We made it to India! Our flight itinerary started out with a long flight to Qatar and ended in Hyderabad. We spent about three days in in Hyderabad as a squad doing ministry training, exploring the city, buying India clothes, and eating…a lot. The first couple of days for were what my squad mate Meg described as the “honeymoon phase” of the race. We were all absolutely amped to be there, to be living this crazy dream that God gave us to live. I love traveling and it is such a thrill another country. I love jogging around the area, gazing at the city from rooftops, eating awesome street food (you can feed eight people forabout $3 USD), and playing cricket from some of the locals.
I imagine it will hit everyone at different times but my “honeymoon phase” ended on third day. It hit me when were eating breakfast at our favorite “Dosa” (imagine a crepe with eggs, veggies, and spices) stand. I saw the same teenage girl serving us each day and knew that she probably wasn’t in school. I was torn up by the fact that she may be doing that for the rest of her life and may have no hope in a different future. My eyes were opened to the fact everything was so cheap in this country because the people around us were poor. I began to see the waiter at the restaurant we were eating at who was constantly bugging us to buy more food as a man hoping to make a few more rupees to feed his family. I began to feel guilty just being a wealthy American walking around – but guilt is not of the Lord. Our God is a God that brings hope to the hopeless.
As poverty set it so did motivation. As Christians we are not the saviors – Jesus is. On our own we can do nothing, but if we submit to God’s will be can be used for things much greater than ourselves. I began the pray earnestly for India on our church rooftop. I’m began asking God where to put my extra money and I was ready to start ministry right then and there. As “self sufficient” Americans its easy to put our hope in other things, a new job, a new car, a house, or a new relationship- whatever. Poverty opens our eyes to the fact that there is no hope for this world apart from Jesus Christ, who not only takes care of us as his children in this life, but offers us an eternity with our Father God through faith in him.
We are no longer in Hyderabad and ministry is going really well. We spend our days on a church compound enjoying fellowship with our team worshiping, praying, studying, working out, goofing around, and eating delicious Indian food. Things are pretty gnarly here in comparison my cushioned life in the states. We shower in buckets, hand wash our clothes, get our water from a well, and defecate in the famous “squatty potty.” I’ve been sick already and I had to go to the hospital, but God in his mercy let all of this happen before we started ministry. We’re not allowed to leave the compound because if cops were to find out what we were really here for, we would get deported and our ministry host would be persecuted. I struggle with not being able to run or explore during the day, but the ministry we’re doing and the people we interact with make compound life absolutely worth it.
God is doing a mighty work in India! Each night we travel to villages in a sketchy red van that we playfully named “Clifford.” We travel to homes and villages preaching in house churches, sharing testimonies, and praying for the sick. We’ve prayed over people that too frail to move, a boy who was born with his intestines outside of his body, women having trouble conceiving, and many others. Its heartbreaking the amount of sick people there are in every village we visit. But where is create pain, there is also great mercy. We are seeing miraculous healings each night we go out! We’ve witnessed fevers leave, headaches seize, stomach pains stop, shoulder pains stop, infected sinus passages open, and people with leg pains not only walk but run- they are all healed by prayer in God’s mercy. We’ve witnessed people receive the word we preach and give their lives to the Lord. I’m learning about gifts I didn’t know I had. God has been using me to speak powerfully in the forms of preaching and testimony and the locals have responded really well. I’m continually baffled and humbled by God’s process of using broken people to carry out His will on Earth. There are so many Indian children wherever we go. It feels like I’m camp counseling again! The kids are so sweet and so many of them are open to interact. They love dancing, playing games, and having their pictures taken. It’s a good life in India.
