The Beauty of India
By Rachel Schepp
This past January Noah, Haviylah, Amy Sanders, my husband Nathanael, and I had the opportunity to take a three-week trip to Trichur, Kerala, India to attend the Voice of Gospel Missionary Conference and visit the Mercy Home children. It was an unforgettable and life-changing experience – one that I will cherish forever.
My husband and I were born and raised in America. India was unlike anything we were used to. As we wandered around a bit we noticed everything was colorful – the people, the large amount of buses traveling the roads and numerous amounts of billboards and signs everywhere we looked. There were new foods, new smells, and a new language as well. Traveling down the busy, noisy roads of India was an experience beyond our imagination. Everything was buzzing about with great energy and hyperactivity. The environment, as well as the atmosphere, seemed a bit crazy in comparison to what we were used to. Yet, in all this chaos, we couldn’t help but notice that there was fluidity in the movement within the hearts of the Indian people that makes it all run so smoothly. They are so pure, untainted, and unspoiled. They yield to one another willingly and continuously. It was amazing to watch them. It was not long before we could see that the beauty of this most handsome race of people radiated from the peace, contentment, and love that dwell within their hearts.
We were honored to be part of the Voice of Gospel Missionary Conference where we met some of the most dedicated Christians in the world. Together men, women, and children filled the meeting area with a rainbow of beautiful colors. Their presence was completely breathtaking. We admired their freedom of worship and the passion and zeal they displayed for God. The men worked continuously giving their part wholeheartedly. The women were gracious and most hospitable.
One of the Highlights of our trip was visiting the Mercy Home children. Rose Creek Village is privileged to support 5 Mercy Homes. Each home was delightful. The children were happy and very well taken care of. They shared songs, dances, stories, and much more with us. Their parents were extremely loving and committed to their family and to God. We witnessed the depth of their devotion to God as each of them prayed while we were together. We enjoyed playing games with them and watching them lovingly interact with one another. They laughed and giggled and smothered us with their attention. They were precious beyond words. Tears fill my eyes as I reminisce about their smiles and the joy that we shared. At the end of the day, we were the ones that were blessed. Mercy Homes are an outstanding concept that is bearing much fruit.
Since returning to our home in America we have entered back into a world of speed, self-service, upgrades, and convenience. In our hearts there are pictures of India that are dear to us. They are pictures of a resourceful people that have chosen to be content with, and even unaware of, inconveniences. The condition of their hearts empowers them to be more useful. We can learn a lot from them. We are very grateful to have had this opportunity and we long once again to see the smiles and touch the hearts of our friends there.
Posted on Apr 16, 08:46 AM | Categorized under Articles—
