Yesterday, I, along with the rest of the orientation participants, had the privilege of going to Washington D.C. to share about our Savior in an urban, cross-cultural way. I had never been to DC before, so I was very excited. I knew I wasn't going to get to see any monuments or museums, but I was excited to be in the city anyway.
Prior to going we (5 girls and myself) had to have a plan. Our plan was to go to the embassies, find out where South Asians were in the city, and inquire about a good place to eat. I had sought after the Lord about our trip and felt highly impressed upon that I was going to get to share about the Savior with someone. Admittedly, I had high expectations about the day.
We left at 8:00 and didn't arrive in DC until 10:00ish and weren't parked and off the tour buses until 10:40. We knew we were leaving DC at 5:00, so that gave us only about 6 hours in the city to do everything we wanted to do. Riding the metro was our main fare of transportation, but having never been in DC before I wasn't exactly sure how it all worked. I should have printed out a map with directions to the embassies, but I didn't. Thankfully someone else in our group knew what they were doing. We went to DuPont Circle and then walked to the embassy. I led the team astray a few blocks, which I felt terrible about, but we eventually found the embassy. Once there, a friend and I went in. She got to go in through security immediately whereas I was told to wait. I talked with the security guard about his country and saris, and eventually he let me in too. The embassy actually didn't have any information on South Asians in DC (they instructed us to google it), but did give my friend some information on the part of SA she will be in. She also met a very nice lady in the embassy and shared with her a verse of encouragement.
Meanwhile, the rest of our team was outside. They met a woman from SA who invited two of them back later in the day to her house (which is something we had requested from the Father). When we met back up, we weren't sure exactly what to do next. Find a Hindu temple? Go to a mosque? Eat? Some of us wanted to go some place, some the other…eventually we decided to eat. New problem…not sure where an Indian restaurant was. Thankfully Julie had a smart phone and she found one. We walked quite a ways and found Aroma India.
Being a large group, they seated us upstairs. We were the only people up there, which at first was a disappointment, but eventually became a blessing. We were all very frustrated, myself particularly. I had all these plans and suddenly they weren't happening how I thought they were going to happen. I want to share about ÁC, but hadn't found anyone to hardly talk to. I felt like I was wondering around a huge city with no real idea of where I was or where I was going. I suggested that we talk to the Father about the day, and that was the absolute best thing we could do. We poured our hearts out to Him, confessed our frustration, and laid all our plans at His feet. Wow! What a relief that was to give it over to the Father! We enjoyed our food (I had chicken tandoori…a bit spicy but overall good). I left a Four Spiritual Laws tract for our waiter. I had wanted to talk to him in person, but the place got really busy right before we left and there was no time. Please remember him as you talk to the Father.
After we finished eating, it was 1:45 or so and we decided to go the Islamic Center and communicate with the Father as we walked around it. Outside the Islamic Center were all these flags of Islamic countries. It broke my heart to see the flags that represented many countries that represented millions of lost, dying people without the hope of Isa (ÁC in Muslim terms). Julie and I communicated with the Father outside the mosque and then we donned our scarves, took off our shoes, and did something I have never done before, we went inside the mosque. As I crossed the threshold, I felt the weight of darkness around me. The inside was beautifully decorated with tile and ornate rugs, but the Light was not there. It was heart-wrenching to see men bowing and performing rituals to a gsd that they fear, to a gsd that seems so far away from them. I asked that they would have dreams and visions of Isa, would be dissatisfied with their religion, and the Father would draw them unto Himself. Will you ask that also?
We were quite far from the metro station, so as we walked back we happened to see a SA family sitting outside an embassy. Julie and a teammate stopped and talked with that family while I and another friend walked slowly back to the metro station. We passed dozens of embassies and we stopped and interceded for the people and workers in that country. I even saw the Togo embassy and lifted up a very special request for my friends and the people there. I must say that that was a very fulfilling walk and I was filled with so much peace.
While waiting for our friends to return, we saw a man selling umbrellas and sitting alone. We decided to go talk to him. His name was Ibrahim (Muslim term for Abraham) and he was from the country of Somalia. He had come to the States before the wars broke out in that country. My friend said that one of her favorite stories was about a man named Ibrahim and his son who God asked him to sacrifice. She told him the story and Ibrahim listened attentively. I transitioned to the story of God and Isa and showed the parallel between the story of Ibrahim and Isa. At the conclusion of my story, he shared what he believed and how it differed. As we were sharing, another man, Cary, who worked with Ibrahim came and sat down. Cary seemed to know the stories and all about faith, but as he continued to talk it became evident that some of his theology was off. Turns out he is Jehovah's Witness. Now, I can deal with a Muslim worldview and a Jehovah's Witness worldview, but it is very hard to deal with them at the same time—sspecially when we had to get back on the metro in just a few minutes!! We ended up communicating aloud to the Father about Ibrahim and then had to leave. Will you please ask the Father to send people to Ibrahim and Cary to water the seeds we planted?
Sitting on the bus for the long ride back, I had time to process the day. I was so frustrated in the morning, but so at peace in the afternoon, even though we almost missed the bus because we were a few minutes late. What was the difference? I think that I was relying on my own knowledge and plans and not on the plans of the Father. One of my teammates read this verse at lunch and it is so fitting: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LsRD determines his steps." (Prov. 16:9). I had communicated with the Father for days over this trip, but I hadn't left it in His hands. I was still holding it. Once I laid it at His feet, it was much better. Also, I don't think I had prepared myself for my expectations not being met. I was still in the mindset that I was in the States and I can get everything done I want to without much problem. I needed to get into my foreign mindset of nothing ever works out as planned, but that is okay. Things not happening the way I expect are a lot easier to swallow when I expect them to be that way.
Looking back on the day, I thought it went great. It brought out some things about myself I don't particularly like, but it was good to remember my sinful tendencies so I can be prepared for them on the field. In addition, the Father allowed everything we had planned to do to happen, in some form or another. I did get to share about the Savior, we did talk to SA, some of us were invited to a SA's home. "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." (Prov. 16:3). How true that promise is! It may not happen how I think it will. The Father may direct my steps in a different way, but plans committed to Him will succeed!
Thank you for all your requests to the Father about our trip. I am confident they made a huge difference!
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