Let Your Mercy Rain

Our trip to the mall on Saturday was one of those experiences you can just never forget. Like much of our journey so far, our 1.5-hour rickshaw ride home through the rain demanded both patience and flexibility. Saturday night provided us with the opportunity to spend time with our hosts’ children (Sonny and Shaun). They like to think of it as being a “man night” because both Tori and Chelsi slept over at another missionary’s house. Sunday morning afforded us the opportunity to mentally and spiritually prepare ourselves for the children’s ministry. We all went over the story of creation and the fall of man (Genesis 1-3) for much of the day. The thing is, you can never quite be prepared enough…unless you’re willing to be flexible. At the ministry, our game plan changed a little, but this time we were ready. Daniel and I got the opportunity to teach the older class while Alex was able to teach a younger class and share his testimony with the widows. Monday was a typical day. When we got to the ministry we were told to teach math…another curveball (surprise, surprise). Little did we know that the methods of learning math here are different from the methods that we had learned. We did our best to adapt and, by the end, it seemed as if the children had understood complex multiplication. When we got home and finished our dinner, we were in for a treat. Latha Aunty and Suresh Uncle shared their testimony with us! For 3 hours, our minds were transfixed on the many twists and turns our Father had implemented through aunty and uncles’ life in order to bring them into ministry. Their story is, in short, miraculous. Previously on our trip, I had picked up a book, The Heavenly Man. While I had been reading this book, the many tales of miracles and a man’s steadfast devotion to JC had blown me away. Little did I know that a story just as compelling and just as miraculous was taking place in the lives of the very people I was living with. I hope to share their story with people in America when I return.

Tonight, we ask that you pray for the entire slum. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the people of the slums stay up all night making animal sacrifices to idols. Please pray that our Father might open the eyes of these people and allow them to experience the love of JC. Our hearts go out to those desperate souls. May our Father's mercy rain on them.

Grace and Peace.

Something Beautiful

The power of worship is inexplicable in nature and somewhat difficult for us to grasp at times. We ask ourselves, why would our Father force us to worship Him? Having struggled with this question over the years, I know the frustration that accompanies it. However, our Father has answered this question with one of an even more bizarre nature: How is it that I, someone so plagued by sin, have the opportunity to share in the joy of worshipping an all-perfect being? In this video, you have the chance to witness the joy of worship. The joy of children, who live in a slum, without the basic "necessities" of life and with a future that appears to be limited by confines of their bleak environment. Where, one may ask, do they receive their joy and happiness when surrounded by such darkness? Their joy is found in its most basic and original form. Their joy lies in praising the Creator of the heavens and the earth, our Father who sent his one and only son to reconcile our sins so that we might share in the eternal joy of serving His glory.

If We Are the Body...

We were up by 4:30 on Thursday morning and made one last trip to the slums before heading out to the village. By the time we got back, everyone’s bags were downstairs and ready to go. We loaded the luggage on 4 different vehicles and assigned people to a car. Overall, we had about 24 people heading out to the village. Suresh uncle prayed over the vehicles for a safejourney and we were off. I spent a good part of my journey reading The Alchemist (a great short read if you ever get the chance) and sleeping. About half way along our trip, I started looking outside and noticing the drastic change in the scenery. We had gone from a huge urban area to vast rocky hills. Huge boulders populated the land as far as we could see. Also, we got a great viewof wildlife on the way. Several monkeys played along the road and cows roamed the streets. My driver, and now close friend, Kumar pointed out that, at night, elephants liked to come out to this area. Amazing! Kumar expertly navigated his way through the village streets and then pulled into a small dirt road after about 3 hours of driving. I looked out of my window and saw a church up on a hill with a bright red cross. As we drove down the dirt road, I got my first real look at the school. It was a lot bigger than I expected. We arrived at the guesthouse last and unloaded our stuff. As soon as we got the opportunity, we went exploring. We climbed some rocks and saw some astounding views. When we got back we helped prepare dinner for the entire group and met some of the pastors. The next day, the alarm went off at 7 for breakfast and then it was off to work. Daniel and I went to the school to paint the classrooms while Alex went with some of the people from the group to purchase materials to build some desks. By lunchtime, we had one room completely painted and another almost done.

