A Change of Plans

There has been a change of plans.  Originally, I planned to split my time between Delhi, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh.  The new plan is that I will go straight to Dhaka, Bangladesh to assist Bro. and Sis. Corbin with the wonderful work God is doing there.  I am in the process of obtaining the new departure date, length of stay, budget, etc.  I will keep everyone posted.

When God first started dealing with me about this new direction, I had many questions.  “Why am I studying Hindi when the main language of Bangladesh is Bangla?  Why am I learning about Hinduism when the main religion is Islam? Besides, You’ve called me to India, not Bangladesh.  What’s up?”  He has not answered any of my questions.  It doesn’t matter.  All that matters is my being in His Perfect Will.  After much prayer and then consulting with my pastor, it was confirmed that this change of direction was indeed God’s will.

I am VERY excited about this new opportunity!

Old-Time Faith

I spent the Fourth of July holiday reading biographies of long ago missionaries Hudson Taylor and George Muller.  Next on the list is Sundar Singh, missionary to India.  George Muller in particular interested me because of his faith in God to provide for 10,000 orphans over a period of 63 years.  He never once asked for money or any kind of assistance; he relied solely on God through prayer to provide for every need.  Once, when there was no food to feed the children, he called one of the little girls to him, took her by the hand and said, "Come and see what God will do."  He then took her to the dining room where he prayed a simple prayer, "Dear God, we thank you for what you are going to give us to eat.  Amen."  A few minutes later, the baker and the milkman knocked on the door with bread and milk, enough to feed 300 children.

In the early days of missions, people simply followed the call of God, traveled to another country, and trusted God to provide.  Sis. Nona Freeman writes of going to the mission field with very little support in the days before Sheaves for Christ, Mother's Memorial, Partners in Missions and other fundraising programs sponsored by the United Pentecostal Church.  Sis. Bobbye Wendell was appointed missionary to Kenya in June of 1978. She started deputation in July and by October 1978 her entire budget was raised. Her budget was $6,000 a month and I'm assuming she had to raise enough for 3-4 years. Missionaries today are traveling 1-3 years to raise their budgets.  I can see how the availability of funds beforehand would free the missionary to do the work of God on the mission field without stressing over financial needs, but have we lost our faith in God to provide?

Since becoming part of the Associates in Missions program, I have seen first-hand the struggle missionaries face in raising support.  I recently witnessed one missionary as she broke down in tears because she was so tired of traveling and longed to return to the mission field, but could not until the budget was completely raised.  What if pastors in the United States had to leave their churches for 1-3 years to raise support?  Something to think about.

What has changed?  God has not changed.  There appears to be a general attitude of apathy in America towards missions today, whereas in the past people sacrificed for the cause.  I recall reading about one lady who hand-sewed items to sell to support missions.  She sewed by candlelight at night because she purposely had no electricity so she could have additional finances to support the cause of missions.  This kind of personal sacrifice is rarely seen in today's society.  We must overcome this spirit of apathy and turn our hearts towards the Great Commission found in Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

I was wondering what would happen if I simply trusted God through prayer alone to provide the finances for my Associates in Missions trip to India?  No fundraisers, no solicitations, etc.  I would be considered lazy and unwise by some people.  After all, after I have prayed, am I not supposed to do everything I can do to bring the answer to pass?  He's teaching me a better way, and showing me that my self-effort hinders His working.  When I pray and definitely believe Him for anything, He wants me to wait in the spirit of praise, and only do what He directs me to do.

"Spiritual forces cannot work while earthly forces are active."  ~  Unknown

What would happen if I exercised the same faith in God today of those long-ago missionaries?  I suspect I would get the same results they received: a miraculous provision by an Almighty God and a testimony that continues throughout the ages.

A Good Teacher

"A highly effective foreign language teacher is more than a giver of words and the rules that govern them; she is a window on the cultures that have developed through and because of those words. She transmits the culture through vocabulary and grammar, but also through authentic stories, idioms, songs, and sayings.” - Anonymous

My Hindi language lessons are going well.  I am currently learning to read children’s books and conduct introductory conversations in Hindi.  It’s a slow process, but my teacher, Santosh, is building a solid foundation of how the language works.  Thus, I am not memorizing a bunch of conversational phrases for mere survival purposes, but rather gaining a true appreciation and understanding of the Hindi language and culture.  She is a good teacher.

Santosh and I have built a solid friendship in the process.  On May 12, she and her older daughter, Surabhi attended a Mother/Daughter Luncheon held at my church.  A good time was held by all, as the pictures reveal.

Me and Santosh

Santosh, Sis. Bertram (my pastor's wife), and me

Me, Santosh, and her daughter Surabhi

Saying Hello

नमस्ते Namaste.  Hello.

