This just might work . . .

I have officially moved from simply wanting to go to India to taking steps to make it happen.

My prayer daily has been "steps, guidance and confirmation."  I need to know what steps to take, guidance on when and where exactly to take them and confirmation to know that I'm still right where God wants me to be.

Dan and Carmen came up from Texas to ANM and I got to meet them.  They asked if they might be able to present on their ministry to or church.  After much wrangling, I managed to coordinate a place for them to speak to some of our Sunday school classes.  We talked a little about my crazy idea and how excited they were about it.  We'll be talking in the next few weeks about what steps to take next.  At some point, I will be talking directly to BTC about my trip.


I might have traveling companions!  Terri Modlin wanted to go to India with us this last time.  She raised all the support she needed, but she was unable to go.  She has a plane ticket that she has to use before June 1.

India in June?  Sounds good to me!

To make things even more awesome, her daughter Joy wants to go with us!  Now that would be cool.  I would love to introduce my kids to them and share just how awesome they are.  I want everyone to go with me!

This whole situation needs prayer though . . . there are some important things coming up for Terri that would determine if she can come or not.  Please pray that it all comes together and they are able to go on this amazing adventure too.



I still have those bracelets tied on my wrist.  About a month ago, I decided to make some to give to the boys.  I told God that I wouldn't make them until I was sure I was going.  I dug out all my embroidery thread, picked out colors for the first one I would make, and bundled them up in the corner of the box.

A few weeks later, I had a green light from BTC.  I found myself finishing my first one, made specially for Sunil (I know, shocker), and moving on completely different colors for Balaji.  I eventually made 8 unique ones, each specially made for each guy with the colors that they like.  Somewhere along the way, I thought that my friends here would love to have these too.  Then it hit me:

I could totally sell these things and take the money to India with me.

I decided to make a few more and charge $5 for them.  I told a few people at Target what I was up to and brought in a few examples of the ones I had already made.  At the start of my shift at 6 AM, I showed them to some of the girls standing around me who were unfortunate enough to have the early morning shift with me.  Chanel liked the ones I had in my hand, but was more interested in the ones on my wrist.  She loved the one that's from Kartik, done in an arrowhead pattern that I have never tried to do.  She wanted one in purple and yellow to match the colors of her daughter's cheerleading squad.  I told her I might be able to figure out how Santosh did it and make her one.  Her response: " Great!  Can you make me 6?  And then I might need more for the rest of the squad . . . "  Then one of my bosses wanted 3 in pink and green, thankfully in a pattern I know how to do.  Another friend of mine wanted Rasta colors and another in earth tones.  I took a few bracelets with me when I went out to eat with my friends and they bought a few, then went to their workplaces and told people about my crazy idea.  Now their friends want some too.

Suddenly, I have to make well over 40 of these things!

I had to start keeping records in a notebook of the orders.  Renee Estes and Brittany have asked me to make a bunch for them so they can take them around and sell them for me in their circles. People at Target have started telling their friends about what I'm doing and now they want some too.  It just keeps getting bigger.

I also have plans to start making really pretty necklaces with the huge stash of beads that I have in my room that I've been collecting for years.  I'll charge $10 for those.  I plan on having jewelry parties with them before Christmas (if I can make them fast enough) so people can use them as presents.

I got to tell the missions committee at my church about my trip.  I showed them some pretty compelling pictures I had taken from around Mumbai and Ashagram.  I told them about how I saw the skyscrapers in Mumbai and also what was between them.  I told stories about my kids and showed them some of the awesome pictures I have of them.  I also told them about my bracelet fundraiser, and showed them the notebook with a full page covered in marks and highlighter ink. I then explained to them the rather huge backlog I have.  That got a laugh.

At the end, I quoted Isaiah 42 about freeing those that sit in darkness from their dungeons.  I said, "I know where those dungeons are.  They are in the basements and the upper floors of the houses in the red light district.  They are the shanty towns, the underpasses and the train stations.  I am so thankful that God is using me to help free people from their darkness."

After I had finished speaking, a guy I had never met handed me $100 and said, "when you get a chance, make me a $100 bracelet."  Thank you Lord for confirmation.

This is another talent I thought was useless.  God is once again using whatever I have to help my kids.  I am like a human toolbox.  All those seemingly pointless abilities and talents I've been picking up for years suddenly seem to be useful.  This keeps happening, again and again.  This is looking like even more confirmation to me.


I also discovered something wonderful at work.  When I was visiting the women's vocational building at Ashagram, they showed me some picture frames they had made and told me that Target had actually ordered 500.  We have one!  It's in the display case in the office.  It serves as a reminder that when I get really sick of work or am really tired from pulling early morning shifts, I remember why I'm working so hard.  I know the girls that made it.  My bosses thought I was totally nuts when I found it.  I got really excited and kept yelling, "No really!  My Indian sisters made these!"


I'm also noticing that my relationships with my boys are continuing.  I talk to some of them on a fairly frequent basis, and I'm actually able to help them with some stuff going on in their lives.  One of my guys has a smartphone he uses to talk to me on Facebook.  He passes it around from time to time and I've heard from several guys that way.  They all whine at me and tell me they miss me.  Some of them have gone so far as to tell me that they're waiting for me to come back.

I haven't yet told them that I'm coming back for sure.  I have to clear the dates with the leadership of BTC: arriving in early June, staying for 2 months.  That sounds amazing!

Lord, guide me as I go.