I didn’t want to come to India.
India was the one country that I had no desire to go to on my World Race route. I had heard the stories- the ones of overpopulation, poor sanitation, pushy/rude men, female infanticide, and eating spicy/mushy food with your hands. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with India.
I had hardened my heart to this country before I even entered it. I had hardly prayed for this place at all before I got here. I didn’t ask The Lord to show me His heart for this country and these people. I had a mindset of “I HAVE to go to India” instead of “I GET to go to India.” I told myself I just had to get through this month instead of telling myself to take every moment and press into it. I treated myself like a victim of my circumstances before I was even in them instead of fighting for the fact that I’m not a victim of anything because I get to choose how I respond to the circumstances I’m in. I was actually afraid of India and all that I thought it would come with.
I was wrong. So, so wrong.
I never expected to love India. I never thought that in a million years India would be my favorite month of my World Race so far. I never expected to fall in love with an Indian family and 11 orphan boys. I never thought I would actually enjoy eating curry. I never expected that this would be the hardest goodbye of my Race.
My teammates and I lived in an orphanage this month with a pastor and his family that ran it. We woke every morning at 5:30 on the roof to little faces looking at us through our tents. We sent 12 children off to school every morning and greeted them all when they came back home. I was called “Abby sister” and learned how to have full conversations with just a head bobble. I became very close to our hosts wife and we cooked, cleaned and chatted together every day. My team and I visited different villages every night to preach and share testimonies and pray for people. I saw my team flourish in intimacy with God, community with each other, and missions. In a nutshell, this month was flippin’ amazing.
India spurred in me a new love for worship. People of India have such worshipful hearts. Every time you shake hands with someone or greet them, you say, “Praise the Lord!” They’re always praising God! Their hearts full of praise and gratitude are so beautiful to me and I learned so much from each person I met.
I wish I could share every photo, every name, and every story with you on my blog. India isn’t always a safe place to be a believer, so to protect my host and his orphanage, I have to be careful with what I share.
I’m working on sending an email with more details to my supporters! If you’re interested in hearing more about my time in India, please let me know!
As always, keep praying for me and my team. We have a few months left out on the field and we are fighting to stay present here and keep bringing the Kingdom to earth!
Grace and peace from India!
