Greetings from Thailand! Sorry I wasn’t able to post more in India. Seems like internet will be hard to come by again here in Thailand. Right now I’m at an internet cafe with most of my team, trying to finish some things before we don’t have internet for a week or so.
India was another amazing month. We worked the entire month in the same area, traveling to villages around Ongole, meeting with pastors and congregations, praying for villagers in their homes, and offering messages during a special evening service. Our translator, Shakerbabu, was a really cool guy, and being able to fellowship with him everyday was one of the highlights of the month. He had so many questions about America and where we were from. Before church or before we began our prayer walks, the pastors would give us all cold sodas and let us chit chat with him before heading out. Shaker would always take this time to ask us about our home towns or the public transit system or voting or American sports. Shaker made it clear that his vision of America was of a place of safety and wealth, a place where even kids from average backgrounds could have enough money to fly across the world. To him, we were clear examples of the wealth, freedom, and opportunity of America.
One night, while introducing us to a congregation, Shaker mentioned that we had “sacrificed so much to be here”. Over and over he would bring up how we had given up jobs or homes or families to come here and spend time with these villagers. So that got me thinking, how much have I really given up for this?
Jesus references the cost of following him a lot in the gospels. He tells his disciples that the only way to truly follow him is to leave mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and homes. To Shaker, we’ve already done that. But what Shaker doesn’t see is how much we (my team and the squad) talk about what life will be like after the race. It’s a constant topic of conversation. Where do you want to go for grad school? Where do you think you’ll move? Live with parents for a bit or no way? Even the topic of what airport we want to fly into and the first thing we’ll eat upon return to America have been discussed with multiple people multiple times already. So what have I really given up for this?
Did I give up my home or my parents? Not really. I keep in touch as often as possible. Did I give up jobs or school or a future? No. I graduated and took this year in between jobs and school. Did I give up comforts or possesions? The weight of the bag on my back reminds me that the answer to that is also no. So did I give up anything? Will this be just a year of living a little less comfortably, and I’ll just go back to normal life afterwards?
If India taught me anything, it’s that I have some serious questions I need to answer this month in Thailand. Maybe I’ll have some answers once I get internet again. Once again, thanks so much for all of your support and encouragement, prayers, and giving. You make these questions possible.
