If you know me at all you know how much I love little children. Which is why when we drove up the steep hill to arrive at this little village for a medical camp, my heart began to dance when I saw that today’s ministry was actually us giving medical care to students at a local school. If you’ve been out of the country at all, specifically to places that don’t see a lot of white people, you come to realize that life stops for the locals when Americans are spotted. As I saw the little faces peak out of the windows of the school I knew that this was going to be my favorite day of the month without a doubt.
The people of North East India are literally the most selfless, hospitable people I’ve ever met. (but seriously, you cannot out give or serve them) So when we were greeted with hugs, hand shakes, chai tea, cookies and all kinds of goodies and snacks it was hard to not immediately feel at home.
Typically the way these medical camps work looks a little something like this: Someone goes to see a doctor, they get their diagnosis, they then go to a room where we as a team pray healing over them and then they go get their medicine…for free. But on this specific camp, we were told that today was a day for us to just be with the kids so they could all receive physicals and check ups. I screamed and maybe even peed myself a little from excitement. We prayed over the day of ministry and the second the prayer was over I was out the door, hugging and waving at any little human I could get my hands on. As I was wandering around the school, I noticed this little classroom of eyes on me in the far left corner of the school. I walked in and soon found myself among a group of teenage girls. That’s when I met them: Sarli and Thoi Thoi.
What started as a room full of me and 13 teenage girls ended with Sarli, Thoi Thoi and I. They instantly stole my heart with their giggles and laughter (and their ability to actually speak a little broken English). They attempted to teach me their language (or more like made fun of me in my sad attempt), they showed me around their school all while I asked them question after question to get to know more of their sweet little hearts.
After our lunch break I instantly spotted them waiting for me outside the room we went in to eat. “Sister come with us! Come quickly!” as they dragged me down the hill. I soon found myself at a little bamboo shack where I saw a plate of food with three forks waiting for me. I soon learned that these girls spent every dime they had to share a meal with me with a cup of chai. I was so overwhelmed with unbelief (and a secret fear that I was going to get sick) that these girls who have nothing spent all they had to share with me. I listened for another hour while these girls shared with me their dreams of breaking out of the cycle of poverty in their village. Sarli wants to be a doctor. And Thoi Thoi a scientist to cure diseases after the death of her brother. I had to withhold tears from my eyes thinking about how desperately I wanted to help these girls. I can’t change their circumstances. I didn’t have any money. I didn’t have anything except the clothes on my back. All I had was my heart that was so full of the Father’s love for these girls. And I knew it was all I had to leave with them.
On our walk back to the school I learned that these two girls were hindi and my heart broke for them. And then I thought about something I heard at launch..
“The could’ve known me. Why didn’t anyone tell them?”
So I told these girls a little about Jesus. About how as much as I love them, there was someone out there who loved them even more than I ever could, which honestly seemed almost impossible between me and you. I shared with them a little of my story and how it’s because Jesus redeemed me, that I was even able to be here in India with them in the first place. I prayed with them and for them, and I told them I loved them very much. We ran back up the hill, we said our goodbyes with tears in our eyes, and I left.
Sarli and Thoi Thoi didn’t accept Jesus. And I haven’t seen them since our single interaction. But I learned something that day: I learned that sometimes a month on the race is all about one divine interaction. One that the Father places in front of us for us to learn just how much His heart really breaks for His kids that don’t know Him. In the moment I really understood that each day, each moment and each interaction in our lives is important. How are you stewarding yours?
Say a prayer for my sweet, sweet friends today. Because no matter how dark their village may feel, we got to bring the light. And even a small spark will outshine darkness every time.
