Its been a strange time here in India. I could use so many words to describe India but if I could only use ten words what would they be…
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Hopeful, The kids that I taught in Saiphai India were hopeful to know that there is an eternal life they are able to live with our glorious God in heaven. So, even if they have had abuse or addiction in their lives they know none of that matters. They are all hopeful that the father will be there to comfort them and protect them.
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Simple, these people live the simple life. Taking showers out of buckets, hanging clothes in the sun. cooking on an open fire, kids playing in the streets with hand made wooden toys, drinking tea with every meal. The Lord has shown me by living simply I have to depend on Him and not on objects or things that make life easy.
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Difficult, working with 60, 5 year olds by myself, hiking up and down a mountain to get to ministry, spiritual warfare draining my energy before I leave for ministry, and traveling with 50 people on a train for 8 plus hours. God had me go through those difficult situations so I can depend on Him to give me the strength to keep going.
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Brilliant, the children that can draw, play guitar, sing and dance at the age of 10, the music that brings the holy spirit in their churches, the people who come up to the front of the church while we worship and start dancing like no one’s watching. It’s truly brilliant the way our Lord works to bring community and celebration for his kingdom. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t be ashamed to look like a foul when your praising God. You can dance and worship like an insane person all you want because its all for the glory of God.
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Loving, the dogs that have been abused, the children left behind by their parents on my walk’s home from ministry, my team when they aren’t feeling like themselves, my ministry host even if he could be a bit of a pain in the behind. I found out that loving a person well is bringing Jesus into someones life even if its a person you shake hands with and never see again. Giving someone a smile is Loving them and the Lord loves that!
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Strong, the little boys pulling out broom plants and not getting one cut, the women carrying all of her crops to the market in a bag wrapped around her forehead, the men fetching water just so we can wash our dishes, all of my squad for going through the changes that month two of India has brought. Jesus has taught me that I am strong even when I am on my knees begging for help because I feel like I can’t get up. But Jesus picks me up and brushes me off and I go on with the strength He gave me. If I fall I know the Lord is there to catch me.
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Disgusting, the four squatty potties (toilets that are built into the floor but can’t flush so you pour water into it to flush) filled with poop because the pipes were built on an incline so the toilets drained into the squatty potties, trash EVERYWHERE, cow poop on the streets, fishing in a dirty pond and stepping in clay that’s so deep it sucks the shoes off of your feet. I think the Lord wanted me to learn that in these situations I experienced what the locals have lived in their entire lives and its not always going to be pretty.
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Odd, someone walking their cows down the street like a dog, the village taking a bath in a stream, catching three fish with 14 women and one giant net, sitting in the back of a pickup truck with 20 people all sitting on boards of wood that could snap in half at any moment and getting smacked in the head with branches as we swerve around twists and turns. The odd things in life is what God finds so great and humorous. Our God is a goofy God, he enjoys watching us laugh and have fun because he is there laughing along with us. He created this life and it is an odd life we’re living.
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Annoying, random strangers coming up to ask for a photo with you just because your white, trying to sleep on travel days but the bus driver honking the horn every 3 seconds, the call to prayer being screamed into a microphone over the whole village from 5 am until 10 pm, our cook in the room next door playing the same song in the Mar language for a month straight. The Lord has given me the gift of patience through these instances so I could show the love of God to those people and not show how annoyed I was.
10. Breathtaking, the sunsets changing from yellow to orange to pink, the palm trees standing in straight lines, the tea gardens full and green, the fields of cows and water buffalo grazing, the jungle vines wrapping around everything, the woven bamboo walls of the villagers homes and the smiles of the children that we play with. The Lord has given me so many breathtaking moments here in India and I am so blessed to call it my home for this season. God has showed me to look at all of his creation and see it for its beauty and majesty.
