Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 23, 2013

Texas Is Turning Blue

Preparing for the 2013 Texas Water Safari

I love Spring in Texas — that wonderful time of the year when the state begins to yawn and stretch and to wake up after its Winter slumber. Yesterday, Doyle and I loaded our canoe and gear and headed to Luling to do another training run in preparation for the 2013 Texas Water Safari. Training runs mean having two vehicles on the road because we have to leave one vehicle at our take out spot along the river. I personally enjoy having this windshield time on the way to the river.

Bluebonnets
What I love most about Texas highways in early Spring are the wildflowers. Texas is turning blue as the beautiful Texas bluebonnets are just starting to make their appearance, often accented by red Indian Paintbrushes. More than once on the way to Luling, I saw folks stopped along the side of the road, taking photos of the blue and red splashes of color spilled on green canvases. After a while I could not help myself, I had to stop and take a few pictures.

San Marcos River
Spring has also returned to reclaim the trees and foliage along the San Marcos River. After doing several training runs in the Winter, it was refreshing to see color return to the trees along the river. In the coming months the river will be nestled beneath lush canopies of green. The cardinals, one of my favorite birds, were also out in number yesterday. And, as on previous runs, we saw so much wildlife as we paddled our way from Luling to Palmetto State Park.

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The Texas Water Safari is indeed the world’s toughest canoe race. It requires lots of training. No question about it! In exactly 2 months and 16 days, Doyle and I will put our paddles in the water at the start of the race and will continue to do so until the finish line, an estimated quarter of a million paddle strokes from the starting line. As tough as the race is and as hot as it will be in June, paddlers get to see a lot of our beautiful state as they navigate the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers.

Pecan Billboard
Doyle and I had a good training run yesterday. We are paddling more consistently and at a faster pace. We are going to try to squeeze in as many training runs as we can on our days off to make sure we are ready for the challenge of paddling for four days and nights in June. That will mean a lot more time on Texas highways on the way to the river. But, that’s ok. When the bluebonnets are no more, we always have Texas billboards to entertain and to educate along the way.

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PS | If you are on Facebook, my daughter and our TWS Team Captain, Niki, has set up a page for us at Facebook/LoneStarPastors. We invite you to follow our adventure.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 21, 2013

The Greenest Grass

Spring is officially here and I couldn’t be happier. I love this time of the year when Winter’s drab colors begin to disappear beneath the brushstrokes of Spring’s colorful palette. I also enjoy this season because my neighbors and I emerge from hibernation to nurture our respective lawns back to health. That means getting our lawnmowers and garden tools in order, purchasing mulch and fertilizer, and making a trip to the garden center to add some color to the flower beds.

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I do take a measure of pride in resuscitating my lawn in the Spring by taking practical steps to get my grass as green as possible. Doing so means choosing the right fertilizer and iron supplements, watering on a schedule, and keeping a close eye on my lawn for any signs of disease or insects. Every Spring I am as diligent about checking on the health of my lawn as the parent of a newborn is about fussing over the health and welfare of their child.

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I must confess that I also take notice of how lush and green my neighbors’ lawns are. Some of my neighbors do a better job than others of keeping up with their lawns. I am especially motivated by those that have the greenest grass. I want to know the why and how and what of it all and often will walk across the street to engage them in conversation. But, there is one thing I have never done when I have felt that the grass was a little greener on the other side — I have never moved to the other side.

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The reality is that the grass is seldom that much greener on the other side. And, if it is, it is only because someone has taken the time to do the things that make grass greener. I determined a long time ago that I can either long after greener pastures or become a better gardener. I am convinced that no matter what side of the street we live on, we can all make our own grass greener by tending, watering, fertilizing, and caring for our own lawns. It’s really a simple equation: the grass is greenest where it is watered.

Whether we are talking about our lawns, our jobs, or our marriages, the grass will not be that much greener anywhere else. One reason the grass does appear to look greener to us at times is because we tend to value what we want more than what we have. As for me, I prefer to water my own grass and to make the place where I live, the job that I have, and my marriage the greenest and healthiest thing around. If I will be faithful to do that, then I will always live on the greenest side of the fence.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 20, 2013

Wordless Wednesday

Old man reading the newspaper in Sovabazar. | 16 March 13 | Kolkata, India

Reading the morning newspaper in Sovabazar. | 16 March 13 | Kolkata, India

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 18, 2013

The Ugly Traveler

I love travel and everything about it — including the goofy, annoying, and frustrating things that inevitably happen along the way. These are all part of the adventure of travel. After almost 80 trips around the world, hundreds of flights, and too many hours to count spent in airports all over the world, I have learned a lot about the ugly traveler.

