Hi! My name is Ashley, and I had the privilege of going to North India on a month-long mission trip this summer. Although I never expected myself to sign up for STSM as I did not have an initial desire to go on missions, after attending Kingdom Come, I realized just how great an opportunity STSM was and that I should take up the invitation to be a part of God’s work in a foreign country. Through listening to pastors, participating in children’s ministry and outreach, and observing the natural beauty of India, I am grateful to say that I was able to learn more about the power of God and His abounding love.

I was very blessed to hear testimonies from missionaries and pastors that truly showed me how great God’s capabilities are. The pastors would share about the miracles God performed and the ways He would wholly provide for the Christian ministries in India. In particular, I was moved by the testimony of the founder of Grace Ashram, an orphanage we visited in Jaigaon. She recounted moments where God used her to reveal His gracious love and presence to the Indian locals. One such occurrence was when she was called to help a woman who was unable to move or live comfortably because of the pain resulting from an abortion attempt. She prayed to God for healing, and after feeding the woman a boiled egg and rubbing oil over her swollen stomach, the woman was completely healed and began to attend church. The founder also fully trusted in God to provide for the ministry He was calling her to take part in, and God blessed her with the exact monetary amounts needed to buy land for her orphanage. Through testimonies like these, God allowed me to realize how perfect His plan is and how His power has no limits. He knows exactly what each nation and each person needs to experience in order to come to Him. In India, a country with an abundance of idol worship and resistance to Christianity, God was working through missionaries, pastors, churches, and children to share His love and shine His light through the darkness. 

God also revealed weaknesses in my faith and character throughout the trip. Although I knew that my experience in India would be challenging, I still had a lot of pride in myself and carried the belief that I could rely on my own strength and my own abilities. While outwardly I was expressing my trust in God and only God, inwardly I was putting a lot of worth in what I could do. During trainings, I felt confident in my ability to perform VBS dances, skits, etc. and equated this to being a useful, strong vessel for the Lord. Once in India, I realized the belief in my own abilities and the motive of proving my worth resulted in a foundation that was not actually centered on God and reflecting His love, despite what I had convinced myself of. Dependence on myself led to bitterness and a heart that was easily distracted and swayed when doing ministry. I especially felt this when we went to IEC Ranirhat, where I found the living conditions and weather to be difficult to endure. Due to my uncomfortability and exhaustion, I started dreading children’s ministry time and mostly thinking about when we could leave Ranirhat (we were only there for around 24 hours). I was greatly humbled by the faith of the pastor, who had left his comfortable life to start the Ranirhat ministry from scratch. Despite the living conditions, he and his family served with a resilient joy that was grounded in the Lord. While I was complaining after having to do a day’s worth of ministry, the pastor had dedicated every single day to doing the same thing and more, rejoicing through it all. 

Back home, I hope to serve with a heart that is joyful in every circumstance, using every opportunity to share His love through all I do. I pray that I will not forget how privileged I am to be able to take part in God’s work and worship Him freely, standing firm in the belief that His plan is perfect and that He is truly worthy of all praise and glory. He is greater than anything this world can offer and anything that we can do. What He is doing in this world is proof of His unconditional love, and how blessed are we to witness this and have the opportunity to join Him in HIS ministry. 

Thank you for reading! Here is a verse I wanted to share that resonated with me and what I learned during my trip: 

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” - 1 Corinthians 15:58