Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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This month has been a much-needed breath of fresh air!  We have partnered with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) as well as Capstone Ministries, both located in Bangalore, India.  One of our contacts Paul, with Capstone, was praying upon our arrival, and felt that God was telling him that we needed rest, time to fill back up, and lots of time to WORSHIP our amazing God…he was right!  Living in new surroundings, with new contacts, cultures, programs, etc. can be a bit draining, especially after almost 8 months.



First of two times to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe

 
Laura’s Birthday Dinner at Ruby Tuesdays
 
Paul has a very refreshing ministry style, non-traditional, which has been a huge encouragement to both teams I am with right now.  Their slogan, which is true to the ministry’s environment, says, “keep rockin’ until the churches are filled!”  Almost every day, we find ourselves playing the guitar and singing songs to God on the rooftop of a 5-story building overlooking Bangalore.

Paul runs a school of music and ministry from this building so young Indian men and women are constantly coming and going.  Some come to learn how to play different instruments, some come for bible study and worship, but most seem to come just to have a good time…to be around the constant energy!  It reminds me of just hanging out with friends back home.  We lounge around, talking, laughing, drinking coffee and chai, while building relationships with those around us.  It has given me new ideas about what church looks like. 


Hanging out on the rooftop

After starting our day on the roof in worship to God, we usually spend time reaching out to the community around us.  This has looked different for us each day:

One day, we went to an art show at a local university.  Paul has a huge heart for the youth and thought this would be a good opportunity to reach out to college age students, while providing a fun day for us as well.  Another day, we visited a local park to help a non-profit run a day camp for young disabled and mentally challenged children.  We acted out skits, sang songs, and helped with arts and crafts. We also worked with World Vision and children who were both affected and infected with HIV. We performed skits, sang songs, played games, danced, and laughed. It was definitely one of my favorite days in India.


Performing David and Goliath for the disabled youth


My new friend loving his time at the park

 

Another awesome day was when about 70 of us that headed to the local coffee shop.  As we piled into the small café, locals looked at us in wonder.  Part of the store was reserved for us, so we crammed in (with our cappacino’s) and began to worship God so loud that before long the whole store was filled with singing.  Paul then gave a quick word of encouragement, and then off we went (in groups of 4) into the local community.  We walked around the night-lit streets, talking with several different people, and simply telling them that Jesus loves them.  It was amazing to see how much that simple sentence affects people…knowing that they are not alone, but are loved by an amazing God.


Typical World Race Shot

I am so thankful for our contacts this month. Paul told us today that he wants to spend the remainder of our time preparing us for what lies ahead, both in the short and long term.  I’m not sure what that will look like yet, but I’m sure it will include a lot of time in worship and prayer….and probably lots of fast food since they love to spoil us!