About two weeks ago, both my team and sister team (team Orah) headed out to a village called Saiphai in Assam, India. Our two teams split off from the others in Hmar. We were going to spend a week teaching in the schools and encouraging the believers who lived in Saiphai. I was super excited for our trip, but I was also super sick the morning we were going to leave. It was already a rough start when I threw up three times before getting on the bus. Soon after, I was throwing up on the three-hour bus ride. But God bless Logan Gee because he had a trash bag for all my car sickness needs and even played me an upbeat happy song out loud every time I needed to vomit.
We finally made it to the village and I instantly felt like I was at home. Compared to Hmarcolin, which was where we were staying previously, this place was filled with more peace, tranquility, and rest. It was way up in the mountains where the roads were treacherous. We had to walk up a super long staircase to get to our house because the bus we were taking could not make it up the road. The house we stayed in was a small, two-story house that had just enough room to fit us and the family that was already living there (the headmaster, his wife, and his three kids). The headmaster worked as a translator and was in charge of the entire school we were working at. He also taught us how to “properly” hand wash our clothes. I still wasn’t feeling my best when we first arrived, so I blew up my sleeping pad, laid it on the floor, and took a nap.
I woke up to the smell of an amazing home-cooked meal and the sound of kids, one boy, and two younger girls, playing with my teammates. There was Emmanuel, who was 13, Buela, who was 9, and Ruth, who was 5. I went on to make amazing relationships with each one of those kids and they all hold a special place in my heart today. The two younger girls would pretend to serve tea to Logan and me, and Emmanuel and I would play badminton whenever we could. Some nights we would sing songs in the upstairs room with them, play hide-and-go-seek around the village, or let them color in our journals. Other nights, Logan, Izac, and I would be watching Harry Potter and Emmanuel would tap on the door and say, “Brother, may I enter?” in his Indian accent.
Every meal we ate was shared with both my team and our sister team. We sat around a family-style dinner table, ate the finest Indian curry with rice, and drank chai tea. The First few nights, Austin, Logan, and I would sit out by the fire, play with the coals, watch the fog roll in, talk, and sing worship songs. 2 days later, the school opened and students came to stay in the dorms that were on the hill where we stayed. Since we lived right next to the students, we would all meet every night at the bonfire and sing worship songs together. Some were in Hmar and some were in English.
On the third day, we went to the school to teach the kids English. Izac and I went into a classroom together and taught them John 3:16 and John 14:6. We also told them about ourselves and how we came to meet Jesus.
Almost every day we would go to a different church to worship in Hmar and to feast on their food. The believers there are not ashamed of their faith at all, even though India is the 10th most persecuted country in the world. When we worshiped there, the locals would all come to the front and start a mosh pit type thing. With all our hands raised toward the sky, we praised the same God but in different languages.
This was truly one of the best weeks of my life. Our two teams were able to grow super close, and I was able to make such tight relationships with the people in the village in just one week.
I would like to take this time to thank all my supports for sending me here. This is not only my journey but yours as well. Your generosity sent me here, so I want to share my experiences with you. You are the reason I was able to experience Saiphai, India. Thank you.
