As I was sitting in a church pew during an ordinary night of confirmation, someone began passing out half-sheets of paper with an announcement on them. “Looking for youth interested in traveling to India this summer!” I brought the paper home, not really sure why I was interested. My mom responded, “If you feel like this is something that God is calling you to do, we support you. We’ll make it work.” 

So, there I was – a shy teenager, signing up to travel half-way across the world for who knows what reason. I mean, I was sure we’d participate in a good amount of manual labor, and I enjoyed helping people in whatever way was needed. But as some may know, a trip like this often impacts you more than any impact you could have on a community. 

Photo courtesy of John Noltner

While it’s now been more than 20 years since that trip, there are so many small moments in time – quick snapshots in my head – that will never leave me. If I’m honest, they’ve become simple life lessons that I try to focus on when the world around us feels so scattered and divided. 

Take your shoes off on holy ground. 

Part of our trip included visiting a Hindu temple. Upon arriving, we were told to take our shoes off before exiting the vehicle. My feet hit the dusty ground, and I walked in awe at the height of the monuments with their intricate carvings and colorful details. There were men with painted faces and monkeys sitting on ledges. 

While not my faith tradition, I knew the ground beneath my feet was sacred – I could feel it in the glances of those preparing themselves for worship and in the silence that hung in the air. It’s life-changing to take your shoes off and respect the ground around you, no matter how different from your life it may be. 

Let kindness be your goal. 

There was a place we visited where women were making dish cloths and other linens – the spaces were filled with beautiful, vibrant colors, and tall weaving looms with someone working at each one. The rest of the women were sitting on whatever floor space they could find. 

Photo courtesy of John Noltner

As we moved around, a woman whom I had stopped to watch spin her blue thread, looked up. She was sitting on the ground, with beautiful chalk paintings drawn on the ground around her. I wondered how long she had been sitting in that position. Her face was kind as she gave me a smile and stood up. I smiled back, desperately wishing we spoke the same language. As she moved closer, she motioned for me to hand her the flower I was holding. (Being gifted with flowers upon arrival is very common in India.)

Photo courtesy of John Noltner

I handed it to her, unsure exactly what she intended. She gently turned me around and started to fuss with my hair. Still unsure, I went along with it and as I turned back toward her, she pointed and showed me that she had tucked the flower into my ponytail. 

Photo courtesy of John Noltner

I felt kindness that knew no barriers of language in that moment – no barrier to an experience with a fellow woman in this world. But it wasn’t until later that evening that I realized the extent. You see, as I reached up to undo my hair, I could feel the flower, but there was something along with it. I pulled it out and saw in my hand a long hair clip that didn’t belong to me. This beautiful soul that I had stopped to watch weave her blue thread had seen an opportunity to connect, and I am so grateful that she did. 

I pray that we all can experience and be moved to act when opportunities for kindness and relationships like this appear in our daily lives, which they always do – no matter how simple, and certainly no matter if we even speak the same language. 

Photo courtesy of John Noltner

Embrace the unexpected. 

There are many more moments that I could share about my time in India. I could tell you about how the cows roam freely down the street, how children powder their faces to look whiter, or how you’re given a bucket of cold water to shower in the morning. I could tell you how three times the capacity of people could actually fit onto a single city bus, or how if you order Domino’s pizza, you’ll get more goat cheese than a teenager could ever appreciate. 

Photo courtesy of John Noltner

I might share that meeting the child’s family you sponsor through LPGM feels “holy” surreal, and that, often times, your expectations for a trip like this are not what they turn out to be. I did hardly any manual labor, and my life was changed much more than I expected to “help other people.” 

Photo courtesy of John Noltner

The point is – embrace it. The unexpected happens every day, no matter where we are in this world. Be open to trying something new and learning from the people around you. This world is absolutely humongous, but we hold so much more in common through our shared humanity than our imaginations often leave room for. And at the root of this whole experience – I saw that we are all created in the image of God.

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