Friday, January 26, 2018

Pictures for Jesus Loves You and So Do We!

As promised, pictures for our last blog post:


Blog Post Day 6

                      "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him"
                                                                    Psalm 127:3

Before we left on our trip to India, the preschoolers from our Sunday School and our Child Development Center colored pictures for us to bring and share with families and children in India. They were meant to be a blessing that we were able to share with them to let them know how much Jesus does really love them.  But little did I know how blessed I would be by these pictures.




You see, each night we would gather back at the Moriah School for our evening meals.  We typically would have some home cooked meals, share our stories from the day, and then make our way back to our home to sleep.  We did this day in and day out with not a lot of change.  Then Tuesday happened.  We were finishing up our meal when one of the little children came up to us and showed us a picture she drew.  It was identical to what we had been giving out to the little children only hers was homemade.  Now it’s easy to say that she just copied it and wanted us to see her work, but this was more than that.  She made it because that’s what she wanted us to know…she wanted us to know that she loves us and Jesus loves us too.





As I reflect on how blessed I was to see that picture, it made me realize how children really are a blessing from God.  Their big smiles.  Their bright eyes full of hopes and dreams.  Big smiles and bright eyes that I saw on that little girt who made the picture.  Big smiles and bright eyes I saw on the children at the Moriah home as we played Frisbee together and got to know one another in goofy ways.  Big smiles and bright eyes that really shouldn’t be there when you think about it.





You see, the children at the Moriah home are there because they have lost one parent or both parents.  They are there  because of loss, pain, and sadness.  Yet at that place, they smile…they have hopes…they have dreams…and it’s all because they have Jesus.

And that’s why I would say that not only are children blessings from God, but they also are ways by which God reveals his blessings to us.  I went there to be a blessing with the message of “Jesus loves you and so do we.  Little did I know that I would be blessed by the same message through the smile and the eyes of a little child.

While I look forward to coming home to see my own children and their smiles…their eyes, I don’t think I’ll be able to forget the eyes and the smile of that little girl  and more than just those eyes and that smile, but also the message she shared with me:

Jesus Loves You and So Do We!



Jill Mettler

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Jesus Loves You and So Do We!

Hello!

Sorry for the delay in posting.  We had out last day in Guntur yesterday and then had to get up at 3:00 am to catch a flight so we could begin the site seeing part of our trip.  I also apologize for not posting pictures with this post.  Once we get to a place with high speed internet, I will post them.

So as I mentioned, we have left Guntur and are beginning the site seeing portion of the trip.  I cannot express how amazing our time was visiting with the Bible Faith chuches and the people who make up the church.  It was a very impactful time for all involved and we look forward to sharing our presentation on Sunday, February 11th.  The presentation will start at 9:50 in the sanctuary.

Now of course, there is one more blog post to share with you from one of the team members.  Tonight, it comes from Jill Mettler who is on her first mission trip.  She has some great thoughts and reflections from our last night in Guntur!  So please read below!


Blog Post Day 6

                      "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him"
                                                                    Psalm 127:3

Before we left on our trip to India, the preschoolers from our Sunday School and our Child Development Center colored pictures for us to bring and share with families and children in India. They were meant to be a blessing that we were able to share with them to let them know how much Jesus does really love them.  But little did I know how blessed I would be by these pictures.

You see, each night we would gather back at the Moriah School for our evening meals.  We typically would have some home cooked meals, share our stories from the day, and then make our way back to our home to sleep.  We did this day in and day out with not a lot of change.  Then Tuesday happened.  We were finishing up our meal when one of the little children came up to us and showed us a picture she drew.  It was identical to what we had been giving out to the little children only hers was homemade.  Now it’s easy to say that she just copied it and wanted us to see her work, but this was more than that.  She made it because that’s what she wanted us to know…she wanted us to know that she loves us and Jesus loves us too.

