Daily and Weekly Christian Inspiration
We are so grateful to all those who were a part of our recent missionary trip to India.
Today we especially wanted to thank and recognize Sam and Angel for giving of their time to drive us to Kennedy Airport and picking us up again, which you know is no easy task if you have ever driven to Kennedy Airport! LOL! Sam and Angel, we are so blessed by your friendship, support and dedication to the Kingdom.
1Corinthians 3:9 For we are labourers together with God.
Before we started to pack for home yesterday we visited the largest mall in the world with a skating rink, ski slope, fountains with dancing waters and hundreds of restaurants. We were just happy to find a Starbucks and a Johnny Rockets where we could enjoy a hamburger with beef!
As the taxi whisked us through the wide highways lined in palm trees and unbelievable abundance of colorful flowers we thought how different it was from India where a ten minute drive could take an hour.
Both countries were so diverse but as I said to John “Darling, I love you but give me Fifth Avenue!” LOL Do you remember the show Green Acres?
We covet your prayers today, Monday April 4th, as we head off to the airport for a fourteen hour flight back to New York. Arriving in New York at 8:45pm which to us will be 4:45am April 5th.
It will take our minds a few days to catch up with all the experiences and sights we have seen which we look forward to reliving as we share them with you. We hope you have enjoyed the journey as you walked the many miles with us in our shoes as I’ve tried to share posts with you daily:
From the slums of India to the splendor of the Taj Mahal.
From the Hindu Nation of India to the Islam State of the United Arab Emirates.
From the saree of India to the burke of Dubai.
From the tropical forests of India to the desert of Dubai.
Thank you all soooo much for you prayers as we have traveled to share the Good News.
Until I catch up with you in the USA “Walk with the King and be a blessing!”
Before heading home today we spent a few days in Dubai for a well needed time to rest especially since we both had upper respiratory problems and nasty coughs.
As we usually pray for divine appointments the Lord always amazes us. Just an hour after we arrived at the hotel we met the chef who was from Nepal and after discussion about our daughter Patsy visiting Nepal most years, we find he is a believer who badly needed some encouragement and fellowship.
Here we are in the desert and the first thing I have to buy is an umbrella! It rained until the streets were flooded our first day.
On Tuesday we had booked a dinner cruise around the creek. We enjoyed our first meal with meat since we had left home, even though we were not feeling well. Among the many skyscrapers we passed were several Moslem prayer towers. It was quite an experience.
I was amazed as I looked for a restroom to also find a prayer room! What a dedicated religious people! As Christians we could learn about dedication to our faith as we also heard several times during the day a call to prayer!
It was fascinating for us just to watch the crowds in the mall with the ladies in their black burkes, many decorated with gold and rhinestones and the men in their white Moslem dress, many of whom were accompanied by several women.
It has not been just a trip to United Arab Emirates via India but also an adventure into the unknown. I have heard it said before but it is so true “Nothing can prepare you for a trip to India”.
The Taj Mahal, the magnificent monument that stands at the heart of India has a story that has been melting the hearts of millions of listeners since the time Taj has been visible. A story, that although ended back in 1631, continues to live on in the form of Taj and is considered a living example of eternal love. It’s the love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, two people from the course of history who set an example for the people living in present and the future to come. An English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold best describes it as “Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.”
Shah Jahan bestowed his beloved with the title of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the “Jewel of the Palace”. In the year 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to their 14th child, she died due to some complications at the age of 38.
It is said that Shah Jahan was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into mourning for two years. Sometime after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world’s most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the mausoleum to intern her body and to be an everlasting memorial of their love.
Almost 400 years have come and gone but the love story still lives on to inspire the romantic heart in all of us.
What better place for John and I to reflect on our love story of 52 years.
The above quote by the English poet reminded me of the greatest love story of all times.
1 Peter 2:3-6 Ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious:unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.
Malachi 3:16-17 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it,
and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts,in that day when I make up my jewels.
On our way to Agra and the Taj Mahal we stopped with Pastor Babu at the Harvest Mission College’s new building being constructed by Roadrunner World Missions with 4 floors of class rooms and large auditorium.
Located in Knowledge Park where you can only buy the land if it is built for education. Here young Christians will be taught vocation skills therefore it is an education facility. But at the same time they are also taught the Bible. Some will start churches while others will go into the business world with the gospel. This facility can never be closed down as it is now sanctioned by the government as a place of education! A vision that was as harmless as a dove and as wise as a serpent!
I tried to chat and befriended one of the young ladies who was courageously carrying twelve bricks on her head. As you can see it was hard for me to balance even one brick on my head. LOL! As you can see even the cement has to be mixed by hand,
These young ladies earn a mere 60 cents a day for this hard labor! This facility must be completed in the next two months or the government will cancel their permit.
As I stood in the huge unfinished auditorium Pastor Babu invited me to come back and share the gospel when it is finished.
When finished it may not have the beauty of the Taj Mahal which was built for the glory of human love but this building will be built for the glory of God’s love to spread the eternal beauty of His love for the world.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
