-09-03T23:32:00.002-04:00

It's late, & I'm tired but I wanted to drop a note here in my blog for those who I have left behind in Stroudsburg. I miss you guys, but haven't really gotten to think a lot about being so far away as it's been busy since we got here. Still haven't closed on the house yet, our lender is unbelievably indecisive. Be praying for us as we have another appraisal happening Fri & we have to get the garaged stripped & repainted to pass it & get our loan. So tomorrow is going to be a jam packed day of power washing, painting & then my first worship practice. I had to lead worship tonight, I wasn't really planning on it, but there was no one to help out, so I did a sit down acoustic set, with just me playing & singing. It went well I think. Well my eyes are shutting as I type, so that's it from me for now. Tired in Ohio.

Natalia

2008-08-06T22:43:00.000-04:00

So i just got home from an exhuasting day. Trying to keep my head on straight while trying to close on our house. All the paperwork can be absolutely mind warping. I have 2 weddings to do this weekend & am absolutely pressured with that & trying to pack my whole house & move by the end of the month! Had to lead worship tonight, strained my voice a little. So nevertheless I am tired.

I Let Natalia sit on my lap in the driver's seat of my car, relax it was just across the parking lot of the church to the parsonage we live in. She loves it when I let her do that. It makes her feel like a big girl. Got home & we sat at our dinning table to have a quick snack before bed. Out of the blue, she says to me, "Daddy, you're the missing piece to my puzzle." OMG! I asked her again to make sure I heard her correctly & that was it! word for word. I kid you not. I was blown away! Wow. How can something so deep come out of a little 2 1/2 yr old's heart. I seriously underestimate her. Then if that wasn't enough, she follows it up with, "Daddy, you're my best friend." Take me now Jesus! What else is left to experience in life than the love of my little girl. Way to make a long day end beautifully. I never thought being a dad would be so rewarding. Well, Natalia's in bed, & I'm still tired, but with a smile on my face:) I'm out.

Adoption & Gays

2008-01-12T19:40:00.000-05:00

Today marked a significant stepping stone in our now fourth attempt to adopt a baby girl into our family. As most of you know, we tried international adoptions twice & got burned & got into debt with no child to show for it. Today we spent the first of four 9 hr Saturdays at an agency, in a class with 7 other couples looking to foster children with the option to adopt. I must say this, the organization is not a government organization although they are integrated with them. This is great bec we're not obligated to take in any child that needs a home, just bec we're registered foster parents. This organization is actually Lutheran affiliated! Who would have thought, anything good could come out of the Lutheran movement. Just kiddin.

Anyways, what really impresses me about them is the way they made their presentations, how they were upfront about the good, the bad, & the ugly was great. The only thing that bothered me, & people that know me will laugh… was their projection onto the screen was more of a trapezoid than a square. Lol It just needed some simple keystone-ing! Maybe next week I'll help them out:) I did give them this, at least they weren't using an overhead projector! They were also, still using windows 2000. Hey, you can't win them all. I'm such a media guy.

The last part of today's session, they brought in a panel of 3 couples who had & still are fostering & adopted kids through them. Again they too were honest, it's not easy, but so worth it. I can appreciate people that are honest up front. One of the couples though, were an "alternate" couple also known as homosexual. I didn't really have a problem with them adopting a kid, considering the fact that they took 2 kids out of an abusive home to a financially stable & safe, loving home. Lesser of two evils?...

I looked around the room at the other couples to see what they're body language was saying, & found all but one, go figure the Mennonite couple to have an issue with our 2 dads. I have lately been becoming more & more aware greatly(bad English), how badly the Church in most cases portrays herself as judgmental rather than loving. Rejecting, rather than accepting. Mind you I'm not saying it's right to be gay, read your bible. Besides I still can't understand how one dude can do that to another. Barf!

But on a level of the heart, here are people, never mind their dysfunctional relationship, genuinely caring for these kids. I have no problem gleaning wisdom from their experiences. The Mennonite guy wouldn't even look at them. Come on! When did we become fragile people, that our salvation would be compromised by looking, god forbid talk to people who may not share our views or beliefs?

