There and Back Again: India and Beyond

Beautiful Southeast Indian scenery from my first trip to India. Hey all my wonderful readers! A number of months ago, I had posted about some new and exciting things coming up this year. I finally have some updates to share! 1. My all-new blog, which I had share the vision of previously is now LIVE!!!!!! You can check it out at redeemingasia.com . I am so excited for this new avenue of ministering to ministry leaders in Asia as well as providing resources for churches that are looking to teach their people about missions! 2. I have decided to go ahead and continue writing on There and Back Again , but it will primarily be my personal blog with stories of my adventures both at home and abroad. And, of course, I will update it periodically with links to the other site where you can find all my Bible/missions/theology writings. 2. India is calling my name again , and I will be traveling back in October to spend a couple weeks with my boyfriend and his family in their home c...

Hello my friends! The last few months have been crazy busy as I have been adjusting to being back in the U.S., spending time with my family, and preparing for future plans. As many of you may know, the last year has been full of new experiences, new friendships, and all kinds of changes. I met and began dating my now boyfriend, returned to India for a three-month stint visiting and assisting several organizations who are doing wonderful work promoting the well-being of thousands of Indians, and came home! Whew! Over the past several months, I have been contemplating many questions, most of them along the lines of these: What now? Where to next? What do I do with what I have learned? Those questions are largely unanswered as of this moment. And yet, as many of us know, when one comes to the point of considering such questions, there is a high chance that some potentially major changes will result. The old must pass away. One of the biggest areas I have been contemplat...

After my three week stint in Hyderabad, I returned to Orissa, where I would spend the next five weeks teaching in the school and renewing friendships. It was wonderful to have more time to learn more about how God has been moving there during the past four years since I last visited. As I have mentioned in previous posts, it was in this place that I first fell in love with India and its people. After the past four years of ups and downs, and continual confusion as to where God may be calling me, it was fitting to end my second trip to India by spending time in the place where it all began, and doing many of the same things I did during my last time there. My whole experience over the past summer in India has taught me so much about myself and revealed many significant things to me about what God is calling me to do. While in Orissa, I spent most of the daytime teaching English, as well as substitute teaching for other subjects whenever the need arose. I was delighted to inter...

Photo credit: Sundeep Goel As I had mentioned in my previous post, I spent my first week in Hyderabad working with a sports ministry team teaching volleyball and playing games. After the team left to return to the States, I remained in the city where I spent the next two weeks with the Indian organization we had been partnered with. During the rest of my stay in Hyderabad, I was able to further explore the organization and participate in its ministries. On my first day (which was a Saturday), I was asked to share at a women’s Bible study, so I prepared a study on John 15 and what it means to abide in the True Vine. It was a joy to fellowship with the group of ladies and to hear testimonies of God moving in the hearts of women in India. The next day, I and another intern attended church with the family who founded the organization. I was surprised by the fact that the church service so closely resembled a Western megachurch service in the stage setup, service format, us...

Namaskaaramu! Greetings from India! After spending a week in Orissa, I traveled to Hyderabad, which is a city in the state of Telangana. There, I met up with a couple other ladies from the U.S. who I would spend a week with, teaching kids how to play volleyball. My initial task was to make sure they got settled into the hotel and had everything they needed. This was my first opportunity to act as hostess of a team, and though I was exhausted from traveling (as were they), we all managed to settle in and spend time resting before our busy week began. I went to sleep in my hotel room, excited about spending the next day (a Sunday) attending a church service, and spending some time playing games with the kids. But, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning with a major stomach virus (essentially traveler’s food poisoning). I ended up spending the entire day in my room nursing myself back to health. Not exactly what I had in mind for the first day in the city, or really for any ...

Photo by  Aman Bhargava  on  Unsplash After my stay in Mumbai, where I learned about urban poverty and related issues, I traveled to the state of Odisha where some friends of mine are working to make a difference among the rural and tribal populations.  When I was in India before, I spent the bulk of my time there, and it was amazing to see how the work has expanded over the past four years. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to see many of the people who I had met previously. My arrival had been kept quiet, so most of the people, including the children, were not expecting to see me. Some, who had been here four years ago during my last time in India, immediately recognized me, others being more tentative. Many asked my name, and when I said “Jessica,” their faces immediately lit up, and they said “Jessica, sister!” This time, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with a team of students who were putting on a special children’s program. It ...

