Journey

Hello. It’s been a while since I updated my blog, hasn’t it? I’ve been in a little different kind of waiting time. It is the hardest that I know of, so I’ve been kinda waiting on God and for things to move up in my life. Waiting on and trusting God, it is a challenge sometimes, but it’s worth it. These are the times we get to learn a lot of things about ourselves and about the heart and integrity of God. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to the world why God is doing things the way he is doing them. Sometimes I struggle because it doesn’t make sense to me, but that’s the beauty of God. He doesn’t have to make it make sense to me but it makes perfect sense to Him. Throughout the scripture we find God telling the people things that didn’t always make sense to them but they obeyed God and did it anyway. Later in their life they were able to see how it all came together, the Bible says in

Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not My ways.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
“For as heaven is higher than earth,
so My ways are higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

As humans we want control of our situation, so it can make sense to us but the ways of God are higher. When we don’t have control we can’t make decisions and that is hard for us as humans and let me say this it is hard for us as Christians too. For almost a year now I have been waiting on my paper work so I was not able to work, a couple of months back I got a letter approving me to work so I applied for job in a couple of places and I was waiting on God and soon a small door opened I got a seasonal job at OCC (Operation Christmas Child) with Samaritans Purse so now I’ve been able to breath a little bit slowly climb out of my situation, I am so happy and grateful to God for opening this door.

It’s interesting the journey that God takes you through, sometimes you love it sometimes you don’t. But you know what, God is in control and He knows what He is doing. You’ve got to learn to love the journey that God is taking you through.
The Bible says in

Proverbs 3:5-7
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding;
think about Him in all your ways,
and He will guide you on the right paths.
Don’t consider yourself to be wise;
fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”

Learning to trust in God is important and not relying on your own understanding. It is easy for us to rely on what we know, we think we know it all and we think we know things better, In fact we don’t know it all. The more we humble and trust in God the more we will learn and grow in God. As I started to humble myself and trust in God, many new doors were beginning to open in my life. Am so happy that I got the Job at Samaritans purse and now God opened a door for a full time Job, I am working towards saving some money and getting ready to publish my book. A lot of people have been asking me for my testimony so I have been working on my testimony and trying to put it in a book format so people can read about my testimony and the miracles that God has done in my life. I know for sure people’s life will be challenged to believe in a God of miracles after reading my testimony.

This is a year of double blessing 2014 The Lord gave me
Psalms 65:11
“You crown the year with Your goodness;
Your ways overflow with plenty”.
The Lord said claim your blessings for this year so I am claiming my blessing I would like to encourage you to claim your blessings and receive them and walk in victory.

Sweet goodness

Am sorry It’s been a while since I have posted on my blog, I’ve had some interesting things happen, am ready to share with you all the goodness of God. I want to share some stories with you as a testament to what God is doing in our life and what He wants to do in yours.

God is Good all the time and all the time God is Good. I say that because I mean it. The past few months God has been so good to us. He has taken care of us. God has given us some new friends who are real with a real passion for Jesus and we have received new gifts as well. A long time ago God told me he will give me a Fender guitar and my mother wrote it down in her diary. God gave Ashley and me some new and awesome friends who we met for lunch a few weeks back, and they invited us to their home we went and guess what – they gave us a brand new fender guitar I could not believe it! We left their house got in the car and God reminded me that I should pray for them as we were driving away. I told Ashley that God told me to me pray for them so Ashley quickly turned around we went back to their house and prayed for them. At that time they did not have jobs they were young couple newly wed just got married a few weeks before that and God said they will get a job after we prayed we left. They went on a small mission trip for a camp and as soon as they came back they both got jobs! Our God is an awesome God. If I did not turn around, go back and pray for them what would have happened? I don’t know, maybe God would have still given them a job, but God wanted me to obey his voice and I saw God’s power through my obedience. It’s amazing when you obey God. We got a brand new guitar and they got awesome jobs, isn’t that amazing? God told them to give away their brand new electric guitar and they obeyed God and we saw the amazing hand of God. I also have been praying for an acoustic guitar. A family we stayed with in Lexington NC gave me an acoustic guitar, I am so blessed with it I play with it everyday, I was also given a Djembe which I didn’t even ask for, it was a long time ago but I thought I’d mention it when am talking about the Goodness of God.

