Confession time. India was the country that I was the least excited to go to. I was looking forward to having it as our first country and then being able to move on to bigger and better things….Man, God has completely changed my heart through the people and community that I have met here in India.
I have fallen in love with India and its people. The community here at Bibles for the World is unlike any other. One of the many things that the Lord has taught me here is how much I value community and it has been amazing to see how much our squad has thrived in this environment.
The part of India that we were in was absolutely gorgeous and breath taking BUT that doesn’t really mean anything if you don’t have a connection with the people that surround you in my humble opinion.
This month started out really awkward not knowing what this new season was supposed to look like. I felt very out of place for the first two weeks but then I started to figure out how things were run and learning to just go with the flow. I didn’t realize how much I love being on a schedule and knowing what is supposed to be happening next. The World Race will break you of that habit very quickly!
The last two weeks in India include all of my favorite memories and that is when I started to develop true relationship with those in the local community. We were working with an orginzation called Bibles for the World which covers many different kinds of ministries. These include medical camps, passing out bibles, local construction work and sponsorship for the local community. It was during the some of these ministries that I met a man named Victor.
Victor and his family become my favorite part of India. I met Victor on a Friday night after a youth program when a few of the trusted locals offered us a ride home on their motos. I could not turn down a moto ride! He found out I was from Chicago and that is when the friendship began. My teammate Ali became very close to His family as well through becoming friends with their dog Milo….if you knew Ali at all, this would not surprise you. We then visited his family for tea and were able to see into how they lived life day to day and just simply sit back and relax. Victor has an amazing story that includes him being a sponsor child through Bibles for the World and now he is strong man of God, has a wife and a son, and working at the local hospital as an optometrist. There have been ups and downs in his life but to hear how he has pulled through all of that through the grace of God is inspiring.
Then the last week of being in India I worked at a local medical camp where I was able to work with Victor. This led us to having more conversations and being able to goof around. I even found out the Cubs won the World Series from him! I tried to invest in a few people during my time in India and so that means that I always ask the questions and seem to make the effort. Victor was the first person to ask about my life and take interest in who I was. This then led to my favorite memory and night in India.
Half of our squad was able to have an extra day in India due to a travel mistake which meant that I wanted to make the most out of my time! It ended up being a day where it was consistently down pouring, feeling out of place knowing that we were leaving, I did not feel good at all and our ministry got cut short that day. To say I was in a pissy mood is an understatement. The Lord ended up blessing me in a way that I did not think was possible.
On our last night Two of my squad mates and I ended up going over to Victor’s house after dinner and simply enjoying each other’s company. This was the first night and time that I felt at home in India. I felt like I was around family and able to fully be myself. I have Victor and his wife Mary to thank for that beautiful gift. Being able to laugh and hang out with them was what I exactly needed on my last night in Inida. I will not soon forget the smiles from Caleb (Their son), laughing at Milo play with Ali or looking at family photos! They welcomed and loved us like family.
The community of Seilmat, Manipur, Inida…you have captured and stolen a part of my heart. Words cannot begin to describe how thankful I am for all that I was blessed with this month. I went into the World Race thinking I would bless others but this past month it was more the other way around!
Inida….you will always have a piece of my heart. How will I handle be able to handle 10 more months of this?
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