Chris and Kris in India 25

Hi all sorry we are late but life got in the way!


The old chestnut (or in this case the grape)

Ok here we go did Jesus drink alcohol

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes or other fruits. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, water, or other nutrients. Yeast consumes the sugars in the grapes and converts them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts produce different styles of wine.

Wine has a rich history dating back thousands of years, with the earliest production so far discovered having occurred c. 6000 BC in Georgia. It had reached the Balkans by c. 4500 BC and was consumed and celebrated in ancient Greece and Rome.

From its earliest appearance in written records, wine has also played an important role in religion. Red wine was closely associated with blood by the ancient Egyptians, who, according to Plutarch, avoided its free consumption as late as the 7th-century BC Saite dynasty, "thinking it to be the blood of those who had once battled against the gods".The Greek cult and mysteries of Dionysus, carried on by the Romans in their Bacchanalia, were the origins of western theatre. Judaism incorporates it in the Kiddush and Christianity in its Eucharist, while alcohol consumption is forbidden in Islam.

Well if he made wine then I think its fair to say he drank it.

John 2 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Wedding at Cana

1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her,“Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Many Christians can quote passage after passage where the evil of alcohol is mentioned, and usually just as you raise a cool lager on a sunny evening!

I have been told it was non alcoholic wine............."The miracle of the grape juice" somehow just doesn't work for me. If you go through the bible their are many cases where God condemns alcohol (Moses so drunk he stripped off).

So is it meant to be literal? A true story or are we to interpret another meaning from it?

Well to be honest I really don't know, someone once said to me that wine then was less alcoholic ..................so?

JOSHUA TILGHMAN

So why did Jesus change water into wine? This story is not so much about the literal transformation of water into wine as it is about a transformation meant to happen within the individual. Wine symbolizes the wisdom and intuition that comes from the divine mind. Water symbolizes the inferior mental-emotional ego. Even as Jesus’ life will exemplify this process, so is everyone else’s who chooses to walk the spiritual path.

Chuck Northrop
Also, consider the logical consequence of those who want to use this passage to justify the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Their argument goes something like this: "Since Jesus produced alcoholic wine, then it is morally right for a person to drink it." However, notice that their logic takes them further than most of them want to go. Since Jesus produced alcoholic wine (as they claim), then not only would it be morally right to drink it, it would be morally right to produce it, sell it, distribute it, and make a living from it.* But since that would most certainly cause someone to stumble, then it must be morally right to cause someone to stumble. However, the logical consequence of their argument would oppose the Lord's teaching (Luke 17:1-2).And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.

*Does the writer here claim that if you work in a brewery/pub/Restaurant you are in sin? Is the wine waiter hell bound? If so then what about the gun industry, cigarette manufacturers or capitalism as a whole? No I cant agree.

I still don't know, is drunkenness sinful YES because this leads as a pathway to so many other sins. Drunk is a state where your normal inhibitions and common sense go for a walk, 'killed by a drunk driver' how often does this still happen, threw up in the car......erk. The list goes on forever. So if you have to get drunk      if you drink alcohol then I shouldn't do it if I were you. 

Yes my body is a temple, what I put in it matters but so does the quantity, food is not sinful so is obesity?

However we have free will, a nice bottle of wine with a meal is a very different thing to vomiting up the nights binge drinking in the street.

So, do I know now, is it a sin or not.?  A wise man once said 'All things in moderation' I tend towards that view, but You have your own view, I invite you to consider it, then consider the opposing view, why should I be the only one who is confused about this! 

God Bless You,

I'm off for a pint!

MONSOON 

Yesterday I was stood out in the fresh cooling rain, 85degF 80% humidity, then it rained, lovely. It is such a joy after the Summer heat 110degF 5% humidity, this is after all a desert state. I honestly believe unless you live through summer you just don't get the same joy from the rain. This is without doubt a state of extremes. Got told a joke: It took God seven days to make the world and all in it, it took man the next 2000 years to air condition it. Rajasthan joke!

The number of Indians we have seen in various states of undress dancing in the rain. Rain party! Roads 18" deep in ten minutes running like a river, Kris just doesn't care, secretly I think she likes showing off passing all the stuck cars on her scooter. She has ridden through water that most avoid, Kris ...YEHAW.


BOON, FLASH, WALLOP!

This is our power supply just after it exploded in the rain, its hard to see but that cable is on fire

Still burning!

My Heroes.............live 3 phase (415v) getting dark in the rain! (This taken at F2)

Now ok, (I swapped the burnt out one for the spare) so we are on two phase temporarily because they couldn't fix it tomorrow, ......its a festival. I love India

GARDEN

We have a few things growing but in the monsoon its just too wet most of the time to get on it, however when we first came here we planted cherries (Black) as usual 'cant grow them in Rajasthan.............' so we planted them where they would get loads of sun but also plenty of water and guess what, yep we have cherries for the first time!

