I can't believe we only have about 4 weeks of ministry left in India! I just wanted to take this opportunity to ask for prayer for a few things.
- Pray for our ministry, both in the orphanage and leper colony. Pray that in this last month, God would continue to work in these places, and specifically that we would have the opportunity to share our faith in our leper colony.
- Pray for our orphanage as they are struggling financially and are in need of staff.
- Pray for the teams continued safety. There is alot of spiritual warfare here and ministry is very difficult.
- Please pray for my health as I've been sick for two weeks. Pray that I'll be able to return to my ministry sites and that in this last month God would give me the strength I need.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers! I can't wait to come home and share with you all that God has done! :)
Just a few pictures of the things I love most in India.
The neighbor children are always at our gate, asking us to come outside and play. Often we hear "Didi! Didi!" (Hindi for "sister") screamed from across the street or "Hello! How are you!" yelled in sing-song voices from neighboring roofs.
This is sideways me and Vinod, a boy at the Ajmer orphanage. The week we spend in Ajmer was the highlight of my time in India so far. The children there are strong in their faith and filled with the joy of the Lord. They are the funniest kids I've ever met in my life. I'm going back there one day. :)
Just to keep it real - a picture of the no-shower club. We set a record of eight days. Hopefully I won't have to try to beat that anytime soon. I would also post a picture of a squattee but Ive run out of time. ;)
"Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper…" 1 Kings 19: 11-12
When I arrived in India, I was ready to see God move in big ways. I was eager to see hearts turned to Christ and lives transformed. I expected obstacles to be removed, God's voice to be clear, and to always know my purpose in ministry. I thought God would speak through a mighty wind, make His presence known through a powerful earthquake and show His power through a great fire.
In the months before I came to India, I had seen God at work in mighty ways. He gave me obvious direction and made preparation for the trip easy, providing all that I needed quickly and abundantly. He was teaching me and preparing my heart. I heard Him like a mighty wind, felt His presence like an earthquake, and saw Him moving as fire. I assumed that He would continue working in this way when I got to India, but a few weeks into the trip, I realized it wasn't going to be that way. I became frustrated and discouraged - confused as to why God wasn't changing me or using me. I was straining to hear His voice, to see His power. I was looking for something big, obvious, or loud.
One evening at the orphanage in Ajmer, I was sitting on the porch holding a little girl named Ruth. We were looking at the stars and singing together. Every few minutes she would push my hair behind my ears for me. Sitting there, in the calm and quiet, God spoke to my heart. He made me realize that I had been seeking only big things and loud answers from God, and in doing so, had missed out on His soft whispers. I realized that that very moment, simply holding a little orphan girl, could be the whole reason I came to India.
Since then, God has been teaching me to hear and see Him in new ways. Not so much through obvious answers to prayer or big change, but in the not so noticeable things. I don't hear Him in the great wind, but in the orphan's prayers, so loud that they drown out a passing train. I don't feel His presence in the earthquake, but in a small house church, where a few believers gather to fellowship and pray. I don't see Him in the fire, but in the smile of an orphan when he opens a box to find a brand new pair of shoes. I don't see huge miracles, but I'm learning to see the small ones: the fact that I still don't have lice or that I was able to play soccer for almost two hours at orphanage in spite of my asthma.
Hearing God's gentle whisper isn't easy, but I'm learning to hear Him in the places and people I least expected. I'm learning that God doesn't always work in big ways or speak loudly, but He works through the simple and ordinary, and speaks through gentle whispers.
These past two weeks have flown by! Its so hard to believe that I've been gone almost a month! Thank you all so much for your prayers! I have seen God at work and answering prayer in so many ways.
My ministry team works in an orphanage called Asha Mission. They have about 20 kids and a newborn baby! In the morning we help teach them. I usually work with the younger ones, teaching them ABCs. After lunch they have a prayer meeting. Hearing these kids praise God is incredible. Their faith amazes me as they have to rely on God for everything they have. In the afternoon we do a "program" which consists of songs, a lesson, and a craft. They love singing and dancing. I think one day were going to have a dance party. :)
The leper colony we visit is challenging. We get mobbed by kids, which makes it hard to build relationships with the adults. Yesterday I really loved spending some time making bracelets with the younger women. We also do a program with the kids - they love singing and coloring! Please pray that God would give us a love for these kids, and also opportunities to minister to the adults there.
