It's been nearly 5 months since I left England from Heathrow airport, arrived in India 1 hours later and was bowled over with the differences in cultures and countries - the poverty and slums in Mumbai (Bombay), the street sellers and their wares of anything imaginable, the amazing sunset over the towers of the city on our first night here. An internal flight and a bumpy bus journey up the 2000ft of hill later and my short-term home of Hebron was there.
Over the past 5 months, my time out here in Hebron has been amazing, chocca with unforgettable experiences like the walk up to the Droog (an old British hill fort, up a further 9 mailes and 500ft of hills!), Sock-wrestling with the boys on a Saturday night, helping out with the 6.14ers' bible club every fortnight, being able to help out in various church services with drama, readings and music, teaching a year 7 maths class on my own (not forgetting piano, clarinet, saxophone and oboe as well!), to name some of my favourite times with the kids, enjoying cups of hot chocolate and blue granitas in Cafe Coffee Day, haggling over material and food in Ooty market, dancing in the rain at Kovalum beach in a thunder storm, and getting to know my year 8 boys better and better as the term's gone on.
I've been able to get to know some fab christians out here as well, ones I've learnt much from in humility in service, people who really do give themselves wholly in their work for God out here. These are people I will not forget quickly, and some will hopefully remain friends for a good while longer after I leave.
Being an IG has most of all challenged me greatly about the verses God reminded me of before I came out here, Colossians 3 v 23-24:
'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.'
The people out here have been a true example to me of these verses, working hard, and for God's glory - not their own. The big question is whether these things I have learned out here, and been reminded of each day, will apply to my life when I get back to England. Will I truly work my hardest to glorify God in my PGCE, at Carey Baptist church in Reading, give myself in service to him with my whole heart? I really hope that I do; and as God reminded me several days ago in my quiet time, if I truly want it in my heart, he'll work it out in my life.
In closing, a photo that probably shows us IGs at our best, smart, yet smiling.
Posts shall follow sporadically for the next month or so, I'll be somewhere in India! Stay posted for my itinerary.
TheWeeScottie
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weird is just your own personal brand of normal
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