Lost some of our roses to the heat, ho hum. On the plus side we have had loads of melons from the roof garden! The freezer is still stuffed with veggies from last spring, got to eat more to make room! We have just started planting. We have sown guourds (bit like marrow but they climb) Cucumber, lady fingers, aubergine (local name 'Brinjl) we start next week sowing quite a list.............its that time of year, winter is coming......................that still feels so weird, sowing just before winter!

Comments from Kris

Well as Chris has already mentioned the Monsoon is definitely here Yahoooooo.

It has been an amazing experience, this is our second Monsoon we have experienced. The first time I was caught unawares was last year. I was out riding on my scooter doing shopping it was warm and sunny when I left home, so I was just in Jeans and T shirt no coat as it was too hot to wear one. I suddenly found like hundreds of Indians that the Monsoon had decided to come and the heavens opened with a fierce downpour that soaked me to the skin in seconds. But unlike the UK it was not cold rain, many people closed up there stalls of produce and goods and found shelter. The water was so deep it was like a raging river and reasonably deep, I just smiled and carried on riding home. I was stopped at the traffic lights by a kindly rickshaw driver who advised me to park my bike and get into the rickshaw as many others were doing. I just thanked him and said I was ok. When I got home Chris had me a lovely dry towel and dry clothes to change into and he had made me a drink to warm me up, funny thing is I only got cold when I got out of my wet things.

Well yesterday beat that experience hands down, I knew it was likely to rain but had to go to work then do some shopping so I was wearing my biker jacket. It’s a Cramster proper bike jacket with protective armour at elbows, back and shoulders, I still get admiring looks and comments about it. I love it.

Well just as I was leaving work it started to rain and looking at the dark sky I knew it was going to be a heavy downpour. Within minutes the roads were flooding and within 10 minutes the road had disappeared and a river had opened up in front of me. So many cars just didn't know how to cope some ploughed fast through the water spraying water everywhere and the result was they ended up getting water into their engines and exhaust and the cars one by one spluttered to a stop. Those that realised tried to steer their cars to the side of the road but most just abandoned them where they were, causing more traffic problems but this is India and I was not surprised. I took Chris’s advice went slowly but kept moving and tried to ride where it was shallowest, and yes I got through with water up to my knee at one point, but what an achievement. Yes it was a little scary but mainly fun.

During this downpour I went to get some mutton liver from the local market in the city where I am well known, I tried ringing Chris from my mobile but could not get a signal due to the monsoon rain. One of the lovely gentlemen who work in the shop put his umbrella up for me to stand under so I could go outside to get a better signal, that was so thoughtful. He even turned my crash helmet so it got less wet, and was just offering me the use of his phone which had a signal when I got through to Chris. I remain so blown away by the thoughtfulness and kindness of the ordinary Indian you meet in your daily life.  

I do use the Indian method of wrapping my phone, wallet and other valuables in plastic bags during the monsoon period and on the whole it works, alas my phone still got wet and I am trying to dry it out still. Chris suggested immersing it in rice grains, it worked for a friends phone so I am hoping it works with mine. The logic is sound as rice will absorb the moisture out of the phone if I give it time.. Hee Heee  Latest news on phone after being in rice grains (dry ones) for 3 days it finally worked

I did have my camera on me but alas there was nowhere covered I could go to take photos of these streams where once there were Indian roads.

Another act of kindness by another Indian when I got lost trying to get to work, the normal road I use is closed due to road building and I had to take a back route through the Muslim district. I had stopped to ask several ladies using a little Hindi and a lot of sign language, when a young man noticed and told me I was going in the wrong direction but if I followed him on his bike he would lead me out of the maze of back streets. Once back onto a road I recognised I thanked him profusely and headed to work.  I do not understand why so many people fear going into the Muslim areas, I have found nothing but kindness and friendliness. I feel I have become acquainted with most of the city but some of the names still elude me. But my knowledge of shortcuts to beat traffic congestion grows every day.

Things that still drive me crazy or amaze me

I went today to pay the electric bill, yesterday the office was closed because of the Muslim Festival of ID so I expected it to be busy.

It was heaving with people there must have been nearly a hundred people queuing up at 2 counters I lost count at 80 people as I stood in the queue. A kind man explained that women queue separately along side the men, meaning there were 4 queues to 2 counters. I made my way to the correct line and waited.

The system works like this they serve 2 men then 1 woman and this is repeated. It may seem unfair but as the queue of men was significantly longer it worked.

