beautiful people...

I received this email from a dear family friend (Lynn Henderson). She and her family lived in India for many years and I loved getting to share a few stories with her of my experience in this place so near and dear to her heart.  "Thank you so much for sending the posts, Emily.  I have read and looked at each one.  I am so glad to hear how everything is going and I know the joy you have had in being there.  I could have written each of those postings my first visit there and a few not so pleasant ones as well!  This was a perfect day to receive this as I have shared my heart with Jim about how very much I miss living in India and being among people who haven’t had the same privileges we have had of hearing so much of the good news.  I also miss living and walking with other believers whose sole desire is to see God’s kingdom grow and who are committed to praying together, asking impossible things of Him and encouraging each other in our hard and rich places.  Even though I have many very special and wonderful friends and family, I have not experienced the rich community in Christ that I had there living among so many of other faiths.  We will begin to pray for each other more in a few of these areas.  Thanks for giving me a taste of home on a homesick day.  Love, Lynn" 

Yesterday was another day full of so many rich experiences. We began the day with women who had gathered who had graduated from the sewing ministry, and we got to hear their stories about the difference that this has made in their lives. Many shared about how they are now able to provide for their families and the hope this has brought to them. There were many tears of joy and thanksgiving that we all shared together there. We also had the gift of going to visit a school where two girls attend, speaking to a group that meets biweekly for children who have HIV, and having a family dinner back at home.  This place continues to amaze us with the compelling stories and people we are meeting each day.