Broken

The woman pictured here was selling Q-tips. She was essentially a beggar. There were many, many beggars - ranging in age from young children to the elderly. The baby on her shoulder was very possibly drugged, as women there rent out their babies to others so that their begging efforts may be more "effective." The drugged babies often die as a result of the misuse of their bodies. While it's easy for me to be outraged at this mistreatment of these precious children, my heart is also prompted with a deep and humbling recognition of the desperation behind it. Not that it's okay; not that it's anything less than abhorrent. These people are desperate. They do things and behave in ways that seem unconscionable to us. Their lives are not like ours, though.

In the slums, some of the members of our group saw someone cooking a dead cat over an open flame, on a rotisserie style stick. The cat was already in rigor, which means it had been dead for awhile already, before this person had decided to use it for food. While this story is repulsive, and I am truly glad I wasn't in the group that saw this particular sight, upon hearing it, my heart just felt sad. I feel that same sadness as I write this. They're hungry. They're the living dying. They're starving. There is not enough food. Not enough water. Not enough room and far less concern than seems conceivable. A man was eating a long-past dead cat. It's disgusting. And, it was his best option. As I think about that, there's only one thing I know to say next...

Please pray. Pray for these people. Pray for India. Send your money, send your resources, send yourselves if you're willing...but please, send your prayers. I praise God that "the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results" (James 5:16). Please. Pray.

If I learned anything on this trip it is that our stories and the circumstances of our hearts have remarkably little to do with who we are. Instead, our restoration, transformation and entire well-being are completely dependent upon and evidence of a God who loves each and every one of us more than either you or I could ever know. It's only by His power that any of us have a chance. Pray. Please. By His power, amazing things happen. I will write more on the living proof I saw of this in posts to come. Thanks for hanging in there with me.