season of joy.

  10,000 Reasons. When I hear this I see 11 boys sitting on the hard floor of an orphanage in India. I see them beaming from ear to ear and lifting up the name of the Lord. I hear their beautiful voices singing, "Jesus, I will worship your Holy name" a Capella. I feel my heart fill with so much joy I can barely contain it and I feel my eyes brim over with tears. I imagine their loss, their heartache, and their pain but I see our mighty God prevail through this all. I see joy and I see victory over our broken world. 

                      Psalm 103. 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
    his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
    he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
    he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
    and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
    and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his word,
    obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
    his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
    in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

During this season of joy and family and snow and presents and celebrating Christ's birth I have so much to be thankful for. I'm thankful for the moment on that orphanage floor I just described. I'm thankful for all the Lord taught me in India. I'm thankful for a wonderful, crazy family that loves me so dearly. I'm thankful for an addition to the family coming in May. I'm thankful for Northwestern, my youth group, my friends who love me at my worst, and so much more. But above all else I'm thankful for the cross. I'm thankful that even if I didn't have anything else, I have the promise of being a beloved daughter of the King. So during this season I will try to remember the 10,000 Reasons I have to bless the Lord. 

Far from Glamorous

A friend of mine who works with sex-trafficking wrote this, and I asked if I could share as well- it's beautiful and it needs to be heard. She is on the front lines of human trafficking. Pain and abuse threaten to overwhelm her daily. She is the hands and fee of Jesus.  She is a beloved daughter of the King committed to furthering the kingdom and fighting injustice. 

Folks, we need to hear the truth. We need to know what sex-trafficking looks like and what fighting it looks like.

The beauty.  The heartache.  The frustration.  The warfare.  The silence.   

And how God is in every bit of it.   

Friends, we need a reality check.   

My prayer is that our hearts will be forever changed.  

   

 "Far from Glamorous" 

Greetings,

When I was asked to do this my initial response was "I would love to!". I would love to share the reality of human trafficking and working overseas with survivors.

First I want to start off with a question for you… 

What comes to mind when you think of aftercare for survivors of sex trafficking?

Is it taking them by the hand, and walking along side them in a beautiful center that was built just for them? Training them maybe in a skill or teaching them English?

Aftercare in the area of sex-trafficking is a very long process that often starts with teaching a grown woman how to hold a pencil and write her name. 

In thinking over what I would share with you, I decided not to plan it all out, but to instead just type. So, I have only been living in India for 6 months, and I am 25. Therefore, I still have a ton to learn, but I can share with you what the Lord has taught me thus far. 

First of all to think that one could just walk in and lead a girl out by the hand is absurd. Especially in a foreign country where corruption reigns like many other places, even the US. Really think about it. How will you communicate? Why should she leave with you? She is making good money, and being fed. Who are you to her? Why should she trust you? Everyone she ever trusted let her down. It is important to understand that she has no concept of trafficking.  

SHE DOES NOT KNOW SHE IS BEING TRAFFICKED.  

She does not know she is being abused. She learns all these things later, if at all…. I use "she" here to make it a little more personal for you because it is very personal for me knowing 30 of these truly amazing ladies that have the following as their stories. 

These women are brought to the brothels in different ways. 

Some are born into them, and inherit their mother's job. 

Some are tricked by a madame at a bus stop and drugged. 

Some have a love marriage to a man that is married to many other women. 

Some live in red-light districts.

 Some operate out of their homes in the slum. 

Some work at a train station and go home in the morning. Some work out of auto-rickshaws. 

All of the methods in the brothels in red-light areas are controlled by pimps, police, and mafia as well as some of the other trafficking rings. These are highly organized systems, and the people running them are highly skilled professionals.  
These women are controlled, dehumanized, and broken to a point where selling herself becomes all she knows.
 It becomes her normal, her comfort zone even. 
Some may ask "why does she not  just run away?" Well, because a girl she knew tried to run away, but was caught. She was brought back horrifically abused in ways you could never imagine and killed in front of her along with all the other ladies she works with. They make examples out of runaways. 

