Alleluia, Praise God

Greetings from Goa, India. We have been in Goa for 4 days now. We took the train from Hyderabad to Goa on Tuesday night and arrived on Wed. The train ride was amazing. The scenery is so beautiful. This train took us through mountains, and we got to see valleys, srteams, waterfalls, and many more breath-taking scenes. The 4 of us went to one of the doors and just stood there looking out over the mountains. We actually hung out of the doors a little. It was so cool. But don't worry, the train was moving very slowly. It was just breath-taking though. It was amazing seeing God's creation, so beautiful. I love taking the train from place to place. It's so cool standing at the door watching everything pass us by. I really wanted to hike through those mountains and the huge waterfalls. Maybe we will be able to find a waterfall during our travels.

Last week we were working with an organization called Oasis World Ministrties. We were doing a crusade event in a city called Kottakota. During the day, leaders of Oasis held a Pastors seminar for local pastors. Then at night we had a service where people would come from all around Kottakota. There was a worship leader from India who led worship for the group. Then a man names Darrell, who works for Oasis in the states, would get up and speak. Every night the American team would do a skit portraying a story from the Bible. Darrell would then preach on what the stories were saying. The skits were always very powerful for the people, and they responded very well to them. Twice we did the story of Jesus' crucifixion and ressurection. The people seemed to be very touched by that, and they responded to Jesus. People came up every night for the alter call. I am still waiting to hear the final count of how many people came forward for the whole week, but the first night we counted about 300 people who came forward. Praise God.

The first night the audience was a little small, but each night Darrell challenged the crowd to bring family and friends from their villages. People were being healed every night. People were healed of being blind, being deaf, having stomach problems, and having body aches. God was moving every night and touching people every night. Each night the crowd grew bigger and bigger. By the end of the week, the Oasis staff estimated there were about 10,000 people attending the festival. Praise the Lord, God was touching and reaching so many people.

Every night after the service, the American team would pray for the people. There were always crowds around us to be prayed for. People were so desperate for prayer, and for God to touch them. It was very humbling to see their hunger and desire to be touched by God and to be prayed for. We had a lot of younger people who wanted prayer for their education. They would go from each team member asking for the same prayer request. One night I prayed for an elderly women, and after I prayed for her, she bent down and touched my feet. Who am I that she should touch my feet. Then another night a women handed me her baby and wanted me to rename her baby girl. I didn't know what to say. I thought for a bit and she just looked at me waiting for me to answer. The name Esther popped into my head, so I said that. She liked it, so she renamed her child Esther after Queen Esther in the old Testiment. The people treated us like celebrities. They would always come up and shake our hands, and they would crowd around us. The last couple of nights the Oasis staff asked us to stay behind the stage so we wouldn't be a distraction. It was overwhelming at times when they came around. We wanted them to focus on Jesus and what He wanted to share with them. It was such a blessing though praying for them. There were a few people and children that I connected with and I definitely miss them.

It was a challenge though not being able to communicate with them. There were so many times I wanted to speak with someone about God, but I couldn't. There were a few times that I wanted to talk to our driver. He was not a Christian, but he was with us for the whole week. At the beginning of the week, he would just sit in the car. Then towards the end of the week, I noticed he would stand outside and watch the skits and listen to Darrell. But I couldn't ask him what he thought or felt because he didn't speak english. And we never had enough translators, so I didn't get a chance to really ask him. But I just tried to show him God's love. Please be praying for him, that what he heard those last few nights would resonate in his heart. His name is Oslum. I pray that God would continue to put people in his life that would lead him to Jesus. I know God was touching him those last few nights, so please pray that his heart would be open to Jesus.

God touched a lot of people this week, but please be praying that what God started wold grow into a personal relationship with Jesus. Please be praying for the churches in the Kottakota Area. God is moving in powerful ways there, and there are amazing men and women of God. Pray that they would continue to follow God's call, and build relationships with the new believers. Pray there would be a sense of community among them. The people there are so wonderful, and I praise God for the work He is doing there. I feel so blessed and honored that I am able to come and be a part of it all.

