A fourth grade social studies unit on India ignited a desire in me to visit this culturally rich country. It was one of the places I was most excited about when I signed up for the World Race. And even after decades of anticipation, India does not disappoint.
My new team of all women (yup, you read that correctly) is staying with an incredibly generous host family. We get to eat home made Indian food three times a day and are shown so much honor wherever we go. Upon arrival at our host family's home, they gave each of us fresh jasmine that was beautifully strung and perfect for wearing in our hair. Many of the family's friends have invited the entire team over for elaborate dinners and we are shown overwhelming hospitality by these friends of friends. This is the real India and I'm loving it!
This "land of a million gods" is full of very spiritual people who often ask my team or specifically me to pray for them. It is assumed that if you are white then you are Christian. Typically those who seek prayer are women. She'll walk up, say something in Telagu, and then bow her head and cover it with her scarf to indicate she would like to be prayed for. I feel like I've prayed more in the past few weeks here in India than I have the whole rest of my life combined!
There's something very special and even powerful about a group of seven young women bravely stepping out in a foreign land and offering love and prayer for other women. The women we meet ask for prayer for their husbands or for their wombs to open and produce offspring or for their daughters to marry. No one has asked we pray for a new car or a bigger house or for fame and fortune. Their requests for prayer are genuine and noble and beautifully feminine.
I did not want to be on an all girls' team. I certainly did not want to be the leader of an all girls' team. I like women just fine, but I generally like men a lot more. (One of my favorite friends used to declare and even introduce me as a sexist because I always favored and preferred men!) But there's something remarkable about the way we, as a team of women, are serving women.
On our first day in India, we met a strong Christian woman who regularly opens her home to share her wisdom with younger ladies of the faith. She told our team that her favorite scripture verse is Psalm 68:11, which reads, "The Lord gives the word, and a great army brings the good news." My initial thought was something like, "Aw, isn't that a nice little memory verse?" But while the others continued to make conversation with our hostess, I scanned my Bible's footnotes and discovered that another way "great army" can be translated in English is "host of women!" My doubts about being on a team of females suddenly dissipated. I was exactly where I was meant to be: in the midst of a host of women that was going to bring good news!
I clearly don't have it all figured out, but I do plan to share some of what I've learned over the years with this strong group of women I have been appointed to lead. I'm looking forward to modeling confidence, maturity, and boldness for them. It is possible to be all of those things without trying to act like a man and, to me, that's an important distinction. It is my hope that this great host of American women will understand the value and gravity of our ministry to Indian women and others all over the world. I also hope my new team of ladies will be open to learning from me and growing with me as we continue this trip of a lifetime together.
