Thank you for your prayers. I am SO delighted that you are walking with me on this journey, it wouldn’t be the same without each one of you. The Southeast Asia team and I are so thankful for your prayers for us, and we know these prayers make a profound difference in this mission outreach. We have been doing an assortment of ministry: visiting villages and teaching songs, helping with tutoring, handing out medicine supplies at another village where there is no doctor, doing dramas/programs, and praying with people. Here in Kalimpong I see that the answers to prayers we had been praying back in New Zealand asking Jesus to let us be a part of His physically healing people. We are praying for people and they are being healed, by God’s grace. I know these are so special and the people who come forward for prayer are walking into divine appointments set up by God. We are also sharing testimonies and teachings at churches. Later today we are going for a prayer walk as the majority of the population are Hindu and Buddhism.
We were doing a bible study here with the Mercy Ministry staff and we were reading through Philippians, such a beautiful letter from Paul. I am reminded from chapters three and four that we are citizens, not of this world, but of heaven. In being a citizen in heaven that means taking my cues and looking to God for how to react in situations and circumstances rather than looking to others or the world. Sometimes I will do something, and I wonder why did I just do that? Who told me? Was it the media? A person that I think is cool? Or maybe a book that I read? Was it the bible? God?
Noelle and I were waiting in the pharmacy. I felt a little pressure because Rachel was in charge of getting groceries and Anna wanted to buy a shirt not wait around. Places to go, people to see. Rachel, Anna, and Sara went to the ATM while Noelle and I waited to get the multivitamins and vitamin c chewable tabs. As I watched the crowd before me I saw an aspect of Indian culture that wasn’t going to be easy for me. The crowd was organic with individuals surging forward in a pattern I could not see, but appeared to be cutting one another off. The survival of the quickest as prescriptions where filled and orders placed with the clerks behind the counter. I was debating in my head about stepping forward. Not really sure how to process the woman who had just cut me off from being the next person to be helped. In my mind I was wondering if I needed to cut others off? Was this was a part of the culture that I was going to have to begin to do? In the states we are all very careful to be fair about who is next and wait in line for one another. Coming from the south I like very much to hold the door open for the people behind me, and let people go ahead in the checkout lines. I asked Noelle what she thought. Her response was so beautiful to me, “I’m not going to start running forward. I’d rather wait all day.” She looks to the Lord for answers, and doesn’t react to the crowd. This answer sat so well on my spirit that I stepped back and smiled. Do you know what happened next? The guy behind the counter asked me what I needed just next regardless of the woman who had stepped in front of me. Learning a little bit more about processes and the journey God has me on. Learning more and more to take my cues from our amazing God and not from the culture around me—regardless of what it is doing. I’m trying an experiment where I implement pauses to see what my instinct is to react to an event or occurrence and then to allow myself the freedom to make new and often better choices.
Big hugs, love, and blessings from Kalimpong! I miss you!
:o)
Carla
