I will go before you...

Isaiah 45:2 says: I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.

Earlier this week I was reading my bible and God showed me this verse, then I was talking with someone and I saw this verse again on a friends profile. I serve a MIGHTY God. I realize that there is a ton of civil unrest in Mumbai. I know that many have lost their lives and my prayers are with their families. My heart aches for those who have suffered these losses, but also for those who were so young and took the lives of so many. It is painful to see these young people who have just thrown their life away because of hatred. If they had only known God's love for them.

Many of you have asked me over the past few days if I will change my plans. The answer is "no" because God has not told me to do so, and also the bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. If I live in "fear" then I am not trusting God. God promised that He would be my Shepherd in Psalm 23. A Shepherd will always take care of His sheep.

Now, as I prepare to go on this trip...I am thrilled in my heart to see so many of my friends and to meet my new friends. I am looking forward to encouraging them and just sharing what God has done in our lives over the past two years. Some of them have been here to the US during those two years and God blessed our time together then also. I love these young people...they are like family to me. Some of them call me "akka" which means elder sister...some call me "mom" and some call me "Jayme". It makes no difference to me...I love them all. Each of them knows that when we talk I will shoot straight with them. I believe that even if the truth hurts, you should always be truthful. Sometimes all a person needs is that someone would listen to them. I do that well too....sometimes it is more listening than talking. I praise God for the heart He has given me for these young people. They are the future!

I am nothing special...you understand. Just a regular person who serves a powerful God. I love seeing the hand of God at work. So many times I see a prayer answered and my face lights up, because I know that God has done it all. I am reminded of Gideon in the bible....God had Gideon do some things that seemed so crazy! First of all he skinnied down his team of soldiers! I am sure that things looked very scary to Gideon...but he continued to TRUST God even though he didn't fully understand His ways. Then, God told Gideon that the men needed to carry lanterns made of clay and when they came upon the enemies camp they were to break the lanterns so that the light would shine brightly and then they were to blow the trumpets. The whole thing about breaking the clay lanterns caught my attention. I look at us....His children....we too are just made of clay.....it is not until we are broken that His light can shine. If you are facing difficulties and you feel that your world is shattered.....let God shine through you. He will use the very thing you are going through to overcome the enemy.

I will do my best to keep up this blog. Hold me in your thoughts and prayers....until we meet again!

Blessings....
jayme

He must increase, but I must decrease.---John 3:30

Seriously....how does one spend five weeks in India

Hmmmm....funny you should ask! Below is the short condensed version of my schedule. Can't wait to be going!

Sunday, Nov 30th - Leave the US via SFO flying Jet Airways (I'll tell you how they are in case you want to fly them one day).....through Shanghai and then into Mumbai (Bombay).

Monday, Dec 1st - Chillin in the sky...probably sleeping and also working on my book (ahhh that's another blog).

Tuesday, Dec 2nd - In Mumbai I'll have a couple of angels greeting me. I like to call them Michael and Gabriel aka: Sahil and Hitesh. These two will help me in getting from the International terminal to Domestic terminal. I know it can't be that hard....but hey...have you ever been to Mumbai? Oiy! It's quite an obstacle course....especially when the Domestic terminal is on the other side of the runway. But in Mumbai you always have to cross busy intersections to get to the other side! Once I get to my connecting flight I'll be heading for Delhi.

Wednesday, Dec 3rd - Delhi

Thursday, Dec 4 - Saturday, Dec 6- Nepal

Sunday, Dec 7 - Back in Delhi

Monday, Dec 8 - Agra (Taj Mahal)

Tuesday, Dec 9-15 - Hyderabad

Monday, Dec 15 - 22 - Trivandrum

Monday, Dec 22- 29 - Chennai

Monday, Dec 29 - Jan 6 - Bangalore

Monday, Jan 6- Jan 7 - Sao Paulo, Brazil

Tuesday, Jan 7 - Jan 12 - Cuiaba, Brazil

Tuesday, Jan 12 - Jan 13 - Flying home

The question I get asked the most....

