This past week we had “purchasing” on our schedule for Thursday. I assumed (I have realized I do this ALOT) this was time set aside for us to purchase souvenirs from India. I was wrong. Instead, our host family wanted to bless us. They took us to a beautiful store in Marthandam where they asked us to pick out sarees that they purchased for us.
It was love at first sight. At the end of a rack marked 50% off (I LOVE a good bargain) was a brown saree covered in flowers made of pink and gold sequins. I looked around the rest of the store but there was nothing that compared in my eyes.
We would wear them to our farewell church service.
Yesterday evening a woman from the church, Sula, came over early to help us into our sarees. I had no idea what a process it is. First you put on your blouse and underskirt. Then they literally wrap you in 9 meters of fabric. But it’s not just any wrapping….there’s a rhyme and reason to it. There is wrapping and folding and tucking and pleating and pinning. Once my saree was assembled, Jasmin did my make up, and Bonnie did my hair.
With the women of Team NEWLife…Pam, Bonnie, Jasmin….Indian Princesses!
I felt like a princess. I was prancing and twirling around the house. Tim said I reminded him of a 7 year old dressed up for a party. It’s so fun to dress up and wear a beautiful dress! Why don’t we do this more often? 🙂 It was a cherished evening. We had the opportunity to share with the church what we’ve learned in our time in India, to thank them, and give them any parting words God had laid on our hearts. They in turn thanked and encouraged us and gave us parting gifts.
Team NEWLife, Pastor Albert, Rachel, Asher, Grandma and Grandpa…my family for the month in Marthandam
This month has been such a unique month for me. I mean, really, they all are. I’m identifying they each have their own unique themes. It started out as one of my hardest months of the Race…I was tired. Tired of pretty much everything: new, foreign cultures, constant change, near deafening, long church services in a language I can’t understand, and worst of all, not having my cherished independence at a level I like. For much of this month I have felt like a child in a large family. There are beautiful things about that, and very challenging things about that.
My little brother, Asher! He brought me some serious joy on rough days.
It was the death of that level of independence that came about this month. I fought it for about 10 days (for most of it, not even realizing what I was fighting), but eventually threw it in the grave. One morning I was worshiping God and He gave me eyes to see my month from a different perspective. A less selfish one. I realized I wasn’t doing a very good job of loving the people around me, or caring about their feelings, particularly my hosts, because I was trying to preserve my independence. All it took was that realization and I felt great sadness over my behavior. Love and honor are at the core of the way I want to live my life. In that moment I told the Lord, “Yes, I give up my independence if it means I will better love and honor those around me.”
Don’t get me wrong, there have definitely still been moments that have been very trying for me….but this lesson has stuck with me through those times. Also, I see the heart of our hosts. The way they shower us with generosity and love. The way they take a serious level of responsibility for our safety and care while we are with them. They are a wonderful example of hospitality. I couldn’t imagine on day 9 that I would leave this country full of thanksgiving, at that point I was counting down the days thinking I’d die here, but again, God’s ways are so amazing! He always has good hidden in the hard lessons!
It’s from this posture of heart that I say good bye to Marthandam, India….and in a couple short days, by way of Agra and the Taj Mahal, and then Delhi, I will board a plane for Eastern Europe, our final continent on this crazy journey! Two months to go!!! First Romania, then the Ukraine. Then….New York City on July 30th! Woohoo!!!
