With KCM’s short term mission trip, I was in North India for the month of July. 

In India we did children’s ministry, relational ministry, and village evangelism. Serving in India was not easy, but my teammates were great and the places we visited were so beautiful. 

The missionary, pastors, and staff members that we met had powerful testimonies and stories of how God was working in their lives. And the ministries and schools that we visited were visible and tangible proof of God’s power, provision, and love for His creation. Although each church that we visited was at a different stage of growth, each congregation served God faithfully. 

The opportunities that God placed for me in India helped me to grow and be challenged: leading the morning assembly at school, teaching classes about the Bible, and directing morning exercise with no background music. There were many times during the trip when I felt challenged and uncomfortable. I am thankful to God for putting me in these uncomfortable situations and allowing me to grow in spirit and as a person. 

Although ministry was physically hard, solely living for the purpose of advancing His Kingdom was a blessing. Waking up early in the morning and having a full day of ministry with nothing else to worry about. Experiencing the joys of the Lord, and seeing the same joy in the faces of the children, my teammates, and staff was a different kind of fulfillment. Looking back on the mission trip, I realize how nice it was to live every day for the Kingdom of God. 

In the last leg of our trip, our team was able to see India outside of the realm of the ministries and schools that we served. Visiting cities like Varanasi, the prevalence of Hinduism was very apparent. Seeing the spiritual blindness of most people in India, I was reminded of our privilege to have a relationship with God and our duty to share the Gospel. 

During our trip, the missionary at our home base emphasized Matthew 6:33. 

“But seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 

Having seen ministries in different stages, heard powerful testimonies, grown from challenges, and experienced the joys of serving, it is now my job to carry the blessings and joys from my trip back to my own life. To share the joy of the Lord with my friends, classmates. To continually seek God and His Kingdom before all else.