Thursday, June 6, 2013

Merry Christmas...in July? (Day Forty Five)

     The place where God calls you is the place where your deepest gladness and the worlds deepest hunger meet.

      July 25th, 2012 - Chennai, India
     MERRY CHRISTMAS! I love Christmas and celebrating Jesus' birth. We woke up to find Marissa playing Christmas music for us. After I was ready, I talked to Marissa and Joy, and braided Marissa's hair. I asked them about baptism and talked about getting baptized tomorrow. They told me their stories and what it means to them to be baptized. I prayed about it all day yesterday and today I really think I should. 
     At breakfast we sang songs, the boys gave us crackers and nutella as a gift! The simplest things are some of the best gifts. I have a renewed appreciation for simple things, like a small child. During quiet time, I called home and asked for my parents' blessing for me to be baptized. They said it did not make a difference to them and they know I am already saved, but if I feel like I should, they are okay with it. I explained why I want to. I was baptized when I was young, but I was not a new person. I was not dead to my old self. This is just a symbolism of what Christ has done in me. I spent the rest of my quiet time reading verses about baptism. Dad said that I am old enough to make my own decision for Christ. 
     We exchanged Christmas gifts. I gave away drink mix, a fan and a flashlight and I got two energy bars and soap. Sierra shared her Doritos and we sang.
     On the way to ministry, the other MIG made sandwiches for us to give us a break. At our first ministry site, we did Children's ministry and they welcomed us into their small school with lemons, as a gift. We split into small groups, and we went into this large room, divided by small walls into classrooms. I shared John 3:16 with them and explained the Gospel. I love being a teacher for them and sharing the best news ever!
     We returned to the same village we wet to yesterday and went to the church and prayed for the pastor. We all went to the bathroom and when we came back to the church, our TL's were praying for a demon possessed woman. I don't know how to explain it, but I could feel the oppression  We all prayed outside of the church. We walked back to the bus and Jake explained that the woman had had demons before and today the demon was cast out of her.
     The next village we went to was only a short distance away, but many of them did not know what Jesus did for them. We went out to invite, and for the second time a dog started growling and barking at us. The dogs here are scary but we always calmly walk away and smile to the people we were inviting. We did our drama and then my MIG had to stay with all of our stuff and the sound box. We prayed hard and I picked people out of the crowd to pray for. Joy calls it sniping. You pick someone and just start praying for them, they don't even know. The woman I prayed for started talking with one of the MIGs and I was so glad.
     We left for the hotel and sang all the way home, praising the Lord. I didn't talk with a lot of people today, but I know prayer is powerful and I love praying for others. 
     When I crawl into bed tired, I know it has been a great day of ministry. I will give my ALL for the Gospel.

Jessica dressed up like santa by using her headband, toilet paper, and my red leggings. Oh my!

The Christmas gifts!

The Christmas tree!

The 12 days of GE Christmas.

My gifts!


























The school we went to. <3

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