So far on the race we have had all kinds of ministry opportunities. Most of which have been planned. We’ve done everything from visiting schools and putting together a program for children, to visiting the slums in Nepal and evangelizing, to sanding and painting walls. Those have all been wonderful memories but still the ones that have stuck with me are the unplanned encounters. Before leaving for the race I had an anticipation in my heart for the souls I would meet. I knew that the Lord would use them to minister to me in some way and hoped he would use me to do the same in return. When I think about “doing mission work” my mind gravitates to relationships I’ve gained in the past and the future ones I will have with people from all walks of life. That kind of ministry holds the most value in my eyes. I feel the most alive.
In Bangalore, India we came across a coffee shop called Hillstation Cafe. It was the bomb!!! Yes, it was that good. Their coffee and cookies were on point and their bbq chicken sandwiches were out of this world! We visited this place so many times it was ridiculous. Sometimes we would have a second lunch or dinner there just because those sandwiches were so damn good. Aside from their food though, this place had a great environment. We came across it the first week we were in Bangalore while exploring the area that we lived in. Hillstation is a Christian business owned by a Texan (Whoo!), that has an all christian staff. We were able to create relationships with some of the sweet young people that worked there. Actually, the first time we met was at a college where we were evangelizing for an afternoon. We asked if we could pray for them, one thing led to another and we got invited to an all night of worship. Meeting them and getting to talk to them almost everyday at the coffee shop was one of the highlights of being in Bangalore. It’s always encouraging to see young people who love Jesus so passionately. Thankful for these young people and praying that their fire for Jesus continues to affect their city.
Robert. Oh Robert. This man is still one of the sweetest men I know. His relationship with Jesus was so beautiful and it overflowed in his actions and words. The two men on my team, at the time, met him at a bakery and immediately made a connection with him. After finding out that there was a team of us there in India to minister to the people of Bangalore he invited us to go to his chicken shop so we could minister alongside him to the people in that area. The seven of us walked over to his chicken shop the next day and instantly as we entered his shop we were hit with the smell of chicken shit. The smell was horrendous and so unbelievably strong. Thankfully we weren’t there too long. That day, Robert had a list of people that we were to visit and pray for. He took us to his pastor friend’s house, a small business that was owned by a Hindu family that needed prayer, a super tiny and sweltering house where a father and his son lived who also needed prayer, another home where a man lived that hadn’t been able to walk for a good number of years, and lastly his sister’s orphanage where the children had prepared worship songs. That day we walked under the hot Indian sun for five hours with only coke and cookies in our stomachs and it was the honestly best day. I remember not feeling hungry at all even though we had skipped over lunch. I had been filled with the power of God’s love and that was all I needed that day. To this very day I think about Robert and the passion he has for Christ and for his people. I won’t ever forget that smile of his.
There are many more people that I am writing about and thought it would be best to break it up into parts. Can’t wait to share the rest of these faces with all of you!
Part two will be coming soon!
