There is nothing that can truly prepare you for the experience that awaits you when you go to a third world country. The noise, the sights, and the smells can send you into overload if you don’t have an open mind and remember that it is nothing like what you’ve grown up around. Things we take for granted like having privacy, being able to dress the way you want, and having a clean environment, are just a few of the shifts in your paradigm you’ll need to make when you jump into the culture that is India!
When I arrived in India, I was glad it was not my first encounter with a culture so completely different than my own. I love it though. I love to see how people live life in different way that is so raw. In that rawness is also a lot of hardship, struggle, and pain that is difficult to overlook. You see beggars, that are actually legitimate; families living in huts made from palm fronds barely making ends meet; and animals in pain, living on the streets.
Despite many of the hardships they face, the people of India are the some of the most kind, humble, and hospitable people I’ve ever met. I came here to serve them, but they somehow always wind up serving me more.
This month, my team and I have been partnered with India Christian Ministries, and their Covenant Children’s Home program. Pastors from around the area in Andhra Pradesh are chosen to take in 10 children that are orphaned or only have one parent that is struggling. They raise them up in the knowledge and love of Jesus, as well as giving them an education and a real chance for a bright future. Each week, we travel to a different village, and pour into the children of that particular home. Each home has either 10 girls, or 10 boys, besides the family of the pastor. So far we have only been to all girls homes. They are some of the sweetest kids you’ll ever meet! We teach them new worship songs, make bracelets, have an art night, and sometimes just have a dance party! It is cool to watch them begin to open up and just start having fun.
In addition to spending time with the kids, they have a service in the village on Friday nights, where we are able to share our personal testimonies as well as the gospel with the village. We also sing songs, and speak during their church service on Sunday mornings. For both of those meetings, we are provided with a translator who is able to speak Telegu, the native language of India. They like everything very loud, and they put a megaphone on the outside of the building that enables people to hear whoever is speaking whether they may want to or not!
This month has definitely been interesting, and sometimes frustrating with the communication barrier. However, God has really used this time to remind me that his grace is sufficient for me, and how to better extend grace to those around me. As we begin to preach more, and step out in public speaking, He has also shown me that in areas where I am weak, He is strong!