Sorry for my little rant n rave, but that has become my resolution for this yr. As a pastor it's hard to get my head out of this Christian circle. Besides the daily lady at the gas station I am craving to interact with people who are unchurched. Am I on a mission to save the world? No. Just to prove that there are some of us out there that call ourselves born again or saved what have you, & are "normal", "real", people who genuinely care for others regardless of their beliefs, sexual orientation & lifestyle. Jen & I are actually going to be taking classes at a local college for cooking, & maybe dance to meet people that live outside our sphere. Who knows what doors will open. Better yet I'm hoping for new friendships. People of different minds & beliefs. I know this will sharpen me as a follower of Christ. Their salvation? That's up to the Big Guy. When the time is right, it will come up.

This has been yet another long blog, but rarely do I feel the inspiration to, so there you have it. For what it's worth. I'm out.

Groundbreaking @ the Macdonald's house!

2007-10-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

Well, it's been a great weekend at our house. We just celebrated Natalia's 2nd BDay yesterday evening with great friends & family. Thankyou guys for making the evening special:)

Why was it a ground breaking you ask? Well for starters, my little girl is getting big soooo fast, & we're proud of her. Today she is in our church daycare(learning center). So that means at this very moment as I sit here & type, she is right under me, making new friends & being molded & shaped by people other than her family. Scary thought huh? It's been a mild irritation in my heart! What if's have been plaguing my sleep. There's so much destiny & future ahead of this little girl, but she has an enemy that is dead set on destroying that. Yikes! Thank God that he's our defender, our strong tower, our refuge. Who would have thought this little 2 year old would challenge the very core of my faith in my God in such a way that I trust him through the bumps & bruises, the hurst & pains, the dissappointments & rejection that Natalia is undoubtedly going to face. OMG! the weakness in my heart. The division in my mind that part of me wants her to experience these things, & the other part wants to shield her. But I've seen sheltered children & they are so fragile in life. I look back on my life & realize I wouldn't be who I am without those negatives shaping & molding me to be stronger. Now past those experiences I am thankful for them. HA! What irony. I think I am going to have a harder time than she will when she is kissed with life's negatives. Once again my saviour is growing me & teaching me through this little one. Amazing. Yeah I'm a young parent for my older seasoned readers. Let me vent! lol

On a small footnote, there was a little surprise at the end of Tally's party, a couple of gifts for me since I am going to be at the Women's Conference on my Bday(Nov 1st). I got my 160G iPod!!! My wife did good. I suspected it though just not then. She was asking technical questions leading up to the weekend about stuff she could really care less other than the color! So I can finally fit all my music & then some, plus pic & fav clips of the office & 24, that my old 4th Gen iPod couldn't do or fit! So in a sense Jen just got herself a new to her iPod! lol.
Well that whole "pitch a tent" thing on the church front yard, I was serious, so I better get out there. Light the Night.... yay.
I'm out

Back in the U.S. of A.!!

2007-09-01T17:23:00.001-04:00

So we're back in the States, landed in Newark around 4:40am. Our flight was packed. I was fortunate to have Jen sitting with me. Everyone else was scattered throughout the plane. Got home around 8am, Mr. Tomlin(our cat) greeted us at the door. It was nice to be home. Unpacked right away, otherwise the suitcases would be on our bedroom floor for the next week. I grabbed a quick 45min nap, while Jen took a long bath. We picked up Tally from the Long's, thanks soooo much guys for taking great care of her. This trip couldn't have been possible without your help. Went out to lunch & now back home draggin my sorry behind around. I am jetlaggin bad! It's great having unlimited internet access for not much & log on whenever I want. Ahhhh the luxuries of the USA.
How does one return to a normal life after having walked through the narrow paths of the world's largest slum? I return home beginning to reflect upon where I have just been & all I have witnessed in the last 10 days. This trip has been incredibly deep & amazing on so many levels. I was stuck behind a lens most of the trip, so as I review hours of footage & 1800 pics I will probably shed some tears, laugh, & want to be back soon. I love India, & this trip has renewed in me where I have come from. It has shown me the awesomeness of God who can take an orphan like me & make something out of my life, & bring me back around 360 to fulfill a destiny He had in mind for me all along. WOW. It was hard to take a nap as there was an inward battle of my subconscious. I was home, hearing the creaks & squeeks I am used to hearing in this house, but soundbytes of India played in my head as well. Street vendors & their annoying horns, traffic & people talking, it's alomst unbearable. I am faced with a "What now God" situation. I feel a little miss placed. I am forced to reflect upon my past, present & future with a "where do we go from here?" I am facing an enormous task of taking this trip & condensing it into 12, 6, & 3 min videos to convey just how much we are need to play a part in giving India's children a future. It's going to be by the anointing of God that this is going to come into fruition. So I'm really tired... & out.

