Christmas Catalog online
I just saw this and thought it was beautiful. I’m pretty excited about our Christmas Gift Catalog. A lot of work has gone into putting this catalog (and web page) together. I think our graphics and web departments did such a fantastic job (but then again, I could be biased. ;))! I hope y’all enjoy it. If you want a free catalog to look through, you can order one at the site.
I’m so ready for the Christmas season!!! =D
Indian food day with my mentor family!
Last Saturday I got together with my mentor family and a friend/coworker to cook some Indian food. I was super excited for this day to come (I had waited almost a month for it. haha!). I had never had Indian food until that day, so this was my first experience with it. We tried to make it taste authentic, but somewhere along the way we forgot to add the spices that give it that extra kick. It still turned out pretty good! Here are a few photos from that day. All thanks goes to my GFA brother Alex for these pics. =)
Me and my mentor, Wendy, putting some yummy marinated chicken on skewers. (I’m wearing a “modified” punjabi under that apron! It was cold, so I wore a sweater under it. =))
Upclose and personal with the chicken. It was so delicious!
We had daal, chicken tikka marsala, some extremely good potato dish that I forget the name of, and rice pudding.
Here it is–all ready to eat!
All of us having a good time eating and fellowshiping! This is my mentor family and some fellow brothers from GFA. (It looks like the flash was too bright for my eyes. haha!)
SEND!
Check out this sweetness: GFA’s SEND! magazine is now online. =D
a grand idea!
Well…maybe it’s not so grand, per se, BUT it is an idea…and one worth trying out that might produce some abundant fruit.
The prelude to how I begot this idea (I truly give credit to the Lord for it, btw): There’s been a thought that has been plaguing me for quite some time now. I try to push it aside, but the Lord won’t let me shake it off.
“If today was my last day––if this was my last moment––would this be how I want to spend it?”
I guess I’ve been struggling with wanting to do more. I wouldn’t trade the work I do at GFA for anything. When I am there, there really isn’t any other place I would rather be. But when 5:30 p.m. rolls around, and it’s time to leave the office, I can’t help but think, “I should be doing more.”
I don’t want my “duty” as a Christian to end at 5:30 p.m.! I want to continue reaching the lost––even if they’re not in South Asia! There are lost souls roaming this earth all around me. Why can’t I try and help them, too?
I know that I know that I’m reaching millions of people across the globe, but what about that guy riding his bike across the Josey and Hebron intersection who almost got hit by a car? Or that girl whose car ran out of gas in the turning lane right across the street from a gas station? Do they know the Lord? And why am I content just sitting in my car watching them as I listen to Christian music, doing diddly squat to find out if they do or don’t? Cmon!
If I don’t die peacefully in my sleep when I’m an old lady, then I want my very last moment to be in service to my King, reaching out to as many people as I possibly can. Or at least knowing without a shadow of a doubt that I did my hardcore best in proclaiming His name and living a life that made Him proud.
I can’t bear the thought of standing before the Lord on Judgment Day and Him showing me all the people I have helped reach and right next to them the growing number of people who I could have reached who were living less than 10 miles from me.
And as that thought of “If today was my last day––if this was my last moment––would this be how I want to spend it?” harassed me today, this idea popped into my head:
Go out into the streets and hand out Bibles. Highlight portions of Scripture. Write notes. Pass them out. And let God do His thing.
I strongly believe in the power of His Word. I don’t think man needs to add anything. Just let the Scriptures speak for themselves. Let God’s voice be the one they hear.
I often wonder what would happen if people who did outreach evangelism would leave out their own words and just read Scripture to people. Or instead of busting out the “bullhorn,” simply play the Bible on audio.
He promised His Word would not come back empty. Now I just have to do my part.
Sept. 2009 Newsletter
Here you go! Hope you enjoy. Pass it on to friends and family!
Gracias. =)
India placed on “watch list”
Please continue to keep our brothers and sisters in India in your prayers. They’re suffering in a way our minds can’t even grasp.
Church Sweet Church
I’ve been learning a lot about the importance of church buildings in Asia lately. For the past two days I’ve dived into a pretty significant assignment that can mean hundreds of more church buildings being erected in South Asia, giving believers a place to call their own.
There are so many elements to a church building that Westerners are unaware of. In the Asian culture, a building represents importance. If a religion has no building where people can gather to worship, then it’s not seen as an official religion. Most fellowships are started in people’s homes because there is no building for them to congregate in. And until they get a church building, their worship is usually seen as a disturbance among the villagers.
Locations are often changed because of threats or the fellowship become so large that people begin to overflow into porches and yards—an obvious clue to move elsewhere.
Some home groups end up spending years cramped in a small hut until the resources and funding for a building are acquired.
Having a permanent place to call their own also brings respect and honor to the believers.
This group of Christians in Nepal encountered hostility from the leaders of the traditional religions in the village. A new believer was threatened with excommunication after donating his land to build a new church building. But the Christians persevered, and after three long years of building, they finally had a place to worship. The religious leaders in the village saw their endurance and came to the realization that the “Christians had a real God who had provided their needs.”
It’s incredible to see the hand of God in the simple things we take for granted. He used the believers’ faith, perseverance and even a simple church building to bring glory to His name and draw more people to Him.
