Welcome In!

Where lives are forever changed.

This post is part of Lysa TerKeurst’s Uninvited Book Blog Tour which I am delighted to be a part of along with many other inspiring bloggers. To learn more and join us, visit www.uninvitedbook.com/for-bloggers.

 

The pile of shoes just before the threshold invited me in.

Entering the ocean-blue church- turned-classroom, my eyes swam in color while the sound of the call to prayer blasted through the make-shift windows. Women swaddled in rainbows of color filed through the door just as they had been doing every night for the past year for their 2 hour lesson.

I found a corner in the back of the room. Sitting cross-legged, I was eager to take in what God is doing in India, 8,552 miles from the comforts of my home.

Mission India's Adult Literacy Classes

The teacher stood, instructing the women to take out their slates to begin tonight’s lesson. The temperatures that day, hovering around 115 degrees, had not held these Indian women back from coming. They were eager to learn; to learn to read, to calculate and to understand this One who did not declare words about them as their culture does. From the day of their birth, they have been told that they are worthless. 160 million in this Untouchables class in India believe they’re less than human. They are considered a burden; to their families and to their culture. Yet, here, in this simple cinder-block room, they were learning they were priceless … and it was changing everything.

After the night’s lesson, the teacher asked the students to share how their lives were changing as a result of these Mission India adult literacy classes. They stand to share:

“Since I can pass the standard test, I can now get a job. I can provide for my family.”

“Seeing that I am learning to read and am able to bring in an income, my husband is gaining respect for me and is no longer beating me.”

“I have the confidence to look others in the eye. I don’t have to look at the ground when spoken to.”

My eyes leak once more, just as they had been doing all week long. The power of Jesus is not only changing their eternal destiny, He is changing their daily lives now. He has welcomed them in where they have been uninvited.

When class ends, they line up, asking my Proverbs 31 Ministries friend, Suzie Eller, and I, to pray for them. Their requests, backed with faith, seem insurmountable. The first, a woman on dialysis, asks for healing. The next, prayer for her husband who beats her for attending church to worship Jesus. They stand tall, believing that the One, True God they are learning about, will come and meet their needs.

[field name=video]

This mission, through Mission India, is being supported by Proverbs 31 Ministries and Lysa TerKeurst through the sales of Lysa’s new book, Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely. This book instills the truth that even when you’re overlooked by others, you are handpicked by God. In this new book, Uninvited, New York Times best selling author Lysa TerKeurst will help you live like you really believe that truth! You can get your copy by going to www.uninvitedbook.com.

 

 

Lynn

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.