The day has finally come
After years of dreaming, months of prep, and days of training I finally did what I came here to do Tuesday.
Tuesday I truly lived out day one of my biggest dream ever.
My whole squad of 40 is split up into teams of 5-7 who minister together as a unit in different settings. Some of us this month are doing construction, preaching, health services, working with kids, and so much more. My team was lucky enough to get chosen to teach English to kids aged 7-14 this month in a variety of small, remote, untouched villages of India.
BOY WAS I EXCITED!!!!
Not only are kids something I ADORE, I have always had a desire to teach English to children and have even considered doing it long term overseas one day. When I heard this was my teams ministry this month I think I actually died of excitement. My whole squad laughed at me as I pranced around our huge stone compound barefoot literally screaming with joy. Once I found out what we were doing I felt a rush of peace and I couldn’t wait to jump in and get started.
I came here to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be pushed and moved and used for his kingdom and that is exactly what happened yesterday.
We started our ministry adventure with a hour and a half Tuk Tuk bus looking thing ride to this super in the middle of nowhere village. When we arrived the kids instantly ran up to the vehicle thing and were bouncing with more excitement than i have ever seen in my whole life. They shook our hands, yelled their names and I could see the joy in their little Indian eyes as I smiled back at them. We all eventually got inside and my team and I sat in a row facing the children in the front of the school. The kids sat down and then there was silence as the translator just stared at us.
In that moment my team and I realized we hadn’t made any plans for what we wanted to teach them or do with them. Uh oh.
In a rush of panic we decided to improv the creation story (first story in the Bible)…. and it was very rough.
We then decided to take them outside and play tag…. that got too hectic
Then in another rush of panic i decided to have them play Simon says…. and that went PERFECTLY. The kids were able to use their English skills to touch there eyes, ears, nose and chin when I asked them too. They were able to jump up and down, spin right around, and moo like a cow when I asked them too.
We were on to something.
We then taught them Red light Green light, Down by the Banks, and other games to help their English. I taught them how to rap the ABCs and how to rap all the numbers up to 100 (which was hilarious), some songs and taught them how to say simple phrases.
Once we jumped in and flowed with the punches, the Lord continued to bring us more peace and direction that night at ministry.
One girl asked for prayer for her mother so we prayed over her… then another child… and another child… and another child… and before we could even wrap our minds around it every child and adult was asking for us white girls to pray over them. We prayed for a long time and each prayer I felt more and more of Gods presence entering the hearts of these people and doing a work only he can do.
Eventually the situation calmed down, the people left, and we entered the school again to eat our dinner. The pastor served us more rice, bread, eggs, curry, potatoes, veggies, green stuff, and pop than I have ever consumed in my whole life…. let alone a single meal. In the Indian culture it is very disrespectful to not take food when it is served to you so we literally ate so so so much. I woke up yesterday morning in actual pain. Not even kidding. I still hurt and it was like noon. It was rough.
We then prayed again over the pastor and left with high spirits and light hearts filled with love and joy.
When we got home I was so filled and overjoyed with my ministry that I stayed up till 4 am and was just too pumped to sleep.
I feel so much of Gods hands in where I am at right now and in what I am doing. Next month I might be doing something completely different and honestly I probably will be doing something completely different but I think that is beautiful. I am looking forward to soaking up everything this month in ministry and just enjoying every moment with the kiddos and with God in this current season.
Thank you for reading this blog and I am sorry if it was all over the place. I am having so much fun enjoying time with my squad and team this month in I swear the most beautiful part of India. We are in the slums of India right now but living in the most beautiful “compound”. When I get better wifi I will try to show pictures so that you guys can see first hand what I am experiencing, learning, and doing more clearly.
Thank you for supporting me still and for being my friends, family, peers, and supporters! 🙂
Talk to you soon! 🙂
~~~PRAYER REQUESTS~~~
>Spiritual Warfare is a REAL thing here and it is so so dark and heavy.
>Some people on my squad are starting to get pretty sick (India isn’t the cleanest…)
>THERE ARE TICKS CRAWLING EVERYWHERE!!! Literally at one point there was a cluster so large in the bathroom that I thought it was a black lid to a cup. They cover the bathroom floors and are literally everywhere. I have never been more afraid of going to the bathroom in my entire life but it’s okay cause the Lord is my strength and I can do hard things.
>Some people are getting pretty homesick already
>We all are very burnt out and tired
>Lastly just pray for God to move in us this month more and more everyday for this beautiful country he created and loves.
*****SIDENOTE*****
I only get wifi once a week for an hour or two and in that timeframe there is a lot I have to do. I have to post my blogs, do financial stuff for my team, and post on my social media if I want. There might be weeks I don’t post a blog and weeks I post 87 because of the kind of wifi I may or may not have so just be patient with me! 🙂
