HIgh Five for Friday

I forgot to do these for the past two weeks, but here we go again! I'm linking up with Lauren over here. Also, no pictures again this week. Fail.

1. Found out my student teaching placement!!

I will be student teaching in a 4th grade class at a school here in Durham starting this fall! I'm so excited! 4th grade is the grade that I wanted and one of my good friends is going to be at the same school as me, so we can ride together! This also makes everything a lot more real and I'm slightly freaking out over the fact that I will be a senior and a teacher soon....

2. Pool time with an old friend.

Yesterday, I got to go to the pool with my best friend from elementary/middle school. It was super fun to hang out and catch up since we go to different schools now and rarely get to see each other.

3. Painting, painting, and more painting

I helped some friends paint a room in their house this week. I really enjoy painting and have done quite a bit of it with my mom here at our house, so I was happy to help them out. It was also a fun excuse to spend time with a new friend before she leaves me :(

4. New books!

I started a new book series this week, I'm not completely in love, but I'm giving it more time. Its another young adult fiction series by the same guy who wrote Percy Jackson. I'm loving some YA fiction this summer.

5. Celebrating 7 years of this sweet girl!!

Yes, this picture is from years ago (but it was the only one I could find right now haha) but today this little one turns 7 and will be celebrating Tangled style! 

Differences that make me smile

India is a different culture.

Shocking I know. 

And yet, I feel like I am beginning to get a grasp on Indian culture, although I realize that I probably never will completely understand that place and I'm fine with that. As I grow more comfortable with this land that I love, it is so fun to watch people experience the culture for the very first time. That has been one of the biggest joys of these past two trips. getting to introduce people to this culture that has captured my heart and see them learn to love it too. 

I love watching the girls pick out their clothes and attempt to wear a sari (as long as I am not the one leading the sari lesson).

It's awesome watching people attempt to eat with their hands, especially our poor left handed friends who have to learn to use their right (if you don't know why you can only eat with your right hand in India... well ask me in person sometime...). 

And always the best is watching them being welcomed by the kids and other members of the ministry. They are always surprised and so happy when the little ones bring out our welcome garlands the first day and cry when they bring out our farewell garlands on the last day. 

And then there are the differences that just make me laugh. I want to share the best example. 

A few weeks ago, there was construction on 147 (the main highway through my city). For probably 1.5 miles, the right lane was blocked off, but no one was working. I finally reached the work, 1 truck drilling in the road, and then the lane continued to be blocked off for another 1.5 miles. So about 3 miles blocked off, for 1 truck. (these distances may be exaggerated)

When we were leaving India, as we drove through Delhi, we came across construction on a bridge, 1 man working on this like fence thing along the edge of the bridge. He had maybe 5-7 cones set up about 4-5 feet into the lane. Traffic barely noticed him and just kept chugging along. 

I don't know if this makes you laugh, but to me it sums up the difference in Indian and American culture. In India, I just laughed, imagining the traffic jam that would have been caused in America, because you know that lane would have been closed for at least a mile for that one man working. 

I'm not saying one way is right and one is wrong, they are just different. 

And it makes me smile. 

High Five for Friday

So I think I'm going to start doing some more posts just about my everyday life (cause I know you are so interested), one of which is the High Five for Friday posts with Lauren for From my Grey Desk. I think I'm supposed to do these on Friday morning, but who really cares haha.

So here are my weeks top moments:

5. Bike riding with my dad.

My dad and I used to ride a lot, but we had stopped for a while. Now we've gone a few times again and when I say ride, I mean like 30-60 mile rides. Its fun to get to hang out with him, I'm a crazy daddy's girl. We talk about really random things: everything from my plans for India to the latest book series I'm reading (see below).

4. Doing nothing but read for several days in a row.

I am fully taking advantage of this summer to be totally lazy and that means that I have spent about 4 days doing nothing but lay in bed reading. Seriously, that is pretty much all i did for the 4th of July. It has been WONDERFUL. Which also leads me to my next point...