Our schedule seemed to fluctuate between food and work for the next day or two. In the evening, we always tried to leave some room for exploring new places to climb. We ventured up to the church one evening and witnessed our Father’s presence in a land that seemed so distant from what we were used to. Later, we learned that Suresh uncle’s father had actually built this church. I spent the next few days working on building desks, which was a long and tedious process at first. Once we had learned of the most efficient method, we created an assembly line and managed to build 15 working desks for the students. The village children assembled in the area that night for the children’s conference, which lasted about 3 hours. During this time, part of the mission team from North Carolina told the children the story of Joseph, did some arts and crafts, and put on a puppet show. We were then given the opportunity to serve the children food and, for many, this was their only meal of the day. The meal was simple, rice and sambar, yet it fed so many children. “More uncle, more” they called out. By our Father’s grace, we had more to give. Every child that was present was fed. Like JC did with the fish and bread, our Father enabled us to do with rice and sambar. Praise be to Him! Not one of the 200-300 children left hungry, not one. As I witnessed this miracle take place, I envisioned us being the body of JC. His arms reached out to those in need and served them. They have called and He has answered. This happened again the next night except now there were about 500-600 children! The plan was the same as the day before; however there was one complication: during the arts and crafts time, it started pouring. Discouraged at the missed opportunity to share the Gospel with the children, we headed into the house. But then, our Father reminded us why we were there. We grabbed our rain jackets and walked down to the unfinished school. The children piled into a tractor and were transported to the school where they filled the empty halls on the first floor. Famished, they sat in the hallways, backs against the wall, waiting for food. Another truck came with rice and sambar. Even in the rain, every child was fed. That is the power of our Father’s love. We returned to Bangalore the next day and had an “eventful” ride back. Some stories; however, are better left for later.

Thank you for your support and prayers over the past week. We have witnessed powerful moments and events that would not be possible without all of you. Praise be to our Father and to His son who died for us! Your continual support and prayers are needed for these children as they still are not aware of the power of our savior JC. After getting the opportunity to talk to many of them, we learned of their love for a different JC by the name of John Cena. For some reason, every boy here has an obsession with wrestling and a wrestler named John Cena. While we found this slightly amusing at first, our amusement quickly transgressed to dismay. How can this man be more widely proclaimed than our savior? Please, keep these children in your prayers. More specifically, pray that they learn of the true JC, the one who gave his life so that we may spend eternity with our Father.

Grace and Peace.

What I have learned

I know that I have not posted a lot on the blog so far. Instead, I have been listening and looking for what the Father wants me to learn on this trip. So for those who would like to know, here is some of what I have learned.

I constantly see so much darkness in this land. Everywhere I look, I see pain and emptiness in people’s lives. I know that this emptiness can only be filled by JC; however, these people do not know this and constantly search for what they think is filling that emptiness. People walk around with a mark on their foreheads, which means that they prayed that day, and temples are everywhere, even in the poorest areas. Temples flood the land, but I have only seen a couple of churches in my time here. In the United States, it is hard for many to comprehend the value of the church because churches flood the land there and so many are divided on issues that are blown out of proportion. I know that if I was walking down a street here and recognized Christian music playing, I would go running to find the source. While Christians exist here, they are scarce.

Not only do I see this darkness but I also hear about it. The couple that we are staying with told us that many of the people in the slums cannot afford to raise a daughter. The problems are that it is easier for a boy to find a job to earn money for the family and that the family has pay a dowry when they give their daughter off in marriage. Often times, girls are dealt with differently than boys because of this.