So, would you run? I wouldn't.  

They remain, until a raid where they are chosen. Where often in raids the police do it for the publicity, but then take the girls right back to the brothel. However, some chosen ones are truly removed from their situations. 
Among these even fewer are removed forever.

Now that you have a little idea of what sex-trafficking in India is I can share with you daily life.

First off, it is hard. 

It takes a lot of patience. Things take so much longer. What takes 5 minutes in the states can take days here. It is consistently inconsistent. There are culture things that shock you daily. Even sometimes things that you don't even realize.  

There is a constant presence of darkness. 

A constant presence of confusion. It is often a fight to even be able to wake up and face the day. 
Then there is the understanding of trafficking in India and what it looks like. It takes a long time to even be able to understand where the trafficking is, and how it is happening.  
The enemy is working and has grabbed many souls here, many are captive to the lies that he constantly breathes out. 

Many are in great need of the Savior. 

What I do daily is far from glamorous. Every day there is a need of constant prayer. Prayer against confusion, lies, and exhaustion… Some days it is getting lost for 4 hours because you can't find the right place, or waiting for 3 hours for no one to show up. Or waiting for and entire day for the water truck to come so you don't thirst to death. There is a concept of survival time that accounts for a lot of the day. Life in general takes much more energy than in the States. 

Then there are the beautiful ladies that I have the privilege of knowing. Some days it is just helping them get all the bed bugs out of their things and killing roaches. Some days, it is teaching them to use dental floss because they have no idea what it is. Sometimes it is teaching them how to save money because they are about to leave and "go work elsewhere." 

Some days you walk in to realize that one of your favorites and her 2 year old daughter are gone. Then you realize that you will probably never see them again. You wonder if they will ever know the love of Christ. You wonder what will happen to that beautiful baby. 

Some days you cut and glue photos so that the ladies can get identity card, or work with one for hours just helping her write her name. 

Some days you just sit while two ladies lay on your lap and weep because they miss their family. One missing a family that has passed, and the other missing a family she hasn't seen in 4 years. 

Again It is far from glamorous. I do nothing. Only God has the power to save.  

So, I  pray a lot, and carry a lot of souls to the throne. 

In the midst it is often hard to believe that the Lord will come to them in the midst of such great darkness and oppression.   

...but...

He is bigger than all the oppression, all the darkness, and all the pain. He sets the prisoners free. It is for freedom that He sets free. 

I have seen very few glimpses of this freedom over the past few months until recently. 

And the glimpse is just that, very small. 

A smile for the first time from a lady that finally decided to try writing after not being interested for 6 weeks. 

A laugh. I love to get to see these ladies laugh, and I am so thankful that they still can. 

Most exciting thus far has been this one question and comment. 
One of the ladies asked what fruit Adam ate, and shared how she had been reading in Genesis. 
On her own. 
Now the question is insignificant, but what the Lord communicated to me was of great encouragement to my soul. The Lord draws them near to His word. These ladies have the opportunity to experience Christ, their redeemer, in ways you and I never could. He showed me that He was not only hearing this prayer to draw them near, but also acting! These moments are increasing so Praise be to God. Lets us walk in belief in the power of the Holy Spirit and know in our heart that He is Faithful. At the end of the day He is all we have. He and our hope in Him. 

May they soon have the same. 

a month ago..

A month ago today I was saying some painful goodbyes to people and places I had fallen in love with. Could it really be a month? Many days I feel fine, some moments I miss India so much it feels like my heart might burst, and some days I just feel "off" and have no idea why. My heart still aches for the women I met and the pain that filled their lives. I still pray they come to know the beautiful freedom they have in Christ. Years and years could pass, but this will always be my prayer for my sisters in Christ in Bangalore. Today, as always, God reminded me that He hasn't stopped fighting for his children in Bangalore, Orange City, or any place in between. Even when I'm overwhelmed with the injustice in our world, He is fighting for justice and He is ONLY good. God is greater than the hurt, stronger than the hurt, and His love will never fail us. Our God is fighting for us, always. 

