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“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” ~ Galatians 5:16

 

Greetings from India dear Sister!

Ted and I are serving the Lord with Brother Gideon in the tiny village of Putar-I-cannot-spell-the-rest-of-it, near the slightly larger village that is actually on the map, called BirPura.

The above verse describes well the attitude I have had to maintain since we woke to catch our first flight to JFK on 12/30/24. I am a planner, and from nearly the first hour of dragging myself from my warm bed, nothing has gone to (my) plan. Multiply that times 1,000 once we reached India, many many many sleepless hours later.

Just the travel was a real test of my flesh; it was uncomfortable, it was inconvenient. But our intrepid guide kept reminding us of the blessing of our goal. In fact, it was kind of annoying how cheerfully he put up with hardship.

Somewhere along the way, the Lord reminded me that His grace is sufficient for me. I started to think of all that missionaries have sacrificed and suffered for the sake of bringing the Gospel to the remote places where I am visiting generations of Believers now. I thank God for their vision and passion!

My purpose of coming was to encourage them, but they have been far more an encouragement to my spirit. I see joy where life is difficult. I see peace even in trouble. I see hope where it is still unrealized. I see Believers standing for truth even in the midst of persecution; reaching out to their neighbors to help or to sustain.

They are blessed, but not because their flesh is gratified. They are abiding in the presence of God, who provides all their needs and more, so that they may share with their community the goodness of God! What a testimony!

We attended a family wedding that seemed like something straight out of the Gospels. It was a 2 day ceremony, celebration and feast! All were invited! First the families of the bride & groom, then the friends, then the neighbors and any that cared to come to fill the tables! The food was never ending ( 2 days worth ) the banquet ‘hall’ was filled! It didn’t matter the social status or rich or poor. All the Bhuddists, Hindus and unbelievers heard two days worth of preaching, prayers, blessings, the truth of God’s Word, edifying music and had their bellies filled at the expense of the generosity of the hosts. They used the occasion of their childrens’ marriage to witness to their relatives, friends & neighbors the love that God has for them. What a beautiful testimony!

When I first started praying about this trip I was focused only on myself. What would I say? How would I appear to others? What would I do? I started out depending on Brother Gideon for concrete directions, but, as it turns out, he is more of a walk by the Spirit kind of guy. So, as a child, I am growing in listening less to my flesh ( ‘What if...? What if...?’) and learning to recognize more clearly the voice of my Abba, who is taking very good care of me.

I am looking forward to coming home and sharing the richness of this experience with you, but until then, Brother Gideon has much for me to do. Please remember to pray for me as I step out into deeper ministry (gah!) this week!

God bless you my sister! Jaymasee! (Praise the Lord!)

Much love, your sister,

Celeste