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One Song Please




It was not unusual to be greeted with, "One song please!" by the children in India (sometimes even the adults).  It was definitely the most common English phrase we heard besides, "What is your name? … Nice name."

 

Like, they seriously expected us to just bust out with song, wherever we were. 

That could be weird. 

So sometimes we did it!

 

And that encouraged the children to be bolder. 


They started asking for "One kiss please," pointing to their cheeks. 


Although certainly more personal, sometimes we indulged them in that too.


They honored us so much, acting as if whatever we did for them was such a blessing.  

 

That got me to thinking, what if I asked God for a song?  A kiss?

 

So I did. 

And He laughed and said, "Oh, honey, you got it!" 


     "The LORD your God is with you,
       He is mighty to save.
       He will take great delight in you,
       He will quiet you with his love,
       He will rejoice over you with singing."

~ Zephaniah 3:17

 

     "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth [or His Word]."

~ Songs 1:2

  

 


I mentioned these ideas to the other Real Life team leaders when we spent a day together this past weekend to debrief our summer experiences.  Kelly Chadwick (RL Coordinator and my former WR squad leader) agreed that the Lord has been speaking to her about indulgence.

 

She understands that to mean that

    God wants to give us what we ask for and more. 


For example, if we ask for a 5, He'll blow us away with a 7.  If we ask for a 7, He'll blow us away with a 10.  Regardless of how much we ask for, He wants us to indulge us, and He will blow us away proportionately. 

So let's ask boldly, expect great things, and humbly receive His generous gifts!

 

He promises those blessings to follow our faithful obedience. 

You see, God asks me for songs and kisses too.

 

"Sing to the LORD a new song,
       for he has done marvelous things."

~ Psalm 98:1

 

"Kiss the Son."

~ Psalm 2:12

 

He loves for His children to worship Him! 

And He is so worthy of our adoration!


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It takes a village




UNICEF estimates that there are over 25.5 million orphans under the age of 17 living in India.  


That means there are more orphans in India than there are people living in Texas or New York!  And only about 60% of these orphans aged 10-14 go to a school of any kind; many are left to fend for themselves.




India Christian Ministries believes it is the duty of the church to take care of the orphans, the widows and the poor, and that a good education is the best way to break the cycle of poverty and instill hope for this generation and those to come.  So they have established church-based family homes to care for orphans and other children in crisis needing long-term foster care.


We visited these homes twice a week this summer while in India, and the children really captured my heart!

 

We sang and danced, read Bible stories and recited memory verses, played games and performed skits, and gave lots of hugs and kisses!











We fed their minds, hearts, and bellies! 









And our laughter always drew a crowd of neighbor kids too. 








Each Church Children's Home houses about 10 children (boys or girls).  They live with the pastor's family on the first floorAnd the top floor is where the church meets.


It takes a village, right?!


You can sponsor a child for $49 a month.

 

To partner with ICM, contact info@indiachristianministries.org.






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Attention to learning



As a teacher, I delight in seeing and helping people learn.  So naturally, I have loved being able to step in and serve at Sarah's Covenant Homes.

They do a great job of providing educational opportunities for the kids who live there.  There is two classroom teachers on-site, and the kids spend a few hours each day interacting with materials, practicing vocabulary and writing, etc. 

(And I mentioned in an earlier post that several of the younger children have started attending public school too!)


My team has been able to supplement this learning with activities that require more one-on-one attention.  It is amazing what these kids can do! (especially considering their physical and mental disabilities!)






* * *

The kids also receive physical therapy.  But sometimes the best therapy is fun!



* * *

I still need $200 to finance this trip.  Click here to donate any amount.
I also appreciate all your prayers and comments!

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Everybody's got a water buffalo






"Everybody's got a WATER BUFFALO. 
Yours in fast, and mine is slow. 
Where do you get them?
I don't know,
but everybody's got a water buffalo. 
Whooo..!"



