I can honestly say that tonight is the first time that I have actually wanted to blog. Today was probably the most amazing day of my life. Our squad leaders, Joel and Melina, came earlier this week to stay with us for our last week of ministry. They showed us an amazing documentary last night called “Furious Love”. It really fired our team up. We couldn’t wait to do ministry today. We knew before we ever stepped out of the car that God was going to do incredible things through us in the village we were in, but we had no idea how incredible it was really going to be. With Joel and Melina with us, we were able to split up into three teams of three. My team was Crosby, Cassie, and I. At the first house we went to, we met a younger lady and her mother. We began to talk to them and ask them what they needed prayer for. As we were talking, I noticed a young girl standing behind them. I asked if it was the lady’s daughter. Turns out that she was just a girl who lived in the village and happened to see us and wanted to listen to what we had to say. I began asking the girl if she had ever heard about Jesus. She said no but that she wanted to. We shared the gospel with her and she accepted. Her name was Vashanti. After she accepted, we began to talk to the other two women again. The younger lady told us that she had something wrong with her back and that she could not bend over and that she was in constant pain. We began to pray that God would heal her. Fix her back. Take her pain away. Overwhelm her with His love. We asked her if she felt any change. She said that the pain was not as bad and she could bend over slightly. I didn’t want her to just be partially healed. I wanted God to completely restore her body. I asked Vashanti to join us in praying for the lady. I explained to her that now that she had accepted Jesus she had the Holy Spirit living in her and that she has the same ability to pray for healing that we do. We began to pray again, this time with the help of Vashanti. Without us instructing her to, Vashanti put her hand on the lady’s back and after a few minutes I again asked the lady how she felt. She bent over and touched her toes. She said that the moment Vashanti touched her back her pain left her. We prayed over the older lady, with the help of Vashanti again, and she was healed as well. We moved on to the next place and saw both the husband and the wife healed – the man of diabetes, and the woman of a severe stomach infection. They offered us tea and so we sat and started asking Vashanti about herself. She is 12 but looks no older than 8 or 9. She shared with us that both of her parents are hindu and that her father beats her and her mother. I asked her if she would like us to go share with her mother (her father was at work). She said that she would. On the way to Vashanti’s house we stopped at to pray with a couple. God healed both of them. A crowd started to gather and so we just started praying for all of them and sharing the gospel with the ones who had not heard. I told everyone that had been healed to join us in praying for the others. This went on for over an hour. Many people were healed and many people accepted Christ. By this time, it was dark and we were supposed to be back at the local pastor’s house for dinner, but we couldn’t go back without sharing with Vashanti’s family. I asked all of the children who had accepted Christ to follow us to Vashanti’s to pray with us. When we finally got to her house, her father had returned from work and we were able to share with both of her parents. They both accepted Christ, and the mother was healed of chronic migraines. I had a conversation recently with a guy. He was telling me that he was struggling with having to share with kids because, even if they accept, it isn’t actually making a difference. Bullshit. Vashanti can’t debate free will vs. pre-destination but that little girl has the Spirit of the Living God inside of her. God changed her and used her in amazing ways. All he wants from us is an openness to His love and a willingness to be used. There isn’t an age requirement. After our believers meeting, God continued to miraculously heal. We saw the blind see. We saw the lame walk. The God we serve is an amazing, loving Father. He wants to bless his children. He wants to move. All we have to do is ask. Sorry I rambled through this. It is 2:18 am on Friday as I write this, but I had to get these thoughts down before I sleep. Today/Tomorrow is our last full day of ministry, followed by a half day on Saturday, and then our ministry in India is done. Pray that God shows up in the next day and a half in the same amazing way that he did today.
Love you all
austin
Vashanti and I
Vashanti's family
