SERVE India

Hello dear praying friends!
Thank you so much for your faithful prayer & care for us. We could not do it without you!
We are so grateful as it looks for now that our state Andhra Pradesh has finalized the decision to separate into 2 states and everyone is peacefully taking the next steps to move forward. John is hopeful that now he can continue the work on selling the land, and also get back to the application process for the teacher training school. Please pray as he works on these projects! Thank you! :)When I talked with John last week he was not sure about his next trip to S.L. His main contact person would not be able to join him so he was praying about waiting to go another time to make his trip most fruitful. Please continue to pray for the Lord’s direction for how He would like us to be involved with helping with the development of projects in S.L.
We really love to share with you the perspectives of our team members as they share some of their experience in India. We have included thoughts from one of our team members below…

(Thoughts from Stephanie…)

When people ask me about my trip to India…wait…..WHAT!?!?!! Did I really just go to INDIA?!? Yes, and it all started with a surprise texted invitation from Terri Nanda back in early August. Although I have known about the Nanda’s ministry in India for many years, it wasn’t until those few months ago that God’s perfect timing and plan opened the door and paved the way for me to go on what became an amazing, awesome, incredible and unforgettable adventure!!!

I appreciated and echo what Rick shared in last month’s E-Pray letter. I quickly discovered that when asked to share my experiences, I was overwhelmed at knowing where to start but once I did, my stories were unstoppable! There are many highlights but I will try to narrow them down to only a few.

I absolutely loved India- the culture, the people, riding in the auto rickshaws-and so much more! But perhaps even more memorable and meaningful were the more intimate interactions that I had with some of the people. For example, one evening after a church service, a young woman, (who actually spoke some English) and her mother requested prayer because their father and husband abandoned and left them to survive on their own-their names I cannot recall but God does and He promised to never leave them. I won’t forget another woman who with seeming urgency, pulled me away after a church service into her home nearby in order to meet and pray with both she and her husband-I am not even sure of their need but the importance of prayer at that moment was clear. And I’ll never forget the widow who wouldn’t let me leave until I physically laid my hand on top of her obviously infirmed eye for a prayer of healing. I am in awe of her persistent faith.

And the kids!!!!! I will never forget how they made me laugh-so many times-Indian and American kids-so alike in their fullness of joy! I will always remember the cute little boy rolling his rubber-less wheel down the village dirt road. And thanks to a photo I took, the young girls who sang with me on the return boat ride from Hope Island are forever branded on my heart and mind. God truly does make beautiful things out of the dust and out of us.

I really and truly could go on and on! But for now, I will end by thanking God for the honor and privilege of ministering with the Serve India team-all of the team members are amazing people of God and you indeed gave me a “hearty welcome”!! We will always be indebted to those who prayed for us and who sacrificially gave so we could give in return.

Last but not least, if any of you have sensed God’s nudging you toward partnering with Serve India-whether to pray, give financially, or better yet-experience India in person, I ask you to listen to and obey whatever God is asking of you-He will provide for and bless you in ways beyond your imagination!! I am SO GLAD that God allowed me to go. The future is uncertain, but one thing is sure, this trip to India reignited my passion for ministry and for missions and I will forever be humbly grateful for the opportunity.

Thanks so much for your part with us in this work the Lord is doing in India.
We are so grateful for all of you!

In His joy & great love, The Nanda’s