Disclaimer: This is a long post. A closing of India and a beginning of Nepal.
India
What can I say about India? As I type we’re only a week (Wait.. already a week!?) beyond India but I need to write to close the season for myself so why not write to close the season for you as well? I think I’ll close in words and in numbers.
By the Numbers
Auto rickshaw rides we took every day: 5-6
Number of times we almost died in an auto every day: 5-6
Average amount we paid per person for an auto ride: 25¢
Exchange rate per dollar for Indian Rupees: 55
Days of ministry: 16
Hours in a day spent at Sarah’s Covenant Homes (schindia.com): 8
Number of children at SCH: 105
Number of potty accidents on my person caused by orphans: Number unknown
Number of hugs per day: 100+
Average amount we spent at lunch per person: $2.25
Number of times I ate street food: 1
Number of times I got sick: 1
Bug bites: Countless
Nights slept in a hammock: 10
Number of bucket showers: 10
Number of hot western showers: 1
Hours the power was off per day in the city: 4
Thoughts by Words
India is a difficult place to be for long-term ministry, much less start this ridiculous journey called the Race. 5 out of our 8 teams spent their month evangelizing to the villages of Andhra Pradesh. Another team and mine spent ours with the beautiful (but also at times very difficult) disabled orphans of Sarah’s Covenant Homes. We were all under the same ministry of India Christian Ministry (ICM) but our experiences were vastly different.
Most people say that you love India or you don’t love India. It’s certainly a place of calling for those who are doing ministry here long term. I fell in the latter category. Don’t get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and the kids I saw almost every day were wonderful, but as described in an earlier blog post, it is definitely a texture that is acquired.
I felt a stagnancy in India; something that I’ve been trying to define and understand ever since then. I came to place of constantly needing Jesus as I quickly ran out of all the resources I had to offer. The overwhelming number of children (some days), the constant smell of sewage, and even a sense of lack from the Body of India culminated to a questioning of myself. Why can I not see Your face? What are You teaching me? What are the areas of neglect in my life that instead need to be substituted with compassion? Am I even growing?
The atmosphere was unfamiliar and I realized, after reflecting, that most of my understanding, most of my faith, all of my dependency on the Lord was deeply attached to a familiar atmosphere. Even in Nepal I see the same juxtaposition. Dear Jesus, I need you to show up because I can’t and don’t know how. I need You to love and be patient through me because I can’t and I don’t know how – a constant theme throughout my month.
All this to say that it was a month I needed. I don’t know exactly why yet but I believe the truth of Romans 8:28, ‘We know all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.’ He doesn’t waste an opportunity to teach me. I don’t want to waste the opportunity to learn. It’s just a matter of when. The difficulties, the celebrations, the sweet moments of unconditional love, the questions, the doubts, the seemingly lack of His presence – all things He works together for my good and His glory. I trust in that promise. I’m resting in that promise.
I wish I could do justice to the splendor of nature I’m surrounded by at this very moment. We’re nestled in a church at the bottom of a valley just south of Kathmandu. Small mountains of the Himalayas encompass this small village and on all sides every piece of land not covered by trees are rice fields as far as the eye can see. On a rare clear day (it’s monsoon season in Nepal) you may just be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the snow capped mountaintops in the north. So so beautiful!
Our ministry this month is evangelizing with Nepali Youth Ministries. Evangelizing consists of walking around, handing out tracts, talking with people Jesus and why we’re here and praying for people. In the most basic idea of it, we hike ‘hills’ of the Himalayas and talk to people about Jesus. It’s a difficult month of ministry for me. Both months have been, consistently showing me how limited my view is of evangelism and proclaiming the name of Jesus.
You can pray for my team this month in both strength, boldness, and order. This month is looking more like the Race that we expected but even with preparation, I still find myself frozen by fear. Physical strength because we're hiking 5-6 hours (at least) a day with no breaks throughout the week unless a heavy rain blows through. Boldness to look beyond ourselves to speak to a people desperately searching for truth. Order because there's so much confusion and chaos in this country. With Hinduism dominating this country and having 33 million+ gods, it's very clear to see disorder in conversations and even confusion with some things internally.
I'm officially missing home as two of my good friends are getting hitched today, and I'm on the other side of the world. Congratulations Dave and Dusty!
Another picture of what we wake up to every day. Is this real life?
