In Matthew chapter 19, Jesus made it so clear that we should allow all the children to get to know him. When many children came up to Him for prayer and the disciples rebuked them, Jesus answered immediately by saying “Let the little children come to me and do not hider them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
Yesterday, during our first day of ministry in India after travelling many hours and many miles, God made that passage come to life for me. The afternoon of three pm to ten pm ministry began surrounded by children for about an hour or more while we were waiting for the pastor to arrive. We sang songs for them, put on a skit about Noah’s Ark, and I basically got hit by a kid driving a motorcycle. Let me clarify before anyone freaks out… the 13 year old kid was moving the motorcycle, and I was sitting in a chair. He then briskly moved toward me with the motorcycle (on complete accident), but he ended up smashing my chair right after I darted out of the way. So, I was basically hit by a moto. We all shared names and took selfies with them. You could tell that seeing a white person was a treat for them.
When the pastor finally arrived we went on about 10-12 home visits, where we prayed for healing, education, and broken families. We have already begun to see the miracles God is doing in this pace. Our team though was not alone in it. At each new house we attracted more and more children. They would follow us to the next place, shake our hands at any chance they got, and even lay hands on our backs while we were praying for other people. We saw God work through our prayers that night, and also, it was a moment that God showed immense love to the kids around us.
One little girl had a birthday yesterday. She just turned 11 years old. She is such a beautiful child not only because she got to look all fancy for her birthday, but because she radiated with so much joy, curiosity, and intelligence. Her English was very good, and she held my hand to the rest of the houses. She even became my designated water bottle carrier. Also, she would always say,”oh, your hair is super or your smile is pretty.” At the end of the few hours we spent together, she asked me if she could come back to America with my so she could learn English better and if we could be sisters. It was so bittersweet because I would’ve taken this child in a heartbeat, but I knew I could not give that to her. She was the first child who I got to pray over after our church service and afterward she kissed my cheek and said “wandanalu (praise the Lord in Telegu) sister.” I could already see her faith blossom; therefore, I must rest in the fact that God has already given her direction and shaped her heart towards Him.
The night ended with the closing of our church service where over half of the amount of people there were children. I got to preach about how God gives us strength through trials, and two of my teammates shared testimonies. We also sang some songs too, but we aren’t that musically talented. At the end of the service, the pastor allowed us to pray for anyone who wanted it, and every single child flocked to us for prayer. I now can truly understand how Jesus felt that day in Judea. It was such a blessing to be able to offer up each child to the Lord, and see their innocent hearts that had not been tainted by the difficulties of this world.
I would like to ask that you continue to pray that God works through my team, and it is His words said not ours. Today I want to especially offer up all the children we have encounter and will encounter. Please pray that they continue to seek our Father even through the difference of religion and culture that they will understand as they grow. Also, if you could say a quick prayer for me. I have had a cold these past couple days and so have a few of my teammates. God can heal I have seen it happen! Thank you again for all your support and prayers! Until next week, God Bless from me here in India.
Enjoy some pictures too, most of them I didn’t take.
(The views from our rooftop)
(These are the kurtas we have to wear every single day, maybe one day I will write a blog post about the culture of it)