The past few months we haven’t had many opportunities to speak in different churches so we were running short on money in our account. We were coming down to zero. We started praying and suddenly somebody sent some money in our paypal account and that family had decided to give 5% of their income and it was the exact amount that we prayed for. we were amazed by God’s goodness. God is so Good all the time and all the time God is Good.

I have some more cool stories to share with you, I have been waking up and praying and seeking God. I got up and prayed for some clothes a few weeks ago. I was invited to speak in a few churches so I prayed and asked God saying, “God I need some formal shirts and pants.” After a week or two a pastor in town he and his wife called my wife on the phone and said, “can you and Barnabas meets us at a store?” We said yes and we reached there that evening wondering why the Pastor and his wife wanted to meet us. When they arrived there they told me the Lord told me to get you some clothes. Wow isn’t that amazing? They bought me 3 shirts and 2 pairs of pants and even pairs of 2 shoes for my wife. Isn’t it wonderful how God takes care of our needs? When you obey God’s voice he takes care. God called us to be missionaries and we obeyed and God is taking care of our needs. The pastor obeyed the voice of God and I was blessed and so then I was ready to speak in a church the next Sunday. I was so exited. It is so amazing to see how God leads you and guides you. I went to the church and I preached. God moved in an awesome way many people were touched by the power the Holy Spirit that Sunday morning.

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From the time I got married, I have been telling my wife Ashley to write songs. She has the gift to write songs and lead worship. She is so blessed that if she hears a song once she can remember the song for life. I can’t, it is so hard and different for me. I have been telling her and encouraging her to write songs , in the past before we got married she has written some songs of her own and also co-written with her friends but she had stopped. So I starting praying for her and encouraging her in the past few months she has written 3 awesome songs and in the past few days she has written 10 songs in an hour and a half so God is so good he has been pouring our his anointing on her to write songs. So now she is ready to record and make an album, God has brought some friends who are willing to help her out to record, how amazing is that? God is real and his love for us real, he loves us. God is Good all the Time and all the Time God is Good.

This week take time to think about his Goodness.

Mom

Thinking back on Mother’s Day, I wanted to share some things about my mom.
My Mom has been the greatest Mom ever. She struggled trying to take care and provide for 3 boys and 1 girl with 1 man working, my father, the man who worked hard to take care and bring money home. My Mom was a homemaker. In my country this looks like cooking all 3 meals a day, from scratch, washing all the clothes by hand, no washing machine and helping us with school work.

She worked very hard, taking care of everyone. When we didn’t have enough food, she would not eat it and give to us kids and stay hungry by just drinking water. I have seen her pray everyday at 5am in the morning every Tuesday and Friday. We would eat greens, through the week with lots of vegetables and meat only on Sundays. As you might imagine, Sundays were a very special day. Go to church, come home and wait for a good lunch with meat. Speaking of meat, she cooks really, really good meals. Man, she is one of the best cooks I have ever known, but I still say my Grandmother is the best cook ever.

As I used to help my Mom in the kitchen, I watched and learned how to cook. After I moved to the US, the need for Indian food made me start cooking. I soon found myself cooking just from the memory of what I saw her doing. Before I got a computer I had no way to Skype her. I was so desperate for eating Indian food. The little town where I moved first has no Indian restaurants so I was forced to cook.

