I'm struggling writing this post because I don't fully understand what all has been happening around me or within me. I'm learning the paradoxical way of living that is India. The people are direct and honest, yet they would rather tell you to come back tomorrow as their way of telling you no. I am met with a friendly greeting in English from one on the street, yet I am met by the next person scolding me with no words to match my greeting in Telugu. The language is not tonal, yet if I say the same thing as someone else with a slightly different enunciation on a syllable, people go from not understanding me at all to making perfect sense. As a person, I enjoy learning rules that I can apply to put people in a box and to have consistency and a sense of control. Everyday this paradigm of my life is getting shaken and undoes what I've learned previously.
Needless to say, I'm beginning to simply let go of everything I'm used to "knowing." I meet each person with no preconceptions and an open mind about every situation I walk into. I've had to choose to do this otherwise I have found myself becoming frustrated and having the urge to leave this place and just pass judgment on everything about this country.
We had 12 village pastor's that ended up coming in for the training school. The spirit moved upon all of us every day and night. The people were taught an overview of the bible, practicing the presence of God, what missions looks like, faith and finances, what love looks like, connecting to God's heart, signs and wonders, being released into the prophetic, and many more. Oh and great dancing!
Almost every single one of the pastor's was touched by God a number of times and had different visions or encounters of seeing Jesus or dreams for their future being unlocked.
Some of the girls that are here with me prophetically painted for each one of the pastors as a gift. They had yet to have ever painted like this and all of the pastor's were undone with these gifts.
Right after the school we had an engagement party to go to which was a wonderful way to see more of the culture.
We left for an eight day village outreach after the school. The day we were supposed to leave ended up being the same day as a massive shutdown of the region due to political factions and there were riots all along where we would be. We went out the next day completely unknowing what we would be walking (or driving) into.
After ten hours of fun family time and high hopes we arrived at the first village for the night. That night set a precedent for the rest of the trip. We were honored in more ways that I can bear to write down and it shifted many things in my heart. The food we had was incomparable to anywhere and we never had to worry about going hungry. Apparently if you ask for a little, that gives them the impression that you want a huge heaping again and again. I'm grateful for my iron stomach and fast metabolism.
In the morning we stepped into stories from the bible for the next week. We saw people healed of intestinal problems, back pains, migraines, partial blindness, paralysis of multiple limbs, the pastor's and congregation getting refreshed and a number of other things that I can't put into words on here but would love to share individually.
We had lots of great experiences with the kids everywhere we went and I'm continually learning more from them than I could ever offer to teach.
We heard continuously how the people there feel they are unwanted, unknown, and forgotten about from the rest of humanity as no one comes to visit them. We were the first white people that had ventured to a lot of these places and many Indians don't dare to go where we did. I met several people that had no idea that America is another country. It truly is a different world.
Upon return from our trip, a couple of us ventured to the Joy House (http://thejoyhouse.myshopify.com), which is a kids home. I have been wanting to visit this place for the past almost two years since it's been open. I had no idea when I came here that I would be so close to this place. It truly was another dream come true to visit and play with all the children.
Now that you made it past my rants, enjoy the pictures!
Needless to say, I'm beginning to simply let go of everything I'm used to "knowing." I meet each person with no preconceptions and an open mind about every situation I walk into. I've had to choose to do this otherwise I have found myself becoming frustrated and having the urge to leave this place and just pass judgment on everything about this country.
We had 12 village pastor's that ended up coming in for the training school. The spirit moved upon all of us every day and night. The people were taught an overview of the bible, practicing the presence of God, what missions looks like, faith and finances, what love looks like, connecting to God's heart, signs and wonders, being released into the prophetic, and many more. Oh and great dancing!
Almost every single one of the pastor's was touched by God a number of times and had different visions or encounters of seeing Jesus or dreams for their future being unlocked.
Some of the girls that are here with me prophetically painted for each one of the pastors as a gift. They had yet to have ever painted like this and all of the pastor's were undone with these gifts.
Right after the school we had an engagement party to go to which was a wonderful way to see more of the culture.
We left for an eight day village outreach after the school. The day we were supposed to leave ended up being the same day as a massive shutdown of the region due to political factions and there were riots all along where we would be. We went out the next day completely unknowing what we would be walking (or driving) into.
After ten hours of fun family time and high hopes we arrived at the first village for the night. That night set a precedent for the rest of the trip. We were honored in more ways that I can bear to write down and it shifted many things in my heart. The food we had was incomparable to anywhere and we never had to worry about going hungry. Apparently if you ask for a little, that gives them the impression that you want a huge heaping again and again. I'm grateful for my iron stomach and fast metabolism.
In the morning we stepped into stories from the bible for the next week. We saw people healed of intestinal problems, back pains, migraines, partial blindness, paralysis of multiple limbs, the pastor's and congregation getting refreshed and a number of other things that I can't put into words on here but would love to share individually.
We had lots of great experiences with the kids everywhere we went and I'm continually learning more from them than I could ever offer to teach.
We heard continuously how the people there feel they are unwanted, unknown, and forgotten about from the rest of humanity as no one comes to visit them. We were the first white people that had ventured to a lot of these places and many Indians don't dare to go where we did. I met several people that had no idea that America is another country. It truly is a different world.
Upon return from our trip, a couple of us ventured to the Joy House (http://thejoyhouse.myshopify.com), which is a kids home. I have been wanting to visit this place for the past almost two years since it's been open. I had no idea when I came here that I would be so close to this place. It truly was another dream come true to visit and play with all the children.
Now that you made it past my rants, enjoy the pictures!
