India Update 6 – Preparation to
prepare
“Stotirum!” or “Praise the Lord!”
This
month has gone by so fast, and some of this month’s updates were in the last
update, so I pray that you are still blessed and encouraged by the Lord’s work
here!
God’s still
giving me the opportunity to share at the church, and I’m thankful for learning
more about Him by doing so. He’s given me so much grace. This last weekend, He
had me share on Galatians 5:13-26, regarding what most would consider “the
fruit of the Spirit”. It was neat to see Him touch people’s hearts and lives,
encouraging them to step out in faith and seek God more. The pastor seemed to
have people tell Him they were impacted. So praise God! Also this month, the
body began home fellowships, going to four different places in the local area,
concluding with being back at the church this month for the 1st of
the month prayer service(they do it each month). As we move into December, I’m
excited for one couple, who were diagnosed with AIDS, but God has been working
in them to bring them to Himself. They only come on the first of the month
because of the distance and costs to come, but have a church they go to near
their home too. The first Sunday in December, I am praying we get to baptize
them, as has been their desire the whole time I’ve been here, and even got to
explain it to them one Sunday. So please pray they come and receive their
baptism in water, but even more importantly in the Holy Spirit!
The orphanage and school have been
going well, as the boys finally got moved in completely! The bathrooms were
finished, and now they live in the new building, Praise God! So thank you for
your prayers! The last testing period, one of the younger boys, Sanjay, got low
scores in English and English reading. So God gave me the opportunity to work
with him one on one to improve. And by the grace of God, he got all 90’s on the
tests he just took! And because of the boys moving in to the new building, by
next month he will be in the old living space as his new classroom! The boys
cleaned up and painted the rooms fresh, that the building could be used
entirely as a classroom, so it’s exciting because they may have a new grade level
introduced next school year!
As God is preparing me to leave, I’ve
been saddened with having to leave my new friends and family here, although
happy to visit back home again. God has blessed me with gifts that I didn’t
expect, even physically, as Solomon’s family gave me an outfit known here by
the name “safari”. I’m super thankful for their generosity, and even more by being
able to be with them for this last six months. But I’m not the only one
receiving gifts from the Lord. The boys at the orphanage are getting blessed by
my church family at home. They sent some soccer balls, footballs(which I will
teach them how to play), and a dodge ball, like from schooling days (Praise God
I’ll get to teach them how to play that too!). God is also providing through
them to get personal bibles for the boys, to take home when they go, along with
mechanical pencils and some swimming shorts. They tend to be mesmerized by the
mechanical pencils, and the shorts to have something besides underwear to swim
in. I fly out from Chennai on the 12th, and arrive back in the
states on the 13th. Please pray for a great and safe journey home,
with a good debriefing and outreach on the way.
Along with the prayers
aforementioned, please pray for the following:
-
Solomon and Clara, and their family – that God
would continue to be their strength and rest, keeping them healthy, as there
has been much work going on here toward their work for the Kingdom.
-
The children at the orphanage and school – That God
would continue to do His work in their hearts, and win them with their families
to Christ.
-
The congregation here – that more people would sense
and know God’s calling on their lives, and any hindrances be broken/left behind
to fulfill His calling
-
The people here in India – that God would
continue to remove the blinders Satan has placed on them, so they will see the
light of His glorious gospel before Jesus returns and it’s too late.
-
The team to come here from New Mexico in late
December – that God would use them powerfully to reach out in the community
here locally, and in the city the orphanage is.
Thanks for all of your prayers and
support. They mean so much to me, as I can tell people are praying for me and
these needs, as the spiritual attack weakens in those times. You are such a
blessing, and I pray you get even more blessed as you have sown here in Jesus’
name. May your fruit abound even more through those seeds you have sown into
everyone here. God bless you!
Blessings!
Justin
for pics/video, feel free to check out: http://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=1613310128
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