Well I started to cook at home and then I started cooking in different peoples homes families, friends, and church members homes, raising funds for my mission trips to India. People loved my cooking. Every where I went to preach, I stayed in different people’s homes. I cooked as a way of appreciation, thanking them for letting me stay. People just loved it! I cooked in Florida in a missions pastor’s house and the senior pastor’s wife came. She said she is very picky in eating food and that she can not eat a lot of different things and she even brought her own salad and food to eat. She tried the Chicken masala, puri and the fried rice. She ate my food and she even went for seconds! The Pastor said, “my wife has never done this before. She has never eaten or tried different food.” He said, “you are an awesome cook! My wife is eating chicken masala, unbelievable!”
That was so cool! I was so happy and exited and thanked God out loud and every body laughed and enjoyed the dinner that night. God really blessed my hands to cook some really good meals. I should give the credit to my Mom because I learned all those yummy things from her, but it’s not her recipes they are my own creations. I cannot cook like her at all. My way of cooking is a little different, it’s my style. 🙂 My Mom is an awesome cook and I cannot beat her. My Mom cooks a lot of different varieties of Indian food I can cook only a few. I mainly cook Chicken Tandoori, chicken masala, chicken butter masala, Briyani, which is a very special rice, mostly cooked for special occasions, oh I just love it! I cook lamb chops and my wife loves it, she loves to eat puri with it. I have Chinese friend he and his wife just love my lamb chops.

Some of my friends have been asking me for recipes. I don’t really measure as I go. I just add things as I cook so its really hard for me to say how much to add exactly but am working on it and on my next blog post I am planning on giving my secret recipes for chicken butter masala, what do you guys think? Reply and let me know. Leave a note or e-mail me barnabaskumar@gmail.com

Happenings

It’s been a while since I have shared some of my personal stories with you. The last time I posted I was talking to you about staying in different friend’s houses.
Well the journey continues on, I stayed with some friends where I could do more shooting like the country folk in North Carolina. I had fun learning to shoot guns.

God has opened some amazing doors for me and my wife. We travelled to Cincinnati Ohio, Louisville Kentucky, and just across the river into Indiana. I had an opportunity to be with a singing group called Face to Face. Tom Boles who is the leader of the team helped us to speak in different churches where ever the team was invited to sing. I love the team. I love their songs.
God opened doors for me to speak in big churches and small churches. For the first time my talk was posted on youtube and another church where I spoke. I was on Daystar network and God channel. I thought that was pretty amazing how God opens doors when you obey him. Yes, it’s exiting to speak in all these places but we still need a lot of support. We want you to believe in the mission that God has called us to do.

God opened a door for us to travel to Florida we were able to speak in some churches,

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we were able to spend some time with my wife’s family, we had a chance to go to the beach and I was able to cook some delicious Indian food, if I do say so myself. That was fun, I love to cook Indian food. That is also one of the ways where I get to raise some funds and also get to know families in a close and personal way.

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God has been opening doors for us but we are still in need of more monthly financial support. We are not yet fully funded and know that this is not possible without people like you. We would love for you to pray for us and adopt us as your missionary family and support us monthly. We can not do this without you, we need your help in reaching the nation of India for Jesus.
Would you make a commitment to help support and hear the voice of God?
For more information, email me at barnabaskumar@gmail.com

Remembering Good Friday

Good Friday a day that changed the history of mankind
It is sad that Easter has become so commercialized just like Christmas. Kids these days don’t knows the true reason why we celebrate Easter and people are more exited about the Easter Bunny, baskets and candy than the gift of eternal life.

Let us not forget why we celebrate Easter by remembering this Good Friday what Jesus did on the cross for us.
Matthew 26:36 says, “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
Gethsemane is a place of surrender
Mark 14:36
And He said, “ Abba, Father! All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

Life is hard sometimes we feel that we can not take it. We are overwhelmed with the things happening around us. One of the family members we are staying with this week is sick. She just bursted out crying this morning, she has never been sick like this before and never been so tired of life. Yes, Jesus went though the same thing, he asked the father to remove this cup from him but Jesus surrendered himself saying nevertheless my will but your will.

John 19:13
When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside. He sat down on the judge’s bench in a place called the Stone Pavement (but in Hebrew Gabbatha

Gabbatha is a place of judgement

We were supposed to be judged but Jesus stood there instead of us being judged he was judged by a man.

John 19:17
Carrying His own cross, He went out to what is called Skull Place, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.

Golgotha is a place of death

Jesus carried his own cross, the very same one that should be ours yet he took it. He denied himself on the cross and he died for for our sins. He didn’t have to die, he did’t have to give a sacrifice but he did.

