Doors of India: PART TWO

We spent a lot of time gazing bump-ily through the van widows. As usually occurs, songs kept playing themselves over and over in my head. Sometimes I would put on my iPod as I watched the reality show flying past my eyes. It was as if I was giving India its own sound track. Ironically, someone already did this. I couldn't wait to pull out this CD when I got home and ached inside that I hadn't thought to upload it to my iPod before we left. It was amazing listening to the familiar words as an insider now. I had been there. Just like the songwriters. And I had seen the sights, smelled the smells, heard the sounds, lived the words and pleaded in my heart with the Lord for these people. And I was blessed so much more by these songs. I've gotten to relive India through song since I've gotten home. Thanks Caedmon's Call. I will Share the Well...

Mother India

Father God, you have shed your tears for Mother India
They have fallen to water ancient seeds
That will grow into hands that touch the untouchable
How blessed are the poor, the sick, the weak

Father, forgive me, for I have not believed
Like Mother India, I have groaned and grieved
Father, forgive me, I forgot Your grace
Your Spirit falls on India and captured me in Your embrace

The Serpent spoke and the world believed its venom
Now we're ten to a room or compared to magazines

Father, forgive me, for I have not believed
Like Mother India, I have groaned and grieved
Father, forgive me, I forgot Your grace
Your Spirit falls on India and captured me in Your embrace

There's a land where our shackles turn to diamonds
Where we trade in our rags for a royal crown
In that place, our oppressors hold no power
And the doors of the King are thrown wide

Father, forgive me, for I have not believed
Like Mother India, I have groaned and grieved
Father, forgive me, I forgot Your grace
Your Spirit falls on India and captured me in Your embrace

Doors of India: Part 1

I stared out the window tirelessly, while bracing myself, on our 5 hour tumultous trek to Agra and then 3 more, on to Farukhabad. Though it would seem monotonous, I was mezmerized and found myself fighting to keep my eyes opened as every time they would suggest anything longer than a blink, voices would jar me alert pointing out some incomprehensible scene or sight. Miles and miles flew by of face after empty face, weary from the struggle to survive. I was in awe of the constant stream of villages, half clothed children, water buffalo, horse carts, auto-rickshaws, TATA trucks, white cows, pigs, and the occassional monkey, camel and elephant that would capture my attention like a trance. Along with the sights were the sounds of endless car, bike, motorcylce, bus, and truck horns screaming to announce their intention to be first in the speedway race that is Indian roadways. If I thought long enough, I would be utterly overwhelmed that MAYBE 10 minutes out of every hour saw a reprieve in dusty, dirty, garbage laden, animal dung-dotted, bustling village streets to allow for some green pasture land and slightly smoother roads. What truly haunted me though, was the blank stares and weathered faces of every person over school age that we passed. I peered into their lives for a split second and all the while, in the back of my mind, I knew where I would lay my head in just 10 more days. I knew what my warm shower and hot coffee would taste like and what I would wear and how I would get to work. I knew I had a job and paycheck at that very moment paying my next months desires. But what about that slum kid at my window holding up American magazines, one with a picture of Cameron Diaz on the cover, as he pointed from the picture to me and back, a prompting grin on his face. I did not buy his magazine. Will he eat tonight?


This is just one of the doors the Lord opened up while in India. There were many more. Stay tuned...

You Are More

I went to a concert by Tenth Avenue North a week ago and I was so moved by the depth of their lyrics. Here is one song that I truly loved and wanted to share because we've all been in a place where the enemy of our souls speaks loud and God's voice gets drowned out in all the deception, lies, self-pity, doubts and fears. Here is a song that is a beautiful reminder that when we give our lives to Jesus Christ, He no longer sees us as we are, but as He has died for us to be...His. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

Click on the title to listen on YouTube:

You Are More
Artist(Band):Tenth Avenue North

There's a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered
And the shame she can't hide

She says, "How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear
That I've fallen too far to love"

But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it
That she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling
That it's not true tonight

She knows all the answers
And she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better
But then she's too weak to try

But don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

You've been remade
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
You've been remade.

Can we say....JET LAG?

