So we’ve been out of India for a
couple weeks now and I realized I haven’t written much about it.
India turned out to be one of my favorite months of the race thus far
and was beyond any expectations I ever had of India. We spent most of
our ministry time visiting the homes of church members to encourage
and pray for them, as many are not able to attend church because of
persecution from family members or friends. The Christian population
in that region is only 0.3% so it is extremely difficult to be a
believer. Though they are small in number, their faith is very
strong. We left every house feeling more encouraged than I think we
were able to encourage them so it was great to see the body in action
in such a way. My faith was strengthened so much by hearing their
testimonies and what they’ve gone through just to be able to
worship the Lord and call upon His name. My prayer life also
increased significantly in India. I experienced more excitement and
passion in prayer, especially when praying for others and seeing the
immense faith they had that it would come to be. One thing we really
wanted to communicate when them, however, is that they do not need us
there in order to lay hands on someone and pray. We are no better
qualified or able than they and we encouraged them to keep in the
habit of gathering together and praying for one another after we
left.
Please pray that the progress I made in
India would not be lost and experiences forgotten because as I write
this now a few weeks later, I realize it’s already happening and
the fire that was there is starting to fade.
We are now in Ukraine and have already
finished our first week. My team is in Lugonsk, a town of about
500,000 people 20 miles from the Russian border (we’re actually
further east than Moscow). We are working with an American couple who
has been in Ukraine for a few years now working with university
students, orphanages, and camps in the area teaching English and
spreading God’s love in a place that needs it so badly. We have
been blessed to meet several students already and establish
relationships outside of the classroom. We have had them to our
apartment for movie night and got to see the city with locals as our
tour guides and several questions have already been answered to start
planting seeds. Many people here simply don’t recognize their need
for God and the complacency here is heartbreaking. Please pray that
these seeds will continue to grow, that the people of Ukraine would
feel the need for Jesus like never before, and to realize that
something is missing.