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The ugly traveler is generally easy to spot and can hail from any country on the planet. Those who travel frequently have likely met the ugly traveler or one of his kinfolk. One thing is certain — all of the members of this family of travelers share some common and unmistakable characteristics. It’s easy to let them get under your skin and diminish your travel experience. I prefer to not let that happen.

So, what do I do when I encounter the ugly traveler? Rather than try to inform or reform them, which generally will do little good, I try to find a little humor in the encounter. What follows are not the things I have actually said to the ugly traveler, but instead some of the things I have thought to myself. I offer them here in the spirit of good humor.

On Queues
Of course I don’t mind that you cut in line in front of me and the forty-seven other people behind me who have been patiently waiting their turn for the past hour. You obviously discerned that we are all proletarians by the dirt under our fingernails. But now that I see you are holding a special boarding pass issued by the Queen of Sheba herself, how fortunate I am that you cut in line in front of me. This day is shaping up to be so much better than I expected. May I polish your shoes while we wait in line?

On Wealth
Oh, don’t be silly. Of course I don’t mind that you charged me more than twice as much as everybody else. You must have noticed that I am an American. And in spite of what you may have heard, (whisper) we really do grow money on trees. In fact, I have two of them in my backyard. I planted them near my bottomless well. So, please don’t give it another thought. I’ll just reach into my extra suitcase, the one I carry my excess money in, and pay whatever you ask.

On Cell Phones
Of course I don’t mind that you think a cell phone is a megaphone. I actually enjoyed listening in on your conversation. So did the other 148 people seated near us while waiting to board our flight. I only wish you had spoken just a little bit louder so the other 118 passengers seated farther away could have listened in as well. I think it’s amazing that you single-handedly pulled your company out of the financial toilet while dealing with your family crisis. How much time did you say the judge gave your brother for attempted murder? Oh, and by the way, what is the name of your interesting ringtone?

On Overhead Bins
Of course I don’t mind that you grabbed my bag and carelessly tossed it in the bin three rows behind my seat. After all, I have just one little 7kg bag and you need a convenient place closer to your seat for your 20kg bag and those three bulging Duty Free bags filled with stuff that you are taking home to give to 47 of your closest relatives. And please don’t worry if you damaged the electronic equipment in my bag. When I get home I will just pick a few leaves from my money tree to replace anything that you might have damaged.

On Airline Toilets
Of course I don’t mind that you walked right up and in to the toilet I have been waiting to use for the past ten minutes. Please don’t give it another thought. Noooo … I was not hopping up and down on one leg because I needed to use the toilet. I am rehearsing for my upcoming River Dance audition and have to take advantage of every minute to practice. Besides that, I have a bigger bladder than you. I don’t mean to brag but I used some of my excess money last month to have bladder enhancement surgery. So, you go ahead. I can wait until the day after tomorrow to go tee-tee.

On Seat Mates
Of course I don’t mind you sitting that close to me. Honestly, I have never sat this close to a science experiment before. Tell me again how long it’s been since you bathed. Really? I would have guessed just a bit longer than that. Did the pilot announce that this flight is 15 or 16 hours long? Really? No, I really don’t mind if you take off your shoes. After all feet need to breathe too. As a matter of fact, I guess I will also have to take another breath sooner or later.

On Landing
Of course I agree with you. That rude flight attendant had no right to bark at you because you unbuckled your seat belt and got up before the plane had come to a complete stop. For crying out loud, she must be blind. The rest of us can see that you have amazingly good balance for someone your age. Besides that, doesn’t she realize that you need a head start to unpack all that stuff you wedged in to the overhead bin. Just take your time. I really don’t mind. After all, I have to wait until the 214 people behind me clear the aisles so that I can walk toward the back of the plane to find my little 7kg bag. You remember, the one that you kindly moved for me.

On Luggage Carousels
Oh, hello. It’s you again. Of course I’m ok. I don’t think you actually broke the bone in my leg when you carelessly rammed your luggage cart into me. And the bleeding should stop soon. I am blessed with blood that coagulates really fast. How many bags did you say you checked in? Wow, then it’s probably a good thing that I only checked one bag. Are you sure you can get those five big bundles plus the box with the flat screen TV on to one cart. If not, then I am more than happy to limp over and get you another cart on my way to the Nothing To Declare lane.

