For What it's Worth: A story in photos

I haven't updated my blog for a week and a half, since I've been busy and
since I took a trip outside of Aizawl. So I decided that instead of boring
you with too many words, I will tell my tale with pictures. Last Sunday,
the staff presented a song and Jenny and I joined them. :) Mom is
standing next to me (the principal of AICS).

On Monday, I preached the chapel message. The theme for the week was
"Resources for Spiritual Growth," so I spoke on humility being the first "aid"
for spiritual growth. We must first recognize our inability to grow without God.

On Wednesday, we hit the road! Dad had some meetings at the baptist
headquarters in Lunglei, which is a district south of Aizawl. I would
recommend google mapping Mizoram in another tab to follow along.
The road pretty much looked like this the entire way. Lots of twists and
turns (miraculously I only got slightly carsick haha), and lots of greenery.

Since Mizoram is so hilly and since it's monsoon season,
it came as no surprise that there were waterfalls everywhere
along the road. They were all so beautiful! I kept thinking
to myself, "Now I know where they get those pictures
for computer wallpapers." haha.

This is Vantawng (meaning "almost touching the heavens"). It is the largest
waterfall in Mizoram. It was a hot day, so I was a little disappointed that
we were too far away to feel the mist, but it was still well worth the slight
detour to see this beautiful waterfall.

On Thursday morning, I went to Hatim College, a baptist college in
Lunglei, where I spoke at their morning devotions. They showed me
around the school, and I was impressed at how nice everything was.
It makes sense, though, since the school is only a few years old.

Later on Thursday, Jenny and I went to the baptist orphanage. Most of
these children are motherless. In Mizo culture, many families feel unable
to take care of a young child when the mother is gone. Most of the families
of these children will take them home again once they are older.
Jenny suggested that we give them candy, so I bought some lollipops
for them. I tried to get them to say "please" first, but they were too excited. lol.

Don't tell anyone that I gave her some haha. ;) She loved it, of course.
Don't worry, I didn't let her eat the whole thing. My mom and sister
are probably wondering where the shirt I'm wearing came from. While
in Lunglei, I had the opportunity to meet Jenny's family (there's a picture
with them later on). Jenny's mom made that shirt and gave it to me.
That is one of the best memories of my trip so far. What a special
gift, something I will treasure forever. :)

After going to the orphanage, Jenny and I went to the baptist hospital.
I just had to take a picture with the nurses because they were too
adorable in their outfits. :)

These to men are highly revered in Mizoram. They were the first
baptist missionaries. They settled on the hill at Lunglei, where the
baptist headquarters are now located. I have so much respect for
these men. I've had a hard enough time being here in the 21st century.
I can't begin to imagine what troubles they had coming in the late 1800s
and early 1900s. Tribal, head-hunting Mizos and a few missionaries,
trying to follow God's call literally to the ends of the earth.
And look how fruitful their ministry became. :)

A roadside snack of fire-roasted corn. YUM!

If you're wondering what the rest stops looked like... haha

The trip to Lunglei was about seven hours, which we did on Wednesday.
On Wednesday night, we stayed at the Baptist Guest house. On Thursday
afternoon, we traveled three hours further south to Lawngtlai, where Dad's
sister lives. This is Chhimtuipui, the longest river in Mizoram. It begins
and ends in Burma, but flows through a lot of the state. Right now
I am standing in between the Lawngtlai and the Saiha district.

We went to the other side of the river for tea. Jenny pointed at that the
people aren't Mizo. Many non-Mizos live in Mizoram, such as the Bru
tribe and the Chakma tribe. The people in this district have noticeably
broader chins and speak a different dialect.

This is a tribal dish. The vegetable is called baibing. It has a very
unique and powerful flavor. I wouldn't eat it every day, but it
wasn't disgusting. I'm glad that I tried it. :)

This is Dad (on the far left) and his family. His sister, whose house
we stayed at, is standing in between me and the girl with the dog.

There were a ton of baby chicks at Jenny's house! On the way back to
Aizawl on Saturday, we stopped at Jenny's house again in Lunglei
for breakfast. I couldn't help myself, but I'm made sure not to tell
them that they would be eaten once they got older haha.

Jenny's parents on standing on either side of me. The girl on the far
right is one of Jenny's sisters.

Landslides are part of Mizo life, particularly in monsoon season.
Fortunately for us, this one was being cleared away right as we pulled up.

And this one is covering about half of the road. We drove for ten hours on
Saturday, all the way from Lawngtlai to Aizawl. I was exhausted by the end,
but I'm back and would probably say that this mini trip was the
highlight of my time here, especially meeting Jenny's parents and
other family members (such as her great uncle who was so happy to see me).