TESTIMONY CONT.
With my India family
I arrived in India mid June of ’07, and was met at the airport by Pastor Raju and his family. They stood waiting outside the gates with flowers and their hands and a welcome sign. I have got to tell you I’ve never experienced the feeling I had at that moment. They are so beautiful and gentle and the love of God is so evident in their lives, despite the poverty. Upon the arrival at the church I was greeted by the children and widows. As I walked to the door, they were lined up throwing flower petals and had welcome signs. Each child then gave me a flower lai and I received the best gift ever...a hug and a kiss from the beautiful children I had seen for the past year in all the photos.
This first trip was rather overwhelming. I cried a lot and was completely broken. I felt quite useless really, and very insignificant. I did not have experience teaching or preaching, had never stood and spoke before a crowd or taught in any setting. I have never been so out of my box in my life. I was invited to a pastors meeting and was quite excited until I realized, only moments before, that I was the guest speaker! I had prayer lines from blind and hurting widows, people would fall at my feet for prayers, the children waiting for teaching lessons. I felt a complete failure as no one was getting healed, I didn't see any changes for anyone I prayed for, and my speaking was the biggest flub ever as I struggled for any sort of message or encouragement I could give.
At one point, towards the end of my trip, I broke. I literally cracked. I was on my face on the floor in the hotel room bawling my eyes out. I said to God "I can't do this! I don't know what you are thinking sending me here, it must be a mistake! I don't know how to speak, I was praying and not one is getting touched, I don't know how to help build an orphanage, raise funds, build a website or start a non profit. I must have manipulated something to get here and its all wrong God, I can't do it"! I was a broken woman. But just at that moment, I realized the TV was on and there was an American preacher talking. The words seemed to snap me out of a haze, and as I realized what he was saying, I quickly grabbed my journal and wrote it down. He said "don't you sit there and tell God what you CAN"T do and you let Him tell you what you CAN"! You are full of can do power, and He has placed you where you are for a purpose. He has fitted you to your world, and placed within what you need to know. God is going to raise up others and He wall cause them to want to help. So don't tell him what you can't do and rise above it"! Never have I had an answer come to me so quickly or obvious! I have held on to these words for the last 5 years. I am seeing come to pass what God spoke. I came home and tried the best I could tell people about this new amazing family I now had in India. And slowly people came interested, and would want to help.
I simply do not have enough space on here to tell you every thing that happened since my first trip. I would need to write a very large book, full of "glory stories" on how God has moved. I will sum it up by telling you that my second trip was much better. Due to the funds that were raised, and another ministry, Messiah Missions that I had the pleasure of being with, we were able to send a steady source of support to Pastor Matthews ministry. The little thatch church is now a small concrete building. The children still sleep on the floor, but there are walls and they are safe. There are 2 small rooms above the church where they can hold meetings and use for when I return and take teams. Their outreach to the community has been enlarged and they have reached many with the gospel. Every part of his ministry, the children, widows, poor pastors and lepers have been touched in some way. Lives are improving.
My daughter Michelle and her friend were my first "team" to India. They were in Thailand as missionaries for the children and girls in the red light/high risk districts and came to India as one of their outreaches. They also fell in love. I was able to meet "little Lea". The pastors granddaughter. Her mother Prasanna and I became very close. friends and sisters. I realized I would continue to be expected to speak, but I took a creative speaking class before hand and felt better prepared. My prayers were more confident. My relationship more with these dear people was so solid and it had the feeling of truly "coming home to family".