3. Percy Jackson

I am a bookworm, but the books I like best are typically written for middle schoolers (Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, etc). This series is no exception, but I am obsessed! I just finished the last book that is out right now (there are three more coming in the next years, CANNOT wait) and now I am suffering major withdrawal. Which most likely means I will be reading them all again. Seriously though, these books are really fun and good too, I will probably do a review of some sort soon.

2. Seeing favorite friends!!

So this happened last week, but one of my favorite friends returned from 6 weeks in East Asia and so I got the pleasure of meeting her at the airport and then driving her down to Charlotte then spending a few days down there with other good friends. It was so great catching up and seeing people's faces since I hadn't seen them since May. (Bemi also told me to read the rest of the Percy Jackson books, so that led to the craziness of the past week of speed reading).

And although it hasn't happened yet...

1. Zach and Lauren's wedding!!!

I'm so excited to go celebrate my sweet friends' wedding tomorrow near Asheville. I'm looking forward to seeing other good friends as we celebrate Zach and Lauren's love and their new life together.



So that was my week. Hopefully next week will be more exciting haha and maybe I will try to take some pictures, but no promises...

To Care for the Fatherless

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the orphan and the widow in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world. 

James 1:27

For almost 3 years, that has been one of my favorite verses in the Bible. 

The command to care for the fatherless. 

For the least of these.

It is all throughout scripture. We are to care for the poor, the fatherless, the widow, and the foreigners. 

Because that is what Christ does for us. 

This past Sunday, Danny Franks preached about this verse and the call to adopt for Christian families. He told his own family's story. They showed a video about their little girl that brought me to tears (granted it doesn't take much). 

I love how this family has lived out James 1:27 for our church. I love the way that their boys have stepped up and loved their little sister. I have been amazed as the boys that I knew as elementary schoolers have truly become young men of God in the past year or so. 

I love that our church is taking this call seriously. I love that there will be a packed house on Wednesday night as families come to learn more about adoption and fostering. 

I love that we want to follow Christ's command. I love that people's hearts are aching for the children around this city, country, and world who are alone tonight. 

I love it. 

I know that many of you were moved by Danny's message and by the words of the God coming alive in your hearts. 

I know that you feel the burden for these children. 

I also know that most of you are not in a place in your lives where you are ready or capable of adopting or fostering. 

I am single, in college, and 21 years old. I'm not going to adopt- that would be just crazy. 

But James 1:27 is talking to me. 

Some of you may be overwhelmed just trying to take care of the kids that you already have. 

James 1:27 is still talking to you. 

Adoption is beautiful. Watch the video of the Franks family, it is BEAUTIFUL. 

Adoption is not the only way to live out this command. 

I know 70 children right now who need someone to support them so that they can go to school. $100 per kid is all that it takes to educate a child for the whole year. 

That is caring for the orphaned. You may never meet the child your money went to, but you still made a HUGE impact on their lives. 

There are kids at the orphanage I work at that do not have sponsors and this breaks my heart. There are children who do not have someone here in America loving them, praying for them, providing for their needs. 

You may not be able to adopt. You may not have the finances for it or the mental capacity, but could you give $50 a month and love a child that you have never seen? 

I have been sponsoring a girl in India for the past 2 and a half years and it is the most fulfilling thing I do with my money. I love my girl more than I can express. She loves me too, she knows me from when I go, but she does not know that I am her sponsor. I don't want her to know. 

This trip, she told me that from now on, I'm her mom. My heart couldn't hardly handle her sweetness. 

You don't have to do either of the things that I just mentioned, but I will ask that you pray, truly pray and seek God's heart for the fatherless and the hurting children around the world. 

Our God is a great Father, and his heart aches for these children more than you or I could even imagine. He wants them to be cared for and loved, even in ways that may look different than we imagine. 

I will say again, this command to care for the fatherless is for every believer. 

So ask God how he would have you live it out. 

College men (cause so many of you read this blog) mentor a middle or high school student. That is a way of caring for the fatherless. 

Moms and Dads, consider sponsoring a child through some organization and tell your kids about it. Show them the pictures and have them write letters. Begin teaching them now to care for the kids like them who are less fortunate. 