As I was riding home along a dual carriage type road I was approached head on by 2 motorbikes and a large 4 wheel drive car coming the wrong way down the road. They just moved to the side and I went between the bikes and the 4 wheel drive car and the traffic behind me just followed. When I first came to India I would have been very nervous and anxious at this but now I see it as a fairly regular occurrence having traffic going down the wrong side of the road.  I seem to be adjusting to the driving side of things reasonably well. I have been learning to ride slowly to give me more control. Chris has helped a lot with this encouraging me to practice.

Here in Udaipur we see lots of animals just roaming around so I thought I would include a photo of a pig that is just looking for something to eat. I thought it was quite cute but would not like to get too close in case it was not friendly.

Shopping here is interesting there are 3 main supermarkets about size small tesco/asda and several smaller supermarkets, but on the whole they are family shops, or stalls where you buy things. 

Purchasing items means you go to a particular area of town ie if you want books there is a book area, same for shoes, clothing, electrical, tools etc. On one hand it makes it easier but you do get the odd different shop in between. However nearer to home the shops are mixed and it is just known locally as the market mainly shops like small rooms and then at the side of the road you get the vegetable and fruit sellers who sell from stalls or barrows. 

There are lots of English Wine shops but most of them don’t sell wine just beer and spirits. In fact I have never found one that sells wine although I know there are some out there.

I have also included a couple of pictures of local shops and things that are typical in and around the city.

I will take more photos of local street life and post them in future blogs. In one of the photos you can see the local tut tut or rickshaw as they are known locally. It is a fairly cheap way to get around the city, but a local taxi firm has started to undercut their prices so we will see how that works out, they use Tata Nano’s which are small and ideal for getting in and out of the narrow streets. Chris and I have used them several times, they are comfortable but they are still very few in number so you can’t always guarantee to get a booking. Chris by the way has just finished writing a brief 100 page report for Pragati Marg Foundation on “Water Consumption and Conservation in Udaipur District” Glad it wasn’t me he has been on it weeks reading and researching. He even went to the local agricultural college for as he put it “a chat”. He just told me I get to proof read it! Thanks!!!

Panawar Visit Update

After our first holiday here to India we had visited an Orphanage (don’t remember the name).  that we decided would benefit from support.

However God had other ideas and when Finny explained the Orphanage was funded by a church in Seattle, US, he suggested we support Panawar that had no funding at that time. The rest is history, a history that began praying with Andrew W for guidance for our future. Within a week of returning from India we both knew from God (separately, thus confirming to us both it truly was of God) that we were going to sell everything, move to India to do God’s work and that he would provide the support we would need, He has never let us down.

This week we went to Panawar, to see the new building and it just blew my brain away at such an amazing improvement from our initial visit a couple of years ago when we came to live here.  

Firstly as you walk into the dormitory there is light, space and windows. There is no longer a tin roof which made it baking hot inside and there was no foul smell, I asked the boys if I could enter and they grinned and proudly showed me their new bedroom/living space. It really makes me want to thank everyone who so generously gave towards this project to change these boys’ lives. They now have a separate new dining room and kitchen and they have built new toilet blocks and are in the process of making a garden, a kitchen garden is to follow. I understand that they still need to pay more towards the cost of these new buildings and they pray that God will continue to provide for them.

It was an honour to be invited and Chris blessed and prayed for the inauguration of the new kitchen and dining room thanking all those before us and after us who have helped to make this possible.

Before and after, so many many of you made this happen money came from all directions, I Connect helped a massive amount but in the end it was built by mountains of love.

We took an Orange tree we had grown for them to plant so that in years to come they will be able to eat fruit from it. We dedicated it to all those people who from the very beginning of Panawar Hostel have given of their time, energy or money and to all those who will help this remarkable place in the future. We prayed that when the boys are young men they will remember the help they got here every time they see or eat an orange.

It was nice to see the boys playing, we take things so much for granted and they have so little. After lunch they were allowed to play with the footballs we had brought them. I had not realised they still had their plastic wrapper on until they stopped playing and I watched as they tried to figure out how to take the ball out of its plastic wrapping, they did not know what to do, probably because they are not used to being given new things wrapped in plastic. As soon as I realised what was happening I took the wrapping off, they grinned and they continued to play. 

It was a very long and tiring day the humidity and temperature just seemed to get worse the further we travelled into the low country, but well worth the visit. Both Chris and I were absolutely exhausted its about 350kms journey by car and we were out of the house over 10 hours. Following day still recovering from the journey. 

We just can’t get over the fact that this fantastic adventure we are having in India that began it seems so long ago when we took our first vows together in St Mary’s Church, Lindisfarne (Holy Island). Later confirmed by the law of man by our wedding at Emmanual Church.  

The adventure continues!

Until next month God Bless you all

Chris and Kris