The LORD showed me some time before I left that not only was He sending me to India, but that in doing so He was fulfilling a promise that He had given me 5 1/2 years ago that I was clueless to until now. That is how long I've wanted to come to this land, and the past two years that I have gone on outreaches (2007 and 2008) the decision I have been faced with both times is India or Morocco. And the LORD opened my heart and dug and planted stuff in there in Morocco and forever that place will have a SPECIAL place in my heart. Now it the LORD is showing me how this time, in this season He desires to use the nation of India to radically transform not only this nation, but also how intimately He desires to transform my life, and my heart with Him.
Oh MAN! Things i LOVE about India... a list:
*the chaos of the cars, cows, and pedestrians on the streets that has order only natives understand.
*the tree on the walk from the internet to the house that SMELLS because the Hindus offer sacrifices of dead chickens and eggs and hair and tie them to the tree to their gods (this one saddens my heart too)
*the food! Chippatis, curry, rice, potatoes, eggs and toast EVERY morning for breakfast
*the open and loving and BEAUTIFUL hearts of the Indian people*Bishop and the boys he is discipling. (Barnabas, Boaz, Eliyas, and Sam) but I dare not say LOVE to them or any Indian in regards to a member of the opposite sex because they will think I want to marry them. Love is a VERY strong word, so better to say that I like them.
*that people of all ages, men, women, and children come desperately for someone to pray for them to touch their lives, and EVERY NIGHT Jesus shows them that He is that Someone.
..... more to come, this doesn't do India justice.....
The POWER that is in the name of Jesus has been put on display to me in ways that I NEVER have seen. My heart is OVERWHELMED. For instance, last night we went for our second night of ministry at this village, so that means... House visits, which are AMAZING! We drew names for the team member we would go with and the translator who we would go with also. Jackie picked my name and Barnabas' (the one with the beard on the right in the picture). I had a woman from our outreach night that I wanted to see SO BAD! Her name is Amudha (you say it fast, Amooda). We had gone back and forth the night before last about each other being beautiful. They are SO cute and they ALL LOVE white skin, the whiter the better, so I'm pretty well off. Well, we visited one home while waiting for her to return home, and then went to her place. It turns out that without my understanding she is the SAME woman for whom I prayed for twice after the outreach that God would heal her leg. There was this INTENSE knot like problem in it that I felt with my own hand the second time I prayed for her as I laid hands on her pain. She had visited many doctors and spend MUCH to try to find an answer to her pain. Nothing worked. BUT, through Barnabas translating she told me that I was the same person who had prayed for her and that......
SHE IS HEALED!
WHAT! The connection was made and I was BLOWN away that Jesus is SO specific to connect us together as the woman I prayed for and the one who I HAD TO SEE that night. I felt her leg, the same leg that just the night before had been all messed up and in a deep rooted knot, and it was gone. It was smooth!!!!!!!! And Jackie asked her if she knew Who healed her, and she told Barnabas in Tamul, "Yesu". She is already a follower of Jesus, and we encouraged her to come to chruch tomorrow where we will be, so that she can speak and be a testimony not only in her village of the power and love of Jesus, but also to fellow believers. It brought to life the story we shared and acted out at an outreach last week of the woman with the issue of blood, who REACHED out DESPERATELY for Jesus, touched the hem of His garment and was healed, after searching many other means of healing and restoration, it was only found in Yesu, and the same goes for this woman. The LORD's heart in my melted as I got to look her in the eyes and share that she is JUST LIKE that woman. The rest of the night she took us through the street of her village showing us which houses to stop at, and at each one she sat with us, and held my hand.
The LORD's grace and compassion TRANSFORMS hearts and lives and SHAPES our eternity. And all you ahve to do is be willing to reach out and touch the hem of Jesus' garment, even if that looks like praying for a woman to be healed, or asked for healing yourself. How do you need to be transformed today? and are you willing to reach out to Jesus, because He WILL heal you, from the inside out. He LOVES YOU! and He LOVES the people of India. LORD willing and trusting Him I will get to see my sister Amudha tomorrow morning, and see her wearing the smile that warms the very heart of Jesus. Please pray for her and her family for boldness to share and an authority that ONLY COMES FROM JESUS. We (Mike and I at different times) also prayed for her mom and the LORD healed her as well. There are many stories, this one is especially close to my heart, and Jesus has quieted me with His love for me to speak to me through this in a way only He can comprehend fully, and to touch this woman who I am confident will never be the same.
Would you PLEASE continue to be in prayer for us! and would you PLEASE send me how I can be in prayer for you as I am here for that is the thing God has given me to offer to you! I would truly be honored.
The team is loving ministry and each other, we are learning how to communicate as 8 different people, personalities and backgrounds, and the unity of the LORD is BEAUTIFUL that enables the impossible to be made possible by His Spirit.
We are surely (an Indian english word that they use ALL the time) in GREAT need of finances right now. Right now we aren't able to purchase the tickets we need for further travel to Kerala (for our week of rest and reflection) which need to be purchased ideally within the week, though when we buy them depends on where we are at financially in a week, and for our stay beyond that. PLEASE bring that to the LORD for us and if He puts it on your heart to give know that you can send it to...4052 Alto Street Oceanside, CA, 92056
Thank you SO much for your love and support, I cannot WAIT to see you all face to face and hear of the LORD's work in YOUR life throughout these months ahead, so PLEASE start telling me NOW! I couldn't be here without you, WE couldn't be here without you! : )
I love you, appreciate you, and miss you!
In Jesus, Liz
(P.S. The guys in the picture are from left to right after Danile are Boaz, Sam, and Barnabas. Of whom Boaz and Barnabas will be with us as part of our team from this point on participating in daily worship and devotions through the book of Matthew and they will be the ones who are with us on EVERY leg of the trip, until we leave in December. They are really awesome men of God, servants and fun! And in the picture of the women, Amudha is the third one in, with the orange saree across her shoulder. She SHINES for Jesus! And her mom is the last woman on the right!)
No comments:
Post a Comment