I could go on, but I have to go to bed now. 

Above all, pray and then pray some more. God knows the children around the world who are without families. My daughter was not an accident, God knew when she was born and he knew the day that she went to live at that orphanage. Nothing that has happened in her life was outside of his great plan. 

God sets the lonely in families

Psalm 68:6

Here's the video of the super-awesome Franks family.

Thoughts on being home again

I have looked through the pictures about 10 times.

I listen to the music that we sang with the kids (including some awesome songs in Hindi).

I have talked about it some, but I know that with time, the stories will come and I will share more. I always talk about my trips gradually, not all at once.

What I haven't done is write and that is what I need to do the most. Because writing is how I think now.

I miss India, a lot. I miss my kids.

In some ways, this time returning has been the hardest yet. The trip was so short that I by the time I was back adjusted to India and loving it there, it was time to go.

I had to leave before I was beginning to miss friends and family back home, so now all I was left with was the pain of leaving the ones I love in India without the joy of seeing people that I was missing in America. (Not that I didn't miss people, but I wasn't even gone 2 full weeks).

I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, I am so so grateful for the trip that I was able to go on. It was a huge blessing from God. He provided the opportunity and the funding. Completely blew my mind with his provision, not just for me, but for my team members.

I had fully accepted that I would not return to India this summer and then God opened up this door. It was more than I could have asked for.

But leaving is always hard.

And the year stretching out in front of me until i get to return looks very long.

I miss my girls. I miss the boys that I am getting to know. I miss laughing at my terrible Hindi. I miss having chai. I even miss the heat.

God is good. He knows that plan that he has for me and these children. He knows when I will be able to see them again. It may be next summer, for all I know, it could be sooner. I have found that He likes to surprise us when we least expect it.

As it stands now, I may be able to return next summer and when I go back, I may be staying for 6 months. Nothing is set in stone, but R and I are talking about it.

The opportunity to go and stay for 6 months so soon after I graduate blows my mind. I have often said that if everything went my way, I would get on a plane the day after graduation, but that that would not likely happen. Well, now it may.

As I said, nothing is set in stone. I have a lot of praying to do. I do not want to do anything out of the will of God.

All that is to say, that while the year in front of me looks very long, I am begging God to show me how to cherish this final year. For all I know, this could be my last year permanently here in Durham/Chapel Hill. That blows my mind and terrifies me while it excites me.

I want to love this year, not wish it away. I want to cherish the time that i have with the precious little ones that I love here. As much as I miss Rani and my girls in India right now, I will miss the kids here just as much.

Even if I don't leave for India right away, at the end of this year, all of my college friends will scatter. Our friendships will change and adjust. I will miss them all very much. (I am terrified of being a senior, but that is different post for another day).

I am sad to have left India. I always want more time with the kids there and my friends. I am to the point where I feel like I have actual relationships with the people there (not just the little girls) and I miss those people. There are many things about the culture that baffle me, yet there are so many things that I miss.

I would give almost anything to be going to evening prayer with the kids.

But God wants me here. Its not my time to go yet. And so I am begging him to keep me content. And asking him to help me cherish my time here. 

Just checking in!

We are having a wonderful time here in India!! VBS is going wonderfully! Today was our second day. The kids are having a great time and the team has quickly fallen in love with the kids. We are teaching them about the different fruit of the spirit, so yesterday was love and joy and today was peace and patience. We have taught them several songs which they love singing and dancing to. It is extremely hot but the team is being wonderful troopers. I can't wait to share pictures with you when we get back! Thank you for all your support and prayers. You are so wonderful!

Headed to India

Hi all! I'm sure most of you know this, but I am leaving for India today. I am leading a small team of people from my church and a few friends to go work at the orphanage. We will be leading VBS and serving my friends while we are there. I will try my best to post something on here while we are gone, but no promises. I'm sure when we get back I will have lots of stories and pictures to share!

I would love it if you would be praying for me and the team as we go that we would be able to teach and love these kids well and that in all that we do, we will glorify our Father in Heaven.