Post India

I learned in India that a lot of things are relative. Like the definition of dirty. I showered 6 times while I was in India; three of those times being in the last 4 days we were there. Yet I wouldn't have considered myself to be extremely dirty because everyone else bathed that often. Something about being in a desert and how getting water to bathe with was a lot of work. My definition of looking nice changed too. Everyone on my team looked nice in spite of the 5-day-old clothes they wore and the lack of bathing.

My adjustment to the living conditions in India didn't surprise me. It was pretty much like camping. However, the ease that I returned to a "normal" American life has surprised me. I am still concerned with how I look, what I wear and in general comfort. I had expected to be "cured" of these preoccupations. I know there are so many better things to think about. I had hoped that I would stop thinking like this after I got back from India. Apparently mission trips don't solve everything. And I didn't come back married. What a failure of a trip.

I was showing my 5 year old cousin, Evan, some of my pictures. We got to this one:


And Evan asked what those things were. I explained that the people there didn't believe in Jesus and they worshipped a false god and they built those things for their god. He paused and asked, "Well, what does their god do for them?"

I just looked at him and said, "Absolutely nothing. They have to do a lot of things for him, but he doesn't do anything for them."

Evan looked at the picture again and said, "Well that's just silly." and walked away. I agree with Evan which is why Ladakh needs Jesus.