Well before even moving to Garden City I'd been praying for a sweet cousin lady to be my new cleaner (a cleaner is a very common thing to have here especially since there's no dishwashers, lots of dust, and lots of people who need employment...and it's not expensive). I was so close to my cleaner in Kite City, whom I miss so much, and therefore desiring someone I could be close to again. This person comes into your house six days a week, they see you on wonderful and not so wonderful days, they become the most intimate friend to you and your kids because again, they're always in your home. Therefore, who this person is is very important to me, and I'd been praying for her.
After we moved into our new home, almost a month ago, the lady who helps clean the building, 'Sha', offered to clean my house as well. She'd always been really kind whenever she'd seen us before, and had already helped with getting our house ready for my family to arrive. The timing of when she could come clean wasn't my favorite, but we told her that would be fine unless we found someone who could do it at better times during the day.
Since she's been coming Elise has no doubt taken a liking to her. She wants to see her wherever she is, smile, wave, say "Hi", and basically just follow her around. Regardless of what Elise is doing, when my Sha comes in Elise will stop to watch her and say Hi to her like 20 times in a row. It's so cute :)
I've been able to have a good bit of conversations with her even though she's been here such a short time. I'm thankful that I already have a base in Urdu so that I can talk to her, as opposed to when I first moved to India.
One day she was telling me how she likes working for me and that she doesn't feel trouble or problems, only rest in my home. She's actually told me that on numerous occasions. However, this particular day she started elaborating in saying that foreigners like me are all good people and all Indian people are bad people...this is a common thing for people to say. I corrected her by saying that some foreigners and Indians are good, and some foreigners and Indians are bad. I'd met plenty of good, kind Indians. It didn't matter where you're from, there's the same kind of people everywhere.
She went on to tell me that it's like I see her and I'm not different to her. She said that Indian people know that she's poor so they tell her to go over there or somewhere else because she's poor. But I treat her just the same as I do other people. She didn't used to be poor growing up, but now that she's married and has her own family she is.
I explained that the people who are that way are followers of Jesus. I went on to say that God made all people and to God they are all equal. So, when I look at her or someone else they are the same in my eyes as well.
My heart hurts for her. It seems like she has a deep wound that only the Lord can heal. I pray that He uses me to speak His love into that wound and her heart.
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