Has it really been an entire week since my last update? Goodness, time is FLYING by these days...
I discovered something recently. I've fallen even more in love with this place & these people. I wasn't even sure that was possible. So many of these precious people have claimed a piece of my heart, but the most beautiful thing about it is that they've allowed me to claim pieces of theirs as well.
Since it's been a while since my last update, I thought I'd share the highlights of the past week. :)
I was able to visit with my Iraqi families a few times & have some incredible conversations with them over homemade coffee cake & Coca-Cola. It really touches my heart that although they are observing Ramadan {which means fasting from any food & drink until 9pm}, they still pour out so much hospitality with every ounce of warmth that they have.
Sunday: Each short term team begins their week by visiting mosques & Hindu or Buddhist temples to expose themselves to the faiths/people groups they'll be reaching out to during their time in Houston. We took this week's team to a Hindu Mandir & a Vietnamese Buddhist temple {which I actually visited on my own short term trip last summer}.
During our visit to the Mandir, one of the leaders of the temple led us through a very detailed exhibition about the origins of Hinduism, & he invited us to stay & observe the worship service. I'm still struggling to find words to describe what I witnessed & the feelings I felt; it was incredibly heartbreaking to watch as those precious people chanted & bowed to mere idols that can do nothing to save them. My eyes were opened to just how seriously Hindus value their faith, & how much devotion they pour into it.
Re-visiting the Buddhist temple brought so many flashbacks from my first visit there. I remember the worship service, the singing & the bowing. The fruit sacrifices to the statues, the incense, the prayers. Fragrances & images that will stay with me forever; things I don't enjoy remembering but hope I never forget, because they opened my eyes to the reality of spiritual depravity & deepened my passion for Jesus like nothing else ever has.
Monday & Wednesday: Two of my favorite days! My roommates & I are still teaching English classes for refugee women. Our classes have grown, & so have our hearts. I feel so, so blessed to be a small part of these women's lives. It has been so fun to watch them excel in their new language as they speak, read, & write. Today one of the ladies told me that I am her favorite friend. These ladies have filled my heart with so much joy. I've loved getting to know each of them & watching them learn as they've taught me so much in return.
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