Merry Christmas!! Hope you have a wonderful holiday, “growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!” How exciting it is to have a day to celebrate God's infinite love in sending Jesus to die in our place and give us the victory in Him!! This month has already been full of Christmas crafts and activities. We made and decorated sugar cookies with some friends, sewed stockings, made a paper fireplace to hang them by, baked snickerdoodles, watched cheesy Christmas movies, and made snowflakes and a wreath.
We celebrated Thanksgiving with our supervisors in typical American fashion, complete with chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, pumpkin pie, and apple pie! After we ate more than enough food, we played games and watched a movie.
One reason to be thankful this season is that God has answered your prayers for a language helper!! Woo hoo! We'll call her Faith. Faith is skeptical of Hinduism, which she grew up with, and often asks us Christians to pray for her for upcoming tests and interviews. She knows a lot about Catholicism, and in her mind, that's the same as truly following Jesus. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open her mind and heart to have a real relationship with Jesus and pray for Jesus' love to flow through us to her! Pray that we would have wisdom in what to say to her and that Jesus would draw her to Himself. Faith is such a sweet, caring person and is perfect at helping us learn Hindi! She is patient and teaches us how and what we ask her to. She comes over twoor three days a week for three or four hours at a time. We are praying for wisdom, understanding, endurance, and patience with ourselves as we learn the language. Sometimes it feels like I learn so much, but then I try to go out and use it and realize how much I have yet to learn! ;)
Most of our days are filled with language learning, studying, and then going out in the community to use it. Pray that we would have more and more opportunities to share the gospel with English speakers and Hindi speakers alike and the boldness and love to do so! Last Thursday, we were greatly encouraged to have dinner with a pastor and his wife that share God's vision for reaching the lost of Uttar Pradesh. This pastor grew up in Lucknow in a Christian, church-planting household. He came to the States for college and after he graduated, felt called to return to India and reach the lost with the good news of Jesus. It was refreshing to fellowship with true disciples of Christ and encourage one another as we work together to bring the people of Uttar Pradesh to Jesus! Pray for this pastor, we'll call him Timothy*, and his family to be filled with strength, love for Jesus, and love for the people they serve! Pray for protection from the enemy and success in what God has called them to do.
You really are so vital to this ministry!! It's so exciting to watch God answer prayers that I know you have prayed! Thank you for all that you do in prayer and giving to further the kingdom of God! May you be blessed this Christmas!!