Believe it or not!

God is a totally awesome God! He is a miracle worker and honors faith. I want my blog readers to be the first to know about what God is doing for our childrens home in India. I showed you a picture of some land that we want to buy so that we can build our childrens home there. Just this morning we recieved a donation for $10,000.00 to go towards this property! Wow! Recently I was informed that the children had gone to the property to pray and ask God for it. When I heard that, I knew that a miracle was in the works. God had to respond to the prayers of those children. In the near future I will be able to post pictures showing the progress of this project. Believe it or not, its beginning to become reality. Isn't a joy to serve others?

The Risk in Serving

If you are considering to give your life to the service of others, be aware of the risk. When the challenge comes to us from the pulpit or by others means to be involved in public service, very seldom are the risks included in the invitation. The main satisfaction in serving comes by giving ones self without anticipating anything in return. That is what love is, it doesn't expect anything in return. The risks involved in public service are many. One who serves is always on display in the publics eyes. There are those whose main job in life is to critic your job as a servant. Some are objective about it while others can be quite hurtful. There are others who always look for the "hidden" agenda, the "motive behind" your service. Some are backbiters (quite cowardly) talking behind ones back. Others are more open in their comments. The secret to overcome these risks is to keep a clean consciense about your service and ministry. Be able to lay your head on your pillow at night and sleep without any concerns. The other thing is not to take any attack personally. This requires to build some defensive mechanism that allows you to love those out to harm you and at the same time not allowing their poison to get to you. Our main purpose is to please the one who has called us to serve. Jesus found that being a public servant required being misunderstood, threatened, verbally abused and humiliated. But with all that He went through was able to stay focused on his goal and purpose in life, to give himself for others. What a joy it is to serve others!

Pajama Party!

Hey, this is my traveling partner Pete. We bought some Indian traditional clothes while in India and decided to wear them to church as we shared about our journey. I must admit that I felt a little strange wearing this outfit while preaching in the service. They actually feel like pajamas, quite comfortable. I also got some strange looks from some folks at the restaurant where we ate afterwards. In India you see lots of men wearing something similar to this on the street it is quite common especially in very hot weather. I sent this pic to our Indian friends where we stayed and they politely said that we looked handsome. Well, different strokes for different folks! What a joy it is to serve others!

Back to Normal?

Its been a few days now that we have returned from the Philippines and India and I'm feeling that things are returning to normal. Hmmmm? Is this a good thing? If returning to normal means that I'm falling back into that dangerous attitude of apathy and complacency meaning that my heart slowly hardens to the needs of people around me and I get an "I don't care" attitude, I don't want to return to normal! If our lives revolve around us getting more, not being content with what we have, desiring the newest gadgets or toys, is this what life is all about? Mother Teresa, what a woman! She saw a need and decided that she was going to give her life away so that the need she saw would be met. Is this kind of lifestyle workable in our culture? Are there people that give their lives away so that others can improve?

Here is a pic of some property that might be available to purchase so that a childrens home and facility can be developed in India. It's about an acre, on a good road, close to public schools and accessable by public transportation. The asking price is $11,000.00 US dollars. Those of you that run across this blog, I ask that you ask God to help us to purchase this land so that we can impact the lives of children in this area. As you look at this pic, can you see the buildings? the play ground? the accomodations of a vibrant ministry? Look hard and you will see it with your eyes of faith. What a joy it is to serve others!

Hopelessness

What is it like to be hopeless? Can you imagine the feeling? Living your life without any hope for a future? This lady sitting on the street has a baby in her lap. She was raised on the street all her life. Now she has a baby that is being raised the same way. This lady had no hope in her past and now has no hope for her future.

The kids in our home would end up like this lady in the picture if it wasn't for the opportunity given them to come and live in our childrens home. The sad thing is that we have only been able to rescue 12 kids. There are so many more that are in this same hopeless situation.

While we were taking our kids to see the doctor, we stopped at at little store to buy them a treat. Each child chose their treat and then traded it for something else and immediatly we were surrounded by dozens of homeless kids. As I looked into their eyes, I saw no life. Dull, lifeless eyes begging for a coin or a piece of bread. My heart broke as the store attendant begin to run them off and curse at them. Complete hopelessness!

This little hut is a school in an "untouchable" village. These are the lowest caste people. This is the first generation that is recieving an education. These people are not given the opportunity to find a job. They are not allowed to work in the fields as laborours. To earn a living the collect wood in the forest and take it into town to sell.

Inside the hut you see the students. This is the first time that they are seeing a white man with a funny hat on. I introduced myself and asked permission to talk to the student body. Through my interpreter I told the kids about a man called Jesus and how his father loved them so much that Jesus came to die on the cross as their saviour. The only hope these people have to be free from hopelessness is "Jesus". In this village we prayed for a lady that was dieing on a mat. I was recently told that this lady has been healed. Jesus Christ is the hope for the world.

What a joy it is to serve others!

India Pics

Here are the kids in our Childrens Home in India. These are the most precious children that you will ever meet. The tall man in the back with the orange shirt is Bubli. He is acting as home director in the absence of his sister who is studying in Australia for a few months. All but one were living on the streets without any hope whatsoever. No parents, nobody to care for them, to love them, the best that they could do is to exist day by day. What a change love makes in a persons life, to give and recieve love makes all the difference in the world. If these kids were to go back into the street they would grow up to be adult street people. In India there is no hope to better oneself in society. You remain permantly in the caste of your birth irregardless of your education staus. Now, these kids are being tutored to catch up with the rest of the students their age. They are recieving medical attention and eating all that they can swallow.

It's a Different World in India

We have been here now in India several days and it is time to begin thinking about coming home. This has been a wonderful experience. God is so good, words can't express His greatness. We arrived directly to the childrens home and were immediately greeted by the children there. They attacked us with hugs and kisses. It was quite overwhelming. The children are so beautiful and to think that just a few months before they were living on the streets without any hope for survival. Now, they are clean, bright eyed, full of energy and enjoying love from people who genuinely care for them. We have seen the street kids, it breaks your heart to see them suffer so. Still hundreds of kids that need help. We have been doing crusades most nights in different villages and the children from the home have been the main attraction, they have learned several dance ruitines and are performing before hundreds of people each night. Just to think that these kids knew nothing about Christ a few months ago now are ministering the gospel. Amazing! We have seen many people each night accept Christ, some awesome healings, tumors disappearing, pain going, many wonderful miracles. Last night I cast out my first demon (in India) out of a lady here. I will post more later about the trip, when I return I will put on some pics. What a joy it is to serve others....