Ashah

How do I begin to process only having one week and a half left here?
It is so difficult for me.
There are so many opportunities to build on the old and start new relationships, but I know I can't stretch myself thin.
I am going to try my best to invest and visit those that have become special to me here and most of all just enjoy the time!
I get emotional every time I begin to think about leaving.

Thank you so much for all your prayers. I can't explain how encouraging it is to hear from you while I am here, so thank you.
A team of 11 AIM girls got here a couple weeks ago and it has been a huge blessing to work with them. It is encouraging to have so many people here to work hard, but it is also easy for me to feel lost in the crowd. I feel I have been friends with them for a very long time though, and how awesome it is to be with so many others that have the same passions as me.

A new sewing class started in the afternoons this week, so it was a joy to met these new women.
One of the women is a CSW (Commercial Sex Worker), and it makes me see how real and great this organization is in making an effort to help women help themselves.

In the morning class this week I had the privilege of sharing with them the story of my family and the hardships we have been through. But that you can experience joy in suffering. It was sweet to show them a picture of my family as they asked questions. They are so funny.

आशा, (Ashah) = Hope.
I hold to this, even when I am in the midst of a home that is 5 by 5 foot wide, knowing that 11 people live there. I realized this week while in a home, that when this young lady comes to our class everyday this is the house that she exits. She has lived here her whole life. She sleeps in one room with her whole family. Gosh, I have had so many opportunity in my lifetime!


This week I will focus on being at the morning sewing class because I have grown to love each of them. I will also be visiting women in their homes who just graduated from the last sewing class.
In the afternoons I will either join the new sewing class and go to nutrition class, or I will be in the other ministry site helping with tutoring. I love going to this because the kiddos are always so excited to see us. It is in one man's home, and is just such a cool opportunity.
At the end of the week we will probably have English class and then maybe a party on Friday because Kate and I will be leaving the next week.

The week after I will hopefully make my rounds, see everyone one last time, give them pictures and hugs, and just soak up the time!

I just hope to finish out strong and know that I have made the most of this time.
I am feeling very desperate to make sure to soak up every minute.

I will post more pictures when I am back of the closest relationships I have made here and tell you a little more about each person.
Thank you for reading!

Joy

I have continuously put off writing another entry in attempt to articulate my thousands of thoughts and feelings before posting.

I have written about the ministries I have been involved in, but I haven’t really talked about the burden that I have felt in many moments of being here…

There are times where I have had to hold back my tears just as I am sitting on the bus with time to think and take in all that I am seeing around me. Sometimes my stress comes from the way the culture works, other times from having a child following me along the street begging for food, or even just when I hear about a difficult situation a friend is going through. At times I have felt broken, and I wonder if this feeling is from God to show me what he feels for his creation. You can travel to the other side of the world and see that, yup, the world is just as twisted here as back in the States.

I did not need to come all the way to India to see that there is suffering. I have been to third-world countries before, so its not that it is completely rocking my world in that sense, but it just makes me wonder if suffering can be any worse just because you live in a third world country instead of America. The culture here may be very different, but can the amount of pain really be measured by our location or financial status? People are hurting here and people are hurting at home.

I had the privilege of hearing one ladies story from the slum in the sewing class. Her husband is an alcoholic and has struggled with this since the time they were married at a young age. He is not living with her and her girls right now because of his issues and is usually drunk when he comes back. 
I don’t think a story like this would be very hard to find in the great land of America either.

I don’t know what to do with all my ramblings, but one verse that the Lord spoke to my heart around about my second week here is 2 Corinthians 5…

“For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come...Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight."

 I just can ‘t help but constantly think of how the world just is not the way it was meant to be!

I may not have answers, but I know this is not all forever. And I know I am finding a whole lot of joy in the relationships I have built here. Those are what last and what matter anyway.

Like this week, getting to spend time with one of the teachers at the preschool and the young girl who works for her who is from the slum and her family is Hindu, but she is so eager to learn about Christ and listens to all the stories we tell the children along with working on her English with us. Got to cook Indian food, make Chai, and watch a Hindi movie with them today. Sometimes it is the little things in life….

(Well until the power went out, of course, so we couldn’t finish the movie ha)

    Though I may have frustrations with the culture at times, my time here is beautiful. It is beautiful because of the geography, and it is beautiful because of the relationships that I have been blessed with here. This post is just me being vulnerable in the fact that this time has not always been easy on my heart.

My one prayer request would be that these last three weeks I am here:

That I can give my all to the relationships that I have formed. I pray that the Lord will sustain me so that I can pour out with all my strength. I tend to think I can go and go with out stopping to get refueled, which is one thing I learned in a deep way this week will not work.

I pray for dreams from the Lord for those here who have the desire to Believe, that their hearts will be softened and I can witness Him alive in these people.
-There is also a new sewing class starting tomorrow, so I can't wait to meet these women.

Love!

 My fave. lil rascal from preschool this week...

My Best Bud from Tutoring 

Mirrors

One highlight of this week...
I wanted to do something tangible for the ladies before other teams come and things get a little crazier. My teammate had the idea to buy them each a mirror, write a verse on them, and give them to the women. 
We decorated the small mirrors with their names, the words "you are beautiful", and Ephesians 2:10 which says, "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

We tried to explain through stories that they have a purpose and God has made them specially to fulfill these things. 


They were really grateful, and I hope they treasure these mirrors forever and that they feel valued. I know I am only one of the many that comes here to work with them, but it is awesome to think that all our efforts put together make a difference in their life.




Second highlight:
There is a lady who has a shop buy the beach who the three of us have become very close two and enjoy visiting frequently. She is precious; a great mother and friend. She does not know when her birthday is. So... we decided that it was going to be June 7th!
We bought her a cake, present, and went to surprise! I don't think any of us can describe how much fun this was. She always laughs a lot, but this laughter was mixed with tears and joy. Her family was also there, so the kids loved it. And her husband does not usually say much but he too also looked overjoyed. 
So much fun, partayyy!!
Thankful to be here with great people that would do such an awesome thing.