Our ministry in India has been amazing. We get to spend an entire month loving on the children of Jirah Home and teaching them about God’s love. We have spent time teaching them Bible lessons, singing songs (learning theirs and teaching them new ones), doing morning devotions, afternoon games, and nighttime worship. Our days and our hearts are full at all times. As well as our bellies from all of Sendmi’s wonderful Indian cooking.
Getting to spend so much time each day immersed in God’s word and filling the hearts and minds of these children at Jireh Home is such a blessing. Each moment I fall more in love with the people here. I love these children with all my heart and love that moment when they run to hug and greet us each morning. I feel their love for us as well. Each and every one of them serve us and love us so unconditionally. It is easy to see that Morong and Sendmi are providing these children with much more than just physical and material needs. They are feeding into the hearts and souls and spiritual lives of each child. I didn’t realize how much each small moment meant to these children until one night after Bible study at “Bangalore Bible Church”.
Each Wednesday night we went to the church to have Bible study. WE all went from Jireh home, from the youngest child to the oldest adult. Of course, sometimes that young ones would get tired and even fall asleep in their chairs. At the end of Bible study we would wake them up and take them home for dinner. This particular night Jess was in such a deep sleep, it was impossible to wake her up enough for her to walk home. AS I picked her up she wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. I held her tight and let her sweet head rest against my shoulder. As we walk out the door, one of my teammates picks up Jess’ shoes. As we walk home I realize how much I love this “little nugget” and how blessed I am to be able to hold her and carry her home to a place where she is loved. When we get halfway home she wakes up, slowly looks at my face and then lays her head back down. I tell her that she is asleep so I am carrying her home. She responds with “okay” and snuggles back in. In that moment I realize that she completely trusts me. If she did not feel my love for her, waking up in my arms in the dark would be a scary thing. But there is no fear, just love and trust that she is in a safe place. She in in my arms.
Children can fall in love so quickly, so deeply and so unconditionally. Their love is not like that of an adult. They love so easily when they are shown love. I feel that I must be loving them so well and showing them God through my actions.
Having complete trust in the arms of another person is like that relationship we need to have with God. I want these children to know that they can rest in the arms of God at all times. He will never leave them and He is there for them in the good times and the bad. Just as Jess let me carry her when she was too tired to walk, God will carry is when we are just too tired to press on. We just need to turn to Him and ask for His strength and His arms to hold us.
Having these children love me so much melts my heart. It makes it easier for me to love and makes me realize that I have to love and trust in God as much and these children love and trust me… completely and unconditionally.