The couple also told us that on Tuesday and Friday nights, many people gather around the Hindu temples and stay up all night doing rituals. These consist of playing really loud music, sacrificing a goat, and drinking its blood. They say that many demon-possessed people show up to the temples on these nights. The crazy thing is that one of the temples where all this takes place is about 10 yards away from the school that we visit every night. We get the opportunity to teach basic subjects as well as the Word to children surrounded by such darkness. One of the things I have witnessed and learned is that when darkness is prevalent, the light shines even brighter. Tonight I will be teaching of the redeeming love of JC to kids 10 yards away from where sacrifices will be made to a false god. We love our time with these children because many know the Father and have a real relationship with him. When these children are surrounded by false religions, they sing to the Father and praise his name. Some may read of these events and think of the danger in this, but we have nothing to fear. If anything, we are excited because this is what JC calls us to do, to make disciples of all nations and put complete faith in him. I have learned that everything I hold to besides JC will eventually slip away, but the grace of our Father will last forever. Therefore, I surrender my life to his plan and allow myself to be a tool for his masterpiece he is creating.

Colossians 4:2-6

Where the Streets Have No Lanes

(I planned on posting this last Thursday but never got the opportunity to. New post later tonight). Cars honking, vendors yelling, cows walking…people everywhere. That pretty much sums up the market place here. We went with Suresh to the market place on Wednesday to purchase some materials for the village, which we will be heading to today (Thursday). Suresh finagled his way through the narrow streets into these tiny shops to buy things such as cloth, water heaters, and school equipment while we did our best to keep up. The air was so polluted that it caused us to cough. Alex said that the market place reminded him of biblical times.It would seem that the Jewish culture at that time does closely resemble our experience in these markets. In our minds, we could really sense the environment that JC and his disciples witnessed 2000 years ago. In fact, being here has reminded us of the true importance of the Scriptures, the sufficiency in our Father’s Word. In The Heavenly Man, the author makes a point which I feel compelled to share with you all because it has influenced our ministry here: “You can never really know the Scriptures until you’re willing to be changed by them”. Let me tell you, our Father’s word has absolutely changed these children and us! Another team arrived later from North Carolina. They consist of about 9 people and are here for the school dedication, which will take place on Saturday. We went to the ministry with this large group and the people in the slums all gathered around to see us. We went to sleep early so that we could wake up early in order to Skype with two camps back in America. The camps had about 700 people each! Now, we are about to leave for the village so the posts may have to stop for sometime. Please pray for the school dedication in the village as well as for the children and pastors. We are excited to see what our Father has in store!

Grace and Peace.

You Never Let Go

On our drive to the slums on Sunday, we stared out at the crowds of lost people and felt a conviction to be silent. I think our Father gave us this time to prepare mentally and spiritually for the service. We have been learning a lot about the power of silence. I love the way Alex put it: “Don’t be afraid to be quiet”. Our Father speaks in “gentle whispers” (1 Kings 19:11-12). We will hear Him when we are still and silent. On arriving at the ministry, we were directed to the top floor and began singing songs. These children love singing! “Uncle, uncle, can we sing ‘Running Over’?” The slums ring with their voices every day as they praise our Father. Today we told the story of Jonah and had the children act it out. They loved it! Laughter seized the room when the giant fish vomited Jonah out onto land. They learned about our Father’s continual pursuit after our hearts and His unceasing mercy. After the story was told and retold by another child (whose name is Sindhu), we played “Aunty and Uncle Says”, which is our adapted form of Simon Says. We headed back home and enjoyed a great meal of tandoori chicken, lemon pepper chicken, sweet and sour chicken, butter chicken and chapatti. It’s a good thing Chelsi, a vegetarian since the age of 13, began eating chicken on this trip! While we expected to go to the village on Monday, we were notified that plans had changed. Flexibility is essential! So we started Monday morning with reading, tea, and a traditional breakfast of idli, sambar, and vada. We got the opportunity to spend time with Monny, Latha’s 18-year old nephew, at a coffee shop. After, we went to the ministry in what we like to call The Mystery Machine because of its resemblance to the vehicle in Scooby Doo. We taught the children the present and past tense after Tori recited the the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Our father is really doing some amazing things here. We have so many ideas that He has poured into us and we can’t wait to share them with the children. Whatever you’re doing, it’s working. These children’s lives will forever be changed, as will ours. Thank you for all of your encouragement and prayers.

