Our last days in India

We had a wonderful time in India. During the last couple of days we visited the Alpha Schools, Alpha Home and visited the Hope for Today team. 

The Alpha School was a wonderful place for "slum" kids to come and get an education while learning about the love of God. Together the two schools have over 100 kids. Each kid would have not received an education if not for the program. The program is ran by a woman named Shoba; her service to the schools is amazing. She is a true woman of God and devotes all of her time to the school. Each child has been positively affected by her service. As we walked into the schools each child stood up with a huge smile on his face. We could not help, but smile ourselves. They were too cute! 

The Alpha Home was a huge blessing! The children sang songs, danced, and recited memory verses in praise to our Lord. It was beautiful. The home is full of love and hope. Each child has a bright future and a smile on their face, because of the wonderful gift of love God placed on Esther's heart to serve the children. She is a true joy to those kids. Each one calls her mom and their faces light up when she enters the room. It is precious. 

Children are a huge joy and should be treasured and loved. I truly believe that God uses children in huge ways to further His kingdom and bring us back to prospective. Children believe without holding back, find joy in every situation and encourage those around them. We are blessed to have children in our lives. Treasure the children in your life. Learn from them, I assure you they can teach us a thing or two! :) 

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As our trip came to an end we stopped by the Hope for Today office to say our goodbyes to the staff. I was truly sad to say goodbye. Each individual is on fire for God and uses their talents for His glory. Please say a prayer for the Hope for Today staff as they continue to serve the Lord and share His grace. 

Love, 

KellySue 

Spirit filled prayers

We went to church today with the children from children's ministry and their families. The service was beautiful. There were strong prayer warriors present. As the pastor prayed the congregation prayed with him and the room was filled with praises to God! The presence was so strong people began to cry out to God in worship. It was one of the most breath taking experiences of my life.

Prayer is powerful. It is a conversation with our Lord, what else would it be? Yet, sometimes we tend to get in a prayer rut. The words are coming out of our mouths, but the passion is not there. We must keep our fire ablaze and speak to God with a passion deep within our souls. This may include crying, dancing, singing, shouting, or whatever the heart feels. Let us not hold back when we are speaking to our Lord. Let us be like the congregation I witnessed today praying to God with passionate tears, shouts, and lifted hands.

• James 5:16b

  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
• Pray to God with passion today!! He is anxiously waiting. 

Love,

KellySue

Jesus loves the little children

Ginger and I have been helping with the children's ministry for the last couple of days! The children are full of life and such a blessing! Their songs and dances are a joy.

                                        

One girl came up and asked for prayer on Friday. She had a bad fever and could not walk without help. We prayed for her and on Saturday she came up to tell me she was healed!! Praise God!!! God is definitley at work. We continue to see amazing things.

Today we are going to go to church with the children. I cannot wait to see what God has in store. Please keep us in your prayers!

Love,

KellySue

How strong is your faith?

Wow! I am in awe of the measure of faith of the people here in India. On Thursday we met a former Muslim man.  Before he accepted Christ he was a wealthy, secretary at the mosque and a loan servicer. When loans were not repaid he would beat the people that owed. After he accepted Christ his house was taken and no one would repay their loans. Instead of doubting Gods presence he began to share his story with others to win others to Christ. He has since became a pastor and given 17 children a home. We were able to meet the children. The smiles on their faces brightened the whole room! One girl had the power of prayer. She prayed with more faith than most adults I know. It was a true blessing to witness her conversation with our Lord.

Today I had the joy of working and rooming with one of the female staff from the alpha school. Her faith in Christ is stronger than I have ever seen. She prays for miracles daily. Today she found out that a boy with aids that she was praying for was healed! Praise the Lord!! Later in our room we were visited by the pastor and his wife. Their son has a trisomy. My roommate prayed for healing for their son and the spirit of god was so strong that tears began to fall from my face. I could not understand the language being spoke, but I did know that the Holy Spirit was present in a huge way! I now believe with all my heart that God is going to heal their son.