One of my favorite things about India is our neighborhood. I love playing with the kids in front of our house. We've taught them some hand games, songs, and red light green light. On mondays we take prayer walks and have the opportunity to talk to the people in our neighborhood. Even though we don't speak the same language, we can sit and drink chai and laugh at our inability to communicate. The people here are so friendly and welcoming.
We leave tomorrow for an orphanage about ten hours away. We will stay there for a week and run a VBS! Please pray for safety as we travel.
I miss you all! Facebook doesn't really work here so email me emily0590@hotmail.com. Hopefully next time I post Ill have PICTURES!!! :)
I stole this from another team member because I haven't had time to write yet. :)
The team arrived in India safely Sunday night with no complications. We were able to get all of our luggage and safely arrived to our home. It's beautiful; we have running water and electricity (most of the time!).
Monday was a busy day, which started off with rickshaw rides into the market place where we tried Indian food for the first time. Some girls were surprised at the spice, but it was delicious! The rickshaw drive was really interesting and we learned how to barter, which is a talent that needs to be learned for some of us. For the most part, the market has a lot of things that will supply our needs in case we run out of stuff. It is where we will be getting our groceries and some girls already got fabric for their punjabis or Indian attire. We also got our dinner in the market from a street vendor and met some children whom we befriended. Everyone here treats us as if we were celebrities because we are the only Americans walking around in the market place. It takes some getting used to and is almost flattering. It's interesting to see how curious the Indian people are about us.
Tuesday was our first day in the field. We were able to visit a leper colony and an orphanage that one team will be at during their time here. The leper colony was small but very inviting. As soon as the people saw us they were excited and welcomed us in. They even made us Chai Tea and let us sit on mats with them. This colony had some children and we were able to play with them. At the orphanage, we were able to play with the children and eat with them. They had a whole presentation for us, which was very impressive. They sang songs and then we had play time. Then we got to help them with their school work. Later on in the day, they sang Happy Birthday to one of the girls on the team. It was very thoughtful.
Tuesday night was our first Indian meal made by the hosts. It was rice and chicken and very tastey. Some girls weren't used to the Indian spice and we were told that this spice was really mild. We are wondering what the "real" spice will taste like.
Wednesday was another day on the field and we visited another leper colony and orphanage that the second group of girls will be going to during their time here. This leper colony was diffrent from the first. It was in the slums and had a different atmosphere. This colony had a lot more children who took a lot of attention. This colony seems a little bigger than the first one we were at and the individuals there had more severe physical conditions. The orphanage we went to had 17 children. There were American girls living there as teachers, which was different because they spoke English and actually understood us. The children danced and sang for us. We definitely felt welcomed.
Wednesday night two of our team members made dinner for us and we stayed in the house and had worship. It was nice to wind down and take showers. We have working showers, but the water is cold! We are still very thankful that we can get clean. The weather here is surprisingly cold too. We are all wearing sweaters, even to sleep.
Today we went to the last leper colony and orphanage that the third group we will be working with. We made a mistake of taking chocolates into the leper colony. We did it with good intention because many people go to this colony and exploit the people there, making promises to them and never keeping their promises to these people. The people at this leper colony then, are more weary of Americans so we brought the chocolate to ease any tension that might be there. The children in this colony totally swarmed us wanting chocolate, but we did our best to keep the chocolate for the adults.
We were able to intercede with a few people in this colony. One woman had lost her 25-year-old son because he drank himself to death just a few weeks ago. She was still crying about it when we visited her today. We were able to sit with her and console her and give her some company. Another woman said that she had a headache, which opened the door for us to ask our Father to help her. One man who we have built a relationship in the past with was there and his health is improving from the last time we saw him.
Next we went to the orphanage, which is a miracle we were able to be there. This orphanage has about 140 kids ranging from ages four to 17. We were able to bring a presentation to the kids. We sang with them, brought a skit and testemony. We were even able to hear some of the kids' testemonies, which were very impressionable. We helped them study and lastly played with them before we left. A lot of children have lice at this orphanage so were are bringing them some treatments on Tuesday. One girl was sitting there helping the other pick the lice out of her hair. It was really something to see how they help each other out in everything. They are truly a family.
We are enjoying our experience in India. This is the first week and already we are seeing so many things that are changing us. Please ask our Father for good health. We are all doing pretty well so far physically.
