South India, Day 1

On the first day, we settled into our hotel and met with the North Carolina team, the missionaries who live there, and the locals. The other team was full of vibrant energy! The locals and long-term missionaries led us through an orientation to prepare us and equip us with the tools we needed.

We stepped out onto the streets late afternoon. I was paired with a long-term missionary and two other team members from North Carolina. Right after walking around for nearly five minutes, I saw many things I’d never seen before. A man begging with no arms, malnourished kids, and what felt like endless suffering.

That night we debriefed as our Well team. We processed what we saw and the thoughts that came to mind. The biggest thought in my head was, “Lord, where are You in this suffering?” The Lord spoke to one of my team members saying, “Do you think I delight in this?” This reassurance reminded us that the Lord hates this suffering, He despises it more than us. We prayed as a team and prepared our hearts for the next day.