Only in India...

2007-08-29T23:05:00.001-04:00

So I during my stay back here in the motherland, I have made some observations which I will now share with you now.

Enjoy my top 12 of…

Only in India…

~ …is playing chicken with other motorists on the road, an acceptable pastime while traveling.

~ …can you fit four adults & a baby on a motorcycle!

~ …does the shaking of the head mean yes, no, maybe, I don't understand you but I will nodd to make you think I do!

~ …Will you see a dog, two camels, couple of cats, a bunch of monkeys, herds of cows, & other misc farm animals, rosters, hens, & a lizard. All this on a short trip to the store.

~ …is it legal to sell petrol(gas) in empty water bottles, from your house.

~ …have I experienced reverse discrimination, where the white skin people are hailed supreme, almost God like, but Indians treated as worthless in their presence.

~ …will you hear sayings like, "Man-Friday" & "Hyper as a kite", "Morning madam/sir", "It will be here in 10 min."(never to come at all), "You wait here", "Your luggage will be here @ 1am"(5 days in a row & later you get your bag! Sharon;)

~ …can you find "Genuine Copies" of Gucci watches in a legit store!!!! Lol

~ …can you eat curry/masala for breakfast, lunch & dinner:) yum yum

~ …can you be at the beach & there will be people there in their suits & sarees.

~ …will you pay $9 an hr for internet! (yes I'm a little salty)

~ … last but not least, ONLY IN INDIA crows hang out at the beach instead of seagulls!

Love you guys. I'm out.

3 Star What???

2007-08-28T16:12:00.002-04:00

So I must apologize to all my faithful readers for leaving you hanging since my last Blog. Also for some of my terrible grammar & spelling, since I was in a hurry & tired. When we last left off, I was going into Sunday. What a day of ministry. The church we were ministering at had no air conditioning, but 10 ceiling fans! It didn't help, bec when you pack 300 people in a 30 by 40 room, all sitting on the floor, it gets hot! We were sweating just walking into the room. It was a 3 & a half hr service, after praying for about everyone there. Some ladies were delivered from demon possession. The guy bringing me the guitar that I was going to playng, handed it to me. The strings were not only wound tight, but some the wrong way. With no tuner, I was about to put my ear to the test… yea… about that. I got the high 3 in, the other 3.. well lets just say Jen & I sang acappella. Some medley I made up of choruses 5 minutes before I got up, 'cause was debating about using their Casio instead of the guitar. When I say Casio, I mean it in very stereotypical way possible, when you refer to a cheap tinky sounding excuse for a keyboard. They were excited at the end when I gave them some xlr cables & 2 mics. Was blessed giving it to them, promising more next year when I return, as during the service I made a mental list of things that would improve their pa system. I was impressed that they did have a projector. So the day ends & we're up at 5am Mon traveling to the domestic airport to fly out to fly out of Goa. The security was a joke. They made a valid attempt, screening our bags etc, but when the ticket counter wasn't open to receive our bags, they allowed us back out past security to have coffee. When finished we reentered not having to rescan our bags!!!! Genius! Our flight was great, got to Goa, the state of my childhood vacations, exchange some more money, rented a driver & off we go to our mystery hotel. As we get close, we notice this area not looking tooo 3 star-ish like Travelocity promised. We get there, & trying to be positive got to the reception desk thinking this is not bad. We walk to our rooms, pass the pool, not bad, whoa topless woman in the pool yikes keep on walking to the room, open the door & !@$%^&*() It smells like urine in Ruth & Sharon's room. There's mold on our ceiling, Sharon's shower-tap knob is falling off, basically at first we were thinking mission's trip. Then after getting our bags n there, we realized… HEY we're on a mini getaway, this is unacceptable. Especially if some local couple just walked out saying the place is "pathetic" So we rented another driver to find us a better hotel. Travelocity was waaaaayyy off on this one! We finally found a real 2 & a half star for $40 more per night but has a pool & is on the beach!!!! So we got the Shiite(pron: sheee-ite) outta there. Today is a rainy & sunny day, depends hat hr it is. We went to a local tailor to have our Indian outfits made for about $15 I'm rediscovering my bargaining skills. We had started at $40. Tomorrow we are going on a tour of South Goa, visiting a spice plantation,& more Hopefully buying my cricket bat & set. This hotel doesn't have wireless, but lets us use the office computer for FREE! That's what I'm talking about. I have more to say, but I will leave you with this… when in India, people will agree to whatever you say or ask, but you will never get it! Lol I'm out

