So I went to India, and I fell in love. I fell in love with a place and a people. I fell in love with Northeast India, with the people of the Hmar and Mizo Tribes, who have really long and unpronounceable names. I fell in love with the jungle, and the little village of Saiphai. I fell in love with the city, with the chaos of Hmarkawhlein, and with the ridiculous hills of Moulhoi. I fell in love with ministry, teaching and praying and telling people about Jesus. I fell in love with a class of over fifty children around ten years old, who stole my chalk, sang me songs, and brought me candy everyday. I fell in love with the sound of their little voices shouting “Good morning miss!” as they greeted me each day. And in that class, I fell in love with a little boy named Lalthungpuia, who sat in my lap by the fire every night but refused to listen to me during class. With a Muslim boy named Kabir who, when I first came to his class, plugged his ears when I spoke about Jesus, but, by the time I left, was reciting memory verses and singing Jesus Loves Me like it was his favorite song. And, with a precious little girl named Esther, who was responsible for taking care of her one month old sister, even though she just wanted to run around and play with the other children. I fell in love with a young man nicknamed VK, who taught me what it means to be dedicated to loving your family. And with a man named Hosanna, who taught me that you can become incredibly close friends in a very short time. I fell in love with a woman named Madoo, who cared for me like I was her own child. And, with a man named Dara, who made incredible friend chicken, and who dried his tears on my shoulder the night I said goodbye to him. I fell in love with the stars and the most beautiful sunset that I have ever seen. I fell in love with the cool nights, hot days, and the rain. I fell in love with crossing flooded rice fields and falling in, and with wading through water, mud, and probably poop. I fell in love with the animals that were everywhere, with the cows, pigs, chickens, and goats that you might even wake up to in your room. I fell in love with winding tuk-tuk rides to ministry, bumpy bus rides through the country, and crowded train rides between states. I fell in love with beautiful tea gardens, bamboo huts, and random power outages. I fell in love with tea and biscuits (which were actually crackers) every morning, and in every home we visited. I fell in love with rice and curry three times a day, and with washing my dishes out of a bucket while squatting outside. I fell in love with sleeping on a sleeping pad every night, living in a tent or empty classroom of a school, and having to walk outside to get to the squattie potties. I fell in love with taking cold showers out of a bucket, with brown water, and never truly feeling clean. I fell in love with wearing the same clothes for four days straight, then hand washing all of my clothes, and hanging then up outside, hoping that it would be sunny enough for them to dry. I fell in love with the generous and hospitable people who invited us into their homes simply because they wanted to be around us. I fell in love with my brothers and sisters in Christ from the other side of the world, with the Evangelical Free Church of India, and with the worshippers who cried, danced, shouted, and lifted their hands to God without thought for anyone around them. I fell in love with the sound of the tribal drums, the hymns that they sang in Hmar, and the song Lalnau Kalo Nih that stirred up a revival among the people. I fell in love with being introduced in each church as “The World Race Team” and being asked to present a special number, then being greeted with a “chibei”, or handshake, by everyone after the service, and having the old women slap my face or my butt. I fell in love with the opportunity to serve and to love, and to impact the lives of others, even in just the simplest of ways. But most of all, I fell even more in love with God, with hearing His voice and seeing Him move in new ways. I fell in love with how He saved Muslin and Hindi people, and how He healed broken bodies and souls. It may not have always been fun, clean, or easy, but I wouldn’t trade a single minute of it. So I went to India, and I fell in love.