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Joys & Sorrows




A collection of joys & sorrows :


Whenever he sees us, our outgoing neighborhood kid leads a chorus of, “Vicki! Vicki! Kaitlin! Kaitlin! Shake! Shake!” (They misunderstood when Shea introduced herself.)  This catchy new nickname reminds me of how quickly kids wiggle their way into our hearts!  (I will post more specific kid blogs again soon ..!)

 

In the past two days, two children at Sarah’s Covenant Homes Victory Colony passed away suddenly.  The caring staff have had to mourn too often, but thankfully the spirits of these two girls are free now, and they are dancing in heaven in their restored bodies! 

 

Theresa, an American working at SCH, got chili powder in her eyes while cleaning out the kitchen cabinets.  An Indian staff member immediately sat her down and licked her eyeballs.  Yes, she rolled her tongue up under Theresa’s eyelids!  (The video is posted on-line.)  Quick thinking replaced the burning sensation with an odd octopus-like sucking sensation, or so she said.

 

While I narrated the story of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15) to fifty village children, a herd (of goats) pranced down the street in front of the church where we were gathered.  As our Good Shepherd and Father, God truly does rejoice when the Lost get Found!




At one point last week, Kaitlin finally expressed exasperation at having to preach yet again.  We prayed her through it, and that day, guided by the power of the Holy Spirit, she delivered a very meaningful sermon.  The local pastors told us that both her and Shea’s testimonies spoke directly to specific situations that his church members were currently facing.  Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!


As we make house visits, we are able to hear people’s stories.  One church member was secretly housing another who had fled there out of fear for her life.  Her alcoholic husband had beat her so severely that she had a permanent dent on her forehead and a broken wrist.  How do you assure someone in her situation of the Truth that God is good?

Read what Kaitlin wrote on our team blog at

http://india-ap.adventures.org/?filename=i-will-never-leave-nor-forsake-you

 

Another man’s violent reaction to the Name of Jesus and his unblinking eyes made it clear that he was possessed by many demons.  We continue to pray for his complete freedom! 


We were a little offended when the church children said, “Sari ... first time?” but we were honored when the church ladies offered (well, basically they just started) to unwrap and rewrap us.





At church the other day (keep in mind that we have seats of honor in front of the entire congregation), Kaitlin took a big gulp of soda (something else they honor us with) and promptly spit it out.  She hadn’t noticed the fly on the rim until she felt him swimming in her mouth!



Despite the strong undercurrent, we love getting pounded by the waves in the Bay of Bengal! (We have only gone to the beach a few times.)




 

Pastor Johnson shared a special beach memory with us.  It was his first experience with underwear … at the age of 15 back in the 1980’s, he went to the beach with visiting friends from America.  Key words: transparent briefs!



We are not at all surprised that miracle cures can be found in nature, but the doctor actually prescribed coconut water for all our various ailments last week.  It is so funny to hear the concern of our contacts when they (text us to) ask if we need more of that tasty fruit.



     

These are just some of the many things that have made us laugh and cry in the last two months while serving in India.  Our experiences here definitely have inspired a unique sense of wonder …

 

We have adopted - but still don't quite understand - the Indian head bob.  How can it mean so many things?!


And this.

Really?!



*  *  * 


Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support! 

We have just about one more week in India ...



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Revival & Rebuilding in Haiti



SIX MONTHS ago, Haiti was rocked by an earthquake. 

Remember that?

Did you remember them this week in your prayers,

or had you forgotten that they are still affected?

 



Adventures in Missions (AIM) has a long term commitment to Haiti.  We’re not pulling out.  We’re mobilizing pastors, caring for people, and helping rebuild. 



Several of my personal friends are in Haiti this summer.  My former World Race squad-mates Janina Laier and Kyla Cornelius are actually leading another World Race squad whose first stops during the months of July and August are Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic.

