Just In the Norm: June 2012

Praise the Lord!

Blessings for Tata and Ammachi Anniversary

The Lord has given me a month of refreshing, physically and spiritually. The kids at both the School and Kids’ Home were on their summer break, known as “holiday” around here. So the Lord gave us the opportunity to go to a little bit cooler of a place (us meaning Solomon’s family and myself). The name of the place was Yercaud. It’s a mountain area (kind of like Big Bear for you southern California folks), where there was a lake, beautiful nature scenes, and my favorite plant… Coffee! In this holiday month, the Lord allowed and empowered Solomon and I to do some house visits and pray with people, go to a few events like birthdays and a puberty function, and prepare the school for “re-habitation”.

She cried almost all the first day

As school has now started back up, we’ve seen the Lord provide for the teachers’ salary, books for the kids, and He’s thankfully provided the children in abundance as well (as a new school started in the same area). The first day about 5 little ones (preschoolers around the age of 3-4) cried… and cried… and cried some more. A few weeks in now, they are absolutely fine. Praise God we now have enough books and seating equipment for the students, although there are still a few more students that have joined. The second Friday we had the weekly “chapel” where the students get a small assembly(with songs, and the Word of God). The message was regarding Jacob and how he received a new name as He believed God (while wrestling with Him). In relation to Jesus giving us a new name, many students raised their hands to receive Him and the new name He gives us – Christian, or God’s child. So praise God for His gospel going forth!

Vignesh - a new addition to the orphanage

The Lord helped the boys from the kids’ home all enjoy the week or two with their families during the holiday. All the boys got to go home to either parent, or to their extended families. They are back now and have started school again. There are some new boys, including boys by the name of Arjun, Selvakumar, and Vignesh, along with some others. God has blessed us all with me being able to come back and stay with them during the week at the kids’ home. Praise God for getting to go back, and the new faces we are seeing there! One of the things that breaks my heart is that some of the boys take the transition really rough, sometimes not receiving the transition to the home at all. And because of sadness, some have gone back home, missing out on the blessings God would have for them there – every boy I’ve met has met God at this orphanage and had their life changed in some way. Some have gone on to be pastors, and some have been well equipped to succeed in college and secular jobs as well – all because of God working in their lives through this orphanage. So please pray for those that went back home instead of staying.

The church is also back in action, as some people were on “holiday” from the church as well. But God has even brought new faces into the congregation and is beginning His transformational work in their lives as well. He has been re-working prayer into the leadership, congregation and into my life as well, using a local pastor to teach the body how to pray – even late into the night/early morning. The Lord has begun the church leadership “program” and is raising even the current leaders to a new level of service to Himself. We look forward to the fruit that God will produce as people commit their lives to Him in a new way. So praise God for His grace!

So it’s been a great and refreshing month. I thank you for all of your prayers and contributions in every way. God has been using you to encourage me in many ways. Praise our King Jesus! If you can join with me in giving thanks for the following, that would be greatly appreciated.

Praise Reports:

1. The Lord has begun to answer the prayer requests from my last update.

2. The Lord provided an opportunity to vacation in a cool place with Solomon and his family.

3. The School has started and is functioning well, with more plans for it in the works.

4. The school kids received the gospel well and responded to God’s call in our chapel meeting.

5. The Kids’ Home boys are back and excited for the new guys that came in to stay with them.

6. God has given me some time to stay at the orphanage with the kids.

7. The church is growing in strength and number and leaders are getting trained.

8. The Lord is still providing for another trip, with $850 recorded (as of April) and some still being processed.

And please join me in praying this next month for the following requests.

Prayer Requests

1. Solomon and His family to continue experiencing God through each other.

2. The Church:

a. Leaders to grow into loving and serving Jesus more with His heart for the people

b. Marriages to be strengthened and growing in love for Him and each other.

c. Families to grow in love for each other, and reveal God’s love practically.

d. To be emboldened to share Jesus everywhere we go, regardless of consequences.

e. Church plant on the School/Children’s Home campus in Ponmar

3. The School:

a. Provision for the current teachers and new teachers to come.

b. Students to know the love of Jesus and grow in retaining practical knowledge.

c. Playground equipment to come

4. The Children’s home:

a. The boys to know the love of Jesus through me.

b. Workers to come with a heart to show Jesus’ love to the kids.

c. The boys to catch God’s vision for their lives while attending there.

5. Myself

a. To fulfill all of God’s purpose for this time here before going home.

b. To continually know and understand God’s love and power through experience.

c. Clarity in my next step and His provision for it.

Thank You for Your prayers and contribution to the Lord’s work here. Thank you for every encouragement as well. May God bless you and may you see the fruit of His work in your life and mine. Be blessed!