My life has now taken on aspects of a movie. Just when you think that there can't be any more interesting developments, that the plot can't twist any more, twist it does.
So . . . the guys on the worship team are coming to the US.
Yes, that does include all the guys I have talked about in here.
Before I leave for India.
I'm currently digging around and seeing if I can get my kids to come to my church. I prayed about this. I prayed that I would have my boys standing next to me in my church. I want them to meet both my biological and my church family and see where I come from. If I'm really lucky, I might be able to jump on the flight they are taking back to India. My parents would be relived that I wouldn't be traveling alone, and that would be the Best. Flight. Ever. It would make that horrible, long, drawn-out, disorienting and all around painful process of physically getting back to India suck a lot less.
In other news, I have somehow become a magnet for ministries in India needing huge amounts of support, but are not supported by ANM. It started with a Facebook friend request from Mission for Tribes and Nations in Nepal. They are running schools, orphanages, water programs, sewing and tailoring facilities, basic health education and outreaches to surrounding tribes: My own church, staff included, might not do stuff like this on this scale, and these guys in Nepal are doing it entirely with volunteers. I talked to my friends at ANM and we are in the process of getting them some much needed support.
Then, I get another friend request from Evangelist Sonu Singh near Delhi. He's running a ministry that feeds and houses orphans, from what I understand. Some of the poorest and smallest children have no parents. This is exactly how Bombay Teen Challenge started: one crazy, compassionate guy seeing injustice and deciding that it had to stop. At any rate, I am now praying for his ministry as well. I have absolutely no idea how these ministries keep finding me. They don't know I have been to India until I tell them. And, of course, they want me to visit their ministries. It's like I just became my own Desk Director for India or something. I could take a ministry tour of India with all these ministries asking me to come visit them. Hello, foreign correspondent.
I heard back from BTC on the budget: It will cost me 1,500 to stay at Ashagram for 2 months. With other expenses factored in, it will probably be 3,500 for the whole two-month trip. This is pretty remarkable, mainly because it cost me 3,000 for two weeks last summer. Amazingly enough, this is the figure that the missions department had given my church family as an estimate. This is a lot less intimidating than I though it would be. I had thought that this could easily run 4,500-5000, maybe more. I'm grateful that it won't. I raised 3,000 last summer, I can do it again.
Sandeep has been telling me for several months that I need to meet his 'mom'. She lives near DC. He stayed with her family when the guys were in the US the last time. Through conversations on Facebook, I found out that she was on a team that would be going to India over New Year's. I sent her a packet of Christmas cards I made up for a few of the guys. They had pictures that were taken of me and each kid as well as the friendship bracelets I made back in September in them. She was gracious enough to take them with her to India and give them out for me. When I looked through the pictures that the members of her team had taken with the kids, I saw my kids wearing the bracelets. It reminded me again . . . I have an affect on these kids. The things I do and share have an impact on their lives. These are not some kids living far away that I just kinda know. These are the kids that have completely stolen my heart. Evidence? Seeing a little band on their arms causes me to run around the house yelling, "THEY'RE WEARING THEM!", much to the confusion of my brother and my dog.
My life is being swallowed up by India. I knew this would happen.. It happened on the morning of Tuesday, July 26th while sitting up in my room at Ashagram. I could sense the change of seasons right then. The monsoons had come after years of a desert season in my life. I didn't know if it would stick. I hoped it would, but I didn't think I could hope for such a thing. Today, I can attest to this: It stuck.
My heart and mind never left India. I should just move the rest of me over there already.
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