No. I didn’t accidentally turn on the symbols key on the computer keyboard.  LOL.  It’s how you write and say “hello” in Hindi.  I began Hindi language classes three weeks ago with a private tutor.  I love my teacher!!  She is the best!  After one week of study, I could distinguish Hindi from the other script languages.  It no longer looked like Chinese, Greek or Arabic.  After two weeks of study, I could write part of the Hindi alphabet.  Now, I can translate some of the letters to form words.  I don’t know what the words mean, but I can spell them. LOL.

Learning a new language is a HUGE challenge for me with my hearing loss.  I cannot hear all sounds, thus making it difficult to learn audibly, which is how the majority of foreign language courses are taught.  My teacher’s primary focus is teaching me to read and write Hindi; speaking and hearing the language are secondary skills.  This works so well for me.  (See, I told you she was a good teacher.)  I am having fun watching the preschool videos where they sing the alphabets and write the scripts in Hindi.

She is not only teaching me the language, she is also instructing me on the Indian culture.  I love this aspect of our studies together.  I am learning so much from her!  In the process, we have developed a genuine friendship.  She is a special person.  I LOVE and adore my Hindi teacher!

The Unsung Heroes

This past weekend, I set up my very first missions table at the Alabama Ladies Conference.  I met some very interesting people and made new friends.  I absolutely love talking to other people about missions.  It's not just about raising financial support.  It's about inspiring a young person to pursue her dreams.  It's about encouraging someone who gives sacrificially to continue.  It's about receiving strength from unknown sources.

I met an 18 year old young lady who dreams of going to Uganda someday to work in missions. I was happy to give her some information about the AIM program and a CD about finding God's will for her life.  I pray that God will use her mightily as she pursues her dream.

I also met an older lady who works a full-time job for the sole purpose of financially supporting missionaries.  She could easily stay home in retirement.  Instead, she chooses to sacrifice her time and money for the sake of God's kingdom in another country.  I encouraged her to continue giving because it is as equally important as those who actually go to the field.

Then, there were those precious ladies from Mississippi who circled me in prayer.  I was feeling a little weary with the overwhelming tasks that lay before me as an AIMer when they approached me.  They circled themselves around me, lay their hands all over my body and began to pray.  I felt the heaviness lift and a spirit of rejoicing take its place.

I felt so honored to meet these precious people over the weekend.  These people are not in the limelight, but a missionary could not exist without them.  They are the ones who dream, give and pray.  They are the unsung heroes of missions.

Pray for Orphans

This morning, I did a presentation in childrens' church entitled, "Pray for Orphans."  I talked to the them about orphans in India explaining that many of the children do not have homes, food, water, clothing, or toys.  I briefly mentioned AIDS and how people were dying from the disease, causing some of the children to become orphans.  Then, I told them about Happiness Home, a shelter in India for people with AIDS.  I described how the orphan children living there were happy because God was taking care of them by providing them with a place to live, people to love them, food to eat, water to drink and filling them with the Holy Ghost!

After we watched a short slideshow of orphan children in India, I told them how God instructs us in the Bible to pray for orphans.  Defend the weak and the fatherless (orphans); uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Psalm 82:3.  Take up the cause of the fatherless (orphans); plead the cause of the widow. Isaiah 1:17.  We then prayed for the children.  Oh my, it was so touching to see them pray so sincerely on the behalf of other children!

Each child was given a picture and information about a child in Happiness Home, along with scriptures and prayer points. You know how kids are always leaving their Sunday School papers behind for the teachers to clean up?  Not this time!  Every child held on to their picture as if it was a prized possession.  I'm happy to report there are now 27 children in Bessemer, Alabama praying for children in India.  They were really touched by the needs of these children and accepted the call to pray.

Missions Table

I will be setting up my very first missions table at the Alabama Ladies Conference next week.  I am so excited! Humbled too when I consider the missionaries who've paved the way before me.  I want my table to be special because you never know how it will impact another person's life.  I know those interesting tables have influenced my life over the years.

I recall one missionary's table where I signed a pledge to pray one minute a day for them.  This introduced me to praying for missionaries on a daily basis.  At another missionary's table, I filled out a Partner in Missions form.  This taught me to give financially to missions.  And then there was the tiny book I bought about a little lady in India who had suffered a lot in her childhood but was mightily used of God to win souls.  Reading the book gave me hope that I too could overcome a difficult childhood and be used of God.  Then there was the missionary who wrote a very transparent blog about life on the mission field.  Reading her blog gave me insight not only to pray for missionaries, but HOW to pray for them.

To this day, I still have bookmarks, keychains and various other small items I picked up at mission tables over the years.  Most of what I have is from the continent of Africa.  (Isn't that where ALL missionaries live?!  LOL)  Imagine the shock I felt when God placed a call on my life to missions.  And imagine the additional surprise when He called me to India instead of an African country.

You know, it's all part of missions in God's Kingdom, whether it's prayer, finances, or going.  A missions table provides an avenue for all three areas.  I pray that something on my table will influence other people to have a heart for missions and get involved, however God chooses to use them.