I’m back stateside after 12 days in India. It was an incredible trip, one I hope to take again, and it stirred up a lot in me that I’m still processing through. I’m eager to share parts of it, but as with any experience, it’s difficult to put into words. Today as part of Monday Lovin’, I’m sharing some highlights.

1) When I started to think about my trip to India, the first obstacle to overcome was funding. However, God used this faith step to affirm that He indeed wanted me on this trip. I saw my full support raised in 3 weeks. I never thought that was possible. But even more special than watching God provide financially, was seeing the ways that my support network rallied around me and my team in prayer. I received encouraging responses to emails and special prayers from friends half a world away. I felt like my friends were in the trenches with me, even though they were not physically there. This experience affirmed the power of prayer in coming alongside others.

2) I have long thought that Indian children are some of the most beautiful, and being around them for two weeks only confirmed it. The kids run a little bit free, so when our group would be sharing with the adults, I loved getting down on their level and playing with them. Even with the language barrier, I was able to play rock, paper, and scissors, and try to learn their names. Plus, kids always love having their picture taken, so I’ve been able to bring their faces home with me. Seeing and interacting with them, further motivated me to pray for and share with the adults. If parents come to know Christ, they will be able to communicate the Gospel with and disciple their children. I pray that this would be the generation that fulfills the Great Commission!

3) Technology was not only a game changer in communicating with my friends and family back home, but it will shape global missions. Many mission organizations have taken steps forward in translating the Bible (and other training materials) in all languages. This is huge. However, there are countries, specifically where many of the unreached people groups live, where low literacy rates prevent people from reading the Bibles that have been translated into their languages.

On Thursday our team will be sharing information at our church. If you’re interested in learning more, stay tuned to my blog because I’ll be sharing stories for weeks to come, but I also really encourage Indianapolis locals to attend our debrief.