We just returned from watching the movie Ghandi at one of the intern houses. It made for a long evening, but it was challenging to see what India has been through. And it was a good reminder that...it wasn't that long ago! A few of the comments afterward centered around a scene in the movie that takes place just minutes from the end. Ghandi is leaving for morning prayers and is planning his next campaign--a trip to Pakistan. As the journalist and Mirabehn watched him go...
Journalist: There’s a sadness about him.
Mirabehn: He thinks he’s failed.
In our discussion, it was mentioned that in spite of all the amazing things accomplished by Ghandi during his life, his life ended with that sadness--knowing that what he had done was not enough. There was more. Our discussion led to the thought that perhaps that "more" he needed was God. Not Ram, but God.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Monday, November 14, 2005
Remember the story of Sister Sunita?
If you've heard me share for very long at all about my trip to India, then you've heard the story of Sister Sunita. She oversees a girls Bible college in North India. March saw the completion of the college's first year and there were eleven students.
It was 3:00 in the morning. We were getting ready to leave for the airport when Sis. Sunita approached me and asked to talk. I was startled because the ladies rarely ever approached us, but I quickly listened. "Sister, I need you to pray," she said. She explained that her parents were arranging her marriage. Unable to find a pastor for her, they were arranging her marriage to someone else. "He may not be a pastor," she shared urgently. "He may not even be a Christian. I may have to leave the ministry. My heart is here with the girls at the Bible college. I want to stay and help them grow. Please pray for me, sister. And please tell my story to those in America so they can pray for me."
And I have. Almost every church service and small group I've shared with has heard the story of Sis. Sunita.
Today we got an email from the field office. Sis. Sunita began struggling with ovarian cysts shortly after our visit. Despite medication and surgery, infection has spread to her intestines and other parts of her body. She is at home right now and the doctors have said there is nothing more they can do.
There is one thing more we can do. Would you please join me in prayer for her healing?
It was 3:00 in the morning. We were getting ready to leave for the airport when Sis. Sunita approached me and asked to talk. I was startled because the ladies rarely ever approached us, but I quickly listened. "Sister, I need you to pray," she said. She explained that her parents were arranging her marriage. Unable to find a pastor for her, they were arranging her marriage to someone else. "He may not be a pastor," she shared urgently. "He may not even be a Christian. I may have to leave the ministry. My heart is here with the girls at the Bible college. I want to stay and help them grow. Please pray for me, sister. And please tell my story to those in America so they can pray for me."
And I have. Almost every church service and small group I've shared with has heard the story of Sis. Sunita.
Today we got an email from the field office. Sis. Sunita began struggling with ovarian cysts shortly after our visit. Despite medication and surgery, infection has spread to her intestines and other parts of her body. She is at home right now and the doctors have said there is nothing more they can do.
There is one thing more we can do. Would you please join me in prayer for her healing?
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Joining Together
So many different parts to the body of Christ--it's amazing how God has linked us all together!
Please pray for a church of believers in India. It's not published on the web yet -- I'll post the link when it is up -- but the believers in this church are being threatened with death unless they deny Christ. The deadline is next Sunday. You can get the updates on this situation by signing up for the GFA email updates - http://www.gfa.org/emailupdate.
Nine of us GFA staff members went down to a Jeremy Camp/Bethany Dillon concert in Grapevine. Bethan Dillon and her family have supported GFA missionaries for the last 10 years and really love the ministry. I slipped out of the (noisy) concert at one point during the evening and almost ran into (literally) her road manager Aaron (a.k.a. her brother). I introduced myself and said I worked with GFA. He was so excited and wanted to make that we had time to talk with Bethany afterward.
So after the concert, the GFA staff gathered outside in a quiet grassy area. Aaron "kidnapped" Bethany from the signing table and we were able to chat for a couple minutes and then spend some time praying together as a group before she went back in to sign more autographs.
It's so neat that God connects people from so many parts of life. And it's fun to see it in action.
Please pray for a church of believers in India. It's not published on the web yet -- I'll post the link when it is up -- but the believers in this church are being threatened with death unless they deny Christ. The deadline is next Sunday. You can get the updates on this situation by signing up for the GFA email updates - http://www.gfa.org/emailupdate.
