Our ministry is in full swing now. Another month �” another brand new ministry for me. In Thailand, I taught English part time
and worked on home improvement projects for our host family. In Cambodia we taught English full
time. In Australia we worked with
the youth and helped clear cyclone damage. Malaysia was the drop in center where we fed the hungry 3
days a week and worked with Youth With A Mission with prayer and worship.
In India we wake up early, have a bit of exercise before the
heat swells to a stifling 90 degrees Fahrenheit by 9am and eat breakfast while
having team time. Our daily
activities vary. Tuesdays we go to
the internet café in town, last week we made a couple of trips to the music
store to purchase instruments (I now own and play the guitar during our worship
�” it’s awesome!!), and we’ve also made a special trip to the historic ‘Temple
town� area where there are lots of ancient temples carved in rock right next to
the beautiful ocean where I sustained another lovely sunburn. Other than that, we almost always try
to avoid the sun here. It normally
heats up to 105 degrees here.
It is literally unbearable!
My fair skin is constantly protesting with a constant itchy, tingling
feeling from head to toe. There is
not enough water in the world to quench my thirst. I am so thankful for our host family though, because they do
an excellent job at keeping our water cooler full and treating us to cold lime
juice and fruit several times a day.
It’s hot even for them, so they show us great compassion since this is
nothing like we’ve ever felt before.
I have to say that our team attitude has been stellar though. We voice our petty complaints and get
over them pretty quickly and have learned to just laugh at everything. I am very blessed for Rachel, Kim,
Katy, Mark and Charles. I love my
brothers and sisters and am blessed to be sweating alongside them in Chennai,
India!
Since it is so hot during the day, our ministry is at
night. The girls and I are dressed
in traditional Indian Sarees by Glory and Lima. Glory is my new Indian sister. She has a servant’s heart like nothing I’ve ever experienced
before and she is always humbling me with her desire to serve our entire team
from morning to night. She’s 21,
is the daughter of a pastor and sings beautifully to God. I love her and light up when she walks
in our room. Lima has been cooking
us meals three times a day. She
has three daughters of her own and I know cooking for us is a full time job,
plus raising a young family…just another servant of Jesus walking in our
midst. We tell her thank you 50
times a day because we know she’s sacrificing her time with her family while
we’re here. So, after they dress
us, we head to the streets. We’re
evangelistic street preachers.
Pastor Devadoss, Lijo and Leo pull a bicycle along with a speaker and
microphone attached to it. When we
find our destination, we turn on the mic and start preaching! Pastor sings and brings a heavy message
to the Hindu’s and then it’s time for our team to take the stage. I usually play the guitar while we sing
a few songs, then one of us will tell our testimony or bring a short
message. A few times, people have
come to the streets in need of healing, so we pray for them on the spot.
After that, we make our way to someone’s house who will hold
church for the night. About 15 to
30 people usually come and again we sing songs and then take turns delivering a
30-minute message to the followers.
We always encourage people to come forward and profess that Jesus is God
and offer healing prayers to those who are suffering. Every time we’ve had people step forward for prayer for
things like boils, infertility, demonic possessions (yes, demonic possessions),
family troubles and body aches.
Around 10pm we finish and head home for a late dinner and prayer. The days are long but very
fruitful. We work directly with
the people in town. We have the
freedom to do this because Pastor has a very good relationship with
everyone. He never withholds
prayers or his time from people just because they are Hindu. It’s his life. He quit his job to do this full time
and he is very busy and very good at it!
His church is vibrant and loud and I love it. He has two sons, Lijo and Leo. Lijo is a lion when it comes to the Bible. He knows it back and forth and is
always pointing everyone and everything back to it. He’s in Bible college right now and has 2 more years to go
before he has his masters degree.
He desires to get married and start a church then and I know it will be
blessed. Leo is a lamb, with a
humble spirit. He doesn’t speak
much, but when he does he is asking us what we need or if we’re tired or too
hot or what he can do to help us.
He’s the technical guy who works the microphones and does the behind the
scenes stuff that makes this ministry run. Pastor, Glory, Lijo and Leo are a power house of
prayer. They can shout and pray
for 30 minutes at a time without stopping or opening their eyes. They are so focused on Jesus. It’s so evident. I love that every country I go to I’m
learning so much about different worship styles. They’re style is unending, never ceasing praises to God.
Before the
transformation. Just a small town
girl from Ohio with newly purchased Sarees.
And after. Indian American
evangelist. Who knew?
Pastor.
Lijo.
Leo.
Glory.
Lima dressing me for the night’s ministry.
Singing songs and preaching on the streets.
Our turn to sing some songs.
Yeah Lord! I’m a guitar player
now!
Now we lay hands and heal the sick.
Praying and delivering the Good News!
Happy, Healthy and HOT
in India! (Not Charles though…he
was sick. Sorry Charles!)
