Streams in the Desert

God is so good. Tonight with the girls was amazing. When I arrived at the hostel, some of them came running, grabbed my hands and took me down the road to the playground. We stood at the edge of a vast field of yellow grasses. Far away where the field ended, the palm trees, so tall and magnificent, were a stark contrast against the sky. The sky, oh the sky! It was so big and beautiful. At home there are too many buildings in the way, but here in India, it always feels like a glorious ocean above me.

The children played, climbing the monkey bars, playing tag, picking their way through the tall grasses, small dark heads against the roiling sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance and sometimes a flash of lightning streaked against the mountains. The sun was setting behind us, always a fiery orange ball. The air was heavy with the sweetness of flowers, and the coolness of the coming rain. Yogalakshmi, one of the older girls, handed me a comb, asking for a little braid. You take two small sections of hair above each ear, twist them, and braid together with another piece in the middle to make a small braid. Then at the bottom one long thick braid.

There was just something about standing in that huge, spacious place, braiding the hair of an Indian girl. There was something about the sand under our bare feet, the warm breeze, the whispering grasses, laughter. There was something about feeling so small, the field like the hollow of His hand. It was all so beautiful that I just wanted to cry with thankfulness. HE was there with us.

And He sent us rain! The second time in two days. It came in torrents, bringing freshness and relief from the heat. We ran back to the hostel before the downpour hit, and then huddled under the verandah, watching the water pool on the ground in the courtyard.

As it grew dark we gathered for prayer and Tata came. He told the girls all kinds of stories, making them laugh and smile, as a good grandfather should. As Tata spoke to the children in Tamil, I sat reading my bible and the Lord showed me this verse:

“There is no one holy like the Lord, there is no one besides You; there is no rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2).

By now the rain had stopped, but as I looked out into the night, this verse ran through my mind over and over. It occurred to me that we must take time to just stand in awe of God. To know His presence, to listen to His voice, to simply be still …

Later, little Kamala laid her head in my lap, crying with a fever. I wept silently as I prayed over her, begging the Lord to use my hands, arms and voice as His. It is so difficult for the children when they are sick. Sometimes they cry out, “Apa,” or “Amma,” over and over, calling for their parents. In those moments I feel so helpless. But the Lord has given me arms to hold them, a voice to pray for them, a heart to love them.

As I put the girls to bed that night, they were so adorable. What a wonderful thing love is. First we pray, then I go around to each girl, kiss her forehead or cheek and say, “Goodnight. I love you. Yesu ennai nesikirar” (Jesus loves you). The girls always kiss me back and it’s so cute. Little Murugeswari -- a tiny wisp of a thing with no front teeth and huge, haunting eyes – just stared up at me in wonder, her eyes shining like moons in the darkness. So precious. Then Manithai and Mageswari said something that melted my heart. I was telling them in Tamil they were beautiful girls, and they whispered back, “Gracie Amma alahoo.” (Gracie mother beautiful). They called me Amma! I am so undeserving of that title! To think that I really am a mother to them … it’s too much to comprehend.

Several weeks ago the Lord had spoken to me from Isaiah 35:

“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs” (v. 3-7a).

This was the Lord’s promise to me, and He made good on it. Just as He sent the rain from heaven to water the dry ground, He also sends strength, love, and faithfulness for the work ahead. We just have to wait for Him. He will come. And when He comes, those who are feeble will sing.

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This place really does feel like home and I’m so blessed just to be here. The Lord has been faithful in more ways than I can count. There is another helper here now as well. His name is Florian and he’s from Austria. We have become good friends and work very well together as a team. It’s funny how God provided a teammate for me. Before I left Canada, I had prayed the Lord would send me a companion. I prayed for a girl and received a boy. I prayed for a Canadian or American and received an Austrian instead. God’s ways are so different from ours, but His way really is perfect. Florian and I have been able to pray together and help each other daily. What a blessing brothers and sisters in Christ are!

Here is what my daily schedule looks like:

5:30 – Wake up at the hostel, read Bible and pray.

6:00 – Return to my room at the house and wash, etc.

6:30 – Morning prayer. First the girls sing a Christian song in Tamil, then Mary Amma teaches them from the Bible. Ends with prayer.

7:00 – Chore time. The girls have various jobs in the hostel, such as sweeping, cleaning, etc. The little ones pick up garbage off the ground. One thing I find very funny is that the girls sweep the ground outside, especially around the bases of the palm trees and against the walls of the buildings.

7:30 – Bathing. Girls go to the wash station and take their baths (hair is washed on Saturday only). Each girl has a cup and a bucket. There is a long stone tub filled with water, where the girls stand, filling their buckets and pouring water over themselves. The little ones always need help with scrubbing, otherwise they are left with soap on their backs or behind their ears. There is so much splashing; many little brown feet on slippery, wet concrete. After bathing, the girls put their school uniforms on. The uniform is a red-checkered salwar, or shirt with a red skirt. Hair is oiled, parted and made into two braids, which are coiled up and tied with ribbons. The girls look so adorable all dressed for school … I love it!

8:30 – Breakfast. The rice comes from the kitchen in big buckets. The girls line up according to their grade (standard). They sing a prayer song in Tamil and then one by one come with their tin plates to be served. After I finish helping with breakfast, I return to the house for my own breakfast, which Amma prepares. All of us eat together as a family – Appa, Paulsam, Priscilla, Florian and I. Amma usually waits to eat until afterwards. (She is such a selfless woman, always serving others, never worrying about herself).

9:00 – After breakfast, I put my sari on, which takes some time, then spend more time reading the bible and praying. I am so thankful for the large amounts of time I have to spend with Jesus alone. I need to come to the well and be filled first before I can be poured out to others.

11:15 – At this time I go to the school to teach English. I teach in the first and second standard class. The first half of the class, the teacher Jessie and I do English rhymes, conversation and role play with the children. Then I take the second standard class into a separate room for reading and writing. (I will write more about my experience in the classroom in a future post).

12:30 – Lunch at the house.

1:00 – This is also free time for me. Sometimes I will spend more time reading my bible or other books, sometimes preparing things for school or Sunday class, sometimes taking a rest. The Lord directs me as I seek Him. Every now and then I go to the hostel and visit with Malathy. She’s a special needs child, who cannot go to school. She is so sweet, with such a beautiful smile. We draw pictures together, or play catch or just sit together. I love spending time with her.

4:00 – Tea.

5:00-5:30 – At this time I return to the hostel for the evening and play games with the girls, sing songs, whatever the Lord leads me to do.

6:00 – Study time. Sometimes the younger students don’t have any studying to do, so we play more games together, read stories, sing songs, go for walks, etc.

7:00 – Evening prayer.

7:30 – Supper. After serving the girls, I go back to the house for my own supper.

8:00-8:15 – Return to the hostel for the night. Prayer with the little girls, then I sing some songs to them as they fall asleep.

9:00 – Sleep.

That is all for now. I will write another update soon!

In Christ alone, Gracie.

One of the many beautiful Indian sunsets.

Sunday class: Mary Amma teaching the girls a Tamil song.

Manju!

Best friends Kohila and Suganya.

Eating snacks.

Sisters Mahalakshmi and Murugeswari drinking tea.

Selvi and Manithai.

Rahini and Manju fresh and clean after baths.