Jesus surrendered himself . Jesus was judged instead of us. Jesus gave himself on the cross.

As we think about the cross today let us remind ourselves that there are many out there in the world who do not know about this greatest gift that is available for them. Would you take time to pray for the people in India and other parts of the world?

Flaming tongue

Isn’t it interesting how easily we remember the bad things in life more so than good things? Usually people say that when someone learns a new language, most of the time people learn the bad language first-and they remember them. Good words are sometimes forgotten, but bad words are remembered.
These days it seems like people don’t talk positively about others. They find only negative things to say. It’s really interesting to see how the world continues to change more and more into this trend. Even children learn to talk only negatively about people because it’s how they hear their parents talking and dealing with people.
I would encourage and challenge you this week to say something good and positive about the person you find yourself talking negatively about. Ask your children at home to say something positive about their friends.
Most of the time when you are good friends with someone we always talk positively, but when we lose that friend our talk turns to be negative. This may be a painful thing in your life. maybe you’ve been hurt by a friend or they betrayed you in some way. I can relate to those emotions and feelings. My best friend turned his back on me after a lifetime of friendship, but God helped me to love and forgive him and to learn to talk positively about him.
If you read the book of James it talks about the tongue which has no bone .
Proverbs 18:21 says,
“Life and death are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
People are looking for somebody who will encourage them. Young people are always looking for someone who will encourage them and help them get up the ladder of life.
Proverbs 25:11-12
“A word spoken at the right time
is like gold apples on a silver tray.
A wise correction to a receptive ear
is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.”
Words are powerful, a word can build a person or it can destroy a person.
Productive words can bear a good fruit. What people say can make the difference between success and failure.
The tongue is a small thing, but it can make a big damage . It is said a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire.
Words are like fire. Fire can either be a good or a bad thing. It can be used to warm your home and create an inviting environment, or the same fire can be used to burn down a home.
Scripture says a lot about words and how we use them either for good or for negative consequences. Proverbs 6:2 says,
“Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.”
Proverbs 12:13 says, “An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble.”
Proverbs 12:18 says, “the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
The book of proverbs has a lot of thing to say about words. Sometimes people bear the consequence of their words. I see that many people are living a defeated life. Maybe you have become snared by the words your own mouth, maybe you talk negatively about your job, your health or your family and it drags you down. I think we all do so sometime or the other, we are, after all human. We can retrain our mouth to speak better words. You have the choice of what words you live by, make them words that count.
I hope you were encouraged after reading this, let me know what your thoughts are on this

The three letter word

This week I want to share with you that God has a plan and a purpose for your life. Many times in the past I have asked the question as to why am I living in the world. With all the problems going on in my life, with problems around me, isn’t it is better for me to die than to live? Life can seem mundane and pointless. Many people I’ve talked to have had these thoughts at one time or another, maybe you have. Maybe you find it’s constantly a question in your mind.
The problem is, dying or running away from our situation will not help or solve your problem.
There is a man in the Bible who asked the same question, his name is Jonah.
Jonah 4:8 the second part of verse 8 he says to God
He said, “It’s better for me to die than to live.”
God has a plan for you, not plan to destroy, not a plan to turn you down, but a plan of hope and a future. The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11-13
“‘For I know the plans I have for you’— this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.'”
I don’t know who am talking to, but I know I am talking to someone specifically. The Lord put this burden in my heart to share this thought with you so I am sharing it. You may be burned out in the ministry, or maybe you are burned out in your life, because of friends who have turned their backs on you, or family who don’t understand you, or you don’t understand what is going on in your life. Maybe the situation around you is like a storm hitting you and you are asking why?
Why?
Why ?
Why?
That may be your cry why? I don’t understand anything that is going on in my life, why is this happening to me? Why?
But, I want to encourage you today all you have to do is call on His name and God will answer you.
If you are that person saying ‘I am asking that question why am I living?’
The answer is God has a plan and a purpose in your life
If God has spoken to you Leave me a comment or email me at barnabaskumar@gmail.com
I would love to pray for you.

