India and I didn’t get off on the right foot. You see that over 24 hour layover that turned into around 26 hour layover, after that a 10 hour bus ride, crazy amounts of pollution, constant stares, constant asking for a photo, and cultural things like the view on women. It all just caused my relationship with India to start off on the wrong foot.
Month one of India my team was in Hmarkhawlien. The best part about this month was the relationships I was building and had with the hostlers (students who live all in one house because there home is in another state then there school) and the family and people who provided us with food from this hostel. I loved helping them with anything and playing with the kids. Our daily ministry was hosting VBS, teaching, construction, going door to door, and visiting different Church’s. Sometimes things were slow and sometimes they were really busy. The Lord had also told me that this season of India was going to be challenging for me. It was challenging but in many different ways. By the end of January it had become physically challenging when I sprained my ankle really bad. Well we think that is what happened, my ankle and foot swelled up so much. The x-ray didn’t show anything broken so that was good. Then about a little over a week after it was getting better. My team was coming up with a dance for a fun competition we were having with another team. There where three guys on my team and three girls so we paired up. In this dance to the song, I’ll make a man out of you from Mulan Taite showed us how we can flip with our partners. Ryan and I were slowly figuring out this flip but we were getting a hang of it. When we tried to do it fast we lost balance an both fell forward but he had my hands as I flipped and fell forward. So my nose took the first hit then my hands an knees. Sam our squad mentor was in another room and after looking at it she was pretty sure it was broken. When she looked up my nose she said things were not straight. So we went to the hospital and with the car ride there I prayed it was not broken. Sure enough the doctor pushed her figure down my nose and said nope it is not broken. At one point I had held my nose and it at made a cracking sound. So I don’t know if it got reset by me doing that or if the Lord healed it in the car ride. It wasn’t broken though and I can breathe in and out. It did swell, gave me two black eyes, a scare on the top of my nose, a fear of that flip, and a story to tell.
Month two of India started out with meeting with the whole squad and a few good jokes about my two black eyes. We had debrief during this time I cut off all my hair to send back with Sam to donate in the states(there is a blog about that if you haven’t seen it). I also received a new team of all girls! To be honest there was no excitement about an all girls team. I had more guy friends growing up, didn’t really get along with girls the best, and had many other emotion about an all girls team. The Lord had a plan though an put me with five amazing women who I am so blessed to know. As the month continued my new team was paired up with another team of all girls. For the rest of February and March I lived with eleven girls and although it was different and difficult it turned out really good. The Lord taught me a lot through this time with them. We moved location more then planned an visited many different villages. We went to Ambassa, Rangamura, Zion hills, Hadri, Debthang, Jeriko, Gilgal, Tuikoinek, Hawaibari, Hamjakma Kami, and Sorbong. Visiting homes, churchs, and doing whatever the community needed us to do. It had its challenges though and because we moved often it was hard to really go love deep, we had to learn to love wide and not just deep. When visiting the church in Jeriko we had a candle lit service and it was beautiful. It was this little village Church at the top of the hill with only a few members but the Holy Spirit was very present. As we ended the night we held hands and stood in a circle to have mass prayer(where everyone in the room prays at one time). As I prayed my back was feeling warm but I tried to not think much about it. At first I figured I was just getting warm with all the people in the room. Then it hit me my back was not just sweating but burning up, letting go of my team members hand on my left I reached back at the same time I heard her gasp in shock. Then it hit me I was actually burning and on fire. Letting go of the little girls hand on my right I took off my flannel trying to not make a big seen I patted my flannel on the wooded bench in front of me then pushed it to the dirt ground and stomped a few times on it. Finally the flame was out and I grabed my team members hand and the little girls hand next to me and started to thank the Lord and pray again. Laughing inside and a little shocked I head some laughter to my right. Peaking open my eyes I realized all the local women to my right were looking at me in shock and one was laughing out loud. Now let me tell you laughing during a prayer in India is not alright. They take prayer very serious and this lady was laughing and saying something in her local tongue. When she saw me looking at her with my eyes open and a smile on my face she hit my arm, pointed to the flannel, then moving her head to tell me to close my eyes and pray. With all I could I tried not to laugh out loud but I couldn’t contain it even closing my eyes to pray again the laughter came out anyways. Once I got a hold of myself about a minutes later the prayer had all stopped. Everyone said amen, opening their eyes they looked at me and my flannel with all the same questions they asked if I was ok. My hand was burnt a bit but I found a bucket of water in the back you know the bucket they had so if there was a fire and I stuck my hand in it to cool it down. February really held a lot of things and there are a lot of stories from it. One story of healing was when we prayed for the women who was having trouble walking and when we finish she was walking out with a big smile and no trouble walking. Can I hear a God is good! Another a few team members had prayer for a bed ridden women who later that day was able to walk to church and stand for worship. Then there is the story of how I climbed in a water bucket were we washed our dishes at to scare people on my birthday. Let me tell you that was so great and really funny although I don’t suggest you doing it because locals will empty the bucket and have to refill it because the water has now become dirty. Although they really thought it was a funny thing after they saw the videos of some of the girls being really scared. God taught me a lot about love in January but in February He showed me so much more though the people I lived with.
Month three in India was the same ministry as in February although the last two weeks of it was different. We all went to a conference and we got to learn a song in Hmar an then present it to all the people. Two squad members spoke and it was just a very sweet time with everyone together. Then we had eight days before we would come together to leave for Zambia. My team and the other all girls team was sent on a six hour train ride to King of Kings school in Damchara, India. We were tired of moving locations and only knowing people for a short amount of time and then leaving. I had decided I was going to live this last week with as much energy and excitement as possible along with a mission minded heart, living in community, and being more intimate then ever before. The next post will tell you about this wonderful place there is just so much to say and share about what happen.
The squad met back in Hmarkhawlien before we flew out. They gave us a few days to prepare to leave and for us to say goodbye. Leaving Northeast, India has been one of the hardest things. There are so many people I call family that are there. So many people who call me their family who are there. Although at the beginning of India I thought I would not want to come back the Lord has really grown my heart for the country and the people I came to know as family. Northeast, India will always be another home of mine.
(photos will be coming in a week having trouble with files)
