Hello again everyone! Sorry for the delay between blogs, but internet has been few and far between here in Ongole. First, I just want to let you all know that I’m still alive and healthy! Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!
For our ministry this month, we have been traveling to local ICM (India Christian Ministries) churches with our interpreter Shakerbabu, praying for believers and pastors and then offering a message at a special night service. “Pushed outside my comfort zone” is an understatement. I’ve laid hands on more strangers and spoken in church more times in this month than I probably have in my entire life! This ministry is one that I knew I needed to grow in, but was hoping to be pushed in less extreme ways. I’ve never been brave in the area of praying for others. This ministry is forcing me to push past physical discomforts (touching random strangers) and view the laying on of hands as a powerful way to pray for brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of language barriers.
So far I’ve offered a sermon in church 4 times. It gets easier every time, but it still makes me nervous! Most often I talk about God’s provision, and try and link how God has provided in my life and in the life of the village we are in to God providing his son as a perfect sacrifice. Trying to write the sermon, it’s so crazy to me how good God has been. He has never let me down, and the fact that I’m here in India is further proof of that! For some crazy reason, God continues to bless me in ways I don’t deserve. He continues to show me His love through your support and prayers and through his incredible mercy. From food, to hospitality, to my support account, to providing internet when I need it most, I’m constantly blown away but what He has done and continues to do for me. It may be hot and sweaty here (just like Nepal), but God never fails to provide what I need.
