God's Path, God's Provision and God's Plan Tuesday, March 30, 2010 What a joy to follow the path that God spread out before on us on our recent trip to Bangladesh. We left on Feb 26th and arrived home on March 16th. Wow. How Awesome is our God is the very least I can say. Come journey with me. It seemed like our trip was going to be topsy, turvy because a week before we left there was some internal power struggle for land happening. 498 homes were burned leaving around 2,000 people without a home and out on the land. They had no food for their famiies and nothing to take care of their needs. God's timing is so perfect that I was able to hand carry relief money over to them. No red tape, just God's provision and timing. We were supposed to go to the two areas that were now closed to us BUT GOD! He brought them to us. I am not going to mention names of places but only avenues that we were able to witness and share God's love in. First we went to a place where I promised I would go almost 2 years ago. It mattered. Oh the renewing of friendship was wonderful. I cannot explain to you the power of God's love for someone you barely know. It is powerful and it is real. I was able to teach the women and a few of the men in this area. I taught them in the morning and in the afternoon. Jan spoke in the afternoon on some health issues. We would return the next morning but it carried with it a sad note because good byes would be said after lunch until the next year or so. This is so difficult. I am excited to see how God will use the leadership teaching with these precious ladies as they become the Titus women and teach those coming up after them. I taught them how to crochet rag rugs and they are going to crochet a rug large enough for the floor of their meeting area. Now that is a huge task but with God, it is very possible. I am excited for them. They sit on the floor all the time. It is a hard floor. This rug will be a blessing. In the afternoon of this 2nd day we went to a village. We met a pastor and his wife and listened to his testimony. In his area there are 4,000 people and only 5 families are believers. He has such a heart for his people. It was great to be in their home. One room with a cooking room off the side. His wife weaves cloth very beautifully but the beauty that we have and see in our homes comes from some very back breaking work. They sit on the ground with both legs straight and flat before them for long periods of time. That would do me in. We prayer walked around the area and talked to those we met. The next day we went to a Compassion Net school 148 students. It was my privilege to talk to these young people and tell them the story of Leah and David. We shared the Evangelcube with them and the Witnessing Doll. We played games with them and jumped rope with them so much fun. We taught in the a.m. and in the afternoon before we went back to our place of rest and prepared for the next leg of our journey. We traveled the next day arriving just in time for a birthday party @ 6:30 in another home. This was fun and relaxing. We were able to meet a lot of people who work in this area. The Bangla language teacher and her family were there and she would interpret for me on 2 different days with the Slum girls and with their mothers. I hate calling them that but that is what they are. Girls that come to our school. They are given a clean uniform everyday and a shower everymorning. They wear their uniform home and then change in the a.m. for a clean one after their shower and head washing. These girls are precious. Oh my! They still have a very huge peace of my heart. They would kiss me on both cheeks and say good morning Auntie. They sang songs about Jesus with all their hearts and just enjoy the ability to be at school. I miss them so much. (Go to walgreens.com photos and sign in with my name fpind@bellsouth.net password fanniemae7) check out all the wonderful pictures. The first day we taught the women, me Bible, Jan health, both morning and afternoon. We would return and teach the girls Bible Stories. Both days were absolutely wonderful experiences. We had two women tell us that they have trusted Isa/Jesu. What a joy to see new life in them. Next we would travel quite a way South and prepare for yet another 2-3 hr drive the next day to a remote village. Here we would use 2 interpreters. What a greeting we received from this village. A people ready to hear all that we would share. Six tribal leaders brought their people or a representation of their people. Together their numbers are 70,000. They brought 50+ from each tribe more or less. I wouldn't even try to count how many there were. They had come together for one reason and that was to hear about Jesus. I started with Creation to the Cross. Our missionary then followed with prayer. I taught on God's plan for salvation using the witnessing doll and the colors of her necklace that represented sin, shed blood, His Righteousness, the change He makes in our lives, His life living in us and heaven. I ask our interpreter to ask them if any would like to trust Jesus as their Savior. They talked among themselves and one leader stood and said, "Why wouldn't we?" At that point, I couldn't talk. I was so overwhelmed by such a simple question. Why wouldn't we.? I ask our interpretor, who is a pastor to lead them in the sinner's prayer. He did. I ask him to ask if anyone prayed that prayer. The talk began amongst them again.After a few minutes, a leader stood up and said, "We ALL Did!" After that I think I was a blur. I think I led us in