White Men Don't Work

Here they are, pouring the cement by hand with these little disks.

Everyone said later, that Mike took the hardest job, other then the guy shoveling the cement. They were very impressed.

The other day our friend Anup was having the concrete roof for his house poured. The way that is done here, is that you get everyone you know to help, because it has to be done in one day, so that it doesnt dry. So, Mike went to help out and everyone was very very impressed. Because India was colonized by the British, it was always that the "white man" would hire someone else to do the dirty work. So if anyone ever sees a white person doing any kind of manual labor they are floored. Mike was there in the midst of them all and everyone wanted to see. Saroja said that the neighbors were all coming by to watch. I imagine he made a big impact on a lot of people, and Anup is still saying the people are making comments to him about how great it was that his foreigner friend did that.

Apple in my Closet

There is a Granny Smith apple in my closet that is just the picture of what life is like these days. I am always hungry, but the boys in this house are always looking longingly at the things that I am eating. So, I bought a couple of granny smith apples the other day and hid them in my closet, so I can eat them free of guilt when the boys are at school. That is my dilemma these days. I am thinking about this stuff that my parents are going to bring me,(whoohoo, only one more week) and then thinking of the fact that I should share it with everyone in the house. Ugh...but if I share, then it is all gone in a day or two. What to do? In this culture people share things like that and always give what they have, so I end up feeling like the most selfish person if I keep it for myself. Mike had a great idea the other day though, he thinks that I should buy them some of their own local treats that they like, so they are also content. Still though....I think they are secretly looking at me longing to taste these new things from afar. As they say here in these parts...."What to do?"

Chicken Neck

You know the saying that you should choose your battles? That is one thing I definitely need to do these days with Caleb. He is in a constant state of being difficult these days, which always makes life interesting. So anyway, last night we had fried chicken for dinner. (hallelujah, they are selling chicken again!) And here in India they eat every part of the chicken pretty much, so we most of the time make it at our house too. So Kelden was eating one of the necks, which made Caleb want one too. He already had some chicken on his plate, so we told him he needed to finish that first, knowing that he really wouldn't like the neck anyway. Well, as he does most times these days, he kept insisting and insisting that he wanted to eat the neck. After he finally made himself finish what was on his plate and about 10 minutes later, he finally had the coveted neck in his possession. I wanted to laugh because I knew that he wasn't going to like it at all, but he sat there with such contentment on his face that he finally had it. So Mike and I just sat and waited to see how long it was going to take. He tried to eat it, and in about 3 seconds discovered that he did not like it. Ahh....children.... I just thought about how most people would be so grossed out that we had cooked the neck anyway, so thought I would share the story.

Chris Tomlin

Here is the website for Chris Tomlin for anyone who is interested.

Indescribable

Rochelle, funny that you mention that song, because that has been one of my goals to learn and play it! This song, Indescribable, which is sung by Chris Tomlin on his album "arriving", is one of my favorite worship songs. (If you get a chance you should listen to it. It is amazing!) We have it on a CD that we play in the car, so every once in awhile while we are at home one of the boys will start trying to sing it. And Caleb when he was just about a year and a half or so, would bust out with that big word "Indescribable". It was the cutest thing. The word has taken on many forms with Kelden, Pema and Dawa too. The latest one that they think it is "indescriba'boy", and then they say...."you know my name..." It is kinda cute.
Anyway, here are the words, and here is my debut....I am only singing the chorus, to spare you all the agony of listening to the whole song, and also because I haven't quite gotten the verses down yet with the guitar. There is one chord that is killing me, so I need to practice, but here it is.

Indescribable:
"From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creations revealing your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable
Awestruck, we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lighting bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and you love me the same
You are amazing God"

My guitar

When we were in Thailand for the birth of Caleb, Mike decided to buy me a guitar for our anniversary. Up to this point I had been trying to learn to play, but hadn't been that great at it, and it was hard not having a guitar to practice on. So, he bought me a nice one. I wondered if maybe we were crazy buying a guitar right before we were going to have a baby and all the responsibilities that comes with, but it has actually been a good thing.
It has taken me a long time though, because I realize that Caleb is going to be 3 this June, but I think I can actually say that I can play the guitar now. Wow! Of course I am not that great and can still only play a few chords, but have actually mastered a few worship songs. I will have to post me playing one sometime. But, I thought I would just share my accomplishment with you all. And, thanks to those of you who helped me throughout the time. Especially Howard, who gave me a few lessons and sent me lots of songs. I remember our first lesson when you sat me down and said you would only teach me if I was serious about learning, and I gave you my word. Well, I remembered telling you that, so in a way that kept me accountable. Thanks!

