I had the expectations going into India thinking I’d be preaching on street corners to locals every night and eating super spicy food. This is what most missionaries months consist of when coming to India. Or so I’ve heard.
Oh and the heat. That Indian heat that everyone talks about.
Let me tell you, my month thus far has been everything but that. Well, except for spicy food here and there. Our ministry hosts thankfully love us and care about our tastebuds (:
We are staying in Bangalore, India with an incredible family, wife Anita and husband Paul along with the cutest little 5-year-old girl ever Faith and 12-year-old Paul Junior. Little Faith joins in on workouts with me. She’s even starting to go for runs with me, which consists more of me running with my teammate Tay first and then grabbing Faith at the end and running a block down the street till she says she’s tired and needs to walk. Needless to say, I sure hope someday that my daughter has the same drive she does to work out with me. So much dang fun.
Ministry this month consists of helping Anita out with her school she runs, called Compassion in Action, a school that takes children in that weren’t “good enough” for the school systems in India. The race has taught me that I will never be a school teacher but man these kids have STOLEN MY HEART. They are so insanely polite, I feel undeserving of their kindness to me. We memorized Psalm 100 together and we shared it with the other classes at Chapel on Friday and I was like a proud mother up there with them. They shouted the verses and did the actions, I just love them. Once we completed that they asked me if we could memorize Psalm 101 next. If only I had that excitement for memorizing scripture.
We talk with Pastor Paul each day about deep questions in the Bible typically leaving me exhausted mentally but also filled. He asks the hard questions that make me ask myself why I believe what I do and why I am doing what I am. He is so intentional with us and I appreciate that in a host so much.
After those chats, we go to the slums and hang out with the children there. It typically involves my team and I singing songs, helping them with English, and sharing a skit relating to a story in the Bible. I gravitate towards the older crowd, and so I hang out with the women nearby and take their photos and tell them how beautiful they are.
Needless to say, my month has blown my expectations for India out of the water. Also, did I mention that this is the COLDEST month I’ve had on my race? India, are you kidding me?! Incredible. We have 4 bathrooms, toilets, WARM WATER, a kitchen, cozy chairs & couches, FANS.
Cool weather… Did I mention that already?
India has been completely everything opposite of what I had expected, I think I am still trying to process it all. I can tell you though that I am so thankful that this is my longest month of ministry, definitely something I did not say before coming.
India, thank you for being such a sweet time