Okay, so as you've probably figured out, after the first "full day" in Romania, things got BUSY! The camps each day were fun and exhausting, and dinners each night were an adventure. We had a few team meeting times late at night before we literally fell into bed. On Wednesday the praise and worship time with our Romanian brothers and sisters was so refreshing and uplifting...and beautiful. Our time in Bucharest...well, that's a subject for a later blog :)

While I traveled, I continued to read through the prophet Amos in scripture. I also borrowed Radical by David Platt. It's an eye opening book and interestingly enough, as I tried so hard to reconcile the poverty of these kids with the luxury of our hotel with the scripture in Amos with David Platt's thoughts on American extravagance...it was as if the Lord was challenging my heart with the same message from so many angles. Even as I sit here, I'm not quite sure how to put it into words yet. I guess scripture is the best explanation!

Amos 6: Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!...

⁴ You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches.
You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.

⁵ You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.

⁶ You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.

⁷ Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

⁸ The Sovereign LORD has sworn by himself—the LORD God Almighty declares: "I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it."

Why did God say these things? Was it because he was against all luxury? NO. It was because while the people basked in luxury they purposely forgot and mistreated the poor. They became extremely comfortable and prideful and despised the poor and the needy, engaged in sinful acts and forgot God. Over and over again.

In his book, Radical, David Platt challenges American Christians to truly evaluate their lives and their relationship with the Lord in light of a Gospel message from Jesus Christ that is clear. I am still finishing this book but I am eager to comment on it in a later blog when I'm through.

In the mean time, I will share some of the pictures from our trip!
Iasi, Romania 2010

We're here and it's beautiful!

Hello from Iasi, Romania!!

Despite a rainy day and a death defying, second-scariest-plane-landing-i've-ever-had, we woke up to a beautiful day and a cool breeze after a short but restful night at our hotel, Little Texas.

Today has been so wonderful and full of worship. We started at Way of Joy church where we met some beautiful Romanian people and listened to a roughly translated version of the sermon from the pastor, Valentine. He is leading our camp and we will be working with his son, Raul (22) and his daughter, Alexandra (21). Alex sang for us this morning and she has such a beautiful voice. She is studying music at the university here and it was such a treat to hear her sing. To my surprise, I was asked to play a song on guitar and sing also. Wow. Soooo not prepared for that!! But I couldn't say no, so I chose "Pure" by Kari Jobe and the Lord provided..

More later. I'm exhausted!!

Much love,

K

The Adventure Begins!

With much prayer from several continents, I passed my Physician Assistance National Recertification Exam (PANRE)!!!! I felt terrible and dumb walking out of that test but I am so thankful I don't have to worry about it for another 6 years. Which leaves my brain free for....

ROMANIA!
It's shocking to me that I leave in less than a month for Iasi, Romania. We had our 2nd team meeting tonight and got much needed good information. We will essentially be working with youth in a "vacation bible school" type setting about 30 minutes outside of the city. I'm really looking forward to working along side my teammates and translators. We will be sharing about Creation, Joseph, Daniel, and Jesus' birth, miracles, and resurrection. We'll do crafts, activities, and singing and be gone from 830am to 6pm all five days!! It will be extremely hot (just like Birmingham in the summer, actually)... But I know the Lord will protect us and provide for us and we proclaim Him.

A few of the blessings I've already seen:

~My trip is completely paid up, one month out from departure. (Thank you so much to my sweet friends and family for your generous support!)

~I will get to work directly with my translator Laura from last year. (This is both a praise and a prayer request as she will be finishing up exams right as we get there)

~I will get to see my friends from last year, Miha and Liz!!

~We don't have to endure the 5.5hour bus ride from Bucharest to Iasi after our international travel. Instead, we have a flight!!! A HUGE PRAISE!!!!!!!!!

~The Lord has provided for each of my teammates in raising full support for their trips, and each of us are very excited about getting to know one another while we proclaim the Love of Christ to these kids and this ministry.


More to come!!

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Words of Wisdom

'God is looking for imperfect men and women who have learned to walk in moment-by-moment dependence on the Holy Spirit; Christians who have come to terms with their own inadequacies, fears, and failures; believers who have become discontent with "surviving" and have taken the time to investigate everything God has to offer in this life.'

~Charles Stanley, Senior Pastor FBC Atlanta,GA


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'No soul can be really at rest until it has given up all dependence on everything else and has been forced to depend on the Lord alone. As long as our expectation is from other things, nothing but disappointment awaits us.'

~Hannah Whitall Smith, 19th Century Author

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