How Things Are Going

So it’s been a couple of months since my last blog & I thought I would update everyone on how things are going with everything I talked about in my first blog.

Firstly my fundraising is going really good, at first it wasn't so good and I wanted to give up before praying, but I prayed together with a very good friend and God started providing and telling what I needed to do so I can get the money to go, at the beginning of January I need £1000.00 to pay, now I only have £329.17 to pay and its only the beginning of March so in over two months I have raised £670.83, the only way I have done this is by praying and having support from family and friends. The ways I have raised this money is by babysitting and working.

Secondly, I HAD MY JABS, YAY!!!  In my last blog I was talking about needing jabs and tablets for India, well I had all my jabs apart from one which I don’t need until June just before we go, and the best bit of having my jabs was that I wasn’t ill like I normally am, which was amazing. Having my jabs makes it exciting because I am one step closer to going to India, whoop whoop. I also have my malaria tablets, I have got the ones called doxycycline which I think most of the team are going to be taking.

Overall, things are going well with fundraising and the medical side of things, I think we will be doing our visas soon which is exciting but also very stressful for us and our leaders to sort out, so I ask for prayer for that. I also ask for prayer for the team to be united before we go away to India. 

Youth Summer Missions Gala

Shantaram

I'm currently reading a book called Shantaram, a novel  in which a convicted Australian bank robber and heroin addict who escaped from Pentridge Prison flees to India.  So far I have been captured by the authors vivid descriptions of his first encounters with the country.  I myself have often struggled to depict the colourful sensory overload that I experience when I go to India.  There was one particular part that I wanted to share;

'The simple and astonishing truth about India and Indian people is that when you go there, and deal with them, your heart always guides you more wisely than your head.' - Gregory David Roberts 

I find that in Goa, having lived there for a while, what my logical thoughts (yes, I do have them!) would try and dictate, my heart does appear to always come out best in reactions and understanding.  I have encountered frustration and irritation when I couldn't understand things from my world view, but immersing yourself heart first is a sure way to begin to grow in patience and love for the people of India.

My prayer for the team this year is that they would find guidance in their heart, prompted by the Holy Spirit.  Living alongside those we serve, not in judgement and thinking they know better, but in openness and understanding.  If they can follow their hearts lead in our time there, the experience will become all the more colourful, and full of life.  They will see deeper and the journey will bring them joy and understanding they had not known before.