Another hot one in Delhi!

2007-08-25T22:59:00.000-04:00

Today was a light day. We were off to a school in Delhi where they are in great need of a Generator. They had postponed their annual dance competition so that we could be there for it today. What an immense blessing it was to me personally. The local dances that these kids put on reminded me of when I was in school here in India, & we had to do these dances. It is just full of Indian culture. Putting aside political views, religious beliefs, convictions, in that moment, watching these beautiful children dancing their traditional dances for God, was what India was about. So rich & vibrant in culture. I have a renewed appreciation for the performing arts of India. As they were in the middle of their program, sure enough the power goes out. Definitely displaying the need for these kids to get a generator to enjoy uninterrupted education in an environment that is not unbearably hot! This humidity really does a number on your energy. In fact our room is so hot, I'm getting irritated along with one of the converters blowing, so I can't charge my laptop & once again trying to copy pics to my external drive & get this out before it dies on me again! We went shopping today after lunch. Not really a great trip, we went to a government regulated mall I guess where there is no bargaining only a set price. Stuff there though was priced a little on the high end, the trade was that it was quality goods. But for trinkets I would rather bargain & get a good deal on something that isn't necessarily good quality, but who cares it's just going to sit on a shelf anyway. So I wait for tomorrow as we hopefully go shopping in the market place. That's where the fun begins. Speaking of fun, I was really dragging towards the end of our shopping spree, so when we got in our vehicles to go back to the hotels, I kinda nodded off in the front seat. Well somewhere during our hr. drive back, the trunk of the car flies open, the ladies start screeming & out roills both my camera cases in rush hr traffic!!!! I try to jump out but vehicles were flying by the car, so I wait half a sec. while Ruth is yelling in my face, "ROBERT THE CAMERA ROLLED OUT OF THE BACK OF THE CAR!!!!!!!!!" I respond calmly as one can be with 4 women yelling, I know I am waiting to get out without getting run over. Well I finally jump out in Delhi traffic run back 20 yards & all these motorcyclists are stopped infront of the 2 cases. Just as well I had bought a flight case for the Canon GL2 so it was in there snug & only the hardcase received battle scars! My other personal camera was ok in it's padded case aslong as no one ran over it, which they didn't. So that was a close call!!! I thank God I am pretty level headed in situations like this. My wife on the other hand… not soo much. While this was happening, she was trying to crawl out over the backseat of the SUV to get on the street to get the cameras. Yeah…. About that whole getting run over by a stampede of rickshaws, motorcycles, vans, cars, buses. Not a good thing. So all is well. We are ministering in different churches tomorrow. I might be singing "How great is our God" & playing someone's guitar, I miss my Aleyna(my T5 for those who don't know her) So hopefully that goes well. I plan on giving my mic cables & a mic I brought with me to shoot interviews with to the church I will be at, as the state of their cables is unacceptable. Besides, I don't want to be cutting in & out while I sing "How _ _ our _ Sing _ me… Well I'm tired, I'm hot, & I'm out.

