Losing Life

SURPRISE!.... from God

While we were in India, we prayed for the next team of women from Ohio who would be coming in September to do two more Women With a Mission conferences.  Tuesday, I had a conference call meeting with the team I traveled to India with and we prayed for the Ohio team again.  Then our leader, Belinda, sent us their names and their itinerary so we could pray more specifically for them..they leave Saturday.

Wednesday, I am at the church office and a woman comes in and says she is looking for Janet.  She introduces herself as Michelle, one of the women leaving for India on Saturday.  I say, "isn't your team from Ohio?"  She says, "yes, all but me, I live in Aurora, about 10 minutes from here."  Then she says, "Wasn't your whole team from Kansas City?"  I say, "yes, mostly, but I live here." And then I add "I've been praying for YOU!!" 

Her neighbor, Glenna, who attends my church, heard about her upcoming trip and told her about this blog....so she found me.

God smiled and said "surprise!"  Michelle and I laughed and cried and prayed and agreed to meet again when she comes back.

God is so, so funny!

Curriculum night

This is my 3rd time to sit through curriculum night for 1st grade at Elmwood school.  By now, I know what they are going to say, I know about the gym shoes and the art shirt and the healthy morning snack.  So to entertain myself, while walking in the school, I decide to pray "God, if you want me to have a conversation with someone, if you want to use me tonight, I am willing and available."  (This prayer based on my recent read of Bill Hybels' book, Just Walk Across the Room.) 

I had some pretty normal not so significant conversations.  But the difference was, I was present.  I cared.  I usually am just thinking about what I need to be doing at home and how fast can I get out of here.  My introvert, limited relational energy self, felt something for people.  Like perhaps God will use me to speak to someone tonight.  Cause He really cares about them....even if I am so lame that I only care about myself.

So about 5 just normal conversations...and then one spectacular conversation.  About life and priorities and God and family.  God is so amazing....He really does love people.

Progess not Perfection

"Progress not Perfection"  A saying I picked up from the recovery community, seems to resonate with my small group coaches (leaders who disciple, encourage and develop small group leaders).  It seems we have been walking a fine line between expectations and reality.  We recently came up with a list of expectations for small group coaches and leaders.  In an ideal, textbook world, these expectations would be accomplished every month and my small group leaders and coaches would be PERFECT.  Guess what, myself included, perfection is a rare perhaps non-existent commodity (unless you are Jesus).  So recently, in a heart to heart meeting with a few small group coaches, we agreed that it is the end game that counts....how you get there is flexible.

This "end game" idea seems to be helping small group coaches stay on the team, join the team and feel successful in using their gifts for the kingdom.  Cause truth be told,  I am recruiting "A" players at the coaching level. And guess what?  "A" players are used to winning and they want to keep winning.  If they feel they can't check off the list of expectations every time, every month, they don't want to let anyone down, and they don't want to play.  So this is where the idea of the end game was generated...it's not so much about how we get there....as long as we are accomplishing the end game.

What's the end game of small group coaching you ask?  Small group leaders who feel recognized, encouraged, listened to, prayed for discipled and CHALLENGED.

Progress towards that end game....that's a WIN for us.

Pictures...finally

  Flowers given to team at first conference at Chandrapur

If you say "Let's Pray"  these women took that literally and all started praying outloud at the same time....loudly. 

OT and Me: Esther - being translated into Tamil - one of 17 languages spoken in India.

Check out my punjabee...sp? Traditional Indian outfit for women.

The woman of Chandrapur.  Over 100 said "yes" to the challenge of reaching 2 women each month for the next year with the gospel.

Dedication of a church building - called a "Life Center."  Donated by a USA family for $7,000.  It is used throughout the week for preschool classes, mobile medical services and job training for women.

Children at the orphanage in Salem, India.  Their stay in the orphanage is sponsored by families in the U.S.  270 children are currently on the campus.

