Why?

Why Missions? Why India? Why go?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I should post in my first blog. I really had no idea where to start so I decided to start with what everyone has been asking me- “why?”

In order to answer that I need to give some background info on my life. During high school I stopped attending church but then after sophomore year of college through various trials and decisions I made I reached a place of realizing I needed something. I didn’t know what or who but something. I remembered that when I used to go to church I was usually happier and more relaxed so I decided to tag along with a friend to church one week. I was reminded of what it felt like to know you are unconditionally loved regardless of your actions or mistakes. Throughout junior year I continued to attend and volunteer at church. I was still studying Animal Science and intending to join the Peace Corps because I really felt like I wanted to work internationally. But my grades weren’t so great and I slowly started to realize I didn’t really like Animal Science. The summer after my junior year I decided to attend a Short Term Mission Trip to Little Flock Children’s Home in India. That experience changed my life. While there I realized that international work, specifically missions was where God was leading me. I came back and changed my major to Community & Regional Development, emphasizing in Policy & Planning as well as Global Communities.

I was all set, ready to steer my life towards mission work and everything was great. Now I needed to figure out where I should go and who should I go with. I attended Urbana (a mission’s conference in St. Louise) that same year and spoke with an organization about making a five year commitment to working in Africa on a church planting trip. I was so excited, everything was going so great. But then the following winter everything changed. At first I noticed small changes. When I’d get done walking across campus my legs would be slightly more sore than they should be. Lifting things and riding my horse became more and more difficult. When I went to speak with my doctor they ran a lot of tests and eventually diagnosed me with Sjogren’s Syndrome. Usually this isn’t a huge deal, it causes really dry eyes and dry mouth but in some cases it can cause a lot more. See it’s an autoimmune disorder so it can cause a lot of other things alongside of it. I learned that going and working in a remote village in Africa really wasn’t an option for me. Sure five months would be fine, but not five years. At this point I was so confused, how did God expect me to do His mission work if I couldn’t even GO.

I later realized that He did still want me to do His work. But to do it in His way and on His time not my own. I had gotten so carried away with my own plans that I forgot to really rely on Him to make things happen. There is a song called Even If by Kutless. This is one of my favorite songs and I have been working to really remember the message in it.

“Even if the healing doesn't come
and life falls apart
and dreams are still undone
You are God, You are good, forever faithful one”

God is amazing and even though he thoroughly undid all of my long term dreams and even before that the dreams of becoming a vet He is always good and He is always faithful. He has a plan so much greater than what I could have imagined. As I began praying to know what He wanted me to do after graduation this desire to go and work in India at Little Flock grew and grew. I began focusing my class projects on research and development ideas specific to India. I started talking to other people and having them pray for me as well. Slowly the plans fell into place after many meetings and about a year of praying and just listening to what God wanted me to do. Now as I look back I can see so many ways that God worked through different situations to lead me to this trip.

So back to the questions I get asked so often. Why…

“Why missions?” Because I truly believe that God calls us to love everyone and to go and be a light in a world that is overtaken by darkness. I do not think everyone is called or required to go work abroad, I only think that everyone is called to love. So for me missions can be anywhere, even in your own city. So “why missions” is quite simply, I want to love people and allow Christ’s love to show through me.

“Why India?” Because why not? Having been there before and after all of the research and things I’ve done for India I have truly come to admire the culture and care about the people. I get to go and work among amazing people and with amazing kids at the children’s home. I don’t know exactly why God is bringing me to India rather than Africa. But I don’t think I need to know right now. He has a plan and I’m excited for it, and this summer that plan has me in India. I’m okay with that.

“Why go?” I think this is the easiest and also hardest question for me to answer. There are many simple answers: because I can, because God has called me there, because I want to love the people, because I want to help them, mostly just because I should. The hard part of that answer is that it makes me so sad that people ask me this question. It seems so straight forward to me. There are people there (and all over the world, both in the US and outside of it) who need help. I have the ability to help in some way. God calls us all to love others, therefore… I go.

There is another song by Mathew West called “Do Something”. It is a call to action, if you see injustice or pain or needs not being met in the world don’t just be upset about it and think that someone needs to fix it. Do something about it. GO and engage in that issue or in that moment. That is how I want to live my life and that is the view point I will be writing from for the duration of this trip. Simply a person, following Christ’s example and going…

So this was kind of a long blog and sorry about that (if you know me you know I tend to be wordy in writing things so I apologize in advance). But now you at least know why I am going and where I’m coming from. I hope to post updates to here before as well as throughout the trip (not very often though since internet access will be very limited to when I visit the nearby village). Thank you so much for everyone who made it all the way through this blog as well as those who have supported me through prayer and/or financially.  

Also if you haven’t heard them before you should definitely listen to the two songs I mentioned. They’re really amazing ;)

~ Amanda