I am indebted to the ugly travelers I have met along my journeys for all that they have taught me about travel. I believe that we can always learn good lessons from bad examples. And, as a result, I am determined to do all that I can to keep from being adopted into this quirky family of travelers. Hope to see you on one of my trips. You will easily recognize me as the guy practicing his River Dance routine next to the toilet.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 16, 2013

Calcutta Walks

Kolkata, India

One of the best ways to really get to know people is by walking slowly among them. And, that’s also the best way to learn about the places where they live. I had a unique opportunity to do just that this morning on a Calcutta Walks Tour — something we will include as a part of this summer’s student trip to Kolkata. I wanted to meet the tour guide and to experience one of their many walks for myself. It was time and money well spent.

Our tour took us through quiet back streets away from Kolkata's main roads.

We walked the historic streets of Sovabazar, away from Kolkata’s bustling traffic.

My friends and I met Calcutta Walks founder Iftekhar “Ifte” Ahsan for a walking tour of Sovabazar, the hub of traditional Bengali culture in Kolkata. Within minutes of meeting him, Ifte guided us off the beaten path and down narrow lanes into a fascinating world shaped by a variety of cultures, each of which left their indelible marks on this area and its inhabitants. As Ifte unfolded the history of this historical part of the city, things about Kolkata and its rich culture came into sharper focus for me. I wish I had done this tour years ago.

Life moves at a slower pace in Sovabazar.

Life moves at a slower pace in Sovabazar.

In some ways, Sovabazar is slightly frozen in time. Life here moves at a different pace, perhaps a bit slower. And things here seem to be done with greater care than in the more hectic world beyond the quiet lanes watched over by the age-worn buildings built by the British and others who once laid claim to this region. I was especially reminded of this when we met an older man who carried his livelihood in a wooden box worn smooth by years of use. He was a maker of keys.

Making keys the old-fashioned way.

Making keys the old-fashioned way.

Because the old wooden doors on the buildings in Sovabazar have their own unique lock or locks that are opened by unusual keys, the old key maker’s services are still needed. He was a kind old man with a winsome smile as broad as his graying mustache. At least until the day the old doors are replaced by more modern ones that can be opened by mass-produced keys, the old man has job security in this little slice of geography known as Sovabazar.

Ifte, our Calcutta Walks guide, unlocks doors of understanding.

Ifte, our Calcutta Walks guide, unlocks doors of understanding.

In some ways, Ifte is also a key maker. His tours and talks are opening doors of understanding. He has found a way to make history interesting by teaching others the story of Kolkata on-site, using locations and lives as his object lessons. His talks are engaging. By looking back and connecting the dots, Ifte is unlocking doors that lead guests to Kolkata to make fascinating discoveries.

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Mark Twain once said that travel is fatal to prejudice. I totally agree. However, I would add that educated travel will keep prejudice from resurrecting itself. I am looking forward to introducing our students to Ifte this summer at the start of our time in Kolkata. I believe it will be worth taking a three-hour walk to give our students a better understanding of Kolkata. Afterwards we will go to College Street to engage with young college students interested in practicing their English. This will be a great way to start unlocking doors of understanding as we begin our time of ministry in Kolkata in the month of July.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 15, 2013

Welcome Back to Kolkata

Kolkata, India

Kolkata is a city with a discernible pulse — a chaotic beat that marks time as the teeming masses ebb and flow through the city’s crowded arteries. Somehow I always feel a bit more alive when I am in the stream of things in the City of Joy. Whether I am riding in a cab, sitting on a rickshaw, or simply walking down dirty sidewalks made uneven by the incessant beat of a billion peripatetic steps, I feel strangely at home here.

Kolkata is also the kind of place that reminds you that you have five senses. It’s not a quiet and sanitary place where you feel at ease. Kolkata is instead a place that will unapologetically assault both your senses and sensibilities. You cannot remain passive about life when you are in Kolkata. You have to engage and participate in the dance at some level. And the more you do, the more you appreciate the rhythm of the city.

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At Bhubaneswar’s new airport. Waiting for my flight to Kolkata.

