God worked through me to serve 83 kids with disabilities. It was the most stretching experience in my life. From 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM almost everyday, I had kids hanging off my arms or jumping on my back. At first this was incredibly overwhelming, but by the end of the trip it was normal. I learned to embrace their love instead of sending it away. It was a struggle not to yell "Po!", which means go in Telegu, each time a kid decided to cling to me. It is almost sad to say that the only words I learned in Telegu were "Wanda-nalu, agoo, po, and kucho", which mean "Hello, stop, go, and sit." These were the words I used on a daily basis. God taught me to be patient and love like He has loved me. My heart will forever be tied to India through these sweet kids.
Being in India also taught me how to love as a servant with a selfless attitude. Let me explain to you a little what that looked like for me. During the last four months, I have gotten lice over ten times. Almost every other day I would be pulling bugs out of my hair. At Sarah's Covenant Home, where I spent most of my time, one of my responsibilities was de-licing kids. I never thought that my most memorable ministry project would be combing through kids hair and killing bugs. It took me three months to finally realize how much the kids needed my love in that way. De-licing allowed me to spend quality time with each kid and also better their life in a small, yet significant way.
My life will never be the same. India has broken my heart and has opened my eyes to the heart-wrenching pain going on around the world. I have experienced both life and death, light and darkness, and hope and helplessness. India is a very lost and confused nation. They have over 300,000 gods (idols) and on almost every street there is a temple or shrine. They live in fear of angry gods and have no sense of direction in their lives. India is a heart breaking place to be. I have never felt so surrounded by darkness in my life, but luckily I have a God who can overcome the darkness and eliminate the pain. I have come to know God's power on a whole new level. He is mighty and awesome and I will never forget how He worked through me in India.
