How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? Or should I say how many stamps does it take to get a book from Canada to the USA? I got this package in the mail Friday. I don’t think I have ever seen anything quite like it. Not only does it have a menagerie of stamps, it still had to have a postage sticker from the post office as well. I added everything up and it came it 8.23, I assume in Canadian dollars since that is where it came from. That is around $10 in US dollars. Anyway, this was book 9 of 10 so as soon as the last order gets here I can ship the books off to India. Three weeks from today I will be headed to India. It doesn't seem possible. There are many things I need to accomplish yet but each day, I get a few more things done and I know it will all work out. Many of my evenings are spent on the computer working on lessons plans for the classes I will be teaching. My goal all along has been to have the course outlines and lesson plans all done before I leave so I can really focus on the students and my time in India. I don't want to waste a minute of the experience being stuck doing classroom prep. I am sure I will need to tweak lessons as I go but if the bulk of the work is done here, it should not take near as long. Please pray for not only me but my family and for Tami. This will be longest time we have been apart. The last time was when Tami was in Africa for almost three weeks in 2013. I will be getting back on August 8th the day before our 30th wedding anniversary. Since we have each done a trip like this apart, I vote for the next one to be a trip we can do together. God is big enough to figure that one out, right? Until next time! Kevin
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I have something a little different for you today. When I first starting talking with Chris Monroe (check this earlier blog post for how I met Chris) he suggested I watch the movie called “Amal” (2007). This would give me a overview of the Indian culture. I normally would not be drawn to a movie with subtitles but since I could stream it on Netflix, I was out nothing. The movie is mostly in English so you do not have to rely on subtitles for the entire movie but you will need them to understand everything that happens in the movie. It is an intriguing movie that has a twist in the end. I will not give it away in case you would like to look it up and watch it. Personally my favorite kind of movies have a twist in the end you don’t see coming. “Maverick” (1994) has always been one of my favorites because it had me saying… “WHAT?” in the last scene. “The Prestige” (2006) was another one of those movies for me. Now “Amal” doesn’t have quite the same impact and if you don’t pay close attention you may miss it so be sure you start this movie when you are wide awake and not distracted by the neighborhood kids or dogs. The main character of the movie is an auto-rickshaw driver who has an encounter with a wealthy customer who decides to leave his fortune to Amal. The story is the search for Amal before the deadline expires and the inheritance goes to the man’s family. I don’t want to give away any more of the plot so… If you are looking for a good movie for the weekend, check out “Amal” on Netflix. I probably also need to mention this is not a little kid movie. It is rated TV-14. There are no terrible scenes in the movie but I am sure kids would get easily distracted and bored and therefore you may miss something that is crucial to the plot. I guess if you need a movie for the kids set in India you can always stick in “Jungle Book.” The original Disney animated version. I guess that is another tie I have to India. “Jungle Book” was my oldest daughter’s absolute favorite movie when she was two. We even all went as a family to the new 2016 version. I would give all these movies five stars. Until next time! Kevin One month from today I will be on a flight to India. It hardly seems possible and I can honestly say, at this point in time I am not feeling too anxious. This calmness is not due to the fact that I have everything done and am ready to go, I still have a LARGE “to do list” of things that will need to be under control before I head out. But God has been SO gracious in helping me see His hand in all of it. I have never had a doubt this is exactly what He has for me at this point in time. I am sure as the time gets closer, I will have a couple of sleepless nights. The actual flight will be a challenge for me. I am not exactly thrilled to fly. I fly out of necessity not for pleasure. I would much rather sit in a plane for 4 hours then to drive a car for two days. I will have three legs to my flight in July. The first is from Eppley Airfield in Omaha to Los Angeles. I will spend eight hours in LAX before boarding the plane to Abu Dhabi. The second flight will be slightly longer… it will take 16 hours to get to the airport in the Arab Emirates. The last flight will tale me directly to Thiruvananthapuram. I hear they have a beautiful international airport but I am sure my mind will not be registering much about it since I will have been traveling for approximately 33 hours. I’ll have to take a picture or two, just so I remember it. I will be flying American Airlines and then from L.A. for the rest of the trip I will be on Etihad Airways. Call me lame but I signed up and paid extra money to ensure an exit row on the long flight to Abu Dhabi. I realize I am not super tall but this 6 foot 2 body gets a little cramped in an airplane. I have traveled to Europe three times with the Southeast Community College Chorus. I never worried about seating on those flights because being the director of the group and sponsor, I simply looked for one of the students who was shorter and got an isle seat or one with more room and graciously traded my seat for theirs. I know, I know, pretty lame but shouldn’t being responsible for 20 college students have some perks? Since I will traveling alone, I don’t see this as a viable option.