As I reflect on how blessed I was to see that picture, it made me realize how children really are a blessing from God.  Their big smiles.  Their bright eyes full of hopes and dreams.  Big smiles and bright eyes that I saw on that little girt who made the picture.  Big smiles and bright eyes I saw on the children at the Moriah home as we played Frisbee together and got to know one another in goofy ways.  Big smiles and bright eyes that really shouldn’t be there when you think about it.

You see, the children at the Moriah home are there because they have lost one parent or both parents.  They are there  because of loss, pain, and sadness.  Yet at that place, they smile…they have hopes…they have dreams…and it’s all because they have Jesus.

And that’s why I would say that not only are children blessings from God, but they also are ways by which God reveals his blessings to us.  I went there to be a blessing with the message of “Jesus loves you and so do we.  Little did I know that I would be blessed by the same message through the smile and the eyes of a little child.

While I look forward to coming home to see my own children and their smiles…their eyes, I don’t think I’ll be able to forget the eyes and the smile of that little girl  and more than just those eyes and that smile, but also the message she shared with me:

Jesus Loves You and So Do We!

Jill Mettler

Monday, January 22, 2018

I Don't Know What to Say...

...I really don't.

Today the teams went down to the island congregations located by the Indian Ocean. It's a three hour trip to get to these congregations as well as another 30-45 min to load up the cars and cross the Krishna River by boat.  It's a long journey to say the least.


When we finally arrived, we split up into two teams.  One team would stay in the village close by and visit with the people there.  The other team would hop on another boat, cross another tributary of the Krishna River and visit the other village near by.  It's quite the experience just in the travel alone.  But as great as the travel experience was, it doesn't come close to the amazing experience of being in these villages for both teams.




And this is where I really don't know what to say...

We didn't do anything different than the other congregations.  We greeted them.  We prayed with them.  We ate with them.  We went into their homes.  Nothing really changed and yet it was different.








I could see it on the faces of our team members as we rejoined before making the 3+ hour trip home.  I could hear it in the way they talked about their experiences from todays visits.  Today was definitely different in a completely exhausted, fullfilled, and good sort of way.

And maybe it was because this was the last of our congregation visits for our trip (don't worry, our trip isn't over as we'll be spending our day tomorrow at the school with the children).  Maybe it was because of the location.  Maybe it was because of the people.  I really don't know.

But what I do know is this: it was an amazing experience today and for that I know what I can say:

                                                                  Praise God!

Pastor Joe Behnke





Sunday, January 21, 2018

For Everyone...

Hello again!

We had a great Sunday!  Today we were able to worship at the seminary campus here in Guntur.  I was asked to share the sermon for the day and all of the team was able to speak a word of greeting to those gathered.





We then took some time today to visit a congregation together as one group.  It was a wonderful congregation filled with wonderful people.  After meeting with a good number of the members, we went into their homes for times of prayer, conversation, and fellowship!



We have a very busy day tomorrow going down to the island congregations on the shore of the Indian Ocean.  A long day in the car for sure, but a great day spent following Jesus!

For the rest of the blog, team member Nancy Dierdorf volunteered to write tonight.  She has a powerful word to share with you from 1st Timothy 2:1.


Day 4

"For Everyone"

A church building too small

A boy born lame and deaf

A lonely widow

A community set apart because of a permenant status assigned at birth

Here’s a short list of the things that we have had the blessing of praying about over the last couple of days.  And to be honest, some of them seem very daunting and overwhelming.  Because of the Caste System, it’s very unlikely that the community will ever become more than it is now.  It’s unlikely the feelings of loneliness will ever fully disappear.  It’s unlikely that the child will suddenly be able to walk and hear.  It’s very unlikely the small church will be able to build based on the poverty they live in…the $10,000 needed might as well be $1,000,000.

And yet, these are the things for which we pray.  Why?  Because God calls us to.

