I meant to post this 2 weeks ago….
After team SN’L left Agra, India
(Fei, Me, Megan, Vielka, Sara [squad leader], & Melissa) Liz and Lila are not pictured.
We moved by sleeper bus (more like horzontal roller coaster) to our host city Allahabad.
This small city hosts the Kumbh Mela (click for more info), which is the largest gathering of humans in the world (but this festival was not happening while we were there)!!!
On regular days huge tour busses of people from all over India (and elsewhere) go to this area, specifically to cleanse themselves, because it is the conflience of three holy rivers.
People usually have their body burned there after they die so they can escape the reincarnation cycle.
One afternoon our team went down to to river to pray and just see what God had in store.
When we arrived we were greeted by the chaos of Indian tourits arriving in busses, wanting to take photos with us because we are different looking (a common occurance on this journey) and dreased up little children tugging on our clothes asking us for money and chocolate.
My heart broke as my mind began wandering about what was going on behind the scenes. Obviously their parents/overseeres put them up to this.
As we were walking down to the river the kids were aggressively pulling on us like a pack of wild dogs.
So i had this quick stiring in my spirit to entertain them with singing. ?? And it worked!!
I begain singing “I love you, you love me” and “Itsy bitsy spider” and “Jesus loves me”
The childen, with their sweet faces, watched me so attentively. It was the best and most sincere audience I ever had!!
From there, we made our way calmly to the beach and we played games with the kids as they smiled and laughed.
As we played with them, I wondered if they often got to laugh and play freely.
Yes many of them were running about with no shoes or parens to be found, but I wasnt sure if they really had freedom like a child.
Especially for some of the girls who were dressed up for touriests. I wondered where their money went.
The truth is, many times we can’t know the depths of injustice that is going on. But we can engage with the moment, and be there and bring life to that moment in time.
Sometomes our engaement may not seem significant, or it may seem childlike, but sometimes that is what the situation calls for.
We must become like little children.
Matthew 18:2-4
