Our team MVP award goes to… God!

God really pulled some strings during our missions trip and we couldn’t have done this without Him.  He stayed with us,  inspired us, gave us the tools we needed, healed us, taught us, encouraged us, comforted us and guided us. I am eternally grateful to Him.

The most touching moments with Him, for me, was during our group devotionals. It seemed like every day God knew exactly what to say. We followed a daily devotional from the ministry of Walk in the Word and James MacDonald called “Our Journey”. Our very first day we meditated on Galatians 6:7-8,

” Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life”.

God asked us what the harvest in our lives looked like right now and what did it say about the seed that we had been planting. I think we were all convicted by this question and had this in the back of our minds throughout the missions trip. Am I sowing seeds from my own sinful flesh or a I relying on the holy spirit? Am I a change-maker for Christ? Maybe our dull, spiritless environment reflects our dull, spiritless efforts or seeds…

A few more devotionals that really touched me were topics like- throwing out the notion that we are unqualified to do God’s work, how love makes a difference, and owning up to our spiritual responsibilities.

Just wanted to use this post as a big thank you to God for being our team leader!

This is it. Our last day together as a team!  We woke up and packed our bags.   Had our daily devotional time together, worshiped and prayed as a group.  We had breakfast together with Bejoy achen and family as usual. We were starting to miss their hospitality already!  We went to the large class room of the St. Thomas CSI Parkal School and enjoyed a few minutes of group dance presentations by the students.  After which, the St. Thomas CSI school gave us a warm farewell with shawls and decorative long beaded garland like chains.

We spent the rest of the morning with the Ashram girls making “Creation books” by coloring paper plates, punching holes and binding the plates together with strings. We taught them that God is our Creator and shared the creation story with them. Finally we bid farewell to the Bethel Ashram children as well. It wasn’t easy leaving them.

The team met with Bejoy Achen one last time before we left to discuss about the needs of the missions fields both now and in the future.  We received an overall picture and discussed amongst each other about investing the funds for different needs of the mission fields   We said our goodbyes to the teachers of the English Medium St. Thomas CSI school and left the CSI Parkal Mission home around 5PM. We drove through Warangal, Kazipet and later Hanamkonda into Hyderabad.  Met with Rev K. Kurian, his wife Grace Kurian and children Jaison, Jeremy and Julie at their residence in Kazipet.  Saw their  church that was located near the NIT college.  They run a healing ministry in over 100 churches in Hyderabad area.

After dinner we drove to Hyderabad for a little over 2 hours.   Bejoy achen had arranged a room with Rev. A.K. Paul for Sarita and Jupin at the Diocesen hostel/home/retreat center in Hyderabad as their flight would depart 10 hours after Praveena’s and Justin’s.  God provided resources once again.

What an incredible and blessed journey! Lives were transformed and impacted. All Glory to to God! It seems like the end but the truth is its just the beginning.  The world is wide open, new perspective and God on our side, off to our new mission in this world- sowing, reaping and harvesting Gods WORD!!! Totally excited beyond our wildest imagination!!!

Prayer:  God you reign on high and in our hearts!  Lord, we thank you so much for loving us, being with us, supporting us and protecting us during this missions trip.  We thank you for giving us the wisdom and knowledge and helping us to do your will.    Father, continue to teach us and keep us under your loving grace.  Let your spirit sharpen our thoughts and give us the strength to be your witnesses in this world and beyond.  In Jesus Name We pray, Amen!

We woke up this morning to learn that there is Bandh (Strike) in Andhra Pradesh due to the Telangana political conflicts.  But to our surprise most of the students came to the St.Thomas CSI Parkal School on their bicycles to finish up their cultural activities of individual dances.  The school gates were closed and the activities were moved to a larger classroom.  The children were instructed to be at their lowest volume cheering to music and dance.  They were taught to tap their fingers instead of clapping their hands when applauding and cheering on fellow classmates. After enjoying a few dances, the team left to prepare for our newest puppet show performance – Daniel and the Lion’s Den at our Parkal Mission home.

After lunch, Bejoy Achen took us around the CSI Parkal Mission Compound area. The mission compound compromises of 14 acres of Parkal land that needs a boundary wall. Areas are exposed and not closed in.  We also visited the cemetery of Rev. K.E. Eapen and family (first missionaries to Parkal), Nirmala (Andhra Missions’s Rev. P.O Ninan’s daughter) and many respectable individuals who were instrumental in the life of the Parkal Mission.

With the initial plan of going to the school at Kattarapally being canceled due to the bandh, we decided to spend the rest of the day with the Bethel Ashram girls at Parkal.  As we gathered at Bethel Ashram, we taught songs like “My God is So Great” and “Cast our Burdens.”  We presented our much availed Puppet show – Daniel and the Lion’s Den, presenting again the all powerful strong and mighty God.   We taught and learned a few new songs – “The Victory is Mine when the Battle is the Lords” and “I am C, CH, CHRISTIAN” with Jupin writing out alphabets on colored craft papers.

Finally we decided to make Butterflies/Flowers with coffee filters, washable markers, pipe cleaners and water spray bottles.  As Sarita and Jupin helped the children with hanging their sprayed work out in the sun,

Justin and Praveena continued to play “Jesus says”, “Watermelon” and “faces”   We ended the day with Ashram children by playing with pipe cleaners, tying bracelets and receiving beautiful flowers from our creative students.

We received a surprise visit from Sister Anna which was refreshing to all of us.  We sat, explained and gave her our medical bag of medical items since she is the only person close to having medical knowledge that is available in Gandhinagar, Ashram and region.

