Sometimes, God calls you to invite your neighbor to church, lengthen your devotional time, or spend more time with your kids.
Other times, He calls you to India.
Every time, God wants our “yes” and our obedience.
That’s exactly how Justin, Evelyn, and Katy responded when they were called on a trip to India: with a posture of obedience.
Justin, somebody at the beginning of his career, felt that the calling to India was part of a bigger calling into missions. In a way, India was the starting point and a way for God to teach him to listen. Justin’s posture of obedience looked like him saying to Jesus, “I don’t care where you send me.” So Justin went.
Evelyn and Katy were happy retirees who describe themselves as kindred sisters. They met through North Heights, and a beautiful friendship was born where they could share life experiences “without a facade.”
Evelyn decided to go to India simply because Jessy, the leader of the trip, invited her. Normally a timid person, she had never been on a mission trip, never been a leader, and was uncomfortable praying in a group. But she took a risk and said, "yes."
Katy, on the other hand, was worried for her friend. Even though Evelyn had suggested she go to India, Katy had multiple commitments and responsibilities that stood in the way. Her calendar was always full. So she prayed that the Lord would raise up a companion for her friend. Little did she know how the Lord was already at work.
To support her friend, Katy even called Jessy to confirm that there was still room for one more person to go with Evelyn, putting out a low-commitment feeler. God’s will became apparent very quickly as Jessy went ahead and, on the spot, booked Katy a seat on the plane. Katy hung up the phone, looked at her husband and said, “I’m going to India.”
After 25 hours of traveling, Justin, Evelyn, and Katy arrived with Jessy to a place like no other they had ever experienced. They were swept into it instantly.
“Driving is interesting” Justin commented, “There’s lots of honking and not a lot of law enforcement.”
“The horn is the language of the drivers,” Katy explained. There are polite beeps, annoyed beeps, and streets full of communicators: cars, scooters (some carrying TVs, boxes, or kids), audios, and bicycles.
In the cacophony of beeps, Evelyn and Katy got in that first car in Hyderabad, India and immediately hunted for their seatbelts. They soon realized there weren’t any. Instead, they had to go 70 miles per hour, starting and stopping unexpectedly with no seatbelts, which was “terrifying” according to Evelyn.
But Katy clarified that although they were immediately thrown into an unfamiliar, uncomfortable situation that was “concerning,” “the fear was left at the airport.”
Justin struggled with motion sickness that was exacerbated by the stopping and starting of the cars. Until someone thought to do the obvious: pray. Justin was healed from his motion sickness afterwards and was even able to read his Bible in the car.
The hustle of Hyderabad buzzed around them as they got settled into their hotel and slowly acclimated to colorful and richly adorned clothing, the smell of saffron, cows and herds of goats, Hindu temples, shops, and mosques. The food was intolerably spicy, and stories abound of biting into food without knowing how spicy it was. When questioned about whether they liked the food, one North Heights traveler (who will remain anonymous) replied with a flat “no.” Yet with the hospitable culture, they rarely left a place without eating. The fresh fruits and naan were highlights.
For the most part, they relied on Jessy for cultural cues. The biggest shocks to the system were the unplanned, go-with-the-flow lifestyle. Instead of specific itineraries, days were structured around relationships, and this touched everyone on the trip.
Katy mentioned how amazing it was to meet people and see the spirit of God moving. "It's really quite emotional to have somebody who doesn't know you love on you. There was just so much love and laughter, and I experienced the presence of Jesus like I had never felt in my whole life."
Katy, Evelyn, and Justin come from very structured, routine-oriented lives in the United States, yet they embraced the spontaneity and found deep meaning, love, and freedom on the other side.
At one point, the team of 4 had to run through the airport only to miss a flight. Then they discovered that the flight they missed had to be rerouted. One night, the team stayed up until 4am, lying down and gazing at the stars, watching Diwali fireworks, and singing old hymns, laughing, and bouncing around in the car ride. “It was heaven,” Katy described. There was purpose in the chaos, immense joy in the unplanned.
Justin, Evelyn, and Katy were also nudged into public speaking, a dislike they all shared. Justin divulged that it was challenging and intimidating to speak in front of such large crowds at villages, orphanages, women meetings, and churches.
Evelyn said before the trip she would rather give birth than do public speaking. None of them knew what to expect - none of them had anything prepared to say - yet the words came nonetheless. Even more, people responded. At one event, 290 people were saved, and 194 were healed.
Some of the healings the team witnessed were deaf being able to hear, broken backs straightened, trauma being erased, and anxiety lifted. While praying for a girl who was deaf, Jessy heard from the Lord that she would be healed the next day. Confused about this, Jessy asked God, “why not now?”
The next day, she went to the doctor and found she had been healed. She even has official documentation as evidence.
Another highlight of the trip was visiting orphanages, having yellow petals thrown on them, and stepping into the energy and noise of dancing boys and girls. "We shared Jesus with them, taught them songs and watched with delight when they sang and danced for us, and we danced with them!" Katy shared. Justin recalled how there was so much joy, and the visit was an opportunity for the kids to realize they were not alone in their pain and abandonment; they were supported by people all over the world.
3 people responded to God’s calling to go to India, and as a result, their lives are forever changed. And because of their obedience, the life change doesn’t stay with them. Before officially leaving, Justin heard from the Lord that “when you step into India, things are going to change.” Justin had the firm belief that God would take down principalities, and that is exactly what is playing out before our eyes. After the trip, Bibles can now be printed in certain tribal languages in India, a barrier that had been in place for years.
After a trip like that, you can’t go back to how you were before. Katy hasn’t picked up her *4* calendars since. “The Lord has finally set me free,” she asserted with emotion in her voice, “Jesus said, ‘I came to set the captives free.’ […] I was captive to schedules and processes and protocols. I’ll never go back. He has set me free.”
"We never knew what was going to happen next, but we learned to accept that," Evelyn agreed. "We could relax in the knowledge God has us in the palm of his hand."
All 3 have plans to return to India; Justin plans to in spring of 2026.
Evelyn summarized, “We were doing nothing in those 2 weeks besides being focused on the Lord and being in the presence of the Lord. He did not need us one bit, but it pleased Him to have us along as He transformed people's lives, now and for eternity.”
Will you let the life change of this trip continue in you? How can you step into obedience in this next season of your life? How can you partner in what God is doing globally? Visit northheights.church/outreach to learn more, and email
for details on the next India trip.