My next post is going to be about a movie set in India that was recommended to me. It’s on Netflix so if you want to try and search it out and guess which movie I am talking about, be my guest. Here’s a hint: It’s not “Jungle Book.” Until next time! Kevin Here is a quick update about the books. If you remember Lorenz gave me 25 copies of my piano book, "My Redeemer," to give to the students in India. I can not say enough about the company and the people who work for them. They truly have a way of making this farm boy feel like a VIP. The books came in the mail last week and I am getting them ready to ship. I also started a Crowdrise fundraiser in order to provide "Conducting Techniques" by Brock McElheran for the students that will be in my conducting class. The college does not have a text book and this little book is going to be a great resource for them. I originally requested $150 dollars thinking I could get the books I needed and then be able to ship those books along with the piano books from Lorenz. Well the conducting books are no longer in print and I can get copies but they vary in cost since I had to buy them from individuals selling them on Amazon. I did manage to get 10 books for $147. I put out a second plea for donations and raised the amount to $250. That will allow me to get the books and also get them shipped to the college. Well it only took about 2 days and I got $325 for the project. I can't thank everyone enough who donated to the cause. You all ROCK... and you know who you are! As soon as all the conducting books get here from Amazon, they will be on their way to the Asian Christian College of Music. Please continue to pray as I am in the middle of outlining and writing lesson plans for the three classes I will be teaching. I am also getting excited to make the trip but a little nervous about being away from home for so long. I am also praying that I will quickly adjust to my temporary home so I will be effective as I teach and can truly enjoy my time there and my time with the students. Until next time! Kevin Tuesday was my appointment to get the shots I need for my trip. It was an easy process and I ended up not needing many at all. The University of Nebraska Health Center provides the service and if you find yourself needing shots, I would recommend it. The real highlight of the day however was making a new friend and enjoying a great lunch at The Oven in the Haymarket in Lincoln. I can't believe the number of people I have met that have ties to India. Some are people I met a few years ago and some are friends of friends or any possible combination you can think of. One of these connections was through a fellow piano player and writer that lives right here in Beatrice. Thank you, Barb! Abraham contacted me through my website email and he and I along with a friend of his had lunch before I went to get my shots. Abraham is a businessman in Lincoln whose parents live in Thiruvananthapuram in India. We truly live in a small world. It was a very easy connection and there was no lag in the conversation. I learned SO much about the city I will call home for three weeks. We shared a common faith and also a passion for music. The longer we talked the more excited I got about the opportunity that lies ahead. DISCLAIMER: (mainly for my mothers) The area of India I am staying is very modern, clean and similar to the large cities here in the USA. The biggest culture shock for me will be the number of people in one place. I have a feeling my personal space is going to get invaded. That is something I will have to prepare for. This was only the second time I have eaten Indian food. The first time I experienced Indian food was on a trip to London with the Southeast Community College choir I conducted. When it came time to order, I was at a loss. Pat, Abraham's friend, that joined us for lunch suggested we just let Abraham order for all of us. I couldn't tell you what the dishes were but I enjoyed them all. Good news... for all you who know how adventurous I am when it comes to eating, I might not have to hit the Subway all that often. I look forward to meeting with Abraham after the trip so I can share my experience with him. Here's a crazy thing... Abraham's wife will be in India but will be flying home on July 15th, the same day I fly into India. When I leave on August 8th, Abraham will be flying into India on a business trip. What are the odds? We couldn't even get a one day overlap? Maybe on another trip, huh, Abraham? Until next time! Kevin
I wanted to take this next blog post and express my thanks to Kris Kropff and the Lorenz Corporation. As many of you know I have a number of pieces published with Lorenz and this past spring my first piano book, "My Redeemer" came out with Lillenas (Lorenz owns the keyboard division of Lillenas). I really wanted to be able and leave something with the students in India that would be a reminder of our time together. My piano book seemed like the perfect choice. I found out from Abraham the number of students in my composition class would be around 25. I wrote to Kris at Lorenz about getting books for the students. I sent the email late in the evening and when I woke the next morning there was a reply from Kris saying that Lorenz would be honored to provide the books for my students. 25 comp copies were in the mail the same day just a few hours after getting her email. You rock, Kris! What a great company! I am one of many, many composers who write for Lorenz but I always feel like a VIP when I have emailed about anything. They have compassionate and giving people who work for them and they go out of their way to make you feel special. Thanks to Lloyd Larson and Larry Shackley for being amazing editors to work with as well. Also a big thanks to all the people behind the scenes that make Lorenz a success. Boy, this is starting to feel a little like an acceptance speech, please forgive me for rambling. I would like to thank my wife, my kids...