Wait for the LORD.

I've been back almost three weeks and life is feeling fairly normal after lots of adjusting and lots of processing still happening. Since being back I've gotten this question a lot, "What are you going to do now?" or "Are you going back?" And I wish I had super great, exciting answers to these questions, but I don't. Now I'm going to go back to school and after that I have absolutely no idea. Would I love to go back to India? Absolutely! But do I feel confirmation that the Lord is calling me back? Not right now, no. I have two years of school left and have no idea what my life will look like in two years.

Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." And at the moment I feel like the Lord is telling me that this is my answer. He's reminding me to trust in His perfect timing and trust in His goodness. I learn over and over again that God sees things differently than we do, and so much better than we do, and answers to prayers may not come in the form we would like or as quickly as we want them too, but they do come. And they come at the perfect time. So now I'm praying that I will be able to abide in Christ and wait in His timing, and that in two years the Lord will make His plan for my life very evident to me. And if that plan includes India I would be thrilled and be obedient, but if it doesn't...I'll also be obedient to any other call He may have. Because after all, He works for the good of those who love Him and and He is only good. 

Here are a few snapshots of my time in India. Goodness, do I miss this...

{a few of our beloved neighbor kids}

{one of many hugs at the aftercare center}

{women stitching and crocheting at the stitching center}

{helping with after school work}

{love knows no boundaries}

{rocking and singing to this beautiful girl at the aftercare center- she lived there with her mama and brought so much joy into the room}

{my family for seven weeks (and now life)- Lydia, Darci, Jill, Erin, and myself- I was beyond blessed to do life with these four}

rebuilding the wall.

I'm home, back in Sioux Center. It's good to be home, but it's also very strange. I've rewritten this paragraph about six times and am just not quite sure what to say yet. So instead I have a few simple thoughts about what God's been reminding me through Nehemiah lately.

Our very first devotion in India started in Nehemiah. I'd never really read Nehemiah and honestly had no idea what it was about. Lydia briefed us and told us that for seven weeks we each had a specific part of the wall to build while in India- God had a plan for each of us. And for our very last devotion we ended our time again in Nehemiah. Just as God called us to India to rebuild a part of the wall, He also called us back to build another part of the wall. This is something I definitely need to remind myself when my heart aches for India and I feel useless in Sioux Center- that God has called me back and there is hurt here too and He is active, alive, and triumphant in the midst of the hurt here as well.

Rereading Nehemiah now that I'm home God keeps teaching me more. In Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah is being burdened and is reminded of God's character and asked Him to act. He's calling upon the goodness of God, and as I'm home I have to continually call on the goodness of God and plea with him to act in the midst of despair. I hurt for the women I met in India, and I won't stop fighting for them. But when the hurt gets overwhelming (and it often does), I have to call on the character of God and be reminded of HIS power and grace just as Nehemiah did in chapter 1. Today I've been reminded of God's power and grace through these song lyrics:

After all You are constant

After all You are only good

After all You are sovereign

Not for a moment will you forsake me

Not for a moment will you forsake me

lasts, goodbyes, and lots of processing!