Grace and Peace.

Sunday Morning

Crammed in the back of a rickshaw, Daniel, Alex, and I observed a miraculous event on our way to the slums: driving in Southeast Asia. Honestly, just being able to get to your destination in one piece is a miracle. Three cars and a motorcycle share the same lane that would fit only one car in America. If that’s not crazy enough, cars also drive in the opposite direction of traffic. How we avoid accidents every time we step out is simply astounding! Anyways, the children in the slum are part of a much greater miracle at work here. Their smiles and joy every time we enter the school are contagious. Their energy and enthusiasm are like an inextinguishable fire. Thus, teaching on Friday had to be accompanied by many games and songs in order to complement their liveliness. After school, we traveled to Ramakrishnan Towers to see my grandfather and uncle. We had a fantastic biriyani dinner and discussed my grandfather’s life, which is way too eventful to summarize in a single entry. We had breakfast with my dad’s friend and spent the late morning at a school for blind and orphaned children. The kids put on a little show for us by dancing to Jai Ho, which was heart-warming. Our afternoon was spent shopping for traditional clothing (mostly for Daniel). Let’s just say Alex and I won’t be shopping with Daniel anytime soon. I’ve never seen a harder person to shop for in my life! After Daniel tried on every shirt in the store (multiple times), we headed back to Ramakrishnan Towers to pack up, say bye, and head out to lunch. We ate at a restaurant, which provided a plantain leaf as our plate. How awesome is that? Five chicken dishes later, we were all stuffed and ready to head back to Baby Grace whom we had missed dearly. It’s amazing how much an infant who can’t even talk can contribute to conversation. Well, that basically sums up the last two days. We are all so excited for Sunday! Our father has great plans for tomorrow’s service where we will be teaching not only children, but also widows from the slum. Please continue to pray for the children and ministry. Have a wonderful Sunday at home! O yeah, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRISHA!!!

Grace and Peace.

Standing in Awe

Today began just like any other day. I don’t mean that in a boring sense, but rather to suggest the development of a routine. After our individual quiet times and breakfast, we all spent a good amount of time reading our own respective books. It is truly amazing how much is revealed to you when you just take the time to stop and listen. Our Father is teaching us so much through our reading and quiet times. Well, I’ve been told to get to the point so we’ll just skip ahead to our visit with the children today. We really felt our Father’s power today as we got to work with the children in smaller groups. Through teaching them English, we were able to get to know them better and even learned a little Tamil from them! Each child is so precious to our Father’s kingdom and we want so much for them to realize JC's love. After teaching the younger children, we headed upstairs to teach the older ones. After some songs, Alex shared a message from the book of Daniel. They were taught about the story of the Golden Image and the Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3:1-29). I have never seen anyone grasp this message so easily. JC truly worked in them today. After this, I was given the opportunity to share my testimony with them. I hope and pray that our Father used it to work in each of them for His own glory. We can’t believe that tomorrow is Friday! Please continue to pray for these children. I promise you that your prayers are being heard!

Grace and Peace.

Amazing Grace

The sounds of barking dogs and car horns pierced the surprisingly chill air this morning. We headed downstairs for breakfast and were greeted by Baby Grace crawling around the living room. Playing with Grace reminded us of our own childhoods so we spent time watching old videos of Timon and Pumbaa singing Hakuna Matata and Tarzan swinging through the forest with Phil Collins’ voice ringing through our ears. Baby Grace sure was excited. After spending time preparing for our lesson of the day, we had lunch which consisted of fish, dal, rice, and spiced beets. Stomachs full and, paradoxically, energy drained, we accepted defeat once again and went upstairs for a nap. Jet lag had gotten to us once again! Our alarm never had the opportunity to go off because our nap was cut short. It was time to visit the slums. Tory and Chelsi reached the ministry first and were able to teach the first 2 classes. We arrived in time for the older children, just as they finished singing their last song.

