The painting is done.
The messages have been preached.
The villagers have been prayed over.
The orphans have been loved.
The chicken has been hacked.
The “goodbyes” have been said.
And Month One of the World Race is officially over.
Goodbye, India. Hello, Nepal!
This month, in retrospect, may not have been filled with a slew of ministry opportunities, but we leave having done so much. We had the chance to minister to not only one, but TWO children’s homes in the Ongole area. These homes, one a girls’ home and one a boys’ home, are filled with 10 kids each whose parents are either no longer alive or are not a part of their lives altogether. During the day, while the children were at school, we painted their houses alongside an Indian painter (disclaimer: he wasn’t much of a help during the month). The days were hot (100 degrees on average) and long, but the children have brightly painted homes and fresh smiles on their faces. They also all attend an English speaking school, so they were able to practice speaking with us, which was incredibly beneficial to them. I have dreams about being called “Sister” because, here in India, all American women are called “sister”. Likewise, Jeremy is now “Brother”.
The beginning of Matthew 18 says that when we humble ourselves like unto a child, we are sure to see the Kingdome of heaven. When I think of humbling myself like a child, I often think of being humbled by a child. A few nights ago I was stargazing on the roof of the girls’ home when a few of the precious girls came up and asked if I could sign their homework book. I quickly gave them my “John Hancock”, honestly hoping they would go downstairs afterwards so I could enjoy the last few moments of my evening after a long, tiring day. I started picking off the paint that had fallen off the paintbrush and onto my skin throughout the day. These three girls, who have already gone way out of their way to serve us these past 10 days, started helping me. These girls, who rarely get a moment to rest, were using the last few minutes of their day to help me. Wasn’t I there to serve them? On the contrary, I have found that I learn and grow the most during moments like these. I was humbled, brought to a place of forgiveness for my attitude in service this month. I was, in that moment, figuratively brought to my knees in admiration for these girls; I was humbled by these three precious girls who barely speak English and definitely had no clue what was going on in my heart. These children go to school 6 days a week. They leave for school at 7:30 am and get home at 6:00 pm, bathe, do their homework, eat dinner, and go to sleep. They rarely rest. In comparison, our work here has seemed miniscule to their daily lives. These girls humbled me, changed my perspective in working and serving. We may have made an impact on them this month, but they have surely made a bigger impact.
Something I earnestly believe God is teaching me already and will continue to teach me is that I must love, even when I do not like. This is especially difficult because I am an incredibly stubborn individual. However, He is a God of renewal, and this year He is going to rock my world. I’ve asked Him to “mess me up” this year, change me into the woman He wants me to be. I’ll tell ‘ya, He’s already doing it. It’s sometimes scary, but at the end of the day, it’s all about living a life that glorifies Him anyway, so I might as well embrace it. If nothing else, this year is going to rock my world. He’s already rocking my world.
The messages have been preached.
The villagers have been prayed over.
The orphans have been loved.
The chicken has been hacked.
The “goodbyes” have been said.
And Month One of the World Race is officially over.
Goodbye, India. Hello, Nepal!
This month, in retrospect, may not have been filled with a slew of ministry opportunities, but we leave having done so much. We had the chance to minister to not only one, but TWO children’s homes in the Ongole area. These homes, one a girls’ home and one a boys’ home, are filled with 10 kids each whose parents are either no longer alive or are not a part of their lives altogether. During the day, while the children were at school, we painted their houses alongside an Indian painter (disclaimer: he wasn’t much of a help during the month). The days were hot (100 degrees on average) and long, but the children have brightly painted homes and fresh smiles on their faces. They also all attend an English speaking school, so they were able to practice speaking with us, which was incredibly beneficial to them. I have dreams about being called “Sister” because, here in India, all American women are called “sister”. Likewise, Jeremy is now “Brother”.
The beginning of Matthew 18 says that when we humble ourselves like unto a child, we are sure to see the Kingdome of heaven. When I think of humbling myself like a child, I often think of being humbled by a child. A few nights ago I was stargazing on the roof of the girls’ home when a few of the precious girls came up and asked if I could sign their homework book. I quickly gave them my “John Hancock”, honestly hoping they would go downstairs afterwards so I could enjoy the last few moments of my evening after a long, tiring day. I started picking off the paint that had fallen off the paintbrush and onto my skin throughout the day. These three girls, who have already gone way out of their way to serve us these past 10 days, started helping me. These girls, who rarely get a moment to rest, were using the last few minutes of their day to help me. Wasn’t I there to serve them? On the contrary, I have found that I learn and grow the most during moments like these. I was humbled, brought to a place of forgiveness for my attitude in service this month. I was, in that moment, figuratively brought to my knees in admiration for these girls; I was humbled by these three precious girls who barely speak English and definitely had no clue what was going on in my heart. These children go to school 6 days a week. They leave for school at 7:30 am and get home at 6:00 pm, bathe, do their homework, eat dinner, and go to sleep. They rarely rest. In comparison, our work here has seemed miniscule to their daily lives. These girls humbled me, changed my perspective in working and serving. We may have made an impact on them this month, but they have surely made a bigger impact.
Something I earnestly believe God is teaching me already and will continue to teach me is that I must love, even when I do not like. This is especially difficult because I am an incredibly stubborn individual. However, He is a God of renewal, and this year He is going to rock my world. I’ve asked Him to “mess me up” this year, change me into the woman He wants me to be. I’ll tell ‘ya, He’s already doing it. It’s sometimes scary, but at the end of the day, it’s all about living a life that glorifies Him anyway, so I might as well embrace it. If nothing else, this year is going to rock my world. He’s already rocking my world.
India has made me angry, sad, happy, overjoyed, frustrated, joyful, proud, humbled. India has made me cry, scream, and laugh. I've wanted to leave India and never return and I've wanted to never leave.
Next month (August) we’ll be working in Kathmandu, Nepal. Our ministry is evangelism. We’re not really sure what that entails, but it’ll be good nonetheless. Here we go into Month Two….
(pictures to come when the internet is better)
