It has been quite some time since I’ve posted, and for that, I apologize. BUTTTTT … I’m back now so let’s get into it!

My team and I spent January 14th – January 28th in Andhra Pradesh, India! And it was amazing! The people are inviting and hungry for God, the culture and country are beautiful and the food was 10/10 every time!

We saw 51 salvations [ one of which was in a rice field ] and 5 healings. And as MJ, one my teammates pointed out, we ironically arrived in India during a Hindu Harvesting festival. Amazingly, the Lord received His harvest!

I went with a team of 16 other YWAM Columbus missionaries and our base leader to Andhra Pradesh, India for 14 days. We did children’s ministry, a pastor’s conference, many bible studies and guest appearances at other churches.

I preached for the FIRST & SECOND times while in India!

The first time was spontaneous and unplanned. We went to church one Sunday and after service, our contact asked if we were down to go to another service and preach. All of us in the car were a little apprehensive, no one wanting to volunteer. However, I felt the Lord lay it on my heart to preach, and funny enough that morning I woke up at 3AM and prayed for Andhra Pradesh for an hour or two then went back to bed. I had a very unfinished half prepared message titled The Other Side of Your Yes that I was planning on finishing later that afternoon. The whole car ride there I was praying that the Lord would show me how to finish it. And He did! He gave me two more scriptures than what I had already written down, The Great Commission (Mark 16:15-18) and Revelation 4 & 5. The message was about not what God has to give you when you say ‘yes’ to Him, but how you can free others as you share and walk in the power of the gospel and most importantly, how saying ‘yes’ to God allows the Lamb that was slain for YOU (JESUS) to receive His reward of a harvest from every ‘nation, tribe, people and tongue’! It went so well. The congregation was so kind and sweet and I was so honored to be able to give the word of the Lord and we got to pray for and with the people of the village and congregation!

The second message I preached was at a Wednesday night tent service. This was also a (mostly) surprise message, as I found out I preaching the night before. But, once again, I felt like the Lord came through. When I woke up the morning I felt the Lord give me a word that day too from Ezekiel 16 that I titled Remembering the God of your Salvation, but had not yet written.

I spent MOST of the next day and the rest of that night, seeking the Lord to hear what He has to say and writing the message. Overall it went really well. At the end of the message, one of my teammates lead 3 people teenager to repentance! And God was glorified and magnified!

I got the opportunity to lead worship 4 times! All of which were unexpected, as I am not apart of my team’s worship team! But it was such an honor to be asked and to serve the Lord in that way! My favorite moment of leading worship was during a Bible study that Gabby lead. She asked me to sing Who You Say I Am. Little did she know that was the first song I ever lead worship to while on mission in Mexico over two years ago. It was such a holy moment and such a holy song. Our contact, began to translate the song into Telugu as I sang and the atmosphere shifted, God broke into our worship and we just entered into His glory from there!

My favorite healing ministry moment was after our last Church Sunday Service, I was praying for a woman who had foot pain. While I was praying the second time, I felt cracking and popping under my hand and after she said she was all better and began to cry. It’s always such an honor to be invited into what the Lord is doing on His earth amongst His people!

We also got to drive around and see a lot. From rice fields, to swimming in the Indian Ocean and walking the streets of Andhra Pradesh while attracting far too much attention. The countryside was absolutely gorgeous. The only downside was being viciously attacked by mosquitos every day and night. Day 2, as I woke up defeated from all the mosquito bites, I received an invitation from the Lord to walk deeper in Romans 12:1. My mindset quickly shifted to, “If I must get attacked by mosquitos for the sake of the gospel, so be it. This will just be the way that I present my body to the Lord for these two weeks!” It didn’t stop the bugs from biting me, but it reminded me that God is worth it and refocused my gaze on the worth of the Lamb that was slain.

We went Kurta and Saree shopping, had chai, lots of ice cream side quests, attended a carnival, celebrated two birthdays, worked out, played Uno and had two Indian movie nights! An absolute time was had in India! I made a lifetime of memories were made as well as a phone full of pictures and videos!

I also have a feeling that I’ll be back in India sometime in the future. I cannot believe we have already left India and are now in Ethiopia. But I’m so excited to see how God moves here!

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