Pastor K's son, Zach, has been in India five times. His first trip was when he was 11 years old in 2001 and he has watched many places in India thrive and change in the past 15 years. He still remembers his first trip in India using AOL, going to this thing called the Internet cafe that he had to pay to get online and being in the only hotel with an A/C. The one thing that shocked him most during that time was how they didn’t have most of the conveniences we had, not even a refrigerator.He remembers p...
Pastor K's son, Zach, has been in India five times. His first trip was when he was 11 years old in 2001 and he has watched many places in India thrive and change in the past 15 years. He still remembers his first trip in India using AOL, going to this thing called the Internet cafe that he had to pay to get online and being in the only hotel with an A/C. The one thing that shocked him most during that time was how they didn’t have most of the conveniences we had, not even a refrigerator.
He remembers playing crickets with the kids and having fun with them. He couldn’t speak their language but that didn’t stop them from relating interculturally, teaching words and everything else. Those days were filled with laughter and all the kids loved it the whole time. Zach knows they may not have a lot compared to us but he was surprised at how generous they were even when each meal was just the basic to survive and the room the entire family slept in was just the size of most people’s closets. Still, they made Zach feel like he was welcomed and treated him with kindness and a smile.
Zach was also fortunate to see a leper colony grow with the help and support of the missionary team. When he first visited the colony, this group of people in India was given a piece of land by their government and was cast aside because of their leprosy. The government sent them to live in a few concrete buildings, complete with bathrooms, but without any roof. So they had to make roofs out of bags and trash and other things they could get their hands on. They were surviving but they were not surviving well and their needs were not even being really met. We gave them bags of rice and prayed over them but that was all we could offer them then. Zach had even asked if he could give some of the kids the shirt off his back.
God had bigger plans in store for this leper colony and Zach was there to witness it. Every time he was around the area, they would ask for him because they remembered him from his first visit. He has led worship services and prayovers. They talk to him and he prays with them. During these trying times, God had done some amazing things that Zach was blessed to witness - mango trees being planted, roofs being placed on those buildings, and a church being built.
Zach could feel God’s love for a population that was condemned unlovable in India. For even Jesus has been an outcast in the Bible and yet He did not let that hinder Him nor did He turn anyone away. Our Lord has guided Zach to look past what fear he may have held during those first few moments, letting an eleven year-old boy see His creation for what they are. God’s love is boundless and endless. No matter how different it may be, God’s love can be seen as long as your eyes remain open.
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Global Hope India: For over 20 years we have been watching God radically transform thousands of Americans & Indian Nationals through missions. We’ve taken nearly 1,000 Americans on short-term mission trips to India. We work with 12 long-term indigenous church planting partners located in North, South, East, & West mainland India as well as Northeast India. We empower The Church in India to make Christ known through leadership, child, & village development projects. Global Hope India is a federally recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Morrisville, North Carolina. All gifts are tax-deductible. More about GHI.
Missions Changed My Life Podcast: A weekly podcast for the missionary in all of us. Everyone wants to make a difference in the world. Changing the World is a daunting task, but when we go on an international mission trip God can use that to change our world forever. Fellow travelers share real-life stories of radical transformation as a result of going on a mission trip. Find yourself right in the middle of a missions team being transformed by God. Receive practical resources as God uses missions to change your life. More about Missions Changed My Life Podcast.
Meet Pastor Kevin: Pastor Kevin is Founder and Executive Director of Global Hope India and your host for Missions Changed My Life Podcast. He’s a poor kid from rural North Carolina, but get this… He just returned from his 50th trip to India in 20 years. If he doesn’t yet hold the Guinness Book of World Records for the most trips to India then he’s got to be close. He’s flown over a million miles to 27 different countries. He’s taken nearly 1,000 people on mission trips to India. Global Hope India has seen thousands of Indian Nationals and Americans radically transformed by God through missions. The miracle continues! More about Pastor Kevin.
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