Thursday, August 7, 2014

Stretch and Bless

Whoa. Our one week in India is almost over…So why does it feel like we’ve been here for so much longer? Could it be because we’ve gotten used to riding in taxis and catching buses? Could it be because we recognize corners and turns, wet streets and busy roads, faces and smiles, painted walls and classroom doorways? Maybe. But it could also be because God has been working behind the scenes. He has been growing and stretching our faith in ways that are both refreshing and uncomfortable, while further molding us into the image of His Son, Jesus. Is this not the reason we came?

One thing we do every night is recall things that blessed us and things that stretched us that day. I'd like to recount my own from this trip so far.

Some things that have been refreshing:

-Attending a local church service within an hour or two of arriving at our hotel in Goa (Something that I want to do as often as possible is worship Jesus with my brothers and sisters that are located all over the world, so I was very excited about this opportunity)

-Being directed and led by our hostess/local Rahab’s Rope staff because she was very well plugged into the communities we were involved in and made sure we would be as immersed as possible in the local culture

-Meeting and working with all of the local partners that let us come into their homes, schools and places of work. They showed us great hospitality and if our team were staying longer these are the men and women that would definitely be family. I love the way they show the love of Jesus in their communities and I hope that I can do the same wherever God directs me in the future.

- Working as a team, bearing each other’s burdens, sharing roles of responsibility when it came to leading various activities, sharing stories, making new memories, being forced to let go of our addictions to control and choosing to trust God instead

-Sharing the Gospel in creative ways (bringing everything back to Jesus and the love that God has for us).

Some things that were uncomfortable

-Damp and tight spaces

-Realizing that many of the expectations I had were not met the way I imagined

-Feeling lost in all of the new experiences and not knowing how to sort through them all at one time

-Being brought face to face with weaknesses or areas of my life that God has be challenging me in and realizing that I still have a long way to go

-Knowing that this trip will change things…But not being exactly sure of how.

 

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

 However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]—
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—

10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

--Sophia

1 comment:

  1. I've loved reading this blog and following along - thank you so much for sharing, and for going!

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