India… to be honest, this was a month I was dreading. When applying for the race I was hesitant about choosing this route, because of all the things I’ve seen and heard about India, and then being placed on an all girls team didn’t make me feel any safer, but God has been so good to us this month!
We started off in Delhi for three days waiting to book train tickets to Bangalore and stayed at a children’s home there. I met this one little boy who taught me all different hand games and tried to teach me a song in his language. I was asking some of the kids when their birthdays were and I asked him, but he said he didn’t have one. It was kind of an awkward moment, so I did what anyone would do, I asked if he wanted me to give him a birthday. He said yes and so I gave him the first date that came to mind. The next day at breakfast he was so excited when people would ask him when his birthday was, and I have to admit, I was a little proud of myself for being able to make a kid happy by picking out a day to be his birthday, but it was that night when they had their prayer time and I saw that same eight year old praying and worshiping to the point of tears. I don’t know about you, but most of the time if I’m crying while I’m praying it’s not from joy. And it hit me; I may be able to put a smile on someone’s face, I may even be able to give them a birthday, but there is a joy that can be found in God that will bring tears to our eyes. It is funny that an eight year old gets this and I need a revelation to come to the same conclusion. But that’s the purpose of this journey; not to feed people or clothe them but to share this joy, this love, that will move them to tears.
We then took a train to Bangalore and are currently working with the Jireh Children’s Home. The kids here are orphans, semi-orphans, or their parents cannot afford to take care of them and honestly I think they teach us more each day than we could even pretend to teach them. They are so patient and caring to each other and the older ones are always looking out for the younger ones. They always offer to come to the ministry sites with us and they LOVE to sing! They sing before meals, after meals, before games, after and sometimes during games as well. We have been so blessed to be placed with these kids and this family!!
