Praising Him

There are so many people. There is so much darkness. It is easy to believe there is no one who truly believes, no one who praises Him with all their hearts.

But, there are. They are here. They are singing His praises and seeking to share His name, to be a light in such a dark place.

Worshipping in a second language and culture has always been somewhat difficult for me. I struggle to keep my mind engaged. I struggle to understand all that is taking place. It is just one of my hard things.

Sunday, I worshipped with a group of fellowships. They meet together every couple of months, and meet in small groups for worship and fellowship weekly.



Let me tell you, these brothers and sisters have a great time praising our Father. I have begun to learn their songs of praise and follow along as the message is shared. This sweet fellowship has allowed me to be part of who they are and what they do. It is so much fun!

On a weekly basis, we are around 25 or 30, but this week, as we met as a group of fellowships, there were 300 or 350, maybe more. Weekly we meet on the front porch of a school, but this week, a building was provided. Let me promise, it was tight in there, with no room to spare (well, actually, there is always room for one more).


I love to sing out praises to our God. I love for my voice to get lost in a sea of voices singing out. Oh, how my cup is filled to overflowing as our amazing God gives so much more than we ask. How I praise Him for the blessings He bestows.

~Heather

It's Raining! It's Pouring!

~Heather

Pothole Lane

A glimpse of what Pothole Lane looks like today:

It is certainly holding up to its name! Just getting home is an adventure.

~Heather

Summer Blurs

The summer season has given way to monsoon season.

I don't really know where the summer went. It whizzed by in a blur.

I do love the rain that has now come. I do not love the humidity or ants that it brings, but I do love the dark clouds and the sounds of children laughing and playing as the rains fall.

This summer has been like no other. It has been absolutely incredible. It has been absolutely exhausting. The Father is so faithful. He is at work!

My summer included many guests. Some came for a couple of weeks, others for a couple of months.

They persevered. They served. They loved. They encouraged. They shared stories to those who had never heard. There is nothing more I could have asked.

They were truly a delight.

~Heather

villages

I love my time in the village.

I love telling stories. I love hearing stories.

I love a slow paced lifestyle. I love that no one knows what time it is.

I love that people are patient with my limited Hindi.

I love that they are eager to hear the stories of truth, stories they have not heard before.

I love that the Father is at work.

I love that the Father is drawing these people unto Himself.

I love that the Father is increasing His number daily.

Most villages have a tube pump that supplies water for the entire village.

The girls love to draw on my hands with henna,

creating designs that serve as a temporary tatoo which lasts for a week, or so.

There is never any telling who will join you on village visits.
( I laugh as I write this. There are pigs 50 yards from my front door now. Sometimes I think I live in the jungle, or on the farm, or at least in a zoo!)

~Heather

transportation

There was quite an array of modes of transportation as we trekked out to villages each day this summer.

We rode bus, lots and lots of buses, with lots and lots of people.
We rode bicycle rickshaws.
We rode people movers, which are golf cart type structures in which 10 - 12 people pile in.
We rode ox carts and buffalo carts.
We rode on tractors.
We rode on anything that was moving in the right direction and allowed us to hop on.
And, the Indian philosophy: There is always room for 1 more passenger, always!

We rode on horse carts

(which was the roughest ride I have ever had,

but that may have had more to do with the condition of the road...).

We rode on cable cars.
We rode on these trucks, standing in the bed of the truck with 50 (or so) other passengers.

But, mostly we walked, and walked, and walked, and walked.

~Heather

A day at the Ganga

The worship of a river is something I will never be able to wrap my mind around. There were more at the Ganga on this day than I had ever seen before. The fire and flowers are a form of worship. Baths are taken in the river with the belief that the water will cleanse people from their sins. May these devoted worshippers come to know and worship the Creator.

~Heather

Sending them out 2 by 2

~Heather

Village Wedding

~Heather