Hey y’all! So much has happened since my last post, so there is a lot update you on. First off, WE MADE IT TO INDIA!
We flew into Hyderabad, India two weeks ago and spent a couple days there before making an eight hour journey south to the city we will be staying in for the remainder of the month. This city is booming with excitement and culture. There is so much I could say about our ministry and the people here, but I’m going to save that for another blog and use this time to introduce you to another group of people, the ones I have the pleasure of doing life with day in and day out….my team!
As I brainstormed this blog, I wanted to come up with a way to introduce my team without interjecting my own ideas of who they are, and thought what better way to get to know each of them than to have them introduce themselves. No one knows us better than we do, so watch the short snipits below of each member describing themselves to you in three words and following with their prayer for us as a team over the next year. Enjoy!
Meet Aaron:
Meet Bri:
Meet Eric:
Meet Justin:
Meet Nikki:
Meet Shonda:
…How incredible is it that I get to live and serve with these people for the next year?! Praise the Lord. It is so evident in each and every one of these videos that their hearts are in this and in it for an incredible reason, the Kingdom. God is good.
Now that you have an idea of who we are, I’m going to share a little of what life on the field has looked like thus far. Since before we left, countless mentors and leaders have been pouring into us and preparing us for the successes and challenges we may face as a team. It’s been so helpful, but if I am being honest, I would say that even their advice and wisdom did not fully prepare me for what was ahead.
It. Is. Hard.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to downplay the beauty and success we have achieved as a team. There has been greatness and we have overcome a lot together in the short couple weeks we’ve been here. Walls have been broken, laughter has been present, encouragement and love have been freely given, and trust has been built. Unfortunately, along with those wonderful things, we have also had our fair share of struggles. Feelings have been hurt, selfishness has been present, conversation of food and finance have dominated entire days, and tension has become a norm.
I’m telling you this for a couple of reasons. One, because if you are reading this and feel so lead, please take a moment to stop and pray for us. Prayer is powerful and we would very much appreciate it. Secondly, since I arrived in India, God has been using my team to teach me so much. I’ve seen God in the people on the streets and the children we work with and in the sunsets each night and during worship sessions on the roof and in our lovely ministry hosts, but above all else, I’ve seen God most in my team. The way God is using my team, both as individuals and a unit, to teach me about myself and my relationship with Him is really incredible. Some days are hard and frustrating and I wish God would have chosen another way to teach me, but I know His ways are good and right, and I trust in that. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
We will get there. Growth is a process. God has hand-selected this team and it is an honor to have been chosen to stand next to these wonderful people, despite our differences, and serve Him. In the midst of our struggles and challenges, we all have something in common and that thing is all that matters…we are children of God, striving to live and love like His son.
Now that you’ve heard from and about my team, it’s only fair you hear from me and know my prayer for this team over the next year. My prayer for the team this year is that we would grow to look more and more like Jesus, both individually and collectively. That we would be a reflection of Him, specifically in the way we love. That we would love freely and unconditionally and live out Matthew 22:37-39, “and he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'”
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for a deeper look into India and our ministry site in my next blog!
Much love,
Elizabeth
