My heart is moved towards the forgotten, orphaned, and abandoned generation...those who have lost family due to death, accident, or HIV/AIDS.I have 1 week of ministry left here in India and I am leaving with no regrets. I will tell the hopeless about the God of hope, the Savior of the World, and the healer of the broken heart and body.Since I have been in India, my favorite ministry sites have been an HIV hospital, and an HIV childrens home/orphanage. Other than the Slums these are by far my favorite sites. I have been thinking so much. My heart was stirred as I led two men with AIDS on beds to Jesus. They had never heard of him. They found themselves smiling as I told them about a simple mans love for them, and about a new hope that they could find in him. Even if they are not healed in this lifetime, they will be whole and alive with Jesus... I will see them there in Heaven... how awesome!I held back tears until the door as I walked passed families who sat next to loved ones who were on thier death beds. I cried realizing that the Joy and the Hope I have personally with Jesus is not something to be hidden and kept from the world. I am called to be light in a searching for truth world and generation. We told people about Jesus. I am not looking for converts. I simply long for people to experience the relationship with Jesus that I know and have. People need healing in the emotional, physical, sexual, and mental. I am a testimony of Jesus' healing touch and have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.A woman and her small child cried as their husband and father was unable to walk and layed in a bed moaning. We led them all to Jesus and sat and cried with them and hugged in our arms the mother and child. It is not a field trip. We go alone, with no agenda and no time constraint. It is a beautiful thing. The other day at a hospital check up, a family was outside the hospital mourning. I didnt immediately connect the body laying on the stretcher, uncovered, outside the hospital doors with the family mourning. It was so sad and not like a custom death. A mother had committed suicide due to hardship and was unable to continue in this life. People need Jesus. They are literally killing themselves because of their lives. Life in India is hard... and complaining is no longer an option in my life. We as middle-class, or wealthy Americans have NO CLUE what it means to suffer or sacrifice. People need us... WE ARE NEEDED IN THE WORLD TO BRING HOPE TO THE HOPELESS.... Jesus is the only real Hope.Today I went to Agape. A ministry that never says no to children affected and effected by AIDS. It is one giant family. They have taken in 210 children in the last 9 years. They are all ages, from 3 days old to college age. Lynn, the founder and owner, sat with us and shared about this ministry and her life. She is a mother of 210 children with a staff that has taken all these children to make a giant family. She calls them "The Gang." It truly is a sensational place. Lynn takes in all children who are orphaned and affected or effected by AIDS. All children have the same background. They have lost one or both parents due to AIDS and have become orphaned. Some of the children have HIV+. Today I spent half of the day in two of their 5 houses. A boys home and girls home. All children from these 2 houses (70 in total) are HIV+. They blessed me! They know the hope of Jesus. Lynn decides not to tell them about thier disease, considering they are so small there is no need to tell them they have the same disease that thier parent had before dying. Instead, they know that they have been taken out of situations only by God and brought into a family of God. :) HOW AWESOME. Today the 70 children were all under the age of 13. They climb all over you, and honestly, I forgot about thier disease. You would never know they had HIV+. Only some you can tell because of thier fatigue, inability to walk on thier own, hair loss, and others. But they sure know how to love. Today, before leaving, they wanted to pray over us. I had 10 little girls laying hands on me, on my head, my arms, leaning against my side. A little one, Monica, clung to my body, kissed my check, smiling. I did not want to leave... seriously. When I look at the last 3 weeks of this trip, I am amazed at what the Lord has taught me. I had never been to the Slums of India, I had never been to a prosititute village much less talked to a prostitute, I had never been to an HIV orphanage, or hospital. Every single place I have been, I am surrounded by people. Thats it. They have sin, so do I. I have been sick, they are sick. The only difference between me and them is Jesus. I have nothing to be afraid of, to share, to hear, to talk about. THAT IS LIFE. This trip has opened my eyes even further to the heart of God, and of his children of the world. If anything, in all my travelling of the world for missions