Saturday, October 4, 2008

October 4, 2008

The following was written during the last leg of our first flight – you can tell we were reaching a point of boredom. We’re posting from Hong Kong!

From Cynthe: Greetings from 36,000 feet in the air…So far, so good – with 3 hours left to our flight. The plane is beginning to awaken with activity. 11 hours is a long time to be sitting!

Praise God my guitar made it on board, without question! I had a concern that the flight staff would give me a hard time wanting to bring it as a carry-on, but it came on unnoticed, and the flight attendants were very helpful in putting it in the overhead bins. Thank you for those that prayed for that.

Well, we thought we’d share a bit with you, conversation-style:

Laurel: We are flying over the ocean! It’s rad!
Cynthe – So, Laurel, you had your first ever meal on an airplane. How was that?
Laurel – Oh, man. Let me tell you. It was pretty good, especially that raw salmon…just kidding.
Cynthe – She really did try salmon. I was impressed! She’s trying out those missionary tastebuds.
Laurel – But I’ll try not to ever eat it again. Well, I don’t have much to say because, praise God, this has not been a very eventful flight!
Cynthe – Amen!
Laurel – Did I already tell you about the sky? Ok. Let me describe it. Except that the flight attendant told me not to look out the window. So I have to do it slyly! Well, actually, the sky is so indescribable, we’ll just have to post a picture when we get into Delhi. I think if anyone saw this sky, they should consider studying…what is it called, skyology.
Cynthe: I think that’d be called meteorology, Laurel dear. But yes, the sky is spectacular. Dawn at 36,000 feet is beautiful.
Actually, if you think of it, lift up in prayer a business man named John. Uncle had an opportunity to share the Gospel with him and gave him a tract. He seemed open as their conversation went quite long.
Laurel: I just want to say: thank you for reading this long-winded
Cynthe: mostly nonsensical post
Laurel: and I’ll miss you all at Grace tomorrow!
Cynthe: I will too!
Much love and prayers, Laurel and Cynthe

Ephesians 6:11a, 15 Put on the whole armor of God…and as shoes for your feet, put on the readiness given by the Gospel of Peace.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

We have an Itinerary!

Departure date is now but nearly three weeks away and we have a tentative itinerary! I say tentative because in India, you never know what you may be asked to do or when.

I thought it'd be good to share this with you all and memorialize it a bit too. It's always fun to see what was planned, versus what actually ends up happening! :)

Oct. 5th Arrive afternoon in Delhi
Oct. 6th Day of Rest
Oct. 7th Visit to Agra (where the Taj Mahal is located)
Oct. 8-11 Ministries in and around Delhi
Oct. 12th Church of North India (Indian denomination) service
Oct. 13-17 Visit to Bombay/Pune
Oct. 18th Day of Rest
Oct. 19th Daily Bible Fellowship Faridabad
Oct. 20th Ministry to Gurgaon Staff
Oct. 21-22 TBD
Oct. 23rd Shopping for you all back home - it's an all day affair in India!! :)
Oct. 24th Rest
Oct. 25th Depart for home
Arrive in LA Oct. 25th 11:25am

Monday, July 14, 2008

Introduction

If you are reading this, it is probably because you received a letter in the mail from Laurel or myself. Thanks for checking out our blog!

I(Cynthe) thought I would post a short introduction to get our blog up and running.

Our intention is to use this blog to keep you up to date with prayer requests—and hopefully, as time and Internet connection allow, updates from India during our time there. I know our heart’s desire is that you would become excited about what God is doing in our lives through this trip, as well as in the lives of those we will interact with in India.

A few prayer requests to get us started:

Practical Preparation:

- learning a few songs in Hindi, including The Lord’s Prayer. Pray that Laurel and I are able to learn quickly and retain correct pronunciation, among other things.

- I have been asked to prepare a few additional songs to share. I would like to have these translated as much as possible. Would you pray with me that God directs me to songs that would minister to those I’ll be sharing it with? He knows their hearts much more than I do, and I believe He can direct me to songs that will encourage them.

Spiritual Preparation:

- Please continue to pray that God would be softening and preparing our hearts for what He has in store for us in India.

- For Laurel, pray for a continued sense of direction for her future with India.

- For me, pray that God would engage my heart in all that He is doing in India so that I can return to the States with a continued passion I can pass on to others. You might be interested in reading a post on my personal blog entitled “Missions: Local and Abroad” (www.christwithinme.blogspot.com) for a recent insight the Lord gave me about my role in World Missions.

- Pray for the hearts of those we will meet with in India - that God's purposes would be fulfilled in the time we spend with them.

We’re grateful for this unique opportunity from the Lord to experience the Kingdom being furthered in India—and for your prayer support.

-Cynthe and Laurel