  1 sleep! That's it. That's the amount of time I have left in this beautiful city. Although this past week has been filled with lasts, goodbyes, and processing...it has been a good week. The Lord has really, really blessed this week. Almost every day this week we said goodbye to another ministry site and more people whom I have fallen in love with and may never see again. While these were not necessarily easy or fun because these people have changed my life, I'm okay with the place I'm in. God has me in a place of contentment right now, which is definitely an answered prayer! This week has been slow, but in a very good way in which I was able to soak up every moment of it.
  Through much of my processing I've realized how difficult and frustrating my time here has been at times, but I've also realized how much I've fallen in love and how much there is yet to be done and how much God is doing! So often I felt useless or felt as if I was chipping away at a rock solid wall and making no progress, but in these quiet moments God reminded me that I was at that specific ministry at that certain time for a reason, and I was there to love hard and to shine His love on these girls and women. Leaving is difficult, but I am so hopeful because God is NOT done here. God is so much bigger than we are and He is continuously working! I have to remind myself that for seven weeks we are only a small, small part of God's plan for this city and that He will continue to fight for these women and children-- He'll fight for their good!
 Thursday was our last day of ministry, and after many goodbyes we took one day to be all American tourists, which was fun after seven weeks of doing life here day in and day out. We took a beautiful drive and toured a palace, which was again so so beautiful and intricate. The entire place blew me away. Then we got to ride an elephant! I almost cried getting on, but then I was fine. We finished our day by going to another beautiful dam/garden in the midst of the jungle, or something that resembled a jungle? It was just a very refreshing, fun day to finish off our trip! The next two days are packed with finals such as debriefing, shopping, packing, and more goodbyes. I am beyond excited to go home and give everyone a big, big hug! While I will miss this place and these people, they will forever be in my heart and continuously be lifted up in prayer.
 While this week was definitely a blessing, there were still difficult moments and in those moments I clung to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are bing renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Specific prayer requests:
- good health and safe travels back home! Darc and I just discovered we're on different flights going from Germany to Chicago so we'll all be traveling alone for the second half of our trip..eeek!
- peace about leaving this city and these people! and please, please continue to pray for this city, but specifically for the women and children who are still in the midst of hurt each day. Pray they would draw near to Jesus and drink the living water.
- a smooth adjustment back into American culture, this has not been easy for me in the past.

1 sleep! I'm so excited to see y'all, share stories, and catch up on life back home. I'm looking forward to many, many coffee dates! America, I can't wait for your delicious steak, my own clothes, a comfortable bed, an adjustment, and an actual shower! See you soon! 

10,000 Reasons

This week has been wonderful in so many ways. We have our team of 6 here which has been such a blessing! With 6 extra people in the house though it has also been a very tiring week. I've experienced a lot of different emotions this week and I'm not sure I have even completely processed everything that has happened yet. That being said, I really don't have words for this week quite yet. Instead, I'm going to simply tell you three short stories that might display a glimpse of the beauty I have experienced this week.

Last Saturday we went to the HIV orphanage to love on the kids. Their ages range from 5 to 18 years old. I did Bible study with the four oldest girls talking about the character of God and then told the little kids a story. Next, we were going to do a craft with the older boys, but since we're in India and nothing ever goes as planned :) that didn't end up happening. Instead, all of the boys sat in a circle and suddenly started singing 10,000 Reasons. And these boys can really sing--they are awesome and love Jesus with all their heart. Seeing their joy and passion blew me away. The oldest boy got his guitar and we all sat together singing praise songs. This was one of the most worshipful times I've had during my time here, sitting together with 12 HIV+ boys singing about the 10,000 reasons we have to bless our wonderful Savior. This song has come up repeatedly and been the song of our week- God is clearly saying something!

Tuesday morning 6 of us stayed home in the morning and prayed together. We headed up to the roof and prayed over the house, the future aftercare center it may be, and many many other requests. During this time it was really like we had entered the throne and the Spirit was speaking through us. Then we paired up and headed to each room to pray over it and the women who may live there in the future and the Spirit was definitely present then too. It's so comforting to know that yes, we are fighting for these women who have been trafficked, but their heavenly Father is fighting so much harder for them and loves them so much more!

And then Friday we headed to the aftercare center again. The Lord has really just placed two women on my heart, one of whom I told you about yesterday. The other is very quiet, doesn't really open up to anyone, and looks fairly hopeless to many people but this is not what I see at all. Yesterday I walked in and she gave me a big hug, grabbed my hand and rarely left my side. We laughed together and I saw hope and joy fill her rather hopeless world. Then she asked me to pray for her which was such a blessing. It has just been such a blessing to be able to love on her and have a special relationship form with her. My prayer is that a seed is planted and one day soon her eyes are opened to the love of her wonderful Savior. So keep this dear friend of mine in your prayers. Pray she would know love, joy, peace, and hope that comes from Jesus Christ alone.