Gratefulness

2007-08-25T01:50:00.003-04:00

One of the things I kinda got tired hearing from people that would return from foreign mission trips was how grateful they were for certain things. I knew that as American's we were doing well as a nation, we had a lot of luxuries. I've grown up in third world countries, I know that what we're seeing & experiencing is a way of life. Not that I am saying that those people were just spoiled Americans getting a spoon of reality out side their little world(sometimes the case is true) but their reports of what shocked them & moved them didn't necessarily surprise me. But after what I saw today with my own eyes, one can't help but think of how fortunate I am to have the opportunities, privileges, resources & funds to dream, & dream BIG! Walking through the slums today & looking at faces through my view finder, I couldn't help think… what if… What if my parents never adopted me, I could have been one of these kids. But if it had not been for God… His plan kicking in, setting out my path, I wouldn't have the privilege & great task of telling these kids stories back in the States. The stories of great difficulties & triumph were overwhelming. A little boy who is a Mission of Mercy kid, saw his dad kill his mom. Talk about trauma. But he sits in one of the few school rooms, learning & singing about Jesus, while he also learns his numbers & alphabets. God has not forgotten these little ones. He just wants us to get involved… to do His will… Get back to the basics of His Gospel. Walking through some of the slums, I couldn't even call it an alley, it was a path no wider than a coffee table winding through the houses if I could even call it that. I kinda felt guilty of complaining about my closet office back home, there were families of 8 eating, sleeping, cooking, & crapping in a room twice the size of my office!(about a 10'x5' room of theirs) Ofcourse running down the center of this "path" was sewer, as it wound through the maze. I'm not a claustrophobic person, but the heat, humidity, tight space, & people crowding in to see what the excitement was about… white people in their slum, made it kinda hard to breathe. The smell didn't bother me, the filth either, nor the poverty. What got to me was that for whom ever in there wants to dare try to make it out of there esp. children, the odds are stacked up, way up high against them. Over 3000 kids in this massive slum don't ever make it to their 5^th birthday. If they do the chances of them sold into bonded slavery or prostitution are high. But God… The ministry we were visiting with today has been amazing, with what they do for these kids. Being the extended hand & heart of God to them. I fell in love with them. I felt like I was walking in the middle of a UNICEF commercial. It was real & it exists TODAY! I have just begun to process what all I saw today. But there is hope in the middle of this, & to know that I am part of that hope makes my faith more valuable than ever! I'm tired of being a puffer fish of a Christian, with my bloated badges of all I proclaim to be & do. I just want to do… for His glory, not mine. Not even for my gratification of doing something humanitarian, but to see lives changed for Him, bec He turns them around to do even greater things in their time!

We had lots of laughs & giggles. Sharon got cow dung on her white pants! Jennie got sewage splashed on her leg, another lady almost got pick pocketed, Ruth's ankles were swollen, I almost had my Camcorder swiped & so much more, but at the end of the day it was sooooooo worth it.

Tomorrow is a light day, thank God. We almost didn't make it through the day walking around in the intense humidity. I continue to eat well & identify with my culture. We go shopping tomorrow evening, so if you want something, I'll see what I can do. I'm tired & out.

Fed Up!

