Happy New Year's!!!

Well Christmas has come and gone now and that means that the New Year is already. What a crazy year of adventure it has been for me. So many lessons the Lord has taught me this year, and so many transitions for me. Moving to Denver and going to India.

My time in India is coming to end. I will be leaving India on February 1st and flying back into Denver on the 2nd. It is going to be hard leaving these precious girls behind but the memories I have will always be with me. What a special time to be able to help train these young girls for the ministry here in India. I see many of them being leaders here; I believe they are the ones that will help bring this nation to understand the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Something that I has been on my mind since serving here in India is this: there was a book I read called Living Water by brother Yun and a quote in it that really has stayed with me. “Don’t be someone God didn't make you".

Many times here I just wished I could be someone so great, so smart, so athletic, so artsy and many other things. I wanted to do more than the Lord had me doing here. Often our days were spent doing small tasks; things that I just didn't think were of use. I wanted to be someone so different than who I was. But the Lord had a special purpose for me here, working in a children's home in India - coming to understand the FATHER's love for me in such a deeper way through the love that I felt every day in seeing those bright and beautiful faces. God wanted me to be just me... and share that with them.

These children have impacted me in ways that I will never forget. Funny thing is the ministry here is called Impact of Hope and they definitely have done that for me and I believe will do it for this nation. One more thing I would like to ask is that you could all pray for these children. They have a tough future being here in India and my heart is burdened for them.

Well this might be my last blog until I return home to the states in February. I am looking forward to seeing and sharing with you all more of what the Lord is doing here.

I pray that this New Year will be a blessed time for you and your families. I love you all and thank you so much for supporting me on this journey to India. God is so good.

Merry Christmas from India!!!

"Behold , the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son", and they call His name Immanuel which means God with us. Merry Christmas Everyone, I hope this finds you all well. It is a weird feeling not to be around for Christmas, to be honest it doesn't even really feel like Christmas here in India. It will be a different one for me for sure, but excited to see what the Lord reveals to me this year. The children are doing a play that my friend Stephanie and and other staff member wrote here. It is based off a movie called "Micah's Treasure" It is about a young boy that doesn't understand why if the Lord is so good then why does He allow so many hard things to come our way. Micah discovers that his treasure is when he comes to the birth of Jesus. Please be praying for this time, ( I am not good at putting my thoughts down on paper) but my heart is kind of feeling anxious about this play. Some of the children's parents will be coming, and they come from Hindu backgrounds, and also they are street beggers, rag pickers or other hard core lifestyles. The play will be done in English but they won't necessarily understand, please pray that the language barrier won't be in the way of hearing the Gospel message. Also just pray for the nation of India, in some parts of India it is illegal to celebrate Christmas and if they are found they could be killed. Same with so many other things, such as church, doing ministry, going to Bible school, and so many other things. I realize that my last few blogs have been about how lost India is but it is so SAD and it is breaking my heart. India needs more native people stepping out in faith and sharing about the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. But it can be so dangerous here. Let's today just say a prayer for INDIA... for the many needs. Please remember them as you celebrate Christmas. They don't know what it is to celebrate because so many of them don't even know or want a Savior. I hope this is not too deep, May the Lord bless you this Christmas season. Love you all , rachel P.S. Tutoring is going well, at times it is hard to fit in all that I want to teach but I am doing my best.

Thoughts!!!!

I haven't written on my blog for a few weeks and so I thought I would just send you a little of my thoughts. First I hope you are all doing well and getting ready for the Holidays coming up.  Things here have been busy preparing the Christmas program, although I haven't really helped that much because I was sick all last week.
Something I have been really feeling is how lost India is... how much of Jesus this nation needs.  It dawned on me that these children are being trained in the Lord for a reason, so that they can carry on the work of Jesus. Last night at prayer time Usha was asking them who is going to carry on the work, and this young boy said we will. Because of the life that they have been given they want to give it back to others. 
Well I think I will finish this one,  things are going well here, busy but I am doing well. Being blessed each day by the work the Lord is doing in my life. Missing you all and thinking and praying for you.
Love you,
Rachel Asha

Learning times!!!

