Getting Ready! (Part One)

Hi, Everyone!

Welcome to the India 2012 Blog. I will try to keep you updated on all the excitement as we prepare and while the team is abroad through this blog. I should probably start with introductions. So, meet the team!

All the way on the left is Tommy, holding his son, Elijah. You probably already know Tommy as the Missions Pastor at Northside. Standing in front of him in cobalt blue is his wife, Shiny. Next to Shiny is Linda, in the aquamarine, and behind Linda is her husband, Jim. Front and center in bright red and the beautiful smile is Liz. Next to her is Alexandra – that's me, your humble blogger! Behind Liz and me, is Valentine. Finally, next to Val is Jennifer.

Believe it or not, this picture was one of the things that falls under the category of "preparation," but taking pictures is definitely more fun than some of the other things. As you can see, all of us ladies got to dress up in beautiful salwars, the traditional Indian clothing we're wearing. You have probably seen other Indian women wearing them here in Fresno. The guys are wearing Indian clothes, too, but it's hard to tell, except on Tommy. It was a lot of fun to wear these vibrant and intricately patterned clothes because they are so flattering and different from my normal jeans-and-shirt attire.

In addition to taking the team photo, we have been doing all sorts of fun activities to let everyone know what our plans are and how to support us, either spiritually or financially. So, what are the plans for this trip? Good question! We will travel to Madhya Pradesh, India (it is in Central India) in October in order to host a Bible Conference for Indian pastors. Our hope is to encourage those most faithful warriors who serve on the front lines of our spiritual battle, winning souls for Christ. It is often difficult to have a specific purpose for short term mission trips, but this one has a clear and definite task.

So, how can you support us? Please pray! Please pray often! Please pray that the Lord would prepare the hearts and minds of those whom we will meet, that all event planning would go smoothly, and for each of our hearts and minds as we write our messages. Yes, that's right I said messages. If you haven't noticed from the picture above, I'm actually pretty young. If you were wondering what qualifies me to give a message, all I can say is the Lord Jesus Christ! I have never given a sermon or taught the Bible before. Ever. Yikes! And, to teach on the Bible to those who are likely far more spiritually mature than I am is certainly humbling if not downright terrifying!! (Did I say I could use some prayer??)

You can also support us financially. There is a table in front of Northside where you can donate money for the cost of the conference. It is a three day conference and it will cost each attendant $50, which is not a small amount for those living in India. Our hope is to be able to pay for all of them. However, we also realize that $50 is not a small amount for us either. We hope that you will consider sponsoring a pastor or wife perhaps with your small group or friends-- $5 or $10 a person can be pretty manageable. If not, please come to our table and take a prayer card. We would love to see you. :)