Not much going on here at home. Just kids going crazy around me. Boys doing homework and eating us out of the house, and always envying what the pregnant lady gets to eat. Still feeling good, although nauseous of the smell of rice and dalh, the one thing that everyone eats at every meal. Oh praise, we can get eggs in town now! yippee! So I have been eating lots of egg sandwiches while everyone else eats the dreaded dalh and rice. I think we can actually get chicken in town too, although we have yet to get some.

What's For Dinner?

This seems like the eternal question around this house, and my biggest dilemma in life. It is not only that I can't figure out what to make for dinner, it is that we most times don't have a whole lot in the house to work with. I know this is nobody's fault but my own...but is still something that I daily struggle with. Not only is it dinner that I struggle with, but breakfast and lunch as well. And now that I am pregnant and smells are constantly turning me off to different foods, the challenge has gotten greater. Oh and not to mention the fact that there are no eggs or chicken right now due to bird flu. Ugh....
The boys in the house are used to eating left overs in the mornings from the night before and are not used to our normal American breakfasts. Most days they would rather not eat anything, then to eat an American breakfast. Although Pema does like my pancakes. This morning though there was rice and meat from the night before, so Mike heated that all up and they had breakfast together and I waited until they were all about done eating so that I could have a bowl of Wheat Flakes (exciting I know, but there aren't too many options here as far as cereal goes) Anyway, I waited because I knew if I busted them out before they ate rice that they would want the cereal as well. Sure enough, they still wanted some cereal after finishing their rice.
These days it seems that whatever I am eating is the envied food of the house, which makes it really hard for me to enjoy my meal. I often feel guilty, even though I know that I need to be eating right. I looked up guilt in the dictionary and the definition is this: "The state of having done a wrong or committing an offense." I guess I need to take Mike's advice, that "they are boys and are always hungry and wanting to eat anything and everything, no matter what I may be eating. So just enjoy your food. You are eating for two!"
Ugh...so now I still need to figure out what to do for dinner.

Ok, on a brighter note.....
I realized that often I am always pointing out the negative of what is going on here, so I want to make a list of the things that I love about living here:
1. Relationships are very important here and you can drop by someone's house and have tea or a meal together.
2. I love that the people are very hospitable and will always invite you in and give you something to drink
3. I love the sense of community and that people look out after each other. (even though that took some getting used to)
4. I love that they share what they have.
5. I love the scenery around us. We are surrounded by beautiful mountains and some rivers.
6. I love that I can by all of my vegetables in the market for about $2. (That would include about 4 lbs. of potatoes, 2 lbs of tomatoes, 2 lbs of carrots, cucumbers, ginger, garlic, 2 lbs of onions, cauliflower, chilies, and green beans)
7. I love that we were able to buy Granny Smith apples here the other day.
8. I love mango season
9. I love that the people here love kids. (even though they can get a little overwhelming at times, but they love them none the less)
10. I love the importance of family here, and how they care for each other.

As much as it is hard to live here some days. I think that when we leave here, we will look back and miss it. I know we will definitely miss the relationships that have formed.

Judah saying Thank You

Judah doesn't say too many things yet. His first word was "umbo", which is what they say here when someone falls, or you drop something. I guess maybe we would say "uh oh" or "oops". But his second thing to say was "ta ta", which is what they say here instead of good-bye. And then he started saying "Thank you" It is so cute!

Market Day

Well today is market day, which means that we spend the first half of the day in town. (yippee, I get to get out) and then the rest of the day is spend putting everything away and cutting meat and so on and so on. So, I have the cutest video to post of Judah saying "Thank you", but first I have to get off the computer and get back to getting the kitchen in order. I have decided to try and make bagels, so I think my dough is about done rising. So, I will be back.....

