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I have a couple blogs of simple moments from India, which I’ve divided into category based on location. Some of these moments were joyful. Some were sad. Some were simply culturally amazing or funny. All are moments in which I was amazed at what was happening around me. I hope these give you a glimpse…
 
ASHA HOUSE
 
…one Sunday during church, the loud praises of the children being led in worship by Victor Sir with his guitar is so beautiful, it moves me to tears. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.

…eating lunch with the kids, scooping the rice and delicious curry into my mouth with my right hand the way Indians eat, smiling around at the kids as their little bellies swell up with the food God provides.

…two of my favorite schoolgirls, sisters Nazma and Heena, literally jumping up from their studies when they see me to run and hug me, shouting “Hello Auntie!” and throwing their arms around my waist and not letting go…

…holding Mithulesh’s hand during a church service at Asha House, he kisses the back of my hand and tells me quietly of his own accord, “I love you Katie Auntie.”
 
…walking around with Saniya on my shoulders. She shouts names at me when she sees her friends, and I stoop to one knee, holding her hands in mine and bringing them around in an awkward hug to whomever is the chosen recipient. It’s hilarious and awkward and so much fun!

…spending the night at the home, and Heena asking me to sleep with her in her bed. I respond with a smile and “teekay” (“okay”) and she’s so excited she literally jumps up and down. …Two days later, I’m in the girl’s room surrounded by about 8 girls changing from their church clothes, and she comes running into the room, making a beeline for me and shouting “My Auntie! My Auntie!”

…during our English teaching time one day, little Bhagwan looks up at me with the most fearfully concerned look I can imagine a 3-year-old boy having. He says, “Auntie? Toilet?!?!”  …hilarious!

…working with Heena on her math homework one evening, I begin teaching her and Ruth a new method of multiplication. To my amazement they begin actually understanding the process and really picking it up! We had so much fun getting bigger and bigger numbers multiplied into bigger and bigger answers! I was so proud of them…

LEPER COLONIES

…our driver Saapsingh was excited to show us a beehive on a roof in one of the homes of the leper colony. Before we knew it he climbed up, cut down the branch it was on and next thing we knew, we were being offered chunks of dripping honeycomb to suck on. One of the women there stuck a chunk right in my mouth (fed it to me)! It was the most incredible honey I’ve ever tasted…

…being twirled into a beautiful saree by my friends Brinda and Shanti. They dressed me and Julia up (complete with brown lipstick, bindis and new hairstyles) and we had a photo shoot. so fun!

…the team praying for Leshmi as she lays on her bed, sick with stage III cervical cancer; her husband Vnglesh’s sobbing as he broke down in front of us, helpless to ease her pain and suffering. The team later contributed out of our personal finances to help send her to a cancer hospital in Chennai for treatment.

…two of my little buddies, Ruth and Rajesh, pull me down to the floor and Ruth and I go cheek-to-cheek with a big “mwah!” kiss. Then we do it again, and again, and again–then Raji joins in so I have one on each cheek. Priceless love from two little girls…

… sitting in the alleyway with Julia and David Raj. My friend Brinda motions me into her house a couple doors down, then proceeds to make me some delicious South Indian dosa, which is like a crepe she serves with two sauces, one spicy flavorful red and one creamy spicy flavorful white sauce. Brinda’s daughter Ruth, one of my little buddies, scoops some up in her little hand and feeds me!

SLUMS

…walking through the slums, we passed a cot on the street, as is common for sitting and talking to one’s neighbors. On this cot there was a bundle of blankets, despite the heat; I only saw the head peeking out the top as we were right next to it. She had little pigtails and wider eyes than I’ve ever seen; her skin was stretched tight over her face, showing hunger; her mouth was open and her lips and tongue were blanketed in flies.

…during church in the slums, we take communion with the church body. The drink is sweet black tea (tasted almost like southern sweet tea!) and the bread is unleavened chapati. The Spirit was there…
 
…also during church, they are singing a Hindi worship song. I look out the
door and there’s a policeman standing there. I remember it’s illegal to
do evangelistic work in India. I tell the Lord I trust Him no matter
what. The police man goes away and nothing happens.

…after church ends, we all hang out and are given chai to drink (as usual) and gulab jamun (a syrupy doughnutty thing) and seasoned chickpeas to eat (YUM!)  Brittany is drumming with the church woman who drums, and when she asks if she can learn a drum rhythm, she is told “it can’t be taught.”
 
…visiting a home, I prayed for the man in the house who had
asked us to pray for him to be able to stop drinking. He knelt during
prayer, while others of us stood or sat on the floor in the tiny, dark,
crowded room. When I was done praying, he tenderly touched my feet in
an India sign of deep respect and gratitude. I nearly broke into tears
feeling so humbled and unworthy, knowing it’s not me, it’s Christ….

…visiting a different home on another occasion, we are asked to pray for a woman’s recurring fever illness. While speaking my prayer I had the strong sense from the Spirit that there was a secret sin going on in the household and until it was confessed and repented and cast out–but feeling it was my job to impart this to the Pastor so he could call it out, not me.

…leaving that same day, we see a Muslim funeral procession passing us by; the casket with no lid, only a piece of cloth draped over, and about 40 men following…

…walking in on our last day of ministry, a man starts talking vehemently with our Pastor. We keep walking and as we are going into the home where we always meet, our translator tells us, “they are beating him”  — being captivated in prayer until we find out they weren’t actually beating him, just arguing, and he is safe…