Thursday 7 April 2016

NEW OPEN DOOR

Map of Ranchi - Jharkhand
                                         

          After being back home these few weeks I have been praying a lot and asking the Lord what I need to do next . I have also been calling and looking for different ministry opportunities in other parts of North India, mainly that had to do with children and women at risk. At the same time it has been a time of refreshment and the Lord has been teaching me to  relax more and trust Him  completely .He has led me thus far and He will continue to do so. In my heart I have the assurance that He will reveal His plans for me soon.


           After continuous prayers and waiting for the right opportunity, I got a call from a pastor in Ranchi-Jharkhand. It is located in the North of India. Right after the pastor told me all about the ministries there with the children and church, I prayed about it and I felt so much peace about it in my heart.  I finally called him and told him I would come. I am so excited for what the Lord has for me in this new place.


         The Lord has continued to be so faithful in my life and the scripture that comes to mind is "The One who calls you is faithful" (1 Thess 5:24). I praise Him for his goodness and grace in my life everyday.  My promise verse for this year is Isaiah 58 and I can see the Lord already fulfill it in my life. The verses 11 and 12 especially spoke to me. God has called me to be the restorer of people in the streets and repairer of broken walls.  He also confirmed the vision He gave me during one of my quiet times . It was a vision of a lighthouse which represents me being a light and a guide to the people who are in need.

A typical family in Ranchi

        I am blessed to be chosen by Him. Deep within my heart I know for sure it's a great calling that I cannot deny or watch pass by. This season of my life the Lord is teaching me that wherever I go He knows that is where I need to be to grow in my relationship with Him. His desire is for me to understand His heart for me and His people in Ranchi. His ways and plans are always better than mine, all I have to do is trust and obey. At the end of this month I will be heading to Ranchi with my older brother, Kiran, who has been working there. I know a whole new experience awaits with Jesus leading the way.


Women and children of Jharkand 
   Some of my prayer points would be:

  • Please pray that the Lord would prepare my heart spiritually as I go to a new place and culture .
  • To adapt to the culture easily and that the Lord would give me His heart for them.
  • To mainly be a blessing to the children and the church there and I would use the talents He has given me for His glory.















Monday 4 April 2016

Being a LIGHT in dark places

Walking through the jungle on our 4-day trek! 


These two months have been a great journey with the Lord. He has taught me so much during our outreach to Vijaynagar a place I  never knew existed before. Who knew that in my life I would walk four to five days to share the good news to these people. If I were to explain all the experiences I went through it would take many pages to write but I will tell you some of the profound ones. I feel strongly in my heart to share this poem that I wrote after our walks and ministry in Vijaynagar. It will help you know what we went through.

       walking for four days
       Camping in different places
       All new ways of surviving
       In the jungles and trees
       Bit by bugs and  got leeches
       Falling in slushy roads
       Learning to keep our balance
       In the most narrow bridges

        Going hungry and tired
        Almost exhausted by bags
        But through all these things
        There was one who was there
        
        His hands guiding all the way
        Till we made it there
        Ministries kept going on
        Seeing and learning a lot
        Gods hand and favour on us
        As village to village we travel
        Lots of friends to help
        Blessings from him we see

Me preaching in a church during our outreach
   This is just part of the poem that I wrote but one word to describe  God  through the hard times and the good times is that He was so faithful to us. He answered our prayers and paved the way for us to share the gospel to the unreached Nepalis who lived there. So it was first hand experience  to share Jesus to people who have never ever heard it before. The best day was when I was sharing the gospel in a house to a lady she was so shocked to hear all these things and that's when the great commission made sense because there are so many just like her who have never even heard the name Jesus at all. It is so important what we are doing.

               The main ministries we did was travel village to village all by walking two to three hours and did open airs in each village. It was such a great experience . Sometimes we get a big crowd and other villages not so many but we had good responses from children and adults too. We did all kinds of skits, dances , preaching and sharing of our testimonies. I could feel the Lords presence strongly while we presented the gospel.
We had to cross rivers on narrow bamboo bridges!

           Our team also did ministry with the police men too and that too was my first time . Most of the houses we visited had one major problem and it was drunkenness that each man in the house struggled with. We went house to house also having small fellowship with them. Fifteen people gave their lives to Jesus and most of them were young teenagers .some of these teenagers travelled with us to minister with us and we formed a fellowship among them and prayed that they would continue even after we left. This was one of our team goals.

          Personally the lord showed me a  great revelation . One day while I was going through a hard time I was just walking and praying through the village and the Lord made my attention turn to a white flower which was so beautiful.

I plucked it and then He reminded me of the prophecy one of the speakers gave me  during the lecture week on father heart of God about me being the white flower and it representing purity and others are attracted to it and want the same. It is Jesus in me that they long for. I remember just sitting with  the bible and crying. The Lord speaks in our weak times when we feel if anything in our life makes sense. All I had to know is his heart for me and I was so strengthened then and knew my father was right there through all.


Ministry to school children

                Never once did He leave me alone and every personal goal that I had He fulfilled. I saw a lot of miracles people healed through our prayers and they giving their lives to Jesus. My favourite ministry was with the school children who were so responsive to learn through the songs, story ,and skits we did. We taught them the word of the Lord. It was a great time with them. As a team we had ups and downs but the Lord met all our needs and He kept each one of us in good health. All glory to Him.

           Coming back to the base also was a great miracle because  walking itself was a challenge many with swollen legs but through it all when we reached all we could say is that God is so good. The most faithful one whose hand was on us. He even held back the clouds so that we could walk in a good weather . I could say now I have greater faith in my God than I did before.

Ministering in a village

               I just  graduated from the discipleship training school and I have learned so much about true ministry and overall it was a great experience.

Some of my prayer points would be:

* please pray for the new converts to grow in their faith despite the difficulties there in Vijaynagar.
* For the fellowship we have started there to continue faithfully and these youngsters would be a great example to their families and society.
* For the Lord to show me clearly where he wants me to minister next as I am now praying too.

        
Walking house to house in remote villages to share the GOOD news!