After a long drive yesterday from the Khondhamal Hills to Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa, I arrived at the brand new airport only to find out that my flight would be delayed three hours. Rather than spending the next six hours at the airport, I purchased a cheap ticket on another airline and arrived in Kolkata more than an hour before my delayed flight would have departed. My old and dear friend Don picked me up at Kolkata’s brand new airport to take me to my guesthouse. “Welcome home to Kolkata,” said Don.

When we arrived at the guesthouse late at night, the guards brought me my key and said, “Welcome back. You will be staying in your favorite room.” Everyone on duty came out to say hello as though I had just come back from the dead. Then, I strolled to the hotel across the street for a late night bowl of sweet corn soup and an orange Fanta. I wasn’t too hungry but just needed an excuse to visit an old friend who waits tables at the restaurant.

Early this morning, Samir, the laundryman at the guesthouse, knocked on my door. When he saw me, he smiled and said, “Welcome back, sir. They told me you were coming and I have been waiting to see you.” We talked for about ten minutes. I wanted to know the latest on his family and how they are doing in their small village located hours from Kolkata. Samir works hard in this big city just to send a little money back to his wife and kids.

Then I ventured out to visit with the beggars who live on the street in front of the guesthouse. I know all of them and they know me. “Hello Uncle,” they cried, “welcome back to Kolkata.” One of the rickshaw wallas ran up and said, “Uncle, do you remember me?” Of course, I did. And it was good to see him again.

In Kolkata traffic en route to my speaking engagement this morning.

In Kolkata traffic en route to my speaking engagement this morning.

Later this morning I spoke to the field staff of a large justice ministry, one of the things I look forward to the most when I visit Kolkata. And, once again, they greeted me with “Welcome back. We have been looking forward to having you share with us again.” And then Don and I had lunch with another friend who directs an aftercare ministry for girls rescued from brothels. “Welcome back,” said Smita, “it’s good to see you again.”

This afternoon I strolled down AJC Bose Road to Mother Teresa’s first home for children, Shishu Bhavan, to greet the nuns. When I walked in, I was greeted by waves and smiles and “Welcome back. How long will you stay?” And then on my way back to the guesthouse I stopped by the Mother Teresa gift shop, the only place that sells cold Diet Coke along this street. The store-owner called out to me when he saw me approaching. “Welcome back, sir. It’s good to see you again.”

While there are many reasons I enjoy returning to Kolkata, the best reason of all is that I love the people here — the beggars, the waiters, the rickshaw wallas, the shop keepers, the wonderful folks at the guesthouse, and my friends who are champions for justice. Every time I return they make me feel welcome. And that is the best feeling on earth when you are far from home.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 13, 2013

Wordless Wednesday

India The Reader

The reader. | 13 March 13 | Khondhamal Hills | Orissa, India

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 12, 2013

The Problem With Boys

Orissa, India

When I heard the dreaded sound of my alarm at two-o’clock this morning, I knew that snoozing was not an option. I had to get up to begin the second leg of my journey from New Delhi to the state of Orissa. The easiest part of today’s trek was the 5:00 AM flight aboard a crowded Air India plane. The toughest part was the six-hour drive from Bhubaneswar into the Khondhamal Hills, a painfully slow journey I first made in 1998.

IMG_2492My two-hour flight passed quickly as the young Indian salesman seated next to me and I discussed the headline that everyone was taking about — the alleged suicide of one of the men facing trial for the brutal gang rape that led to the death of a 23-year-old medical intern this past December. That horrible incident stirred the collective outrage of the nation. So, the death of one of the five accused of the crime drew little sympathy for the man who would likely have received three death sentences.

My old and dear friend Sudhansu met me at the tiny domestic airport in Bhubaneswar. Sudhansu and I met and became life-long friends in 1998 when I visited Calvin Fox, an agriculturalist working in the Khondhamal Hills. Sudhansu’s father-in-law was one of the men responsible for the spread of Christianity among the Kui people at a time when wild elephants and tigers roamed these hills. He was a remarkable man whose legacy is still profoundly evident in villages nestled throughout these verdant hills.

Sudhansu is the Director of Bethany Home, the boarding home that we built to provide a safe haven and an education for boys from the poorest Christian families in the area. It’s been over a year since I last visited the boys. So, I have been looking forward to seeing them again and speaking with Sudhansu about the progress of our work here. When we finally arrived, the boys greeted us with garlands of flowers and cheers. And then Sudhansu and I slowly walked the campus and through the buildings to look at the progress of our work. I was more than encouraged by everything I saw.

