Monstrous March.

Let's face it. 


I'm 5'9", and I live in Asia, so I feel a lot like Elf some days.


Turns out, we have a lot in common.


When I wear my hair in a high bun (my personal favorite), I can't stand up all the way on the bus and my poor bun SMACKS into doorways. In my mind, I say, "High bun slapppp" every time it happens. 

I don't blend in very well... so I get stared at a lot... mostly because I'm white... and partially because I'm HUGE....

I have to concentrate HARD when conversing in my newfound language, so sometimes, embarrassingly enough, I bend down to listen. 

The owner of a guest house I stayed at last week was REAL worried because he thought the beds would be too short for me... "Sir, I'm big... but I'm not THAT big."

I don't take it personally. Really. But sometimes lately I have felt awkward... like there's no where to hide... or like there's a raccoon CLAWING at my face. 

So... I press on. Even though I'm taller than the next guys, and sometimes I sit in seats that are a tad too small...

...I love it here. 

Untold Stories.

Just the mere thought of human trafficking has always been something that has got my blood pumping.

But now, my heart no longer just beats faster because of trafficking statistics or news stories.

 

They're real people. Real friends.

Real tears. Real fears.

 

I hate sin. So bad. 

Families, misled. 

Boys, sold. 

Girls, raped. 

Hope, lost. 

Hearts, broken. 

Stories, untold. 

Safari.

This morning...

I rode an elephant out into the woods. 

And got to see dozens of rhinos. 

I discovered that elephants have these cute little hairs. 

I got to hang out with these crazy girls. 

And chill on the back of this Dumbo. 

 

I'm one happy camper. 

February. In journal entries.

Here are some snippets from my journal entries this month... some are prayers, some rantings, some random thoughts or happenings. You can read the whole thing... when I die one day. haha.

1st. Love of God, overflow. Permeate all my soul.

2nd. I don't know what I'm doing.

3rd. 8 Indian women. 12 colors of nail polish. Countless laughs.

4th. I have a love/hate relationship with being followed. Leading is a huge responsibility.

5th. Sometimes our expectations aren't met because He has something better in mind.

6th. You're not bound by my weakness or inexperience.

7th. People here are desperate to know Him whether they know it or not.

8th. I want to ride an elephant real bad. Ki korim?

9th. Tasks and responsibility. Lists and opportunity. Lord, use my to-dos.

10th. I roll out of bed on my knees.

11th. My sufficiency is from Him.

12th. Earthy.

13th. Monkey temple. Legit coffee.

14th. It's Valentines. MASH and no-bake cookies? Yes please.

15th. Day of meetings. Feeling feverish. Hmm.

16th. There's no such thing as an ordinary day. Not here.

17th. ... the ultimate legacy.

18th. Fathom the unfathomable.

19th. Vision, mission, and goals.

20th. Friendships bridge cultural differences and language barriers.

21st. I'm packing up & moving across town.

22nd. Contextualization.

23rd. Establish the work of our hands.

24th. Today is much bigger than me.

25th. Without you, I am nothing. I will not survive.

26th. We, the body, will join our voices.

27th. "Just invest in those who have the greatest desire to spread the Word."

28th. He came through despite of me... He always does.

Stillness at daybreak.

The usual chaos of city life is silenced by dawn. 

Tension fills the air as the day waits to start.  

Crossing the street is undemanding because 

the crowds are still tucked into bed.

Shops wait to be opened. 

Stories wait to be read.

Words wait to be spoken.  

The aroma of incense offerings waits to be inhaled. 

Chai stands wait to welcome the early riser.  

Stillness at daybreak.

It's almost eerie. 

January Snippets.

In January, I...

Learned some traditional dances.

Got a big girl job working for an NGO. 

I love it, but whatever happened to chillin at McDonald's with your siblings and calling it a day?

Wanted to ride a bike real bad... but I didn't have one.  

Was in India at the same time as my sister. I didn't get to see her, but we sure did Skype. 

Made some West African food with Indian ingredients. 

Made a partnership with a school for kids in the slums. 

Started reading through the Word chronologically. Read it. It'll change your life. 


Walked in a line of nuns for a mile or two. (I was holding the same bag in the same hand.... so I felt like a nun too. I might be crazy.)

Learned a little about farming. Chillies!

Made some new friends.

(Some are on my team.)

(Some randomly invited me for lunch... and into their lives.)

(One is my new partner at the NGO.)

Saw 3 random elephants around the city. (I stole this picture from scoot)

Found a legit coffee shop across town. 

Brought the pancake breakfast tradition to India.

Found a legit fresh flower supplier. 

Got used to public transportation with negative personal space.

Cows.

Cows. 

Sometimes I bump into them. 

Sometimes they bump into me. 

Sidewalks. 

Roads. 

Alley ways. 

Highways. 

It's all fair game.

Seas of Faces.

I got off the train the other day to find myself in this intense crowd. After about forty minutes of wading through the masses of people, I finally got to a higher platform/a spot that I could pull out my camera and snap a shot of the confusion.

Some were getting off the train. 

Some were trying to get on. 

Some were selling chai tea. 

Some were loading cargo.

Some were begging for money. 

Some, I felt like, were just standing.  

When I was literally stuck in a sea of people, it finally hit me: 

There are a LOT of people in South Asia.

I'm used to being around a lot of people. I mean, shoot, I'm from a family of eleven, but living here has changed my view of what "a lot" even means. 

Everyday I see a sea of faces. Faces of friends. Faces of strangers. Faces. 

Faces. Created by a Creator who knows them just like He knows me.