and leisure, I see more intensely the need of man for God. It is only pride that says we do not need him. I have realized more and more my need for him as I sit and hear the lives of people in this nation. I can only bring what I have for these people. Signs, wonders, and miracles will only move through me as a result of the intimacy I have with Jesus.At a youth camp this past friday, we were able to lay hands on kids and watch impartations and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Kids, for the first time, were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues. A woman asked me to pray over a tumor in her head, and upon touching her head very lightly, the woman literally fell backward and hit the ground. I hardly touched her, but I knew that in my touch God showed up. She was slain in the spirit. This has only happened a few times in the last few years where God asks me to pray, and a person agrees and they get touched by the Holy Spirit and it is visible. Not a question, God was there and peoples lives were changing. The woman said she felt better, and together we believe she is healed. She will go to the doctors soon and see the report. Aout 20 lives were changed due to the infilling of the Holy Spirit... BEAUTIFUL! I love seeing the tangible hand of God. It is rare. I love that we as humans can be used by a mighty God to bring healing. Even at a bible retreat we went to, I touched the belly of a girl with stomach pains, and the forehead of a girl with a fever and migrains, and both were healed. There were no more headaches or stomache pains... JESUS all over!!Jesus will continue to use our team, and our lives individually even after this trip as we submit and commit our lives to him. We must be surrendered to the Lord. Period. We must continue to let God strip us of our selfishness, our pride, and insecurity. it is a daily surrender and it is genuine. God will help me. He will help you.I want to see God work at Walmart, in my home, in my church, and on the street. He does and will. Jesus, thanks for using me to bring your kingdom to earth. I pray that my heart would be forever submitted and surrendered to your will. If I lose all I have for you and your kingdom, then it will be worth it. Jesus, search my heart. My motives, attitudes, and desires. Make them your own, and let your Holy Spirit reveal to me those things, the ugly and the hindering. I don't want there to be anything standing in the way of your holy spirit in my life. Clean me and strip me of all I am. I will forever commit my ways to you, even if I get angry, frustrated, or don't understand. Even if my questions arent answered in this life time, help me to trust you above all and everything else in this world. Jesus, I love you and want to know you so much more. Teach me your ways! Enhance and anoint the gifts, talents, and abilities you have put inside of me. I don't want to live an ordinary life. I know your plans for me are good and extraordinary. Thank you for showing yourself faithful this trip and all my life. You are amazing. I love you. Thanks for loving me.
Post by Maggie Hoffman
Monday, June 1, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Imagine This...
Imagine This... Every morning you wake up in your own sweat. Stop... what do you think of India right now... haha... I LOVE THIS PLACE!!
Ok..
keep imagining ... You are driving down the street in an SUV with windows that do not go up and the wind blowing in your face. India music plays on the radio, and out the window this is what you see... Trash on the road, and in the gutters. Passing buildings that are half constructed or look war stricken. Fading and peeling paint make for beauitful photography. Motorcylcles with anywhere from 1 to 5 people on them, Buses, and Trucks filled with people. They are flying by you down the roads which do not have lanes and you are driving on the other side of the road. traffic and driving here is unbelievable... It is horrible. No crosswalks, no traffick lanes. All is fair in love and war. Cows standing NOT in pastures but in trash dumps and eating what they find on the side of the road. Dogs roam and men pee on the side of the road. I think I have spotted 3 children that have pooped in a gutter where people walk, and I have seen about 6 camels running down the street. Sometimes I feel like I am in one of the Borne Movies, Spygame, or in Indian Jones. Somtimes little children come up to glass windows tapping, begging for money. Little kids play cricket in an alley or in a field covered in trash, dirt, and little grass. The heat is beating down, and beads of sweat drip down every part of your body. A language heard and spoken that YOU cannot understand, and only wish you could.
This is our life daily here in Hyderabad, India. Me and my team have been here for a little over 2 weeks or 16 days. I have 15 more days here. I absolutely love this place.
