India Trip 2016

For the last 5 or 6 years, God has laid it on my heart to travel to India. I was praying and asking God when the right time would be. God opened the door for this trip and we left on February 2, 2016 for 2 weeks in India.

To say this trip was great would be an understatement. There is so much that I have learned about God and His work around the world that it will take months for me to process it all. But, while it is fresh in my mind, I wanted to share some of the highlights of our trip through pictures. Enjoy!

Time with a Friend - He left for India in the middle of January for 6 months to help in a physical therapy clinic for young children and to learn about the culture of India. Needless to say, we were excited to spend almost a week with him. When we saw Daniel, he had only been in India for 3 weeks. He is a good friend who has an amazing heart for the Lord and others! Keep him in your thoughts and prayers. 

More Chai Please - A couple times a day we would enjoy a delicious cup of chai (sometimes up to 5 times!). It's so tasty! We also spent a ton of time in worship, prayer, and reading/discussing/proclaiming God's Word. This was such a sweet time that I will never forget. I did bring some a chai mix home so I can keep enjoying India.  

Mosque in Ahmadabad - The first half of our trip was spent in the western city of Ahmadabad. This was a Mosque we visited a couple days into the trip. Every time we entered a Mosque, we always spent time prayer walking and asking our Father for opportunities and openings for conversations. When we didn't know what to say, we would sing worship songs.

Country of Color - India is a country full of beautiful and vibrant colors. They are known for colorful clothes, spices, and much more! This picture was taken at an a market. I had to bring some of the spices home. Looking forward to cooking with them.

My First Drive and Passenger - That's right...I got to drive an auto rickshaw for about 100 meters. It's harder than it looks but a ton of fun. This is the most popular way that people get around the city if they don't have a car. These were everywhere. Also, India is a city of sounds including the "horn." People honk their horns just to say, "I'm coming through." 

Time to Teach - I received an opportunity to teach a group of college students. This was one of the highlights of the trip. The students were so gracious to me. So thankful for the opportunity God opened up!

Our Team - We had an amazing group and had a lot of fun together! The people we stayed with were very gracious, encouraging, and inspiring to us as a team. Each person we were able to meet and interact with on this trip was gift from God. 

Visit to the Taj Mahal - We managed to get to the Taj before sunrise. What a sight! But as we walked around the beautiful man-made structure, I couldn't help but think that this will pale in comparison to heaven - a place where the streets are paved with gold and the gates are made of pearl.

My New Ride - That's right, I got to ride this beauty for about $1.50 in Delhi at a "fair." Not bad! It was a lot of fun and I kept imagining myself out in the sands of the Sahara.

Relationships are a Blessing - Throughout the trip, it was the people that we met and spent time with that we're the greatest gift from God to our team. For example, this is my friend. He kept telling us that he will never forget the four days we got to spend together. I hope one day we will get to see him again, but I know we will be praying for him.

Delicious Food - A trip to India would not be complete without trying some of the amazing and oftentimes spicy food. Our favorite was the butter chicken masala with rice and naan (a bread). So good! I'm already planning to take my Steph and Xander out for Indian sooner than later and start making weekly trips to the YMCA (gotta burn off those delicious carbs). 

This is just the tip of the iceberg. But, I pray it gives you a little glimpse into our trip. THANK YOU for your prayers! We knew that we were being covered in prayer every step of the trip. Prayer is a very very powerful weapon! Keep praying for India. Keep praying for the un-reachead. Keep praying for God's people in the United States and around the world!

Blessed to be a blessing to the Nations! 

In Him, 

Alex