Not Abandoned

Now I'm allowed to let you know where my outreach was: India!

Outreach was so completely adventured-filled. I feel as if I could tell the stories from my time in India for years. I probably will never tire of sharing all these stories. So I will settle for simply sharing just a few experiences on this blog, and that way I don't have to spend months on a single update and you don't have to spend hours reading it on a blog. If you want to hear more stories, just hunt me down in a friendly manner and preferably bring tea with you. Because tea is kind and very hospitable.

We traversed to three separate locations during our stay in India. So I shall share a story from each location. 

At our first location we were just beginning to learn about Indian culture and how to interact with them. We shared at different churches as part of our ministry. The first church we shared at was most assuredly not in English. We shared through a translator. It was something to get used to--being around people who did not know English very well. There was much adjustment that took place over the course of outreach. After the church service a young boy approached me with his Bible opened. He looked at me and asked for an autograph. I responded that I would not sign a Bible but I took out a piece of paper and signed that for him. Feeling like a famous person was a theme of outreach. 

In the second location, our seemingly constant fame was yet again proven powerful. We were walking around a community praying silently to see God change the destiny of the people in that area. As we were walking through the community, a man approached us and invited us into his house. It was simply a gesture of the hospitality that is held by most Indians. We shared candy with the children in the home and gave them clothing for their little girl. Our host in that general area (a pastor) was so amazed that God used this as an opportunity to literally open a door to begin to forge relationship with this Hindu family. Relationship is the best strategy for bringing Jesus to those who have yet to meet Him.

As we sped along for 35 hours via train, and the buildings morphed and changed in reflection to our geographic movement, our strategies continued to shift and grow. We were able to shift to the streets instead of the four walls of the church and grow by declaring Christ in the midst of the street. One day we were worshiping on the street corner. As we were worshiping, we were approached by a man from a nearby school and he asked us to play for his school event that day. Of course we said yes. So we followed him a few blocks away to the school. When we arrived, we were confronted by loud speakers and boys feet throwing dirt into the air as part of the sports day that the school was in the split middle of. We were seated as guests of honor in the judges section as we awaited our time to shine. A few more races later we were handed a microphone and the crowd was drawn with faces shining in anticipation. The Jamaican songs were sung, my harmonica was flaunted, we danced and shared the story of David and Goliath. It was a moment of Indian hospitality and an open door. I was so blown away at how amazing the opportunity was.

As I said, I have a plethora of memorable moments. These are just a few. God used my encountering the power of darkness in this nation to break my heart for those who sleep in the hapless heaps of rubbish remaining along the edges of the whole of India. I learned so much that I'm not even completely sure to what extent my entire worldview has changed. My definition of normal has shifted and transformed to the point where returning to the normal that I have claimed the last nineteen years seems improper. God has used India to change me. And it's okay. I trust Him.

This is a song I wrote to express to the lost in India that they are not abandoned.

"Not Abandoned"

Chorus:

You are not abandoned/Your voice is not unheard/left completely stranded/Your cause is not absurd/you are of great value/this is completely true/he won't leave you empty/he wants to set you free

Verse one:

Let's beat back the darkness/as we fan the flame of light/finding hope in the hopeless/to human is too trite/heaven was made empty/so you could be made full/my so he hears your plea/he has paid the total toll

Verse two:

Run and hide no more/he is seeking you out/he has so much in store/spit in the fave of doubt/refute every single lie/exchange it for what's true/no more shall demons fly/you shall be made new

Bridge:

The burning trash will not burn out/every stranded plea and shout/he will let out every slave/after all he came to save

Thank you so much for all your prayers! The next update I post will be about my next step. I will be attempting to keep up on this blog and post about weekly. I'm excited to continue to follow God. Here's to this next year!!!!

In Christ,

T. D. Ardent