The Mundane...

You know how you always read stories of someone's life and it sounds so exciting, or I imagine reading our newsletter sometimes makes it sounds like things are so exciting here. Well, sometimes it is exciting, but in between those highlights are the normal day to day happenings. The times when I am SO challenged to be content where I am and not freak out somedays. Cleaning house, planning meals, being stuck within these four walls sometimes is enough to make me want to pull my hair out. It is really hard to describe what life is like here, because life at home is SO completely different. Here there are sometimes days that go by that I don't even step foot outside of the house. Ugh...no mailbox even to walk to...just stuck inside these four walls. The freedom of just being able to jump in the car and go to the grocery store is a luxury that I sometimes long for. (sounds silly, I know) And not just one grocery store to choose from, there are multiple ones. Oh....America! Sometimes when I long for the comforts of home too, I am reminded that as a believer in Jesus, I should have the same kind of longing, or even more so for our eternal home. I cant even imagine how wonderful it is going to be. And sometimes I am so caught up in what is going on now and here, that I forget that this is not it. We are going to spend eternity with our amazing Creator!!! Oh Lord help me to get my eyes off myself and on what is important!

Packages anyone?????

Ok, this is a completely selfish request from a hungry pregnant woman. Anyone who is interested in helping out, I would love for life! :-)(Hey, it never hurts to ask, right?) Anything from home is cherished, beef jerky, peanut butter, instant oatmeal, granola bars, candy, gummy fruits, tuna, crackers, chips....anything. If anyone can figure out how to send a deli sandwich, that would be awesome!!!
Anyway, if you are interested, our mailing address is:
C/o Dr. Z. Bhutia
11th Mile
Kalimpong, West Bengal
India 734301
(Just be sure to be vague on the package, and tape it really really good!)

Also, my parents are coming to visit in the beginning of May, so if you would rather send something with them, you can contact me and I will get their address to you. Thanks!

The Children's Park

Last Saturday we decided to get everyone out of the house, so we wouldn't go crazy and to go Kalimpong's "Children's Park". A drive that should normally take us about 15 minutes ended up taking 2 hours, due to some demonstrations that were going on in town, because of the political parties in town. That is another story in itself, but after a long time of sitting in the car we made it. Mike was thinking that it would be more for our two little ones, but the older ones were much more excited about it. We had a good time, other then all the other little kids just flocking to watch Caleb and Judah, and Judah trying to eat all the dirt. It was great to get out of the house!

A Word from a Friend

Dan, one of the guys on our team,(the one in the picture with his back to us) is an avid journalist (I dont know if that is the right word) But anyway, he is always writing in his journal and keeping track of what is going on. This is a recent journal entry that he sent to me of our time in Pasakha....I thought I would share it.

Also here is a short journal tribute to Heather.


31Mar08

3:43 pm

Another person worth commending is Heather Crane. It seems that often she is in the mode of saying that she is not going to go to Buxa but then usually ends up feeling convicted that she should go. If I recall correctly from one of her comments, she saw as one of her main purposes in this trip being to minister hospitality to the team by fixing Western style breakfasts in the morning. Indeed the line up was really good. In addition to her world class tea mornings and afternoons, she served up an incredible morning lineup. Eggs and potatoes the first day, pancakes the next, and then oatmeal and this fabulous home-cooked granola on the morning we left. She also brought along pistachios and dried fruits such as apricots and dates. Moreover, she had baked cinnamon rolls which was a real treat the morning we were in Raja Bhat Khawa, more than enough for each of us to have one. While it is easy to commend the good qualities in the short-term team, I find that it is all too easy to take for granted the strengths of my teammates here on the ground, and to take their acts of washing the feet of the saints for granted. So I don’t want to take lightly the love and care with which Heather ministered to us.


Thank you Dan for your encouragement, and believe me, the cooking was as much for me as it was for everyone else. It made a huge difference to be able to eat a western breakfast, instead of a huge plate of rice and ema datsi (chilies and cheese). I was blessed to be able to cook this time, because it is the first time they have let me.