Wild love

I was so encouraged by your responses to last week’s post. I want to thank all of you who responded to my blog and some of you even emailed me personally. I appreciate you taking time to do that and I want you to know that I prayed for you this past week. I hope you were blessed.

This week I want to talk to you about love the love of Jesus. Jesus has given each one of us a second chance, we don’t deserve that second chance but Jesus has given it to us freely. We have been discussing this in our home church for the past few weeks and it really resonates with me. This week think about somebody who made a sacrifice for you that made you are who you are today. May be in school when you did not deserve 2 points to pass that class but that teacher who decided to add those 2 points and you passed that class. Maybe in your job you made a mistake a mistake that is so terrible that the company or your boss should have fired you but the boss who gave you a second chance, maybe somebody believed in you with a huge responsibility and today you have elevated to a higher position as a result. Maybe you were in an accident there was no chance you would have survived and God gave you a second chance. Some time somebody gave you second chance and believed in you that you could do it.

The Bible talks about Jesus coming down to earth.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says, “For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.”

He died for you and gave you a second chance. I want you to think about somebody whom you know and pray for them that they can receive a second chance in your office or school or where ever you work why don’t you do something that will give somebody a second chance and you can talk to them about Jesus who came to this earth to give them a second chance. Receiving a second chance compels us to give others a second chance.

My wife and I made a decision to go to India and share the love of Jesus because Jesus gave us a second chance. I was kidnapped for a human sacrifice. Jesus saved me and gave me a second chance so people can experience a life change in Jesus the same way I experienced a life change. In response to this second chance, I have dedicated my life as a pastor and a missionary for Jesus. Some people don’t understand this is my career choice, not just a wild adventure, although it is that as well. I chose this so that people can have a second chance. People don’t deserve a second chance but people need a second chance.

This week as you think of that person who needs a second chance, tell me about them and let’s pray for them this week. I will also pray alongside you for an opportunity to tell them about the love of Jesus. Leave me a comment or email me at barnabaskumar@gmail.com

Have a love-filled week!

Wake up

The new year started with great expectations and so far it’s been amazing. God has been doing some outstanding miracles for us.
Ashley and I have been staying in different friends houses.
I got to stay with a Chinese friend who is now one of my best friend, we had some fun shooting guns and playing games.

Then we stayed with another friend who took me to visit a couple of his friends.

I visited a guy who had a Deer Museum, as he calls it, with all the deer he had hunted, he told me of all the stories of how he hunted. I heard some pretty neat stories. It was a lot of fun. He is a veteran who was in the Vietnam war. He had mounted some of the deer he had hunted, he said he mostly hunted the while tail dear a lot bucks. He had also hunted some turkeys which was fun to see. I really want to be a hunter but haven’t had an opportunity so I love to see what others have done. I got to meet another guy who had hunted deer, moose, and grizzly bear. I wish I had brought my camera with me, I would have loved to have taken some pictures.

I was seeking God and he has been talking to me. I will be posting a little thought from the word of God every week this month. I hope this will encourage you.

Look at the world around, stop for a moment and think about the things we hear about and see. The news shows us a lot of things going on that make us scared or uncomfortable. The recent shooting in Connecticut, the flood in Australia, the sickness spreading around, terrorist attacks, and the lit goes on. What does all this tell you ? Jesus is coming soon. The world is scared and worried, but as Christians we can trust in God. He is our protector. As the Church when these things happen we should share this light, this protection with others.

I was trying to contact some churches where I can speak and share about the vision and mission God has called my wife and I to. I recently spoke with a pastor and he asked me if I use the King James Bible. I didn’t know why he asked me that but I told him the truth. I grew up studying and memorizing the KJV but I don’t use it much now. He said he would not be able to help or allow me to speak at his church. I told him there are people dying in India without Jesus, they don’t even know anything about KJV but he does not seem to care about souls dying, but cares only about whether one uses the KJV. You see how the enemy has blinded the eyes of Christians? The Church is still sleeping. Wake up Church! We need to love.

The verse that God gave me in the beginning of this year is Ephesians 5:15
” Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk — not as unwise people but as wise — making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Ephesians 6:10-13 Christian Warfare
” Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.”

