Jesus's Name is Victory....
This is one of my favorite songs I have learned while in Kolkata. It's just a simple phrase, repeated over and over, but oh, the power behind that statement.
I've said good bye to Kolkata, my internship time drawing to a close. Yesterday (Monday), we boarded a plane to Dehli where we will be until Friday when we leave India (for now).
This has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life so far. Mom asked me once if I felt like it was worth it. At the time, I was still adjusting and unable to give a good answer. However, I can now confidantly reply, "Absolutely". So there you go Mom.
I have met some amazing people since I have been here... some white and some Indian... who are battling on the front lines for the souls of the people here. They are counting the cost and believing in God for big things and big miracles. Having the wisdom of men and women like Beth, who has served her entire life in various parts of Southeast Asia, A. an Indian woman who is devoting her life to the people of the red light district, and Pastor I., one of the most godly men I have ever met, has been incredible. I feel like a sponge because I want to soak up everything they say.
Before I came, human trafficking was an abstract concept to me. I knew that it was a problem, men and women were suffering, and it needed to be stopped. Yet, up until this point it was just a passion... it wasn't personal.
And now it is. Now, I have seen the faces. I have watched as men negotiated prices for women. I have been inside their homes. I know a little girl whose mother is dying of an incurable disease because of her years spent inside the district. It's no longer just human trafficking.... Now, it's L., S., R., and P. (names).
And I fell in love with the children of Kolkata. Really, the children of India in general. They are beyond beautiful, and are currently distributing the pieces of my heart that have been broken before them.
I have also gained a greater awareness of God's heart for me and how He has shaped my passions. I really love street children, and I am just drawn to them for some reason. I am not sure yet how God is going to use that, or where, but I just really love working with the most vulnerable, and I can't wait to see how He uses this.
More than anything, I have gained a greater understanding of the power of Jesus's name. He is the only hope for complete and total restoration. I can take a woman out of a brothel, give her a job, money, an education, a home, but I cannot change her heart. There are broken pieces and walls that only He can see, wounds so deep that only He can restore to glory. He is a big God... so great and powerful.
His name means Victory... Victory over sexual sin, addictions, abuse, heart ache, loneliness, shame, guilt, rebellion... over the darkness of this world. My prayer is that more and more from the red light district will come to know Him and that He will have victory over all.
His adventures are always the best. His dreams are the greatest. Taste and see that the Lord is good, because even in the midst of the rock and the pain, He is sweet.
Has India been everything I hoped it would be?
No... it's been more.
I have been hot, tired, uncomfortable, unsure, and very much outside of myself. I have been on my knees, covered in dirt, sick to my stomach, and heart broken. I have kissed their cheeks, looked into their eyes, shared their smiles, opened my arms wide, opened my heart even wider, held them close, and shared countless moments of songs, laughter, prayer, and joy. I have seen darkness, and I have seen light.
And I have come to life.
This is one of my favorite songs I have learned while in Kolkata. It's just a simple phrase, repeated over and over, but oh, the power behind that statement.
I've said good bye to Kolkata, my internship time drawing to a close. Yesterday (Monday), we boarded a plane to Dehli where we will be until Friday when we leave India (for now).
This has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life so far. Mom asked me once if I felt like it was worth it. At the time, I was still adjusting and unable to give a good answer. However, I can now confidantly reply, "Absolutely". So there you go Mom.
I have met some amazing people since I have been here... some white and some Indian... who are battling on the front lines for the souls of the people here. They are counting the cost and believing in God for big things and big miracles. Having the wisdom of men and women like Beth, who has served her entire life in various parts of Southeast Asia, A. an Indian woman who is devoting her life to the people of the red light district, and Pastor I., one of the most godly men I have ever met, has been incredible. I feel like a sponge because I want to soak up everything they say.
Before I came, human trafficking was an abstract concept to me. I knew that it was a problem, men and women were suffering, and it needed to be stopped. Yet, up until this point it was just a passion... it wasn't personal.
And now it is. Now, I have seen the faces. I have watched as men negotiated prices for women. I have been inside their homes. I know a little girl whose mother is dying of an incurable disease because of her years spent inside the district. It's no longer just human trafficking.... Now, it's L., S., R., and P. (names).
And I fell in love with the children of Kolkata. Really, the children of India in general. They are beyond beautiful, and are currently distributing the pieces of my heart that have been broken before them.
I have also gained a greater awareness of God's heart for me and how He has shaped my passions. I really love street children, and I am just drawn to them for some reason. I am not sure yet how God is going to use that, or where, but I just really love working with the most vulnerable, and I can't wait to see how He uses this.
More than anything, I have gained a greater understanding of the power of Jesus's name. He is the only hope for complete and total restoration. I can take a woman out of a brothel, give her a job, money, an education, a home, but I cannot change her heart. There are broken pieces and walls that only He can see, wounds so deep that only He can restore to glory. He is a big God... so great and powerful.
His name means Victory... Victory over sexual sin, addictions, abuse, heart ache, loneliness, shame, guilt, rebellion... over the darkness of this world. My prayer is that more and more from the red light district will come to know Him and that He will have victory over all.
His adventures are always the best. His dreams are the greatest. Taste and see that the Lord is good, because even in the midst of the rock and the pain, He is sweet.
Has India been everything I hoped it would be?
No... it's been more.
I have been hot, tired, uncomfortable, unsure, and very much outside of myself. I have been on my knees, covered in dirt, sick to my stomach, and heart broken. I have kissed their cheeks, looked into their eyes, shared their smiles, opened my arms wide, opened my heart even wider, held them close, and shared countless moments of songs, laughter, prayer, and joy. I have seen darkness, and I have seen light.
And I have come to life.
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