My plan versus His plan

Flexibility.
It was a word the Lord put on my heart a few months before we left for India.
I thought I understood it, and I figured it wouldn’t be easy.
But little did I know how hard it would really be…

It was our third day working in the villages.
The first two days had been incredible! 
We had seen crowds of 150+ and had shared the gospel with
approximately 400 people in just two short days.
We had been to two different villages and the people had been very open,
wanting to hear more about Jesus.

{sharing the Gospel with 150+ people in front of the Hindu temple in the middle of the village}

{sharing health education at the first village we visited}

This trip was a church-planting mission, and that was our goal.
Go to unreached villages that didn’t currently have a church,
find “persons of peace” who were either believers or seekers and
start a sat-sang (or small group) in their home.
The local pastors that we were working with would then
follow up with those small groups after we left,
with the hope that they would become house churches
in the future.
This was our mission.
Our goal.
This is what we had been training and preparing for months to do.
And we were excited and ready to DO IT!!

And I might just add that I am a goal person.
I like checklists.
I like a clear plan of action.
Show me the vision...and I am ready to make it happen!

So after two days of fruitful ministry in two different 

unreached villages, we were feeling good.
We were on track.
We had identified “persons of peace” in each village.
Now it was time to go back and gather a group in those homes.
Meet with them and show them how to have their own sat-sang (or truth fellowship).
We had several tools available and we were excited to share
these tools with the people. 
Things were going according to plan.
And we were excited about what God was doing!

And then it all came to a screeching halt.
It was the morning of our third day and as we rode in the taxi to the local pastor’s house, 

we had time to talk with our translators and make a plan of action for the day.  

Chris and I had talked the night before, and we were really excited about some 

of the connections that had been made the prior two days. 
We were ready to do some follow up work!
We only had a total of four days of ministry in the villages,
 so we were already half-way through and we were feeling the time crunch.
We felt like our last two days needed to be focused on the connections we had already made if we were going to leave behind small groups with a strong foundation.
As soon as we pulled up to the local pastors house, I immediately knew that something was different.  The local pastor was standing out at the street ready to greet us, but he had two men 

with him that we had never seen before.
A lot of talking took place between them and our translators and next thing we knew, 

these two men jumped in our taxi and we took off.
At this point, I could feel the panic setting in.  

I had no idea who these men were...but I had a pretty good idea 

that we weren’t heading where we had planned!  And I would be lying 

if I said I was ok with it.  Because I wasn’t!

 There was a battle raging inside me.   I could feel the anxiety and frustration setting in as I saw our well-intentioned plans going out the window, and I realized we had lost control of the situation.  Even as I type this, I realize how selfish it sounds.  This trip wasn't about me and my "plans".  And I knew that!  Yet, my focus on the goal had taken my eyes off God and where He was leading that morning.  His heart for the people of India was SO MUCH bigger than any plans we could put together.  As I was processing everything and still trying to figure out a way to get us "back on track", Chris gently squeezed my hand and encouraged me to take a deep breath...and after some resistance, I finally let go.  Chris reminded me that God had a bigger plan and we had to trust, and of course I then remembered that word.  Flexibility.  It sounds good and spiritual...until you suddenly have to let go of something that feels so right.  A plan that you have worked on, and prayed about, and invested your time and energy into.  It becomes part of your identity.  This is when the real test comes.  If God asks us to let go and move a different direction, can we do it?  Will we fight and scream and kick our feet?  Or will we recognize that His plan is ultimately the best?  Even if we don’t understand it at the time, following Him will ALWAYS bring a much better result 

than anything we could ever plan or put together on our own. 

So after some internal kicking and screaming, I finally let go and trusted that God was in control and knew what needed to happen.  {And I might add that my internal turmoil probably would have been a lot more vocal if I didn't have a language barrier to deal with...looking back I am sure that was part of God's plan!!}  As we spoke to the new men, we found out they were part of a group of four pastors that were currently working to reach 32 different villages.  They had arranged for us to visit three of the villages, and really needed some encouragement in the work they were doing. 

