“Why India?!”

This is “the question” that has followed me for the past three months. Since the day I accepted an internship with a human rights organization in Kolkata, India, I have received some rather interesting responses from friends and random strangers. Some of my favorites have included:

-”So, are you going to come back with one of those little red dots on your forehead?”

-”Why would you want to go there?!”

-”My friend got stuck in India one time.”

-”Let me guess, you’re not getting paid, again?”

I soon realized that India is not actually a destination country in people’s minds. Personally, I was looking up flights when I was 17, trying to justify visiting my best friend’s family in southern India (since stowing away in her suitcase didn’t seem like the most efficient solution). Even before that the image I had of India was that my great-grandmother had visited it in the late 1960s. She was one of two women on a small team representing the Methodist Church as they established their first church group in India. I have a picture of her with Indira Gandhi, it’s as awesome as you can imagine.

But the question still remains, why India? To be honest, I cannot even answer that question truthfully. Around mid-2011, I knew I was suppose to be somewhere serving in this world. I had finished college and except for a few important weddings near the end of the year, had zero commitments. It was now or never for leaping into the unknown and honestly asking God to take me where he wanted me. Through a series of events I still do not fully understand, multiple applications to different organizations, and various phone interviews, I was offered this internship in Kolkata. Never before in my life have I been so sure that I am doing something in order to fulfill God’s glory, not my own.

India is a fascinating place, full of a rich and broken history that speaks of violent oppression and ever present hope. I am not entirely sure what I can expect out of this experience but I am sure it will be nothing short of life-changing. Thanks for occasionally checking in and joining in the madness, hopefully it will be worth your while.

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