I'M HOME!

Hello from Innisfil Ontario Canada,

I’m finally home! I’m so sorry that I didn’t write a “coming home” blog from India, I tried my best! And I have 5 half finished blogs to testify to that… but I just couldn’t focus enough to write- my mind was way too excited about coming home. Now I’m home, and it’s so refreshing to see my family again- and by God’s grace I was able to see all of them within 48 hours of coming home- even Mike and Britt in Chicago. We headed to Chicago the day after I got in, to celebrate Mike and Brittany’s graduation from Moody Bible Institute. It was sitting in a park in Chicago that I really got hit with culture shock- the kids that we’re so happy and running around all had on perfect clothes, they had just come from perfect homes, where they had eaten perfect breakfasts. I remembered little kids eating garbage, going to the bathroom in the street- and the contrast kind of blew my mind. I know I’ve been pushing Grace Orphan Home, and I will continue to do so as God has burdened my heart with these children, but whether it’s the orphan home or the homeless person in Toronto- our hearts should be compassionate, and moved to action. We will be separated into two categories in heaven:

Mathew 25:35-36 ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

These people will be called to one side, and will be invited into heaven… notice it doesn’t say, “I gave you a book and you knew it so well” we go to Church on Sunday and learn more about what we should be doing… but going to church isn’t our faith- it’s not what Christianity is about… if a Christian ever asks God “why’d you allow suffering and poverty in the world?” I think he’ll ask us the same question. We have an overflowing, never-ending love to share. It’s by this love that we spread God’s glory

Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

It’s really hard for me to be back, not only because of the wealth- but also because of the busyness of the culture, it’s like we’re always doing something- we never have time to just think. We schedule in time for God in the morning… he fits around our busy lives… maybe there’s something wrong here. I feel like that’s a huge tool that the devil uses- every second is filled… there’s no time to just think. We see that we need to come before God with a pure heart, and there’s a nagging feeling when we have something to confess and seek forgiveness for… but that’s easy to suppress when we don’t have a spare second to think.

I’m in the middle of “re-entry” trying to find some common ground between this world and that; I’m not sure that there is one… I have a few requests/prayer requests for my time back at home, before I head up to work at camp this summer. First- that my re-entry could go smoothly, that I could find some way to keep the great things I learned in India, while operating within this culture. Second, that I could find some kind of employment before heading up to camp in July, and finally that I would be able to speak/fundraise for the orphan home construction. The last one is both request and prayer request- if you are part of a church or a small group that would be interested in seeing a presentation- I would be so excited to do that.

Thank you so much for reading these posts, and for praying for me while I was on my trip. It was such a great comfort to receive so many emails that were so full of encouragement. Thank you to everyone who financially supported Grace Orphan Home we raised almost $20,000 which just blows my mind…

Thank you!

James