It was time for Daniel to teach about the Ten Commandments. The children’s attention was laser-focused as they heard our Father’s Laws.

They were taught about total depravity, our Father’s demand for perfection, our inability to honor these demands, and, thus, our need for JC’s sacrifice. It was a truly humbling message that the children seemed to grasp. After eating dinner at Pizza Hut, we returned home to get some rest. Tomorrow begins a new day, a fresh start for our Father’s ministry. We look forward to sharing the story of JC’s love with the children tomorrow, the love which brought us here and the love which washed us clean. Our father’s grace, how amazing!

Grace and Peace.

View from Our Roof

Hey everyone, here is a view from our roof. Just thought you would wanna check it out!

This Little Light of Mine

We spent a good part of the day cooking lunch, which comprised of pasta with marinara sauce, chicken, and bruschetta. We visited a local mart, purchased the ingredients, then returned home to concoct the meal…and it was delicious! After lunch, jet lag finally caught up to us and, despite the valiant efforts of both our own will and the divine cure to tiredness (coffee), we took a 2 hours nap. At 5 P.M. we headed to the school ministry in the slums. Unaware of what exactly we were getting ourselves into, we traveled to the slums in a riksha with Latha and our new friends, Tory and Chelsea. People stared and smiled as we walked through the narrow streets between the structures. I don’t know quite how to describe the buildings. For visualization purposes, think of Slumdog Millionaire-style structures stacked on top of each other. We entered a room (about 15 ft by 15 ft) filled with 40 to 50 children. The children’s excitement was contagious as they stood up to greet the “aunties and uncles” that were coming to teach them. To be honest, I felt like a celebrity. They all wanted to shake our hands. We sang some songs with them and did hand motions so that they would understand the words. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” The children’s voice echoed throughout the slums for all to hear. Each one of them exemplified a passionate desire to understand the words that escaped our lips. I was intrigued by the amount of joy and respect they possessed. It was truly heart-warming. There were 3 different levels with rooms like this in the school. Each level had a new set of children that were progressively older until we reached the top level, which appeared to have 12 and 13 year olds. Here, Tory told the children a story out of Luke 4 where JC overcame the temptation of the evil one. Latha asked the children if they had any questions or doubts; however, none of the children spoke up. Somehow we all still got the impression that they had doubts. This, of course, is expected. Tomorrow, when we return, we hope to share with them the greatest love story ever told, the story of our Father’s love for mankind. Please continue to pray for these children. Pray that their minds are opened to the news being brought to them and that their hearts are prepared for the love of JC.

Grace and Peace.

Here We Go!

So we landed at 4:00 a.m. local time, and now are adjusting to the time difference. But I should first address our layover in Dubai. Now that I think back to it, Dubai was mainly a blur because we landed there with about 15 minutes to make it to our next flight. Needless to say, we probably looked like the typical Americans as we ran to our gate. We owe the credit of making our flight to a gentleman who moved like a fox through the crowd and told the people at the gate to wait for us. We don't have a lot to catch you up on now. We already had some amazing coffee, and now we're going to force ourselves to stay awake so we adjust faster. We are all very excited to see what the Father does here. We appreciate your prayers and thoughts.

And so it begins...

"His palms are sweaty, knees weak arms are heavy, there's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti" HAHA! Hey everyone, welcome to the first official post of our trip. We are about to embark in a few hours and are truly filled with excitement and anticipation. Perhaps not quite what Eminem was thinking during Lose Yourself, but works just the same. I promise these posts will get progressively better as we get more acclimated to the process. For those of you who are unaware, we are heading to a region in Southeast Asia to teach the good news. Our Father has given us a passion to spread his word to this particular area. I cannot express how excited we truly are. If you can, please pray for us daily and follow along with our daily adventures. We promise to post entries daily when permitted as we were told to be flexible. The region that we are traveling to may have internet access sometimes and may not at other times. It is our hope that, through this blog, you will be made aware of the awesome things that our Father is doing through us and through your prayer. Please check again in the near future for our next post!

Grace and Peace.

Habakkuk 1:5

"Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."