I also would like to tell you about another way you can be involved in this trip. I will be teaching a conducting class. It will have 8-10 students in it. They do not have a text and I found a gem of a book called Conducting Techniques For Beginners and Professionals by Brock McElheran. It is an exceptional book that will benefit the students. I would like to purchase a copy for each student and also be able to leave a few at the college with Abraham. They are only $8. So I have set up a Crowdrise account for $150. This would allow me to purchase 12-15 books and then ship them along with the piano books from Lorenz over to India so I don't have to carry them in my luggage. If you are interested in helping with this cost, click on the widget below and make a donation. I would LOVE to have you partner with me.
Until next time! Kevin My visa came in the mail on Thursday last week. I have been tracking the process for the past two weeks and watched as each step got checked off at the website that is the only company the Indian Embassy endorses. The last step before delivered was “Dispatch.” I got notice on Wednesday and by Thursday afternoon the FedEx envelope was at my door with my passport and the new visa page pasted inside. I can’t say I am thrilled with the photo. It makes me look like a thug. My son made the comment he would not want to cross me in a dark alley. Is that good or bad? Why must all our photos we have taken for identification purposes be so horrible? Has anyone ever had a “good” photo for their drivers license or passport. If anyone can top my lovely pic, I challenge you to post it in the comment section below. So, my visa is now complete. My next step was to make an appointment to get the shots I need for the trip. You can get all the necessary shots for wherever you are traveling through the University Health Center in Lincoln. Things are getting checked off the list now… appointment made. I will head up week after next to follow through on yet another requirement before I take flight to India. In 50 days I will be heading out. July 14th is my official take-off date. I know this day will come very quickly so I am glad I can now focus more on the reason I am going and begin to prepare for the classes I will be teaching. Thanks for taking the time to read these posts and please continue to pray as I prepare for my time in Thiruvananthapuram. I am not going to let you forget that I can not only say the name of this city but can now spell it without checking with Google! You’ll just have to take my word on that one. Until next time! Kevin I got my teaching assignments from Abraham at ACCM and I couldn't be more excited. I will be teaching three courses: Music Theory III (yes, I LOVE music theory!), Composition and Conducting. They have a text book for theory and also a book available for composition but I am free to set up the classes in whatever manner I choose. It will be a huge amount of work but I am looking forward to the challenge and excited to be able and have the freedom to teach the things I feel will be beneficial for the students. A typical day runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a break at 1:00 p.m. for lunch. I will be required to teach 3 hours a day and I can set other times to work with students if I choose. I am looking forward to the classroom time but I also hope I can get some one on one time with students to go deeper in the composition and conducting process. I will be working very hard in this time before I go to have everything prepared for my teaching duties so I can also spend some time in India writing as well. My goal is share this experience not only through this blog but through music I will compose while in India. Just wait my dear choir friends, you think I have some unusual harmonies already what will happen when I am half way around the world? I leave you with a couple of items you can be praying for me as I continue to prepare for the trip. #1 - Pray that I would be able to get all the planning done needed so things run smoothly here at home. I will be missing 5 Sundays in a row at my church and there have been many years I have not missed one. I am rarely gone from worship but I know it will be good for me and my church to see that, yes, worship will continue to happen without me. #2 - Pray as I prepare for my classes that I would communicate well and connect with the students. As we head into summer I will have a little more time to plan and as I spend more time planning I get more excited for what God has for me! An update on the visa process: It has been to the Indian Embassy in Huston and was shipped back to the company I have been using to secure my visa. Only two more steps and I will have my visa in hand! Until next time! Kevin So one week ago I sat down at the computer ready to fly through the application process in order to get my visa. I already have a passport but India requires a visa as well. Six hours later (which did include a lunch break with my lovely wife) I had all the forms and copies of most everything I needed to move on to step 2. Why did it take 6 hours? The Indian Embassy I have to submit my paperwork to is in Huston, TX, so it all has to be done via mail. The online form you fill out also takes you to a third party website that has all the requirements and extra forms you need to make sure everything goes through properly. Well… the third party website did not seem to be finding me in the system and I had already filled out the first form. After calling the center on the phone and then being put on hold for over 30 minutes, the operator took me back to a page I had been to at least 5 times before. He assured me that all I needed to do was follow the prompts. I thanked him and quickly got off the phone since I was having a difficult time understanding him due to his Indian accent (I hope this is not an indication of things to come). I tried once again and alas… I was still in the same place as when I called. I dialed the number again and prayed for someone who would #1 