And what a delightful day it turned out to be!
The very first village that we visited was a remote, farming community.  The pastors informed us that a group was expecting us and had been waiting for two hours.  As we showed up at the house, we saw about 30-40 women gathered in a courtyard. 

 Once Chris saw the group, he handed it over to me and I had one of the most special times of the whole trip.  I shared the story of the woman at the well {John 4} and the women were captivated.  They hung on every word and later told me they had never heard the story before. 

At the end of the story, when I asked if any of them would like to have this living water...all of them raised their hands, with most of them raising both arms in the air.  It was an incredible sight!  I then went through the Gospel story to make sure they understood what I was asking and when I asked who wanted to ask Jesus into their lives...again every woman raised her hand, with many raising both arms straight up.  I can’t even begin to express the special connection I had with that group of women.  The Holy Spirit was so tangible, and I was overcome with that feeling of being exactly where God wanted me at that very moment, sharing exactly what He had for those women.

And it makes me shudder to think that I could have missed that moment if I had held on to my “plans” and resisted the direction that God had for us.

Flexibility.
That word came to life for me that day.
I saw what God can do when we serve Him with open hands and a willingness to go 

WHEREVER and WHENEVER He leads.
Does this mean that we stop making plans?
No...at least that is not what I took away that day. 
It wasn't my plans, but my tight grip on those plans that hindered God.
God gives us gifts and abilities, and I think we should use them to further His kingdom.
However, when God leads in a direction different than what we have planned and organized...will we resist or will we follow?  Will we trust that He knows best even if we don't understand it?

I know that I will have a lot more opportunities to practice flexibility.
But I will always remember that beautiful day in a remote village of India.
When I saw God touch a group of women because I was willing to follow Him 

in a different direction than I had planned.
He delighted me with a special experience that I will never forget!

India Video

A video with some of our team's India pictures:

India 2012 from Shelley Arizmendi on Vimeo.

Pooja

In a small courtyard outside her one room house, Pooja sits on the concrete floor cutting out material for a new top.  Laying on a blanket next to her is the 6 week old baby trying to nap while flies cover her exposed face and arms.  Pooja confesses that she is worried about her baby who spits up excessively every time she eats, and she asks for prayer.  I try to reassure this new mom that it is not uncommon for babies to spit up, but when I find out that she suffered 7 miscarriages before having this first baby I have a new perspective.  My heart fills with compassion for this mom who simply wants her precious baby to be healthy.  Despite the strikingly different lives we lead, we have two important things in common - we both love Jesus and we are both moms.  And this provides an almost instant heart connection between us.  Pooja lives right next door to the local Indian pastor that we are working with, so I see her and her baby almost every day.

We spend time talking, laughing and praying.  She asks questions about America and I ask questions about her life in India.  She teaches me a game they play with rocks (similar to our game of jacks) and they laugh as I attempt to play.  She pulls out her traditional Indian jewelry that she wore for her wedding and dresses me up.  Her and her friends giggle as they tell me I look like a newly married Indian girl!

I pray over the new jewelry business she is starting in her home, and I promise her that I will continue to pray for her and her baby when I go home.  By the end of the week, my heart is breaking as I tell her goodbye.  She asks when I will come back and tells me I need to bring my boys next time.  All the while, I am trying to figure out how I can pack up my family and move to India.  People have asked me if I fell in love with India.  My answer is yes...but it is not the country of India, but the people of India who have stolen my heart. 

 

 My encounter with Pooja gave me a small glimpse into the heart of God and His love for all people of all nations.  God broke my heart for the people of India and all the struggles they face everyday.  And while Pooja was a believer who loved Jesus, there were so many other Indian women I met who didn't have that hope.  Their homes were filled with idols and they were desperate for something to fill the void in their lives.  They strived in vain to please the numerous Hindu gods they worshiped, yet they didn't have a relationship with the one, true God that could truly transform their life.

