It’s easy in life, and the World Race, to go about your way
with a plan. There’s a routine that
forms, no matter what your lifestyle, 
things just become habit. Despite changing countries every month, and
moving around like nomads, the race is no different. There is still a routine that is formed
around travel, arrive (disoriented and confused), make initial contact with
your contact, start ministry, finish ministry, say goodbye, travel again. The only difference between this routine, and
one back home is that ministry tends to change from month to month (unless
you’re in Africa, because then it’s all pretty close to the same).
Well, this month, we’re breaking routine. Yes we traveled, and arrived (VERY
disoriented and confused due to 3 plane rides, and an unplanned tour around
Calcutta by our lost taxi drivers), but we never made initial contact with a
contact. See this month, we don’t HAVE a
contact. This is what we call and ATL
month, or Ask the Lord.
The exciting thing about ATL months is that there is no
telling WHAT God is going to do. Everyday is different because everyday you ask God what HE wants to
accomplish (as opposed to a pastor or contact we might have).
So day one, we wander the city and stumble upon Mother
Teresa’s House. Could this be where we are supposed to do ministry? God says
no, but not before showing us her tomb and ministry, and HER heart and vision
for this city…as well as how much people idolize her. Don’t get me wrong I DO NOT want to take away
from the heart of this woman, but instead of praising her for the things she
did in Calcutta, why aren’t people praising Jesus for the things HE did THROUGH
her?
Ok…so we have some ideas of what to pray over Calcutta, cool
God.
Day two, we meet Sanjay. A local clothes store worker who seems to know EVERY person and
organization in Calcutta. He was an
amazing starting point for us, connecting us to many people in organizations
where we could volunteer. Maybe that’s
why God wanted us to meet him…or maybe…we did after all spend 3 hours sitting
in his shop, talking, shopping, and drinking Chai. He has become a wonderful friend and although
we have yet to even mention we are Christians, we have been showing him something that you just can’t get from other good hearted foreign volunteers:
God’s Love.
Day three, we meet Islam, a street vendor, selling cute
purses and scarves. He is here as a
blessing to shop, right Lord? No, he is
a Muslim struggling to get by in this world on the meager wages he makes. He sets up shop right outside our hostel
gate, and everyday we walk past him 4 or 5 times. Just passing him makes me smile, and I can
only pray that he feels just as blessed by the presence we bring to him.
What else? There’s so
much. Everyday we go to a café to eat,
and there is a waiter there named Giku. He works so hard for his wife and children, who, incidently, he rarely
sees because they live about an hour outside of Calcutta and he works from
early morning til late at night. Then
there’s the church we found. We visited
there Sunday service today and were all SO filled with joy. After being drained repeatedly in Africa, we
were filled, and it felt a little like home. You’re ministering to US?! Thanks
God! And last but not least, my FAVORITE
type of ministry: I may be a girl but I can still play soccer better than most
boys around the world.
glorify is
name. How? Most countries around the world do not viewwomen as westerners do. They are viewed
as lesser human beings, if that at all, and they DO NOT play sports. So when I come and play soccer with the boys,
there is much amazement because few have ever seen girls play soccer, sometimes
even run for that matter. Today was the
first day I got to play in four months. I have missed it so much and felt a great joy as I played. Partly because I was playing a sport I loved,
and partly because I knew I was altering those men and boys perspectives of
women. I do not come with a message to
emasculate men, nor humiliate to them. I
come with a message from God: men and women were created equal, BUT they were
designed with different roles. That doesn’t mean neither deserve any less respect.
It’s so easy to get in a rut. It’s easy to go about your business, and do what you do everyday. But if
this country as taught me one thing, it’s this: ministry opportunities truly
are everywhere. They don’t always look
how you expect them to look. Sometimes
it really is as simple as a hello to make somebody feel special. But it starts
with ATL. When you are on auto pilot, you often do not hear the Lord. But when you stop to ask what HE wants to
accomplish for today, it’s exciting, you never know what he is going to do. So….have YOU ATLed today?
