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}