No longer is
having running water for a shower,
pushing a button and your clothes being clean,
having air conditioner,
having personal space,
not constantly sweating,
wearing different clothes everyday,
having the convenience of a toilet seat,
eating a salad for lunch and dinner,
having peace and quiet after 10:00 PM,
having faithful internet,
your comfortable bed
the normal.
BUT…
dying to those things is worth it.
There's nothing like seeing the Kingdom of God come alive. I'm experiencing a small part of what it means to be Jesus in the flesh. The moment we step off the auto into an Indian village, we are surrounded. We are surrounded by people that are hungry, thirsty, hurting, sick, and in desperate need of the Father. I understand that we will constantly be in a "fish bowl" while on the Race, but this is so much more.
Over 80 Hindus listening intently to us speak of the ONE TRUE GOD and excepting Jesus as their Savior in front of a Hindu temple. That's not us being in a "fish bowl," but that's the Father drawing His children to himself. We pray over 100+ sick, hurting, and disabled people daily. This is the Kingdom coming alive. This is what Jesus did during his time on Earth. He's calling us to do the same!
Dying to the comforts of my everyday life is worth it.
As I'm being broken, I'm hearing the Father speak more clearly than ever before.
Now
drawing water from the well and taking a bucket shower,
washing clothes by hand,
relying on the convince of a fan working 1/3 of the day,
having NO personal space,
sweating 24/7,
wearing the same 3 shirts and skirts for weeks,
using a squatty potty,
eating curry, chicken, and rice for lunch and dinner,
hearing children screaming, dogs fighting, horns blowing, and music blaring all hours of the night,
having high speed internet (HAHA NOT),
sleeping on a pad or on the roof,
is the normal.
Because of this willingness to have a new "normal", I get to have a one on one conversation with a 15 year old girl named Jennifer who speaks English. Hungry to know more about Jesus, she sits and listens as I explain the Gospel to her. Overjoyed, she excepts Christ as her Savior. I get to experience true community with genuine people on my team for the first time in my life. It's the hardest, but yet the most beautiful thing. I get to see Jesus through the eyes of little girls and boys. I get to have one child holding each finger as I walk down the streets of a village. I get served the most amazing chia tea from people who struggle to find food for their next meal.
It's worth it!