2007-08-24T02:00:00.001-04:00

What a full day today. Jen was up at 5 this morning, she slept on the plane & then could go to sleep when we arrived. I got up at around 6:30 to a beautiful Indian morning. Nothing like waking up to a bunch of crows squaking at your window sill. We headed to breakfast to a huge buffet of Indian & American food. As promised, I ate like a pig, then enjoyed some delicious Indian tea. How I've missed it. Throughout the day I have been experiencing some Bourne flashbacks. If you've seen the movies, you know what I mean. But everytime we were somewhere, or driving around, I would see name brands & flash back to my younger years here & remember instances or memories. My Hindi has started to come back to me, enough to where I can understand most people if they are speaking slow. Not enough to where I dare utter a word out, as then I would have to hold a conversation. After breakfast & a quick devotion, we headed out to a small school tucked away in the midst of a slum. They had prepared for us a little program where they performed dances & recited scripture. WOW. Those kids were special. I standing in the midst this lake of kids, I could sense God's love & delight for & in them. How amazing! It was a humid one today. We moved from school, to school where these kids who are abandoned, got food, shelter, education & even teaching about Jesus. They were so appreciative. They all treated us like VIPs, which made it even hard for me, bec I was once one of them! If it hadn't been for God, I could be roaming around some slum in Bangalore... To think of where God has brought me from & now I am returning. It excites me to even wonder where next He is taking Jennie & I!!! During the course of the day, as we visited schools & churches, a bible college, an all girl's dorm the power went in & out. Boy it got hot when there was no fans running. HAHA as I type this the power just went out in the hotel. Thank God for batteries. We got to visit a house where kids are taken off the streets & given an education. The conditions we merely acceptable but they were working on that. That's why we were here. They we cooking for about 20 kids on 1 burner! They said the ladies would get up at 4 in the morning to start cooking because of it. So we found out how much it would be to buy they a double burner to add to what they already had & found that it was about $120 so we all chipped in & got one for them! It was great to see the ladies excited that they were going to get a new burner. Through out the day as we visited different locations, they kept pumping us with snacks. We had Dominos for lunch!!! Go figure. It was pretty good, ofcourse very Indian tasting. As I drove through down town Delhi tonight, I saw Subway, Pizza Hut, Baskin Robins… The Indians are catching up. Still looking for a Starbucks! Lol So I've eaten so much today I can't fit a lifesaver in me:) I am Fed Up! Well I was back at the airport tonight to try & pick up the teams missing luggage. What a nightmare. Some of it was there, but stuck in customs due to the bulk candy in it. Sharon's is still not here, but supposedly arriving tomorrow. I'll believe it when I see it. Miss you guys, but not really lol I'm soaking it in here. Today felt almost like 3 days. We flashed through so many slums, Leper colonies, & such it was nuts. Tomorrow we are going to the largest slum in Asia! That's sounds like a mighty boast, but apparently this place is the real deal. I'm sure it's gonna be an emotionally draining day. Well I've been long, I'm tired. Check out some pics I posted in my India album. Much love. I'm out.

Touchdown in New Delhi!!

2007-08-23T00:30:00.000-04:00

We made it! 14 hours later & I still have my sanity & all my luggage! A couple of people's luggage didn't make it, Sharon(missing 1 bag) & the couple middle maning this whole trip for Mission of Mercy missing both of their checkin's. Just one of those frustrating things about flying that you pray it never happens to you but then feel bad it happend to your friend. I'm def. glad my stuff made it since I had some video gear in there. I did take the GL2 as one of my carryon's. Well in my previous blog I mentioned about my excitement level not getting out of hand, well we were taking off & it still wasn't really hitting me, kinda surreal. After watching Spiderman 3, Charlie & the chocolate factory, some king of queens, a Hindi movie!, learning some Hindi phrases, taking some uncomfortable naps in positions that were just awkward, eating airline food... 14 hrs later we're flying over Delhi & as the flaps go down, we make our final approach, fly over the begining of the runway, the wheels touch down & BOOM! My heart jumps, Robert's home! It was great! As they open the hatch, the smell of India rolls in the cabin. haha It takes an Indian to appreciate that. There's no smell like Indian BO!!! Get to immigration & I'm thinking this is my home country, no probs. I made it through security in Newark, no cavity checks(praise GOD!), I should fly through this. NO! !@$% I walk up to the booth, & "Prakesh" indicated on his stall, asks me all these questions about my passport, wants to see my Green Card, wants to know why I'm here.... I just remain civilized & make it through. It was quite amusing to see how interested the Indian airport security was in my Golf bag which had my tripods & some other camera gear. They kept stopping me asking me what it was, what's in it... I wanted to say nonshallantly, oh it's just my bazooka case. But anyways. Make it to our hotel, which is nice, except for one last snafu! Wireless internet as promised is NOT free! but get this, it's $9USD an hr!!!! WHAT!?!?! Somehow through much communication which never got through to them, I got charged for an hour so here I am sitting 12:50am Thurs India time, 3:20pm Wed U.S. time posting my first blog from the motherland. Ofcourse right away I ordered room service with my first Indian dish here back home. Delicious:) I better plug my batteries in & hurry up here since my hour is almost up!lol grrrr... I'm gonna have to find an internet cafe' somewhere around. What a ripoff. I am so americanized with my entitlement issues lol. I miss Natalia, so Wendy, Kitkat hug her for mommy & daddy. To all my Ohioan's I was sitting in Newark waiting on my plane & saw Mansfield on CNN under water. I hope you guys are ok! Let me know. Oh another thing..... I miss my cell phone:( I miss it sooo... bad that I just might get a trac phone here. Must... stay... connected.... I've been long, rambling on. Love you guys. Thanks for the prayers & support. I'm out!

