Bats vs Humans vs Hawk-nado

As the days progress, the more we are absolutely loving our time here in South Asia, but the more time seems to fly by all to quickly. Everyone is healthy physically and spiritually thanks to our eternally good Father. As we look back on the week, it is so hard to believe how much has happened. The start of the week was a blessing for us all as we had the opportunity to visit a local community and fellowship with some awesome brothers and sisters. Feeling uplifted, the days have included homemade morning chai (thanks to Mrs. M for showing how the locals do it!), PR walking and exploring the streets of the old part of the city, getting cheap haircuts and shaves with crazy head massages, taking tons of dramatic selfies (to fit in with the culture), hanging out on the roof of our 4 story bungalow singing and watching storms roll in front of the sunset as “hawk-nados” (hundreds of hawks soaring together in giant thermals around the market places) swirl around us, crazy evening games of “Dog in the Bones” (local version of “Steal the Bacon”) with new friends on the river front, sharing with cousins and neighbors in the gardens for hours, and eating at our favorite restaurant which is barely a hole in the wall down an alleyway. (Are we allowed to say they serve beef? It seems so wrong…) Another highlight of the week was visiting a massive steppe well that was built in the 1600s. Thankfully no one was “too” afraid of bats (never mind the girlish shrieks from Aaron) as they flew kamikaze missions at our heads as we explored the pitch-black, spiral staircases and crossed the intricately carved ledges. Since we a growing in confidence in the language through our classes, we decided to checkout the newest, local film: a rom-com musical with one of the weirdest plots we’ve ever seen. We’re still not sure entirely sure what happened, but we’ve been jamming to the soundtrack ever since! PTL the weather continues to get cooler as the monsoon draws closer. Who would’ve guessed that 35C (95 degrees Fahrenheit) evenings could feel so cool and refreshing? Also, mentorship meetings with local brothers about how to share the good news and how to mentor others are beginning to become more regular. We have plans with several of them this week to go to the gardens and universities to share and we can’t wait to see how Father will work during those times of sharing.

Please PR:

- For new M's coming to our city

- Courage for the locals to share the good news

- Safe travels for old friends coming to visit here

- Our host family to be encouraged

- Many more opportunities to share the good news

Silas: I am falling in love: in love with the mischievous smiles the auto drivers hide when they try to get me to pay more than the owed fare, in love with crossing the street without dying, in love with being treated to chai tea by strangers on the streets that don’t even speak a word of English, in love with the head nod and smile EVERYONE gives if you simply smile first, in love with humor that usurps language barriers, in love with sharing with new friends, in love with the adventurous spirits of my team, in love with brothers that hunger for Truth, in love with w-shiping and talking to Father with my team at random times everyday or night or even 2am, in love with sharing good news with new friends, in love with the Son, in love with people. Yeah, lot’s of love… It’s great. :) Please PR for a girl named Renee that Aaron and I met last night at a local music store. She has many close friends from New Mexico and has heard much about the son but still does not follow him. Please pray that we will get many opportunities to show her love and reveal truth.

Shout outs! To da fam: I thought of so much more I should've asked after our Skype call! Can't wait to talk to you again. Love you!!! Sam: #doyouevensquatbro

Patrick: The last week has been a crazy one. I feel like we have finally gotten our schedule down and are really rolling. Brandon and I got to hang out with two of the coolest South Asians I have ever met. They had very similar interests to ours and even got all of our jokes. They are both H background but have no real personal belief. We got to share the good news with them and I don't think they had ever heard it before. PR that the Father would open their hearts to hearing more about him and that we would have many more opportunities to, as they put it, chill. I love you all, especially my amazing fiancé, Gayle.

Brandon: Hey everybody! I’ve really enjoyed our time here so far. This week we got to attend a college Book study, and for the first time since we’ve been here, I was able to see people w-shipping the Father.  We have seen so much fervent w-ship of idols and distortions of the Father that it was extremely moving and encouraging to see people w-shipping the only One who truly deserves our praise.  Please join me in PRing that the people of South Asia will w-ship the Father alone and turn from these deceptions to the only One who can save them. (Psm 67) I also want to thank you guys for PRing that we would meet English speakers.  This week we have met a lot of guys who speak English, and have already made some really awesome friends.  Continue to PR that we would make even more friends who speak English and that Father would open their eyes to the truth.

Shout-out to Jameson: I have your phone from two years ago and I’m going to beat your high score on Forbidden Treasures! Just kidding, I already gave up.

Aaron: We have had a very full two weeks and time is flying by. Most days we spend seeing a lot of the sights in our city and hanging out with friends we’ve made. We’ve enjoyed playing games in the park, some of which closely resemble ones we play back home. We’re all pretty good now at navigating through our city, who to talk to, and where to go. We take language class twice a week and are able to make ourselves understood in a few basic sentences. Monsoon season is only days away and we can’t wait for the rains to cool everything off. The temperature gets as high as 47 degrees (116 Fahrenheit) on any given day. And yes I have embraced my South Asian side and am now sporting the solo stache. We really appreciate the PR.

Shout-out to Jameson: I haven’t given up.

He embraced the culture

Jacob: Another week without sickness. The gifts from Father never cease. This week Silas and I went to a park with one of our M's. We met three new friends there. Two of them were University students named Ollie and Mark. We talked with them for a couple hours and they had many questions, though it was difficult to answer them because their English was not very good. However, It was evident that Father was at work in them. They were very interested in spending more time with us so we exchanged numbers. After we talked to them we met another man named Adam. Adam is 29 and was recently married. He thought that Silas and I were his age or older, and was confused when he found out our actual ages. (#BeardsAreAwesome) When we finished our conversation, Adam expressed interest in the Good Book, and Our M got his number, so we can hopefully provide him with a copy soon. Please PR that Father will continue to work in their lives.

Shout-out to Mom and Dad: I have made quite a bit of progress on our challenge. How are you guys doing?

Answer to last week's question: This is ZaZ

From a U.S. Themed Pizzaria

This Week's Question: How do we alleviate stress in South Asia?