Pray for India: January 2015

Wow, it has been over a month since my last update. A lot has happened since then! To those who are continually reading this blog and keeping me in your prayers, thank you for partnering with me during this season! :)

Early December, I made a trip back to the states for a week due to an unfortunate reason. My girlfriend's (Lynn's) father passed away during the first week of December. So after praying and talking to my parents and pastors (here in India and back at home), I decided to go back for a week to attend the memorial service and to also comfort and encourage Lynn. Please continue to keep her and her family in your prayers that God would continue to comfort and guide them!

After a week I came back to India, I went to Korea for two weeks. I originally bought my plane tickets to Korea last year when I bought my tickets to India. Since I am a foreigner, each stay cannot exceed 180 days so my parents and I decided that I would go spend St. Paul School's winter break in Korea. Since I made the last minute trip back to the states, I technically didn't have to go to Korea. However, the tickets that I purchased were nonexchangeable so I decided to go.

During that week in between my trip to the states and to Korea, I went caroling a few times here in Bangalore with the AECS students. It was the first time I had gone caroling and it was quite an experience! We walked around the neighborhood and village kids would join us and sing a long. We would stop by each house and sing Christmas songs, and then hand the St. Paul School calendar and a bible.

Now I have been back here in Bangalore continuing serving in the ministries I have been involved with. One thing God has been teaching me recently is to diligently obey. Whenever there is a need, I am reminded to obey with a joyful heart and not with an attitude. Running errands, being told to teach a class last minute, taking the official school class photos (with my phone), sharing messages during morning service, leading teacher trainings, and teaching my English and discipleship classes has been filling up my schedule these last few weeks. I have to constantly remind myself why I am here and what I am doing here. It simply comes down to this: to obey God. To obey God diligently, to obey with a joyful heart, and to obey because of His unconditional, never-ending, and indescribable love for me and for His people.

From 1/20-1/29, I will be making a trip to Jalpaiguri which is in the state of West Bengal. There is a St. Paul School campus headed by Pastor James and his wife. I will be mainly going up there to hold teacher meetings and trainings. I will also be sharing my testimony during the Sunday church service. Please keep me in your prayers and that more than teaching strategies and techniques, that I would encourage the teachers to portray God's love and presence in their classrooms.

After I come back from Jalpaiguri, I will be making another 3-4 day trip to Berekai sometime in February. I will be also leading teacher training and meetings in Berekai. When I come back to Bangalore from Jalpaiguri, my main ministry and focus will be on heading and leading the special education program with Pastor Abraham. I will only teach my fourth standard classrooms when we write back to their pen pals back in the states. The rest of my time will be devoted to the special education classroom and the discipleship class with the PUC students.

I have less than two months left here in India. Please pray for strength and passion that I would continue to do the work that God has given me here and that I would serve diligently and wholeheartedly. The following week coming back from Korea was a tough transition for me, as making trips to the states and Korea has been a bit comfortable and refreshing since I was able to spend some time with my close friends and family. Although the transition was a little rough, the time to adjust back was a lot shorter than it took me to adjust back when I first came. Please pray for St, Paul School, the pastors and their families, AECS, and India, that God's presence and love would continue to be magnified here.

*Interesting story: This story isn't too exciting or thrilling, but here in India, (money) bills that are even slightly ripped or torn are rejected. So if you receive torn bills for change, you are allowed to give it back and ask for another bill. So what cashiers do when they receive torn bills (and counterfeit bills) and don't realize that they have, they store them in a separate pile in their registers. I've been realizing that since I am a foreigner, I see cashiers reaching for that side pile (of torn and counterfeit bills) when giving me change. I immediately give back the torn and fake bills and ask for new ones. Just thought it was quite interesting that they take advantage of foreigners like this!