Packing

Today, I went shopping with my mom, and I got a bunch of Indian Salwar Cameez. There are some pictures below. They are all so beautiful and comfortable! 

Before the Trip

Here are a few pieces and parts of my application that I thought would give you a perspective as to why I chose to go to India in the first place.

1. Why would you like to be a part of this missions experience?

I would love to be a part of this ministry experience because I feel that the Lord is calling me to do so. I have been searching for a mission trip for quite some time that would be a perfect fit for me and for what God wants, and I feel that this is the one. For a long time I had a strong desire to go to Africa. It was everything I wanted. Not too long ago, God kindly told me that Africa was not right. I kept praying about an opportunity to go to Africa, and one night I read the scripture Revelations 3:8. It talks about God opening doors that no man can close, but when I read it, I also saw that God can close doors that man cannot, and He can open doors that humans cannot. After spending my quiet time on this verse, I knew that God was trying to tell me that he had closed a door that I would not have and could not have closed, but that he would open a different one.  When I realized that God was shutting that door, I was crushed. I stared longingly at the door, even though I knew that once God shut it, I had to obey Him and not open it. I became so focused upon that shut entry that I did not even stop to listen to God, or to notice the window that He had opened. That’s when India came to my attention for the first time. I was in the car with Jim Hodson while on our way to delivering food to a few needy families when he mentioned that he is going to India. He told me that I should come because of my passion for helping people, especially kids. He invited me to check it out, and told me that he thought it would be perfect fit for me, and it is.  I feel that this trip would be an immense opportunity for me. Not only do I want this mission trip, I need it. I know that God is calling me to help the people around me that are broken, the people in this world who have very little. I want to heed to God's calling. I want to be the person He wants me to be. I trust that a mission trip can bring me closer to that person. This experience would change who I am as a person and how I view the world. It would also help me to make decisions about my future. I have strongly considered becoming a missionary, but I am not sure that is God's plan for me, or even if I am cut out for it. I would really like the opportunity to minister, love, and change, in India.

2. Do you have overseas experience? If yes, please describe

I do have overseas experience, but not in a ministry aspect. I have traveled to many wonderful countries with my family, but have never had the chance to go on a missions trip before. I have been to Costa Rica, Cuba, Hawaii, Mexico, Aruba, The Bahamas, Jamaica, The Dominican Republic, Alaska, Grand Cayman, and many other small islands.

4. Please describe your personal relationship with Jesus Christ

My relationship with Christ is different from many others because of how it began. I did not embark on this incredible, wonderful journey when I was little. In fact, I did not come to know anything about God until I was 12 years old. Growing up, I heard nothing about God. I did not attend church, did not own a bible, and did not even know how much I was missing. In 7th grade, I began to feel a hole inside me. Something I could not see or describe, and yet, it could not be filled. I felt incomplete, empty inside. Around this time, a friend invited me to her youth group. After years of not having something I didn't even know about, and months of emptiness, I finally discovered what I had been missing all along. Not growing up in a Christian home was something I fought with God about for a long time. I could not understand why He let that happen. Eventually, I have come to terms with the adversity that God placed in my life. I know that was all part of His magnificent plan. I have learned that I have become a stronger person because I had to fight for my faith, and I still continue to fight for it every day. Being the only Christian in my family has been very hard, and there have been times when I have almost caved in the face of difficulty, but I continue to love my God with my soul. I know that I can always depend on Him, and that He will never let me down. I will never take my faith for granted, because I know what it is like to not live for God.

5. How do you view the Bible?

The Bible teaches me how to live my life, and how to worship God. It teaches me how to deal with any problem I'll ever have, and it is the best way to hear what God has to say. I believe that the Bible is God's word, that God inspires it. It is perfect without flaw. The Bible contains the story of how this magnificent world began, and the greatest love story ever told; God's love for me.  

6. How is the Lord calling you to serve currently?

The Lord calls me to serve each day of my life. I live for Him, and I try to shine for Him in everything I do. Every day, I live by a mission I have. My mission? To help people.  It does not matter if it is something tiny like picking up someone else's books at school, or something huge, like providing for someone who cannot afford it. Either way, I am making someone smile, whether it is for 2 seconds, or 2 days. No smile is too small; no smile is insignificant. Although I am always doing those things, I have a couple big projects I am working on right now. I am currently planning a day of fun for inner city kids with some classmates, and am working on starting a Kids Against Hunger project for my youth group as well.