Bangladesh Update #10

One week till I leave! Ahhh! This trip has flown by so fast, I've been in Bangladesh for 2 and a half months. I've been gone from Canadian soil almost 6 months, I haven't seen any snow all winter. This has definitely been a season of my life to remember, one that can not be replaced or replicated. This is most likely the last time my team will be altogether with everyone there. I'm really learning the meaning of cherishing every moment. Well Sunday started off with a bang as the strikes were still going on. As a team we woke up early and decided to read through the New Testament of the Bible in one day(minus Matthew, Mark, and Luke) . This was an extremely long day as we started reading at 7:45pm and ended at around 8:45pm. We read from John - Revelation out loud as a group in the apartment. It was long and sometimes hard but as a team we were glad we did it. We decided for the rest of the week to do ministry even though the strikes were continuing. Monday we did another prayer walk and visited houses in the slums across the tracks. Then in the afternoon Katy, Cailey, Rachel and I went shopping around our area looking for fabric and handmade items to bring home. Tuesday we rented a van and went to the outskirts of the city to visit a church and school. At the the school we sang songs and taught the kids English in their classrooms, it was fun to teach them and practice our Bangla with them. *On a side note in Bangla I can now introduce myself, respond to certain questions, ask certain questions, and say random words that I'll never really use ever in a conversation. Wednesday we rented another van and went to different places around the city to pray over them. First we went to the biggest Mosque in Bangladesh, it was huge! There were 7 stories and they told us that on Friday (holy day) over 100,000 Muslims come to pray. We prayed over every story in the Mosque for revival of the Christians and truth to reign in this nation, then we sang worship songs on the steps leading to the Mosque. Then we went to one of the biggest slums in Dhaka where we met with past YWAMers who have gone into full time ministry there. We played with the kids and Sarah and I went to a small school (10 students) and sang songs with them. Next we went to Dhaka university, walked around one of the campuses (which is huge again), prayed and talked with students. Lastly we went to the Parliament building where they were currently talking about the strikes. We were not allowed on the grounds so we stood outside the gate praying for wisdom for the leaders of this nation and peace to come to the country so the strikes will stop. Thursday our ministry was cancelled due to a rain/thunderstorm, as our ministry was outside. So we had worship & intercession in the morning and listened to a podcast in the afternoon. Friday we attended two churches services like usual but this time we went to a different church in the morning. In the morning we went to an international church held at an American club. The property is owned by the American embassy so we had to email a week ahead to get our names put on the guest list and show our passports in order to enter. It was very nice to be able to understand the entire church service, but it was weird being around so many white people. I'll admit being around Bangladeshi people and being stared at changed me, I felt Bangladeshi looking at the people around me. There were people from all different nationalities as well, we met people from many different countries. But to my surprise most were not missionaries but business people. It was nice to not have to speak through a translator for an entire morning. In the evening we attended the same church we have been attending the entire time we've been in Dhaka but this time we just attended. It's been a privilege to for a friendship with the pastor and his family. Their youngest son even sacrificed some of his chocolate for us. And every Friday night after church we get to play with their puppy, which is rare to have in Bangladesh because the dogs here are generally not cute, but Jack is adorable! Our team leaves Bangladesh next Friday and we arrived in Maui on Saturday night (it's weird cause we live February 28, 2015 twice). It's crazy to think in a week I'll be on my way home, well my home in Maui. In a week and a half I'll see my family for the first time in person in 6 months. In a little over 2 weeks I'll be on Canadian soil. I've been reflecting a lot on the last 6 months and can't believe how much I have changed. At first I didn't really realize it but I think of how I used to be back home I'm like a new person. Just a warning to you all for when I come home and see you all. But I can say without a doubt I've changed for the better, become more of my own person and a more outgoing individual. And I've definitely got the "traveling bug". I love you all and can't wait to see you when I get home. Again thank you for all your love and support. Thank you for your prayers. Love Melissa