Saturday, December 31, 2011

First Day of in India, Last Day of 2012


It is hard to believe that we landed in Chennai today. Granted, it was 1 am when we landed and it is now 9pm, but it was still only today.


As you hopefully have read in previous posts at www.gccindiateams.blogspot.com , we arrived safely and without incident and a cyclone went through this region yesterday evening, altering our travel plans for getting to the village.

After collecting all of our luggage (for a while it seemed like our team bags wouldn't arrive) and making our way through immigration, we were greeted with heavy humidity and heavy flowered garlands from Raj and his team. The picture below is of Sarah receiving her garland.
We were allowed a few hours to sleep in the hotel before we were up, showered and ready to go for the day.

Lunch was the traditional Indian meal of Pizza Hut and then we went to see some different St. Thomas sites. First we climbed high above Chennai to visit the St. Thomas Mount. As the story goes, Thomas was martyred praying in front of a cross that he had carved on the mount because the Gospel was radically changing the people in India. We learned that Thomas had a heart for the poor and loved them because Christ loved them first. 

We also went to the cave that St. Thomas hid in when he was being pursued. The picture below is of our impromptu tour guide telling us about the spring that has been flowing since the time of Thomas.
As a team, I believe these two stops and the stories around them re-centered our focus and vision for this trip. We will love the people we are working with because Christ loved them first and He loves them so much more perfectly than we ever could dream.

Please pray as we travel out the village tomorrow and for the ministry we are planning on doing there. 

We will do what we can and God will do what we cannot.




Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Living in Community and Chaos

The view of the food table at the staff fall party - GFS and I are close, personal friends


As I lay awake in bed last night, my mind all cluttered with everything from conversations with friends to preparations for the week ahead, I realized that my life is centered around community, service, hospitality, and ultimately utterly chaotic . . . and I love it.

I wouldn't trade an evening with friends, for a evening alone. I wouldn't refuse to host so that my house could stay clean. I wouldn't trade a sparse schedule for my super full one.

I am, at times, forced to make those trades as I recognize the need for rest, solitude and retreat, but I don't want that to be the norm.

I thank the Lord for bringing so many different people into my life and for providing the means that Jay and I can open our home and our lives to whatever and whoever He sends our way.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

For a limited time only . . .

36 Days until we leave for India!

These past few weeks have been so full of preparations (a.k.a. shots - yuck!) and planning that it seems so close all of a sudden. 

What is coming up even sooner is our support deadline. We have been so blessed with support and out of our $6,000 ($3,000 each) goal, we have raised about $4,000.

(Imagine that I am now my infomercial persona)

Have you been wanting to give and have just forgotten, or have you wanted to give, but didn't feel like your contribution would count?  For a limited time only, you have a chance to double your gift. 

For the next 24 hours, we have two donors who are willing to match every dollar given up to $500!

This is good from November 22, 12 noon, to November 23, 12 noon, so if you haven't given yet, this is your window.

The easiest way to give is to  visit the donation page: GCC Mission Trip Page and click on December India Trip. (You will be asked to create an account.) and you get to pick a person for your money to go to.  Again, thank you for trusting your dollars to the Lord and His work.

(this is a picture from our Luggage Simulation in South Bend. We were "late for our next flight")

And Remember to hurry - this is a limited time offer:)

Friday, September 30, 2011

India

I can't sit by and watch anymore. God has taken the solitude of the summer to renew a passion in me for the mission He created me for. 


I work for SpringHill because our mission is to create life-changing experiences which enable young people to know and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. I have never been satisfied with that mission simply being in the Midwest of the United States. Over the past 6 years, God has been opening my eyes to the plight of a  particular group of people in India - the Dalit


This December, in a partnership with Granger Community Church, Jay Taylor and I are going to India in order to do help do God's work with the Dalit children of Southern India. Our particular trip is being called "Hopes and Dreams" and our task, as it has been given to us, is to help teach the Dalit children of the village of Kalavai that they are loved and valued by God.


image


On top of the 13 people we are traveling with to India, we are looking for people who are excited about what we are doing and who are willing to partner with us, both prayerfully and financially. If you would like to partner with us, it is super easy to give. You can go to GCC's Support Page, create an account (very easy), and you're set.  If you'd rather a simpler method, you can use Paypal through THIS LINK.  In either case, you MUST indicate Jay Taylor or Liz Taylor for the funds to be allocated properly.


If you want to find out more about what we are doing while in India, Jay and I would love to talk. The links below also provide information about the need in India.



Dalit Freedom Network - an organization building schools for Dalit children.

Kalavai video - a village transformed by GCC through planting a church and starting small businesses.

Life Mission International - the church planting organization working in partnership with GCC.

National Geographic - a gripping article on the oppression still present in the defunct caste system.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

So I've had some time to think. . .

This past summer was an interesting experience for me. Working for a summer camp, I was undoubtedly super busy from May until September, but the part of my job that I didn't expect was that the majority of time was spent alone.

