The Day:

Today was our second day off. I wouldn’t call it a day of rest – it was action packed! We said goodbye to our beautiful beach at Ideal Resort in Mahabalipuram and are now settled back into the hustle and bustle of Chennai.

Thanks to John and Carol Christian, we had a wonderful tour of their school run by one of our clients, Naresh. We saw the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten / first-grade classes. We were able to share some candy and toys – the kids were so cute and so appreciative! Just across the street, they also have an office building where they have brought 6 widows under their wings and taught them how to sew to make a living. As a little background, widows are seen as being cursed in the Hindu religion. Therefore, after their husbands die, the widows’ families will not take them back and they are essentially shunned from society. And they are young – all under 30. The ministry, Acts of Mercy has taught them a trade, provided homes for them and their children and given them a chance at a good life. It was such a blessing to see all that is being done both for the children at the school & the widows!

After that, we headed out to see the land which has been set aside to build housing for the widows & additional children’s education buildings. The land is 2 acres and is being prepared for building. We prayed for the land, the pastor overseeing the work and anointed the workers. It was powerful to see the doors God is opening for ministering to the poor in India.

Following the visits to the Acts of Mercy ministries, we were welcomed into John & Carol home for lunch. Their children, Sharon and Aaron were also there as well as their sister-in-law and her two children. It was such a blessing to be “at home” in India and eat home-cooked food and just hang-out and get to know their family. The whole family was so warm and gracious. Aaron gave Ophelia & I a tour of the land – it was so interesting learning about new plants of which I had never even heard. The time at their home was a wonderful retreat in the day for rest and relaxation!

Following the wonderful meal, we got on the road to head back to Chennai. Now, if you’ve never been to India, you’d think this wasn’t exciting. But, we were dodging goats, cows, large buses… We also made a game out of counting the highest number of people we could find on a single motorbike. Our high was five (wife sitting side-saddle no less!). As we were playing games, the other car was side-swiped by another car in a hit & run. All were safe, and with the help of a motorcycle, they were able to force the escaped driver off the road to collect information. So, we have already experienced equip’s first [not-so-] high speed chase!

We wound down the evening with a relaxing Indian Buffet (if we look heavier in pictures – it’s no illusion – we’ve been eating buffet since we arrived!). Afterward, I’m taking an educated guess that everyone collapsed on our beds and got a very sound night sleep after an action-packed week!

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for the clients. Most are praying & visioning for their companies today and tomorrow. Please pray that God will speak clearly to each client as to how they can best use their company to impact the kingdom. Please pray for divine inspiration, visions that are larger than they can dream on their own and that God would shed light on any blind spots that would prevent them from growth.

Please pray for the local consultants. Many are battling illness & setbacks in their lives. And, if there is anyone that can impact India for the Kingdom, it will be them. They are the people that will remain on the ground. Please pray that God will bless their families, their health, and their businesses. Please pray that he will guide them, protect them and bless them as they build the foundation for marketplace ministry in India.

Please pray for the traveling consultants. Several of us are getting run-down. Please pray for God’s wisdom in how we spend our time – that we would make time for quiet time and enough sleep. Also pray that God would give us an extra measure of energy for carrying out his work.

— Kim