Newsletter April 2011

Here's a look at the newsletter about my last six months abroad that I will be sending out shortly. If you would like me to mail you one, please contact me at tiffanymats@gmail.com:

Hello Family and Friends!

It is unreal to think that it was only six months ago that I left sunny Camarillo, California for rainy England to do my Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). I have experienced so much in these past six months that it would probably take another six months just to tell all the stories I’ve accumulated over this short period of time! I’ve learned so much and I’ve seen God do so much, both with and through myself, others, and this whole experience in its entirety. 

While in England, I was able to focus my attention solely on God, his Word, and my relationship with Him. During this lecture phase of DTS, I went through twelve weeks of intensive lectures five days a week, worship and intercession three times a week, and local outreach, small group, and one-to-ones with a staff member once a week. These three months enabled me to learn, to grow, to gain authority, and to dive deeper into the calling of missions on my life.

In December 2010, three staff and nine students (including myself) ended the lecture phase of DTS to spend ten weeks of service on the outreach phase in the beautiful nation of India. While there, we worked in slums at women’s and children’s clinics and preschools. We were also able to reach out to families in our neighborhood and to foreigners backpacking through India. Our main purpose for going to India was to serve the Indian people, as well as the backpackers, while displaying God’s love for them. Because of our obedience to God and His love for His people, He revealed Himself to many and forever changed lives. 

There were many times of difficulty and opposition, both in India and England, but I was always able to persevere with the help of God and your prayers. For this, I want to thank you so much for your support, both financially and prayerfully! It is a true blessing to see Christ’s people serving as one united body to further the kingdom of God.

What’s Next for Tiffany

It has been quite a radical transition coming back to normal life in Camarillo after six months of radical living abroad, but I am truly enjoying my time back home reenergizing, reconnecting, and seeking out God for the next stage of my life. Throughout my time abroad, I discovered a renewed and deeper passion for missions. I was reassured that that is where my heart belongs and that I should continue on in reaching the ultimate goal of becoming a full-time missionary. 

As for now, I am currently seeking out the Lord as to what step I should be taking next. The two most tangible options are: 

1. Going back into YWAM. This could mean doing a secondary school that follows a DTS, or becoming staff at one of the hundreds of YWAM bases around the world. 
2. Going back to school to study Biblical Studies.

As time goes on, the next step for this time in my life will become clearer, and I will be embarking on another adventure, whatever God may have in store. Until then, I will be living at home, working, and living the gift of life that God has given me for His glory.

Again, I want to thank you for your love and support over these past six life-changing months. If you would like to see more pictures or if you have any questions about my time in England or India, or about future plans, please feel free to contact me at tiffanymats@gmail.com.

Until next time, 

Tiffany Matsumura

Varanasi, Agra, Mumbai

I've had a busy last two weeks since my last entry, but as promised, here is a small taste of what my team and I did in the last weeks of our time in India:

VARANASI

The burning of a body

As stated in my last entry, my team and I left the mountain town of Nainital and headed towards Varanasi. Varanasi is an extremely holy city to Hindus, located right on the shore of the Ganges River. To the Hindus, this holy river is worshiped as the goddess called Ganga, and is thus believed to contain the cleanest and holiest water in the world. Hindus go to Varanasi to die, allowing them to come out of the cycle of reincarnation. The dead are washed in the Ganges River, burned, and then thrown back into it as ashes. However, if the body is "holy" (there are seven kinds of holy bodies), the bodies are just tied to a rock and thrown into the water to decay at the bottom (which sometimes get loose and float back up). Hindus also go to the Ganges to do laundry, to bathe in it, and to drink it.

Boat tours on the Ganges River

The ministry opportunities my team and I had were worship in various places, intercession in temples, and outreach to backpackers at places such as a Jesus meditation temple, or even at our hostel. Unfortunately, I became sick on the day we left Nainital for Varanasi and spent most of my time there in bed. It was frustrating not being able to go out and be active, but my time in bed allowed me to intercede for my team members who were out in the city, as well as for others at home or on outreach in Iceland or Fiji.

On my last day in Varanasi I was well enough to go on a boat tour of the Ganges River and see the fullness of Hinduism in action. I also had the opportunity to go sing worship in a Mother Teresa Center that cares for the sick, crippled, and dying. There, we were able to go in and bring some light and love to this place of sadness and loneliness. After a rough start in Varanasi, it was a good way to end our time there, and a good time to end outreach all together.

Burning Ghat

AGRA

The twelve of us arrived in Agra officially finished with outreach. We were no longer in ministry mode, but in debrief mode. We had five days to debrief our time in India. We talked about the good and the bad times, what God did during this time, what we needed to take with us and what we needed to let go, and so much more. It was a good time of closure and celebration. While in Agra, we were also able to check out a little building called the Taj Mahal. :)

My first view of the Taj Mahal

MUMBAI

The team left Agra in high spirits, feeling good about our time in India and what we were able to do in Christ's name. We came to Mumbai with that same spirit, along with sadness of leaving this beautiful nation and excitement to go back to familiarity and amazing friends at the Manor. We spent a fun last day and night in Mumbai and then flew off to England, so excited to watch as many movies on the plane as possible (I personally watched four films and watched the first half of two others)!

