Listen, I won’t lie when I say that India was one of the funniest months on the race. I am not even sure I can fully explain why or even get you to understand. It’s one of those
“You just had to be there” type of situations. However, I can promise i’ll do my best to give you a little insight into village living.
I arrived in India expecting it to be stinky, dirty, hot and mosquito infested (I was also sure my face was about to breakout like a teenager going through puberty). I was also pretty sure someone would end up with malaria before the month was over. Of course if you know me, you know I like to live on the risky side and was willing to chance it. So I didn’t bring any doxy with me on this trip and even though my friend gave me some I gave up on taking it after a week.
#risktaker
#ilovehashtags
#arehashtagsstillcool
#idkwhatscoolanymore
I forgot to mention that a few people might have peed their saris this month. It all started when I took my sari off and was completely dyed blue up top and pink from the waist down. I was a freaking smurf. Talia said “look, shes a gender reveal party” and then everyone just lost it! I was dyed those colors for a week, twice.
#sorrynotsari (my eyes look weird in this picture, ew)
Due to heavy persecution I will be vague about where we lived and the people we worked with.
I LOVED India, it WAS sometimes stinky, dirty, hot and mosquito infested (#pimplesunite)…BUT I loved every single bit of it, even the squatty potty and bucket showers. I might have worn the same 2 outfits the entire month (no i’m not being dramatic). We basically slept outside all month and slept on our sleeping pads as well as in our tents. I won’t lie, those tents don’t allow ventilations so I just risked it and slept on my pad outside. Yes, sometimes ants and mosquitos did feast on me. Real talk.
We were so fortunate to live with our ministry host this month. They were some of the most amazing people I have ever met. They loved us and others so well and by the end of the month we felt like their kids. They served us breakfast and lunch each day which allowed us to really get to experience indian food from locals. It was fabulous!! SPICY for these little taste buds but amazing!
Ministry in India was a lot of fun for me. We would leave our house at 4pm or 5pm and head to remote villages. Typically we would drive about 1 or 2 hrs away and spend the entire evening in a village. A typical night would look like us arriving and going to multiple believers homes and praying over them. When we were done with that we would go to a home church and spend an hour worshiping (in Telegu) which consists of clapping your hands as hard as you can for an hour or and hour half straight. Listen, we did have to sing at least one song a night, I won’t say we should be on American Idol but we certainly weren’t the worst i’ve ever heard….Each night one person from my team would give a word. After church we would go to someones house and eat dinner usually at 10 or 11 at night. Then make it back home around midnight or later.
During my time in india my heart was broken. I had never seen so many people worship idols and be so hungry for a savior but looking everywhere except to the one who could actually save. The spiritual oppression in India was intense but God is greater. He is on the move around the world. I learned this past month that sometimes it really can cost your life to bring kingdom. Multiple people had been beaten almost to death because they love Jesus. My ministry host being one of those people. His response to being beat more than once was “All glory be to God, I am thankful.” I can almost say with certainty that I would never have that response. I’m just keeping it real.
Living in India has changed my life. My heart is broken for these people in ways that I didn’t know was possible. My heart aches for the poverty they live in BUT it rejoices in Jesus for giving them so much joy to walk in. These people have nothing yet they are some of the most hospitable people I have ever met. They have taught me what it is like to really serve others and invite them in. While there is so much wrong with America and so many things happening I just want people to know how blessed we are to live where we live and to have the freedom that others dream of but most likely will never see until they are with Jesus.
Please be praying for the people of India as many are coming to know who their true savior is. Their eyes are being opened and people are walking in freedom. Over our time in India people were physically healed in multiple different ways. Praise God! I know some people think that God is no longer doing miracles but I’m here to tell you that I have seen many miracles over the past 5 years and God is alive and at work all around the world. You must only open your eyes, ears and heart to be able to see it.
(I have many other stories from India, just ask me when I get home.)
Thanks for reading this short update about India. I am now living on an island in Penang, Malaysia. I can’t wait to tell you what all we have been doing while here so stay tuned for the next update.
Love,
Lynzie Lynn
