meet an amazing woman.

Today at Asha I helped prepare vegetables for the lunch Ravinder was making instead of doing school with the kids in the church room. Simini, the wife of Victor Sir and co- director (Mommy!) of the children at Asha House was working with Ravinder and I  to chop vegetables. I was so blessed to just sit and listen to Simini. She has so many other administrative things to worry about to keep the home running, and still took time to help prepare lunch since Asha House recently lost their main cook, Moni  who returned home to take care of her sick mother elsewhere in India. I am continually amazed by the grace, faith and compassion of Victor Sir and Simini. Not only in their care of the children but simply their trust in God, proclaiming His goodness in all and through all circumstances.
    Asha House is in deep financial need as you know from the previous blog post. But every Sunday the collection at the Asha worship service is given to others in need; other pastors and other ministries. Just like the widow who gives her two copper coins and  “put in more than all the others…out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:3-4).

    Simini also told me to pray for them as they are anticipating the return of Brij, a boy now 16, who grew up at Asha House. He is a true orphan and was living with his grandparents but they cannot provide for him, especially since he has a mental illness that is incredibly costly to treat. Simini said that they are preparing to bring him back to Asha House but she is worried about how they will pay for his living there, let alone medical treatment and the other children’s safety. “But he is family and this is his home,” she said to me.  And as she spoke with such love and compassion for this boy who, when he arrives, will complicate their living immensely but that was not even a concern. The impossibility and helplessness of their situation was impressed upon me with its weight and in the middle of telling me this story, one of our teammates Rebecca brought little Bagwan, his eyes full of tears over to Simini. She stopped talking to me and chopping the vegetables as Rebecca explained he was crying  during class completely inconsolable. Simini asked him what happened and focused all her attention on Bagwan. She spoke to him in Hindi so I don’t know what all was said but she seemed to tell him it was all right, that he was a brave little boy and then squinted her eyes at him and puckered her lips sending him little kisses. He smiled and she sent him on his way back to class and the sweetness of the moment was overwhelming. Her compassion is endless. She loves tirelessly; the room in her heart is beyond any capacity I can fathom. She has so many issues weighing on her and her husband: where the money will come from, how they will care for Brij, the house itself, the approaching winter, the list goes on and on, but she focused so fully on Bagwan and his need at that moment and gave all her love to him. She then told me how brave he is, that he arrived 6 months ago and never once cried for his mother, when all the children do cry when they first arrive. She had such revereance and respect for this Bagwan and his heart, taking him seriously and his pain seriously and treating him like the precious image-bearer of the Creator that he is.  I was reminded simply that God is love, that “the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6) that without it we are only clanging cymbals. I have again and again come to the end of myself and my strength. My love is weak, tried and worn out and it is only deep abiding reliance on Him that love looks like what I saw in Simini today.

“Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you beat fruit unless you remain in me. Apart from me you can do nothing. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15:4-5, 9