Just the thought of going back to India fills me with an overflow of excitement about what is to come! To be able to go with a team, where many of them haven't been before is even more incredible, to be able to walk with them as they capture God's vision and heart for BLC is an incredible privilege and in turn to see them serve Martin and Beena from that overflow of love.
For me personally I'm really looking forward to going back and seeing the kids and youth again and to re-learn what it means to fully rely on God and his provision because they demonstrate that in such a powerful and challenging way.
This year I really want to invest in my relationships with the older girls because I never really made an effort before. I often used to get distracted by the younger ones because they are a lot more outgoing and so it is much easier to play with them and get to know them but with the older ones it involves a lot more effort to make a conversation and to be able to go deep and share the good and the bad things about life for me and as a 16 year old in a western culture but also to find out more about what life is like for them and the massive contrast between their lives and my life.
What I am learning, in India but also in general life is that often the older the person the more they value your time, love and support. In India this might be the older girls and guys from their homes but also the youth in the church. They are more impacted by our love and friendliness than the younger ones. They will remember what we said and the way that we chose to interact with them and break down the barriers that might get in the way. I find this especially challenging because it means that I have to put myself in a slightly awkward and vulnerable situation to be able to break down those barriers and start a lasting relationship.
I'm quite an excitable person and being excited is a good thing, but I'm learning that there is a right place and a right time. One thing that I am going to have to be really aware of is that many people on the team this year have never been before. I'm going to have to make that conscious decision to think about how they are feeling at times and to contain my excitement, as hard as that may be!
I have been to India on mission twice before and both times I have had an incredible time and have really enjoyed serving BLC and Martin and Beena but for me the lasting change and impact has been when I got home. The first time I went it completely transformed my perspective on life and the way I treated people. I began to see the world with God's eyes and so when I came home I was able to be more patient and loving towards people because I wasn't seeing them from a worldly perspective but from a godly one. As I changed the way I lived people noticed and in a good way, they asked questions and treated me with a lot more respect and love because that was the way I was treating them and it felt good and encouraging! I also learnt that the things I own are not mine and they I don't deserve them but everything is a gift from God and I should treat them as a gift and not take them for granted.
Going back this year I hope it will have just as big an impact on me as it has in past years! I want to be challenged in the way that I live and view life. I want to be part of bringing God's kingdom to earth and the only way I'm going to be able to do that is by getting close to him and sharing in his joy and in his pain and acting on what I am feeling in a just, gentle and bold way for his kingdom!
For me personally I'm really looking forward to going back and seeing the kids and youth again and to re-learn what it means to fully rely on God and his provision because they demonstrate that in such a powerful and challenging way.
This year I really want to invest in my relationships with the older girls because I never really made an effort before. I often used to get distracted by the younger ones because they are a lot more outgoing and so it is much easier to play with them and get to know them but with the older ones it involves a lot more effort to make a conversation and to be able to go deep and share the good and the bad things about life for me and as a 16 year old in a western culture but also to find out more about what life is like for them and the massive contrast between their lives and my life.
What I am learning, in India but also in general life is that often the older the person the more they value your time, love and support. In India this might be the older girls and guys from their homes but also the youth in the church. They are more impacted by our love and friendliness than the younger ones. They will remember what we said and the way that we chose to interact with them and break down the barriers that might get in the way. I find this especially challenging because it means that I have to put myself in a slightly awkward and vulnerable situation to be able to break down those barriers and start a lasting relationship.
I'm quite an excitable person and being excited is a good thing, but I'm learning that there is a right place and a right time. One thing that I am going to have to be really aware of is that many people on the team this year have never been before. I'm going to have to make that conscious decision to think about how they are feeling at times and to contain my excitement, as hard as that may be!
I have been to India on mission twice before and both times I have had an incredible time and have really enjoyed serving BLC and Martin and Beena but for me the lasting change and impact has been when I got home. The first time I went it completely transformed my perspective on life and the way I treated people. I began to see the world with God's eyes and so when I came home I was able to be more patient and loving towards people because I wasn't seeing them from a worldly perspective but from a godly one. As I changed the way I lived people noticed and in a good way, they asked questions and treated me with a lot more respect and love because that was the way I was treating them and it felt good and encouraging! I also learnt that the things I own are not mine and they I don't deserve them but everything is a gift from God and I should treat them as a gift and not take them for granted.
Going back this year I hope it will have just as big an impact on me as it has in past years! I want to be challenged in the way that I live and view life. I want to be part of bringing God's kingdom to earth and the only way I'm going to be able to do that is by getting close to him and sharing in his joy and in his pain and acting on what I am feeling in a just, gentle and bold way for his kingdom!
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