First of all…SORRY for not keeping yall up to date this
month, here is a journal entry from March 15th…
“So nice…sitting at a
coffee shop in Calcutta with Audrey and Steph
and it almost feels like I’m back in America. Has it really been 6 months? Wow. Today we went to church; it reminded me of Summit and of my true love for God and what I’m
really here for. Can you believe that I’m
getting filled up in India?
Wow. My initial expectations were that this place would be draining, hot and
miserable. But I feel the Lord calling
me to see Grace in this place. Up until
now we’ve gone to places and worked. Whether
it be by preaching, praying, serving, playing with kids…always on the go. Ministry happens when we get there in a
sense. The crazy part is…ministry is
always happening. The race isn’t about
what I can do or where I can serve, but it’s about seeing Grace in every place.
Seeing God already at work, even before
I get here. To see how great He is and
how big He is. I met a pastor the other
day and got a chance to ask him about his church and get his perspective on Calcutta and what the
Lord is doing in this place. He said
there were many hindu’s who are ready to be saved in this city, who are just
waiting to be told the gospel. He talked
about how their church as a whole is preparing for the government to shut the
doors and as a result developing house groups that meet throughout the city. He spoke of how hard it was being a disciple
of Jesus in India
yet how worth it it is.
hindu monastery with monks near a huge hindu temple. He helped start an orphanage/school just
across the river from our home here and talked about his love for Jesus. He told stories of many miracles of God he’s
witnessed. Being a “secret” Christian in
a monk monastery can be lonely he said, but God is faithful and one time in
prayer asked him to sit and wait and about half an hour later one of his orphan
boys knocked on his door and said “tell me about Jesus”. The boy received forgiveness that day and put
his hope in Jesus.
has a charisma about him that is undeniable. He is an obvious man of influence in this area
not just among natives but he works with many foreigners. I know that Grace is at work in his life and
we’ve been given a front row seat to see the Lord work in his heart.
I feel like this is a month where the Lord is redefining
ministry. The bible says that I am a
minister or reconciliation. I am
Kingdom, so everywhere I go, I minister. Whether it’s feeding 500 orphans, sitting with a shopkeeper, being a
friend to a lonely missionary, or hearing a pastor’s heart for his city, its
all ministry. I’m learning that even
though I haven’t been to India,
it doesn’t mean that Grace isn’t already here. And while He’s here, he’s also in the
orphanage in Manila, the underground church in China and the bush church in Africa.
He’s everywhere. And while He’s completely HUGE, he’s still
completely intimate. He’s still involved
in America
and even in my own heart.”
