Wednesday 19 January 2011

Visitors from South America



This morning we had an unexpected visit from our friends Parrot and Deva S who are missionaries in South America. They are spreading the love of Christ among youth in a Marxist ruled country. Their work is difficult but they are receiving many blessings. Deva showed me a photo of a 10 year old boy who has become a Christian and wants to be a preacher.
Parrot akka taught in a Women 's Bible School before she married Bro. Deva. She was a Bible teacher and mentor in our University Youth Fellowship. No student camp was complete without Parrot akka 's 'Practical Sessions ' in which she taught us how to assimilate Biblical truths into everyday living. She also sailed the seven seas aboard OM 's ship Logos before getting married to Bro. Deva.
God has used them among young people and marriage counselling.
Their son is a medical missionary in North India and daughter is with YWAM on the Andaman islands.
They have been home in South India several times but visited us here in Allahabad (North India) after 23 years. I wanted them over for a meal but they did not have time for that. They were returning from a trip to a country sharing India 's border which is completely closed to the Gospel.
We praise God for the lives of those who are our leaders and encouragers. Before leaving Parrot akka gave me a tube of face wash which she had brought as a gift from South America.. I was so touched.

I took some photos of them, but accidentally I had my video turned on so instead of still photos I got a 4 second video.




Let me end with this beautiful story.


Jeremy

"'Do you hear what these children are saying?' they asked him. 'Yes,' replied Jesus,
'have you never read, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise"?'"

--Matthew 21:16

Miss Miller had taught many students at the Christian school, but none so exasperating
as Jeremy. He was twelve years old, slightly retarded, and had not progressed beyond
the second grade. Miss Miller had repeatedly tried to place Jeremy in a special
class, but the boy's parents wanted him to stay with his classmates. This frustrated
her, as she had eighteen other youngsters to supervise.

After teaching about the Resurrection one day, Miss Miller gave the class an assignment.
Each child was given a large plastic egg and told to bring it back the next day
with something inside that showed new life. All the kids were enthusiastic except
for Jeremy. Miss Miller wasn't certain the boy understood.

The next morning the children arrived in class with their eggs, laughing and discussing
their surprises inside. In one egg a child had placed a flower. In another, a plastic
butterfly. One concealed a rock with moss. When Miss Miller opened Jeremy's egg,
it was empty. She reasoned that he must not have understood the instructions. Because
she did not want to embarrass the disabled boy, she quietly set the egg aside.

"Miss Miller," Jeremy spoke up, "aren't you going to talk about my egg?" The teacher
replied that it was empty. "Yes, but the tomb of Jesus was empty, too."

While the other children ran out to the schoolyard, Miss Miller stayed behind, wiping
her tears. Here she had thought it was a waste of time trying to teach Jeremy, but
all the while, he had cultivated a wisdom far beyond that of his classmates. Three
months later, Jeremy died. And those who paid their respects at the funeral home
were surprised to see nineteen eggs on top of his casket. All of them, empty.*

_________________________

*This story originally appeared in Guideposts magazine.
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12 Fertilize my soul:

Nadwrażliwiec said...

It had to be nice visit! We had in the outpost in Rabka of our main church in Cracow young and very active missionary from Ukraine. But we had also sermons from pastors from Argentina, USA and Slovakia. I like meetings like that, because it make impression that we - Christians - are big family, whenever we live.

Felisol said...

Dear Amrita,
you know so many beautiful people. I guess they are drawn to you, because you are a rare woman yourself. Faithful on the post where God has placed you.


The story about the boy and the empty egg is also touching.
We are celebrating the empty cross and the empty grave.

Carol-Ann Allen said...

OK! One day if I turn up at your door (grin, grin) NO CAMERAs of ANY KIND!

This has to be the funniest picture posting of one of your visitors yet!

Carol-Ann Allen said...

And the background music for that accidental clip ... how do you explain that?

Carol-Ann Allen said...

This comment is just because I forgot to click the "email follow-up comments" box!

Carol E Wyer said...

What a beautiful touching story about the eggs. I so love my visits here. Thank you Amrita.

Amrita said...

Dear friends you are my blessings just like the Sahayams, even though we have never met fce to face you minister to my heart.

C-A you arrive suddenly at my front door, let alone th e camera I 'd fall down in a faint... an d most probably tak e upside down photos LOL

I had to block out something I was saying with that music.LOL.

Amrita said...

I love that story too Carol (Facing 50) Such things can teach us great lessons of life.

Carol-Ann Allen said...

Have mercy! Thanks for the warning! I'll make sure I come swathed in garments to the ground if it is to be an upside down photo shoot!

LoL wouldn't it be fun, though! The reminiscing through blogger start-up days alone would be enough to keep us going for several hours!

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hello Amrita,

Parrot Akka and her family are extraordinary people filled with Holy Spirit to spread the message of Christ risking their lives.Very rarely we come across such special people.

I was greatly moved by the story of Jeremy.

As regard photos in my recent post Atham Procession,they were taken before the commencement of Onam Festival. Pongal is not a big festival here in Kerala.Pongal is a big festival in Tamil Nadu.

Best wishes,
Joseph

JI said...

You have to admire these missionaries for taking the Word of God to a Marxist ruled country. It would be good if there were more people like them, especially in India. A lot of social problems can only cured by applying biblical values to our everyday lives.

JI

David C Brown said...

Love the story of Jeremy:

"We love to look within the tomb,
Robbed by Thy death of all its gloom ...", as the hymn puts it.