Kolkata, India - REFLECTION

OK,

so I've given you an update on what we did and stuff but i just wanted to share a final reflection on one of the big things that came up out there that ive been thinking about.

Ive been thinking about Mission and stuff and have been comparing my two previous experiences of it (overseas). They were in Fiji as part of my outreach for my DTS with YWAM and also in Kolkata, India more recently.

One thining ive been learning over the past months is that Jesus cares about the whole of someone and every aspect of their lives, not just spiritual. He cares about peoples physical needs such as being clothed properley, eating properley and giving your body the exercise it needs. He also cares about emotional needs, mental needs and spiritual needs etc etc (if there are anymore).
I think sometimes (but not always) as christians we can be too focussed on someones spiritual needs and if they're saved etc. Clearly this is important but i think sometimes we miss the bigger picture.

This sole focus is my experience of the mission work we did in Fiji. (Anything i write here is not a dig at YWAM or claiming that their wrong, its just a personal observation. After all my time with YWAM were the best times of my life). We did alot of house visiting and bible studies at churches telling them that Jesus loved them and encouraging them in their faith etc etc blah blah blah, hoping that they'd come into a relationship with christ. I just feel this is so one dimensial and that Mission as Jesus intended it is so much more than this...

What i saw in Kolkata really captured me in the way they the projects we visited did things. Yes they told people of God's great love for them but that wasn't it...it looked more like this.

"Jesus loves you....
Here, have some medicine"
Here, have some clothes"
Here, have some food" (and a flipping big portion!)
Here, have a clean nappy"
Here, have a rest somewhere safe"
Here, learn to read and write"
Here, be a kid"

Isn't this how it was meant to be? it seems so much more personal to me, so much more Godly and so much more affirming of an indicidual.

It would be great to hear any feedback you have on this, positive or negative.

Thanks for reading, I hope you connect with this...

Rob