Go Beyond | Kolkata

Today’s guest blogger is Sydney Farquharson, the Missions Intern for Kingsland Baptist Church.

Today was an incredibly special, significant day. It was a day filled with heartbreak, laughter, meaningful conversations, delicious chai, and lots of hugs. As we spent the day in one of the darkest regions of India, I was reminded of Jesus and the genuine compassion that He had for the lost people around Him. “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest”’ (Matthew 9:35-38 ESV). I can only imagine how deep His compassion ran. I can only imagine how beautifully He loved those people. Today, I feel as though our team got a glimpse of the deep, heartfelt compassion that Jesus felt for the people around Him. Our hearts were stricken with grief as we encountered a group of women who live in the midst of darkness. At the same time, our hearts were filled with much joy in knowing that organizations like FreeSet prove to be a radiant light throughout the city. Thank you, Jesus!

On this trip, the Holy Spirit has continually led me to pray for my team members in this way: that the Lord will grant us compassion for the people around us and that He will teach us how to love and cherish them well. I firmly believe that He is actively answering these prayers! Today, we were so privileged to be the only foreigners to enter “The Cup”. The Cup is a local coffee shop ran by FreeSet. We spent the majority of the day here. We gave women pedicures, engaged in conversations, and made sweet crafts with them. The Cup is located in a red-light district, and only women are allowed to enter. We heard numerous stories of hope, and this brought our hearts much joy! I was able to witness one of our team members, Sterling, give a local Hindu woman a pedicure. They laughed and talked as Sterling spent a substantial amount of time washing her feet. She proceeded to paint her toenails and put stickers on them. The woman delighted in these meaningful moments. She never ceased to smile! After this, Sterling found someone to translate, and began to talk with the woman. The woman mentioned that she prayed to God every day that she would lose her life. Wow – this broke my heart. Sterling’s heart was broken too, and she began to cry. She then shared her personal story of how Jesus changed her life, and shared the Gospel with this woman. They hugged and the woman mentioned that she did not want to leave. This was a moment that I will never forget! I am looking forward to the days to come. I am looking forward to see how the Holy Spirit continues to move in this beautiful city filled with many colors!

By: Sydney Farquharson