 

Kyla writes, “I looked over the endless fields of tarp homes, the rubble-strewn streets, and hopeless faces and realized that I am absolutely incapable of having any sort of impact in this place. I was humbled. I realized that I can do nothing in this place, but God can.”

 

               Read blogs from the World Race P squad at 

                 http://www.theworldrace.org/?tab=blogs&squad=groupm

 




Another former World Race squad-mate, Neil Bruinsma is responsible for juggling all 800 participants that come to Haiti for the summer.  He finds good pastors for the teams to partner with and arranges their housing.  He writes, “It is a delicate balancing act of people’s emotions, physical health, supplies needed, unreliable transportation, spiritual warfare, peanut butter and jelly, ministry, foreign culture, and the movement of the Spirit.”  God bless him!

 



And yet another former World Race squad-mate, Steph Connors, is also spending the summer in Haiti, primarily on a photography mission. (I borrowed all these photos, many from her.)  Steph was amazed to hear Haitians reply to the question, “What do you need?” by asking for prayer - not food, a house, or a job.  Prayer.


They must realize that the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. ~ James 5:16b

 



My friend Jimmy McCarty, also a World Race alumni and AIM staff member, totally understands the spiritual battle going on.  He just returned from a short trip to Haiti, and he writes,

 

“While there are those who would scoff at this account, we cannot overlook the strong Satanic bondage this small country has been under.  The story goes that 200 years ago in an effort to gain its independence from the French and Spanish, the leaders of Haiti made a deal with the devil where the souls of the Haitian people were sold to Satan.  The oppression has been more than spiritual - a distinct difference can be seen at the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. 

 

“The 200 year oppression technically ended 6 years ago in 2003, however the leader in power at that time (for fear or what not) had the Voodoo leaders (Voodoo is the national religion) extend the oppression until the end of his reign... which ended last year in 2009.

 

“In January 2010, an earthquake not only blew apart the physical spectrum of Haiti, but apparently the spiritual one as well.  The national “Day of the Dead” Mardi-Gras-esque holiday was canceled due to the earthquake for the first time ever this winter.  The Christian leaders of Haiti led nearly 40,000 Haitians in a Ninevah-like prayer for their country: 3 days of prayer and fasting, pleading with God to reclaim their land.

 

“Today … more relief workers than ever, more relief aid and money than ever, and more missionaries than ever have traveled to this small country in hopes of rebuilding.  There is a ton left to do, but more importantly than that, revival has come!

 

Read the entire 4-part series on Jimmy’s blog, starting here:  

http://jimmymccarty.theworldrace.org/?filename=haiti-part-1-of-4




The “ton” left to do includes removing rubble, providing water and medical help, and educating the people of Haiti.  You know this education is dear to my own heart. 

 

According to USAID, Haiti’s public school system is only able to provide free education for about 10% of Haiti’s children.  Scroll down and watch the video below (by my friend, World Race alumni Katie Rowland) to learn how the church is responding and how we can support the church in their efforts to educate the children of Haiti.

 

And finally, please PRAY, especially for the spiritual leaders of Haiti. 

 

Jimmy reminds us that “they carry an incredible responsibility to not only provide for their own families but to organize incoming teams, start schools, organize orphanages, (raising money for both), and lead 3-4 services a week for their (in some cases) booming congregations.  Quite frankly, they’re exhausted.”  But God is definitely moving!

 

You can click on the highlighted names above to read more on my friends’ blogs and/or go to this centralized site to read much more and to watch many more inspiring videos:

                                 http://haiti.adventures.org/

 

 



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Oxcart messengers



We were sent to India to deliver
      love                  hope                  joy
                 truth                   power
                           freedom
       
and we will do whatever it takes to share God's message!

... even if it means riding an oxcart across a river
(of water buffaloes, swimmers, bathers, and laundresses)
and through the fields and palm forests
to reach villages ...

  




That was a new experience for me!
I felt like we could have been riding alongside St. Thomas
when he brought the gospel here two thousand years ago.

