Sights and Sounds of Holi

Lighting the fire and burning the wheat

(to earn the blessings of a good harvest)

~Heather

Holi

~Heather

Spring has Sprung

Last week took with it the cool weather. I wonder how many days will come and go before I will have to turn on the ceiling fans and air conditioning. The cooler weather certainly had its perks! On the other hand, my laundry dries in a couple of hours, rather than a few days.

The weather is merely one aspect of the changes that are currently taking place.

With the Spring weather comes the Hindu holiday Holi. Holi is a celebration to welcome spring and win the blessings of the gods for good harvest. Many very large fires will be lit and worshipped around tonight. Tomorrow everyone will "play Holi," by throwing water and colors on one another.

Please join me in pleading with the Father to protect the people of M-town from accidents caused by the fires and play.

Ask the Father to allow those we love to become dissatisfied with worshipping created things, that they would come to bow and worship the Creator of all things.

Ask the Father to give me opportunities to share his Truth in these days.

Ask that with Spring, the Father would bring the people of M-town to a heart knowledge and acceptance of Him.

~Heather

Celebrate!

Tuesday was Cathy's birthday. We took the opportunity to have a bit of a neighborhood celebration. It was a wonderful time of celebrating Cathy and fellowshipping with our neighbors and friends.

* Join me in thanking the Father for placing us in such a warm, loving, and accepting community.

* Ask the Father to draw the M-town families to Himself.

~Heather

Have you grieved your sins?

I have heard it said that until one grives their sin, in light of the Cross, salvation is never really understood. Have your sins grieved you?

I used to take offense to this idea. Do you?

Recently, while running errands, waiting at a stop light, I was prompted to give a homeless man money. I do not normally do that. I am well aware of the likelihood that my money has gone to purchase the gamut of harmful substances or behaviors. However, that day, I felt the stern prompting of the Holy Spirit to give the few dollars I had in my wallet. His name was Joe. And, as Joe turned away, after thanking me, he looked back, made steady, clear eye contact and said, "My name is Joe, would you pray for me please." Probably just a good homeless person tactic, right?

As I drove away, I began to ponder the concept of prejudice. I thought a lot about how it is used as explanation. I wondered how prejudice is conceived in the heart. I thought about the different angles of prejudice - the scoffing at the poor, the contempt for the rich. The black man who cannot find a job because he is "probably lazy or sells drugs." The white girl who does not need help or does not deserve to be sacrificed for because "Daddy will probably take care of it." Why do we insist on trading tit for tat?

I continued to ponder about prejudice and pray for Joe. Then came the young man on McCart. Disbelief met aggravation as I and other cars had to stop as someone began to cross the road at a less than safe time. Aggravation was met with conviction when this young man came clear into view. His gait, mannerisms, and draw hands and arms revealed that he was not only struggling with a physical handicap, but a mental one as well. I watched as he crossed in front of me, saddened that he could not make such a basic decision as when to cross the road safely. What would prejudice decide about this young man?

My mind settled on the accusation some would make, of the possibility that this boy's wrongdoing has led to his physical and mental state. Judging by his garb and skin tone, maybe drugs had rendered him handicap. After all, sagging jeans and a dark skin tone most often mean drug use, right? Its likely that this young man could have snorted enough crack or drank enough alcohol to induce mental damage, or cause a physical accident, resulting in handicap, right? Joe is probably homeless because all his money goes to buy booze, don't you think? Maybe Joe is so irresponsible that his choices put him in his homeless situation, right?

And there it was, clear and convicting, "But for the grace of God am I." But for the grace of God have my sins not rendered me paralyzed, handicapped, homeless, outcast, poor, societies burden, less than desirable! Then, I began to grieve. How could I qualify my sins as not that bad? How can I take the grace that God has shown me and use it as a crutch to not realize the offense I hurl at a perfect, loving, Holy God? How could I stand, covered in Christ righteousness, given to me, not earned by me, through His horrific death by crucifixion, and be so proud as to think that my sins would not bereave God because they are not classified as socially unacceptable?

I was broken. Broken of a proud heart. Broken of an assuming arrogance. I have begun to grieve my sins. I have begun to love my Savior all the more. Please, please won't you join me?

"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

~Sarah

Tea for tea?

I remember the first time I heard someone say that they were offering T4T. I had heard that it came from China. Well, I knew they drink tea in China, so I thought it must have something to do with having tea. I was quite mistaken. But, certainly never did I imagine that it would be something that the Father would allow me to see in action.

T4T is Training for Trainers. It is a method of training believers to then go out and train others, who in turn, train others. It is a vision of multiplicity. It is something that I have dreamed of seeing take place, but I don't think I ever imagined that I would.

Storying is my heart. It is what I love to do most. I love to share His story with preschoolers and senior adults, alike, whether in North America or half way around the world. I am most comfortable with my shoes off, sitting on the floor, sharing a story from God's word.