The culure is so great! It is opposite of everything I know. I am learning the language of Telegu... and little Hindu kids are the ones teaching me. The bathrooms dont have tissue paper and so this is what my left hand is for, however we make sure to keep it on us. The colors of this city are beautiful, the clothing radiant and the markets filled with music, life, and people. The weather can be wonderful at times, and horriible at others. Nights are phenomenal with cool showers, lightening, and big breezes. Every night I see a constellation I am unfamiliar with. From the rooftop of my house, where i am stayin in the country and outskirts of the city, I can see a train that passes by about 10 times a day. It reminds me of SlumDog Millionaire. Everyone rides bikes here. The taxis are yellow rickshaws (pictures to come). The people stare at me. I am a skyscaper in a field in this city. I actually have to hid my face and head sometimes to avoid commotion. Children giggle at the site of me and play and touch my skin. I make them laugh.My heart has been filled with so much joy here in India. The people are so sweet and the children are not like any other children I have seen in the world. My hearts gets broken everyday I stay here. I have cried and laughed so much.
For those of you who do not know, let me tell you what I have been doing so far here in this country.Let me give you a summary. Some days I am in the Slums of Hyderabad. Walking through dirt piles, flyinfested "kitchens", and playing games with little kids who grab my hand and touch my skin because it is something they havent seen in another color. Shy little faces peek around corners to see the "americans" and all want "snaps" taken of them. Other days I am on a stage singing songs and playing my guitar in youth services or churches. Preaching some days, and listening others. We have been to orphanages, HIV hospitals, and villages. Two days ago I was in a prostitute village, sharing my testimony, and introducing Jesus and his healing touch to a group of Hindu women hungry for a love they have never known. All they know is this lifestyle of making money and living day to day by selling themselves daily. I sat and talked with these women. We laughed, hugged, shared stories, and prayed. This is the extraordinary life and this is relationship. They did not want me to go. I realized that even though these women now know Jesus, they still have to return to thier lifestyle. It messes with American thinking. But God is a protector and restorer. For this group of women there is no other option for income. Either they die along with thier kids and families or they sell themselves for income to have a simple meal. Jobs are not available, especially to these women. But God is bigger and can protect the physical and emotion state of these new believers.This is just a few things I have done and seen while I have been here in Hyderabad. Seriously, people would not be able to understand or picture what I have experienced, seen, and touched here in India. We eat with our right hand, never using utensils, and the food has flavor incomparable to any american dish. I think I have become more health concious and picky haha.But, God is healing people here. We are an extension of his hands and feet on the planet. Hindu's here are hungry to see and feel God's healing touch and to know a God of love, something they have no experience of. Temples are everywhere but they are pretty empty. When we have prayed over people we have seen miracles... It is incredible! I found myself crying during one ministry site when little children at a slum outreach got filled with the holy spirit and all they could do was shout Hallellujah! I have seen Hindu women cry as they have said they felt God touch thier body and now they feel different and better. This, people, is Jesus. Jesus is a healer. It is so unfortunate because people in the US are so skeptical of the power and love and healing of god. However here, people are so open, and because of thier openness and willingness to know God, they actually see tangibly the touch of God and they can experience it the way it was intended. Most of the people I have encountered have never known the name of Jesus, especially the children. They are my favorite. Well, this is all I can write right now. I have to go put on my sari (indian garb) and get ready to go to a youth service. I am incharge of games. I definitely have a lot more stories, even some life threatening situations, and some experiences that YOU have never experienced.... But I'll keep you in suspense and anticipation until next time!keep praying for me and my team. Our health has been good but we definitely need the protection and favor of God. Christians are not liked very much here, and we have already encountered this opposition. We are safe and alive and hope you are have a great summer! More stories to come!
post by Maggie Hoffman
Ok..
keep imagining ... You are driving down the street in an SUV with windows that do not go up and the wind blowing in your face. India music plays on the radio, and out the window this is what you see... Trash on the road, and in the gutters. Passing buildings that are half constructed or look war stricken. Fading and peeling paint make for beauitful photography. Motorcylcles with anywhere from 1 to 5 people on them, Buses, and Trucks filled with people. They are flying by you down the roads which do not have lanes and you are driving on the other side of the road. traffic and driving here is unbelievable... It is horrible. No crosswalks, no traffick lanes. All is fair in love and war. Cows standing NOT in pastures but in trash dumps and eating what they find on the side of the road. Dogs roam and men pee on the side of the road. I think I have spotted 3 children that have pooped in a gutter where people walk, and I have seen about 6 camels running down the street. Sometimes I feel like I am in one of the Borne Movies, Spygame, or in Indian Jones. Somtimes little children come up to glass windows tapping, begging for money. Little kids play cricket in an alley or in a field covered in trash, dirt, and little grass. The heat is beating down, and beads of sweat drip down every part of your body. A language heard and spoken that YOU cannot understand, and only wish you could.
