I wrote this on January 17th. So many wonderful and challenging things have happened since then. Until I get the writing bug again, enjoy.
I’m writing this from the upper bunk of a sleeper bus (a welcome surprise) on my way to a team’s first ministry location. It’s 6:15 am and we started the journey around 10 last night, not including our adventure time to get to the bus stations.
The sun is not up yet, but there is a tinge of pink starting to rise up through the dusty haze and I’m able to make out scattered trees and rolling hills in the distance. It’s the same scenes I can recall from three years ago and I value the familiarity.
In fact, much of the start of this squad’s journey so far has been refreshingly familiar, even as I recognize sharp contrasts from previous experiences.
India is temperate this time of year. I rarely find myself sweating save for the midday sun and in attempts to fit my pack into the airporter that I bought based on the reviews saying it would be an easy fit. Lies.
Our squad landed in the early morning hours on Friday; we skipped Thursday in transit and some of the squad still faces jet lag four days later.
We stayed in a large ministry house in Hyderabad for a few days of rest, cultural training and got to ease into the time in India with the entire squad hanging out.
Street food vendors and the chai man became friends and I was surprised I remembered the fifteen minute walk to their main setup locations without issue. Little kids giggle and wave and shout hi as we walk past their homes.
The head bobbles still throw me off. The number of tuk tuk drivers has decreased with the invention of Indian Uber. Eating food with my right hand is a challenge I’ll accept this month. I have yet to throw toilet paper in the toilet/squattie, which is great because I no desire to fish it out.
Starting off in a country like India after leaving the comforts of the US is like trying to drive a standard car without knowing how to gear shift. It’s a bit bumpy. And we have had a few stalls already.
The Indian rupee is in flux as the nation was cut off abruptly from the use of their main smaller currency notes roughly three months ago. Some new notes are beginning to circulate again but the ATMs were not a guarantee upon entering the country and we have had to flex our treasurers’ new muscles in attempts to get everything straight with our exchanges from USD to rupees.
We have 19 team phones that hopefully will have working local SIM cards in each country, but in India, we’re praying for 11. Currently we have two. All teams departed yesterday, many with only their more expensive and not ideal international SIM cards as a calling option.
I’ll spend time this month with three different teams and a couple of days recharging/regrouping with my co-leaders, Tammy and Lo. We have been going full steam ahead since arriving at squad leader training on January 3rd and for sure since getting to India.
The squad is amazing and already I can see depths beyond what I saw in my previous squads’ own beginnings on this beautiful journey. They are hungry to see God move in the nations and they are embracing the new things being stirred up around and in them.
I, myself, have been challenged to walk in a deeper revelation of the security given by God when hit by insecurities being triggered last week. They relate to a deep desire to be known and a root of performance. It’s a deeper level of lessons past learned and just in recognizing that I already feel more free. I’m nervous and grateful for more of those revelations to come. But it’s all a part of what Papa promised back at training camp when I said yes to this thing.
Walking out of fears is never easy, but it’s worth it. I hope my squad learns this and that I get to watch it happen in each of their lives this year. Sometimes it takes switching from automatic to a standard to do it.
Please pray we find favor in the various team locations to obtaining more. We need them. Also, pray for our teams as they dive into their small group church living this month and that our squad would become the Church to one another and those we meet.