ST4T combines this dream of multiplicity with my passion for storying.

Through a series of circumstances, I was given the opportunity to join 5 amazing ladies and their incredible professor, from the states, in the big city to lead an ST4T conference for national women. I was humbled by the opportunity that was placed before me. I was intimidated by all that I don't know and all the Hindi I don't yet understand. I was almost convinced that this was impossible. I was sure that these friends who had come from so far away would be terribly disappointed in my inabilities.

Suddenly, the Father spoke. As if audibly, I heard, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12:9) A relief came upon me. It wasn't possible for me to do this. It was only by surrendering my weakness to Him that this dream could come true. Only through Him could this dream become a reality.

"Great is Thy faithfulness," resounded in my heart throughout the week of the conference. Flexibility was the word of the week; fluidity was required. The plan changed more often than I could keep up with.

These friends had come with the intention of leading a 5 day conference for a large group of national women. On Sunday evening, I heard the pastor announce that a 3 day training would be offered and only 10 national ladies had been invited. Immediately my mind began to spin. What was I going to tell these ladies who had come so far? All I knew to do was to calmly assure them that we would keep busy and there would be purpose in every day.

We began the conference on Monday with 11 national ladies present. Typically, we expect that number to decrease each day. Women have responsibilities that very often are required to take priority over events for them. Monday night we prayed that those 11 ladies would return, and Tuesday morning there were 14 ladies. Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, we prayed that again they would return. Wednesday there were 16 national women hungry to learn more of His story and how to share it effectively.

As Wednesday approached (the final scheduled day of the conference), I became anxious about what I would plan for Thursday. Wednesday came to a close and the women attending the conference were disappointed that they had been given such a limited time to be out sharing the stories in the community. I proposed that we meet back on Thursday, with the only plan being to share stories in the community for a few hours. To my complete amazement, the always late (hours late) South Asian women, were, in fact, 10 minutes early and ready to run to tell His story to their neighbors and friends!

Thursday's program was coming to a close. Again, I didn't have a plan for the coming day (which is quite unusual for the planner that I am). The pastor approached us and asked us to come to another church to train the ladies there with the ST4T stories and principles. I was elated with this opportunity, and with the fact that now we had a Friday plan.

I hoped a couple of the ladies who had been with us since Monday would be there, but I wasn't sure who would join us.

As we reached the roof of a building, we were in the open air. There was construction taking place immediately on either side of the building. The tin roof over our heads was home to a large, and noisy, flock of birds. We had arrived at the church where the one-day training would take place. It was loud. Dirt was blowing in on the breeze. I knew the day would be different from all of the others.

Indeed, it was different. Three of the national ladies who we had trained decided to join us for this one-day training. I spoke to them. I explained that we could really use their help. I shared with them that they had learned everything and that they could in turn teach the stories and method to these new ladies.

The ladies spoke right up; they jumped right in. They were training! They had been trained, and were now training. It was ST4T right there before my eyes.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

~Heather

Snapshots of my days in the big city

We headed off on a great adventure.

Not quite sure of what was in store!

The conference began.


Stories were shared, learned, and practiced.


We prayed for guidance and boldness.


We spent time in homes.


We were thankful for the time we had together.

We prepared for a final training on Friday.


And had to say our last goodbyes.
Praying that the time we had together and the stories that were
shared will carry on long after we are gone.

~Heather

A birthday to remember

Monday was my birthday. I don't love celebrating my birthday. I don't like to stand before a group and be found at the center of attention. I am a behind the scenes kind of girl. So, deep down in my heart, I may have been disappointed if my birthday had gone unmentioned, but it was much better than running the risk of being put in the spotlight. I assumed I was pretty safe since I was spending the day with brand new friends.


We were staying in a hotel just on the outskirts of the big city. As I was finishing getting ready, I heard 5 voices singing "Happy Birthday." I peeked out to find the sweet faces of these 5 new friends who were visiting from the states. I stepped out of my room to find balloons and some of my favorite treats. These precious girls wanted to make my birthday special.

The day opened with these new friends showing love. Following breakfast, we spent time in worship together. We sang some of my favorite songs of praise. I sat on the floor, bare-footed, and shared one of my favorite stories from God's word.

The ST4T conference began and we sang out praises with national women in their heart language. I saw national women equipped to share the stories of how the Father has changed their lives with others who don't yet believe. The day closed knowing that the Father is truly at work in my heart, while He is at work all over South Asia.

Indeed, it was a special day.

~Heather

Cost, or Offering?

My days in the big city have come and gone. They were filled with awe and reflection. Awe of what a mighty, faithful God we serve, and reflection on what I am willing to sacrifice for Him.

I spent a week of my time in the big city with five amazing young women from SEBTS, and their one fearless male leader. It was a remarkable time, in terms of results seen, as well as those unseen. Truly amazing. We opened each day with worship. We sang; we prayed; we dove into His story.

