Yesterday morning at 11:00am I said goodbye. I said (or, more like, sobbed) goodbye to a lot of people & a lot of things. I said goodbye to my brothers at the Covenant School of Worship – the men I have grown to love & believe in more than I could have ever imagined. I said goodbye to women who have become my friends and counselors. I said goodbye to a place of stability – the kind of stability I never knew was valuable before I started changing homes every month. I took a minute to wave goodbye to the beautiful outside patio where I sat & read my Bible & worshipped Jesus. And yes, I may have even nodded farewell to the water heater that enabled me to have a precious cup of 3-in-1 instant coffee every day. I said goodbye to a place that radiates God’s presence & is saturated in Spirit-filled worship. That felt like the biggest loss of all.
India has impacted my life more than any other country on my race. I still don’t know why God chose my team to experience this ministry, this month, but I know that God did not choose us arbitrarily or without purpose. I’m learning that when God’s purpose lines up with our hearts, magic happens. Not bibbidi-bobbidi-boo kind of magic – instead, the magic of Spirit-given truth that transforms our lives & the lives of everyone around us.
Who knows, maybe I will come back here someday. Jesus followers all over India are uniting together & praying in a huge revival. Wouldn’t it be incredible to be a small part of it? India is such a powerhouse of God’s truth & presence that I believe India will be sending ambassadors of Jesus’ story to the U.S. soon. Our churches in America need what they have here . . . more of Jesus.
Can I just introduce a couple of my brothers to you? I want to share some of their testimonies with you all.
John Edward is 20 years old. He is the new pastor of the church at Covenant Worship. He also sings & plays guitar for the Covenant Worship band. In some ways, he’s just like every other 20-year-old guy – he loves KFC & chai tea, roughhousing with the other brothers & making fun of us, the crazy American girls. But when it comes to God, Edward has a spiritual maturity & authority that is very unusual in guys his age. He leads people into God’s presence with confidence & wisdom. He serves everyone – from his brothers at the school to little children in the slums – with humility, grace & selflessness. He’s a wonderful friend & an incredible man of God.
Balu is 23 years old. He handles administrative accounts for the school & its worship centers, so he travels all over the state of Andhra Pradesh. Actually, he has a degree in computer software but gave up his well-paying secular job to serve fulltime at the worship school. He’s kind of shy when you first meet him, but later we found out he has an epic sense of humor, loves chocolate ice cream & drives like a crazy person! He’s a drummer & worship leader. Usually he’s quietly serving in the background . . . but when he steps us to lead worship, his confidence & passion is contagious & inspiring. He’s an amazing worshipper of God.
Prem is 26 years old. He is the leader of the newest Covenant Worship Center, a branch of the worship school. We were able to serve with him several nights in his community, worshipping, preaching Jesus & sharing our testimonies. He is an “old soul”, basically like a father figure to many of the men & boys, but he also has a super mischievous side that makes everyone laugh all the time! And wow, does he love people . . . he truly has the heart of a pastor. He speaks & preaches so gently & humbly but with strength & conviction. And his passion is for all of India, especially the youth, to know Jesus. All of us can see the anointing of God on his life & I know he will reach so many people with the love of Jesus.
And this is a picture of our final goodbye with the school staff!
Those are only three of the staff that I came to know & love & support with all my heart. If you feel led to invest in their lives & ministry, you can make a donation!
All donations are tax deductible through their 501c3. Please mark checks payable CW sponsorship and send to:
India Christian Ministries
PO Box 3925
Dana Point, California. 92629
Donate through Paypal at
www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=UUBFB3YW43GM6
We are flying to Nepal tomorrow! To be honest, a lot of us are starting to get tired at this point on the race. Please pray so much for our squad for strength, energy & passion to continue giving everything we have to give to our new ministries. Also, I'm $788 away from being fully funded, trusting God to bring in the last little bit!