Gateway to India Mumbai. I don’t know what comes to mind when you read that city’s name. Maybe you think of the famous Bombay, or the infamous Las Vegas of India. Maybe it brings to mind the imperialism of British rule. Or maybe it sparks a memory of an article you read recently about poverty, slavery and human trafficking. Perhaps, like many, you may have a vague memory of the name, but really have no idea where it’s located, or what it’s like. For me, I really did not know what to expect. Mumbai is one of the largest (if the not the largest) cities in India. Of the cities, it is one of the most developed, having been a British port prior to India’s independence, and is constantly expanding. As I have observed over the past week or so, construction of new buildings is going on everywhere. People come from all over India, and even the world, to work here. Some of the most visited tourist sites in India are located here. Last night, I had the opportunity to visit some of the ...

Photo by  Sven Scheuermeier  on  Unsplash In the midst of all the preparations for my coming trip to India, I have neglected to take time to write! So, to prevent any further neglect in writing, I thought I would share some of my thoughts. Yesterday, I was chatting with a friend from India and sharing with him how excited I am to be returning after so long. He asked me a question that I am sure others have wondered from time to time: “What attracts you so much to India?” My immediate response was “ the people. ” And that is exactly the case. Five years ago, I would never have imagined that I would travel to India, and certainly would never have guessed that the country and its people would leave such a lasting impression on my mind and heart. During the first two years of my time in college, I was exposed to the reality of human trafficking and its exploitation of the poor and vulnerable. I have to admit that while I knew it was a horrible, tragic ...

The beautiful scenery of Kalahandi district, Odisha, India (After another length of silence, I am back! But, I am interrupting the 'War' series to share about a wonderful opportunity which has opened up! I am hoping to get back into the study on Romans soon). Four years ago, I was in my junior year of college, contemplating what I might like to do for the summer I internship credit I wanted to obtain. I had decided that I might as well take advantage of the chance to go overseas - a desire that had been growing in my heart for a long time. Little did I know that my decision to search internships in India before looking at Thailand would lead to a wonderful experience that changed my life and imprinted the beautiful country and people of India on my heart forever. Now, here I am, preparing to spend another summer in India! Yes, friends, even I can hardly believe it, but it is true!  1) Why am I going back to India? Many of you know that my first trip to Indi...

Photo by  Jacob Meyer  on  Unsplash While in India, it came to my attention that just five years earlier, there had been a massacre of Christians in the state in which I was staying. It was sobering to realize that not too long before my appearance, many of my brothers and sisters had been murdered simply because they chose to follow Christ rather than practice the Hindu religion. Since that time, I have become increasingly aware of the atrocities being committed against my Christian brothers and sisters. And with all the news concerning the spreading of ISIS, the school shooting in Oregon which targeted Christians, as well as the emails I receive each morning recounting the struggles and sufferings of believers around the world, I have become more and more concerned lately about my brothers and sisters who are being persecuted for their faith. As a twenty-something citizen of the United States, I have rarely (read: never) experienced persecution for my belief...

Photo by  Matthew Bedford  on  Unsplash It is hard to believe that just a little over a year ago, I submitted my application for an internship with Global Hope India. It’s funny really; I had spent more than a month considering whether I should dare to fill out the form, and finally, I gave up the internal war I had been fighting and went for it, praying that God would give me clear direction as to how I should spend my upcoming summer. In no way did I imagine how fast things would come together. Just a couple days before I headed home for Thanksgiving break last year, I received the reply – I was accepted! Christmas break consisted of a whirlwind of activities and preparations as I talked to family and friends about what I would be doing, wrote support letters, and applied for my passport. My spring semester was a continuation of that as I learned about the Indian culture, shared with even more people and made decisions about where and how I would be spending m...

Photo by  Saksham Gangwar  on  Unsplash I meant to write this “wrapping up” post within a few days of returning to the U.S., but alas, I found myself diving back into life in the States and becoming increasingly busy. So now, after a month-long hiatus, I am back to recap and share a few closing thoughts (which are in no way the end of the story, but rather what I hope will be a transition to the beginning of the next stage – figuring out what to do next and waiting for God’s direction). As of this moment, I am in my dorm room, having just finished the first few days of my senior year of college. While I am excited about this school year, and anticipating all that God will do during the next months, I am dearly missing India. I miss the sights – beautiful mountains in every direction I look, tropical plants in bloom, fields of rice and sugar cane; cows, chickens, dogs and monkeys wandering all over the place; the bustling market… I miss the sounds – car, tru...