My biggest prayer request for this week is for protection, physically and spiritually. I really feel that I have been set free from much of my anxiety, but this past week I often struggled with thoughts of inadequacy or doubt. So pray that these thoughts would flee and that the Spirit of the Lord would fill this home.
- 2 Corinthians 3:17 "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

falling in love again.

Many of you know that two years ago, on a very short trip, India stole part of my heart. Well once again, these people have my heart. I love this country and the people I'm working with! Relationships are being formed more and more each day and I truly love these beautiful children of the King! I love the moments spent laughing and singing with people crippled by AIDS. I love being made fun of, laughing, and praying with the women at the stitching center (we like to laugh...a lot). I love just sitting with the women at the aftercare center and hearing their stories. 1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" Note the two exclamation points..this is something to be excited about! All these people that I've grown to love are God's children and my desire is that each one would know this truth, but it breaks my heart that a lot of them don't. There are A LOT of people in India, but there's also a lot of confusion and idolatry. Knowing that God created every single person in in his image and that he knows and loves each of them literally blows my mind, but it also breaks my heart that so many have turned away from him. My favorite 'India song' is "God of this City" and one line says, "You're the light in the darkness." God has proved this over and over each day I've been in Bangalore. Some days his light shows through a breeze or a beautiful sunset. On Sundays it shines bright through Christian fellowship at church. One day, at Costa Coffee it shined bright when Laura Story's 'Jesus you are stronger...' song came on their radio. Yupp, definitely God shining through! On Tuesday I shared the story of Noah with a 15 year old Hindu girl at the stitching center who is so curious, loves Bible stories, and absorbs everything! It's in these moments that I know that God is here and he is shining his light on his children.

This week, I was also reading in Romans and God blew me away with a verse I've known all my life. Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But then I went on to verse 24, "and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." woah! This is exactly what I want the masses of people in India to know. Especially those who have been trafficked, so pray that the people at the hospital, stitching center, and aftercare center will know that they are freed from sin through the undeserved kindness that Christ showers on us. Pray that they'll know they are sons and daughters of Jesus Christ and he delights in them and pursues them. Christ redeems us. The definition of redeem is 'to obtain release by paying a price, to buy back' This has been really heavy on my heart for trafficking survivors because they have been bought before. Their bodies have been sold and they've repeatedly been told they are worthless. But it's my prayer that they would know worth in Christ and find their beauty back in his love. Restoration is a very, very long process for these women, but pray that our partnership would be fruitful and we would trust in the Lord's plan for these women's lives. On Friday, I got to see evidence of Romans 3:23-24 at the aftercare center. I sat next to a woman who spoke a little english and asked her how she was. She said worried so I asked if she ever talked to God about her worries. She proceeded to tell me she prays and reads her Bible every night. She's been a believer since she was little, even throughout her time being trafficked! Then she painted 'God is love' on her paper and said, "Jesus love me. I love Jesus." I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest! Praise the Lord that this women has found her worth in Christ! And then, she sang 'Oh Come all Ye Faithful' for me because it's the only english song she knows :) such beauty.

prayers for this week:

- health. A few of our team members have not been feeling the best this week, so pray the Lord would sustain them and give them new strength each morning

- our team of 6 coming tomorrow--this next week will be very busy!

- that God calls the women we work with near to him and to his word

- that we, as a team, would find peace in the Lord's leading and trust in his plan concerning ministry

- that God's light would continue to shine in the darkness

it's all about the little things!

