Namaste!
I cannot believe this month is already almost over in India.
It has been wild.
Full of…
culture shock,
beauty,
relationships,
and a HUGE God.
India overall has been really great. It has proven me wrong in more ways than I can say. But India is a country that is very lost in it’s knowledge of who God is.
I haven’t really talked about what we’ve been doing for our ministry, so I will give you a quick picture:
Every day around 3 or 4pm, we are taken to a different village where we split up into groups and we walk around the village praying for people at every house within that village. After we are done praying, we go back to the church and lead Sunday school (for the kids), worship for the adults, and then one of us gives a sermon. After we’re done with the service, the pastor of the church says some words, and then we are asked to pray for anyone who wants to step forward for prayer.
We do this every night.
Some villages are primarily Christian villages, and others are heavily populated with Hindus.
God loves all of His children so much. And He longs for them to be brought to the light, especially when they’re walking in darkness.
I had never known much about the Hindu religion until coming to India. The Hindu people worship many different gods, and their religion is heavily centered around fear.
These people hang up demon heads, and gods on their front doors to keep the evil spirits away. They paint X’s on their houses, and beautiful paintings on the entryways to their homes because that will “keep the demons away”. They put big black dots on their infant’s cheeks and forehead, as well as heavy eyeliner to “keep the demons away”. They are very ritualistic people. They are afraid.
If only they knew the truth of the kind of life they could live if they gave their lives to Jesus.
What freedom they would feel.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.”
Unfortunately, because India is so heavily populated with Hindus, even the people who consider themselves Christians are still practicing the rituals mentioned above.
I can’t tell you how many people have asked me to pray over oil. To anoint it so that they can put it on their doors, or on their bodies to be healed.
The Hindus allow us to pray for them because they think that because we have white skin, that we are able to bless them. What they don’t understand is that we are just Christ ambassadors. God has called us to the nations to be ambassadors on His behalf and bring His Kingdom. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
It has been amazing how much we have had to fight for Christ’s fame this month. We have literally told these people that if any healing is to come on them, that it is not because of us, but the Lord.
One word the Lord has been showing me so much is the word “Freedom”. He first brought it to my attention when we were at training in Hyderabad and we were being educated on Hinduism.
I was struck by how heavily they live in fear each day.
As I meditated on this, it was as if the Lord was speaking to me and saying “Keeley do you see the freedom you have in being my child? Do you see the freedom that you live in because you walk in the truth with me?”
It’s true.
We are free. Free from sin, free from the grip of the evil one, free from death, and free in all the promises the Lord has for us. We are free. And it’s all because our Father loved us so much, that He gave His son so that we could live in that FREEDOM.
One day last week we were doing a team time exercise with one of our Squad Leaders who we haven’t had much time to be around this month. She talked about how she had been praying over us, and how she had gotten a word from the Lord for each of us. As she read them off and gave them to each of us I couldn’t help but anticipate what word the Lord had given her for me. As she looked at me and handed me the card she had written for me in bold letters it said “Freedom”.
How crazy is that?
God confirmed the word He had been giving me through my squad leader who had no idea what I have been going through this month.
God is big. And He keeps showing me just HOW big He really is.
Please continue to keep us in your prayers! We have one more night of ministry here in the village we’re in, and then we have a couple days of rest. Then we are back on the road to Hyderabad and on Sunday we will be off to Nepal! I can’t believe it.
Prayer Requests:
1. Please be praying that I get some sleep. Nights in India have been really difficult for me.
2. Please continue to pray for good health and safe travels for my team and squad as we will all be traveling soon.
3. Please be praying for our brothers and sisters in India. Those who are lost and those who are working very hard to bring the Kingdom.
4. Please be praying for what is to come in Nepal as we meet new contacts and people to love on!
I love you guys!!
Love and Peace,
Keel
