All Good Things.

All good things come to an end. As we are wrapping up the final days in our adventures here in India, we are all taking some time to take stock of the experiences we have had here. The canvas for this time of reflection just happens to be one of the 7 built wonders of the world…the Taj Mahal.

We spent 27+ hours on a train to get us to Agra…I (Tony) must admit, the time flew by much quicker than I had expected. It was a beautiful time of rest, reading, and introspection. We all found our nose buried in books and journals, and before we knew it we were here in Agra with anticipation of children at Christmas, knowing the Taj Mahal was on the day’s agenda. We slept for 3 hours or so, and then began our early morning to the Taj. This required us all to “push through” with little sleep and achy limbs and stomachs.

The Taj Mahal is actually quite a beautiful thing to behold. As most of you know, it was built as a tomb to enshrine a love lost to death. It glistens with a brilliant white from all over the city. From every brief glimpse of the towering minerettes, or the beautiful domes, the Taj Mahal has an ability to excite even the most apathetic sight see-er. Although the structure and grounds are incredibly impressive and beautiful (and we were all quite elated to be there), I think many of us at one point were also saddened by it. Man spends so much time and energy glorifying the wrong things.



Two quick things about our team at the Taj: we all sweat more than any of us has ever sweat before, assuring us that heaven will be a temperate place, more like San Deigo than Agra; and we all did exactly what we set out to do at the Taj, get the perfect Facebook picture.

With that said, as is the case during our debrief, I have been reflecting on our trip and wanted to put a few things in writing for you all. I hope it encourages and challenges you as it has me.

Reflections from Happy Home for the Handicapped: This is a place that can only be described as Ben said upon our first arrival “A piece of heaven on earth.” Not because it is a beautiful building with brilliant white, but because the people there make it so. The families and staff that live and work there evince a true servant’s heart every day, and show Christ to the children on a daily basis. The children themselves are welling up with a pure joy and peace that could only be a part of their existence were it for Christ in their life. Their stories are too sad to generate the love they do without Chirst in their lives. It is a truly beautiful and special thing happening there, and it is still very much with our team and me as we continue toward home.


Reflections from Ongole: The villages of Ongole have left me with a heavy heart. We saw the darkness idol worship and false gods can have on communities and families, and two things Jesus said keep echoing through my mind. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) We had one specific interaction with a man who had lost his faith, and claimed that there was no God because of his circumstances. He didn’t see the Lord saving him from his troubles, so he presumed God not to be. I love that verse in Matthew because it put into proper order the priorities we should have. The kingdom is our heartbeat…and if it is, everything else will work itself out. “Some things can only be done with prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29) We need to be prepared for troubles in our life that we might not also turn. Keeping our mind and attention on the Lord is of paramount importance.


I know I am getting a bit long here, but I also wanted to take a minute to mention what a beautiful team we have and spend a minute encouraging them and you about the ways I have seen Jesus in new ways through them all. Here is just short list of the qualities I have seen through my team that show how Jesus is alive in their lives, and molding them into creatures more like Him: selfless servant-hood, childlike joy, unabandoned love for one another, extreme patience, authenticity, tender compassion, gentle love, and sacrifice for each other. I am proud to have been a part of such a beautiful group.

Tony