Do you have enough faith to pray in confidence for something that to the world is impossible? Many of us would say no. Today I was reminded that everything is possible with God and we must have faith that He will move!! Pray for the impossible and wait to see God's mighty hand at work.

It is the same with faith. If it doesn't cause us to do something, it's dead. (James 2:17 NIRV)

Love,

KellySue 

Are we truly committed?

Today we visited two mosques, went shopping for spices (yum!), ate a delightful lunch, and rode in a bicycle cart (yes it was an adventure!).

As we visited the mosques I could not help but think about the enormous time commitment that the Muslims have. Each day prayer is expected six times. How many of us can truly say that we pray to our Lord six times a day? Many of us struggle getting one devotion in a day. It is sad to think that people can commit more time to a prophet than many Christians give to their Creator and Savior.

Our Savior deserves more than we could ever give and longs for a relationship with us all. He is worthy of our time, commitment, and praise! When you are struggling to get that personal time in with Jesus everyday think about how committed you are and how committed you should be to Christ.

2 Peter 3:18

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

We appreciate your prayers, please continue. 

Love,

KellySue 

Old Delhi Photos 

The impact of our decisions

We visited the Taj Mahal today and it was absolutely beautiful!! The intricate detail is beyond anything anyone could ever imagine. It's indescribable beauty left me speechless.
                                 

We also visited Fort Agra, a kingdom. 

Both sites were located in Agra, India. The area was very interesting; livestock roamed the streets, 

vehicles drove in both lanes, and different small shops were lined along the road. The community is very poor. Two factories used to run in Agra until the pollution affected the purity of the marble at the Taj Mahal. To decrease pollution and improve the look of the Taj, both factories were closed and driving became limited near the site. This left a lot of people without jobs. Now most people rely on tourism for income. 

History of the Taj Mahal

A king had the mausoleum created for his late queen who passed away during child birth in her late thirties. Total construction lasted 22 years with the work of 20,000 artisans. Due to the extreme cost, the king used all of the kingdoms money on the development and left his people starved. When it was finished he ordered that all the artisans hands be chopped off to guarantee that no other site was built like the Taj. This makes the beautiful site seem sad and dark. Although the site is beautiful, was it worth the sacrifice?

 We often make rash decisions ourselves without thinking of the effect of our decisions on others and the plan that God has for us. The people of Agra are struggling financially to this day, possibly due to a decision made by a King 400 years ago. This should remind us that the decisions we make have the 

 possibility of making an impact, positive/negative. What if the impact we chose to make was Christ-centered? What if we devoted our whole lives to sharing His word?  Think about how different the world would be. With God all things are possible if we trust Him. 

2 Thessalonians 2:14

He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Love,

KellySue

Team Photo

                                         DUMC Missions Team 2014
                                         Mark, Pastor Mike, Ginger, and KellySue

Be thankful!

India Day 1

Our team arrived in India last night. We have been blessed beyond measure by the hospitality of our guide, Elwin. He is very kind and has a huge heart for God. He plants house churches all over India; since March 2013 he has planted over 250 churches with a goal of 500. The ministry is definitely reaching an abundance of lives for Christ. Praise God! Please be in prayer for each leader and church member. They are working as ambassadors for Christ in an area that is not always accepting and at times dangerous.

We did tour some areas of Delhi today. As we drove through the streets I was filled with sadness as I observed the city through the window. Children were running the streets without shoes, people sat in shacks with their families, and debris filled the streets. As I observed all I could do was pray for all the people. We are so fortunate for what we have and we still complain. What is wrong with us? There are people who would do anything to have simply a home, clean clothes, and foods to fill their bellies and many Americans, including myself at times, complain when their clothes are not name brand or their favorite food is not in the fridge. What a huge wake up call!! Please thank God everyday for what you have. We are blessed beyond measure.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. (Psalm 95:2 NIV)

Love you all! Thank you for all of your prayers! Please continue.