Food In India
Even before I left the States four months ago, I knew food would be a challenge when I got to India. Ever since the horrible curry and brie sandwich incident of 2005, I haven’t been able to stand even a whiff of curry. As I anticipated our month in India, I prayed God would grant me a new palette, take away my sense of taste and smell, do something to help. I knew once I got to India I wouldn’t be able to avoid curry. I also wouldn’t be able to avoid eating a lot of things I am not used to, including things my stomach might not agree with.
I was internally wincing as we sat down for our first meal in India. In Hyderabad before my squad spilt up by team, we were able to serve ourselves buffet-style. I was able to identify a lot of what we ate there, and nothing was unbearable. I ate with a thankful heart, but feared the meals my team would be served by our hosts for the month at our ministry site.
God heard my prayers and has shown me mercy this month. The food is good! I eat curry almost every meal and I don’t really mind it! In two weeks I have only been given one thing I could not bring myself to eat. (The village woman who handed it to me called it “buttermilk.” It was something like watery, soured goat’s milk with chunks floating around and a sour cream-ish substance at the bottom of the glass. I took one sip, then gratefully handed the rest to a male teammate, who finished it off for me.) Most things we have been served at home have been purposely milder than they are normally prepared. Only a few things have been extremely spicy. I haven’t had any major digestive issues. Although I can’t always identify what is on my plate, I have found that in itself can be a blessing.
More importantly than a calm stomach, God has granted me a new, much less self-focused perspective. God has shown me how to be truly grateful for what I receive from the generous people of India. When I observe the pastor’s wife and the orphan girls they’re raising working tirelessly throughout the day to provide us with meals, it is easier to gratefully eat what they serve me.
Our translator/guide told us the food we are eating every day is normally saved for special occasions. Throughout each meal I am constantly being offered more of everything. Indians show great honor and hospitality to their guests. It has been so humbling to receive someone’s very best every day for a month.
So even if I am too hot to have an appetite, or am suspicious of what I am eating or how it was prepared, or am conscious of the germs on the hands I will use in place of utensils, I am learning to be willing to dive into whatever is on my plate. And you know what? God is taking care of me. And He is showing me new ways to be thankful for what I have and teaching me humility even as I am held in high honor. He is stretching me out of my comfort zone and giving me opportunities for new adventures. And it is worth it!
