Running to the Darkness

Dangerous Women

Only a one day conference today! We drove an hour and a half to share with about 150 women. They were very receptive and responsive. Samita joined us as well as the translator, Vijanarai who works in the IGL offices. She was delighted to be able to participate in the conferences. She said that she told Prati anytime that there is a one day conference close she can help. She has an infant that she cannot travel far from, however she knows and loves encouraging women!

Samita delivered the Inaugural message, challenging the women to be a part of the church. Valorie encouraged the women with the words from declaring, I will build my Church! Carol shared her testimony after lunch and I closed the session. I encouraged the women to be a light to the world and to run to the darkness with the Light of life, Christ. I read Lynn Hybels' prayer, Dear God Make Me a Dangerous Woman.

The entire conference committed to go wherever God sent them with their light. They were excited about being dangerous women and loved the bookmarks!

God bless them! I warned them that I prayed that prayer one time and God sent me to India. I told them that they might end up in America and that is a dangerous place!

India Gospel League Office and WWM Conferences

Sitting at the desk of Vanitha, executive secretary to President Samuel Stephens, she is allowing me to use her computer to post a few pictures of the conferences. So my words will be few but hopefully the pictures will tell the stories.

 

The women attending the conference wearing the pink saris have tested HIV positive. IGL has built a home for them. It was humbling to be serving them. Their sweet spirit was very encouraging to me.

 

Kristen was a natural with the translation as she shared her story of answering her call with the women. The young woman who translated for her works in the IGL offices. So it is good to see her again here.

 

Women at the Regional Conference in Karnatucka were responsive and encouraging. Women came from two of the persecuted regions in the north. One woman said that she was the only believer in her village while two other women told of their churches being destroyed or scattered. Definitely, it is good that God gives us one another to encourage each other and spur one another on to love.

 

A small but mighty team! In our weakness He is strong and we know He gets the credit and the glory!

On to Sharon Gardens and the newest addition, grandson, Joel! Prati is a dotting grandma!

 

Becky is a proud and beautiful mama!

 

And of course, who could forget Shurti! She has grown so much and LOVES her new little brother!

   

And a trip to the village Life Center to see the head mistress, Helen and the preschool children. 

   

The children memorize scripture and love to share them with us!

Today is our down day, with the tour of Sharon Gardens, the IGL offices and the Life Center. Tonight we will attend the children's program and then tomorrow we host the one day conference, church dedication follows on Sunday, then a two day conference and a leadership conference and then a day and then home! Time will scurry after today! But what a joy to be serving God in paradise with such wonderful and humble servants of Christ!

Ahhhh, oasis at Sharon Gardens--Home Away from Home

 What a joy to arrive at Sharon Gardens, the campus of the India Gospel League and home of Sam and Prati Stephens! Kristen commented upon arrival, how strange it was that she felt instantly at home! She interned for 6 weeks here several years ago when she was still in college. She had a great experience learning about India and serving in the ministry. And once you have stayed in the home of the Stephens', you are family!

What fun to see Prati's new grandbaby, Joel, the first grandson and son of Isaac and Becky Stanley! He is a doll, of course! And what a delight to see Becky again, beaming as a mother and loving every minute of it! Somehow she is combining ministry and mothering just like her mother! She is a natural!

Sam is home so it is a treat to see him as well! We dined in the new dining hall which is spacious and homey and allows the Stephens to have their own family kitchen dining back and provides ample space to serve several teams at once--previously served by rotating dining schedules. God is so good to supply for His children!

We are excited to tour Sharon tomorrow and visit the IGL offices! Valorie has visited before but it will be her sister, Carol's first time. It is probably my tenth time but I never tire of hearing the incredible vision and marvelous mission to reach all of India and Sri Lanka with the Good News of Christ by planting 100,000 churches by the year 2010! Our own vision at Indian Creek Community Church is small in comparison but it so fits our vision to grow the Kingdom exponentially for Christ! 

Click on Kristen to check her blog and updates as well. Tomorrow maybe we can figure out how to post pictures or perhaps post at the IGL offices. Thanks for your prayers, we are upheld by them and His work is accomplished! 

Incredible India! The Battle is On!

Surprise! Surprise! We had no sooner arrived in Bangalore then we were scooted off to join a Women With a Mission conference already in progress! The India Gospel League makes the most of every opportunity to encourage women in Christ!

We were delighted to arrive just in time to hear Sister Grace (an interpreter and friend) preaching the closing session encouraging the women to be a part of God's Church! What a joy to see a partner in the work of the Kingdom!

The pastor had contacted them when he learned that they would be in the area and asked if they would please stop by and encouraging the women in the area! Of course, Prati could not resist the chance to encourage sisters in Christ! What a joy to see my dear friend and mentor and president of the Women With a Mission!

After the closing session we were on to our first destination, Badravathi, Karnataka. We arrived about 11:30 p.m. after traveling over rough roads. But so rewarding to meet about 250 women who are passionate about serving Jesus Christ! What a sweet spirit in the place! For a day and a half we partnered with the national and local team to encourage the women to be a part of Jesus Christ building His Church! We urged them to know and believe that they are a vital part of His work for the Kingdom!

That night after a full day of travel none of us slept as God worked His word through us! Kristen had a powerful dream that confirmed the message we were to proclaim that Christ is the Light of the world and there is power over the darkness but there is a battle to fight and we are to engage in reaching for the Light. And we must run to the darkness with His Light, knowing that we cannot do so in our own strength but in our weakness He is strong! Truly He demonstrated that the next day as we preached and spoke from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in His power!

