Having just returned from a short term mission trip to India, my mind is full of all kinds of thoughts – about India, about orphans, about lepers. About brothers and sisters in Christ coming together and transforming from individuals into a team. About short term missions in general. About spiritual confusion and spiritual warfare. About humility. Too much for one post …
So here are some highlights, with more thoughts perhaps coming later.
Some of the things I’d heard about India proved to be true. To say there is an abundance of sights, sounds and smells would be an understatement. It’s true that there is an almost constant stench of human and animal waste – but then you’ll catch a whiff of richly spiced food or chai tea and it’s wonderful. It’s true that there is trash everywhere you look, and dust, and dirt – but in the midst of that are exquisitely colored saris and punjabis. Car r
ides are punctuated by “I love those colors together” or “look at that one”. Horns honk constantly and peacocks squawk. Cows do wander the streets, often deciding to lie down and rest in the middle of the road – and traffic detours around them. Driving is an adventure – and not something I could ever imagine mastering. Lanes are mere suggestions, two lanes are wide enough for three or more cars, the oncoming lane is up for grabs if it’s empty. We referred to it as video game driving or “Tetris” driving. But after the initial shock, you realize there’s a certain efficiency to it.
So India engages the senses.
It’s also a place of spiritual confusion, where inanimate gods are given honor and children are dedicated to them. And although it is not illegal to be a Christian in India, believers are often persecuted. The first few nights seemed to bring an unusual number of fear-based dreams and experiences to the team – reminding us of the fact that the enemy notices when light invades darkness and causing us to step up in the authority we have in Christ to overcome the enemy, to dismantle his ability to invade our space. Team members took steps of courage and faith, they shared vulnerably, they loved well – and heaven invaded earth.
And in this s
etting, we met amazing people. Victor and Simini, a married couple who run the orphanage and whose generosity of spirit make it a family. There’s Sapna and Lincy, Victor and Simini’s sisters, who are also giving their lives to this call. The 29 children they treat as their own captured our hearts, probably forever. To worship with them on a Sunday morning is to be blessed beyond measure. My children’s ministry heart soared as the children shared testimony and praise and prayer right alongside the adults. And when the children prayed over us on the last day … there are not words to describe what that was like.
Then there are the women at the leper colony, catching us off-guard by how funny they are and how much they laugh. Wonderfully feisty older women who loved having their nails painted, making thread bracelets and playing hand clapping games. Where a lack of common language did not seem to matter.
And the pastor who has spent his life ministering in the slums, enduring the persecution of his family as he leads a small congregation in the midst of Hindu territory. His humility and steadfast obedience to a hard call make me so aware of the places in my life where a sense of entitlement or a desire for personal glory have not been completely rooted out.
One of the concerns about short term missions is that teams come in and then they leave. But on this trip I was invited into existing friendships, especially with the orphanage. The children remembered the team leaders from last year. The adults at the orphanage have been Facebook friends with the team leaders, and now with me. Throughout the week, the team women would sit with Simini and Sapna and realize we were talking about and joking about the things that we talk and joke about with our girl friends back home. The tears shed as we said good-byes were 
the tears shed as friends say good-bye for a period of time.
What does it mean that my heart is now linked to India? To these children? To these brothers and sisters in Christ? I don’t know yet. But I’ll be asking the Lord to speak into that in the days and weeks and months ahead.
(All photos by Connie Rock)
Betty, thank you for sharing your experience in India. Our niece described things just about identical to yours. She also worked with Lepers & Orphans & loved it. She was there by herself for 6 weeks & went to quite a few different places. As unpleasant as a lot of things are as you explained, she also loved working with the children , Lepers & in the hospitals as she wants to work in the medical field. It sure sounds like God has blessed you with some new life long friends! God will reveal to you what He wants you to do with this experience. Thanking God for answered prayers for your safety.
Beautiful…and thank you.
Betty…wow.
“the enemy notices when light invades darkness and causing us to step up in the authority we have in Christ to overcome the enemy, to dismantle his ability to invade our space.”
the rich flavors of your weeks in india will play out in eternity-new friends & kids that you’ll know when the sky breaks for the last time.
(your writing ALWAYS inspires me to think, pray, or cry – often all three…)
I love India. Glad it touched your heart. Glad your back.
Good to hear about it all from your vantage point. The women’s clothing is so very beautiful. The women and girls are beautiful, too. When I looked at the many pictures, most of them didn’t have descriptions so I didn’t realize it was a leper colony that you were visiting. The ladies are cute and funny. Would you say the driving is a big worse than Peru? It sounds the same. It sounds dirtier than Peru though. I loved the orphanage and wished we had a place in Chincha like that where children could be raised up to love and worship the Lord like you experienced. And the big yard with grass. How nice! Such a blessing. The Christian couple are a handsome couple who look like they contain Jesus…so happy and so peaceful and content. Much to process, I’m sure!
Thank you, Betty for posting this. You know, i’ve read blogs on AIM for years…it feels good to read a post and it be about the trip I experienced. I loved it.
I love you 🙂
Thank you for your touching posting. You can hear it in your words that this experience was amazing beyond words
So beautifully depicted…it was amazing to be a part of this journey! 🙂
Profoundly beautiful. Thanks Betty for capturing the essence and beauty of the daily realities of life in India and allowing me to revisit some of my past with more hope for their future.
Awesome, Betty! India is one of the countries that our daughter, Emily,mill be going to, so this gave me some insight as to what she will experience!
I love that you say you were “invited into existing relationships” because the children remembered teams from the past. This legacy passed on from team to team and thus generation to generation– that makes short-term missions effective. Thanks for picking up the baton and passing it forward.
So glad to have you back and even more glad you had a Great trip. I know you were a blessing to everyone there.
So so glad I read this Betty. What a trip this was! Beautifully written, too. May there be eternal fruit in every life!