My experience in India

It’s hard to believe we have come to the end of our journey here in India. We are obviously very excited to be able to see our families again, but also very saddened that we are leaving a place where the Lord’s presence is apparent. If you have been following the blog you are aware of how this place has touched each and every one of us. So the thought of being on a plane in hours is definitely bittersweet.

Like everyone else I had many fears coming here; afraid of what I would see, afraid of what I would hear, afraid of what I would smell. I have to say the Lord took care of it all. I wasn’t bothered by any of it. As the rest of my team has posted this trip has been absolutely amazing. Every experience will forever leave an imprint not only in my mind, but also in my heart. There have been many smiles and many tears. God gave all of us the opportunity to experience pure beauty here in India. The other day I mentioned hearing “one man’s trash, is another’s treasure”. Being that Kolkata is a very poor and dirty, many see the place and it’s people as trash. I told my husband, I think I found a treasure. Because the trash that so many talk about was not visible to me. What I saw was pure beauty. The people of India are amazing. They are all so humble with their lives. Because of the poverty you may expect bitterness and sadness. It was exactly the opposite; joy and humbleness.

Obviously every day was a high point, but there were some very touchy moments for me. We talked about many of our highlights over dinner last night. Our first day here we were able to visit just a few slums, but it was the last one we were able to spend the most time at. Their preparation for our arrival was amazing. I was truly at a loss for words. They wanted so much for us to feel special and welcomed; the feeling far surpassed that. We were showered with gifts, dance and song; all of which were heartfelt. Those with so little, gave so much to make us happy. The feeling was incredible. Another high point for me personally was the women’s conference. Melanie, Kim and Stace did a fantastic job speaking about the beauty of a woman, women in ministry and how our unfailing Lord can turn broken in beauty. This was definitely a message that touched me and I thought, “I had to travel 5,000 miles to hear this message in India?”. I don’t know if the ladies knew how much they touched me that day. Thanks girls this was something I definitely needed to hear! Again, every moment we served was amazing. Many rides home stood in silence just because no words could explain what we were feeling. We are in complete awe. Kevin spoke at a youth service on Sunday night and it was beautiful to see them so engaged. At the end of service we were asked to stand before everyone and those requesting prayer were asked to step forward during worship. Looking out watching them all in worship brought me to tears. I have never seen so many young people in such great worship. They didn’t care who saw them and what they would say. All they cared about at that moment was being in the presence of the Lord; giving him glory and honor, just as it should be. I thought about kids back home and how different they were. They just have so many distractions that keep them from relying on the Lord as they should; friends, clothes, cars, money, technology. I talked with Tina and told her it’s like they have so many other things to turn to. We expect too many things in life, when in reality each gift we receive is a blessing from our Lord Jesus Christ. My prayer is that the Lord will continue His work on the heart’s of these young people and they learn to rely on him for everything at all times. After all; in the end nothing else matters.

So as we prepare to leave this beautiful place I pray for the Lord’s protection. Not only protection over our team, but also protection over Kolkata and the people who live here. Life will never be as we once seen it a few weeks ago. I personally leave here with a new outlook on life, love, friendship and beauty. Most of all I leave here with clearer image of God’s purpose in my life. This trip was indescribable.

Chenecua