I love you all and miss you terribly. Thank you so much for your love and support. God's blessing to you all.

Planes, Trains, and Elephants

So our stay here in Mumbai was a little long.  But we managed to keep busy.  Everyone kept telling us that we should have been here for 3 days max.  But we were able to explore.  Yesterday we went to Elephanta Caves.  That was pretty interesting.  The hike up into the mountain was interesting.  Too many stairs.  But it was really cool.  And we got to see a lot of monkeys.  One monkey had a ponytail.  It was pretty sweet.  But I am glad to be leaving Mumbai.  The hustle and bustle of big city is too much for me.  

Tonight we catch a train to Hyderabad.  There we meet up with Oasis Ministry.  I'm so ready to begin ministering.  I am just so excited to see where God is taking us, and what He will do.  

I will update more when things get a little more exciting.  But I just wanted to send a quick update with where we are heading to next!

Please pray for safe travel on the train, and our time in Hyderabad.  We will be going into a village to do a crusade.  So please pray for the people of the village.  Pray that God would fill us with what we need to accomplish what He has for us, and that we would best know how to do what God has called us to do there.  

Love you all, and missing you terribly.

A hazing morning on a comfortable day

Greetings in the name of Jesus our Lord.  I am writing to you from Mumbai, India.  We arrived safely a couple of days ago.  It has been quite an adventure thus far.  The first day here we explored a little on our own.  We were exhausted so we didn’t do too much.  But we knew we wanted to explore some more.  Then yesterday we set out to see Mumbai.  Right away this man approached us.  He told us he was starting a new job at a call center and he wanted to practice his english.  So he walked with us for awhile.  Rahul was his name, and he became our friend.  He was so delighted to just hang out with us and show us around.  He was truly a blessing from God.  We wanted to see the Gateway to India.  So he took us there.  He brought us on buses taking us all over Mumbai.  We also saw the ocean, the Hanging Gardens, a museum of Ghandi, a Muslim temple and a Hindu temple.  He took us everywhere.  It was a blessing to have him show us around.  We would not have known anything or where to go, and he led us.  It was an amazing day. 

I really struggled though when we went to the temples.  The first we went to was like nothing I had ever seen before.  The temple was out a ways in the ocean and there was this long pathway that led you there.  People crowded the walkway trying to get to the Temple.  Some people had stands where they were selling goods; some things they were selling were gold, miniature idols.  I wanted to turn the tables over.  It made me so angry but also really sad.  Also along the pathway were crippled people and beggars.  It was so hard to see them and feel like I could do nothing for them.  We were reminded of the passage in Acts 3:1-10~

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer- at 3 in the afternoon.  Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put everyday to beg from those going to the temple courts.  When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.  Peter looked straight at him, as did John.  Then Peter said, “ Look at us!”  So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.  Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”  Taking him him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.  He jumped to his feet and began to walk.  Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.  Then all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.   

Please be praying that we would be filled with the faith to know that this can still happen today.  Also, that we would be filled with a Boldness for God to do whatever he asks of us, to see every opportunity that He places before us and that we would seize each moment.  It is very overwhelming, seeing the poverty and lack of hope.  I want to show them Jesus and the Love of God.  Pray that find hope in Jesus.  

Thus far, the trip has been amazing.  Once again, God is faithful in providing for all of our needs, even something so selfish feeling as bringing us Rahul to show us around Mumbai.  Maybe now we can begin to fully trust Him, being confident in His promises for us.  We are so excited to see where God is going to lead us.  

Today we went exploring again.  We went into neighborhoods this time.  It was interesting seeing where they live; what they call home.  The children flocked to us to have us take their pictures.  They were so adorable.  I just wanted to play with them all.  It was so fun to laugh with them.  One of the other highlights of today was going to the store next to our hotel and getting ice cream.  It is unbelievably hot, and ice cream was the most perfect thing.

Thank you all for praying for us.  We are thinking of our family and friends back home.  We love you all.  

“I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident in this, that he who began a good work you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending or confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.  God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.  And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.”   Phil 1:3-11