L I T T LE PA R E N T ON T H E PR A I R I E

A CALLING BY TRACY KIRBY // CRISTA BALLARD PHOTOGRAPHY

INDIA. It started calling to me a couple of years ago. And, at first, I didn’t listen. In fact, I balked at the idea of ever – I mean ever – traveling to India. Too extreme, I scolded myself. This is just another one of your crazy ideas, like that time you tried to pretend you didn’t like bread. Move along, Self. Forget about India. And eat some bread, why don’t ya.

48 // APRIL 2017

But, unlike some of my other wacky ideas of years past, my heart couldn’t seem to forget. India just kept right on calling. A dear friend of mine had been before on a service trip, and she encouraged me in my newfound interest in India. A man, from India, came and spoke at our church about his family in India, and his story gripped my heart. During my son’s health scare last year, many of his doctors were from – yes – India. People would