SERVE India

Hello e-pray friends!
Spring! & celebrating Resurrection Day!! New life!! What a blessing to belong to our Lord Who has given us all these!!
We are hopeful that John will be coming in the next few weeks… not sure yet… I haven’t had much of a chance to talk with him lately but I know that he is still working on the same projects so please keep praying for John for wisdom & the Lord’s clear guidance for many decisions concerning the land sale, the teacher training school, & the purchase of a fishing boat for one of the fishing villages that was affected by the cyclone.
We really love sharing the thoughts of those who have spent time in India with us, seeing the beauty of what the Lord is doing there and telling a little of their experience!

Thoughts from Courtney…

It’s hard to believe that it has been over two months since we were in India where all of these memories took place. Though the trip was quite some time ago, I still almost weekly have the opportunity to share with others the things the Lord is doing there and how we experienced the Lord on our trip. Something that struck me our first full day in India and then throughout the rest of the trip was the act of baptisms. The first Sunday that we were in India we went to Pastor Titus’ church and we got to witness five brothers and sisters get baptized. One of the men was a father and grandfather to two women who I was able to connect with. They were filled with so much excitement that he was taking a step in showing his faith and committing his life to Christ. For me, watching these brothers and sisters a) go into the ocean, which is a place they never enter and to many is a scary place, especially considering this village was hit hard from the recent cyclone, and, b) committing their lives to the Lord and understanding that they are opening themselves up to the possibility of persecution, which is more of a reality in India than here in the USA, was a beautiful experience. An experience that left me amazed as I saw many more brothers and sisters commit their lives to following the Lord throughout the following weeks.
This persecution that they may face is one that is unimaginable to me as we have the freedom to live out our faith without the possibility of being persecuted for what we believe. The many brothers and sisters I witnessed dedicate their lives, face this fear and to me is a whole new level of dedication. It makes me evaluate and think about whether I would have been so bold to follow God living in a place where death is a reality. Now, two months later, I still am in awe of the boldness and strength these brothers and sisters have. It encourages me to evaluate how much I am really allowing the Lord to have sovereignty over my life and how much I truly trust him. Something that I am so thankful to have witnessed and experienced.
This trip was one that no matter how many months distancing me from the experience, I will be continued to be challenged, and I will be praying fervently for the Christians in India that the Lord fills them with His comfort, strength, and peace and that through them His glory will continue to shine.
I also just want to thank those of you who support SERVE India and the Nanda’s for your support, prayer, and continued prayer. Many moments on the trip I felt all of the prayers and knew that God heard them and was answering them. Your prayers are so needed and I am grateful for all of the support and the opportunity to spend time in India serving the Lord and being served as well. THANK YOU again!
We hope this also encourages you! Thank you so much for your continued love & care for us, & especially for your prayer! Happy Resurrection Day!!!

His joy, Much love,
The Nanda’s