India

Nick and I felt like as soon as we landed in California on August 3rd, that we hit the ground running. I can't believe how crazy life has been for this past month. There is so much going on, that requires alot of processing and adjusting that it has been so tough to process through India and all of our experiences over there and what God has and is teaching us from that.

WOW, I can't believe we spent 6 weeks in India this summer! Time came and went, and here we are back in America in a somewhat normal routine.

What an experience India was. It was beautiful, difficult challenging and fun all at the same time. I feel like there are so many stories and experiences that I can't even begin to put them into words. So many people left an imprint on my heart and now I feel like I am worlds away from them because I don't see them everyday, and I really am on the other side of the world.

So many faces are a blur across my mind as I think of them and wonder how they are doing; praying for them and thinking about their lives. So many beautiful faces, some that truly know and love the Lord and some that are lost in the darkness of a polytheistic religion.

The Lord is doing an amazing work in India and Nick and I were blessed to witness all that He is doing over there. There are so many different hands and feet that are working as part of the body to reach those who are have not seen the Light.

I try to ponder and process what exactly did God teach me over there. So often John 15: 8-13 was on my heart about what it means to Love one Another. How do we do that on a daily basis? How do we put others needs above ourselves?

God showed Nick and I how much of a practical dependence our Indian friends had on the Lord. THe joy of the Lord flowed out of them and was written all over their faces, because they were always dependent on Him. Wow, do I have the same dependence on the Lord. Is the joy of the Lord written all over my face? What do people see when they see me? What am I a reflection of?

We went to a land filled with people who did not have very much, and yet they did not live in need. They used what they were given, and got by just fine. Now we have returned to a culture that is me focused and material centered. How do we take what we have seen in India and what we see here in America and figure out how to live? It is difficult. I find that it is incredibly easy to fall into the lifestyle of focusing on things, because we are constantly surrounded and bombarded by it...everywhere we look. I don't want to live in such a way that I am so similar to the world and the culture that I live in. Can someone look at me and see that something is different? Do I reflect something different, or do I reflect myself...a focus on this life, on myself and on the things I can have in this life.

One of my biggest prayers and thoughts while being in India was that I did not want to come back and be complacent in my faith. I want God to be involved so directly and intimately in my life that talking about Him flows easily from my lips. That He is truly my primary focus, not just because I say it is so, but because it is how I live my life, to serve and glorify His name above all else.

Wow....looks like I have much to process through still!

We're back!

Hey everyone! It's been a loong while since I have updated our blog. We have been in India the past six weeks, and it was difficult to get time to sit down and think about what I would want to blog about our experience. Let me tell you that it was a challenging, amazing, and blessing of an experience. God stretched us and challenged us. The schools are amazing, the children are amazing, and the people are amazing! The food, and the climate...not so much. The joy of the Lord is shown all over the faces of the people you meet there. It makes me wonder what people see when they see me. Do they see a reflection of Christ? It makes me think about what I am living for. Coming back has been wonderful to see our family and friends whom we missed so very much while gone. The transition back to our culture will be somewhat difficult. America tends to be such a materialistic culture, and now that we have been somewhere else in the world that just does not focus so much on possessions, it is difficult to come back and figure out how we want to live in our culture. There is so much to process through right now, in the midst of going through jet lag.

In the midst of coming home, there is a lot going on. We are living with Nick's family right now as we begin the process of looking for a house! Very exciting, and already feeling a little stressful at times. Nick is starting a new job at Golden Valley High School. It is strange to be home, but not really home anymore. Our apartment in Pasadena is gone, and all of our things are in storage. It is strange to have picked up and now live in a completely different city. Most of Nick's family lives here which is awesome, and it will be good to spend some more time with many of them.

I will try to keep our blog updated more with all the things going on in life right now. Hope everyone is well!