I can't believe it is November 1st.  I know have been here for two months and the time just seems to be going by so quickly.  The Lord has been showing me a lot since being here in India.
This time I just wanted to share with you some of the lessons I am learning being here. Honestly this trip has been a lot different than I had expected. The Lord is convicting me on things, asking me to FULLY surrender my pride to Him. It has been different.
On Sunday we were studying Romans chapter 8 and the first verse says this:  " Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. " Rom. 8:1-2 .   After reading this verse, I began to think how we are free in Christ Jesus. But do I live in that freedom? Do I believe the lies I hear in my head? Do I stand up for who I know that Christ has made me to be?  Do I live victoriously in Christ Jesus?
 This is something that I believe the Lord is wanting me to fully grasp. It is time to be set free from these things. I want to know what is to walk closer to Jesus in this way. I want to not believe the lies.
Yesterday I was tutoring Namratha and we were working on math. Math is not my strong point and I actually still really have a hard time with it. I was so frusterated because how do I teach something that I don't understand myself. I started hearing the lies in my head  "oh Rachel" you are not good enough to teach this, just don't try...   I am free in Christ. Namratha doesn't need me to be an expert but to show her love and patience and I will do my best.
Well that is all that is on  my heart. I pray you are all doing well. May Jesus be all we need in this time. I pray that your holidays will be blessed.

                                                                                        Bangalore Homes

Indian Village

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two week holiday

Our two week holiday in Bangalore is coming to an end on Thursday. We have spent two wonderful weeks with some dear friends of mine and now of Stephanie's as well. 
 Coming here I recently learned how deep my passion goes for India. Recently walking down the streets here in the city, my heart burdens for the poverty here and how broken the people are. How I see little children roaming the streets with no traces of parents.
 I have a hard time writing down what is going on in my head and heart right now but please be praying for India. This is a very lost place, where Hinduism is so important to the people here. How devoted to their idol worship, some people even have idols in their home.  This is such a sad thing to me, breaks my heart to see how devoted they are and it is so difficult for us to share Jesus with them.
When we go back to the Children's home, we will be so busy planning our Christmas program. The kids should have been learning their lines while we were gone.  I am excited to see where they are at with it. 
I pray all is going well back at home with Thanksgiving coming, may we truly know what it is to be thankful. What a special time to celebrate our thanksgiving to the Lord. I love you all and miss you.

Is He enough?

If you washed away my vanity, If you took away my words, If all my world was swept away would you be enough for me? Would my beating heart still sing?
  If I lost it all would my hands stay lifted, to the God who gives and takes away. If you take it all,this life you've given still my heart  will to you.
  When my life is not what I expected,the plans I made have failed, when there's nothing left to steal me away, will you be enough for me? Will my broken heart still sing?
   Even if you take it all away, You will never let me go. I'm still Your's, I'm still Your's.
                                                                     I'm Still Your's by Kutless
I heard this song by Kutless the other day and it really touched my heart. Here' s why: since being in India, I have been asking myself, "Will Jesus be enough?".  I answered a call out of obedienc to the Lord, but honestly, at times it has been hard to want to BE... Recently, looking into the kids' eyes and seeing just how  much they exhibit this simple faith: Jesus is enough for them.  It has been so encouraging. I am coming to realize that Jesus is enough for me. He is enough for the times of feeling lonely, He is enough for my failures, He is enough for me...
This is such a awesome thought to me that no matter where we are in the world He will always be enough for us. I just want you all to know, just how much He loves you. Praying for you all and hoping your days/ weeks are going well.

the title i can't think of

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquitites; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion: who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.     Psalm 103: 2-5
Here in India it is October 1st. It is weird to think that back home it is fall there and it is still very much summer here.  So many things to do in the states, such as decorating your home for Thanksgiving. How fun!
I figured something out recently. Since being  here in India, (which on the 6th will have mark a month here) the Lord has really brought me to a place of repentance, healing, and a time of getting to know my Savior in a more intimate way.  A dear friend of mine gave this verse to me and it has been a huge encouragement to me, so I thought I would share it with you all.  This has been a time of refinement for me, something that I would never expect to have happen in India, but the Lord knows what is best for my heart.
Things are going well here. This week is a hindu holiday celebrating Mahatma Ghandi's birthday, so the kids do not have school. I am looking forward to  being with them all day and getting to know them more.  We have a lot of fun games planned for them, such as Capture the Flag and Pictionary (ok,ok, i know what your thinking - it's NOT telephone pictionary).
Tutoring has been going well, too. At times it's hard to understand the way the Indian school system does things, but we are figuring things out. It has been neat to see how Namratha has really opened up with me. Two weeks ag,o she didn't say anything except "hi" and now she is sharing with me how she is struggling in school! Such a blessing she is to me.
Also, now that is October, we will be launching into the Christmas program. We have most of it planned already, but we will start getting the kids involved now. This is going to be such an awesome time of sharing Christ with all who come. Some of the kids' parents come to this event, so please be praying for their hearts! And ours as well! 
Well, I guess that is all I have for now. I am thinking of you all and hoping you are all doing well! Remember: The Lord is faithful when we seek Him out!
Love you,
Rachel