This past week God has been teaching me a lot about patience and grace. Things usually don't go as planned here in India. Our days are often filled with lots of waiting, traveling, and improvising new plans if old plans fall through. It's often during these moments that I ask God, "Why am I here?" "Did you really send me halfway across the world to spend so much time hanging out with people?" Why yes. Yes He did. I'm here to love and during this waiting I get to love on women, kids, or people in the street! This waiting also leads to wonderful conversations that would not have happened otherwise. For example, on Tuesdays and Thursdays we teach a Bible story at the after school program in a slum. The first day was amazing. There were 100 kids packed into a room all beaming! We had countless kids call us 'auntie' or 'aca' which is a respectful term for an older person or sister. And then...the best part came. 100 kids sang, no...shouted, praises to the Lord both in English and Tamil. It was quite possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever heard in my life. Talk about joy and gladness..these kids have got it! Then we came back on Tuesday and God tested my patience and my grace. First, Darci and I waited to teach the little kids. and waited... Then we finally got to teach but I'm not sure a single child was listening, it was madness. Then we headed over to the older girls class but it started down pouring. Between the wind, rain, and squeals of all the girls it was impossible to hear anything. So we joined the boys but it was so crowded and loud that no lesson was taught. I was pretty bummed because I really have started to form relationships with some of the older girls. BUT! God still had a pretty awesome plan. During that time I got to sit and chat with about 5 of the older girls. We talked about how sin came (which was going to be our lesson) and why God had to send his Son. They were all full of questions and very open to talking about faith. Two told me they were Christian and the other three were Hindu. One girl pulled out her Bible and I showed her my favorite passage and she marked it to read! This is a small step, but it's an awesome step that wouldn't have occurred had things gone according to our plans.

This week God has reminded me that it really is all about the little things. God has given me something wonderful to learn or experience each day. On Monday, we had the opportunity to play games with the AIDS patients which was so fun! They were so happy and it was a blessing to see them smile, clap, cheer, and laugh because that's not exactly the norm around there. My joy came from helping one girl walk back to her room. Small thing, right? but so much joy. Her left side is partially paralyzed so it's very difficult for her on her own so I got to hold her hand and talk with her a bit. I learned she has two children living at a nearby orphanage and I'm not sure if her husband is living anymore so she has been in my thoughts and prayers often lately...she's the sweetest.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday it was great to hang out with the women at the stitching center and see relationships beginning to form. Two of them are teaching me all I need to know about how to survive in India :) There are three younger girls there too so that's been cool to be able to hang out with them as well.

Friday we served at the hospital again. One girl sang beautifully to us and we were blessed with some good, broken English conversations. All we know in Kanada is 'channagiday' which means good or pretty so we say that allllll the time and people always laugh at us. We also spent the afternoon at the aftercare center. Instead of teaching a lesson we just told them how Jesus came to serve us so we wanted to serve them that day because we love and care about them. For some reason, when Jill explained that to them it almost brought tears to my eyes because even though I barely know these women I really do love and care about each of them! We painted each others nails and I got to know some of the women better. One women is transitioning to another center so it's very cool to see God at work in the lives of these women! He truly is bringing redemption and restoration even though it can be a slow and long process. God is at work in this city!

Prayers for this week:
- I'm doing so well and this finally feels like home but satan seems to attack me in the quiet moments in the house so pray that God sustains me during those moments! This does not happen often, but when it does I often don't feel well physically or spiritually which is difficult to work through.
- that God continues to work in India! We've met a lot of different young people from the States here this week and it's so cool to see God working through this generation. Lately my prayer is that our generation would bring a revival, not only in India, but until the ends of the earth are reached.
- continued growth for the women in the aftercare center, both mentally and spiritually
- open hearts at the stitching center. I often get to pray for the women there and it's so interesting to see some praying to God alone and some Hindus praying fervently, but simply to one of their gods.
- we have a short term team coming this week so pray for their safe travels and that God would prepare their hearts
- and finally, that God would lead here and we would follow his calling. Our team cannot do it by our own strength, and when we try, God always reminds us! His thoughts are higher than our and His ways our higher than ours so pray that we would listen to His thoughts and follow His ways.


- Kels

so much to tell!

