We started the day doing a water well dedication in a surrounding village. People in these villages often would have to walk many miles to get drinkable water. Harvest India sponsors wells in villages they have relationships with and puts these wells next to the church, so the responsibility for caring for it falls to the church. These well dedications are all out celebrations because they mean so much to the village.
We would speak a word of encouragement, pray a blessing for the well, cut tape (yep, that happens in real life), and each one of us would pump water from the well. There was singing, dancing, drumming and clapping. After the dedication we skipped back to the front of the village to see their school, where we promptly had a dance party. It was a blast.
For the rest of the day we did a lot of driving. We traveled out to see two different building projects. The first is going to be an all girls college school. The second location already is a children's home, but they are building a hospital next to it. It was exciting to see the ways Harvest India was expanding, but all the driving was hard.
By this point in the trip I was still excited whenever we were doing any kind of outreach, but in the down time, driving, in between ministry, when we were back at the house, I was getting stuck in my head. I kept hearing all of these lies being spoken to me. Ridiculous lies, telling me I wasn't meant to be there, I didn't believe in God, planting doubts in my head and expanding on my fears. The car rides this day were a constant struggle. I could feel the two sides in my mind waging war against each other as I tried to combat the lies by quoting scripture or lyrics to worship songs.
I was exhausted and got to a point at the first building project where I was begging God to comfort me because I was tired. As I got out of the van we see a herd of goats next to the building project. The lady herding them lets us pick up the baby goats. Mine nuzzled with me and ate flower petals off of my shoulder and brought me so much joy. I looked a little crazy with how excited I was to hold this goat. But it was an answer to my prayer and a brief moment of joy in the midst of the battle raging on.
We rang in the New Year at the Children's Home with the little nuggets. We dressed up in our saris and sang and danced. Some of the kids shared how God had provided for them in 2013. Some of our team shared as well. We were able to serve the kids and staff communion right before it hit midnight.
After midnight we were walking out with all of the children. It was already the best New Year I ever had, and I thought we were done for the night. I had three little girls attached to me, two in my arms and one holding onto my hip (which made me worry about how secure my sari was fastened, those things were not made for playing in) who wanted to show me everything about their lives, from their friends to their playground.
We stop walking and I ask the oldest girl with me what is going on because a crowd has gathered. She smirked and pointed forward to a table filled with fireworks. It was the most dangerous firework show I have ever been a part of, we were maybe fifteen feet away and the boys lighting them were probably holding on too long.
All I could think of during the firework show was God's nearness and goodness. He was nearest on my hard days and gave me gifts which were simple but so drenched in meaning and love.
I stood there holding those girls, sobbing (they probably will always think Americans are crazy because of me crying at fireworks), remembering what I asked of God months before for this trip. I wanted to be surrounded by children and to experience his love. He was so gracious to start off my year giving me both of those gifts.
No comments:
Post a Comment