While I may not ever see Pooja again in this life, I have hope knowing I will see her again in eternity.  And I pray for all the Indians who heard the Gospel this last week, some for the very first time.  I pray that I will one day see them as we all worship before the throne of God!

Prayer Calendar

We will be leaving for India tomorrow morning, and it is a little hard to believe that the time is here!   However, we have been preparing for this time for months and we are ready to GO and see what God has in store for us and the rest of the team. 

e3 has prepared the following prayer calendar for our trip.  It gives you an idea of what we will be doing each day, along with some prayer guidelines.  We recognize that prayer is one of the most important and crucial aspects of this trip, and we covet your prayers for us and the rest of the team!

Thank you for being a part of our team, and making it possible for us to follow the 

call of God to GO into the ends of the earth!

Chris & Jennifer Adams

{for more information on our trip, click on the "India" tab at the top of this blog
and for current prayer needs, click the "Prayer Requests" tab}

The countdown begins...

Plane tickets...check.

Passports...check.

Visa applications submitted...check.

Long list of vaccines needed...time to start working on those!

With only 5 weeks left until we leave for India, we are starting to shift into high gear as we prepare.  I won't lie, the checklists are a little overwhelming at this point!  We have both been on mission trips before, but nothing like this.   And while we have heard a little from friends who have been to India, there are still a lot of unknowns.  Will the villages we visit be open to us and our message?  How will they receive us?  Will this be the first time they have heard the Gospel?  And then there are the practical things.  Just exactly how hot and humid will it be?  Will the food make us sick?  These are just a few of the many thoughts that have been swirling around in my head.  It is a curious mixture of excitement and anxiety at this point and I expect that will only increase in the weeks ahead!

Despite all of this, we are really excited to see what God has planned for us and the rest of team!  We learned at our last team meeting that the exact location where we will be ministering is still up in the air.  Apparently the district that last year's team visited and where we were originally planning to go has encountered some opposition lately.  As a result, it looks like we will be going to a different district which is an hour further by train.  This new district has over 100,000 people in more than 50 villages with only 35-40 Christians.  Most of these Christians are new believers and the handful of leaders there told our contact that they have been praying for 2 years for some outside help and encouragement.  This honestly blew my mind.  To imagine these precious believers crying out to God for help and encouragement, and that God could potentially use our team as an answer to their prayers.  It is humbling and sobering, and makes me fall on my face before God.  We simply want to be willing and obedient vessels that God can use!

Over the next few weeks, we will be practicing with some of the materials that we will have in the field.  This includes the e3 evangecube (you can read more about it here), as well as some health related tools for HIV and malaria.  Please be praying for us as we practice and learn how to use these tools!

God has been so faithful to provide the funds needed for our trip!  This has been a real faith walk for us and we have been reminded once again of God's goodness.  He always provides in His perfect timing...not any sooner and not any later!  He has really strengthened our faith in this area and we are so grateful for all of you that have partnered with us!!  We still need another $500 or so to help cover the costs of our vaccines.  If you would like to make a donation, you can do that here.

Please be praying for all the preparations that need to be done in the next few weeks.  We will continue to keep you updated as the trip grows closer.

Called and ready to GO!
Chris & Jennifer

{for more information on our trip, click on the "India" tab at the top of this blog
and for current prayer needs, click the "Prayer Requests" tab}

The Gift of Water

Clean water.

Safe water.

We don't even think about it when we turn on the faucet.

We expect the water to be safe and clean.

We don't worry about possible illness or parasites with every sip of water.

But for 884 million people in the world,

clean and safe water is not accessible.

As a result, 1.4 million children die every year from water-borne illnesses.

That is one child every 20 seconds!

In India, it is estimated that 23% of communicable diseases

are related to unsafe water.

But we can make a difference!

As we prepare for our trip to India this summer, our desire is to bring the gift of clean water to the villages that we visit. For a mere $60, we can buy a water filter and bucket that can provide clean and safe water for a family for 10+ years. You can read more about the water filter here.