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Where to begin? It’s almost been two weeks and I could probably go on forever! I am overjoyed to be back in India ministering to God’s beloved children. I have so much to tell and wish each of you could experience what I’m experience..but you can’t. So I’ll do my best to tell you as much as I can, but I apologize if none of this makes sense.

After about 28 exhausting hours of travel, and no problems with my visa (PTL!), Lydia and Jill greeted us at the airport with hugs and big smiles, especially for 3:00 am. The first week here was rough. I didn’t sleep well, and my body just seemed to be confused and adjusting to all the changes. It definitely is true that India doesn’t taste, smell, look, sound, or feel like home. Some things that are different: I’m becoming more adventurous with Indian food, and am actually enjoying most of it! (Ry and Ash…you’d be proud) The streets are always busy and loud here, at every hour day or night. Seeing cows, dogs, goats, and chickens roaming the streets has become normal. Rickshaws are our most common form of transportation. I’m getting adjusted to power flickering on and off and understanding how “India time” works. I speak in short phrases often to communicate through the language barrier such as, "You eat?" "What your name?" "Very pretty." We’re also stared at like we’re unicorns around here, but we also get pretty excited when we see other white people so we understand!

Even in these first few weeks, days have not always been easy but the Lord has blessed me richly through those times. First, I absolutely love my team. Discipleship with them has been absolutely beautiful. Personally, God has been teaching me what it looks like to daily abide in Him and stand under His waterfall of grace. Since there is not a lot of communication, I’ve talked to God A LOT. He’s taught me so much in these two short weeks and has so much more in store for the next 5!

So…ministry. We don’t have a set schedule but our weeks often look similar. Mondays and Fridays are usually spent serving at the AIDS orphanage and hospital. We clean, do laundry, and talk with the patients or whatever else they need done! Although this is humbling work I find complete satisfaction and joy in it. I think it’s largely because I know the importance of a clean hospital (the nursing student in me really comes out here) and I love caring for the unlovable and letting them know they are loved by the creator of the universe! We try to find time to spend with the 18 orphans as well, but that’s been difficult scheduling wise. (We’re learning a lot about India time, flexibility, patience, and grace) All 18 orphans are HIV+ but you would never know by interacting with them. They are such a blessing to talk and giggle with and are overflowing with joy! The stigma of HIV/AIDS truly astounds me. Most of these people have not done anything “bad” to contract this disease, they’ve just been dealt some not so great circumstances and still need love, most importantly…the love of our Father!

Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are spent at the stitching center in the slum. We do gospel stories through henna on Wednesdays and life-skills class on Thursdays. A lot of our time here is just spent talking with, learning from, and loving on the women. My favorite experience thus far has been with a little girl there whom I’ve grown quite fond of…we even have a super cool handshake! It went a little like this:

Girl: you doctor?

Me: no, studying to be nurse.

Girl: Nurse?! Come! (and takes me outside alone) Doctor listen to heart. Boom, boom and say is bad

…so I listened to her heart, took her pulse, and let her feel mine. I told her her heart was okay and the doctor wasn’t bad. Her face lit up so bright and it made me SO happy. Little moments like these often seem silly and unimportant, but these are the moments that bring such joy and peace.

Friday afternoon we went to the aftercare center. My heart physically hurt going there. About 30 women live there and they’ve all been trafficked. Seeing the smiles on their faces and hearing them giggle, I simply could not imagine what they’ve been through. The language barrier is difficult here, but the easiest way to communicate is to smile…a lot! Though it was hard to go and see the faces of the many statistics I’ve researched it was here that I also saw redemption. I saw hope and I saw joy. Through the short time I’ve spent there I can feel God at work. He does so much behind the scenes work here, even though it’s not always evident to us. I cannot wait to see more of His work, His healing, and His restoration in the next few weeks!

