I’m in India. This is the month I have waited for. This is the reason I picked this route.
My squad met up for a few days before actually going into ministry because we were told that we were going to need an orientation before beginning this month. I thought the orientation was just going to be about what ministry would look like for us this month, but it was a bit more than that.
We had to go over things I was pretty sure I already had down by the age of 25. Things like: how to dress, how to eat, how to interact with people, and what you are allowed/not allowed to say. I knew India was going to be a culture shock compared to the other countries I had been in, but this just seemed a little extreme.
It wasn’t. Everything about this place is different from what I expected. There have been so many times that I was caught off guard or taken by surprise by the environment I now live in. From taking a bite of my donut only to realize that they have put jalapenos in it, to going to pray over church families’ homes only to find out that, even though they go to a Christian church, they still identify as Hindus that believe in many gods along with ours.
Nothing could have quite prepared me for certain moments that I have encountered this month. I have had to ask the Lord to just pave the way for me because I never know what is coming next.
My team this month didn’t really have a place to call home. Every few nights we were hopping over to another village on the coastal side of India. We only spent a few nights in each village, and every three or four days we would go back to our base, basically for showers and to repack our bags. This meant we were staying with different families, visiting different schools, and getting to know different children from the centers all the time.
Our task was to collect stories. My team had a very specific mission this month for our organization. We were asked to get to know the families that have been impacted by our organization and report their stories through videos, pictures, and blogs. It gave us such wonderful insight as to what an amazing organization we were working with. So many families that are in these poverty-stricken villages have been aided by this program of Development Centers and have been able to give their children a better life because of them.
Each center is run by the local pastor. They put the children in school and give them an after-school program to come to, not only to receive educational help, but to allow them space to be children. They laugh and play and are surrounded by people of the church that are continuously pouring into them.
Here is one of the videos my team put together for our host:
If you are considering becoming a part of this wonderful program or supporting them, please feel free to contact me with any questions. I can easily guide you to the proper channels to do so.
All for now friends. More stories from this month coming soon.
My prayer for now is that you will continue to pray for India. The percentage of unreached people in this country is unbelievable, and the only way that will change is by continuing the work of organizations such as this one. I pray over these people here doing the work. I may be leaving soon, but so many are here in the heart of India that are courageously doing His work. Give them peace, protection and provision, Lord.