1st Timothy 2:1 tells us, “First of all, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone…”   Notice how the circumstance does not dictate whether or not we pray.  Instead, Timothy invites us to simply pray for everyone.

And so that’s what we did…

We prayed for a big ole church.  We prayed for legs that run and ears that hear the laughter of other little children as they play.  We prayed to push back the unrelenting loneliness.  We prayed that God would put an end to an unjust system.

We prayed for everyone.

We prayed for fevers to go away.  We prayed for voices that could sing.  We prayed for blessings on different family members and friends. 

And yes, we did so understanding the enormity of the things that prayed.  But we do so also knowing the enormity of the God who hears our prayers.

May that always be the reason why we pray...because the God who is bigger than all things invites us to do just that.  Would you join us in praying?  Would you come with us?  It’s a crazy ride but one that is filled with  blessing.



Nancy Dierdorf


Saturday, January 20, 2018

Common Core

Hello again,

Today was a very busy and blessed day again.  Going into people's homes, sharing stories, and being able to pray together has been a great highlight for our trip so far.

Today we visited four villages: 1. Janga-nad-napuram  2. Akky-palem  3. Bah-varaju-tholta 4. New Konkid-palem.  I tried to spell them phonectically in the hopes you could sound them out...good luck :)

Please keep these villages and the congregations in your prayers as they all face many different challenges that come from sharing the Gospel!

Today, Dustin Behr volunteered to share his insights from the last couple of days on the trip.  Please read and enjoy his observations concerning the similarities we have with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ over in India

Day 4

In the course of a mission trip, you are bound to find things that are very different beween you and the people with whom you are going to see.  Things like family dynamics, personality types, income levels, and living arrangements are just some of the ways there are differences between us and the people of India.  But, over the last couple of days I've noticed something.  That even though there are differences between us, we actually have a lot more in common than we think...that even though there are 8000+ miles between Minnesota and India, there appears to be a common core between us.

Let me explain.

Over the past couple of days as we've been visiting congregations and visiting people's homes, we've had the blessing of being able to pray with them and for them.  Prayers for spiritual growth.  Prayers for health.  Prayers for jobs.  Prayers for family.  Prayers for finances.

Do any of these prayer requests sound familiar?

I'm willing to bet that they do  because we often find ourselves praying for the exact same thing.  Is it just a coincidence?  Could it be fate?  Or could it be that we are not all that different from our brothers and sisters in India?

Now granted, the United States is very different from India and our living conditions/siuations are arguably better.  But is that how we want to define ourselves?  Are we defined by how we live or where we live?  Or is it something else that defines us...someone else who defines us?

You see, this is where we find that common core because we all are aflicted with the same issue: brokeness in it's many different forms.  But rather than even being defined by that brokeness, we are defined by the one who did something about it...Jesus.

That is where we find our common core.

We find it in Jesus.  That is what makes us the same although we are different.  He is what makes us brothers and sisters rather than complete strangers.  The same Jesus who loves us, loves them.  The same Jesus who saves us, saves them.  The same Jesus who has a plan for us, has a plan for them and it can be found in Jeremiah 29:11

        "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper
        you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".

Same God.  Same plan.  Same salvation because of our common core....because of Jesus.

And so while there may be things that make us completely different, we actually see that in the important things we have everything in common because, whether we are American or Indian, our everything is in Jesus.

Thank you for reading and keep praying with us and for us as we continue our trip!''

Dustin Behr.

Friday, January 19, 2018

God Provides Again!

Hello again from India!

We’ve had a very busy day here visiting 4 different villages around Guntur.  We tried something different this year which is to break off into two separate teams and visit two villages each.  This allowed us the opportunity to go into people’s homes and spend time with them one-on-one rather than in a large group gathering.  What a blessing it was to get to know the people better!  Not only did we get to share our mutual joys and struggles, but we also got to pray through these joys and struggles with them!  It was truly a blessed day.

