Here's the article about India that was published in our church's monthly newsletter.
I'm not
sure how I can summarize everything I experienced on my trip to India in one
newsletter article, but I'm going to try. I had the privilege to go to India
with our first mission team. Our task was to teach at a Missions Conference on
the topic of leadership. The Missions Conference was hosted by India Baptist
Theological Seminary, and the conference attendees were both seminary students
and local pastors and ministers.
The
conference was a wonderful success. We had over 100 people attend, and all of
our mission team members did a wonderful job teaching. My favorite part of the
conference, and the part of the trip that touched me the most, was meeting the
students and ministers. It was amazing to hear story after story about how each
individual had overcome challenges so that they could attend school and
minister to their communities back home. Their determination to share Christ's
love all over India made me realize how much we take for granted here in
America. These women and men have faced adversities I can't even imagine just
to follow their heart and do what God has led them to do.
While
we were in India, we were able to visit children at the Precious Village, an
orphanage where children all over India have come to live. We also were able to
take a river boat tour where lots of families lived along side. While we visited the
children and the local families, we were able to share the gifts that you all
had collected. We gave out candy, crayons, stickers, toys, toothbrushes, and
handmade knitted washcloths just to name a few. Each time we gave someone an
item that you donated, we made sure to let them know they were getting this
because Christ loves them. It made our hearts leap with joy to see these children and
families so excited and so thankful for what they had been given.
As I
write this article, our second mission team has safely landed back in Atlanta.
They too had a successful week of medical clinics and were able to help
hundreds of people who do not have easy access to medical care.
Thank
you to our whole church family for donating supplies, encouraging us as we
prepared for this journey, and for praying for us while we were away. We know
that not only hearts were changed in India, but our hearts were changed for the
better as well.