It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This famous quote from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities is the perfect way to describe my DTS Outreach. I was dreading going to India the moment I found out that it was my outreach location. But now I see that there was a reason God took me there.
I started strong, but somewhere near the end, I began to lose it. I was tired, I was homesick, I was sick of seeing the same people everyday. Despite that, I think I finished strong. Let me recap the events of the last two months:
We arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal after four days of travel. I enjoy traveling, but four straight days is a little too much to be going to one location. Our bags were missing ans it was cold. For an entire week, we did pretty much nothing except eat amazing Nepali food and huddle together like penguins on an Antarctica night. We often went to the stupa. I was surprised by the huge Tibetan population. Because of this population, there were a ton of Buddhists. While were were there, God put it on my heart to pray for the people that daily flocked to the stupa to pray. So I spent a good deal of time interceding. I cam to the realization that they're searching. Searching for something that is impossible to find without God. Peace for the turmoil of the human mind.
We did a kid's camp for a church. That was the first time I have ever felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. About five of the kid's became Christians, several of the kid's were healed from constant nightmares, stomach pain, horrible headaches, and one little boy was able to fully bend his arm for the first time in four years. I was also healed, from the hip pain I had had for two years. After that, I was encouraged that I wasn't totally useless while on outreach. But I was ready to move on. Fortunately, we were scheduled to go to a little town in east Nepal called Birtamod. We somehow managed to learn the 'Everything' skit in less that one afternoon. I discovered that acting is quite enjoyable. I became discouraged in Birtamod, despite the fact that we had already had four or five salvation's on our first day there. Not only did everyone on the team get sick, we had prayed for healing for several people and we didn't see results. We attempted to do some good old street evangelism, but for me it turned out to be an epic fail. I discovered that reading the Bible was actually fun. By the end of the week, I was restless and ready to move on.
In Kolkata, I worked with a woman who lived in a village that was all Hindu. Only her family and one other family were Christian. It was very encouraging to see that, even though, for so long, she and her husband had been cut off from their families, ridiculed, and almost kicked out of their home because of their faith in Jesus Christ, they were still very much strong. We worked there for two weeks and had five salvations, and one healing. Our third week in Kolkata, we worked with Mother Teresa Ministries.
In Delhi, I worked with street kids, Muslim university students and Christian Afgani refugees. Working with the street kids gave me a clearer picture of what God wants me to do in New York. As were worked with the university students, I realized that I might possibly have a bit of extrovert in me. When I visited my Afgani family, I found that not only was it easier for me to talk to people I don't really know, I was actually enjoying it. In our second week in Delhi, I almost fell apart. I was frustrated and therefore angry. But we worked it out and I finished strong.
As the time to come home drew nearer and nearer, I felt myself wishing we could stay longer. I have never had the desire and longing to know God as I do now. I have certainly grown in my walk with him. Because of my stronger relationship with him, I am more pleasant to be around. I am happier. I am secure in myself, knowing that the lies are replaced with the truth. I am ready to set the world on fire for God.
I started strong, but somewhere near the end, I began to lose it. I was tired, I was homesick, I was sick of seeing the same people everyday. Despite that, I think I finished strong. Let me recap the events of the last two months:
We arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal after four days of travel. I enjoy traveling, but four straight days is a little too much to be going to one location. Our bags were missing ans it was cold. For an entire week, we did pretty much nothing except eat amazing Nepali food and huddle together like penguins on an Antarctica night. We often went to the stupa. I was surprised by the huge Tibetan population. Because of this population, there were a ton of Buddhists. While were were there, God put it on my heart to pray for the people that daily flocked to the stupa to pray. So I spent a good deal of time interceding. I cam to the realization that they're searching. Searching for something that is impossible to find without God. Peace for the turmoil of the human mind.
We did a kid's camp for a church. That was the first time I have ever felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. About five of the kid's became Christians, several of the kid's were healed from constant nightmares, stomach pain, horrible headaches, and one little boy was able to fully bend his arm for the first time in four years. I was also healed, from the hip pain I had had for two years. After that, I was encouraged that I wasn't totally useless while on outreach. But I was ready to move on. Fortunately, we were scheduled to go to a little town in east Nepal called Birtamod. We somehow managed to learn the 'Everything' skit in less that one afternoon. I discovered that acting is quite enjoyable. I became discouraged in Birtamod, despite the fact that we had already had four or five salvation's on our first day there. Not only did everyone on the team get sick, we had prayed for healing for several people and we didn't see results. We attempted to do some good old street evangelism, but for me it turned out to be an epic fail. I discovered that reading the Bible was actually fun. By the end of the week, I was restless and ready to move on.
In Kolkata, I worked with a woman who lived in a village that was all Hindu. Only her family and one other family were Christian. It was very encouraging to see that, even though, for so long, she and her husband had been cut off from their families, ridiculed, and almost kicked out of their home because of their faith in Jesus Christ, they were still very much strong. We worked there for two weeks and had five salvations, and one healing. Our third week in Kolkata, we worked with Mother Teresa Ministries.
In Delhi, I worked with street kids, Muslim university students and Christian Afgani refugees. Working with the street kids gave me a clearer picture of what God wants me to do in New York. As were worked with the university students, I realized that I might possibly have a bit of extrovert in me. When I visited my Afgani family, I found that not only was it easier for me to talk to people I don't really know, I was actually enjoying it. In our second week in Delhi, I almost fell apart. I was frustrated and therefore angry. But we worked it out and I finished strong.
As the time to come home drew nearer and nearer, I felt myself wishing we could stay longer. I have never had the desire and longing to know God as I do now. I have certainly grown in my walk with him. Because of my stronger relationship with him, I am more pleasant to be around. I am happier. I am secure in myself, knowing that the lies are replaced with the truth. I am ready to set the world on fire for God.
I am so proud of you.
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