Endless Days, Enduring Drive, Enamored Devotion
It's MY (Holly) turn to write!
Until now, I have been too captivated by my surroundings to focus on
writing and sharing this adventure with you. But after the endless day
yesterday, I have to share.
Since landing in the country of India, the time diffference and lack of
sleep have not been a concern for me. I feel like I have stepped into a
whole other realm. So, let me try and explain.
Rough terrain, hours in a vehicle, and a couple of hours of sleep; to
get in a plane for a couple of hours, drive what was supposed to be two
hours, ended up to be in the midst of a riot, which delayed our
destination and detoured our van down one road which caused us to back
up in reverse nearly 6 blocks to get away from that area. We turned
down an alley thinking we could go forward to get out of the riot
(fighting over the possible division of the state of Andrha Predesh)
realizing the road didn't go through. We nearly hit a man on a scooter
when we heard the thud of his hand hit the side of our van. Our
precious pastor, John, who was with us, in his Indian tongue said "so
souddy, so souddy (sorry)". We take another turn into yet another road
block.
At this point, we have been in the van for 4 1/2 hours and I have to pee
SO bad that I nearly wet my pants! I even considered using a ziploc
baggie as a toilet! One of our detours ended up in an alley in front of
what "HAPPENED" to be the home of recent converts to Christianity.
Pastor John hopped out of the van and went to ask if a couple of us
could use their bathroom. They graciously agreed and we ran to their
home. I took off my shoes at the front door and made my way to the
squatty potty, hole in the floor. On the way out they asked, "would you
pree for us?" and pray I did.
Before I go on, I first have to tell you all of the images that are in
my mind as well as my camera, but I want to interpret what I saw from my
heart. It was the boy with the bat that caused my eyes to well with
tears after seeing so much filth, dirt, trash, huts, and half-clothed
people; rice fields with laborers working diligently for, who knows,
wages or maybe a plate of food; and women in sarees walking, some
barefoot, some with tattered flip-flops, some with vessels of water
sitting desparately on their heads as they make their way to who knows
where. The images brought a flood gate of tears to my eyes in this six
hour drive through these many villages and towns before we arrived at
our final destination. My eyes were fixed out my window taking in all
that I feel like God wanted me to see. But it was the boy with the
bat...........
On what should have been a two hour drive, I feel that God delayed "the
time" once again so that my eyes would open. "What do you want me to
see?", I asked God. "Besides what is obvious?" After wearing out a
camera battery for the hundreds of pictures I took along the way, then
stealing Candy's camera and adding another few hundred, I realized it
wasn't about the pictures, it was what penetrated my heart. These
people do not know the difference of what I so commonly take for
granted. First, my love for God because I only have One and not a
billion (we saw many temples along the road with creature-like gods).
And second, my simple, common wealth. I have a washing machine and
don't have to beat my clothes along the banks of the river; I buy
groceries at a store with a concrete floor instead of a tin roof sitting
on 4 sticks to cover the produce picked by the merchant. I'm blessed.
We're blessed.
So, about the boy with the bat. It wasn't a bat at all, at least not
like we know. It was a really fat stick and he was in a muddy,
patchy-grassed field with other boys laughing, hitting this ball, and
jumping. Then I realized his stick. He doesn't notice that it doesn't
have "value" like those we buy in America, but it does have value to him
and his friends as they enjoy their time together. Even after we drove
past, his image sticks in my head and it is still there. I don't know
if he loves his life, but I love it that God has placed me here to see
that He can bring hope to a nation, a place, to depravation. Not
because of me, not because of the team, but because of Him.
What if surroundings never change? But a heart can. That changes everything.
I have to go get ready now...we begin the conference today. I am the
first to speak and as hundreds of pairs of eyes will stare back at me, I
can only pray that God will use me, a willing vessel, to share His
words and His love to change a heart.