As promised, today we have a member of our trip sharing her experience with you today.  But before we get into that, it occurred to me that you might have no idea who is actually on the trip.  So, let me take a minute and quickly introduce them to you using this selfie we took when we first arrived in the area of Guntur.

(Left bottom to right bottom: Pastor Joe, Nancy Dierdorf, Dustin Behr, Ivar Zemmels, Gloria Bomsta, Stan Bomsta, Terry Schmeckpeper, and Jill Mettler)

So now that you know who is all over here now, I want to give the blog over to Gloria Bomsta as she shares some of her reflections about our day today.

Day 3 Blog

God provides again!

It’s amazing how on a trip like this, God continues to provide over and over again.  This morning our goal was to be out of the house by 8:00 so we could get some breakfast.  Well we were ready…but the cars that help us get around were not here.  Now you have to understand that this is a common occurrence in India.  You have to remain flexible because while 8:00 may be the goal…it hardly ends up being reality.  And so we wait.  And we wait.  And we wait.  It’s very easy to get frustrated while we wait because it can feel like time is wasting away.  There’s so many things we have/want to do that we want to get started right away.  But you know, if we would’ve let frustration take over the morning, we would’ve missed out on God providing for us.

You see, this place where we are staying has a “watchman” which is a different way of saying “security guard”.  This morning while we were waiting, the watchman came out with his wife and we began having a conversation.  Through gestures, photos, and some broken English, we found out that they too were Christian and could celebrate our common Savior.  What a blessed time it was not only in meeting a fellow Christian but also being able to see God provide a new relationship for us as we spend the next few days in this home.  It wasn’t something planned.  It wasn’t even something we had in mind.  Yet God provided for us a new relationship and a way to communicate in that relationship.  And in India, that’s not always easy and can require some serious planning.


And yet, even with the planning and the careful preparation, God provides for us something completely different.  Not because He wants to make us uncomfortable.  Not because He’s toying with us.  Instead, it’s because He knows what needs to be said and provides the words.  After all, Luke 12:12 tells us, “For the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say”.  This is to help us to clearly communicate His love and power at work in the lives of His people. And through this clear communication, God provides yet again…community.

With the people in India, there are many things that are different but there are also many things that are the same.  With the Christians in India, we both celebrate the joys and struggles that come from being the people of God.  Joys revolving around our faith and trust growing in Him.  Struggles revolving around real needs, real pain, and a real need for resources,  Things we all enjoy and things with which we struggle.  Yet because God provides for community, we are able to pray together and for one another.  And while it’s humbling to be praying with young and old alike, the sight of people lined up to pray together is a wonderful testimony to God providing for all of us as His children.  A sight that leaves us and them together saying…God provides again!


Thursday, January 18, 2018

Expect the Expected

It's sounds boring doesn't it?

To expect something that is likely going to happen could be a great definition of boredom.  Where is the surprise?  Where is the suspense?

That's why many different ad agencies have used some variation on the theme of expecting the unexpected.  It sounds mysterious.  It can end in  surprising way.  The suspense may actually kill us waiting to find out what exactly the unexpected actually is.  How fun!  How exciting!  How mysterious!

How uncertain...

You see, this is one of the things never really talked about with expecting the unexpected.  It sounds fun and catchy, but it can lead us to a hard place in our lives...uncertainty.  And is that the place we really want to be?  Is that the place where we want to make our dwelling?  Speaking from my personal experience?  NO...and let me explain.

While we have arrived in Guntur safe and sound, getting here was one uncertain experience after another.  It started at about 8:30 in the morning after Terry and checked in our bags while waiting for the rest of the team to arrive.  We got an update that our flight to Chicago was delayed and would obliterate the carefully laid out flight schedule that had been prepared for us.  So after spending almost 2 hours on the phone with our airline carrier, we were able to completely rework the rest of our stops.  Unfortunately, it meant trying to get our luggage back and at this point all of the team had checked in.  So everyone had to wait to get their luggage back, recheck in with our new tickets, recheck the bags, and then finally make our way through airport security.  In this case, the unexpected really stunk!  And I can tell you, the uncertainty that came from that experience was even worse and not where I want to be forever.