My time in India was life changing, difficult, beautiful, rewarding, fun, heartbreaking, and completely worth it. I cherish the time that I had there and I'm so thankful for all that God did with my time there and all that He allowed me to experience. Please remember to pray for India.

Delhi and Nainital

It has been a month since my last update, which shows just how busy I've been. Since my last update, the team and I have left Goa and traveled over 100 hours by train from place to place in the northern half of India. I've finished outreach and made my way back to Holmsted Manor in England. To save you from a long winded recap of this past month, here's just a little overview of the first two places we went, Delhi and Nainital, and what we did there: 

DELHI

Praying outside Parliament

Over the course of two days, our team arrived in three groups. We stayed in a hotel right in the center of a busy bazaar where most backpackers stay. Arriving in Delhi was exciting; the city was full of energy, busyness, and chaos. It was a nice change from the laid back vibe that Goa had. Right away I noticed how much more western this city was and (although not by our standards) how much cleaner it was. There was a large range of people: traditionally dressed Indians, Indians dressed in western clothing, businessmen, and foreigners, most usually backpacking hippies.

Delhi Government Building

While in Delhi, we had opportunities to go to cafes and have conversations with the backpackers passing through. Being in India's capital, our team had the opportunity to go to parliament and other governmental buildings to pray around and try to have conversations with people within government. We also had the opportunity to go to a Hindu temple, a mosque, and a temple called the Lotus Temple, which houses a newer religion called the Baha'i Faith. In these places that house different beliefs, we were able to pray in and around the facilities. Outside, we were also able to have conversations with the people that follow these religions and with people who came just to check out the places as seekers or as tourists. We spent five days in Delhi.

The Lotus Temple

On a side note, while in Delhi, my grandmother of 93 years had finally made her way into our Father's arms in heaven. It was difficult being in India and not with my family for her funeral, and more difficult mourning for her by myself. But in this time, I found comfort in God, in my teammates, in knowing that this wonderful woman lived a full life, and in knowing that she wasn't suffering from old age any more and that she's finally singing and dancing for God once again.

Shrine inside the Hindu Temple

Although we had great ministry times in Delhi, we left it not on the best of terms. We had unfortunately seen the bad side of Indian men. On the train, it got even worse when a team member's purse was stolen--passport, money, and Bible included. Through the bad, we finally saw the good side and the redemption of Indian men. Many of them didn't hesitate to come to our aid in searching for the thief, in giving advice and information, or in translating. However, the culprit wasn't found and we tried to sleep on the overnight train ride. It was a few hours later when we were woken by some people who had found my team member's purse in one of the train's toilets! Although her 200 rupees and camera were taken, everything else was there. It was nothing short of a miracle and I give all glory to God for it!

Mosque

NAINITAL

The Himalayas

We arrived in the small mountain town early in the morning and were all greeted with the fresh, chilly mountain air. We spent the first day taking in the gorgeous view and catching up on sleep lost from the emotional and draining train ride the night before. Our second day was spent hiking to the highest point in Nainital that overlooked the mountain town, it's volcanic lake, and the Himalayan Mountain Range. At the top, we had quiet time with God, worship, and intercession for India. We were also able to share parts of our beliefs with our two tour guides. The following day we left for Varanasi.

Overlooking Nainital

Our time spent in Nainital was short, but it was a time of refreshment that we needed to push through to make it to the end of outreach. It was also a great time to give glory to God in admiring His majestic creation and the many miracles and blessings He has given us.

Stay tuned for my next blog entry on the last part my time in India, in Varanasi, Agra, and Mumbai!

God bless.

On the hike up

Goodbye Goa

Cows on backpackers' favorite Arambol Beach 

It is unreal to think that I've spent six weeks in India already. It feels like time has solehow slipped away from me, and yet, when I think back to when I first arrived here it feels like it was ages ago. The road in India has been bumpy at times (both figurative and literal), but I can honestly look back at these past six weeks and say that I'm happy with the work that I've done here. I've made wonderful relationships with so many people: with the students at the preschool, with the families and children in our neighborhood, with the people working in our favorite shops in Vasco, and with the Goa base staff.

This past week our team threw parties for the neighborhood and the preschools that we worked at for a final farewell. The family I was closest with in our neighborhood invited five other girls and me into their home for dinner. (It was possibly the best Indian meal I've had yet). We've spent the past week closing ties with the people that we've come to love and said our final goodbyes. It has been a very busy and sad week because, well, my time in Goa has finally come to an end.

