December 2006 Team Letters and Photos
Wednesday, December 6
The team had the privilege of ministering for the last three days with Pastor Isaac and India Abundant Ministries in Andhra Pradesh. After a 16-hour overnight train, the team refreshed and headed to church. We were welcomed with children throwing flower petals and garlands. During the service, the team shared a song and several team members shared testimonies and words of encouragement.
The team shared a song
After church, we had the tremendous privilege of dedicating the local pastor's new home which India Partners helped finance. We prayed over the house and in each room. We returned to that church in the evening for more worship and sharing.
Monday and Tuesday found the team running reading-glass clinics at two local churches. We made reading glasses by bending wire and cutting plastic lenses which we brought with us.
Making reading-glasses at a local church
We were able to make and give away 70 pairs of reading glasses each day. With each fitted pair of reading glasses, we also gave each individual a hygiene kit that included soap, shampoo, combs and nail clippers. At both churches we were able to encourage the children and distribute toothbrushes or toys.
These clinics serve both church members and people in the community. They give the pastor and the church greater credibility in the community. We were told on Monday that some higher caste individuals even came by because the team was running the clinics. While the team finished exhausted and with sore hands, we were excited and encouraged to be able to bless the churches and communities in which we served.
Pastor Isaac also shared with the team his ministry of training pastors and planting churches. Currently there are four mission centers with national pastors. We learned that for only $60 a month, a national pastor can be supported for his ministry. (Full pastor sponsorships are $60; shared sponsorships are $30 a month. To learn more about sponsoring a pastor, click here.) At one mission center there is a sewing school where they train women how to sew and how to use their skills to support their families. Not only does the school train the women, but when they complete their training, each woman is given a sewing machine.
Today, we are on our way to another partner organization where we will be training pastors, working with the children, dedicating a church and making more reading glasses. We would appreciate your prayers as some team members are struggling with fever, intestinal upset or a cold. Please pray that the rest of the team members would stay healthy.
Brian Stark for the team: David Borum, Maria Doughty, Amy Kirkpatrick, Priscilla Ko, Lisa Smith, and Melanie Stark