This is our life daily here in Hyderabad, India. Me and my team have been here for a little over 2 weeks or 16 days. I have 15 more days here. I absolutely love this place.
The culure is so great! It is opposite of everything I know. I am learning the language of Telegu... and little Hindu kids are the ones teaching me. The bathrooms dont have tissue paper and so this is what my left hand is for, however we make sure to keep it on us. The colors of this city are beautiful, the clothing radiant and the markets filled with music, life, and people. The weather can be wonderful at times, and horriible at others. Nights are phenomenal with cool showers, lightening, and big breezes. Every night I see a constellation I am unfamiliar with. From the rooftop of my house, where i am stayin in the country and outskirts of the city, I can see a train that passes by about 10 times a day. It reminds me of SlumDog Millionaire. Everyone rides bikes here. The taxis are yellow rickshaws (pictures to come). The people stare at me. I am a skyscaper in a field in this city. I actually have to hid my face and head sometimes to avoid commotion. Children giggle at the site of me and play and touch my skin. I make them laugh.My heart has been filled with so much joy here in India. The people are so sweet and the children are not like any other children I have seen in the world. My hearts gets broken everyday I stay here. I have cried and laughed so much.
For those of you who do not know, let me tell you what I have been doing so far here in this country.Let me give you a summary. Some days I am in the Slums of Hyderabad. Walking through dirt piles, flyinfested "kitchens", and playing games with little kids who grab my hand and touch my skin because it is something they havent seen in another color. Shy little faces peek around corners to see the "americans" and all want "snaps" taken of them. Other days I am on a stage singing songs and playing my guitar in youth services or churches. Preaching some days, and listening others. We have been to orphanages, HIV hospitals, and villages. Two days ago I was in a prostitute village, sharing my testimony, and introducing Jesus and his healing touch to a group of Hindu women hungry for a love they have never known. All they know is this lifestyle of making money and living day to day by selling themselves daily. I sat and talked with these women. We laughed, hugged, shared stories, and prayed. This is the extraordinary life and this is relationship. They did not want me to go. I realized that even though these women now know Jesus, they still have to return to thier lifestyle. It messes with American thinking. But God is a protector and restorer. For this group of women there is no other option for income. Either they die along with thier kids and families or they sell themselves for income to have a simple meal. Jobs are not available, especially to these women. But God is bigger and can protect the physical and emotion state of these new believers.This is just a few things I have done and seen while I have been here in Hyderabad. Seriously, people would not be able to understand or picture what I have experienced, seen, and touched here in India. We eat with our right hand, never using utensils, and the food has flavor incomparable to any american dish. I think I have become more health concious and picky haha.But, God is healing people here. We are an extension of his hands and feet on the planet. Hindu's here are hungry to see and feel God's healing touch and to know a God of love, something they have no experience of. Temples are everywhere but they are pretty empty. When we have prayed over people we have seen miracles... It is incredible! I found myself crying during one ministry site when little children at a slum outreach got filled with the holy spirit and all they could do was shout Hallellujah! I have seen Hindu women cry as they have said they felt God touch thier body and now they feel different and better. This, people, is Jesus. Jesus is a healer. It is so unfortunate because people in the US are so skeptical of the power and love and healing of god. However here, people are so open, and because of thier openness and willingness to know God, they actually see tangibly the touch of God and they can experience it the way it was intended. Most of the people I have encountered have never known the name of Jesus, especially the children. They are my favorite. Well, this is all I can write right now. I have to go put on my sari (indian garb) and get ready to go to a youth service. I am incharge of games. I definitely have a lot more stories, even some life threatening situations, and some experiences that YOU have never experienced.... But I'll keep you in suspense and anticipation until next time!keep praying for me and my team. Our health has been good but we definitely need the protection and favor of God. Christians are not liked very much here, and we have already encountered this opposition. We are safe and alive and hope you are have a great summer! More stories to come!
post by Maggie Hoffman
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