Packing & Panicking

2007-08-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

So here I am, about to embark on a new adventure, back home to India. Exciting stuff. I don't think the excitement has really hit me though. I have been so disappointed in my younger years of life that I have vowed now to never let myself get all worked up until I can actually see evidence of something coming into reality. So I think once I have made it to the airport & not forgetting anything(which reminds me I need to pack my toothbrush) clear security prayerfully without a cavity search & them thinking I'm Osama's Nephew(didn't shave my beard this time.... what's the point it doesn't work) find my seat on the plane & take off without delay... then I will get a twinge in my heart & know we are on our way!!!! Jaded... maybe, but that's how I minimize hurt & disappointment, both which are inevitable in this life. Anyways, we're taking Natalia to close friends house in about a half hour & we will be at peace knowing she's in the hands of a well seasoned mom who I know will take great care of her.(thanks wendy & kitkat) Well I better get going, bec if you know anything about me I tend to be a procrastinator & have now only packed my video gear, but no clothes! lol So stay tuned, show my page some love, email me djmac59@hotmail.com. If you don't see anything for a couple of days, don't worry I will catch up. I have to make sure I can secure wireless while I'm there. Love you guys. I'm out.

Growing Pains

2007-08-11T11:57:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted a new blog, & even though I have a ton of things to do, I somehow couldn't resist posting one. I certainly had an interesting morning, as we've been in the midst of potty training Natalia, & boy that has been an experience. It's not like we really forced her to, she's been willing, & has had her successes but today was all about failure. OMG!!!@$%^ I don't want her to feel like we're rushing her into this, but we're trying to get her to be consistent. We leave for India in exactly 11 days, & I'm concerned that all our efforts to get her trained are going to go down the drain. I feel bad leaving her back here in the States, but for our sanity & her safety it's best. I was thinking this morning, I really don't remember my potty training days. Guess it wasn't that traumatizing. Does anyone really remember? I am tempted to call my mum or dad to get their take on my growing up phase of putting it on the toilet. I do remember a story I was told about when I was I guess 2 & I had an accident where I pooped on the carpet, so I ran to the bathroom & got some TP & ran all the way down the steps, picked up the turd & put it in the ashtray (parents were chain smokers) LOL My activities were given away as my parent's got home from work & found a long trail of TP from the upstairs bathroom all the way to an ashtray in the living room! Ooopps forgot to break the tp. That's about all I remember about my childhood in regards to potty training. Parent's advice is def. welcome. I'm out.