I want to encourage you as we start this new month of February lets take a stand for Jesus. You may say January came and now its gone and nothing really great happened but tell you what, lets do this and fight the enemy. The Lord will fight for us. It’s just the beginning, the world is scared but for those who trust in The Lord we have confidence before The Lord.
Ephesians 3:14-21
Prayer for Spiritual Power
For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us — to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I hope you’re encouraged today and ready for a GREAT new month. I want to pray for you this month. What can I pray for you about? Please either leave a comment or email me at barnabaskumar@gmail.com and I will make time to pray for you daily.

A local foreigner

It’s interesting how life has changed. After living in America and coming back to Bangalore, some things caught my attention. How I have lived here in Bangalore all my life and have not noticed these things?

Well to start with, in our culture the shaking of the head is something different all together. I noticed it before but never understood why Westerners have a hard time understanding it. If you have never visited India you may not understand this, but if you have you will understand what I am talking about. The infamous Indian head shake looks like a real life bobble head. A few weeks back we had our friends from the US visiting us to do some ministry. This was her first time and she was trying the head shake. She said she thought she had it down and her husband was saying, ” no, no, no, you still haven’t got it. You need more practice.” It was pretty funny to watch. I have been doing the head shake all my life while living here in India, but living in America I stopped doing the head shake and now after coming back to Bangalore it’s funny how it happens so often. Now I understand what foreigners mean by saying that you cannot tell if they are saying Yes or No. The head shake is done a weird way; it’s kinda like saying no but with extra shocks in your neck. Go ahead, give it a try. My wife makes fun of me when I do that while here in Bangalore. It’s so easy to just start doing it without even noticing, even she does it sometimes.

Another thing that’s been on my mind is that Indians have dressed the same way for the most part for upwards of 5,000 years. That’s a very long time. After the British came a few hundred years ago, things started to change gradually. The men are typically found in 70’s style slacks and button ups, even if they are not working. Women still style the traditional saree and now often wear an outfit know as a chudidar. As more western influence continues to pour into my city, the people, mainly younger women have started wearing jeans, capris and in some cases the taboo shorts.
It’s almost as though Indians have a sort of dress code, far different from the clothes of America. Women who dress immodestly here on any level are seen as similar to prostitutes. Everything stays covered, even in summer. This is nice a change from the half naked people walking around all summer in the US.

In America, littering is illegal and you can be fined a lot of money if you don’t dispose of your trash properly. But here in India, the trash and litter is out of control. People just throw it wherever and every so often a truck comes by and they scoop it up with hand shovels or burn it on site. Growing up here I never thought twice about throwing my trash on the ground, it’s just what you do here. After seeing the clean roads and communities in the US and how nice it was and smelled, I immediately conformed to the laws with no problem. I even would get upset with my wife for throwing her gum or an orange peel out the window of the car but she would say “it’s just food!”. Since returning to India the garbage piles bother me a lot.

After eating a piece of candy or if I have a water bottle that’s empty I hold onto it until I find the right place for it. People here say to me “just throw it.” I get so angry because I want the people to learn to be clean and keep the environment clean.

The roads. They are so bumpy and full of potholes. I definitely took for granted the road maintenance in North Carolina. When my wife would drive, I would fall asleep immediately because they were well paved. Not so much here. There are potholes everywhere and it is nearly impossible to sleep. It feels like a plane with a bad landing!

After arriving in the US, I could not sleep. It was too silent. I needed background noise and people nearby, cars honking, dogs barking.

Now, I’m used to the silence and things wake me up or upset my sleep. The guy selling tomatoes off his portable vegetable cart at 7am, the street dogs barking at 2am, the motorcycles going by at 5am and the cows mooing across the road at any given time. That is an adjustment I was not expecting. Haha.

It’s a little awkward and strange to feel like a foreigner in my own city. I talk with a heavier Indian accent to people here to not seem as though I am “showing off” and acting like someone I’m not, but it is a bit challenging because that is how I talk now. All in all I’m thankful for an opportunity to see my community with fresh eyes.