Wednesday morning, I shared the story of the woman with the alabaster flask of ointment (from Luke 7:36-50). This woman was willing to offer all that she had to Jesus. She poured out on Him the most costly thing she owned. Did she consider it a cost, or an offering?

I began to wonder, "How often do I see things I give to the Lord as a cost, rather than an offering? Am I willing to give to Him the most costly thing that I have?" This woman received the same salvation that I have. It is my prayer that I would all that I have for all that He has given me.

After our time or worship each morning, we headed to a local church to train women to use His stories to share with those who do not yet believe. The women that we trained understood cost. I wonder if they saw what they gave as cost, or offering.

Sheila was a dark-skinned, quiet lady who wasn't eager to share her story. After the first day of training, we wondered whether she was a true believer, whether she would return for another day of training.

To my utter surprise, she was right on time and ready to begin day 2. Day 2 began with going out in small groups to share the stories that had been learned on the previous day. As we headed out, Sheila was in my group.

We were warmly invited into the home of one who worships many gods. One of the women in the small group I was with shared her story. Immediately following, I heard, "my husband doesn't know I am here." These words were coming from Sheila. "He beats me when I come home, if he finds out I was at church," she continued, "so sometimes I can't make it to church." Her voice grew to be louder, more confident. "Jesus has changed my life. He has given me all that I need. He gives me peace and hope. He loves me. I choose to worship only Him. He wants to change your life, too. I want you to experience the peace that He can bring you," she shared with our host.

Sheila continued to share stories from God's word and encouraged our host to trust Jesus, and worship Him only.

Sheila understood cost. Or, did she count it an offering? Would I be willing to make such a sacrifice?

~Heather

She came back

The afternoon had come. I was tired. My Hindi had been lacking all morning. I was hot. I was ready to call it a day. But we were again invited in.


As I stooped my head and stepped through the doorway, I was greeted by the smell of gasoline. I'm not sure where we were. Was this a home; was it a shop? Was it maybe both? The man inside grabbed a broom to sweep over the dirt floor. He quickly placed an old curtain on the floor upon which we were to sit.


As we spoke with the man, I asked if he was a believer. He assured me that he was. I encouraged him to seek to be used by the Father to reach others. Again, he assured me that he did. As we continued to dialogue, the crowd of onlookers continued to grow.

Amongst the crowd, two non-believing women were found, each seated on opposite sides of the room in make-shift chairs. A friend who had come in with me began to share the story of truth. One of the women listened intently, the other continually looked around the room. As my friend approached the climax of the story, the second woman excused herself to escort her young son to school.

Just as the story concluded, the woman who had departed earlier quietly slipped back into the room. Following a moment of quiet, my friend decided to repeat the story, beginning at the point at which the lady had departed.

As story was completed for the second time and the women were asked to respond. I assumed that they had only listened out of courtesy, and that the comings and goings from the room had only aided in providing additional distraction.

To my utter amazement, each of the two women proclaimed that they believed the story to be true and wanted to ask the Father to give them salvation.

I'm ashamed of myself. Who am I to assume that He isn't at work? He continues to prove to me that He is faithful and that He will use our most feeble attempts of serving Him to do really amazing things.

I was tired, but I went in, sat down, and struggled through communicating the Father's love to people who are not so different from me. And because so, there were angels singing as the Father's family increased by two more.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

~Heather

Overwhelmed

I am working with some friends in the big city this week. During the day, we have been going into the city and seeking to follow the model provided in Luke 10.

Today as we walked about, talking with ladies, I was completely overwhelmed by the task at hand- sharing the truth with those who have yet to hear it. There are too many. The task is too big. There aren't enough of us, and too many of them.

As my head swam with questions and I sought to find a solution, there was a gentle assurance, a strong piller amidst my shifting thoughts.

"This isn't your task, my daughter, it's mine. I will use you. I want to use you. I can accomplish far beyond anything you can ask or imagine. Remember that I am the one who puts the moon and stars in place and roves about the earth drawing people to myself. This is my task, and I have a plan. Just walk obediently, and I will use you."

The sweet reminder and assurance of a Father who loves his children.

~Heather

Big city, here I come!

This village girl has packed her bag and headed to the big city. Don't worry, it won't be for too long, then I will be ready to return to M-town. I am a village girl at heart, for sure.

I have been given the opportunity to help lead a team of friends from the states in sharing His stories, and training others to do so, in Mumbai. I am thrilled with the opportunity. I know the Father has amazing plans in store for the days ahead. You can stay connected with what we are up to and what the Father is doing by checking out the links in the "Stay Connected" post below.

*Thank the Father for this amazing opportunity.
*Ask the Father to use each of those in Mumbai this week in a mighty way and that He would call the people of this city unto Himself.
*Ask the Father to allow my Hindi to flow smoothly and increase each day.
*Ask Him to use me to draw others to Him.

~Heather