The scent of jasmine and coconut oil from the hair of little girls filled the room as the children lined up. Happy, excited chatter in the Kannada language could be heard as they anticipated the first day of vacation Bible school. As I greeted the friendly faces, some familiar and some new, I smiled. Yes, once again, it was the first day of VBS in Bangalore, India. Another week of renewing relationships, getting to know new children, and anticipating God working in their hearts.

This is one snapshot of the plethora of memories I have from my last trip to Bangalore in May 2011. Sometimes I just have to stop and stand in wonder at all that God has done to bring my family back to India. Each year from 2008 to 2011, the session of Second Reformed Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis has sent a mission team led by my father, Ram Rao, to assist a local congregation in the city of Bangalore, Covenant Bible Presbyterian Church. The team has consisted of the entire Rao family of six and several other young adults eager to serve the church in India. Each year has been packed full of breathtaking ways in which God has shown Himself to His people.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the mission trips has been seeing how God reconnected our family to our roots in India. Although my parents were born in India, I was born and raised in the United States. I felt little affinity for India during the first 10 years of my life. But in 2005, my family traveled to India to take care of some family business. Connecting with my heritage was a life-changing experience as I began to embrace my ethnicity and realize that India would always have a special place in my heart.

As we prepared for the trip, my dad searched for a Reformed church in which we could worship. A quick Google search revealed Covenant Bible Presbyterian Church, which was just beginning its ministry in Bangalore. We worshiped there during our time in the city and connected well with Pastor George Skariah and his family. As we kept in touch with them in the years following, my dad began to pursue the opportunity to assist them in their ministry by sending mission teams to Bangalore.

So began a whirlwind adventure! Each year, our teams have prepared and taught a week-long vacation Bible school for the community. The children were divided into two classes: one taught in English, and the other taught in Kannada, the local language, through a translator. The program included singing, a Bible story, a memory verse, a craft to reinforce the lesson, and games before and after. We were blessed to see God bringing children from many different backgrounds, including Christian, Hindu, and Muslim. Our other activities during the trip included a gospel musical presentation, a seminar for adults taught by my dad, a youth retreat and many opportunities to encourage the believers in the congregation.

The VBS has been a highlight for me. I have enjoyed leading the singing and helping the children engage during the Bible lesson. But perhaps the most meaningful part has been the personal interaction with the children. In the bright smiles, warm hugs, and longing voices calling, “Akka, akka!” (“big sister”), I have seen hearts that are hungry for truth and for the love of Christ. I have seen children earnestly inquiring about God and seeking to understand the gospel, and I have even seen several children pray to receive Christ as their Savior.

Having the opportunity to proclaim the good news of Christ to children who are surrounded by the spiritual darkness of Hinduism is a humbling and exciting privilege. I have seen the Lord do amazing things in hearts through these mission trips—including my own heart. Over and over again, He has brought me to my knees in awe of the way in which He sends His Word out and uses it to draw hearts to Himself.

As I look toward the future, I eagerly anticipate how the Lord will continue to expand His kingdom in India. Last year, we met several likeminded believers who shared a deep love for Reformed doctrine and singing the psalms. This group was led by Venky and his wife, Shammi, a young couple whom the Lord drew out of a Hindu background to faith in Christ. For several years, they have hosted a weekly Bible study to disciple young people who are earnestly seeking the Lord. Our team was tremendously encouraged by this group’s devotion to Christ and the truth of His Word. We also thoroughly enjoyed hearing their testimonies and singing the psalms together. As Venky and Shammi are seriously interested in starting a Reformed Presbyterian church in India, they are currently praying about coming to the U.S. for seminary training at the RP Seminary. I too long to see the Lord build up a church in India that is built solidly on the truths of Scripture as well as on the principles of the Reformed faith, and I am excited to see specifically how Christ will build His church in my home country!

Vineeta is the youngest of the four Rao children and a recent high school graduate who now attends Cedarville University. She is a member of Second RPC in Indianapolis, Ind.