A Woman

Do you know what I mean by the joy of having the loveliness of another woman in your life?  I long for this always.  I think more than the average woman -I really enjoy the company of other woman, and femininity in general.  Always - since I can remember I was playing with dolls as if I was a mother, and sitting and listening to my mom and all her friends, and cared for by so many woman as if I were their daughter.  

I am so thankful for this - and I know it must be a part of the thread of who God made me to be.  In every season of my life it seems the Lord provides an older woman for me to connect with.  

Let me tell you about Annette,

Annette Faser - Is the Mother/ Wife of the family that takes care of the guest house that I am staying at here in India for the duration of my time (The Farley Guest House).  

As I have told you about Farley, and what a resting place it is; Annette and the Faser family are a big part of that.

When I walked into the house - Annette greeted me with a loud! high pitched German hello!  Loud and expressive she is, but not a rude bone in her body.  She is one of the most joyful, full of life women; and in such a unique way.  I am a million times thankful for her!!  How she should be celebrated as she celebrates and prefers everyone, I mean everyone, she encounters!  

She is just as considerate towards her 5 children (Ages 7-16).  It is beautiful - how her husband David and her do a wonderful job raising their children on the mission field; and of course they are just children all the same- laughing, crying, getting into fights, playing all day, etc. Ha ha! I love this!

Today was her birthday - and she invited many of her friends to come and share a cup of tea with her and a piece of homemade cake.  She invited me and the 2 other volunteer girls for tea and cake as well. What a woman!  And indeed she did take time to sit down with us and share her birthday!  What a pleasure!

We gave her these flowers for her birthday today - Bright and beautiful  - Perfect!

I really am encouraged to have Annette in my life this year - and am so thankful to the Lord for placing me right here in her home.  How strategic!

I just wanted to share this - because I know how much it blesses my heart to have a woman to share life with, and to express how thankful I am to the Lord for blessing me so in this season.  

Two women, sharing together, have the ability to nurture, celebrate, love, and really Breathe Life - into each other.  We hold the ability to breathe life into the soul, enabling each other to be who we are created to be at the core, to have the energy to possess the fullness joy, to not to be afraid, but face our greatest fears, and to know the Lord and all the fullness of his character.  Men have so many igniting qualities - but these I think are particularly gifted to woman.

Know that you can be this woman - and if you need a woman like this; pray for her!

May we all learn to give grace to one another - and therefore fulfill the second greatest commandment - 

"Love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27 

Friends - Friend (Dog) & Food

Everyday here, I have wonderful little happenings.  Everything is a new and intersting experience.  I can't help but want to share them.  I write them down in a little day planner someone gave me every night. But here on my blog I will share them as often as I can.  In my newsletter will be more important updates (my job, etc). 

I have been here 2 Weeks now!

This weeks Interesting Happenings:

Friends

This is Sheena.  She is the other volunteer that just arrived.  We have made fast companions. We are set to explore all that Ooty has to offer, we have enjoyed shopping at little shops together, walking to and from work together, etc.  She is a great girl!

She is from Ireland. :)  Ha ha - we can understand each other in a lot of ways, but she still says some words that I've never heard :) (runners, spot, wee, jumper).  She is also 22! :)

Friend (Dog)

And this is my new friend, Wooly!  Ha ha ....I have earned my friendship with the Fraser's Dog at Farley!  Last Sunday I threw a blanket on the lawn and started reading, all of a sudden Wooly came over and laid on the blanket with me - I was so happy inside - determined to make this dog my friend.  I love dogs!

   

Food

I am making connections with people here that I am so thankful for.  I see how God puts people in my path that relate to what I need am called to do.  So I am so thankful to the Lord for providing a family in the house I live in, people with horses, an Indian couple that teach at a missionary school who love hospitality, etc, etc.  And with all of these things come opportunities, and community.

So tonight the couple that love hospitality invited me over with a group of people, the men had a trustee meeting, while the wife taught the woman how to make some traditional Indian food!  I wish I had pictures!

It was wonderful.  She had a cutting board for each of us and we all piled in the kitchen each provided an apron and made 10 different vegetable dishes, 1 chicken dish!  It was phenomenal - I thought I was a good cook at home - but it is so silly how lost I feel in the kitchen here. There are so many vegetables and spices that I have never seen before! :)  Common Spices (curry, red chile power! (the hot stuff!), cumin, tumeric, cardimom, coriander, saffron, fenugreek.  Common Vegetables: Okra, bittergourd, eggplant, cucumber, chile, potato, zucchini, tomato, onion.   

I want to experience everything that I can here - That is a huge part of learning about a new culture.  I am so excited to be here long enough to form relationships, get submerged into a different culture, and participate in it.  

It is beautiful to have this experience!  I encourage you to do it too!!

Love, 

Shy

Farley

To my Blog Family, 

I want to show you my new Home...This is India!

Sitting in Mumbai during my 8hr layover.  Got myself a famous cup of Indian Jo and  reread Psalm 91 (the  Psalm I feel the Lord gave to me during this year). Read it if you care to!

 Ooty

Ooty, the town I'm in - was a 3hr drive from the airport - UP the Mt.  I was surprised by the absolute beauty of the Mt's and the cool fresh air.  It was a rough ride though in an Indian taxi on Indian roads! :)

Farley

This is the Guest House that I live in.  

It has been a house for missionary's as far back as Amy Carmichael (who stayed here)!

This is my room upstairs.  It is quite beautiful!

You can tell by the staircase that this is an old place.  It actually is more of a British design. 

More of my room

The view outside the back door of my room

The lawn of the house - It is a beautiful place in the mountains with  many flowers and lots of gardening.

This is the main living area downstairs

There are shelves of old books in every room!


As you can see, it is beautiful here!  I was breath-taken and overjoyed increasingly starting with the drive up the mountain.  This large missionary house is more than a haven, it is extraordinary - like the blessing of God in nature itself. I am so thankful for God's provision, and that he has allowed me a place to stay that is tranquil and beautiful.

I feel the quietness in my soul that this is going to be a very quiet season with the Lord.  Time to spend reading the word, and praying, just reading in general, and quieting my soul.  Oh, what an important thing to do.

Please pray for the fruit that the Lord could reap in this time.

There is a German missionary family of 7 here to take care of the place and they are an absolute delight!  I will write and post pictures of them soon.

I will also update you about work at the Freedom Firm soon as well.

Love,
Shy