Once there, we spent time with the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the sick, in some of the most remote villages. In the midst of all of the physical and emotional poverty, there seemed to be an overwhelming sense of joy among the people that were relying on God for survival and their most basic needs. This type of joy was absolutely indescribable and sometimes hard for our team to fathom. After all, most of these people were without clean drinking water and basic life necessities, such as food, shelter, and medicine. How is it that there could be so much joy in what appears to be so much darkness and pain? The only explanation for this type of joy is God.

We partnered with Harvest India in many different programs and areas in which their ministry was already going strong. While on the ground, we put on a Vacation Bible School for 150 children, we spent time and loved on people living with leprosy, we played with hundreds of orphaned children, and we spent time with adults and children that are dying from AIDS. The women on our team educated hundreds of Indian women about female hygiene issues, as this topic is not typically taught to girls in India. We were able to travel to five different villages where we distributed food and medicine, played with children, and spent quality time with God’€™s people. It became very apparent that despite their hunger for food or urgent need for medicine, the thing that was coveted most was the time we spent together, which allowed us to share the gospel.

We spent time with hundreds of pastors that were trained and educated by Harvest India. These men and women were bringing the good news to thousands of people in remote villages, despite not knowing where their next meal would come from or if they would be beaten or killed for sharing the gospel in a country that is predominately Hindu. One pastor told us that his son had recently died because he did not have $1 for a medicine that would have saved his life. These pastors’€™ commitment and reliance on God was remarkable, despite their lack of resources.

God brought together 17 average westerners of different ages and walks of life to embark on a spirit-filled journey that for many would be life changing. Our team is incredibly humbled and honored that God would allow us to partner with Him, on the other side of the world, to help further His Kingdom. There is no denying that our service was valuable and made an incredible impact on thousands of lives. However, the more profound impact would be on our team of 17, as we were served emotionally and spiritually by the people of India. There were so many moments on this journey in which the Holy Spirit moved so powerfully in and through our team. Many of our lives will forever be changed because of the work that God did in each of us.

By Nathan Cooke
India Team Leader
photo by Greg Signorio