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Our hope is to equip these boys to grow up to become strong leaders of their homes and the churches scattered throughout the Khondhamal Hills. There is little doubt we are headed in the right direction. With the final light of day slowly melting away, Sudhansu and I listened as the boys had their evening devotions, something that they do each and every night. I am always amazed and blessed when I hear these boys worshiping and studying the Scriptures together.

Bethany Home Panorama
Our boys are learning some important lessons at Bethany Home, including the fact that we are all created in the image of God and that life is to be valued and regarded with dignity. They are learning to be gentlemen who treat the opposite sex with respect and to not look at girls and women as objects to be treated with contempt.

As Sudhansu and I stood and listened to the boys this evening, I could not help but wonder how different things might have been for five other boys had they had this kind of training. Five boys who grew up to be men with a worldview that disregards the sanctity of human life. Five men who committed a crime against a young 23-year-old woman, a crime so terribly violent that it stirred the outrage of an entire nation.

India needs more than laws to fix the problem of how women are treated, it needs to train her boys to value women and regard them with dignity. The problem is not with women. The problem is with boys. It’s time to stop blaming women and to start bringing up boys the right way — teaching them by word and example to respect the opposite sex. If this does not happen soon, then India will increasingly continue to become one of the most dangerous places on the planet to be a girl. Our commitment at Bethany Home is to equip boys to love God and to love and treat all people with the respect and dignity they deserve.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 11, 2013

Serving Our Community

I am currently in India and just received our Caring for Katy video from our media team at Kingsland. I absolutely love Caring for Katy, the day that we close the doors to the church building on Sunday and go out into the community to be the church. Sunday, March 3, was our 6th Annual Caring for Katy day. And what a great day it was — for those we served and for all who served. Thanks, Kingsland, for Caring for Katy. Enjoy the video.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 11, 2013

Khush Khabri

New Delhi, India

Khush Khabri is the Hindi term for Good News — and it is also the name of Vinita Shaw’s radio broadcast in India. Every week, Vinita makes her way through Delhi’s traffic to a radio studio nestled in a corner office of a downtown high-rise to tape her weekly broadcast. What she is doing in that little studio is more than significant, it is strategic.

Vinita Shaw recording her radio program in the studio.

Vinita Shaw recording her radio program in the studio.

Khush Khabri is the only radio broadcast in India that specifically addresses crimes against women, and a variety of other issues affecting women, from a biblical worldview. Vinita’s message is broadcast on the new and popular FM Rainbow channel of All India Radio, a channel that caters primarily to a younger audience on the move. An estimated 80 million people have access to All India Radio, making it the most effective mass communication vehicle on the subcontinent.

Members of the production team.

Members of the production team.

This morning, I watched and listened as Vinita and her team taped two programs. The first program addresses the suicide rate among women in India — a disturbing 20% higher than the rest of the world. According to a report in today’s Times of India newspaper, 64% of women who commit suicide in India do so because of domestic violence. The second program addresses the issue of female feticide or sex-selective abortion. Both of these programs will air this month.

The Khush Khabri production team.

The Khush Khabri production team.

Vinita’s team add creative elements to the broadcast to attract listeners, including a Bollywood song about the issue under consideration. I am told that there is a Bollywood song for just about every situation in life in India. The team also produces a drama to highlight the topic of the broadcast and features a quiz that gives listeners the chance to win a prize.

Every week, listeners will write, text, or call with their feedback and questions. And, all those who provide their mailing address receive free follow-up materials. The feedback is proof that people are listening and thinking deeply about the troubling issues that Vinita addresses every week.

The specialist who puts together all the pieces of the program.

The specialist who puts together all the pieces of the program.

Change has to begin somewhere and with someone. Vinita refuses to look the other way or to walk away from the ugly things that find their way into India’s headlines almost daily. The headlines in India will not change until people with the requisite courage and audacity rise up to challenge the centuries-old views that devalue women and put them at risk.

Vinita is willing to lend her voice to those who have no voice and to champion the rights of little girls and women who live in fear, are abused and marginalized, and often die for senseless reasons every day. She is bringing hope through the airwaves to untold numbers of people she will never meet. And that’s good news!

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Posted in India, Justice, Sanctity of Human Life, Women's Issues | Tags: ,

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