Why are you going to India? Well, I'm a Christian (as most of you who read this will know). Back two years ago a friend of mine invited me to join a social network called ORKUT. ORKUT is a lot like FaceBook. One of the communities within ORKUT was a small one that had just began called Prayer Request Community (PRC). Being a Christian I saw it as an opportunity to reach out to those who were hurting and pray with them. Through this community I began to meet many many people. Soon my heart grew such a love for them. One day, while traveling through the Santa Cruz Mountains, God spoke to my heart that He wanted me to go to India. I have been a Christian since I was 8 years old....this was so out of my comfort zone! I began to pray as I drove...tears streaming down my face! Prior to leaving my house I had heard a sermon by an Indian pastor, Arun Andrews, in his message he spoke about the 23rd Psalm and how that God is our Good Shepherd and that He will lead us wherever we go. I have read the 23rd Psalm more times than I can count...but this time it had a new meaning for me. As I drove and prayed I said: God, if you want me to go, you will have to be right beside me. I have never gone outside of my country by myself! God reassured me that He would guide me. As I continued to drive I stopped for a meeting at one of our pastor's homes. The pastor's wife was talking to us about our upcoming Bible study in which I was one of the table leaders. It was my first time to ever lead a group of ladies in a study and I was very nervous about it. I did not tell any of the ladies about what had just happened....then, the pastor's wife asked us all to sit down at the table as we began our meeting. The first words out of her mouth were: "Ladies, I just want you to know that God is the Good Shepherd and He will lead you whereve you go! " Imagine my shock at these words. Now it was twice I had heard this. That evening I went to church and spoke with our pastor. I told him that I felt I needed to go to India. He said to me: "Jayme, a burden is a spawning ground for a calling. God will lead you where you need to go." Okay....now I have this 3 times! Then, I returned home full of excitement and yet nervous about this adventure. It was August 31st and the Labor Day holidays were begining. The PRC was at around 1,000 members now and growing every day. My friend, who got me into ORKUT, had told me about when Jesus fed the 5,000 and he reminded me that Jesus had said to his diciples, "What do you have?" (Mark 6:38) They told him five loaves and two fishes. Then God multiplied what they had. My friend told me...Jayme, God doesn't want what you can GET...He only wants what you HAVE. I sat there that day at my computer, praying. I opened up a PowerPoint presentation that had been sent to me. The very last slide said: "God is the Good Shepherd, He will lead you wherever you go." I said to the Lord: "Ok God, I got it! You know I am nervous about this, but I know your voice and I know what you are telling me. I will go...but you also know what I have. It's not much, and I know that the airfare to India will be steep, but I am trusting you to provide for me." I began to search for airfare through SideStep.com. The rates began at around $5,000.00....I just kept praying and saying, God, you know I don't have that kind of money. I watched as the finder searched for airfares and I saw the prices begin to go down....down....down....down....and finally, it stopped. The price on the screen was EXACTLY the amount I had! God is amazing! I clicked the ok button and said: "Lord, help me and use me to encourage these young people." From that day onwards every detail of my trip began to unfold. Every place I stayed in was provided...all my transportation throughout India came into being. God made provision for all my airfares inside of India and provided good friends. Some people may say this is just a coincidence....but I know it was God. At the end of my trip I had visited some 13 cities in India and met many many new friends. At the time I left in November of 2006, PRC was about 1,400 members. Today it is well over 12,300 members! I asked God: "So Lord, when do I go again?" He said: "December of 2008." I said: " Ok Lord. I know you will make a way for me to go." In November of 2007 I re-financed my car I had just purchased with our Credit Union. When I applied for the loan the loan officer told me, our promotion this month is that you get a free companion airfare with the purchase of an airfare. They gave me the coupon and I tucked it away somewhere (still don't know where). But also.....he told me: "We are also giving away free airfare to anywhere in the world you would like to go, and I have put your name in for the drawing." Then he said to me: "So, if you won this, where would you go? Italy, France, Bora Bora????" I told him: "I will go to India." He was shocked because it was not the answer he expected. Then I told him the reason why. I went on with life as usual...and really didn't think much more about the contest. One day I got a phone call...it was my loan officer. He told me: "Guess what? We just drew your name out for the free airfare to anywhere in the world!" Oh how happy I was! I knew that God had met my need for my airfare to India in 2008! He asked me to come to the office because they wanted to interview me. I had never really won anything in my life...other than a cake at a cake walk! The interviewer was a person at the bank. I told her where I would go...she too was very shocked at my reply to go to India. I had the opportunity to tell her about how God had spoke to my heart in 2006 and now He had answered my prayers for 2008. So, along these past two years I held back on my vacation time so that I could go and spend even more time with those whom I have come to love so much. But even something more happened along those two years. God sent to me the man whom I will marry next year....that is yet another story of God's promise to me and perhaps I will share His promise with you in my next blog session. But, long story short is that I am going to India for five (5) weeks (this will also include 3 days in Nepal) and then from India I will go to Brazil to meet my future husband and have our engagement party! God is amazing to say the least. I hope that I can keep this blog up so you can meet all of the wonderful friends I have in India and Brazil. God's grace is sufficient for me. He is all that I need...and yet He continues to give me more than enough to get me to where He wants me to be. I pray that the words that are written in this blog will be used to encourage you and show you that He is the same....YESTERDAY, TODAY and FOREVER!

blessings...
---jayme

He must increase, but I must decrease.---John 3:30