Neighborhood kids at our farewell party

Nevertheless, no matter how sad it is to say goodbye to arguably the most beautiful place in India, all of us on the team know that it's time to move on. The remaining weeks in India will be spent traveling to, and within, the north of India. We will be spending time in Delhi, Varansi (one of the two holy cities for Hindus), possibly the Himalayas, Agra (where the Taj Mahal is), and Mumbai. Our time will not be as scheduled as it was in Goa, and I believe it will be more crazy, more intense, more of a battle, and more spontaneous. As of now, the only thing I know for sure is that the team and I will be staying where backpacking hippies stay in Delhi, giving us prime opportunities to meet new people and have discussions about anything and everything with them.

Our team has been praying and we feel like these next few weeks are going to be more challenging than the last six weeks in new ways. In a way, we'll be experiencing a completely different outreach. And I'm so excited for it! It's going to be an adventure of a lifetime and I can't wait to get started. The first four people on our team leave by train for Delhi on Monday, while the other eight (including myself) leave on two separate trains the following day.

Please keep us in your prayers as we embark on a new season of outreach. Pray for safety, good health, team unity, boldness, and open doors and opportunities to share our faith and the Good News with others. Thank you for your continual support.

Blessings!

Asma and Salma, my favorite neighborhood girls

Neighborhood children

Katrine, Nathan, Lilian, Clo, and I with our preschool kids

Beautiful children

Life in India

View from the slum in Baina

Namaste!

Time flies in India! It's already the end of my third week here. We've had a slow start with our work, but we are finally in the full swing of things. Here's what my weeks usually consist of:

SUNDAY

Church in the morning- We've been going to two different churches of some of the base staff. It's so fun to experience church in India and be able to worship the same God as one international body.

Team meeting in the afternoon- We use this time to pray, worship, and to talk about the past week and the upcoming week.

MONDAY

Brila Preschool in the morning- Myself and three others help teach at a preschool where kids from the slum in Birla attend.

Baina Clinic in the evening- Four of us go to the Baina slum to speak to the women of Baina and to give out milk to them.

TUESDAY

Brila Preachool in the morning.

In the Birla Clinic's single room

Neighborhood in the afternoon- All of us feel that it is important to build relationships with the people in our neighborhood. The guys play cricket and talk to the older neighborhood guys (about 10-20 years old). The girls walk around talking to people outside their houses (and are sometimes invited in) and play with the neighborhood children.

WEDNESDAY

Team meeting in the morning.

Neighborhood in the afternoon.

THURSDAY

Birla Preschool in the morning.

Small group in the evening- This is just a time for the guys and girls to separate and get into a smaller group setting to discuss anything that we need to talk about or that's on our minds. Girl time is often a nice refresher.

FRIDAY

Neighborhood in the morning.

House Visits in Baina or Birla Clinic- The team splits into two groups. One group goes to Baina and visits people in their houses and talks to them. The other group goes to Birla to speak to women and hand out food. The groups switch locations every other week.

SATURDAY

View of the Birla slum

Free day- We usually spend our free time shopping in the town of Vasco or the state capital of Panjim and soaking up the sun on the tourist-filled Majorda Beach.

What's listed is just the planned activities that I do. There are often times when we have free time and choose to go build relationships with people. The days are full, but it feels like there is a lot of down time as well. We spend lots of time together with not a lot to do, so we often have to get a little creative. The team is creating a bond that naturally comes from spending so much time together in such closed quarters.

It has been such fun living in India and learning how to be a part of this culture. As a result, I am now close to becoming a pro at bartering and the Goan bus system. I'm getting lots of exercise from all the walking I do and my legs are getting toned from using the squattie pottie. But the food is so good and cheap that I can't stop eating! We have rice and curry twice a day, and I have yet to get tired of it. And I love trying new Indian snacks and goodies at the shops in Vasco. I'm now used to squeezing onto buses so full that Indians are literally on top of each other and close to falling out of the door. And so many people now know of us that they tell us what bus we need and when we need to get off even if we don't ask for their help! :)

Thanks for reading through my long descriptions of just some of my life here in India! There's so much I want to share, but just too little time, words, and space to write it all. Please keep this beautiful nation in your prayers!

Welcome to India!

It's hard to believe it's been only two weeks since I arrived in India. Straight away it started out rough, with only half of our team making it onto the plane from London to Mumbai. After waiting 24 hours to reunite, crazy jet lag, an 18 hour bus ride through the jungle of India, and extremely scary taxi rides, all 12 of our team members made it to the small town of Upas Nagar, Goa. We had a slow start with our work, allowing us to catch up on sleep, celebrate Christmas on the beach, and acclimate to the completely new culture of India. There have been some ups and downs, but I am falling in love with this place more and more every day. I absolutely love India, the Indian people, the music, the jungle nature, and the WARM weather!


Slum on beach at one of our locations



This is just a preview of the updates, pictures, and videos that are to come soon!