And now fast forward, skip many chapters in my book, and I am working on this website and ministry with the help of many others. I am planning a trip in Oct and am taking 7 of the most amazing women from my church with me. All our gifts combined make the most amazing "Team India" you could ever imagine. My home church Pastors are fully supportive and have given us their blessings and endorsement. Just look through the "who we are" tab and you can see the beautiful people that God has brought my way. And God has caused them to love India and want to help, just as he promised. It is not my burden any more, its not just my call any more, it is the call from the heartbeat of God to take care of the least of these...to love and take care of the widows and orphans...to love the unlovable and untouchable. Its a call being responded to. Those who are stepping up, stepping out, and who truly said.....we will answer the call.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story
Lea
This first trip was rather overwhelming. I cried a lot and was completely broken. I felt quite useless really, and very insignificant. I did not have experience teaching or preaching, had never stood and spoke before a crowd or taught in any setting. I have never been so out of my box in my life. I was invited to a pastors meeting and was quite excited until I realized, only moments before, that I was the guest speaker! I had prayer lines from blind and hurting widows, people would fall at my feet for prayers, the children waiting for teaching lessons. I felt a complete failure as no one was getting healed, I didn't see any changes for anyone I prayed for, and my speaking was the biggest flub ever as I struggled for any sort of message or encouragement I could give.
At one point, towards the end of my trip, I broke. I literally cracked. I was on my face on the floor in the hotel room bawling my eyes out. I said to God "I can't do this! I don't know what you are thinking sending me here, it must be a mistake! I don't know how to speak, I was praying and not one is getting touched, I don't know how to help build an orphanage, raise funds, build a website or start a non profit. I must have manipulated something to get here and its all wrong God, I can't do it"! I was a broken woman. But just at that moment, I realized the TV was on and there was an American preacher talking. The words seemed to snap me out of a haze, and as I realized what he was saying, I quickly grabbed my journal and wrote it down. He said "don't you sit there and tell God what you CAN"T do and you let Him tell you what you CAN"! You are full of can do power, and He has placed you where you are for a purpose. He has fitted you to your world, and placed within what you need to know. God is going to raise up others and He wall cause them to want to help. So don't tell him what you can't do and rise above it"! Never have I had an answer come to me so quickly or obvious! I have held on to these words for the last 5 years. I am seeing come to pass what God spoke. I came home and tried the best I could tell people about this new amazing family I now had in India. And slowly people came interested, and would want to help.
I simply do not have enough space on here to tell you every thing that happened since my first trip. I would need to write a very large book, full of "glory stories" on how God has moved. I will sum it up by telling you that my second trip was much better. Due to the funds that were raised, and another ministry, Messiah Missions that I had the pleasure of being with, we were able to send a steady source of support to Pastor Matthews ministry. The little thatch church is now a small concrete building. The children still sleep on the floor, but there are walls and they are safe. There are 2 small rooms above the church where they can hold meetings and use for when I return and take teams. Their outreach to the community has been enlarged and they have reached many with the gospel. Every part of his ministry, the children, widows, poor pastors and lepers have been touched in some way. Lives are improving.
My daughter Michelle and her friend were my first "team" to India. They were in Thailand as missionaries for the children and girls in the red light/high risk districts and came to India as one of their outreaches. They also fell in love. I was able to meet "little Lea". The pastors granddaughter. Her mother Prasanna and I became very close. friends and sisters. I realized I would continue to be expected to speak, but I took a creative speaking class before hand and felt better prepared. My prayers were more confident. My relationship more with these dear people was so solid and it had the feeling of truly "coming home to family".
And now fast forward, skip many chapters in my book, and I am working on this website and ministry with the help of many others. I am planning a trip in Oct and am taking 7 of the most amazing women from my church with me. All our gifts combined make the most amazing "Team India" you could ever imagine. My home church Pastors are fully supportive and have given us their blessings and endorsement. Just look through the "who we are" tab and you can see the beautiful people that God has brought my way. And God has caused them to love India and want to help, just as he promised. It is not my burden any more, its not just my call any more, it is the call from the heartbeat of God to take care of the least of these...to love and take care of the widows and orphans...to love the unlovable and untouchable. Its a call being responded to. Those who are stepping up, stepping out, and who truly said.....we will answer the call.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story
Lea