hello lovely people.
what i've been learning...
still in Kolkata. we have a little less than a month left in this city.
last week, we moved to a sweet apartment that was super nice for India. :) we felt so lucky.
exactly a week later, we got evicted because of some miscommunication. normally, i would be frustrated about something like that or been a little afraid, but seriously, all we could do when it happened was laugh. i think the community also voted for us to be moved out, not sure why, i think they are scared of us or just don't know what to think, but nonetheless, we moved... so we went back to a guesthouse that we had been staying at before for 1 night & then moved to the guesthouse we are at now, which is the one we wanted to stay at all along! so we are really happy and content being there. :) God has a way of working things out.
lately, God's been teaching me SO much, as you can imagine... it's funny how some things just don't seem important anymore, & all the simply little things seem so much sweeter. God's teaching me to enjoy life. enjoy every minute of being alive. it's changing the way i look at so many things! i mean, some days, it feels like India really wears me out or whatever, but really... how many people get the chance to follow God all the way to the crazy country of India for 2 months & see him work like crazy? not many... and yet i get to. i'm learning to enjoy life & all the simple little things... like sweat. & rain. & showers. & laughter. & car horns. & friends that are closer than family. & really loud music. & fireworks. & french music. & mangos. & chai tea. & food that makes you sick, but it's too good to pass up. i'm enjoying walking the streets of kolkata & playing with street kids. everything is just sweet.
God's teaching me about circumstances, & i think i've seen so much lately that joy is not circumstantial & that circumstances are so stinkin' temporary. i have seen God working in all of our hearts with this... like, God has given us such a joy that is untouchable. at every turn, the enemy is working hard to make us leave this place, but with every try, we laugh even harder. we enjoy life even more. we joke. we talk about how fun this adventure is & how crazy good God has been. He has been so good, guys. we have seen Him work in ways that a lot of people don't ever see. but He is working like crazy. He has a plan for this nation. He has a plan for each of us. i'm so grateful & thankful for life & all those little things. :) thanks for praying for me, for all of us, & for David. i know that God has given us His strength throughout this whole things & continues to.
what we've been doing...
so last week, before the move, we worked at children's schools everyday! it was awesome. the schools were planted by christians here, so their main focus & goal is that every student knows the love of Christ & the one true living God. it's super cool, & they told us a lot that yeah, we can teach them english, we can teach them math & play with them, but the most important thing you can tell them is about jesus. it was a blessing being a part of such a devoted, bold ministry. plus, all the children are local kids that normally can't afford school, & children that mostly only have one parent. most of the children are beggars. so the schools become a safe place for them & the teachers become people that they know are always there & that will love them no matter what.
the first 2 days, my friend Katelyn & i spent our day at a nursery, which i like to call BABYLAND. precious little indian babes. we showered them, clothed them, fed them, loved on them, played with them, etc. the kids were so sweet & lovable. :) the rest of the week, i went to different mobile schools that basically TAKE school to slum kids. this was so much fun & the kids were crazy, but so precious. :) i will post pictures as soon as i can. we taught english & some bible stories/songs.
this week we are getting settled into our new guesthouse & praying each day about what God wants us to do & going out to do it. i love this kind of ministry. yesterday we split up. my group prayed all over the city, as God has been burdening several of us to pray, we will never know the power of the prayers prayed for this city. if you'd like to pray, please pray that God gives us chances to talk to people here. sometimes conversations are hard to start in this culture because people are a bit stand-offish. more so with women. so pray that God makes people so curious about us that they have to ask & that they will be responsive when we try to talk to them. also pray for Kolkata. this is an extremely oppressed city. it needs the light of Christ. that's what we are praying for. :)
love you all.
you bless me beyond words. i'm so thankful for all of you-- the body of Christ is such a beautiful thing.
please email me... justdandyy@gmail.com i always love to hear what you folks are up to, what God's doing in your hearts & back home. also.... if you haven't added me on facebook, please do! that's where all my photos are going for now. :)
love.
rae
