Last fall, I visited India for the first time. India – a country full of contradictions, religions, people groups and languages. India – where there are sacred cows in the road and monkeys terrorizing the neighborhoods. India – a land of extreme beauty and extreme poverty.

I traveled with two colleagues halfway across the world to source product and meet with our friends Mel and Rikki at JOYN.

And now, looking back on our trip six months later, the word that sticks in my memory and my heart is hope.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:3-5

My problems and trials? They involve not getting to sleep in on Saturday or forgetting milk while at the store and having to make the FIVE MINUTE TREK back to get it. (Oh wait. Actually, I don’t even do that – my husband usually goes back for me.)

My brain would not let me comprehend the problems and trials the people in North India face on a daily basis. Children begging for food? Yep. Adults who are disabled, handicapped, or sick living on the streets? Check. Trash on the side of the roads? Everywhere. Homes not much more than hovels? Yes.

And yet

And yet.

Hope.

Palpable hope.

Hope you can feel.

Hope you can see.

Hope you can almost reach out and touch.

Big smiles. Happy hearts. Purpose.

In a little town in Northern India, right on the foothills of the Himalayas, JOYN brings jobs to people who would otherwise not be able to feed themselves or their families. They give them the dignity of hard work and a salary. At the heart of JOYN lies a desire to see lives changed. To see those crippled by poverty and hardship dance for joy. And there is joy and pride in the products they produce.

We believe the (in)courage heart, your heart, desires to see lives changed as well. We are proud to partner with JOYN and put our name right alongside JOYN’s on the tags of the products they made for us. Each JOYN product also includes a tag signed by the artisan who wove, block printed, and stitched it.

In this video, you’ll be able to hear Melody’s heart (the founder of JOYN) and learn more about the JOYN story and the amazing role they play in people’s lives. Would you take a few minutes to watch? {Email subscribers, click here.}

We’re living in a broken world full of broken people. Like me. Like you. And if you’re like me, living in the US generally affords us the help and support we need to live comfortably. But maybe not. Maybe you’re facing insurmountable problems and trials and you cannot see a way out. But do not doubt, dear sister, for Jesus promises that hope will not lead to disappointment. God loves us. Every single person on the face of this beautiful planet was made in the image of God and He. Loves. Us.

So shine on, sisters. Shine on.

{Our JOYN items are part of the Faith, Hope, & Love Collection by (in)courage and can be found here.}

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