Valorie shared powerfully the call of the church to be the church and for us to take our part! Truly, the Church is the people of God being the hands and feet of Jesus! Kristen shared her story and her call to join the mission of Christ to spread His message throughout the world! She was a beautiful and inspiring part of the team and the women responded to her messages. I was able to share the closing session of the long day, proclaiming the Church as the hope of the world and the Light in the darkness!

God was victorious! We are encouraged as we encourage the women! We traveled all day yesterday to be back at Bangalore this morning to speak to another group of women in a Regional Conference! God is so good to give us each other to encourage one another and to spur one another on to love and good deeds that we might not grow weary in doing good until the day that He returns and all of His children have the opportunity to proclaim that He is their God! And so we go....

May you have the same urgency in the place where you find yourself today to proclaim His Word and shine His Light in your world!

India Here We Come

This is Gary writing for Belinda--the India team led by Valorie Wilson, with her sister Carol, Kristen and Belinda got away from KCI today about 10:30 a.m.  They are in Newark as I write.  They leave at 8 p.m. tonight EST. Belinda had a week of computer problems as a virus attacked her computer last Friday.  The battle raged all week as our IT team tried to save what they could but in the end the dark side won.  Thank God for backups.  It made it hard for Belinda to get her work done here to prepare to go.  It also took away her primary tool for prep on the messages for India.  In the end she left without any of the outlines she prepared.  I told her not to worry because they would have copies in India when she gets there.  They will be in Tamil :)  She didn't laugh.  We agreed that God is up to something here and that He won't fail her.  She will have what she needs when she needs it.  We prayed for that as we drove to the airport without any messages prepared.  Considering that she could speak as many as 10 times in the five conferences they lead that is a lot of faith. 

Considering everything she left in good spirits.  She said to tell her twitter friends that she will be twitterless for two weeks.  She may not be able to get to the web but if she can find an internet cafe she will blog. 

If you need to get a message to her you can send an email to iglindia@eth.net.  If for some reason you need to call you can call their interpreter Vanitha at 011-91-984-319-9549.  And of course you could call me at 913-269-1026. 

The total travel time today is about 30 hours, that's three flights and a car ride to Salem, India.  Their first stop is at Sharon Gardens where they will meet up with their national team.  Belinda gets so excited to see all her friends there she can hardly stand it.  God has truly put India in her heart and given her the communication gift she needs to make a difference there.  Please pray daily for this team, for the national team, for safety as they travel, for health, for the Spirit's power and for great fruit from this mission.  The team will return on Feb 8 in the afternoon.  Which just happens to be the same day that I leave for China.  We will miss each other by several hours.

Welcome her home for me!  Thanks.

Off to India!!!

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I am feeling quite inadequate this morning! I am trusting that when we are weakest, God is strongest! I would appreciate your prayers as I travel with Valorie Wilson and her sister and my daughter, Kristen Levitt! We are humbled and excited to serve God by serving these women, our sisters halfway around the world.

There's Always Room for One More!!!

We are the apple of His eye! His favorite one! And yet there are so many of us, how can that be?

It dawned on me today that God is perfectly able to hold us all closest to His heart because of His infinite nature! While it is true that we are made in the image of God, we are finite while here on earth! But that is not really who we are! For we are immortal, like our Father!

He set eternity in our hearts from the beginning, so we naturally long for greater more!

Good Grief!

How can grief be good? How can life be good after we lose someone we love?  

Good question. It has been nearly 20 years since our youngest daughter, Megan died unexpectedly in her sleep of viral pneumonia. She had seen the doctor that morning and he diagnosed her with an ear infection.. . .tragic.

She was our last born but our first one to Heaven. Certainly, that is consolation to us now but at first, not so much. She was our baby and babies belong with their mommies and daddies and sisters and brothers. Megan's death impacted our family greatly! We have all grieved her loss from infant to young adulthood. We have all missed her laughter, her teasing, and her presence.

It is good to remember. It is good to cry. It is good to talk. It is good to process. It is good to love deeply. Our deep grief is evidence of our deep love. And so we grieve and it is good.

Since then we have experienced the shock, denial, disbelief, despair, depression, loneliness, guilt, anger, resentment, and resolution and acceptance and assimilation...We have arrived at a new normal. We are different people than before her death. That is good.

And we comfort others with the comfort we have received from God through others and Himself!

Tomorrow night, Wednesday, January 21 at  Indian Creek Community Church we share in a gathering of those who have experienced loss of someone significant in their lives. We will share 8 weeks together: sharing our stories, our hearts and our very lives. God will pour out His healing on us through one another. May God bring healing, help and hope!

It is not too late if you are local and want to participate. Hope to see you there.

The Battle is ON!

Saturday night I was typing away, minding my own business--my email as a matter of fact!  When suddenly, a box popped up telling me that I had a system security breach and I needed to load some software. I have been trained by our IT Ninja NOT to do that! So I didn't but I did try to click on the X to close it! And that was all that it took! The hook was in and I was caught!

I firmly believe that it is no accident that I am preparinbg to leave for India to encourage women through His Word!

Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 
I am so thankful that I know Who wins in the end!!! Jesus Is greater than the one who lives in the world! All glory to God! He Who is in us is greater than he who is in the world!

Jesus is a Masterplanner!

  It was more fun and interesting than I ever believed that it could be! Friend and masterplanner trainer, Claude Robald came to Olathe specifically to partner with us to teach us about masterplanning, a concept by Bob Biehl.                           

 

Our daughter, Kristen, Director of Project Partner, worked diligently on her part of the masterplan. Listening intently to Claude share wisdom and expertise.

Friend and prospective board member, Eric also attended the retreat and added his passion for China and the people. Eric is a natural connector and businessman.

What an amazing Master Planner God is, Who is to be able accomplish more than we can imagine. . . or dream!