Nine of us GFA staff members went down to a Jeremy Camp/Bethany Dillon concert in Grapevine. Bethan Dillon and her family have supported GFA missionaries for the last 10 years and really love the ministry. I slipped out of the (noisy) concert at one point during the evening and almost ran into (literally) her road manager Aaron (a.k.a. her brother). I introduced myself and said I worked with GFA. He was so excited and wanted to make that we had time to talk with Bethany afterward.
So after the concert, the GFA staff gathered outside in a quiet grassy area. Aaron "kidnapped" Bethany from the signing table and we were able to chat for a couple minutes and then spend some time praying together as a group before she went back in to sign more autographs.
It's so neat that God connects people from so many parts of life. And it's fun to see it in action.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
IDOP
I almost neglected to mention that this Sunday, the 13th, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. You can visit www.persecutedchurch.org for more information.
On another link, GFA is working with KSLR - a Christian radio station in San Antonio, TX to provide child sponsorship opportunities to their listeners. Talk Radio host Adam McManus will be focusing on the Bridge of Hope program again on his show tomorrow-- from 3 to 6 pm. You can listen live at their website.
Please pray for the Lord to work in the hearts of people who hear the radio show.
On another link, GFA is working with KSLR - a Christian radio station in San Antonio, TX to provide child sponsorship opportunities to their listeners. Talk Radio host Adam McManus will be focusing on the Bridge of Hope program again on his show tomorrow-- from 3 to 6 pm. You can listen live at their website.
Please pray for the Lord to work in the hearts of people who hear the radio show.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Continuing lessons from God
After prayer meeting this evening, we swung by Braum's to celebrate RG's birthday. He's a math whiz who's here as part of the internship and answers the question of "How old are you?" with "4!". Think math.
The Lord is continuing to show his faithfulness as He teaches us lessons about living in unity as a house, about working at the office, and about seeking Him first. I'm so glad He loves us enough to teach us these lessons - even when it causes us pain.
Today at the office was spent running smaller tasks and getting ready for tomorrow. I helped SG clear old emails off the server, scheduled tomorrow's phone training with a new volunteer, setup laptop and projector for a new staff mentorship class, and planned for time tomorrow morning to help two of our staff members set up their personal supporter tracking software - tntware.com.
All these things sound small, but they enable our office staff to keep work and stay focused on the work the Lord has given them to do. And your prayers and financial support are what keep me going here. Thank you!
Prayer request for the evening: I've been very emotional recently--and tired. Pray that I would stay levelheaded and have God's peace and discernment in each situation.
The Lord is continuing to show his faithfulness as He teaches us lessons about living in unity as a house, about working at the office, and about seeking Him first. I'm so glad He loves us enough to teach us these lessons - even when it causes us pain.
Today at the office was spent running smaller tasks and getting ready for tomorrow. I helped SG clear old emails off the server, scheduled tomorrow's phone training with a new volunteer, setup laptop and projector for a new staff mentorship class, and planned for time tomorrow morning to help two of our staff members set up their personal supporter tracking software - tntware.com.
All these things sound small, but they enable our office staff to keep work and stay focused on the work the Lord has given them to do. And your prayers and financial support are what keep me going here. Thank you!
Prayer request for the evening: I've been very emotional recently--and tired. Pray that I would stay levelheaded and have God's peace and discernment in each situation.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Speechless
It's late at night--I'm heading off to bed with plans to get up early in the morning and prepare for Thursday morning training. I've been busy with small and big things at the office - training more staff to work as operators for our phone system, setting up links on the intranet so staff families can access ministry information from home, and planning a software upgrade for one of our servers.
My coordinator just returned this week from spending multiple weeks in Asia -- helping them network their offices with computers to increase communication and help things on the mission field run more smoothly. Now we're praying for more staff in India to help run those computers. And we can use more IT staff in the US office as well. Oh, and we lost one of our native missionaries this past week to malaria.
Please pray for me -- that I would continue to be diligent in what God (and my coordinators) have asked me to do.
My coordinator just returned this week from spending multiple weeks in Asia -- helping them network their offices with computers to increase communication and help things on the mission field run more smoothly. Now we're praying for more staff in India to help run those computers. And we can use more IT staff in the US office as well. Oh, and we lost one of our native missionaries this past week to malaria.
Please pray for me -- that I would continue to be diligent in what God (and my coordinators) have asked me to do.
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