Been a while since I wrote! Hi y’all 🙂

I have been waiting on this monumental moment after Walt got home from India to write about. Like a calling to adopt, or a call to move there and be missionaries, or just some kind of life changing revelation from Walt. I have poured so much of my  heart and work into this trip through baking and I did not realize how high my expectations were for hearing the fruit from it. And l must honestly say…. I kept feeling like I was just getting crickets every time I asked a question.

Not that Walt has not shared with me and not that it wasn’t a life changing experience for him. But dangit, I wanted fireworks!!! We actually fought the first three days he was home. Ok fine, make that almost every day since he got home. I have really struggled! I keep saying: LAUREN! Your husband just voluntarily went on a mission trip to deliver compassion kits donated in honor of your son AND God brought him home safely and you’re NAGGING??? Get it together, woman!!! In my defense, he has been grumpy and REALLY tired. Sorry Walt. Ha!

It’s so hard sometimes to just let God do His thing, isn’t it? Or is it just me??? I mean, really… y’all shoot me straight. Whether it’s His work I need to trust in my husband, in India, in Wills’ short life and testimony, in debating about a bakery or do I just get a double oven? Ha. The inner workings of a thinkaholic. (Another blog, another day.) Clearly, it’s a frequent lesson in steadfastness for me. Helps me to look back on the bible… God did all of these marvelous works. And we can read about them now and see the wonderful deeds and story of God but I guarantee you the Israelites didn’t see the marvelous at the beginning of each chapter. That’s why we cling to verses like Jeremiah 29:11. It’s when the obviously marvelous part of the story starts.

Anyway, I finally got my “fireworks” moment from the India trip. And it was the Holy Spirit that nudged me about it. (Shocker: my nagging hasn’t helped Walt share as readily with me.) Walt and Sam (Walt’s travel partner that the Wills macaron helped pay for! Also our small group leaders AND friends that have stuck as close as possible over the last year) kept talking about their host family. On and on and on and on and on and on. And how awesome they were. How happy they were with so little. How they served and loved like no one they had ever seen before. I mean, that’s basically 80% of what I heard about regarding India…their host family and their translators. Wendy agreed (Sam’s wife) that she was mostly hearing stories about how awesome their host family was and the translators. How the women hand washed their clothes and the family served them the best of the best of their food and the pastor and his wife slept outside so Walt and Sam could have their bed. Just wild Christ centered hospitality.

And God said in my heart…. Lauren, they were shown love and they gave love. Both sides. Host and guest. Is that not enough? To love and to be loved? 🙂 And I say in response: Thank You Lord for simplifying things for me. To love and to be loved. What a great reason to go to India.

There’s this video of one of their translators, Titus. He says to the camera: “I pray for your family. Remember us in your personal prayers.” It has stuck with me and I can’t shake it. Remembering these brothers and sisters across the globe who are out pounding the pavement for Jesus in a country where it’s NOT easy to be a believer. On fire for God and deeply content. Titus, I have not met you but I remember you in my “personal prayers”. And actually, your request has convicted and reminded me to have intentional “personal prayers”… Thank you, brother in Christ.

Walt can barely talk about his host family and translators without tearing up. It’s pretty sweet. And Fenley and I proved to ourselves that we can fly solo when we need to, which was nice. We had lots of girl time… think Cinderella, glitter nail polish, singing “Boom Clap” at the top of our lungs, you know… the stuff that girls love to do that you kinda stop doing when you get married!

Some pictures to share their experience!!! An amazing amount of people came to know Jesus during their trip. Marvelous testimonies that are still tricklin in from these waffle brained guys who don’t gush every detail within minutes 🙂

Side note: I tried to get Walt or Sam to guest blog. They both shot me down. Said they were too busy drinking chai tea and learning Punjabi. So I’ll relay this message for them… if there is a 1% chance that you think you would want to go on a trip or this trip in particular next year, give them an hour and they’ll have you signed up 🙂

Alleluia (as they sing in Punjab!),

Lauren