INDIA.
Wow. How to describe this place?! It is a beautiful country with even more beautiful people. It has its own culture and its own traditions.
And honestly, India is a HARD place. It’s HOT and there are over a BILLION people. But man, the harvest is SO RIPE. There are SO many people that need the gospel and need to know that Jesus is their only hope.
The first week I was here, I was processing a lot. I was taking in Indian culture, missing home a lot and asking myself, “Can I really do this for 11 months?” And as the month went on, I also began learning again the beauty of brokenness, vulnerability, and MESS. With my teammates and with the Lord. He continually convicted me of sin and it was so GOOD. What a mercy of God to show me my sin so He can make me more like Him?! And brokenness is where growth can happen. Vulnerability is where my team and I see each other most clearly when we are struggling. Man, it is good.
And He met me in that place so sweetly. He met me in the valley. As one of my World Race coaches (Thanks Tom) told me a few days before we left..
The valley is the most fertile.
Nothing grows on the top of mountains. Things grow in the valley. In the MESS. SO much growth happens in suffering, friends. It’s where He meets us. In our weakness, His power is perfect there. If that’s where He meets us and that’s where we see His glory, will we not GLADLY take the valley and the MESS to be with Him there?
“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” -Psalm 16:5
He will always satisfy me in that place. As He will YOU. In the mess. In the valley. In weakness.
The Lord led me to ask myself these questions this month and I encourage you to ask yourself the same questions. Because if the answer to them is yes, what a sweet place to be in!
Is Christ enough for me when I have nothing else?
Is He enough to satisfy me in this valley?
Will I run to HIM as my refuge (Psalm 34:8)?
Will thankfulness ALWAYS be on my lips (Ephesians 5:20)?
Will I trust His goodness when things aren’t going as I planned?
Will I die to myself for the sake of my team?
Will I put their needs before my own and speak with grace on my tongue?
I was asked recently what I want from the Lord for the next year and you know, I want the mess. Because in the mess, I get HIM.
Our next country is NEPAL and we are so excited to do ministry there! Only 0.9% of Nepalese people profess Christianity and 240 of the 251 people groups are UNREACHED. Pray for us as we go to share Christ there!
Also, I am currently only 60% funded for my race and need about $6000 more to be fully funded and to be here for the full 11 months. If you would like to support me, you can click on “Support Me!” at the top of my blog page. EVERYTHING is appreciated. I am so grateful for your support!
In Christ,
Karleigh
