I have been in India for the month of April and it has been a welcomed change from Africa. My team is working in Delhi, the capital, at an orphange with 32 kids. All the kids, save one, are under the age of 12 and they have been amazing to be with. Needless to say, this ministry has been a little lighter than what we were experiencing in Africa, praise the Lord for that. 🙂
The kids have been teaching me a lot these past few weeks. Most of them have parents somewhere who just couldn’t take care of them. They are all living in a small building with four bedrooms, a small open area in the middle and they have the roof as well. Despite the unfortunate cards life has dealt them, they are so full of joy. They are the sweetest, funniest, most polite, well-behaved and content children I have ever met.
It is hard sometimes because I feel like I can’t give them all that they deserve, as far as my time and energy are concerned. This is the eighth month of my journey and I am tired. Energy can be hard to come by and home sometimes sneaks onto my horizon. I was having a rough day a week or so ago and we were preparing for VBS session we were doing for the kids. We usually use a children’s Bible to read stories out of and act them out and whatnot. As I was reading through our story for the day and was struck by the simplicity of the good news of Jesus and just how good that news is. The rest of that day as I watched the kids go through their daily routine of three prayer sessions that include worship and a short message on top of the VBS we were running, I felt God calling me back into a child-like faith; to just ease back and rest in the fact that we are His. In the middle of my little rut, God reminded me how fun and good it is to be one of His kids.
I wish everyone could come and hang out with these kids. Not only do they deserve our time and love but they are the best teachers. At the end of the prayer times, they all stand up and at the sound of, “1,2,3 go!” they all pray out loud together. All of them from ages 5 to 16 pray fervently for at least 10-15 minutes. We are all planning on giving them a list of things we need prayer for because they will get it done! I just imagine a huge light coming off that little building and shining bright in the darkness of predominately Hindu neighborhood and nation. They have an easy faith that is so important to them and it has been so fun learning from them.
I know I say this all the time, but God is so faithful. It is always true of course, but it can be really easy to forget. He has never left me (and never will). Even through all my `crap/just not being a nice, “Godly” person, He keeps after me. It’s funny how the majority of people that go on this trip think it will be something entirely different. I think most would say now that the World Race sucks and is really hard but at the same time is amazing and would never change any of it. I know I have gone through a lot of refining and it’s not fun but I keep asking for more. The goal is Jesus and more of Him so if that means you have to go through the fire a little to get there then I guess that’s ok :). Right when you don’t think you can handle anymore refining, God gives you 32 orphans to do it for Him, which makes it a lot easier :). He is faithful to meet our needs, to love us and make us the best we can be.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and support. If you haven’t heard, I am fully funded now so many thanks for that as well! I will try to put pictures in here later but the internet is really bad now 🙁
