Trying to summarize India

... is like trying to capture the ocean in a single glass. India was amazing and I will never be able to share enough stories, but I will try to share at least one right now.

I never thought this trip would be as impactful as it was... I thought that since I had been there before the depravity wouldn't affect me the way it did last time, I was wrong. It was as if, since I had been there before, that I was able to take MORE in... everything wasn't passing through a veil of shock like it did before. Now I was able to take in more about the women, about the people in the streets, about the children at the orphanage, about the families in the slums. It went deeper than it ever had before.

Everyone has asked me what my biggest "take away" was... you know the most significant thing from the trip. Last time it was easy to say what my most significant thing was... God and His provision both in India and in America. This time it was harder to nail down. It was more like getting to watch God be God. It seems like in America we get in the way more. In India we show up expecting great things and ready to be used, and He uses us in amazing ways. Does that make sense? For example, the way He put the team together.

A bunch of the ladies that went all work at the Gainesville Care Center for Pregnant Women. They knew they wanted to talk to some social workers in India about fetal development, so they brought some supplies. What they didn't know is that they were not going to be granted an audience with the social workers... they brought hundreds of 12 week old in the womb babies for nothing!?! No, God just had a different plan.

David the man who runs Rahab's asked the women to do a presentation about how precious life is for the women at Rahab's. Most of those women do not even understand what is happening to their bodies when they are pregnant. The ladies started practicing their talk and felt like something was missing. They had a woman who shared about past sexual hurts that Christ had healed and she shared about fetal development. The next woman shared a heart breaking story of having an abortion and how it wasn't what she thought it would be like. She shared her hurt, her depression and the healing that she received from our Savior. Then at the end another woman was going to share a vision she received of Heaven and Christ truly being the gate in which we enter... but something was missing. Then one of the ladies remembered that I had shared my adoption story with her on the plane. They all came running to my room, "Amy, Amy you HAVE to share your adoption story in India... please you have to share it" I said that I would, but honestly had no idea what I was going to tell the women. "Hi, my name is Amy and I am adopted" not incredibly moving is it? As it grew closer to the time that we would share our "talk" for the first time, I kept asking God "what do You want me to say, I know You put me on this specific trip to share this story, but I need help on what to say" It was as if I heard the scripture in my head from Exodus 4:11-12

The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

So my turn came and right as I was getting up to go sit in the front of the room, He gave me what I was to say. I sat down and said "Hi, my name is Amy" and then they all repeated the name "and I am very happy to be with you today. Lynn told you a story of a choice she made, I am going to tell you of another choice. This is a story of a girl who was 15 years old and pregnant. She was abandoned by her boyfriend and afraid to tell her family for fear of shaming them. Her friends told her to have an abortion and be done with the problem. She had a heavy choice to make. In the end she chose to let her baby live. I am that baby" at this time Shoba who was translating for us couldn't translate because she was crying so hard. When she was able she translated and the women all made a sound, kind of like a gasping and some put their hand on their heart. I went on "The choice she made was not easy, but she knew that Jesus already had a plan for my life, a plan to be here loving each of you. Thank you for letting me share my story." I said the last line because the women always want to share their stories with us, so I wanted to thank them for letting me share my story with them.

Then next when Wanda shared her vision of Heaven and how she saw people of all skin tones walking up white steps towards Jesus the women were enraptured. She said that Jesus was there, filling the sky and He was iridescent and luminous, He was actually the gate to Heaven and the people were passing through Him to enter into Heaven. She said that those that accept Christ, as their only God, not one of millions will be in Heaven with Him for eternity. She explained that He died and rose again so that He could be our ticket into everlasting life with Him. The women were getting excited and then in a loud voice she asked who wanted to accept Christ as their Savior? At once 4 women stood. I can barely see past my tears at this point. She began the simple prayer of salvation and the women kneeled and covered their heads in respect. They prayed and when it was over there was much rejoicing in the room. I hugged so many women that day. What precious precious memories.