Home Safe...or NOT

Life with God is never safe.  Safety says:

• do not be in Sri Lanka during guerilla fighting civil war
• do not be in Colombo during bomb blasts
• US department says - do not be in Mumbai on Aug. 15th - India's Independence day - high alert

Makes me think about the Narnia quote... "is Aslan safe?  No, he isn't safe, but he is good."

I want to be brave...not safe.

Easy to say now as I sit in the "safety" of my own living room.

Thanks again for storming the heavens with your prayers for us.  I felt them greatly. 

Pictures to come.....

Tsunami

We walked along the beach this morning here in Negombo.  Belinda shared with us some stories of the Tsunami.  She was here shortly after the Tsunami to provide grief counseling and support.  As we walked along the beach she said that up until February 2005 people were coming to the beach in the morning to see the bodies that were washing up looking for their loved ones.  The orphanage yesterday was almost more then I could take.  The eyes of the kids were still so sad.  They were celebrating the 10th birthday of one little girl.  The kids sang a song for us.  You know the one... "the Lord said to Noah, there's going to be a floody, floody....get those kids out of the muddy, muddy...rise and shine and give God the glory."  So many children were orphaned...and this pastor and his wife who took in these 11 children, are teaching them to give God the glory.  The pastor and wife are trying to expand their space to increase the amount of children they can take.  The place they live now is so humble and small and they do church in the large room of the house.  He showed us around the house, even the outdoor bathroom.  Simple and humble and very few possessions. 

As I looked at the little kids, some Judiann's age, I thought about how much I was missing her and how these kids were missing their parents like I was missing Judiann...but there was no end for them.  Ouch. 

People here in Sri Lanka discover we are from America and they say "your country helped us so much during the Tsunami." 

It is 9:30am in the morning and we will leave for the airport soon.  Thanks for your prayers for our travel and for peace for us.  I am feeling so much more peaceful about the travel today.  I feel your prayers, I don't know how to thank you all.

Hopefully there will be pictures soon to come when we can get wireless in Atlanta.  Love to all...see you son.

A new level of trust

Every step of this journey, I have had to find a new level of trust in God.  I have prayed more in the last two weeks then probably ever before in my life.  I am now feeling desperate to get home.

Please pray specifically for our flights.  We leave Colombo tomorrow at 2:00ish.  Several flights local and then out of Mumbai later in the evening. Thanks for your prayers.  I cannot tell you how much I appreciate them.  I feel comfort knowing you are praying for us.  I feel good about God's soverignty, but I need peace.  So you can pray for peace.

We don't see signs of the fighting here in Sri Lanka.  We haven't seen anything out of the ordinary...well what in the world is ordinary?!  I have no idea.  We hear bits and peices of what is going on.

Shopping was just okay today...I really didn't care about buying anything.  Now, I just want to get  home!!

The good news is the IGL loves and cares for us so well. They are encouraging us every step of the way and are so grateful we have come.  Pradi specifically invited CCC pastors to come for the pastors conference here in Salem.  Dave?  Troy?  Anyone?  Bring it!  You won't believe this place and the miraculous work of God here.  Troy...on 2nd thought, not you, I am not letting you out of my sight for a while.

Pray us home.

Aug. 13th

Hands down my favorite thing about this trip has been visiting churches.  It is just a joy to see Christ followers worshiping.  It is so fun to see pastors who love their country and have such a passion for their people.  Only 3% of this country considers themselves Christian.  I have been looking everywhere for a cross to purchase for my wall at home.  There is just none to be found.  No market for it I guess.  I could have bought a thousand statues of god's or Buddha.  So these pastors and these churches are in the minority for sure. But the number of churches and Christ followers is growing and God is doing great things here in Sri Lanka!

The country of course is at civil war...I have learned a lot about that and what is going on from the pastors who are traveling with us.  Very interesting.

