The way God works is a mystery to me. He brings us to places to break us and re-make us. We can never understand His way of doing it but rather walk with Him and trust where He goes. I’m learning this process in life, but even more here in India.                 Coming to India in my mind (which is never right when God is in control) looked like I would come to India to serve the kids of these houses and serve the foster moms and it was going to be great. I would be selfless...

I’ve been asked so many times: why India? It’s not an easy question to answer for me. Looking back on it I understand that I was stuck at home. That I didn’t know what to do with this stagnant life I had built around myself. And so I looked for something to do that I thought would make me deserve to be happy. I also looked for a trip where I would leave as soon as possible and would be gone for a while. In my search I found AIM and I found India. I hardly knew what I was doing here. I stepped onto the streets of Hyderabad and looked around, recognizing how wide my eyes had...

India has made a snake out of me. I am shedding the skin of my former self and taking on the flesh of a new me. A flesh equipped in fresh ways and truths that I never thought myself capable of. But India has made them necessary. The call to serve has made them both imminent and possible. And though there are days when I feel weak and incapable of the love, patience, and wisdom required to work with special needs children, I am infinitely encouraged just by looking back on my past month in India and not even remembering the woman I was before I stepped on that first plane to Hyderabad. India...

“My dear children, without our suffering, our work would just be social work, very good and helpful, but it would not be the work of Jesus Christ, not part of the redemption, Jesus wanted to help us by sharing our life, our loneliness, our agony and death. All that He has taken upon Himself, He has carried it in the darkest night, only by being one with us has he redeemed us. We are allowed to do the same, all the desolation of the poor people, not only their material poverty, but also their spiritual destitution, must be redeemed and we must share in it.” Such words resemble...

I wish there was a self-help book on how to get past feeling overwhelmed. A step by step manual would be nice. But guess what? I’m living in Hyderabad, India. For three months. Right now all I can do is take a deep breath and pray for peace. Every day I relearn that I am here for a reason. That God placed me in this ministry to change me, make me grow, wreck me. I am here to help and offer my service, but I’ve learned more from all of these children than I think I’ll ever be able to teach them. And it’s only been a few weeks. This is Neveah, a little girl that I...

This week has been thee longest week of my life. I’ve said that so many times-ask my team- but I really mean it. My life has changed since I stepped foot onto training camp grounds twelve days ago. There’s thing part in me that is so crazy tired; there’s a part that wants my family to be here with me; then there is a part that cannot believe I’ve only known the sisters on my team for twelve days; then there’s a part of me that’s concerned I don’t have all of the turkey wraps or berries I’m convinced I need. So basically I am currently feeling...