We were honored in the village with flower garlands,



foot-washing (and our feet were muddy!),



 
and beautiful times of prayer and worship!




Will you partner with me in this ministry?
I really appreciate your prayers and financial support.
 
* * *

Jesus said,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28-30)

* * *

Visit http://india-ap.adventures.org to read more about our experiences.


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Special Kids in the Community



I mentioned back in May that we would be partnering with Sarah's Covenant Homes while in India, and now that we have been here for a month, I want to tell you all about the incredible children we have grown to love!

Theresa, one of the staff, is adamant about taking the children out into the community.  So ...

On the very first day we met the kids, we took a few of them out to eat at a restaurant. 
What a treat!




We often take the kids who cannot walk around the neighborhood in a wheelchair.




We accompanied several children on their first day of school!
(They have lessons at home too, but a new public school director is willing to try inclusion.)




(This is my favorite little guy, Aaron!)




And just yesterday, we took a few kids to the beach!
(They were scared by the crashing waves, but we loved it!)
 


And here are a few more pictures so you can see just how adorable they are ...








 

Yes, these children have special needs - physical and mental disabilities -
but they are simply SPECIAL to me!


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Gideon



Most of AIM's Real Life teams are made up of 8-16 people.
My India-AP team was made up of 4 amazing young ladies.

Whenever I began to compare and fear that we were not enough,
I was reminded of the mighty warrior GIDEON
Even though he was from the weakest clan
and was the least in his family,
the Lord assured him,
"I will be with you." 

In fact, the Lord wanted to reveal His GLORY,
so twice He whittled down Gideon's forces,
from 32,000 to 300 men!
Gideon faced an imposing enemy:
where the armies had settled in the valley was "thick as locusts.
Their camels could no more be counted than sand on the seashore."

So there would be no doubt that
VICTORY came from the Lord!


Well, now half of my team has been called home. 
This week, Vickie and Mina returned to the USA
to respond to family situations.

Three of us remain: me, Shea, and Kaitlin. 
We are confident that God has wonderful plans
for our next month, and we are eager to step out
in greater faith and serve Him with all we have -
may He transform and multiply our life offering!


His power is made perfect in our weakness!
(2 Corinthians 12:9)


Read more of Gideon's story in Judges 6-8.

This photo was taken from the rooftop of our church home.
"Vwanda nalu!" Praise the Lord!

 
*   *   *
I invite you to partner with us in this ministry!
Please leave a comment (I appreciate those encouraging words!)
and consider donating financial support (I still need $400).


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Visiting village churches




Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hosanna!

So we sing alongside believers almost every evening of the week.


My team, Pastor K’s family, and often a few other ICM folks pile into a vehicle and drive up to two hours away to visit village churches in the region of Andhra Pradesh, India. 

 
The village churches, as you can see in the photos, are approximately 30-40 ft x 15-20 ft.  The women and children sit inside on the floor and the men gather around outside - even when it rains!  Microphones allow everyone to hear the service (except when the electricity goes out). 


The women, us included, respectfully cover our heads with saris or scarves.  It is hot, but fans help (except when the electricity goes out). 


My team are offered sodas and seats of honor at the front of the congregation.  In a typical service, two of us preach a message of encouragement and truth from God's Word, then we pray for each person individually. 


My team are power-house pray-ers!  They are genuinely compassionate about people and find joy in ministering in this way.


I am also so proud of my team and the way they have approached the task of preaching.  They are not necessarily passionate about doing it, but they diligently prepare and deliver sermons and testimonies several times a week.  


It is fun for me to hear them borrow, build on, and personalize concepts that we talk about at our morning devotions or even in casual conversation.  I just love getting to hear and know their hearts! 

* * *

Read more from my team at http://www.india-ap.adventures.org 

* * *

This (Sunday) morning, several people brought forward offerings of rice - a very practical tithe.  Click here to partner with me in this ministry.



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