Communicating with the love of Jesus

 August 8-9

These two days consisted of going to Vijayawada, Macherla, and Alia for 5 gospel/ prayer meetings with groups of believers in these areas. The first place we traveled to was out in the middle of no where and the majority of the believers there were gypsy's. Living in such a place didn't stop them from having a heart of reverence and worship for God. The second was actually a bible college graduation. This location was also remote, with no modern day conveniences, but that didn't stop these men from going to this college to learn all they could so they can share with others. These prayer meetings went mostly the same way, we would come in share our testimonies, pray for them, and then usually eat a meal with them, and leave more humbled than ever by THEIR stories of faith.

                                                                                          They are very respectful to their guests and speakers over here, every meeting we went to they always had  flowers to put around our necks and made sure to give us food. I felt like such a fake, and so undeserving of it. There is a point when you go on a mission trip when it hits you that your not supposed to just be the smiling American, who comes and takes pictures and says Jesus loves you, your there to pour out every ounce of your being into these people, give until you have nothing left and than give a little more. Sometimes its very easy to get into the “mission trip” mode of just going and being there, but there is a difference in being there and completely diving in with faith and putting aside all your worries, needs, and wants for a while.

            I think my favorite, but also most heartbreaking part of these meetings was praying for the people when we were finished. They would surround and line up around us, each one wanted to be sure and have us pray for them. Some would bring children they wanted us to pray for, or bring oil to anoint them with. Some would grab our feet and not let get, or touch our feet and then their heads. By this description you may think it was overwhelming, but I found it to be quite the opposite. As I prayed for one or two ladies at a time all the other just seemed to fade away and it was just me, and the person I was praying for. Even though I didn't speak their language while I was praying for them I felt more connected with each one individually than I have ever connected with anyone before, and when I was done I felt like each lady was a life long friend and we had something special in common. The only possible explanation for this is we were speaking the universal language of the love of Christ. I so badly wanted to have time to pray for each one and their needs in particular, and just sit with them all day and talk, but we had a tight schedule to keep up to be able to reach everyone we possibly could. Each time I left one of these meetings I felt like I was leaving a big group of close friends behind, such amazing women of God! These people were so hungry for prayer! Even as we were walking towards the car to leave they were following us grabbing our hands in hopes we would stop and pray for them and with them. In my heart I just wanted to camp out at each place and pray with them as long as they wanted, I was so torn to not have more time with them.

It was also amazing to see their hearts for worship, these people don't need a big band or an orchestra to feel the Holy Spirit in worship, instead they use their voices, hands, and hearts, and let me say the Holy Spirit was definitely moving more and more with each song they sung. And before they would worship they would come in and touch their face to the ground in reverence and to prepare their hearts for worshiping such a mighty God. Humbled I was watching these people pouring out their hearts, because how many times have I prepared my heart to worship the God who made the universe and shown the proper reverence and respect He deserves before bringing even one request before Him?

In Him -Katie T- The Daughter of a King

Getting Refreshed but Taught a Lesson

 August 7 Left at 3 in the morning for the airport, where half of us went home, and the other half traveled onto Hyderabad. I don't know what it is about these Kansas people I'm traveling with, but they sure do like to get me up at 3 in the morning to go to some airport! We arrived in Hyderabad with all our luggage and found our contact (PK one of the PALS) no problem, Praise the Lord for smooth and safe travel!

We went to PK's church where we gave our testimonies and Fred gave a message. Afterward they served us lunch where I made a “note to self” in my journal: putting lemon juice on already spicy rice will just make it 100 times more spicy NOT dull it down!! So with a mouth on fire we started on our long drive to Vijaywada (about a “6 hour” drive.) We arrived at our hotel very hungry and VERY tired, but God always knows when to revive His children. This hotel was clean, it had hot water for showers, it had toilet paper, it had snacks, the beds didn't have bugs in them, and it had wifi so I finally got a chance to talk to my family! No words can describe how much we needed this refreshing boost, but God knew and He will always take care of His children.