Now to be honest, there was one good thing that came from the unexpected.  It was simply to expect the expected...that God would work even in the midst of issues we were having.  And man, let me tell you, He went to work.

You see, even though our flight schedules had changed, we were still able to get to Guntur at the expected tim without missing a single minute.  Usually, with this kind of shift in flighs there is sometimes days lost in trying to put it back together.  Not for us and not one single minute was lost...all because of God...all because of His faithful work to get us here.

And it's with that reminder that we received that I challenged the team this week to put aside our expectations of the mission trip and what we think needs to be done and should be done.  Instead, let's just hold on to one simple expectation for the remainder of our trip: That God will do His work through us this week and through the churches we start to meet tomorrow.

Would you pray that for us please?  That as a mission team, we are constantly shown and reminded of a God who will do His work...that we continue to expect the expected from Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever hope and imagine.

Oh...and by the way...know that the mission team is praying that for you as well as you continue your walk with Him!

Pictures will start tomorrow as well as stories from the mission team so come back and check it out!

Pastor Joe Behnke

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

It's Time to Go

Going.

It can be one of the hardest things to do when you think about it.  Maybe you can think back to your first date where you spent hours and hours getting ready.  You picked out the perfect outfit...and then you picked it out again.  You checked to make sure you don't smell too bad.  You brushed your teeth.  You put Kleenex in a spot where you know you could wipe your hands if they get too sweaty on the date.   You make sure that you covered all your bases and yet you can't help but have that feeling of wondering whether or not you're ready.  And so you have two choices: You can head back up stairs, brush your teeth again, reapply the deodorant, and change your clothes OR you can finally go and hope/pray that it all goes well and that you really didn't forget something crucial to that date.  What do you do?  Maybe the more appropriate question is, what did you do?

If we're honest, the choice is not just left in the realm of first dates with sweaty palms.  It's found in jobs.  It's found in families.  It's found in life.  It's even found in death.  It's found in  a lot of different places...even places like mission trips.

Now it may seem a little different with mission trips.  After all, our flight leaves on Tuesday and either you're on or you're off.  The plane isn't going to wait for any of us.  But when you think about it, getting to that point required making the tough decision.  Do I stay or do I go?  And with everything in this life, there are lots of reasons why we should stay.  But there are also good reasons to go.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to serve with the people who decided to go on our mission trip this year.  You'll get a chance to hear from them throughout the week.  I can tell you, for them, a lot of time, energy, effort and pizza has been consumed getting us to this point and time and we're ready to go.  And while we have our lists of things to pack and to remember, the reason we're ready is not because the lists are checked-off...it's because of the God who goes with us.

Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  While going may be a tough decision for all of us, it's not for our God.  His promise is to go with us wherever we go and it's because of that promise that I know this team and His people are ready to go...not just to India but to our neighbors, our co-workers...to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth!

Please keep us in your prayers and please be praying for God's blessings as we go!  If you'd like to know more about where we are going and what we'll be doing, keep reading below.


Pastor Joe Behnke


Where Are You Going?

We will be "based" around the city of Guntur but we will be traveling around quite a bit as there are over 40 congregations that are part of Bible Faith Lutheran Ministries to India.  We won't be able to visit all 40 this year but we will try to visit as many as possible.  Below is a map that shows where Guntur is in India.  It gives you a general idea as to where we will be.


Over the course of the week ahead, I hope to be able to share more details about where we are specifically so that you can keep those places in your prayers.  I also hope that you will get to know some of the team better through them sharing their thoughts on the trip and how they see God working in the lives of people in India.  Thank you again for giving us this opportunity to serve!  The next blog entry will happen in country.  It may take a couple of days but keep checking for updates!