Of course I had training where I was able to spend countless hours training all my little admins.

I was able to travel and visit some of our day camp locations.



And I was able to host dozens of college students at my house for dinners and movie nights along with housing them for weeks of camp.

But the majority of the summer was spent here:
Alone. That solitude gave me a tremendous amount of time to think. Think about life, think about purpose, think about wall colors, think about friends, think about the things I have chosen to pursue in my life. I had time to analyze my job (I have not been working within my strengths). I had time pray.

I have always been a mission-driven person; my mission being that I want people to know God and I want children, especially, to know that they are loved by God. On paper and to the casual observer, I am working fully within that mission these days and yet I realize that I was created to move and act on that mission rather than merely sit and think about that mission. I was made to be with people, not just talk to them on the phone. I began to pray that God would allow me to use the gifts and talents that he has given me to join Him in His work in a tangible way. He answered that prayer in a way I never would have imagined, but details will need to wait until a later post.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Oh my goodness. . .



I haven't posted since May 21st? I fail. Perhaps that is a good indicator of how much time my summer job took this past summer. Well, to jump back into the blogging world, let's look back at the Taylor/Davy Siblings trip to Michigan. Ben, Crystal, Melissa, Ben, Amy, Addison, and Nora traveled through the night and were with us for a weekend. Here are some pictures from that time.
(Pool Time!)
 (Fire crackers on the 4th!)

 (Classy guys, classy . . . )




( The Coolest part of the whole playground. Addie got a ride . . . )
 (Nora got a ride. . . )
 (And the adults all made a try at it!)
 (the Taylor sibling method of choice: note the next three pictures)



(This method had more to do with modesty than efficiency)
 I promise to update more soon - there are some big things coming!


(Oh, and that does not mean I am pregnant)



Sunday, May 1, 2011

Washington DC

Last week Jay and I decided to make the 20 hour round trip to visit our friend Levi and Courtney out in DC.

I had never been there, so I totally did the tourist thing complete with a tour book and a camera. I am a History Major and the East Coast is a treasure trove for a history buff like myself, so  I felt a little bit like I was meeting someone really famous the whole time.

We left home Thursday night, stayed in fabulous hotel in Youngstown, OH, and made it to Levi and Courtney's Friday afternoon. We got to see where they lived, we ate some yummy Lebanese food and played some vicious Settlers.

The next morning we rode the metro (underground-Yikes!) to the Eastern market for breakfast and some shopping. (Can you tell Jay thought these giraffes were cool?)
 (This is from the most crammed used bookstore I have ever been in. The owner even gave us a warning when we walked in to beware of falling books)
 We bought fruit at the Eastern market to eat the next day, but we then had to carry it around with us all day. The most memorable piece of fruit was our cantaloupe, Wilson. The picture below is the only shot he made it in, so this is Jay, Wilson and myself in front of the Library of Congress (Wilson is wearing the black bag).



 The botanical gardens.

 Awkward shot in front of the Memorial.

 Our wonderful hosts at the end of the mall (it is under contruction right now)
 Drakes, don't forget pillar number 5!
 Courtney and Levi's church meets in the afternoon, so Sunday morning we went for a hike. The day turned hot, but the hike was super fun.
 Jay showing off.
 I have no idea why this creek was orange.
 We took a trail that was technically closed and this is the reason why. The trail was just a little bit flooded.
So the boys decided to forge the river while the girls took the (high and) dry road. But enjoy their wading adventure.
Thanks Drakes for a fantastic weekend!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

I'm not handy, but I try.

Ok, I am the first to admit that I am not the handiest girl in the world. I can follow directions, but I just don't have a great sense about how things work. I am making a concerted effort in this new house to figure things out and become more handy.

The first room Jay and I have decided to tackle is our office. We will probably spend as much time in there as we will in our own bedroom. We took an evening trip to Ikea (very dangerous move), and came home with two desks to help launch our office space. Jay put his together in a morning, but I told him that I wanted to put together mine all on my own as part of my home-owners training.

So after work on Wednesday, I settled myself in to tackle this new project.

A mountain of boxed desks.
 My project- The Lasse
 Taking inventory of my pieces (for the record, Jay was mocking my process at this point)
 My desk even included a drawer-Jay didn't have to deal with a drawer.
 An hour and a half in and the book-shelf portion was done. I was not doing well with time at this point.
Well, it took me 3 1/2 hours (and one very smashed finger) to finish, but I did it! Jay only helped once and it was because he insisted on tightening some of my screws. (For some reason, that last statement sounds dirty - it isn't supposed to be).
So here are some concluding pictures:
 Jay and Chango observing the mess of our office before the desks.
 And the "finished" project. I have that word in parenthesis because we are far from finished, but this shows both of the desks put together.
 The view from the other side of the room.
Paint will be the next step in this room. It is all very beige, but that will be a project for another day.