Yet as I lay all clean in my nice clean bed that night my mind couldn't help but bring up flashes of what we had seen driving that day. Mile after mile was spent driving past tent colonies, slums, and people sleeping on the street. Children with either no clothes or filthy rags digging through the trash piles on the side of the road trying to find some food or working along side their parents on a construction site, doing hard labor NO CHILD should have to do to survive. Beggars coming up to our vehicle with malnourished or injured babies, staring at you so intense with something in their eyes that makes your heart break, until you finally learn you just have to ignore the little tapping on the window and look the other way. If you don't you will give in to their pathetic looks and with a breaking heart you will watch them walk away to beg more knowing that there are thousands of others like them and you can't help them all. Not knowing if they are beggars that are forced to beg for someone else, or if the children really aren't injured or were injured on purpose just so the situation will look more heartbreaking. There are so many of them and its impossible to know what their true situation is, but to judge and ignore them is something Jesus would never do, so being examples of Christ what should we do? This is a question I've spun round and round in my mind for a long time, and I really have come up with no answer. All you can really do is give them a few rupees, say a prayer, and never expect a thanks because they will never give you one, all they will do is ask for more. Thinking of all these people in a filthy dangerous environment, while I am in a safe clean one, definitely made me feel guilty. It made me want to give them all hot showers and a nice place to stay, but there is too many to even make a dent. It made me think again how blessed I truly am, even in the little things. I could have been born one of those beggars or children in the slums, but I wasn't, I was born and grew up in a safe comfortable home not needing to worry about my next meal. So why DID God choose to place me where He did? It is because every one on earth is uniquely different and has a certain calling in their life that only they can full fill. I may not know the reason why God richly blessed me by placing me in the family I am in just yet, but he has a reason and a purpose for it. And I don't quite know why God chose to put me in a nice clean bed that night instead of one of the thousands that were sleeping on the streets. So undeserving am I of the many blessings He has poured into my life, that I many times fail to even thank Him for, but with love and mercy He keeps pouring them! Sending His only Son to die for us should be enough of a blessing for us that we should never complain, but we do, and even despite our complaints he pours blessings into our lives. Nothing we can do could ever thank Him enough for everything He gives us, and he asks for nothing in return except for faithfully following Him, and that is not to much to ask considering He will provide us with everything we will need to follow Him. Then even more amazing to think how many times we mess up and DON'T follow Him but Hes there to pick us back up and give us a new start. It seems like every time I turn around here I'm thanking God for something, its not until things are taken away and only given to us once in a while that we truly understand just how much He gives us and I recognize just how much a fail to thank Him for! All these thoughts kept me awake for sometime that night and all I could say was thank you again and again, knowing that nothing I do will ever be enough to repay all Hes given me, but when I die He will still welcome me with open arms and still say the words “Well done good and faithful servant... here is your crown” Such mercy and love I could never in my life deserve, but He gives it...FREELY, and why? Because that is just how much HE LOVES US!

“Imagine waking up tomorrow with only the things you have thanked God for today...”

In Him -Katie T- The Daughter of a King  

His Word will NEVER return Void!

         For anyone who didn't read my last post (Happy Birthday to Me) this is a follow up to it. I mentioned getting to go see a waterfall, monkeys, and attend a few church meetings, but what happened at the last part of the day is more amazing than any of those things could ever be. I feel so inadequate to do this story justice, please forgive me ahead of time!

          It had been a long day for all of us and we went straight up to our rooms to get to sleep as soon as possible. Except for Fred, who went to a little restaurant next to the hotel. (Fred is the missionary that started H.I.M) After getting some food Fred started talking with the man at the counter, and this man just started smiling. He said, “I bet you don't remember me, but I remember you.” Fred couldn't remember him so the man went on to explain- “I used to be a Hindu until two years ago you came to a restaurant down the road I was working at, and as you were paying the bill you looked at me said 'Just like I have to pay for this meal, you have to pay for your sins, but Jesus has already paid for them'.” Is that a miracle of God or what? You can only imagine all of our shock when Fred told us what happened. For him to run into the same man TWO YEARS later and find out that such a simple sentence as “Jesus has paid for your sin” turned this mans life around and resulted in him accepting Christ! Its moments like these that I can see God standing over us, smiling at our renewed shock of how amazingly unpredictable He is! We never know what God is doing with people around us everyday that we have touched and influenced even in such a small way as this. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are you ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8-9

         From this story we can learn and be encouraged in such a huge way. How often do we share a simple sentence about the love of Jesus with one of the many lost people we pass by everyday? What are our reasons for NOT doing this? Is it fear of embarrassment or not knowing what to say? Is it because you're having a bad day and don't feel like interacting with someone that would be encouraged with just a smile? We as Christians are on the mission field everyday, everywhere we go. You don't have to go across the world to share with the person in front of you in line at the grocery store. We are around people that are lost everyday, so its so very important to MOMENT BY MOMENT DIE to SELF, pick up our cross and share Him with everyone we can! Just a smile or a simple sentence is all it takes! Look what God did with such a simple but profound statement as “Jesus paid for your sins.”?! It took the power of God to turn this Hindu's life around, but it took an obedient servant of God to plant the seed! Sometimes we think that what we do for Him goes no where, but His word will NEVER return void! “So is my word that goes forth from my mouth: it will not return to me empty BUT will accomplish WHAT I DESIRE and achieve the purpose for which I sent it!” Isaiah 55:11 “Our labor of the Lord is NEVER in vain!” 1 Cor. 15:58 So NEVER think that if you share a simple phrase of love that no seed has been planted! You may never see the fruits of your labor or you may see it two years down the road like Fred did. He has promised us in His word it WILL. NOT. BE. IN. VAIN.! For those of you struggling with loved ones that aren't saved, hang in there and keep praying, keep sharing those simple phrases of love, because God can not wait to do a MIGHTY WORK through them!

     “The WORD of GOD is LIVING and ACTIVE! SHARPER than any double- edged sword, It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12