As I mentioned in the previous blog Two Worlds Collide, we are in a tough place. But yesterday I was encouraged. I saw a glimpse of the Church here in India!
Yesterday we loaded up the jeep in shifts and headed down to an orphanage that we’ll be involved with this next month as one of our ministry sites. This time our aim was to join in the daily schedule and get a grasp of how things run. So my group arrived just as the children arrived back from school. All 105 smiling little children were buzzing as we pulled into the yard. We arrived just in time for chapel. So we joined in…
The children in this orphanage are between the ages of 4 and 15. There are roughly 2/3’s boys as compared to the girls. They all sleep in 3 large dormitories holding about 35 in each. Each room has 1 or 2 actually working fans to move air around during the night. So naturally all the children pile onto beds to get just a little feel of that breeze. It’s not uncommon to see 10 children huddled together on one double bed in front of a fan.
The munchkins all take turns doing chores as well as look after one another for homework and well-being. It’s a unique community to be in. I Ioved watching the deans interact with them as they went about their business. There was love evident in the relationships.
Like I mentioned earlier, we went to a chapel service with the children. This simply blew me away because it was all led by the children. In order to learn English, everything is spoken in the language, even the songs. I reflect back when I was a youngster; I was quite the rebel. I wasn’t the rebel in destruction and experimenting, but rather in the sense of hating to sing and do things that I didn’t want to do. Many of these times were with church related things. This was definitely not the case here at the orphanage. Every little voice was belting out the praises in their hearts to the Lord. I honestly would say that these children were louder than my college worship services. It was beautiful. With every eye closed they worshiped and spent that half hour time slot giving themselves to God. There was no fear as they prayed, sang, and testified. Some danced and some played instruments.
Maybe I’m over zealous in saying this, but the mere children “got it”. I didn’t sense any conflict (even though I’m sure it happens) while I was visiting. They all shared and cared for one another. This is what I’ve seen of this service which is the church here for me in India so far. It’ a wonderful thing. I’m so encouraged to get involved in these little lives. It’s not about making converts here, that’s already happened. It’s about making disciples, which seems to already be happening as well. I’m excited to invest in the Kingdom. This is the place where it all starts here in India. Pray for us to have the discernment of what we need to teach, share, and present. More importantly pray for what India would call the “least of these”. I only say that because they are only orphans remember! I see discipleship being a large ministry for our squad. To tutor and spend quality one on one time which I’m sure many of these children don’t get.
Remember, Jesus used the most ridiculous, ordinary men to teach about the Kingdom of God. In the grand scheme of things, they were the perfect ones to teach because they understood who they were not and in turn could understand who they were! Just like these homeless, low caste orphans, the Lord will restore them in who they are in Christ and they will be that generation who speaks light into this dark place called northern India. Praise God for little miracles!!