Within half an hour we had to get ready to go to Kattarapally for the Harvest Festival service.  We traveled in our yellow English Medium school bus with Achen and teachers.  Unfortunately, the ashram girls could not travel with us this time.  Once we got to Kattarapally we met Rev. Dn. Saji Cheriyan Mammen, his wife and his son (who was bedridden with fever).  We learned that the girl’s orphanage used to be at Kattarapally Katrapalli.  Due to the problems with scorpion infestation and the incident of a child being bitten by scorpion, the ashram was forced to relocate to the current Ashram in Parkal.  We also learned that the Headmaster of Kattarapally school, who was Hindu but a lover of Jesus Christ, was recently killed in a motor bike accident.  His family consists of wife, a son and a daughter who are having a difficult time coping with the loss.

We joined the Harvest festival service and were warmly welcomed at the Kattarapally.  After the worship service, the team enjoyed on bidding for the “murkee” twice and won the bid twice as well.  We shared our winnings with the Bethel ashram girls who had joined the service later.  We had dinner with the churc members, teachers and the ashram children and returned back home by 1240 am. What an amazing day!

St.Thomas CSI School, Parkal started their cultural activities this morning and therefore there were no classes in session today.  The children were coming together to have a fun filled morning Assembly with five of us.

As Justin and Jupin prepared the background for the David and Goliath puppet show, Sarita, Praveena and Dennis taught the assembly of 200+ students the songs “Father Abraham”, “Cast your burdens”, “I am Alive, Alert, Awake, Enthusiasti”c and the newest song, “Every single cell in my body is happy, every single cell in my body is good.”   After the Puppet show, the children were led by their team captains for further preparations for their individual and group activities.  We spent time with the school children watching their fancy dress competitions and miming/skit presentations until 3 PM.

Around 4 PM we left for a nearby church village -Regonda for a very special event.  Sarita’s Seaford CSI church had sponsored the building of the Mission house at the Regonda church.  Bejoy Achen prayed along with the pastor of the Regonda church.  All five of us witness the ground break and first stone placement of this needed mission sh ouse.   It was powerful for each of us to be physically present to see the beginnings of one of Regonda church’s urgent needs being fulfilled financially.  Praising God for Providing before we even think and ask!!!

We returned back to Parkal mission house to bid Dennis a heart-breaking good bye!!!  As we all crawled into our quiet shells trying to absorb that we are short by one, we had to prepare to go back to Regonda church for the Harvest festival service later in the evening.  We boarded the English Medium School bus with Achen, all the school teachers and Ashram children.  With so little space and sharing our seats with children, we enjoyed a bright sky-filled night with millions of stars and constellations.  The air was chilly but our hearts were warmed by the beautiful voices of the ashram kids as they sang Praises to God on our way to the Regonda church.

After the service, the Harvest Festival bidding started over snacks, flowers, vegetables, farm goods and even live chickens!

The night ended with us having dinner with everybody in the church.  We got back to Parkal Mission home at 12:30 AM

We started our quest today by visiting the neighboring Andhra Mission church at Mogullapally around 9 AM.  We had breakfast with the missionary-in-charge there, Rev Dn. Varghese Mathew before the morning assembly at CSI Nirmala English Medium School.  The morning assembly encompassed of 200+ students from Nursery to 5^th graders.  We received a warm welcome at the assembly from everyone.  We started worshiping the Lord with a familiar song of the children there – Father Abraham!  One of the English teachers at Mogullapally was transferred to this school from Bethel Ashram in Thiruvalla, Kerala in the past year.  She had learned this song from the last year’s mission’s team and had taught the children of this school.  We were awe struck by God’s work!  It showed us how small this world is and how God uses people to spread His message of His Love and Grace.  We witnessed the harvest through 200 children from a seed that was sowed a year ago. How amazing!  We continued singing the song “My God is So Great” and “I’m Alive, Alert, Awake and Enthusiastic” and children were definitely enthusiastic!!!

We presented our hit puppet show of David and Goliath.  Children were happy to learn that our God is an awesome protector.  Later we split the children into smaller groups and spent time creating murals and drawing designs, rainbows, flags, and animals on the long sheets of paper.  We ended the day playing hang-man, pictionary, faces and broke off for recess (lunch break).

After having lunch with Achen and the school teachers, we spent time learning about the Andhra Missions and their current needs.   We found out in 1967, when the Diocesan Youth League from the Madhya Kerala Diocese selected Mogullapally, a very backward village 14 miles away from Parkal as their Andhra Mission field, Rev P.O Ninan and his wife were the first missionaries in this field.  The school was named after Rev. P.O Ninan’s daughter Nirmala who had died at very young age of pneumonia and lack of care and hospitals in the area.  Kochamma started the homeopathic hospital and Achen helped create the Mogullapally bus routes that are still followed today.  It was very overwhelming and inspiring to witness one family’s work to serve God flourish right before our eyes.

Today the Andhra Mission is planning on upgrading their schools to seventh grade and later to 10^th grade.  The water situation in this mission field need attention. They get salty water that needs to be filtered to make it drinkable.  They are in need of proper drinking wells.  They are need better transportation vehicle.  The team saw groups of 50+ students packed into batches of four into the vehicle to be dropped off at their homes.  We could clearly see the need and we took this matter into our group’s prayer to make decisions about helping them out.

On our return back to the Parkal Mission house, we stopped to see popular products of Andhra Pradesh — cotton and guavas.  The day ended being fruitful in our laps and thoughts!!!