Sielmat, India.
Water pouring from the sky. Rivers of milky brown water that looks like the chai tea I crave after each morning workout. Surrounded by lush green mountains and miles and miles of rice fields. This is not the India I imagined. Sure, there are daily bowls of curry, spoonfuls of dragon chili powder, and sweet cookies with morning tea (they call them “bae”… I understand why). I’m falling in love.
I met a Principal the first night and he half-joking asked me to stay for the year to teach in his school. I am tempted. We’ve been here 5 days now, and I have enough stories to write a book. God is at work here. I have much to learn from this faithful community.
Bibles for the World started nine years after, Dr. Rochunga Podiate translated the bible in Hmar for his village. Since then, the organization has trained and sent out many faithful servants to unreached communities around their village in India and the world. They spread the gospel through wholistic care – education, medicine, and partnership ministries. As a squad, we are joining many of their ministries throughout the village. Each day looks different. Today, my team went to a nearby remote conservative Hindi village to set-up a medical camp.
Bibles for the World has tried to set up a free, pop-up clinic for a long time and since, has been rejected by the leaders. But today, we showed up anyway. Our liaisons spoke with the locals and… they let us stay! At first, they said we could not pray for the patients. But God softened their hearts again! After the patients received treatment, they came into a tent where we prayed over them before sending them to the pharmacy table. I asked a beautiful older women with a pink scarf if I could pray for her and she rejected me. Namaste, she bowed and walked away. So I joined my squadmate, Hayley, and we asked to pray for another. She received the blessing and walked away.
Shortly after, the woman in the scarf returned and asked of prayer for her foot. A small group of us began praying and God began to release the pain and heal her! She bowed several times, thanking us and wiping tears from her eyes. She quickly ushered more of her friends and children from the community to us to receive prayer. We declared healing over their bodies and the revelation of Jesus. The liaison informed us that we were apart of something special. They now have an “in” to continue building relationships with this unreached people group.
The afternoon ended with tea time, lunch, and a spontaneous dance party.
That’s the joy of the kingdom, unfolding around us everyday. I want to keep showing up to the party.
