I found myself on an adventure...

While I was in India our time on the internet was limited and the power often went out unexpectedly.  On January 29 I wrote this blog post in my journal and just remembered that I had not yet posted it on here.  So belatedly here it is!

This is a trip where I find myself in situations not quite certain if they are actually happening...

Over a week ago I found myself looking at mummies and cuneiform writing at the British Museum in London, England and posing beneath Big Ben as a cool evening breeze chills my nose....

Cuneiform writing which I
remember learning about in
Gr7 Social Studies!

A real (not live) mummy!

Our team out by Big Ben

A week later I found myself wearing a sari up on stage praying for a newly wed couple in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, India (I had never met the bride before or spoken to the groom, although I had arrived at the wedding in the same car as him!)...

Praying for the newlyweds.

A hut like the one I drank
Sprite in.

I have found myself inside a mud hut with a thatched roof drinking Sprite with small children as my eyes adjust to the low lighting and little boys giggle as they give me a kiss on the cheek...

My kidnappers!

...and then I have found myself sitting in the middle of an extended Indian family peeling garlic with mothers, babies, fathers, and uncles.

Peeling garlic with the family.

I have found my smile muscles aching from laughter at shared jokes with my wonderful team from Canada and our welcoming Indian host family...

The team riding on an ox cart through Villupuram
much to the amusement of the locals.

Having some fun with our host family!

...and in the same day I have found my eyes full of tears as a parent asks my team to pray for a little boy with Down Syndrome in a small village community.

The family who asked for prayer for this little
boy who appeared to have Down Syndrome.

I have learned so much about family here in India and how to love others through service.

Crowds like this were common when we partnered
with local pastors and did ministry in villages.

My heart has been heavy as we become surrounded by people young and old, desperate for someone to listen to their stories of pain and suffering and to walk alongside them in prayer.

I say I found myself in these situations because I don't plan anything here...in fact it sometimes feels as though no person is planning any of it...life and ministry unfold to bring a multitude of experiences I could never orchestrate on my own.

These are experiences I will cherish always.