India has been my favorite country so far! Which is a shock cause I thought it would be just like Nepal. Loud, cramped, and dirty. BUT I LOVE IT!!! It is quiet and peaceful and rural. After the loudness and camotion of Nepal, India feels like a breath of fresh air. I am living in a village that is completely Christian in the midst of an idol worshipping country. There are dozens of churches and prayer mountains, and many gates to peoples homes have phrases like “God is Good” or “Blessed Home”. My squad is staying in a dorm at a christian college in this village along with the students that go to school here. There are four people to a room which is soooo nice! I feel like I haven’t had that kind of space since living in America. We’ve also decorated or rooms and put our names with out passport photos outside our room just as if we were going to college. I like to say its like we’re going to college but without all the school work. It’s great! My team has two off days and one day of kitchen duty per week. The rest of the days are filled with different types of ministry! Last week we spent our time at a children’s retreat (VBS basically) that had 2,000 kids at it! There was live worship, drama, games, and talent shows. It was crazy fun and the kids loved meeting us. I think I got asked for my signature 60 times and my picture like 20 times! On free days I often go to a cafe that is run by christian Americans and what a blessing it is to be able to have ice coffee and hamburgers again!! If I don’t go to the cafe I’m sure to be up on prayer mountain. Its kind of more like a large hill but its a beautiful hike and at the top are 7 little cabins that people can stay in overnight to pray in or worship or just hang out. There is also a church on the top and a house where the pastor stays. Iv’e experienced some of my most peaceful and filling moments on the race on top of that mountain. Prayer is something I really want to grow in these next two months and how cool is it that God gave me a prayer mountain! In Swaziland we had a prayer garden and that was a great place to get alone with the Lord, but in Nepal I felt so drained cause I didn’t have any place to be by myself. But I get to India and he freakin gives me a whole mountain!! I love God! I spent last night with my friend Abby in one of the prayer cabins and we stayed up through the night worshiping and praising God and praying fervently for my mom who was in surgery. It was amazing and in the morning I got to talk with my mom and found out that the surgery went well and there was no cancer! Praise God! He’s certainly teaching me the power of prayer and persistence in prayer. I knew for so long that there was something missing in my relationship with God and that it was probably my lack of communication with God, but I never really gave an effort into praying routinely. I would pray when things got hard but when life was going smooth I wouldn’t press into him as much. As I’ve began to talk with God every day something has changed. The peace I feel is constant and the joy is always there even when trials strike. It’s knowing God that causes me to rejoice and praise when I’m going through really difficult stuff. I know his character and he is faithful and good till the end. I have so much hope because of Him and everyday he is growing within me a spirit of passion for his glory. As I’ve spent more and more time talking with God, I have found myself growing in deeper trust and intimacy with Him. He is sovereign and he is good in all things so He is where I put my hope and trust.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