Fathers

2006-10-12T01:39:00.000-04:00

So as some of you already know, I was up in Canada this past week at my aunts house. Back home now on my last day of vacation feeling like the guy on the suddaffed commercial with the balloon head. Disconnected. With the weather going down under, I will have to make preparations to hibernate. Also at my aunts house was my dad, step mom & my new baby sis. I haven't seen my dad in over 12 yrs! I think in travelling up there, I was hoping to piece together my childhood & timeline of things. Since my parents got divorced & I had to choose who I would live with, things were crazy, & feelings were cloudy. But this week was great & weird at the same time. Both my dad & I are now fathers, him again. They recently adopted a polish girl, who is 3 months older than Tally. So I have a sister & a daughter in diapers. Weird? a little. Tally now has an aunt Julia, Julie, & Jessie. It was also weird driving my dad around. The key yrs of my life transitioning from adolecence to young adult has him MIA. So developing a new respect for each other was valuable. I'm just glad Jen got to meet some more of my family & feel a part of it. I've always been a firm believer in never forgetting where I have come from. For me, that is an orphanage in Bangalore, India. & restoring my relationship with my adoptive dad & to hear him say to me before I left Canada, "I'm proud of you, you've done well for yourself." was priceless! It was closeure to a longing for approval from him who was so busy providing that he forgot to love. It was worth the $80 in gas to make this reunion happen. Anyway, I've been long. I guess all I can say is, if you have good parents, imperfect parents, bad parents... Love them anyways. They were major players in getting you where you are today! They prob. did the best with what they could. I'm out
ps. for what it's worth. FYI. It is easy to take a child back & forth across the USA & Canadian border. All you have to say is, "the child is ours" No ID required. Suprising? Scary? U decide.

Canadian Thanksgiving!

2006-10-03T14:47:00.000-04:00

So I am currently in Canada, Toronto to be precise, visiting my aunt & reuniting with my dad, step mom & new baby sis who are from Poland also visiting my aunt. So it's a partial family reunion. It's weird for both my dad & I on many levels. The last time I saw him was 10yrs ago & I was a kid with no clue about life. Now I am a young adult with a thought about life. Ha. On top of that, my dad is now a grandfather & a father in the same year, my Natalia now also has an aunt who is in diapers, & I have a sister & daughter in diapers. & so the connection goes on. I do miss my family & it has been nice so far to connect. Apparently Canada also celebrates thankgiving here but on the 9th of Oct. So this year I will be celebrating it twice. I love the food up here. Not bec I'm in Canada, but bec between my aunt, uncle & dad, the indian food just keeps on rolling out of the kitchen!hmmmmm I am in food bliss. I have missed the spices of my country. I am trying to get Jen to learn a few things to take back with us. As for now, Natalia & Julia(my baby sis) are busy with their morning naps, but will soon be up & about fighting for attention! haha. From north of the border, I'm out.

Road Rage Aaaaarrrrrgggghhhh........

2006-09-08T00:19:00.000-04:00

So I am on my way to take part in one of my favorite pass times today, fishing. I had to make a quick stop at the post office to mail something. Turning onto the street of the post office, this guy in his SUV heading towards me decides to pull a U turn. I think ok he's going to let me pass & then merge into my lane, NO he pulls his uey right infront of me approaching him & then cuts me off forcing me to screech my tires in order to avoid creaming him. OMG! I have a confession I am a strruggling road rager. Yes me Pastor Rob. There's just something about getting behind a steering wheel & feeling the empowerment of the machine. So what do I do? naturally blow my horn furiously, to only get a hand waving a 'get over it buddy'. My blood shoots up & I floor the gas & get up on his butt, because that's what Jesus would do. haha. Oh look, he's going to the post office too. Great, I was ready to give him a piece of mind mind as if I had any to spare in the first place. I wait outside my vehicle but he parked on the side of the post office & wasn't coming around the corner. So I forget it & go in & get in line, but looking at the door waiting for the jerk to walk in. Finally, he enters wearing sunglasses. intimidating? A little but I stood my ground & gave him the nastiest stare down I could muster up, not looking away until he got behind me in line, because that's what Jesus would do. Ha! I showed him. Yeah right. I accomplished nothing. It's funny how those small things in life can turn your emotions upside down, isn't it? Well God is still working on this road rage thing I seem to slightly be struggling with. I got to air my head out standing in the middle of a creek in my waders, yes I said waders, with nothing but the sound of birds & water rushing by. It's a freeing moment away from everything. There's just something about a body of water that just calms & relaxes. You should try it out sometime. Or just buy one of those pure moods cds. I'm out.