I could tell so much more, and a lot of this is probably word vomit but it’s so difficult to sum up my experience! Here are a few moments that have brought joy:

-       successfully packing six people into a rickshaw

-       neighbor kids with smiles as big as the moon asking for “chocolate” aka any form of candy

-       successfully getting home from the grocery store in an auto with Erin

-       trying a cucumber for the first time in India, even though we have them in our garden back home (by the way dad, I loved them…be ready to share)

-       finding oreos, peanut butter, and diet coke at the store...mmm!
-    running through the street during a downpour while all the natives laugh at us

-       Erin laughing hysterically at my face each time I get really excited

-       Chicken at a restaurant that reminded me of mama’s smothered chicken and plain spaghetti to remind me of dad!

-       ALL of the notes in my encouragement book. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve read them all already and them bring so much encouragement each time I re-read them

I just want to let y’all know that I love you and am so thankful for each of you! I won’t get on too often, so only expect about 5 more posts (which are hopefully more organized) You all make my trip possible with prayer, so finally some prayer requests:

-       health and strength for the team, that we would rely fully on God for our strength and no one else

-       rest. For the first week, I didn’t sleep much which caused a great deal of anxiety. Anxiety has always been something I’ve struggled with, but I know that Christ alone can break those chains! BUT! God has already answered prayers and I’ve been sleeping much better so pray for continued rest and peace

-       hearts open to hearing the gospel at the centers

-       deepening relationships with the women and children at the center

Two verses that have spoken to me while here are Romans 8:15 and Jeremiah 17:5-8. These are among many that have strengthened me here, but I think they paint a beautiful picture of what it means to dwell with the Lord.

today is the day!

     Well folks, today is the day. June 10, 2013 is finally here! I've had so many emotions running through my head this past weekend. At the moment though, I feel extremely excited. After months of preparation with my team, with family, with Darci, and with myself I feel ready. My bags are packed, my goodbyes are said, and my heart is itching to be in India once again. I'm ready to see what God has planned this summer and I'm ready to leap outside of my comfort zone. I'm ready to live in another culture and have my eyes opened over and over again to God's workmanship! Last night I slept like a rock, which is quite surprising, usually I am a basket case before traveling, but lately I've been overwhelmed with a peace that can only be given through our Lord. While I am excited, and overwhelmed with peace, I do have a few worries but God has continually reminded me through my devotional "Jesus Calling" that I do not need to worry. Here are a few of my wake up calls the past few days:
   " My children tend to accept worry as an inescapable fact of life. However, worry is a form of unbelief; it is anathema to Me. Who is in charge of your life? If it is you, then you have good reason to worry. But if it is I, then worry is both unnecessary and counterproductive."
   and here is todays... " Rest in Me, My child. Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen. Pray continually asking My Spirit to take charge of the details of THIS day. Remember that you are on a journey with Me. When you try to peer into the future and plan for every possibility, you ignore your constant Companion who sustains you moment by moment. . . Never lose sight of My Presence with you. This will keep you resting in Me all day, every day"
Yupp, God knew what I needed. I am so thankful God is in charge of my life. He has me in the palm of his hand on this journey!
     There have also been a few tears shed this morning with some tough see you later's. I had to say goodbye to my daddio this morning and will have to say goodbye to my mama mia at the airport. These aren't tears of sadness necessarily just "I'm really really going to miss you" tears. For those of you who don't know, my parents are the rocks in my life. They're my best friends and a lot of nights I'll willingly spend watching movies with them instead of going out. I've never been away from them for more than two weeks so this summer will be tough in that aspect, but I think that's good. My prayer this summer is that my parents stay safe and healthy here and I grow closer to my heavenly Father during my time apart from my earthly parents. 
  So as I head out to the airport today prayers would be greatly appreciated for:
 - safe travels
- ease through customs
- smooth transition into a new culture
- unity as a team
- that this overwhelming peace would continue throughout the next two days of travel

I have been beyond blessed throughout this journey, especially these past two days with texts, phone calls, notes, and conversations with people expressing their love, concern, and commitment to praying for me this summer and I want to say thank you to each and every one of you. You make this journey effective and I love you! See you in seven weeks, Sioux Center!

- Kelsey