Stories from the WR

***I met Ruth last October when I went down to Georgia to help with the World Race training camp. She   left for the the World Race in January and spent last month in India! Here is her last blog post (make sure to catch the last paragraph!)***

"I have found my future child.... 

I might have to kidnap him... is that culturally acceptable in India?

We worked at Sarah's Covenant House which is a special needs orphanage for lack of a better term. The kids were seriously so precious. For the first week or so we just did random things around. Planted a flower bed out front... not as easy as you may thing. Definitely had to clear it of trash--- got bit on my finger by a sick bug! We also had to clean out the sewer. When I say we.. I mean daniel and Phil were in it... I was gagging and laughing and doing small jobs around. Judge me... yes, I am mission minded and willing but dude I am not hopping in Indias waste. After a few days we were done with those jobs and we got to hang with the kids. Due to safety reasons.. I cannot release names but this little boy seriously stole my heart. I cannot even explain it. I felt a connection with my kids but not like this. He is such a bright little kid. He was abandoned at birth because he was deaf..broke my heart into peices. SCH took him in and has been nurturing him since. He is 8 years old currently. Once they are 14 they are unable to be adopted ... does that mean to the streets they go? Gets my heart pounding fast. I seriously feel like I am going to adopt him.  Some kids at SCH are able to go to school... due to his lack of hearing, he is not allowed to go. There is no one willing to teach him sign language and translate what is going on around him. He is such a bright little boy and capable of so much.. but the means to push him along just is not there. I know God has big plans for his life and I feel a pull on my heart to make that happen. Whether its adopt him in the next 6 years at some point or if its as simple as learning sign language and coming back and teaching this boy.. I am in. He has been talked about atleast once daily since he left him 10 days ago. Most kids that live at SCH have very special needs that need the intense three on one care. There at baller women who live there year round contantly doing everything possible to make sure these kids are taken care of. Each one of them have 3 kids they are responsible for. They do such a wonderful job and most of the kids will need constant care for probably the rest of their lives... but not my little booboo. He will thrive and will be such a shining light in this world. I just know it. I cannot even wait to see what the Lord has in store for his life... and mine. 

After SCH we peaced out of Ongole and went to a little village a little south of Hyderbad. I was slightly nervous about leaving the city and for real diving into the bush. We stayed in a house that is in the midst of being built! The floor was just ground... the bathroom was a squatty potty-- yes please! Our shower was a bucket-- I may or may not have only showered once. Judge me. Can I just tell you how baller this week has been though? God blew us up with out of control contacts. They were so awesome. Coming into this crazy race I didn't once think about how hard it would be to leave those we got tight with on the countries. This month we have been blown away. We have had home cooked Indian food-- whoever said we would lose a ton of weight on this trip is absolutely wrong! We have been stuffed!!! Even walking down the road, people invite us in for drinks or snacks or full blown meals!... I'm okay with it ;)

In the past 10 days we have got to 27 villages. 3 a day. It has been so intense. Most have never ever heard the name of Jesus. It has been such a time of growth in my life. In each village we have talked to about 100 give or take each time. If my math is correct... we proclaimed the name of Jesus to about 2700 people. Blows my mind how the Lord rescued me from my out of control life and placed me right where He needed me. I feel so overwhelmed and blessed to be where I am. Coming into the village I didnt know how I felt about preaching... that changed super quick. In the beginning I prepared a message and "notes and quotes" but I soon found out that even if I have a huge plan-- the Lord will speak through me and I will not say one thing I planned. Its weird how crazy He is like that.

Last thing. I have never been the charasmatic crazy type of girl.... thank you Lord for showing up anyway. I have seen the craziest things in my life recently. As soon as I prayed this little prayer to the Lord he took it very seriously and has showed up for sure. It went a little like this... "uhh God I don't comprehend this heal the sick raise the dead make the blind see kind of thing... I am just your weak little vessel but Lord if you need me here I am. Forgive my unbelief." Legit 2 minutes later a man we were praying over who had a stroke two years ago and hasn't got off his mat since then got up and walked around!!! Are you freaking kidding me. From there the Lord continued to show his power and the next day I women who had been blind since birth could see!!!!! whatttt. One lady was hunched over and walked over and asked for prayer.. we start praying and yet again my first words are forgive my unbelief... she needed prayer for her back... and her legs. The freakin lady ran off praising the Lord. I felt as though I was in the bible times!!! Another old women said she had demon... naw dawg that stuff creeps me out. We prayed... she started convulsing... and shaking and freakin out.... In Jesus name it was freaking gone and she immediately recieved the Lord. I cannot even tell you everything that has happened. We have seen miracle after miracle. I still don't believe this stuff is happening.... and thats a heart issue I need to deal with. Who am I to think that the Lord won't work through us? Many have come to know Him because of the things he is doing through us. We laugh about how we legitimately don't even know how we are worthy. WE sure are not. But because of his grace he has blown us all away and taken us out of sinking sand and placed us here. Wrapped in his love. Screaming how powerful He is if we freakin give up. You got us Lord. We give up. 

Love you all. " - Check out Ruth's blog HERE!