be patient with me and #2 would not have a heavy accent. God was gracious and answered both prayers. This operator asked how long had it been since I had filled out the forms on their site. I said at least an hour ago. He explained I would not show up in their database for at least 2-3 hours. I wish the website or the first operator had told me that to begin with. This seemed a good time to break for lunch. Subway was in order. (On a side note, when I did some investigating where I will be in India, I found a Subway not far from the college. I may be eating there quite a bit.) After lunch I proceeded to log back in and whatdaya know… there I was in filled out forms and data. I clicked to pay the processing fee ($155 - OUCH!) and moved along to getting the checklist for all the documents and forms that need to be sent via FedEx to Huston. Everything is very specific. My next hurdle? I need proof of address… simple… my driver’s license qualifies but it needs to be valid for at least 6 months pending. My license expires this year in September only 4 months away. I can use a utility bill in my name (which seems crazy) but the utilities are in “Kevin Boesiger” and all my formal documents are “Ross Boesiger.” Would they take the time to notice my middle name or flag the application? The checklist is SO specific it makes it seem like if you forget to cross a “t” or dot an “i” they will not issue the visa. Another option was to send in Tami’s drivers license and a copy of our marriage certificate. Her license would show the address and the certificate would prove we live together. I made plans to drive to Lincoln on Friday and get everything sent from the FedEx shipping center. Friday came and I went through the checklist one last time to make sure I had everything that was needed. Not only did I send in Tami’s license and our marriage certificate but I also included a current gas bill that listed me as “R Kevin Boesiger.” I did not want to take the chance of not having what they needed. The clerk at FedEx took my picture with a white background and asked me to remove my glasses. “Nope, they have to stay on,” I told her, “it was one of the requirements listed in the checklist.” I tilted my head down to prevent glare on my lens and the result was a stunning mugshot that will now be part of my legal documents for the next 10 years. I placed all the documents and forms in the appropriate FedEx envelope (that was specified) and said a little prayer as I handed it to the clerk. Now I wait to get an envelope back from FedEx containing my visa as well as my passport which I had to send in with all the other information. Talk about putting your faith and trust in one company. Until next time! Kevin So here comes the “rest of the story.” Each year Chris Monroe would post on the discussion board that if you were interested in a possible mission trip to India to teach music to contact him. I have to admit, every time I would see those posts something inside me wondered if that was something God was actually asking me to do. Tami (my amazing wife) was also planning a missions trip to Uganda, Africa. She went in June of 2013 and I was SO proud of her for doing what God had asked even though it was hard. It was a challenge and inspiration to also be willing to follow the call if God would be gracious enough to ask me. This past February I saw a post from Chris again asking for people who might be interested in teaching in India. If a person had a masters or doctorate in music the college would consider providing a flight and room and board for the applicant. God just took all the arguments I could possibly make for not being a fit for the job. I emailed Chris which started, and I quote, “Just writing this email scares the snot out of me!” He assured me that I would be a great fit for the position and put me in contact with Abraham, one of the instructors at the college. It took us a while to find a time that would work but after several emails, it was finished. I booked a flight to Thiruvananthapuram for July 14th to August 8th. Here is the last piece of the puzzle that assures me God is right smack dab in the middle of all this. “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” is a hymn that originated from… you guessed it… India. This little chorus I have been drawn to all my life is actually a song from India. I have written not only a SATB version of this song but also a piano solo arrangement and a setting I use for congregational singing at church. It has such a simple and beautiful message. I wish I could say I knew the history of the song long before now but I have to admit, I never thought to do the research until it came so much to the forefront and prominent role in this whole adventure taking me to India. Here is the story. The lyrics are based on the last words of an unknown man in Assam, India. In the middle of the 19th century he and his family had decided to follow Jesus due to the efforts of a Welsh missionary. The village chief called the man to renounce his faith and he declared “I have decided to follow Jesus.” His family was threatened and his reply was “though no one joins me, still I will follow.” His wife was killed and before he was executed he sang, “The cross before me, the world behind me.” This display of faith brought about the conversion of the chef and several others in the tribe. So what seems to be a very simple song with easy to understand lyrics that was written over 150 years ago, has had a major impact on this guy born in 1965 right in the heart of the United States. I pray someday God will allow me to pen a song that will have a similar impact. Coming up on the blog... the visa application process. I never thought it would be a story worth telling but... Until next time! Kevin |
INDIA 2016
This blog will journal my experiences as I prepare to go overseas this July and teach at the Asian Christian College of Music in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in India. Archives
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