Why I love India and why I don't know if I can go back...

   Exquisite color, shining faces, crazy traffic, muggy air, food that makes your face sweat and your nose run. These things and many more are what I love about India. But WHY do I love India? I could give a long drawn out answer about the pictures I saw growing up, the stories I heard and read, the lovely friend I have who grew up there. It really all comes down to one reason though, God.

  He planted this dream in my heart to go and see this place, experience it for myself. As a 12 year old girl, that dream seemed just a bit out there. How could I afford a trip like that? Who would I go with? The wonderful thing about a dream planted by God is He opens doors and makes a way. Both in March of 2016 and August of 2018, He made a way for me to go and get a taste of the country that now has my heart.

  I had a dream to move to India, to make my home there. I wanted to live and work among the people, see their beautiful faces everyday.

   A strange thing was happening in my last trip there though...

Aug. 23, 2018

Sacrifice,
it is giving up what is inconvenient to do without. Not only inconvenient but also difficult. It is a giving up of something we love - for the sake of the Kingdom.

  Soon after I arrived in India for the second time, God started warning me that this trip would be different. He guided my eyes toward the experienced people who were doing His work. He showed me the wonderful work that was happening in people's hearts. He introduced the idea of sacrifice.

   Sacrifice? Why would I need to sacrifice India? This is what I wondered as I journaled on the roof top of the home where we were staying. I had always heard of people sacrificing there homes to move to a third-world country. But no, God was calling me to sacrifice my dream of living in India. The whole time I was there it was like He was showing me how well His people -who already lived there- were able to reach out to the people around them. This made me realize that God was calling me to the same thing. Reach out to the people that I live and work with now. In the USA. Blooming Prairie.

Flashback to my last night in India

I gazed around at the city of Hyderabad feeling very small in the midst of it. Everything was quiet on the ground below. The streets that are usually bustling were dark. It was here, on the rooftop that I felt God calling me to let go. To let go of my dream to live in India and to embrace my new calling in MN. It was like He had been showing me during the short time I was there, that He has capable hands doing His work. He needed me elsewhere. I handed it to Him and said goodbye to the beautiful city. Then I flew home, to where I belong, for now.

   Now, what? I'm not certain, but my future looks bright and exciting...    and I will let that sentence introduce my next blog post.

  Do you have dreams that God has asked you to give up?