The worship today at the church was great.  I can't wait to share the pictures with you.  Belinda had a great message and then everyone got on their knees for communion and Belinda served communion along with the pastors.  It was an extremely moving experience for me and I think the whole team.

The elephant orphanage was really cool.  Funny to see these crazy animals that God created.  We had some good times on the bus today...laughing at Cassandra and her fear of bridges.  We learned a song in Tamil - one of the major languages in India.  Of course, India has 17 languages...and many more dialects.  And in Sri Lanka they speak Sinhalese.  So even on a normal day, church services are translated into more than one language...and when we are there, there is two translations going on.

The last conference we did had around 400 women.  The place was packed out.  We ate with the women at the conference...usually we leave the conference and go to the hotel to eat, but couldn't do that on this particular day.  The food was just down right scary.  I don't mean to be ungrateful, but there is just no other way to say it.  The rice smells like water that has been sitting stagnant in the backyard for weeks.  Judy was just green.  We tried very hard to be gracious, we ate some of the vegetables and chicken, but none of us could stomach the rice. 

The people are such servants and treat us like royalty.  It is so humbling.  They have us sit up front for everything and they present us with flowers wherever we go.  They give us gifts and kiss us and ask us to pray for them.  It is really difficult to receive this kind of treatment.  Makes me want to learn to serve people better myself.  We come to serve them, and they serve us.  We come to encourage them and they encourage us.

The Tsunami victims orphanage is tomorrow.  Then shopping for the rest of the day....then Tuesday we get on the plane.

We are all feeling well.  Liz is better.  And no more car travel for Judy.

Please pray for safety in air travel.  I will be on 6 planes before arriving home. 

Please love us when you see us, in spite of how we smell.  I think it will take weeks for us to air out.   Except Judy, who has kept her going home outfit sealed in a plastic bag.  She opened it only once to spray perfume in it.  She always out does me, I just can't keep up with her.

Big Buddha

This is Troy blogging again for Janet.  I talked with her on the cell phone today and it sounded like she was next door.  Yesterday they completed their last women's conference.  They had some extra time so they spent impromptu time training the leaders.  Janet was able to share the Jethro principle of structure and coaching and also the 2 Timothy 2:2 principle of leadership development and apprenticeship.  It was really fun she said.

They are in Kandy Sri Lanka.  It was an adventurous 4 hour bus trip up narrow, winding mountain roads.  Whew!!!  The place is beautiful, but Buddha is everywhere.    The Giant Buddha on the hill is huge.   Janet likened it to the monuments in DC. 

Tomorrow they go to a church where Belinda will speak and then the visit a children's orphanage and elephant orphanage  before beginning the trek home.

Aug. 8,9, 10

I am beginning this post for a second time.  I had it almost done and we lost power.  That happens a lot here.  Several times a day.  I am sitting in an internet cafe in Negombo, Sri Lanka.  We feel safe here.  But I can tell that the pastors and hosts are very careful with us. Telling us to not go anywhere alone, etc.  We had a great conference today.  Some of the women at the conference were from the fighting areas.  They were very open to receiving any encouragement we had for them.  We called them to be bold and courageous for the kingdom.  They were quite responsive.  It was such a priviledge to be used by God in their lives when they are facing such challenging times.

It is beautiful here on the beach, but the town is full of poverty as in India.  We are staying on the beach in a hotel where the food is better. "thank you Jesus" Cassandra says.

Tomorrow we travel to Kandy...a 4 hour drive through windy mountain roads.  Pray for Judy. Then we do a conference on Saturday, a church visit on Sunday, sight seeing on Monday and begin home on Tuesday.

Please pray for our continued safety here in Sri Lanka.  Also pray for Liz who spent the day in bed resting as she is not feeling her best.

oh, when you hear the trees moving above you, it is not a breeze, it is the monkeys.  Smile.

Better go, it is costing 5 rupees a minute here at the internet cafe.  I have no idea how much that is. 

Love to all.