December 2006 Team Letters and Photos
Monday, December 11
What a wonderful week! The team has had a variety of experiences and opportunities to encourage and challenge the believers. We made it to Orphans Faith Home on Wednesday night, with all the children there lining the drive welcoming us.
OFH hosted a two-day pastors meeting with 100 national pastors. Each of the team members had an opportunity to share their testimony or a word of encouragement. David shared how to use a Life Journal. Each pastor received three journals: one for his or her own use as well as two more that they could take back and use with potential leaders in their churches. Brian gave messages on leadership, sharing the Gospel and sermon preparation. The rest of the team had the privilege of hanging out with the children at the orphanage, both teaching and learning songs and games.
On Saturday, the team had the tremendous opportunity to dedicate a new village church. What a glorious and special day for all the team, praying over the church and pastor.
The dedication of a new church. L to R: team members Melanie and Brian Stark, Pastor Gadelli Parishudha Babu, Director of OFH, and Mrs. Vijayasree Gadelli
Saturday evening the team had a special time in the closing program with the children at OFH. The children danced and sang, and the team shared Christmas carols and words of encouragement. Team members also passed out toys and candy to each child. The whole team loved their time with the children.
We also had the opportunity to hear the vision of Pastor Babu and the OFH staff:
- • Vision to sponsor more children, pastors and widows (To learn more about sponsoring a child, pastor, widow or school teacher, click here.)
- • Vision to purchase land on which to develop a farm and help make OFH more self-supporting
- • Vision for further impact in the villages surrounding the orphanage
And with the value of the dollar versus the rupee, many of these things can be done so much more cheaply than in the States.
There were many tears as the team pulled out of Orphans Faith Home on Sunday morning. On Sunday, the team visited another village church. Eastside Faith Center in Eugene Oregon, the home church of team members David Borum and Amy Kirkpatrick, had helped to build this church some years ago. David and Amy shared a greeting from their church and words of encouragement before joining in lunch with the local church family.
The church: a gift from Eastside Faith Center
It is amazing how quickly a person can bond with someone in another culture and part of the world. We each found children and staff that we connected with and did not want to leave behind.
The team all seems to be healthy now, although David is still struggling to beat the flu he has been fighting. It is hard to imagine that we only have two short days left in India. We'll be visiting a third partner organization as well as doing a little shopping and debriefing before we head home.
Thanks so much for your faithful prayers on our behalf. They have been felt and appreciated.
Brian Stark for the team: David Borum, Maria Doughty, Amy Kirkpatrick, Priscilla Ko, Lisa Smith, and Melanie Stark
