This blog may be a little bit overdue, but I don’t want to move on before I share with you some of the ministries we came in contact with in India. We met some great people of God and were encouraged by what the Lord is doing there.
You may recall that Ian and I were working with a YWAM base in Bangalore, India. We were afforded the opportunity to experience a grab-bag of ministries.
One day we visited a boys’ home that was begun and supported by Shelly and Naveen (these aren’t their real names but Shelly is American and it would be better for our friends if we don’t advertise the fact that she is doing ministry in India as her visa could come under undue scrutiny). Shelly is from America and Naveen is an Indian. Several years ago they were both in India working with different ministry organizations. They had a common vision to start an orphanage in India. After about a year Shelly’s organization placed her in Africa to complete her training for a year. Then she was stationed in Africa to work for her organization for five years.
Over this time Shelly and Naveen stayed in contact with each other and continued to dream about starting an orphanage in India. They became best friends and eventually Shelly finished her stint in Africa and was spending some time at home in America waiting for God’s leading on what was next. Shelly and Naveen’s friends were each telling them they should get married – they were best friends with a common vision for ministry and working towards starting a ministry together. They had never thought of the idea and it became real food for thought. She found herself thinking of the prospect often and eventually prayed that if it was the Lord’s will for them to marry were to get married, he would reveal it to Naveen.
One day Naveen sent Shelly an email with the subject “Marriage”. For days she didn’t open the email fearing that it would read that Naveen had met another woman that he was going to marry. Eventually she did open the email and now Shelly and Naveen are married with two children of their own in India. They established and run a boys’ home. They are renting two buildings hoping to expand in the near future. They continue to trust God to lead them in their ministry and in their personal lives.
A few days later we had the opportunity to visit a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. There were 11 men living there ranging in age from their early twenties to their late forties. Some had been in and out of rehab for a while. For others, this was their first time journeying towards freedom from substance addiction. All of them accepted their brokenness and were eager to find health and to rebuild their lives.
The staff had a longing to see the men fully reliant the Lord and several of them had found comfort in releasing their burdens to their Heavenly Father. We got to hear their stories and to share a few of ours.
After we shared, our team and their residents went to a field and played cricket together. It’s not as much like baseball as you might think. There is a ball and a bat and outs, but that’s about it. We were pretty excited to learn the game that is so popular in India.
It was a great day getting to know each other and sharing in common joys between all of us who are on the journey to full reconciliation.
The Lord is doing some great things in India amid a plethora of spirits warring for supremacy in that place. We take hope in the knowledge that the battle is already won. We rejoice with our brothers and sister who are listening for his voice in leading their life and ministry and with those who are finding health and reconciliation in him.
Now we have been in Ukraine for about a week and the our ministry is beginning to take shape. We are working with a YWAM base that was established only five years ago in Lutsk. The staff consists of a small band of Jesus-followers who are seeking to fulfill their passions in him and bring light and hope to a hopeless nation. You can be waiting for their stories in the coming couple of weeks.