prayer. The joy on their faces. Wow. I hugged them all (well the ladies). We hugged each other. Oh the love of Jesus. It doesn't get any better. It was awesome. The change. We had to get home before it got to dark so we left soon after but we would return -tomorrow. We would share even more about their Jesus. It was great. After much teaching and time with them in prayer, we ask them. What can we pray for you about? They each stood and told us they need a house where they can just pray to God. They need teachers to teach them stories. It was the most humbling experience. They wanted more of God. I know that I know that He will meet them at their point of need. We returned that evening glowing from all we had experienced in the past two days. Seeing Light expel the darkness. It just doesn't get any better. Yet we were moving on. The next morning we stopped by for a moment and went out into the Bay of Bengal. So much fun. Just to play for a moment. Then we loaded up for the long journey home. At this point it would be good to have a place to lay our heads where we didn't have to rummage through our suitcases and them pack them up for another days journey. This place would be our home until we start our journey back to our homes. We arrived safely, ate along the way and we were ready for bed the moment we got inside the door. Shower first. That was always my main thing. Wow it felt good to be clean from head to toe. Now we had a real shower here. No the cup from the bucket kind but that worked too. Cold water never woke me up, well except for that first moment. I was always so tired, that I went right to sleep. For the next 2 days we would journey 2 1/2 to 3 hours North. I would meet my ladies from the burned areas here. Yay! Oh it was wonderful. Old friends. Wonderful friends. Those I have walked closely with for all this time of separation. It was great. They brought their Bibles. We studied Ephesians. We went deep. God's Word met them at their point of need. Isaiah 43:1-3 was the theme of the entire trip and it was chosen before Christmas 2009. God knew where they would be at this point of life and He had prepared me to walk with them. I taught in the a.m. and Jan shared some on health issues and then, I taught more of God's Word and then we sat on the floor and talked and prayed. We ask God to intervene in our situations and He heard and is answering our prayers. It was family time. It was good. The next day, I would meet new ladies from the area that we were meeting at. Wow. This was great. And some students, boys, came over and they sat and listened as we once again did Creation to the Cross and shared stories and applications along the way. Wow. I loved every moment. What a joy to share His Word and encouragement with believers. These women are ready to be leaders and share His Word with those around them. We would go next to a boys hostel (live in school). These boys were/are angry about the things going on in their land. They have a right to be. So much violence. God gave me a wonderful word for them as we shared the importance of playing the movie of their actions. What would the result of their actions be. Did they want to go there. What should they do before acting or reacting. They listened as I shared God's Word with them. They are precious young boys, many ready to defend and many needing to vent their emotions. We talked about doing it God's way. Singing was always done with passion. It is truly healing for the heart. You should hear them sing, How Great Thou Art! Wow. The next day is Sunday and we would go to talk with the Slum girls. This was happy and sad. Saying good bye to these girls is so difficult. Where would they go after school? Would they end up in places to difficult to think about. So we pray. God knows their names.We would go to Home Church and say more good byes before we would leave the next day. Our travel home, after many good byes was difficult. God blessed us in India where we met a girl who loves our Lord. She shared with us how God had worked a miracle in her life. It was so wonderful to talk with her. The 16 hour flight home was okay.It really was. How that is possible I don't know but it was okay. I was so excited to land in Chicago and know that soon, I would be seeing Mike's face. Wow!!!!! God is good to me. He is a blessing!!!!! We spent some wonderful hours together until later that night and the next day, I realized I was sick. I made it through the next night before I realized that I needed help. Mike to me to the hospital and God cleared the way. Within 10 minutes I had an IV going and meds that would put me into a painless state and sweet sleep. Sleep I did. When I woke up I was a new person. Thank You God for giving man the wisdom to put together meds to relieve the pain of the body. I am not sure yet what I had but it is gone, gone, gone. I am still reeling at all that went on. Seeing so many accept Jesus. Lives changed! Light piercing the darkness. It doesn't get any better. Someday I know I will experience it fully. At the right time and with my Father, I will just get into that precious moment and be a part of it. It is to much for right now. How will I ever explain that moment. Why Wouldn't We? I am still asking myself that question. Are we so literate that we can't see the obvious before us? Okay, enough of my ramblings. I am not a writer. This is not correctly written. It is from my heart. Please don't let my grammatical errors take away from the meaning of all that happened. I love you and I cherish your prayers. Soli Deo Gloria faye