The Old man in our house

I forgot to mention the fact that after our time in the village, we brought home one of the older patients with us, so that we could take him to a doctor where he could get some tests done. He had some sort of heart condition that we were not able to treat or do anything for, so he needed further assistance. So, Age Napala (pronounced Uh-gay, meaning grandfather) came and spent a week with us here. He was like a fish out of water and you could tell he didnt know what to do with himself. One of his first questions to the boys was, "Where do we go pooh, outside or in the bathroom?" Most of the houses in the village have bathrooms in them now, but I am not sure if his did. I have never been to his actual house. But anyway, we had a good week and he was definitely able to feel the love of Christ by our care for him. He also got to watch the Jesus film in two different versions in his own language, so he can never say, "he never heard the truth" He is also one of the stricter Buddhist men in the village, so we pray that God softens his heart and he comes to the truth.

Drive to the Village

The drive to the village usually takes us about 4 1/2 hours or so. But most of the way there is beautiful scenery like this. I always love to see the tea plantations scattered with the women in their bright colored saris. This is not the best picture of this, but I tried....
The other things that we see along the way are villages scattered all along, usually either working out in their fields, or herding goats or cows. This time we drove a different route and we saw tons and tons of potatoes. I have never seen so many potatoes in my life.

The Village

Our trip to the village went really really well. It is amazing how different things are now from the first time that we went there. The first time we ever went I was four months pregnant with Caleb and we had no idea what to expect. We packed our bags so heavy, that I really thought I may die on the hike up to the village. You know how you hear the term "the ends of the earth" Pasakha really felt at that time like the ends of the earth, and I felt SO far away from everything familiar. It was a really difficult time.
Much has changed since that first time. We had a team of 12 of us that went this time. So we were definitely not alone. Four students from a health care team here in Kalimpong, Me, Mike and the kids, Dan, Anup and four men that came from Houston. Ilyias("the good Dr."), Ronnie, David, and Chet. They were an incredible blessing to us and the village and a lot of fun to be around. Thank you so much guys for making the long trip all the way here to bless the people of Pasakha. Your kindness will not be forgotten. Also, thanks to your families for letting your loved ones come. We were blessed! (If you want to see more pics, you can go to Ilyas' website which is: www.mungpoobeef.com

Here is the building in the village that we set up the medical clinic.

Caleb and his new friends, Ilyas and Ronnie, who gave him granola bars. He found friends for life.

Judah knocked out after a long day. Notice the beautiful scenery behind them. This particular village, called Aduma, is very beautiful. It is about a 2 hour hike from Pasakha and a rough hike at that.

Caleb entertaining any and all onlookers. Everywhere we go they can easily draw a crowd.

On the way to Aduma, we stopped and put our feet in the stream.

Judah and some of the women in another village. They love to try and whisk them off. Luckily they didn't get too far this time.

Where to Start?

Wow, after a week in the village, then we come home and our phone is not working for a week....so it has been awhile since I have been able to get online. So, where do I start....how do I get everyone updated. I thought the first thing that I should share is our newest news.
I am pregnant!!!
I found out a couple of days before we left for the village, but it has only recently started sinking in. I had a few ideas that it may be the case when I woke up one morning and thought that maybe I was starting to go crazy, and every smell in the house was 10 times magnified. That day I decided I needed a break, so I had Mike watch the kids and I headed out of the house to a nearby hotel that I go to sometimes to get a break and drink tea and just read a book. They have a nice garden and you can just sit on the front porch and escape from the world. I reminded myself of the character from the recent movie "Juno", only because of the fact that on my walk to the hotel I picked up a pregnancy test a local pharmacy and some juice, and then took the test when I got to the hotel. But, the test came up negative, so I thought....."maybe it's just pms then..." I guess it was just too early to detect. So two tests later, it is confirmed that we will have another Crane in the family. Right now I am only 2 months along, and if my calculations are correct my due date is somewhere around November 12th. Maybe I will be a few days late and have the baby on my sister's birthday, November 14th.
So, still a long ways off....but I thought that should be the first thing to share. I will be back with more to share from our trip to the village and lots of great pics. We had a great time!