Oh India, you stole a part of my heart. This month we had the opportunity of working with a favorite ministry of the World Race. We stayed in Hyderabad and volunteered at Sarah’s Covenant Homes. SCH takes in children with Special Needs and cares for them in a Foster Home type setting. We do not like to identify them as orphans because they are welcomed into a family style environment. Each child is sponsored in order to care for their needs but the ultimate goal is to find them forever families. There are a range of disabilities but each child is so incredibly precious in Jesus’s eyes and mine. This month I fell in love with three children in particular.
Our ministry was consistent each day. In the morning we had Preschool and in the evening we had one-on-ones with children we were assigned to for the month. One-on-ones give the child quality time with an individual and an opportunity to work on personal goals. My two kids were Nolan and Jasmine. Nolan is 9 and is Deaf and has Cerebral Palsy. Jasmine is 11 and is blind and has Autism. I spent an hour with each of them every afternoon. And with each hour I loved them more and more. It was very different working with kids in two different spectrums of communication. I communicated with Nolan in American Sign Language and a few Indian signs too. Nolan loves to ride on anything with wheels and always has the brightest smile on his face. We worked on reviewing his colors and learned the sign for “share”. He taught me the simplicity and depth of body language and actions. With Jasmine I always used my voice in every direction I was giving her and talked for every moment we spent together. We worked on walking with her guide stick and being able to respond to simple commands such as “clap your hands”. She taught me patience through repetition and reminded me that progress will come in lengths of practice and time. In these moments I continue to learn simple lessons from the Lord and grow in the way that he has called me to love others.
During Preschool in the mornings, our goal is to try and help the children participate in class. This is where I met Kiara. This sweet little angel turned a year old back in October. She has beautiful brown curly hair with the biggest eyes and the cutest little smile that shows her two small teeth. She was born with parts of her brain fused together and a few breathing problems. She is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen and I loved her as if she was mine. In all honesty I fell in love with this little girl. My immediate thoughts were, “If I could adopt her I would”. And then I questioned why I looked at her the way I did and how much I wanted to hug and squeeze her and take her home. I learned from God that I have the capacity to love a child even if I did not bear it. And that the capacity of love I have inside me for Kiara is only possible because of how Jesus expressed His love for us on the cross. Through Kiara the Lord showed me that this would be a glimpse of how I would love my daughter one day. And in the same way this is how he loves us as his children. He is jealous for our time and wants to walk with us in every small milestone we achieve. He loves us more than we can fathom and does not need an extravagant reason to do so. He is patient with us in our growth and even in the times where we don’t want to pay attention to him. And he waits for us. No matter what place in life we may be, the Lord will always wait until we come home. Because we have been welcomed into his family and he calls us sons and daughters of the most high King. In John 14:18 God says, “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you”
It is crazy to think that we are royalty and can claim authority in who we are in Christ. He gives us this life to live and also gives us the option to bring Kingdom on earth. In return we get to spend eternity in heaven with Him. Blows. My. Mind. Plain and simple, our purpose on this earth is to seek intimacy with God. And that reason is enough for me to seek him out every day of my life.
A few updates:
– Another great big thank you to everyone because I’m FULLY FUNDED! I can finish the race off strong!
– I’m officially in Nepal and placed with a new team!
– I’m on a all girls team of 6 with two of my previous teammates from Team Liora
– Our ministry for the month is in Pokora, Nepal and we are working with women and children that are coming out of the sex trade
I am SO EXCITED for the new season that the Lord is bringing me through with myself and this team. My passion for missions lies with women in the sex trade and I am excited to get started with Maya Ministries. There will be a blog coming up soon with details of my new team and our ministry. Thank you again to everyone who has supported me! Pray that this Floridian will stay warm in the Himalayas of Nepal!