We hope to hand deliver as many of these filters as possible during our visit. If you would like to donate one (or more) water filter sets, you can drop us a check or you can send us money via paypal here .

All money designated for this will go 100% towards providing

water filters for the people of India.

**We will do our best to get a picture of each Indian family that receives one of these donated water filters. If you are able to donate a filter, we hope to send you a picture of the family that receives your filter so that you can pray for them.

Thank you for being a part of this mission!
Chris and Jennifer

Working those faith muscles...

Everything about this trip has been a faith test so far. How in the world can we raise that kind of money? Should we be gone away from our two young boys for that long? Should we BOTH go? Can we afford two weeks off work when we run our own business? And on and on it goes...

At the beginning of the year, I prayed for God to give me a word for 2012: a sense of direction for what He had in store. I have never been good at new years resolutions. I always get hit with the bug to make some resolutions, but actually seeing them through is a different story! So I loved the idea of having a "word" for the year. It was about mid-January when I felt God really showed me my word for 2012 and it was "surrender". Surrendering my dreams, my hopes, my pride, my fears. Really laying it all down and letting God do what He wanted to do in my life. I knew it was going to be painful at times {and to be honest I did have some discussions with God about the possibility of a different word!}, but at the same time I was excited about the transformation He could work if I would truly take the word to heart and surrender. It wasn't long after He gave me the word that Chris and I felt called to go on this trip to India. And the test of surrender began in full force! I can't say He didn't warn me.

The biggest test up to now has been the finances. The simple truth is that mission trips cost money. Airfare, lodging, food, supplies...it all adds up. There is a part of me that wishes Chris and I were at a place where we could simply pay for it and not have to raise the money. It would make it so much easier! But easy doesn't strengthen my faith. Easy doesn't force me to surrender my pride and give it to God. Easy doesn't give others the opportunity to be a part of this mission by supporting us through prayer and finances. Easy doesn't find me running to God and clinging to Him knowing that He is the only one that can make this happen! If I truly want to live a life of surrender, I have a feeling "easy" won't be the norm!

As we feel our faith muscles being stretched, it has been incredible to see God working in regards to the trip finances.

Just this week, we had donations totaling 33%
of our total trip cost!
GOD IS GOOD!!

We are now almost to the half-way point with our finances and it has definitely boosted our faith. If you would like to view our fundraising page, you can see it at http://www.e3partners.org/adamsfamily.

We know that there will be many more opportunities for surrender and faith building in the weeks and months ahead, but we are so excited to see what God has in store not only for us but for the people of India!

Called to Surrender...
Jennifer

{for more information on our trip, click on the "India" tab at the top of this blog
and for current prayer needs, click the "Prayer Requests" tab}

Let the Adventure Begin...

In a mere 14 weeks, we will hopefully be on a plane to India! It is still hard to believe, but the excitement is definitely building. We had our first team meeting on Sunday and that really helped to make it seem a little more real. We have seven people from our church that are going, and our team leader went on this same trip to India last summer. Although we had heard a little about what the trip will involve, it was great to get some more details about what our days will look like.

One thing we talked about was the translators that will be working with us. We will each have our own personal translator while we are there, but what I didn't realize was that they are on a mission trip themselves! We will be ministering to remote villages in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is in northern India. Our translators will actually be Indian Christians from large cities in southern India. They are taking time off so they can travel to northern India and work with us. I love the idea that we will be ministering alongside native Indians to reach their own people...both of us leaving our comfort zones to spread the Good News of the Gospel!

Our team from church will be joining a larger team from e3 partners. Our e3 leader told us that simply being there opens up great doors for the local Indian Christians and pastors. The village people will be more receptive because we are with them. So I don't have to be a skilled communicator or have all the answers, I simply have to be obedient and available and GO! Isn't that all God asks of us anyway?

Ready and willing to go...
Jennifer

{for more information on our trip, click on the "India" tab at the top of this blog
and for current prayer needs, click the "Prayer Requests" tab}